Raymond Felton

Clippers Sign Raymond Felton

JULY 25: The Clippers have made it official with Felton, announcing today (via Twitter) that the veteran point guard has signed his contract with the team. It’s believed to be a one-year, minimum-salary pact.

JULY 14: The Clippers and unrestricted free agent Raymond Felton have agreed to terms on a contract, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media group reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the arrangement are not yet known.

Interest had picked up in the veteran in recent days, as Haynes noted on Wednesday, with five teams expressing interest in signing Felton. The Clippers land themselves a solid backup to starter Chris Paul, and Felton now becomes the only other true point guard on the team’s roster.

The 32-year-old made 80 appearances for Dallas in 2015/16, averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per outing.

Clippers Waive Devyn Marble

3:42pm: The Clippers have officially waived Marble, the team confirmed this afternoon in a press release.

12:53pm: The Clippers will waive shooting guard Devyn Marble, whom they acquired in a trade with the Magic, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The deal, which was completed earlier today, was viewed as a way for L.A. to reduce salary before signing free agent point guard Raymond Felton.

Marble’s contract was non-guaranteed unless he was on a roster past 5 pm Eastern time today, and the Magic were planning to waive him before they found a trading partner in the Clippers. L.A. gave up C.J. Wilcox in the deal and received a 2020 second-round draft pick in return, along with Marble.

A second-round choice in 2014, Marble was traded from the Nuggets to Orlando shortly after the draft. He spent two years with the Magic, but appeared in just 44 games, including 28 this season. He would have made $980,431 next season if he had been retained.

Clippers Notes: Griffin, Wilcox, Marble, Redick

Trading away Blake Griffin would mean a sharp change of direction for the Clippers, writes Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Rumors of a possible Griffin deal surfaced Thursday when Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported that the Celtics have targeted him and that there’s a feeling around the league that Boston is ready to make a major move. Deveney cited a possible three-team trade that would send Griffin to the Celtics and Rudy Gay from the Kings to the Clippers, but Woike sees a team built around Gay, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan as less likely than the current roster to be a contender in the West. Griffin has two seasons and about $41.5MM left on his contract.

There’s more news out of Los Angeles:

  • The Clippers made a much-needed move to clear some cap space Thursday when they traded C.J. Wilcox to Orlando, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Wilcox played just 268 minutes in his two seasons with Los Angeles and was owed more than $1.2MM next season with a $2,183,328 team option for 2017/18. In return, the Clippers received a second-round draft pick in 2020 and Devyn Marble, whose contract is non-guaranteed until today at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Waiving Marble would open up money to sign Raymond Felton, who agreed to terms with L.A. on Thursday.
  • The Clippers are right against the luxury tax line with 13 players on guaranteed contracts, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical.
  • Clippers guard J.J. Redick responded to Commissioner Adam Silver’s warning about “super teams” being bad for the league, writes Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com. In a series of tweets, Redick notes that five teams have won titles since LeBron James joined the Heat in 2010, that the Celtics formed their dominant team through trades and that free agents have earned the right to decide where they want to play. Redick, who has been with the Clippers since 2013, is entering the final season of his contract.

Western Notes: Felton, Westbrook, Pelicans

There has been some speculation that the Thunder may look to trade Russell Westbrook in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure, but during an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical noted that there remains a very good chance the star will continue his career in OKC (h/t Erik Horne of The Oklahoman). “Right now, his mindset in on the team they have and can we add pieces in the short term, can we go out in free agency,” Wojnarowski said. “That doesn’t mean he’s not leaving next year, but his attitude isn’t ‘aww man, Kevin left. I’m screwed, I need to get out of here.’

He’s been … I’ve been told Russell’s been very determined to lead the team they have, and I know that Russell really likes the town. He loves bringing in Victor OladipoSteven Adams. Those are his guys,” Wojnarowski continued. “He thinks they’re a real talented team that if they can add another significant piece it puts them right back in contention. I think he’s embracing this, and he can go out next summer and get a $200MM dollar extension with Oklahoma City.

Here’s more from out West:

  • Interest in Mavericks unrestricted free agent Raymond Felton has picked up in recent days, with five teams circling the point guard, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets. The 32-year-old made 80 appearances for Dallas in 2015/16, averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per outing.
  • Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry noted that the team is seeking more than just talent when exploring the free agent market this summer, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “We were gonna add high-character guys,” Gentry said. “I think that’s where the league is going now. If you look around most of the teams they’ve got interchangeable parts, but they’ve got guys that are all about the team. They’re trying to figure out what makes the team better. I think for us, you talk about Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, and adding these two kids and some of the other guys that we signed, I like the makeup of our team. What we have to do is see how it all meshes together.

