Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics To Keep Phil Pressey

July 15th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Celtics have guaranteed Phil Pressey’s contract for 2014/15, a source tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Today was the last day that the team could waive his non-guaranteed salary for this season before it became fully guaranteed. The 5’11 guard signed a three-year deal last summer worth $2.25MM, although only $490K was fully guaranteed. Pressey will earn roughly $816K this upcoming season.

Pressey appeared in 75 games last season, averaging 2.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, and nearly one steal per game in 15.1 MPG. The 23-year-old guard struggled with his shot however, shooting 30.8% from the field and 26.4% from beyond-the-arc.

Celtics Re-Sign Avery Bradley

July 15th, 2014 at 6:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 15TH, 6:40pm: The deal is now official, according to a team press release.

“We see Avery as a key part of our chase of Banner 18,” said Celtics president Danny Ainge in a statement. “He keeps getting better and is still far from reaching his ceiling. We’re ecstatic to have him back.”

JULY 2ND, 9:28am: It’ll be a fully guaranteed contract with no option clauses, Butler tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

8:47am: The deal is worth $32MM over four years, tweets Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe.

8:20am: The Celtics will re-sign restricted free agent Avery Bradley, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The terms of the deal for the Mitchell Butler client aren’t immediately clear.

The C’s had been telling other free agents that Bradley would be a part of the club going forward, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), so it appears they were confident all along that the guard would re-sign. Still, the Sixers, armed with tons of cap flexibility, made contact with the 23-year-old Bradley shortly after free agency began. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge nonetheless made reference within the past week to the former 19th overall pick as a major part of the franchise’s future, and stated his belief in the ability of Bradley, Rajon Rondo, and the newly drafted Marcus Smart to co-exist on the team.

Executives who spoke recently to Chris Mannix of SI.com believed Bradley would end up with annual salaries between $7MM and $9MM. That’s after he reportedly turned down a four-year, $24MM extension offer from the Celtics last fall. He proceeded to put up a career year, scoring 14.9 points per game and draining 39.5% of his three-point attempts, proving he’s more than just a defensive specialist. The C’s and Bradley have had a mutual interest in his return, and Bradley has spoken of his affection for playing with Rondo. Perhaps Bradley’s willingness to re-sign so quickly indicates that Rondo, a free agent next year, is likely to remain in Boston, too, though that’s just my speculation.

Heat Sign Luol Deng

July 15th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 4:44pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

“Signing Luol Deng is one of the most important free agent signings that we have ever had in the history of the franchise,” team president Pat Riley said in the statement. “He is a proven All-Star and quintessential team player, both as a scorer, as well as an All-NBA defender. He brings the attitude of a warrior and competes every single night against the very, very best. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Heat family.”

SUNDAY, 1:36pm: The Heat are set to sign Luol Deng, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM. It’s a two-year, $20MM deal and includes a player option on year two, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

Deng will now help the Heat kick off of a brand new era that they hoped they would never have to see. Fortunately for Miami, even though LeBron James is returning to Cleveland, Chris Bosh will be sticking around on a max deal and it sounds as though Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem will be re-signing as well. Miami may not be world beaters this season, but they at least have some continuity and a good chance at returning to the postseason.

This morning it was reported that Pat Riley & Co. were in the lead for the small forward with the Mavericks, Suns, and Hawks also in the mix. The Ron Shade client was said to have been turning down offers that had an average annual value of $10MM, but he either couldn’t drum up a better deal or took a little less to enjoy one of the NBA’s most beautiful cities. Regardless of how it came together, it’s a good value for the Heat when considering the contracts given to Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons this offseason.

For his career, Deng has averaged 16.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG over ten NBA seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nets Re-Sign Alan Anderson

July 15th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: Anderson’s deal is official, the team announced via press release.

“Alan’s versatility was a big part of our success last season,” Nets GM Billy King said. “We look forward to Alan’s continued leadership on and off the court this season.”

TUESDAY, 6:30pm: The exact terms of the deal are two-years, $2.6MM, with a player option for 2015/16, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops. Those figures suggest the team is using its Non-Bird rights on Anderson, preserving its taxpayer’s mid-level exception for Bojan Bogdanovic.

5:58 pm: The Nets have reached an agreement to re-sign swingman Alan Anderson. The news was first announced by Anderson’s agent, Mark Bartlestein and his Priority Sports Agency (hat tip to Tim Bontemps of The New York Post). The deal is worth a little less than $3MM over two years, and the second year is a player option, tweets Bontemps.

Anderson started a career-high 26 games this past season and averaged 7.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.0 APG in 22.7 minutes per contest.His slash line was .400/.339/.780.

