Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Trade Antawn Jamison To Hawks

February 20th, 2014 at 6:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Hawks announced that they have acquired Antawn Jamison and cash considerations from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Cenk Akyol. Sending Jamison to Atlanta saves Los Angeles $884,293 toward its tax bill.

NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at Cleveland Cavaliers

The 37-year-old has been averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.5 RPG in a career-low 11.3 minutes per game this season for Los Angeles. For his career, the veteran has averaged 18.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG across 16 NBA campaigns.

We learned earlier this week that the Clippers were dangling Jamison and others for frontcourt help. Jamison signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Clippers over the summer and despite his impressive resume, he hasn’t had the kind of impact that Doc Rivers & Co. were hoping for. Meanwhile, Jamison may not be staying it Atlanta for long as the club is said to be considering a buyout for the veteran forward.

Akyol, a 6’7″ forward, was the Hawks’ second-round draft pick in 2005 but has never appeared in the NBA and now plays in the Turkish Basketball League. It’s extremely unlikely that he’ll wind up in the NBA.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com first reported the deal. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter) added details.

Nuggets, Rockets Swap Hamilton, Brooks

February 20th, 2014 at 5:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nuggets announced that their deal sending Jordan Hamilton to Houston in exchange for Aaron Brooks is now official. It initially appeared Hamilton would be on his way to the Knicks, but it turns out he won’t have to travel quite as far. NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets

Brooks, who had the option of declining the deal, fills Denver’s need for a point guard. Meanwhile, the swap makes it seven straight deadline in which Rockets GM Daryl Morey has swung a deal.

Brooks will likely see more playing time in Denver than he did in Houston, where he was stuck behind Patrick Beverley and Jeremy Lin. The Nuggets have been looking for a backup to Ty Lawson ever Andre Miller and coach Brian Shaw got in a public spat around New Year’s, prompting Denver to send Miller home. Denver agreed to trade Miller to the Wizards in a three-team arrangement today.

The Nuggets’ decision to send Hamilton to Houston instead of the Knicks appears to have stymied New York’s efforts to trade Beno Udrih, whom Denver would have received, since the Knicks had no other suitors left for the veteran point guard, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. All the interest in Hamilton is somewhat surprising, though the 23-year-old has made 11 starts for a banged-up Denver team this year, averaging career highs in an assortment of categories in his first significant playing time after mostly riding the pine during his first two NBA seasons. The small forward is nonetheless shooting just 39%.

Hamilton and Brooks will both be unrestricted free agents at season’s end. Denver elected to decline its 2014/15 option on Hamilton’s rookie scale contract before the season. Hamilton is making about $1.17MM, while Brooks gets the minimum salary.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Shams Charania of RealGM.com first tweeted news of the deal.

Wizards Acquire Andre Miller In Three-Team Deal

February 20th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Wizards have acquired disgruntled Nuggets guard Andre Miller in a three-team trade involving the Sixers. Washington gets Miller, the Nuggets receive Jan Vesely, and Philly receives Eric Maynor plus two second-round picks. The Sixers will receive the Nuggets’ 2016 second-round pick and the Pelicans’ 2015 second-round selection. NBA: Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets

Miller, 37, is earning a $5MM salary and makes $4.625MM next year in the final year of his deal, but that’s only partially guaranteed for $2MM as long as he’s waived before July. Before his clash with Denver coach Brian Shaw, Miller was averaging 5.9 PPG and 3.3 APG in 19 minutes per contest. Heading into this season, Miller boasted career averages of 13.8 PPG and 7.1 APG in 33.4 minutes per game.

Maynor, the former VCU hero, now joins his fifth team in four years. Washington inked the guard to a two-year deal worth the bi-annual exception with a player option for year two over the summer.

Vesely, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 draft, has averaged just 3.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG over the course of his NBA career. Washington declined its $4.2MM option on the big man for the 2014/15 season so he’ll be a free agent after the season is through.

The future-minded 76ers now have a whopping nine second round picks in the second round of this year’s draft.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) first reported that Miller was Washington-bound. Additional details came from CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger and Sam Amick of USA Today (both links go to Twitter).

Bobcats Acquire Gary Neal

February 20th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bobcats announced that they have acquired Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour from the Bucks in exchange for Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) first reported the agreement. NBA: Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks

“We are excited to add a pair of quality players to our backcourt,” Bobcats president Rod Higgins said. “Gary is an exceptional shooter and Luke is a veteran point guard who can help us off the bench. They both have significant postseason experience so they know how to get where we’re trying to go. We look forward to adding them to our rotation. We also want to thank Ramon and Jeff for their contributions and professionalism and wish them the best of luck.”

