By Chuck Myron |
at July 7, 2012 4:09 pm
It's been a busy day in Boston, and that's not even counting the doubleheader between the Red Sox and Yankees. You can head over to MLB Trade Rumors for baseball news, but we've got the Celtics covered right here. Already today they've reached an agreement with Jeff Green, and we've heard that negotiations between C's restricted free agent big man Greg Stiemsma and the Timberwolves are on hold, perhaps allowing Boston a chance to woo him back. Stiemsma's agent, however, says his client prefers the Timberwolves and is willing to be patient with them, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Here's more of what we're hearing:
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- The Celtics are "scrambling to add depth" at shooting guard with Ray Allen now in Miami, says Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com, though that pursuit may be tempered by the news that Avery Bradley is still targeting a return by training camp, as Forsberg reports.
- As Forsberg points out, the Celtics can't match any offer for Stiemsma even though he's a restricted free agent. The Celtics have Stiemsma's non-Bird rights, having employed him for only one season, and can pay him no more than his qualifying offer of about $1.05MM next year, unless they use the bi-annual exception to pay him $1.957MM. The length of the non-Bird deal can be four years, with 4.5% annual raises, and the bi-annual exception allows two years with a 4.5% raise in the second year. The Wolves may not have room for Stiemsma if they wind up signing Batum, but their interest in Stiemsma appears to be contingent on whether they get Batum anyway.
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By Zachary Links |
at July 7, 2012 11:30 am
After Team USA's first practice Friday afternoon, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant told reporters, including Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), that he's not so sure that the team is done making trades. "I don't think that they're done. The moves they make just seem to come out of nowhere," Bryant said. Here's some more Saturday afternoon linkage..
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- The Timberwolves are still pursuing free agent Greg Stiemsma but talks are on hold while they try to manufacture a sign-and-trade for Nicolas Batum with the Blazers, who say that they're not interested, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The big man's agent recently said that his top two choices are the T'Wolves and Celtics.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) wouldn't be surprised if Ray Allen is helping recruit Rashard Lewis to the Heat as the two were close during their time in Seattle.
- The Heat put on an unprecedented recruiting effort on Allen, as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Pat Riley, and Erik Spoelstra worked to make him feel like he was key to a championship, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.
- Adam Morrison is out to prove that he is worthy of a spot on an NBA team, writes Josh Newman of ZagsBlog.com. The No. 3 overall pick of the Bobcats in 2006 is a part of the Nets' summer league roster.
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By Luke Adams |
at July 6, 2012 2:38 pm
Brandon Roy, Jason Kidd, and Jamal Crawford were among the players to reach agreements with new clubs yesterday, while Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin agreed to lucrative offer sheets that their current teams are expected to match. What will Friday bring? Here are the latest rumors on a number of free agents still on the market:
Earlier updates:
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- The Timberwolves have pushed their next discussion with Greg Stiemsma back to tomorrow while they determine the cap implications of their agreements with Brandon Roy and Nicolas Batum, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com adds (via Twitter) that Stiemsma is also drawing interest from the Trail Blazers and Hornets.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday (Twitter link) is hearing that Randy Foye could be a possibility for the Knicks. In order to land both Foye and Jason Kidd, New York would have to sign-and-trade for one of them.
- The Nuggets continue to "grind it out" with JaVale McGee's reps, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. As Aldridge notes, whichever team loses out on Roy Hibbert between the Pacers and Trail Blazers could enter the mix in a big way for McGee.
- Anthony Randolph will meet with the Hawks this weekend and the Mavericks on Tuesday, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- The Nets, Mavs, Bulls, Thunder, and Cavaliers are in the running for Derek Fisher, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
- The Grizzlies will meet with Raptors restricted free agent Sonny Weems tonight, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
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By Luke Adams |
at July 4, 2012 10:32 pm
Happy Fourth of July to all of our American readers! Even though it's a holiday, we're expecting more free agent developments, so we'll be providing our usual updates all day long. Here are a few of Wednesday's more minor free agent rumors, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets that Grant Hill will either join Steve Nash in signing with the Lakers or retire.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic tweets that the Suns are unwilling to offer Goran Dragic the $10MM per year he is reportedly seeking.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that negotiations between JaVale McGee and the Nuggets are "going well."
Earlier updates:
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- Alexey Shved will travel to the U.S. next week to visit the Timberwolves, Cavs, and Grizzlies, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. All three teams have offered deals, according to Shved's agent, though the Cavs said earlier this week they hadn't made an offer.
