Eastern Rumors: Nets, Hardaway, Hornets, Celtics
Before Rudy Gay signed with the Spurs, the Nets expressed interest in the veteran forward, having viewed him as a contingency plan in the event that the Wizards match their offer sheet for Otto Porter, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
With Gay off the board and Porter likely to be retained by Washington, the Nets will be a “strong contender” for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. That’s no surprise, now that the 24-year-old is unrestricted, but for Caldwell-Pope to be an option for Brooklyn, his camp may have to be patient, since the Nets’ cap room may be tied up for a few days until the Wizards make their decision on Porter official.
Here’s more from around the East:
- Before the Knicks swooped in with a $71MM offer sheet, the Hawks were willing to offer Tim Hardaway Jr. a four-year deal in the $48MM range, league sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe. We’ll see if Atlanta is willing to go significantly higher than that to match New York’s offer, or if Hardaway will return to the Knicks.
- The Hornets are in the market for another big man, GM Rich Cho said today (Twitter link via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer). Charlotte is also evaluating whether to sign a third point guard or keep Briante Weber in that role. Weber has a non-guaranteed contract.
- Raptors president Masai Ujiri said today that he’s comfortable entering the 2017/18 season as a tax team, but there’s still plenty of time to make moves. He’s waiting for the trade market to open up a little, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050.
- The plan for the Celtics has always been to have draft-and-stash prospect Guerschon Yabusele on their roster this fall, a league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Boston will likely need to waive or trade Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson to retain Yabusele’s cap hold.
Raptors Re-Sign Serge Ibaka To Three-Year Deal
JULY 7: The Raptors have issued a press release formally confirming their new deal with Ibaka.
“We are thrilled with the skills and intangibles Serge brings to our team,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “He is one of the top two-way power forwards in the NBA and his ability to stretch the floor is a valuable asset today’s game.”
JULY 2: The Raptors have reached an agreement on a new deal for Serge Ibaka, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Ibaka has agreed to sign a three-year contract worth $65MM to remain in Toronto.
Ibaka, who will turn 28 in February, initially joined the Raptors in a trade deadline deal back in February, as the Magic sent him to Toronto in exchange for a package that featured Terrence Ross and a first-round pick. The veteran big man averaged 14.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.4 BPG with a .398 3PT% down the stretch for the Raptors, and there was a sense that the two sides wanted to continue the relationship beyond this year.
Ibaka is no longer the dominant rim protector that he was during his prime years in Oklahoma City, when he led the NBA in blocks in consecutive seasons. However, he has developed into a legitimate outside threat, setting new career bests in three-point percentage (39.1%) and threes per game (1.6) in 2016/17.
With Ibaka back in the fold, it seems likely that the Raptors will also lock up free agent point guard Kyle Lowry. Ibaka and Lowry share an agent in ASM’s Andy Miller, and while the duo isn’t necessarily viewed as a package deal this summer, it makes sense for Toronto to retain both, since the team won’t have the cap flexibility to sign a comparable replacement for Lowry if he leaves. The fact that the Raptors are reportedly discussing a Cory Joseph trade with Indiana also bodes well for Lowry’s return.
[RELATED UPDATE: Raptors to re-sign Kyle Lowry]
It remains to be seen how Ibaka’s new deal with the Raptors will affect incumbent center Jonas Valanciunas. The majority of Toronto’s most effective lineups late in the 2016/17 season had Ibaka playing center, and he seems to be a better fit at the five than the four. Valanciunas would be a pricey backup at $15MM+, and if Lowry gets a big payday, the Raptors will go over the tax line, so the young center could be on the trading block again.
As Zach Lowe of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter), re-signing Lowry to a deal near the max and trading Joseph wouldn’t get the Raptors below the tax threshold. Toronto is looking to move contracts, according to Lowe, who notes that Valanciunas is the most interesting trade chip to watch, since the Raps would have to attach an asset or two to DeMarre Carroll to move his deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Sign Malcolm Miller To Two-Way Deal
The Raptors have signed Malcolm Miller to the franchise’s first two-way deal, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star tweets. As part of the new CBA, each team will get a pair of two-way contracts, so Toronto will have one more of these types of deals to hand out.
Players on two-way deals will spend most of their season in the G-League since they cannot spend more than 45 days with an NBA club, as our glossary page on two-way contracts shows.
Miller played four seasons at Holy Cross and spent the 2015/16 season playing for the Maine Red Claws, the affiliate of the Celtics. The 6’7″ combo forward spent last season playing abroad for Alba Berlin.
Eastern Rumors: Ellington, Haslem, Smart, Hawks
The belief among Heat players is that Wayne Ellington will be back with the team next season, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Ellington is a candidate to be released within the next 48 hours or so, since his $6.27MM salary for 2017/18 – currently non-guaranteed – will become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract.
Even if the Heat ultimately decide that they need to waive Ellington to create some extra cap room for another move, that doesn’t necessarily rule out his return — the team could eventually re-sign him to a deal worth the $4.3MM room exception, if he’s open to accepting a pay cut.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Reynolds provides another Heat-related tidbit, tweeting that Udonis Haslem is on the Cavaliers‘ radar. Haslem, who has spent his entire career in Miami, wants to stay with the Heat, and that looks like the most probable outcome. But a conversation between Haslem and the Cavs is likely, per Reynolds.
