Jonas Jerebko Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Durant, Jerebko, McCaw, Jones

September 20th, 2018 at 11:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors owner Joe Lacob is preparing for a recruiting effort next summer to convince Kevin Durant to sign a multi-year contract with the team, he said in an appearance on The TK Show Podcast with Tim Kawakami. Durant will be a free agent once again after signing a one-year deal. Golden State will have Durant’s full Bird rights and will offer a five-year max contract to keep him in a Warriors uniform.

“He deserves to be able to go and be happy wherever he wants to be,” Lacob said. “I hope it’s here. And I hope he feels the same that way I do, and we do, about him when it comes time next summer. But you never can predict these things. We just will do our job and he’ll do his job, and we’ll see what happens next summer. And let the chips fall where they may.”

Durant’s preference for shorter, less expensive contracts has helped the Warriors in other ways, writes Drew Shiller of NBC Sports. Durant passed up a max deal in 2017 with a starting salary of $34.7MM. He signed for $25MM instead, which enabled the team to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Lacob said a similar decision this summer made it easier for the Warriors to use their mid-level exception to add DeMarcus Cousins.

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

Jonas Jerebko is the latest shooter being brought in to give Golden State more firepower off the bench, Monte Poole of NBC Sports writes in a player profile. The Warriors need the kind of production Jerebko supplied last season with the Jazz, when he shot .414 behind the arc.
With just five days until the opening of camp, the Warriors still aren’t sure if Patrick McCaw will re-sign, notes Anthony Slater of the Athletic. The shooting guard can accept a $1.7MM qualifying offer at any time, but he has been waiting all summer for a better opportunity. If McCaw remains unsigned when camp opens, Slater offers some other alternatives such as Nick Young, who was with the Warriors last year, Jamal Crawford, Arron Afflalo and Corey Brewer. They may also decide to let Danuel House, Kendrick Nunn and Alfonzo McKinnie compete for McCaw’s spot in camp.
Dietary changes are part of the effort Damian Jones is making to win the starting center’s job heading into opening night, relays Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. Jones has sworn off sweets and other junk food as he sees an opportunity to join the starting lineup for the two-time defending champs, at least until Cousins is ready to play around mid-season. “I’ve been ready for it. I’ve been practicing for a while,” Jones said. “I know what role I’ll take on. I get the big picture. They’ve been telling me all summer what they need me to do.”

Warriors Notes: West, Myers, Jerebko, Cousins

August 30th, 2018 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

David West was a team leader and legitimate tough guy with well-rounded off-the-court interests, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The 38-year-old big man announced his retirement today after a 15-year NBA career that included the past two seasons with Golden State, where he won two titles.

In addition to his longevity, West will be remembered for a decision in made in 2015 to bypass an option year with the Pacers and sign with the Spurs in pursuit of a championship. The choice cost him about $10MM, but West felt it was worth it to pursue a ring. He joined the Warriors a year later and became the perfect veteran leader for a team coming off a disappointing finals loss.

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

In a post on the team website, GM Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr talked about how much West’s presence with the team will be missed. “There should be a picture in the dictionary of David under ‘pro’s pro’,” Myers said. “He’s one of the most decent people I’ve ever met. His depth of character is unmatched. We are all better for having spent the last two years with him. There is no doubt the best is ahead of him.” Kerr added: “David was a consummate professional throughout his entire career and was a huge presence in our locker room the last two years. The respect that he commanded was palpable every single day he walked in the door and the leadership that he provided to our team was critical to our success.”
Free agent addition Jonas Jerebko is prepared to do anything he can to help the Warriors stay on top. In a recent appearance on the Bay Area Sports Warriors Insider Podcast, Jerebko said he’s more confident than ever in his 3-point shot and believes he can help the team in other ways as well. “I’ve been in the league for 10 years now,” he said. “I know Steve [Kerr] and those guys have watched me and know what I can do on the court. I’m going to help every which way I can. If that’s on the defensive end, getting steals or rebounds, whatever it may be, hustling, you’re going to see me all over the court.”
The signing of DeMarcus Cousins gives the Warriors a potentially dominant big man once he’s fully healthy, but the team doesn’t plan any changes in its approach, writes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re not going to change our style of play,” Kerr said. “We’ll definitely add a few plays for DeMarcus down on the block. But for the most part, we’re not going to change who we are.”