- The Suns are pushing for a commitment from Michael Beasley today and are meeting with Raymond Felton tomorrow, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Having become an unrestricted free agent yesterday, Courtney Lee will probably find a four-year, $25MM+ contract, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. However, Kyler notes that the Rockets, who still hold Lee's Bird Rights, may have the framework in place for a five-year, $32MM deal.
- Mike Naiditch, the agent for Greg Stiemsma, tells Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the Celtics and Timberwolves are his client's top two choices.
- Four teams have called to express interest in Mickael Pietrus, but the Celtics aren't one of those four, says Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, adding that Pietrus "desperately" wants to re-sign with Boston.
- While their top target is Ray Allen, the Grizzlies are "casting a wide net" in free agency, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. GM Chris Wallace says the team has talked to "about 15 players" already. Randy Foye and Kirk Hinrich are believed to be among Memphis' other targets, according to Tillery.
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By Luke Adams |
at July 3, 2012 8:27 pm
Day 3 of NBA free agency is underway, and the July free agent period hasn't lacked for action so far. We'll use this space to track a number of updates on second- and third-tier free agents as the day continues. Here's the latest:
Earlier updates:
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- Chauncey Billups and Spencer Hawes won't be possibilities for the Trail Blazers, says Jason Quick of the Oregonian (Twitter links).
- The Thunder, Hornets, and Wizards have expressed interest in Roger Mason, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
- Brandon Roy met with the Warriors in the Bay Area on Sunday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Cavaliers and Knicks have expressed some interest in restricted free agent Sonny Weems, says Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Pacers may be a long shot for Jamal Crawford, but the club has "legitimate interest" in Carlos Delfino, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- GM David Kahn and the Timberwolves like Greg Stiemsma and "talked numbers" with his agent, but no offer was made, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). The two sides will meet again on Friday.
- The Clippers continue to have interest in Jason Terry and J.R. Smith and are talking with both players' reps, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. I imagine the Clips view those players as alternate options if they miss out on Jamal Crawford and Ray Allen.
- The Pacers are expected to meet with Gerald Green and Ian Mahinmi in the coming days, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- Antawn Jamison will meet with the "very interested" Bobcats on Thursday and Friday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Jamison has previously talked about a desire to finish his career in his hometown of Charlotte.
- The Trail Blazers have reached out to Chauncey Billups, who is exploring all his options, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- If the Pacers decide not to match Portland's offer sheet for Roy Hibbert, they'll turn their attention to Chris Kaman and JaVale McGee, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher.
- J.R. Smith's brother tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that he expects J.R. to return to the Knicks.
- Terrence Williams is drawing interest from the Kings, Pistons, and Suns, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Daniel Orton has emerged as a potential free agent target for the Thunder, tweets Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
- The Suns are still meeting with Goran Dragic and will likely meet with him again in the next few days, tweets Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- Now that Deron Williams is headed to the Nets, the Mavericks will target Steve Nashand Jeremy Lin, and focus on re-signing Jason Kidd, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Dallas is not sure whether or not they'll go after Goran Dragic.
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By Luke Adams |
at July 2, 2012 10:07 pm
While a report surfaced last night suggesting that the Knicks may be reluctant to match a backloaded offer to Jeremy Lin, it doesn't appear that such an offer will come from Brooklyn. According to TNT's David Aldridge, the Nets haven't reached out to Lin, and appear to be viewing Steve Nash as Plan B if they can't lock up Deron Williams. Let's round up a few more free agent tidbits from around the league….
- While an earlier report (linked below) from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune suggests the Bulls will only offer the minimum to Kirk Hinrich, Johnson says he's now emerging as the team's top target (Twitter link).
- Chris Kaman had a "positive" meeting with the Pacers today, but no offer was made, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes Lin and Nash may be an either/or proposition for the Knicks.
Earlier updates:
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- Lin has received interest from a number of teams, including the Raptors, Mavericks and, contradicting Aldridge, the Nets, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes. At least one of those teams has considered making Lin a backloaded offer, according to Kennedy.
- Lin and fellow restricted free agent Greg Stiemsma have withdrawn from the USA Olympic select team. Lin is off the team because of contract concerns, as Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets, and Stiemsma is nursing a foot injury, tweets Howard Beck of The New York Times.
- Jamal Crawford will spend Tuesday with the Clippers, frontrunners for his services, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The Celtics, Sixers, Suns and Wolves are also interested.
