Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Roy Hibbert, Blazers Reach Verbal Agreement

July 5th, 2012 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY 5:35pm: The Pacers have yet to decide whether they will match the Trail Blazers' max offer sheet to Hibbert, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter).

SUNDAY 1:28pm: The Blazers and Hibbert have reached a verbal agreement, and the big man will sign an offer sheet with Portland on July 11th, says Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. The Pacers will then have three days to match the offer.

Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Dragic, Orton, Blazers

July 3rd, 2012 at 8:27pm CST by Luke Adams

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:

The Warriors, Lakers, and Bobcats are all interested in Antawn Jamison, tweets Yahoo! Sports columnist Marc J. Spears.
The Mavericks might clear cap space for next summer when Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are unrestricted free agents, tweets Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski.
Ersan Ilyasova's agent has said his client is seriously considering a "big offer" from a European club, according to HoopsHype.com.
The Timberwolves continued negotiation with Nicolas Batum, Greg Stiemsma, and Jordan Hill on Tuesday, but no deal was reached, writes TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson.

Earlier updates:

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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Blazers Nearing Buyout With Shawne Williams

July 3rd, 2012 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are nearing an agreement to buy out Shawne Williams' contract, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick. Williams, who was traded to Portland earlier this year, exercised his player option worth $3.135MM, which keeps him under contract for one more years with the Blazers.

If the Blazers and Williams agree on a buyout, the team will have the opportunity to spread the cap hit for the deal over the next three seasons under the NBA's stretch provision. An agreement would likely give Portland a couple million more dollars to work with in free agency.

Odds & Ends: Hawks, D-Will, Calderon, Celtics

July 3rd, 2012 at 12:15am CST by Chuck Myron

It's been another whirlwind day of player movement in the NBA, as the Hawks agreed to two significant trades, sending Joe Johnson to the Nets and Marvin Williams to the Jazz. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld speculated that Josh Smith may be the next Hawk to go (Twitter link), but Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com report that Smith is excited about the moves, which would free up plenty of cap space for next summer, when Atlanta could go after Smith and other major targets. Here's news from elsewhere around the busy Association.

T-Wolves Rumors: Batum, Crawford, Gasol, Hill

July 2nd, 2012 at 8:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are off to an aggressive start in free agency, having reportedly made a "serious offer" to restricted free agent Nicolas Batum. According to Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, sources believe the Trail Blazers' willingness to match a big offer for Batum will depend on whether they're able to land Roy Hibbert. Here are a few more updates on the T-Wolves' targets in free agency and trades:

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com updates an earlier story to say that Batum has narrowed his options to the Blazers, with whom he's meeting later this week, and the Wolves, and has postponed visits to other teams.

Earlier updates:

Latest On Steve Nash

July 1st, 2012 at 8:42pm CST by Luke Adams

8:42pm: Nash met with the Raptors and Knicks today while the Nets will make their pitch tomorrow morning, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Nets like Nash both as a potential Deron Williams replacement and teammate.

4:22pm: Nash is meeting with the Nets today, a league source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

1:39pm: Nash tells ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link) that he's eager to talk to the Mavericks if their pursuit of Deron Williams falls through. However, Stein hears that the Knicks and Raptors are Nash's top two choices at the moment, in no particular order.

1:16pm: The Suns are interested in Landry Fields as part of a possible sign-and-trade deal for Nash, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Again, such a trade would have to include other pieces in addition to Fields, and Nash would probably have to accept a below-market-value salary to choose the Knicks over other suitors. But the Suns do have interest in Fields.

11:18am: The Knicks have had "exploratory talks" with the Suns about a potential sign-and-trade for Nash, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Such a deal would allow Nash to make more than the $3.09MM mini mid-level exception the Knicks can offer.

To match salaries, the Knicks would probably have to offer at least two or three players such as Iman Shumpert, Toney Douglas, Landry Fields, and Steve Novak. Even then, Nash could make more money elsewhere, and would be playing a part in depleting the Knicks' roster in order to get to New York. Nash to the Knicks continues to look like a real long shot to me, though that's just my speculation.

The Suns, meanwhile, haven't scheduled an in-person meeting with Nash, but contacted him last night, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

12:48am: The Knicks, Raptors, Nets, Mavs and Suns are making early recruiting pitches to Steve Nash, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, via Twitter. The Heat and Pacers are also involved, according to TNT's David Aldridge (Twitter link), but the Trail Blazers are not, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.