Stein’s Latest: Sixers, Warriors, Rockets, Nets

July 31st, 2018 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers’ much-anticipated offseason fell far short of expectations, Marc Stein of the New York Times opines in his latest newsletter (Sign-up link).

Philadelphia didn’t come close to signing either LeBron James or Paul George in the free agent market and couldn’t swing a deal with the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, Stein continues. With Leonard landing in Toronto, the Sixers no longer have a clear path to the conference finals. They’re also still looking for a GM and the most consequential moves they made were re-signing J.J. Redick and dealing for Wilson Chandler, Stein adds.

We have more of Stein’s insights:

The Warriors were the biggest winners in the offseason. They not only stunned the NBA world by signing DeMarcus Cousins but they also made some underrated moves, such as locking up coach Steve Kerr to a long-term contract and signing serviceable forward Jonas Jerebko.
The Rockets’ offseason has been unfairly criticized. Re-signing Clint Capela to a team-friendly contract was a major coup and they should extract more production out of Carmelo Anthony than any other team in the league could.
The Nets will be active on the free agent market next summer but they won’t spend money simply because they’ll have a lot of cap space. Kyrie Irving will be a target if he declines his player option and becomes a free agent.

Pacific Notes: Walton, Nwaba, Clippers, Jerebko

July 16th, 2018 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James and Lakers coach Luke Walton held their first face-to-face meeting this weekend, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports. They had only communicated by text prior to chatting in Las Vegas when James visited the summer league playoffs. So far, so good between the young coach and the league’s premier player, according to Shelburne.

“He’s about the team. He’s about doing things the right way, and he’s about winning,” Walton said. “I can work with those qualities.” The Lakers’ head coach had previously reached out to some of James’ former coaches and teamates to get a better handle on what to expect when coaching James, Shelburne adds.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Restricted free agent Rodney Hood and unrestricted FA guard David Nwaba are potential targets for the Kings in the dwindling market, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area speculates. Sacramento could also ease its frontcourt logjam via a deal or simply wait until the market heats up again during the February trade deadline, Ham adds.
The Clippers’ moves have put them in a position to contend for a playoff berth but they might be better off falling out of the race quickly, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Avery Bradley and Luc Mbah a Moute could turn into valuable trade pieces that could land them some prospects and additional draft picks, Woike explains. That would likely be a better outcome for the franchise’s long-term health than squeaking into the playoffs, Woike adds.
Veteran forward Jonas Jerebko jumped at the chance to join the Warriors, Logan Murdock of the San Jose Mercury News tweets. “My agent called and said the Warriors were interested and after that, it was a wrap,” Jerebko told Murdock. “When the best team in the world calls, you answer.” Jerebko signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with Golden State shortly after being waived by the Jazz.

Warriors Sign Jonas Jerebko

July 12th, 2018 at 2:55pm CST by clarkcrum

JULY 12: The Warriors have officially signed Jerebko, the team announced today in a press release. The one-year deal with be worth the veteran’s minimum.

As Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News tweets, Golden State’s offseason roster activity figures to be almost over. The team has 13 players under contract and is expected to bring back Patrick McCaw. The Dubs will likely keep their 15th roster spot open to begin the regular season in order to save some money and retain flexibility.

JULY 7: Free agent Jonas Jerebko, who was waived by the Jazz earlier today, plans to sign with the Warriors after he clears waivers on Monday, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Jerebko is expected to clear waivers, as any team who makes a waiver claim for Jerebko would be required to to guarantee his $4.2MM salary for this season. It was already reported by Wojnarowski earlier this morning that there was strong mutual interest between Jerebko and Golden State, so Jerebko’s plans come as no surprise.

Because the Warriors already used their taxpayer mid-level exception on DeMarcus Cousins, have no cap room, and will assuredly be above the apron this season, Jerebko will only be eligible to sign a one- or two-year deal at the minimum salary.

FA Rumors: Jerebko, Warriors, Thomas, Magic, Smart

July 7th, 2018 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Jazz today, Jonas Jerebko is already being eyed by the Warriors, among other teams, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, there’s strong mutual interest between Jerebko and Golden State, one of the teams the forward will consider upon clearing waivers.