And-Ones: Durant, Gasol, Crawford

Kevin Durant has told teams he is meeting with that his decision will be made within the next 24-36 hours, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Durant’s meeting with the Celtics, one that reportedly featured Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, ended just after 6:30pm, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Aldridge also tweets that Durant will meet with the Heat Sunday before meeting again with the Thunder. He is then expected to decide. According to Broussard, however, no decision has been made on whether Durant will meet again with the Thunder (Twitter link). Durant has also met with the Warriors, Spurs and Clippers.

Here’s more from a busy day around the league …

  • The Raptors have emerged as another suitor for Pau Gasol, who may look to make a decision after Durant finds a home, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The Wolves, Blazers and Spurs have expressed interest in Gasol, too, Stein relays (on Twitter).
  • Al Horford‘s four-year, $113MM deal with the Celtics includes a player option after the third year, according to his agent Jason Glushon, Shelburne reports (ESPN Now link).
  • The Clippers formally offered Jamal Crawford a contract on Saturday, according to Shelburne (ESPN Now link). The Wolves checked in on Crawford Saturday, but they are not close to offering, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
  • After losing Horford in free agency, the Hawks are expected to halt trade talks and will keep Paul Millsap, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Kings hold a team option for the second year on both of the two-year agreements for Arron Afflalo and Anthony Tolliver, James Ham  of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
  • The Pelicans have expressed interest in Raymond Felton and New Orleans could be competition for the Mavs, who would like to re-sign Felton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
  • The Mavs, Wolves, Pelicans and Spurs are among the teams that have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent Thomas Robinson, Kennedy tweets.

Western Notes: Stephenson, Felton, Murray

The Grizzlies have a tough decision to make regarding their 2016/17 team option worth $9,405,000 for Lance Stephenson, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal notes in his offseason look at the team’s shooting guards. While Stephenson’s cap hit would likely be a bargain in comparison to many of the contracts expected to be handed out this summer, Memphis may ultimately decide to decline the option and test the market before circling back to Stephenson if other avenues don’t work out, Herrington opines. The 25-year-old produced some solid numbers for the Grizzlies after being acquired from the Clippers during the season. In 26 appearances for Memphis, Stephenson notched averages of 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.6 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from out West:

  • Unrestricted free agent point guard Raymond Felton noted that he would prefer to re-sign with the Mavericks this offseason, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays (Twitter links). “Of course, this is where I want to be. I’d love to come back here, so hopefully we can make that happen,” Felton said. “It’s a process. … I’m out of it now. My agent and the organization, it’s their situation now.” Felton, 31, appeared in 80 games for Dallas this past season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 assists on 40.6% shooting.
  • Former Washington combo guard Dejounte Murray worked out for the Suns on Friday, the team announced. The 19-year-old is currently projected as a second-rounder by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, who slots the scoring guard as the No. 32 overall prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft. Murray is a talented player with a high upside and I expect that he’ll ultimately be a mid-to-late first round pick, though that is merely my speculation.
  • The Lakers held private workouts on Friday for forward Jaylen Brown (California) and big man Skal Labissière (Kentucky), Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles tweets.

Western Notes: Clarkson, Spurs, Felton

Jordan Clarkson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, wants to remain with the Lakers and be a part of turning the franchise around, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News relays. “We had two tough years, but I don’t want to be a guy that is afraid and will run away from challenges,” Clarkson said. “I want to be a part of the situation when it turns around because I was here when it was down. I never want to leave.

The young guard also expressed his willingness to take on whatever role the franchise requires of him, Medina adds. “I will do anything a team asks me to do,” Clarkson said. “If it’s to come off the bench, I would impact the game by coming off the bench. If I were to start, I would impact the game as a starter. I would impact the game either way.”

Here’s the latest from out West:

  • The Spurs have explored trading up in the first round of the NBA Draft, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). It is unclear which teams San Antonio has contacted or who the team may be targeting if it was able to improve is draft position via trade. The Spurs currently own the No. 29 overall pick this June.
  • Former SMU forward Markus Kennedy has a workout scheduled with the Mavericks on June 14th, Kennedy (no relation) tweets.
  • Point guard Raymond Felton, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, said that his preference is to re-sign with the Mavericks, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays (Twitter links). “Of course, this is where I want to be. I’d love to come back here, so hopefully we can make that happen,” Felton said. “It’s a process. … I’m out of it now. My agent and the organization, it’s their situation now.
  • The Nuggets have workouts set for Friday with DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph’s), Joel Bolomboy (Weber State), Cheick Diallo (Kansas), Taurean Prince (Baylor) and Antwan Scott (Colorado State), the team announced via press release.

Western Notes: Howard, Felton, Thomas

Rockets guard Jason Terry doesn’t believe that center Dwight Howard is a lock to opt out of his deal this summer and test free agency, as he told Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “He has yet to opt out,” Terry said. “Again, it’s just going to depend on if you get the right coach in there. At this point in his career, he’s not going to be the focal point offensively. They’ve made that clear. He’s gonna have to, if he remains in Houston, buy into the role fully, commit himself to setting screens, rebounding, running the floor, blocking shots and working on his free throws, obviously.” Terry’s comments were made prior to the reports that Mike D’Antoni would be the team’s new head coach, which may significantly impact Howard’s thinking given the two did not mesh well together in Los Angeles.