The 31 year-old signed a two-year deal with Brooklyn as a free agent last summer, coming over from the Raptors where he appeared in 65 games and scored a career-high 10.7 PPG, but with a shooting percentage of just 38.3%. Anderson chose to opt out of the second year of his deal with the Nets with the hopes of scoring a raise over the $1.06MM he was originally scheduled to make.

Bulls Waive Amundson, Brewer, James

July 15th, 2014 at 4:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have waived Lou Amundson, Ronnie Brewer and Mike James, the team announced via press release. The move wipes their non-guaranteed salaries from Chicago’s books. All three were on minimum-salary deals to which Chicago signed them at the end of last season in the hopes they could end up helping the Bulls aggregate salaries in a trade. Instead, Chicago opens up the cap space necessary to complete their deals with Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.

The trio will hit free agency unless another team picks them up off waivers. The trio combined to play a total of three minutes for the Bulls after the team signed them, but each isn’t too far removed from a more prominent role. James finished the 2012/13 season as the starting point guard for Dallas, Brewer started 34 games for the Knicks that year, and Amundson, though long a reserve, was well-regarded enough to merit deals with three teams that season.

Bulls Amnesty Carlos Boozer

July 15th, 2014 at 4:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:15pm: The Bulls have officially announced the move, via press release.

3:49pm: The Bulls have used the amnesty provision to waive Carlos Boozer, reports Sam Smith of Bulls.com (Twitter link). His $16.8MM salary will no longer count toward the salary cap for Chicago, which has needed room to accommodate its deals for Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, as I explained earlier this week. Boozer will nonetheless continue to receive paychecks from the Bulls, though Chicago’s financial obligation will be reduced if a team puts in a partial bid for Boozer as allowed in the amnesty waiver process.

Chicago had preferred to work out a trade for the 32-year-old power forward. Even though his name came up in conjunction with the Knicks if Carmelo Anthony were to decide to play for Chicago, ‘Melo remains in New York and no serious trade market for Boozer appeared to develop. Bulls GM Gar Forman and company were also working against a deadline, since Wednesday is the final day of the amnesty period.

The Rob Pelinka client remains a productive player, if not a star, and he would attract plenty of interest on the free agent market were he to clear waivers. That’s not a given, since teams with cap room figure to register bids. He’d go to the highest bidder if multiple teams do so, and if multiple bidders submit equivalent amounts in the blind bidding process, he’ll go to the team among them that posted the worst record last season.

Mavs Re-Sign Dirk Nowitzki

July 15th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 15TH: The deal is official, the team announced via press release, and it’s for less than previously reported so that Dallas could accommodate its deal for Chandler Parsons, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, $25MM contract, Stein tweets. Nowitzki turned down max offers from the Rockets and the Lakers to remain with the Mavs, Stein reports (on Twitter).

JULY 3RD: 3:52pm: The deal includes a player option after the second season and a no-trade clause, Stein writes in his full story.

3:33pm: The Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki have come to terms on a three-year deal, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). No free agent has seemed more certain to re-sign with his team than Nowitzki, with only the length of the contract and the financial terms in any doubt. The value of the deal is believed to be around $30MM, Stein adds via Twitter.

Nowitzki and the team had agreed to hold off on finalizing a deal until after the club’s Wednesday meeting with Carmelo Anthony so as to retain maximum cap flexibility, but with ‘Melo’s visit through, the team has locked up its own star. It’s not clear whether the deal is an indication that the team is more or less likely to sign ‘Melo than it had been before the meeting, but the terms of Nowitzki’s agreement fall in line with what Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com suggested he would likely end up with.

The money is a steep decline from Nowitzki’s salary of more than $22.7MM this past season, and he could have signed a deal worth as much as nearly $23.9MM for next season alone. The 36-year-old’s age is the chief reason he’ll wind up with less, but his loyalty to the Mavs also comes into play. Dallas has been attempting to find another star to go alongside Nowitzki in recent years, and that will be easier now that Nowitzki won’t be making nearly as much.

Nowitzki made the All-Star game this past season, and his performance this year justified the selection, as the 7-footer averaged 21.7 points and 6.2 rebounds with 39.8% three-point shooting and a 23.6 PER. He spoke in May of wanting the club to respect his continued ability when it put together his deal, even as he acknowledged there was no realistic chance he’d sign elsewhere. To that end, it appears he’ll continue to make an eight-figure salary, or close to it, as he nears age 40.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Re-Sign Dwyane Wade

July 15th, 2014 at 3:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:39pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced via press release.