There’s a possibility that Jerebko won’t make it to free agency, but in order to claim him, a team must have cap room or a trade exception worth $4.2MM. If Jerebko does become a free agent and wants to join the Warriors, he’ll have to settle for the minimum, since the Dubs already committed their taxpayer mid-level exception to DeMarcus Cousins, and won’t have access to the bi-annual exception.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agents from around the NBA:

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the word in Las Vegas is that the Magic discussed a potential deal with Isaiah Thomas, but are unlikely to complete an agreement at this time, preferring to maintain flexibility to see what other opportunities develop. As Kyler notes, a patient approach to free agency helped net the club Jonathon Simmons last summer after San Antonio eventually withdrew Simmons’ qualifying offer.
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe provides an update on the Marcus Smart situation in Boston, confirming that Smart is frustrated by the negotiations – or lack thereof – with the Celtics so far. However, according to Himmelsbach, the C’s still consider Smart an “integral” part of their future and don’t view the current situation as a “standoff.” Himmelsbach also reports that there’s interest around the league in Smart at a price point of about $9MM per year, but he wants more, and could ultimately sign his $6MM qualifying offer if the offers don’t improve.
Tony Parker, who reached an agreement with the Hornets on Friday, tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link) that he received offers from the Spurs and Nuggets before deciding on Charlotte. I’d imagine those other offers didn’t come with the guarantee of as much money and/or as significant a role.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton explores whether Carmelo Anthony – who is headed for a split with the Thunder – would fit best with the Lakers, Heat, or Rockets, three teams said to be interested in his services.

Jazz Waive Jonas Jerebko

July 7th, 2018 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have officially waived Jonas Jerebko, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll become a free agent on Monday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Jerebko’s 2018/19 salary was still non-guaranteed, but would’ve become fully guaranteed if Jerebko had remained on Utah’s roster through Monday. As a result of the move, the Jazz will clear the forward’s full $4.2MM cap hit from their books.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, since Jerebko had a solid season as a reserve for the Jazz in 2017/18. In 74 games (19 starts), the 31-year-old averaged 5.8 PPG on .466/.414/.807 shooting, stretching the floor from the power forward spot.

Waiving Jerebko won’t free up any cap room for the Jazz, but it’ll create more breathing room below the tax line, perhaps opening up an opportunity for the team to use a chunk of its mid-level exception.

Utah’s offseason so far has been primarily focused on bringing back incumbent free agents, with Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto inking new deals. Thabo Sefolosha had his 2018/19 salary guaranteed, and the Jazz will still need to make a decision on Ekpe Udoh, whose $3.36MM would also become guaranteed next week.

Northwest Notes: Udoh, Thunder, Tolliver, Blazers

July 4th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by clarkcrum

The Jazz have been relatively generous during free agency so far this summer compared to most teams, handing out a two-year, $36MM contract to forward Derrick Favors, agreeing to a three-year, $33MM deal with backup guard Dante Exum, and reaching terms on a two-year, $4MM pact with seldom-used guard Raul Neto.

Furthermore, Utah has already guaranteed the 2018/19 salary of Thabo Sefolosha, who was limited to only 39 games last season. As such, it would appear that the Jazz are intent on sticking with their 2017/18 roster for now, which means that both Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh can be cautiously optimistic while waiting for their 2018/19 salary to become guaranteed.

Udoh in particular, who averaged 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 63 games for the Jazz last season, and whose $3.36MM salary becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on Utah’s roster past July 9, is trying to remain positive while awaiting Utah’s decision on his future, writes Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News.

“You know, we’ll see what happens,” Udoh told the Deseret News. “I’m grateful. I’m getting great workouts at the facility. I’ve been here pretty much since the season has been over outside of a couple trips, but I’ve just been getting in good work.”

Per Woodyard, Udoh is excited and prepared to return in a Jazz uniform next season, but also understands the business-like nature of the NBA.