Here’s more from out West:

  • The Mavericks could benefit by re-signing Raymond Felton this summer after his solid 2015/16 campaign, though the team should only do so if he is willing to accept the salary of a backup player, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. Felton made 80 appearances this season, including 30 starts, and he averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per outing.
  • Former NBA player Adonis Thomas will attend mini-camps with the Rockets, Spurs and Jazz, his agent Travis King informed Jorge Sierra of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). The 23-year-old swingman appeared in six games during the 2013/14 campaign for the Sixers and Magic.
  • If Kevin Durant leaves the Thunder as a free agent this offseason, he will also be leaving behind Russell Westbrook, whose presence has played a significant part in Durant’s success thus far in his career, Ben Alamar of ESPN.com writes.

Mavs Rumors: Nowitzki, Parsons, Howard, D-Will

Dirk Nowitzki said today that he definitely won’t retire, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (on Twitter), and the German-born star dismissed the idea he won’t be back with the team next year, calling it “crazy talk,” according to Mavs radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Cooperstein (Twitter link). Still, Nowitzki has on multiple occasions included the caveat that the Mavs have to avoid rebuilding in order for him to remain committed to the franchise, and coach Rick Carlisle expressed a level of uncertainty about Nowitzki’s future in Dallas. The power forward, who turns 38 in June, has a player option worth about $8.692MM for next season.

See more from Dallas in the wake of the Mavs’ playoff elimination Monday:

  • Chandler Parsons made a public recruiting pitch to Dwight Howard today, as MacMahon relays (ESPN Now link). The Mavs don’t want to pay Howard the max, as MacMahon reported previously, but Parsons is fond of the idea of again pairing with his one-time Rockets teammate. “I think he can still dominate the game,” Parsons said. “I think he can still be a great player in this league. And I think he’s going to leave Houston, so why not come here?”
  • Parsons, who like Howard is expected to opt out and hit free agency this summer, also gave further indication that he prefers to stay in Dallas, according to MacMahon (ESPN Now link). “Dallas is home to me,” Parsons said. “I loved it here. I came here to be a great player and to win a lot of games, and I’ve yet to do that here. So I feel that I have a lot of unfinished business here that I’d love to continue and grow into the player that I saw myself being when I signed here. The quicker we can get that done allows me to start recruiting and doing that whole thing.”
  • Deron Williams doesn’t know what he’ll do with his player option worth slightly more than $5.621MM for next season, but he said today that he’d love to be back with the Mavs next season whether he opts in or out, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Carlisle said he wants the same outcome, MacMahon adds (Twitter link).
  • Raymond Felton‘s contract is up at season’s end and, unlike Williams, he doesn’t have an option to decide on, but he said he plans to move into a house in Dallas and would like to re-sign, as Sneed also passes along (on Twitter). Felton has spent the last two seasons with the Mavs.

Texas Notes: Howard, Foye, Powell, Anderson

The Mavericks and Bulls were among the teams the Rockets spoke to about Dwight Howard in the days leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, reiterating earlier reports that Houston talked with the Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Heat and Bucks. The Rockets held out for one “frontline player” and a first-round pick in return, sources told Stein, though it’s not entirely clear whether he means “frontline” as in “frontcourt” or as in “of importance.” GM Daryl Morey provided a hint, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays.

“It was going to have to take something significant to make us look at anything and even then we probably wouldn’t have,” Morey said in part.

Morey also said that he believes in the combo of Howard and James Harden and was never close to trading Howard, Feigen notes, but according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports, the Rockets understand that Howard and Harden are simply a poor fit on the court. The Rockets and other teams had considerable differences about what a Howard trade would look like, even though executives around the league believe Howard is a better scorer than his numbers in Houston show, Mannix writes. See more from the Texas Triangle:

  • The Mavericks had some level of interest in Randy Foye before the Nuggets traded him to the Thunder instead Thursday, but the Mavs weren’t going to offer either Devin Harris or Raymond Felton for him, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
  • The Mavs are always looking for another shooter, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said, according to Sefko, who indicates in the same piece that the team wouldn’t mind signing a big man, either, as the post-deadline buyout market develops.
  • Teams offered picks likely to fall in the middle of the first-round to the Mavs for Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson, a source tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Presumably that means each of them would have netted that sort of pick individually, and not the two of them as a package.
  • Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News wouldn’t be surprised to see the Spurs replace former assistant GM Sean Marks with Spurs D-League GM Brian Pauga, also noting that ex-Spurs executive Danny Ferry has been hanging around the team of late (Twitter links). Young made his remarks on the evening before the Nets hired Marks as their GM.