“Dwyane has been the franchise cornerstone for this team since the day he arrived 11 years ago,” team president Pat Riley said in the club’s statement. “He has shown his commitment to the Heat many times over the course of his career and has always been willing to sacrifice in order to help build this team into a champion. This time is no different. I am ecstatic to have him back in the fold and I am confident that Dwyane, as always, will be leading this team as we look to contend for NBA Championships.”

1:54pm: It’s a two-year deal with player option in the final season, sources tell Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who expects Wade’s salary for this season to come in between $16-17MM (Twitter link).

1:08pm: Dwyane Wade is indeed set to re-sign with the Heat, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (on Twitter), confiming Wade’s Instagram post suggesting that a deal is done. There was little doubt that Miami and the Henry Thomas client would strike an agreement, and the Heat made a strong push to retain its longtime star in the hours after LeBron James returned to Cleveland.

Wade opted out of the final two years and $41.819MM remaining on his deal last month in an apparent effort to squeeze more talent on the roster and convince James to re-sign, but it’s unclear just how much Wade will receive on his new contract. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com estimated that he’d receive a salary of $15MM for the coming season.

Wade, 32, appeared in only 54 games during the regular season this year as knee injuries took a larger toll. He was still an all-around force when on the court, averaging 19.0 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds and compiling a 22.0 PER. He was seventh in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.

The Bulls reportedly gauged Wade’s interest in a deal that would allow him to play in his native Chicago, but he rebuffed them. Miami has become in many ways a second home for the perennial All-Star who’s played only for the Heat during his 11-year NBA career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pistons Sign D.J. Augustin

July 15th, 2014 at 3:18pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 3:18pm: The Pistons formally announced the deal today, making it official.

SUNDAY, 7:52pm: The Pistons have agreed to sign D.J. Augustin to a two-year, $6MM deal, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter).

The Hornets and the Mavericks were also showing interest in the guard but Detroit has come away with his services. Augustin spent last season with the Raptors and Bulls, averaging a combined 13.1 PPG and 4.4 APG in 27.3 minutes per contest. For his career, Augustin owns averages of 10.1 PPG and 4.0 APG with a 14.3 PER.

Rockets, Pelicans, Wizards Swap Ariza, Asik, Ely

July 15th, 2014 at 2:19pm CST by Zachary Links

2:19pm: The deal is official, the Pelicans have announced. New Orleans is folding Scotty Hopson into the trade after acquiring him over the weekend, marking the third trade for Hopson’s non-guaranteed contract in less than a week. So, It’s Asik, Casspi and $1.5MM to the Pelicans, Ariza, Gee, Hopson and a protected 2015 first-round pick to the Rockets, and Ely to the Wizards.

TUESDAY, 10:23am: The NBA has given its approval for the trade, and a formal announcement is forthcoming, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 7:55pm: Ely will not be retained by the Wizards, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.

5:59pm: Ariza will go to Houston on a three-way deal, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). The Pelicans will get Omer Asik, Omri Casspi, and $1.5MM from the Rockets. Houston will get Ariza from Washington, Alonzo Gee, and a protected 2015 first-round choice from New Orleans. The Wizards will take on the non-guaranteed contract of Melvin Ely from New Orleans while receiving a $8.5MM trade exception (link).

Of course, Asik was already headed to the Pelicans in exchange for the 2015 first-rounder. Now, the deal has been expanded to help facilitate the Ariza sign-and-trade. Gee, meanwhile, has now been traded twice inside of a week.

5:08pm: The Rockets will acquire Trevor Ariza in a sign-and-trade deal with the Wizards, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The Wizards will get a $8.5MM trade exception by making the deal, but it’s not clear what they’ll be sending to Houston in the trade.

The Rockets and Ariza agreed on a four-year, $32MM deal yesterday. A number of teams were rumored to be interested in the sharpshooter’s services, but the Rockets came out on top. Ariza will try and help fill the void at small forward for Houston now that Chandler Parsons is Dallas-bound.

Ariza’s contract is structured on a declining scale, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. He will earn $8.6MM this season, and $8.2MM, $7.8MM, $7.4MM, in the following years. Ariza could have served as a stretch four alongside Dwight Howard if Parsons was retained, but he’ll now line up at his natural position.

In 77 games with the Wizards last season, the Rob Pelinka client averaged 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per night. He shot 40.7% from beyond the arc, well above his career mark of 34.7%. Ariza, 29, played in Houston during the 2009/10 season.

While Ariza is a nice addition, it goes without saying that this wasn’t the summer the Rockets had in mind.