- On Wednesday, an ESPN report indicated that the Celtics had called the Knicks about Marcus Smart, but New York’s level of interest in Smart was unclear. Following up on that story, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports that the Knicks do indeed have interest in Smart and are considering trade options as a way of filling part or all of their remaining cap space.
- Italian forward Nicolo Melli received a contract offer from the Hawks, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). However, Pick reports that Melli has turned down that offer and will sign a multiyear pact with Fenerbahce in Turkey. Per Sportando (Twitter link), Melli’s new deal isn’t done yet, but will be within a few days.
- The Raptors are the latest team to line up a deal to add a sponsored patch to their jersey, according to TSN’s Rick Westhead, who reports that Toronto has signed a three-year agreement with insurance company Sun Life Financial. The deal will pay Raptors ownership more than $5MM annually, sources tell Westhead. The list of NBA clubs that have agreed to jersey sponsorship deals can be found here.
Raptors, Pacers Discuss Cory Joseph Trade
11:19am: The Raptors are seeking draft-pick compensation in exchange for Joseph in talks with the Pacers, writes Scotto in his full report for Basketball Insiders. With Ibaka returning to Toronto and Lowry a good bet to follow suit, the club is looking to clear salary.
10:13am: The Raptors and Pacers are engaged in discussions on Joseph, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com confirms (via Twitter).
9:53am: The Raptors have had discussions about a trade that would send point guard Cory Joseph to Indiana, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Based on the wording of Scotto’s report, it’s possible those discussions are simply internal ones for the Raptors, but I would imagine both teams have been involved in the talks.
Joseph, who will turn 26 next month, has played for the Raptors since 2015 after spending the first four years of his NBA career in San Antonio. He has steadily increased his production along with his playing time in each of his NBA seasons, averaging new career bests in PPG (9.3) and APG (3.3) with a .452/.356/.770 shooting line last season. Primarily a backup for Kyle Lowry in Toronto, Joseph stepped into the starting lineup down the stretch when Lowry was sidelined with a wrist injury.
If the Raptors are willing to consider moving Joseph, it may be a sign that the team believes Lowry will return. We heard on Saturday night that there’s a “growing sense” among NBA executives that the star point guard will remain in Toronto. If the Raps end up re-signing Lowry and trading Joseph, the team would likely lean on youngsters Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet as its backups at the point.
As for the Pacers, they’re in the market for point guard help after losing Jeff Teague, who has committed to sign with the Timberwolves. One report this weekend suggested Indiana is targeting players who haven’t necessarily reached their full potential with their current teams — Joseph, who has been solid but unspectacular for the Spurs and Raptors, may fit that bill.
Joseph, who will earn $7.63MM in 2017/18, has one guaranteed year left on his deal, with a $7.945MM player option for 2018/19. Moving his contract could help Toronto avoid going way over the tax line if the club reaches new deals with Lowry and Serge Ibaka.
Central Rumors: Shumpert, Korver, Bulls, Forman
While trade talks between the Cavaliers and Rockets involving Iman Shumpert appear to have lost momentum, Cleveland continues to try to find a landing spot for the swingman, indicating that there are other possible trade partners, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, the Raptors, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Kings have expressed some level of interest in Shumpert, though it’s not clear how many of those clubs remain in pursuit.
As we wait to see if the Cavs can find a taker for Shumpert, let’s round up a few more Central notes and rumors…
- The Cavaliers have made a contract offer to Kyle Korver, according to Vardon. The terms of that offer aren’t known.
- After a Saturday report indicated that the Bulls have conveyed interest in Justin Holiday, Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) hears from a source that Chicago is one of the teams that has made Holiday a contract offer. The Knicks haven’t formally put an offer on the table for Holiday, but the situation is fluid, says Berman.
- The Bulls may end up re-shuffling their front office this offseason, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Cowley, GM Gar Forman could be the odd man out if the team restructures its management hierarchy, while John Paxson‘s brother Jim Paxson – the Bulls’ director of basketball operations – may take on more responsibilities.
Free Agent Rumors: Ibaka, Bogdanovic, Knicks
Addressing NBA-wide speculation that he’s older than his listed age of 27, Raptors free agent big man Serge Ibaka issued a statement expressing disappointment with the media for “prejudices” based on his origin. Within his written statement, Ibaka suggested that he needs to take a stand against the “false assumption” that has been circulating.
“I was born in the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville,” Ibaka wrote. “A city with a population bigger than 1 million. A city with hospitals, a civil registry, and an administration. I was born in a caring, loving and united family. I was not born in the jungle.”
Here’s more on free agency:
- In addition to the Hawks, the Kings and Nuggets are among the teams showing legitimate interest in Wizards RFA sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Bogdanovic landing in Sacramento would be a fun scenario for play-by-play commentators, since the Kings have already reached a deal with Bogdan Bogdanovic.