While Portland was viewed by some teams around the league as a contender for Nash, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian tweets that the Blazers aren't looking to bring aboard aging veterans or quick fixes. Freeman adds in a pair of tweets that, while Portland may decide to sign a veteran point guard, the team won't add anyone to compete with rookie Damian Lillard for the starting gig. Any acquisition must be okay with backing up and mentoring the sixth overall pick.

As for Nash, we've heard over the last couple days that the Raptors' pitch to the Canadian star is expected to be aggressive and extensive. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (Twitter link), the Raps are pitching Nash on post-retirement opportunities with the franchise, while Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that Toronto has Nash hero Wayne Gretzky ready to call the point guard on Sunday to help with the recruitment.

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Nicolas Batum Has “Serious Offer” From T-Wolves

July 1st, 2012 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

1:52pm: Minnesota seems to be Batum's preferred non-Portland destination, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, adding that the two sides have a "great shot" at reaching a verbal agreement. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune wonders (via Twitter) if that agreement could happen today, since the T-Wolves are trying to get Batum into town for a visit.

7:42am: While the Trail Blazers were visiting restricted free agent Roy Hibbert and offering him a maximum deal, Portland's own RFA Nicolas Batum was being aggressively courted himself. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, the Timberwolves contacted Batum and made a "serious offer" for the 23-year-old. Haynes reports that the T-Wolves' offer to Batum is in the four-year, $45-50MM range, and that the two sides will meet in Minnesota today to further discuss it.

Pacers Reach Out To Omer Asik

July 1st, 2012 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Trail Blazers heavily courting Roy Hibbert and expecting to sign him to a maximum-salary offer sheet as soon as they can, the Pacers are exploring contingency plans. According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), Indiana has reached out to Bulls restricted free agent Omer Asik.

Wells cautions that the Pacers' interest in Asik doesn't mean the team won't match the Blazers' offer to Hibbert. GM Kevin Pritchard and president Donnie Walsh are simply doing their homework, according to Wells. Asik is also drawing interest from the Rockets, who may be preparing an offer that starts at $8MM.

Northwest Rumors: Millsap, McGee, T-Wolves

July 1st, 2012 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

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:

Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Mavs, Cavs, Crawford

July 1st, 2012 at 3:00am CST by Chuck Myron

It's past midnight on the East Coast, and that means teams may negotiate with free agents from other clubs, as the NBA's offseason gets under way in earnest. Players can't officially sign contracts until July 11, and trades can't be made official until that date either. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty of talk and agreements in principle between now and then, and if this evening is any indication, we're in for a busy couple of weeks ahead. There are several bits of news rolling in on free agents as July begins, so we'll round up what we're hearing around the late-night rumor mill here.

The Lakers are seeking a point guard in free agency, and in addition to reaching out to Ramon Sessions, they're also targeting veterans like Chauncey Billups, Jameer Nelson, and Kirk Hinrich, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
In search of a center, the Mavericks have shown some interest in Hasheem Thabeet and Joel Przybilla, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
The Cavaliers have expressed interest in Jonny Flynn, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. They're also eyeing Sonny Weems, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

The Mavericks are interested in Anthony Randolph, according to Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
Jamal Crawford was contacted by six teams tonight, with Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identifying the Celtics, Suns, 76ers, Timberwolves, and Clippers, while Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says the Pacers were also in touch.
Seven teams contacted Ian Mahinmi when free agency opened, but the Mavericks weren't one of them, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
The Kings have reached out to Terrence Williams, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
There are five or six teams ready to make Lou Williams a contract offer, tweets John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has already called Ramon Sessions to open dialogue about a new contract, says Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports clarifies an earlier item on Omer Asik (linked below), tweeting that a Blazers contingent met with Asik tonight, but that GM Neil Olshey was meeting with another player.
After his meeting with the Rockets tonight, Omer Asik will sit down with Blazers GM Neil Olshey, who plans to make him an offer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Rockets free agent Goran Dragic wants to be the starter no matter where he winds up, Wojnarowski also tweets.
The Clippers will talk with Nick Young, Randy Foye and Jamal Crawford, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
Lakers unrestricted free agent Jordan Hill will meet with the Wolves on Monday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Nets are committed to reaching a deal with Mirza Teletovic but are waiting to find out what happens with Deron Williams first, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak contacted Devin Ebanks via text message about re-signing him, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is meeting tonight with Bulls restricted free agent Omer Asik, and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune hears the Rockets are prepared to offer Asik a deal worth $8MM a year (Twitter link).
The Mavs may have interest in Wolves unrestricted free agent Michael Beasley, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
The Clippers had contact tonight with Chauncey Billups' representatives, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

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