- It's likely the Bulls won't pick up C.J. Watson's option, but that could change if they don't match Omer Asik's offer sheet from the Rockets, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Restricted free agent Devin Ebanks has drawn the eye of the Magic, Thunder, Nets, Hawks and 76ers, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- The Warriors, one of the teams on Brandon Roy's list of finalists, would like to bring him aboard, but can't afford to commit cap space to someone whose status is so uncertain, says Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group, who adds that if Roy is unwilling to sign for the minimum, it's unlikely he'll be a Warrior (Twitter link).
- The Bulls are pursuing Derek Fisher, write Ramona Shelburne and Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, and the Heat, Mavs and Thunder are also on the radar for the veteran guard. The report also confirms the team's interest in Brandon Roy (linked below).
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that John Lucas III is a good bet to re-sign with the Bulls (Twitter link).
- Marco Belinelli is drawing interest from teams targeting shooting guards, and the Mavericks are one possibility for him, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- Berger also tweets that interest in unrestricted free agent centers Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby has increased since Omer Asik agreed to a deal with the Rockets.
- Goran Dragic is expected to meet with Rockets officials today in Houston, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has been in contact with Brandon Roy about the possibility of signing with Chicago, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Roy has met with the Timberwolves and Mavericks, and intends to meet with the other three clubs on his wish list before making a decision, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- While they're rumored to have interest, the Cavs haven't made an offer to Alexey Shved, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
- Chris Wilcox, recovering from aortic surgery, has been cleared for full-court contact, his agent tells TNT's David Aldridge.
- Steve Novak is drawing heavy interest, as nearly a dozen teams contacted his representatives yesterday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman says the Knicks are targeting Anthony Tolliver as a possible alternative if Novak gets away.
- The Suns and Pistons are among the teams pursuing Michael Beasley, according to Sam Amick of SI.com.
- Amick also says the Raptors, Suns, Nets, Hornets, Lakers, and Rockets have expressed some interest in Goran Dragic.
- The Bulls' talks with Kirk Hinrich have focused on the veteran's minimum, which is unlikely to get it done with eight teams in the mix, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Wizards have reached out to a handful of their own free agents as well as John Lucas III and Hinrich, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Jonny Flynn is receiving interest from the Hawks in addition to the Cavs, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
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By Zachary Links |
at July 1, 2012 8:09 pm
Earlier this afternoon we learned that the Raptors have offered Steve Nash a three-year, $36MM deal. The aging point guard is also being courted by the division rival Nets, Knicks, as well as the Mavericks. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic..
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- The Nets and Celtics are among the teams looking at Nick Young, along with the Hornets, Pacers, and Lakers, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com (via Twitter).
- In an update to today's report on the Nets–Hawks trade talks, Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com write that sources say that the Nets have serious interest in Bosnian free-agent forward Mirza Teletovic. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward with shooting range averaged 21.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG in the Euroleague last season.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Twitter) hears that close to a dozen teams called today on Steve Novak. Berman can't see Novak being worth a full $5M mid-level exception but he notes that all it takes is one team.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he wants to "bring the band back together." and that apparently includes Ray Allen. Allen has drawn interest from several teams, including the Grizzlies, Heat, Nets, Hawks, and Mavericks.
- The Nets have expressed interest in Eric Gordon, particularly as a replacement for star if Deron Williams he leaves for Dallas, sources told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Nash is definitely the Knicks' top target, but they have also reached out to Raymond Felton's representatives, tweets Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday (via Twitter). The unrestricted free agent also had interest in the Suns, Nets, and a return to the Blazers as of last month, but that seems unlikely after Portland tabbed Damian Lillard in the draft.
- Greg Stiemsma visited with the Timberwolves and will talk to other clubs in the coming days, but the center's agent says that his preference is to return to the Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
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By Luke Adams |
at July 1, 2012 11:44 am
The Northwest has certainly been the NBA's most active division on the restricted free agent market so far today, with the Trail Blazers extending Roy Hibbert a maximum offer and the Timberwolves making a hard push for Nicolas Batum. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Portland's four-year offer to Hibbert is worth $58.4MM. I assume that's based on 2011/12's maximum-salary figures, which are likely to stay the same for 2012/13. Hibbert is leaning toward signing the offer sheet when the moratorium ends, which would give the Pacers three days to match it, says Berger.