- Multiple agents who have been in touch with the Knicks get the impression that the team wants to add younger players and is reluctant to spend big money on a single free agent, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That could mean that New York’s reported interest in George Hill has waned.
- As they explore the free agent market, the Pacers intend to target young players with upside who may not have reached their full potential with their previous teams, says Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis fit that bill, according to Taylor, who hears from a source that Pacers president Kevin Pritchard has “coveted Oladipo for years.”
- Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald lays out why the Celtics badly need to land Gordon Hayward this week. As Bulpett explains, Boston’s cap room will no longer be available next summer when new deals are due for Isaiah Thomas and perhaps Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley as well, meaning 2017 is likely the team’s last and best chance to land a top-tier free agent.
Rockets Sign P.J. Tucker To Four-Year Deal
JULY 6, 10:29am: The Rockets have jumped the gun a little on the end of the July moratorium, issuing a press release announcing Tucker’s signing about a half-hour before the moratorium ends.
JULY 1, 11:52pm: The Rockets are expected to sign Tucker using their mid-level exception, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Assuming the team uses part of its MLE on Zhou (as noted below) and offers the rest to Tucker, the veteran’s contract could be worth up to about $32.6MM.
11:36pm: The Rockets have reached a deal with free agent forward P.J. Tucker, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Tucker had met with the Raptors when free agency opened, and had a sit-down with the Kings scheduled for Sunday, but it appears that meeting will be canceled now that Tucker has committed to Houston on a four-year, $32MM deal, per Charania (Twitter link).
Tucker, who started the 2016/17 season in Phoenix, was traded to the Raptors in a deadline deal and was a key piece for a Toronto team that was eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals. For the season, Tucker averaged a modest 6.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 81 games (27.6 MPG), providing value with his tough defense and his ability to make the occasional three-pointer (.357 3PT%).
The Rockets had been on the lookout for a defensive-minded wing who could complement the team’s backcourt of James Harden and newly-acquired Chris Paul. Houston reportedly made an offer to Andre Iguodala today, but Iguodala elected to remain in Golden State. The Rockets were also said to be in serious talks with the Cavaliers for Iman Shumpert, though it’s possible their deal with Tucker could make the Rockets pump the brakes on those Shumpert discussions.
[RELATED: Clippers trade Chris Paul to Rockets]
Based on the reported terms of the Tucker deal, the Rockets may be committing the rest of their mid-level exception to the 32-year-old after agreeing to sign Zhou Qi using part of it. However, there are multiple ways Houston could complete the deal. A sign-and-trade is another possibility, if the Rockets don’t need to use their non-guaranteed contracts in a Shumpert trade with Cleveland. A Tucker sign-and-trade could – in theory – create a trade exception for Toronto and would allow the Rockets to retain most of their MLE.
A report earlier today suggested that the Raptors weren’t overly confident about their chances of retaining Tucker, but remained optimistic about bringing back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eastern FA Rumors: Lowry, Bogdanovic, Celtics
There’s a “growing sense” among executives around the NBA that Kyle Lowry will ultimately sign a new deal with the Raptors, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Zillgitt says not to be surprised if Lowry gets a three-year deal in the range of $27MM annually from Toronto, which would put him right in the neighborhood of his good friend and teammate DeMar DeRozan — DeRozan’s contract calls for an annual salary of $27,739,975 over the next three years, with a player option worth the same amount in 2020/21.
Here are more free agent updates from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Hawks are among Bojan Bogdanovic‘s most “ardent” suitors, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge. As Aldridge observes, Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent, but it will be difficult for the Wizards to match a competitive offer sheet for the sharpshooter if they also have to match a max offer for Otto Porter.
- The Knicks, who have already been linked to several point guards in the first 24 hours of free agency, have also expressed interest in Shelvin Mack, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
- Although the Heat‘s recruiting efforts today were focused on Gordon Hayward, the team also made time to show some love to Udonis Haslem, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details in a pair of tweets. A free agent again this summer, Haslem is probably a good bet to re-sign with Miami on a minimum salary contract.
- The Celtics, Hayward’s other Eastern Conference suitor, have talked to multiple free agents besides Hayward, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). Murphy notes that the most notable conversation has been with Danilo Gallinari, though the two sides hadn’t yet set up a meeting as of this afternoon.
P.J. Tucker Meeting With Raptors, Kings
10:30pm: The Kings’ meeting with Tucker is now scheduled to take place in Philadelphia on Sunday, sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
JULY 1, 10:09am: Tucker’s meeting with the Kings will take place today, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
JUNE 30, 10:14pm: Veteran forward P.J. Tucker will meet with members of the Raptors’ front office after 12:00 EST tonight, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. Tucker was acquired by Toronto at the trade deadline last February.
Tucker made $5.3MM in 2016/17 and was a sought-after veteran target mid-season because of his toughness and perimeter defense.
At some point over the weekend, Tucker will also meet with the Kings, Haynes adds in a second tweet.
In addition to the Raps and Kings, the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Sixers and Clippers are said to have an interest in the free agent.
In 24 post-deadline games for the Raptors last year, Tucker averaged 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.