“It’s gonna be a fun season,” Udoh said. “The West has gotten better but we’ve gotten better and we’re gonna be the same team next year. Starting last year, you didn’t know what you were going to get with so many new pieces, but now we’ll be ready from the beginning.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes that although Paul George did in fact want to be a Laker at this time last year, he is now happy in Oklahoma City after signing a four-year, $137MM max contract with the Thunder on the eve of free agency.
According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, Timberwolves’ free-agent signee forward Anthony Tolliver chose a return to Minnesota over four other pursuing teams because of the familiarity he has for the franchise – he played for the Wolves from 2010 to 2012 – and because “(he) want(s) to win.”
While it’s probably a bit bold to get too excited about the free agent signing of a backup, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes that the addition of 24 year-old center Nerlens Noel on a minimum-salary deal is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Thunder.
Per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, a couple of key subplots have emerged for the Trail Blazers during the team’s summer league minicamp. First, it’s an opportunity for Portland to get a first-hand look at rookies Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr. in an NBA practice. Moreover, both Wade Baldwin and Georgios Papagiannis are fighting for their NBA lives while Jake Layman looks to secure a more prominent role for next season.

Jazz Notes: Team Options, Coaching Staff, Williams-Goss

May 18th, 2018 at 6:32pm CST by Austin Kent

The Jazz will look internally to improve over the course of the upcoming offseason rather than chase major acquisitions via trade of free agency, general manager Dennis Lindsey said. Ryan McDonald of The Deseret News writes that there are plenty of players on board with room to grow.

Not only will Jazz fans wait with anticipation as Donovan Mitchell rounds out his game for his sophomore season but for returning veterans like Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Ricky Rubio to raise theirs for 2018/19, too.

All told, even without making a major transaction splash, it’s conceivable that the vastly improved Jazz take another leap forward next season. Not bad considering that they won’t have the luxury of picking in the lottery this year given their success.

McDonalds writes that one area that the club should be particularly focused on improving is offensive production off the bench. Outside of oft-injured guard Dante Exum there aren’t many players on the current roster who pack a strong scoring punch off the bench.

There’s more out of Utah tonight:

When free agency resumes, the Jazz will have to make decisions on three veteran players. Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes that all of Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh and Jonas Jerebko have team options in their contracts for 2018/19 and will have to wait until July before they find out whether they’ll be back on board for next season.
Despite the loss of assistant coach Igor Kokoskov, who will serve as the head coach of the Suns in 2018/19, the impression for now is that the Jazz will return the same coaching staff next season, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets.
Draft-and-stash prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, selected by the Jazz with the 55th pick in 2017, has drawn attention from a number of EuroLeague teams for next season, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando writes.

Jazz Notes: Favors, Sefolosha, Jerebko, Udoh

May 9th, 2018 at 5:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

A summer decision on Derrick Favors will shape the Jazz roster going forward, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Favors, who has spent more than seven years in Utah, will be an unrestricted free agent after earning $12MM this season. The team received offers for him at the trade deadline, according to Marks, but never came close to pulling the trigger.

Favors played 77 games this year after battling injuries the past two seasons and raised his numbers in points, rebounds and blocks. He was an effective fill-in for Rudy Gobert while the starting center missed 26 games with knee injuries.

The market may work against Favors, Marks cautions, because few teams have significant money to spend and the draft appears to be loaded with big men. He sees a compromise that would keep Favors in Utah for $45MM over three seasons with a 2020/21 player option. Marks notes that would allow the Jazz to use their full mid-level exception on another player – or players – without going over the luxury tax.

There’s more from Utah on the first day of the offseason:

The Jazz also face decisions on three non-guaranteed contracts, Marks adds in the same story. After free agent Gordon Hayward left for Boston last summer, Utah signed three veterans — Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh — without the guarantee of a second season. Marks states that their fates will be determined by the free agency pool at their positions, the need to open roster spots and the anticipated cost of keeping Favors. Jerebko and Udoh were barely used in the playoffs, while Sefolosha missed the end of the season with a knee injury and will start next year with a five-game suspension.
After becoming a surprising Rookie of the Year candidate, “nonstop work” is on Donovan Mitchell‘s agenda for the summer, relays Christopher Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune. Mitchell had his left foot in a walking boot during today’s exit interview, a result of an injury that forced him out of Tuesday’s closeout game with the Rockets. “He’s special because he has that look in him that he wants to be the best,” teammate Ricky Rubio said. “You either have it or you don’t have it. He has something. We can enjoy it.”
The Jazz plan to use their system as a selling point to free agents this summer, according to Royce Young and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The pitch will be that players will be put into a role where they can excel, just as Joe Ingles has.
Links to today’s exit interviews are available on the Jazz website.