Here are a few more Sunday updates out of the Northwest:
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- Paul Millsap is expected to seek a contract extension in the neighborhood of Gerald Wallace's reported four-year, $40MM deal with the Nets, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Smith adds in the same piece that the agents for two current Jazz free agents are open to sign-and-trade deals if their clients don't re-sign in Utah. C.J. Miles and Josh Howard are the only Jazz free agents that made more than the minimum salary last year, so maybe Smith is hearing from their agents, but that's just a guess on my part.
- Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri will meet with JaVale McGee's representatives tomorrow to begin talks on a new contract for the big man, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. McGee hasn't received any offers yet, says Ken Berger, who adds that retaining Andre Miller is a priority for Denver (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves have set up a meeting with Celtics restricted free agent Greg Stiemsma, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets that the C's remain Stiemsma's first choice.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 29, 2012 10:43 pm
With the NBA's 2012 free agent period just two days away, teams continue to extend qualifying offers to free agents in order to make them restricted. If a qualifying offer is not tendered to a player eligible for restricted free agency, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Players who are tendered qualifying offers have the option to accept the one-year contract and hit unrestricted free agency a year from now, but the primary purpose of the offers are to ensure that the player's team can match any offers for him this summer. We'll track today's qualifying offer updates right here, with the latest added to the top of the page….
- The Cavs have made a qualifying offer to Luke Harangody, according to the joint Twitter account of Plain Dealer writers Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade. The tender is expected to be around $1.05MM.
Earlier updates:
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- The Jazz have tendered Jeremy Evans a qualifying offer, tweets Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. The offer should be about $1.05MM.
- The Bobcats have extended qualifying offers to D.J. Augustin and Derrick Brown, the team announced. Augustin's should be for $4,385,416, with Brown's valued at $1,085,120.
- The Cavs extended a qualifying offer to Alonzo Gee, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The tender is thought to be $3,342,175.
- The Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to Greg Stiemsma, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). It should be worth $1,054,389.
- The Lakers have extended qualifying offers to both Devin Ebanks and Darius Morris, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter).
- Sonny Weems, who spent the season overseas, has received a qualifying offer from the Raptors, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. It should be worth about $1.09MM.
- The Grizzlies have extended qualifying offers to Darrell Arthur ($3MM) and Marreese Speights ($4.39MM), tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. O.J. Mayo and Lester Hudson did not receive qualifying offers from Memphis.
- The Raptors have tendered Jerryd Bayless a qualifying offer, says SI.com's Zach Lowe. Bayless failed to meet the starter criteria, so he should receive a QO of about $4MM.
- The Pacers have extended qualifying offers to Roy Hibbert, George Hill, and A.J. Price, according to RealGM's transactions log. Hibbert's offer will be for about $4.39MM, Hill's for $2.27MM, and Price's for $1.09MM.
- The Bulls have officially extended Omer Asik a qualifying offer, according to RealGM. It's worth about $2.32MM.
- Courtney Lee has received a qualifying offer from the Rockets, according to RealGM. Since he met the CBA's starter criteria, it should be worth about $4.39MM.
- The Sixers have tendered a qualifying offer to Lavoy Allen, according to RealGM. The 23-year-old should receive an offer worth about $962K.
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By Daniel Seco |
at June 6, 2012 12:41 pm
The Thunder have an opportunity to make it four wins in a row tonight against the Spurs as the series heads back to Oklahoma City for Game 6. A victory would send Kevin Durant and company to the NBA Finals and further validate general manager Sam Presti's experiment in which the team has generally been constructed through NBA lottery picks like Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Let's check in around the league to catch up on the latest news and stories making headlines on this Wednesday afternoon…
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- Former Florida star Nick Calathes is ready to give the NBA a shot after spending three seasons playing professionally in Greece, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Drafted in the second round by the Mavericks in 2009, Calathes will play on Dallas' summer league team with hopes of earning a roster spot for the 2012/2013 season.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says the Rockets need to decide what to do with their two first-round draft picks as they are currently slated to select 14th and 16th. The Rockets have many options with the picks as they could use them in a blockbuster trade or package them for a better pick in either this year or next year's draft.
- Celtics center Greg Stiemsma and Hornets forward Lance Thomas have been added to the U.S. select team that will compete against the U.S. Men's Olympic team in July, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). Magic forward Ryan Anderson has withdrawn from the team leaving the roster at 14 players.
- Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman says Oklahoma City has come a long way ever since hosting the Hornets in the wake of Hurricane Katrina five years ago.
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