Charlotte was attempting to talk Milwaukee into the idea that taking Sessions would make it easier for the Bucks to trade Ridnour, and apparently they agreed, simply deciding to fold Ridnour into this deal.

An earlier report suggested Caron Butler and Ben Gordon could be involved in the deal, but that wasn’t the case. The Suns, Kings, Wolves and Thunder were among the teams in the mix for Neal this week, but Charlotte emerged as the most serious suitor today.

Ridnour, a free agent at season’s end, makes $4.42MM, while Neal earns $3.25MM this season and gets the same pay next year. Sessions is on a $5MM expiring deal while Adrien makes the minimum.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Waive Roger Mason Jr.

February 20th, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Kings announced that they have waived Roger Mason Jr. Sacramento acquired the veteran from the Heat earlier today and the move was expected.

Mason is earning the minimum salary this year after making the Heat out of training camp. He’s receiving close to $1.4MM, but his cap hit is only $884,293. The latter number will remain on Sacramento’s books, since his salary is guaranteed for the season.

The 10th-year veteran is averaging just 3.0 points in 10.4 minutes per game. but he’s made a pair of starts this season in place of an injured Dwyane Wade. Mason has also been a major force within the National Basketball Players Association during his time in the league, but that hasn’t kept him from securing NBA work despite having been only a fringe rotation player for most of the past four seasons.

Cavaliers Acquire Hawes For Clark, Sims

February 20th, 2014 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers and Cavs have agreed to a trade that sends Spencer Hawes to Cleveland for Earl Clark, Henry Sims, and draft picks. The deal is now official following the Cavs’ press release. Cleveland is sending their 2014 second-round pick and the Grizzlies’ 2014 second-rounder to the Sixers as a part of the deal.

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Utah Jazz

The Cavs had to send out salaries in the deal as they’re over the cap and couldn’t absorb Hawes’ $6.6MM salary without giving someone up. The deal marks GM David Griffin‘s first significant move in his new role with the Cavs. Cleveland was also shopping Tyler Zeller and gave some thought to dealing Luol Deng, but this move went down as Cleveland’s deadline adjustment. The Rockets also reportedly had interest in Hawes in connection to an Omer Asik deal, but that didn’t come to fruition.

Hawes has been putting up career highs in points, rebounds, assists and three-point shooting percentage for the Sixers as he heads into unrestricted free agency this summer. The 25-year-old former 10th overall pick is finishing up a two-year, $13.1MM deal he signed with Philadelphia in 2012.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) first reported that Hawes was on his way to the Cavs. TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link) reported that Clark would be going to the 76ers and the Plain Dealer (via Twitter) added that Sims was in the deal as well. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported Cleveland’s interest in the center.

Heat Trade Roger Mason Jr. To Kings

February 20th, 2014 at 1:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:37pm: Miami sent the Kings enough cash to cover Mason’s salary, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

12:38pm: The Heat have officially announced the deal. Their press release doesn’t mention any cash as part of the transaction, but it notes the second-round pick coming their way is for 2015.

10:22am: The Kings will acquire Roger Mason Jr. and subsequently waive him, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel suggests the Heat will send cash to Sacramento in addition to the veteran shooting guard (on Twitter), and Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets confirmation of that detail. The Heat will drop to 14 players with the deal, allowing them to bring someone else aboard via signing or another trade. Sacramento will take Mason into its last remaining roster spot after acquiring Jason Terry and Reggie Evans for Marcus Thornton on Wednesday, then open that spot again after letting him go.

The Heat will receive a highly protected second-round pick that Sacramento is unlikely to ever have to actually convey, Stein tweets. Mason tells TNT’s David Aldridge he’s unsure where he’ll sign after Sacramento lets him go (Twitter link).

Mason is earning the minimum salary this year after making the Heat out of training camp. He’s receiving close to $1.4MM, but his cap hit is only $884,293. The latter number will remain on Sacramento’s books, since his salary is guaranteed for the season.

The 10th-year veteran is averaging just 3.0 points in 10.4 minutes per game. but he’s made a pair of starts this season in place of an injured Dwyane Wade. Mason has also been a major force within the National Basketball Players Association during his time in the league, but that hasn’t kept him from securing NBA work despite having been only a fringe rotation player for most of the past four seasons.

Warriors Acquire Steve Blake

February 19th, 2014 at 8:55pm CST by Alex Lee

The Warriors have acquired Steve Blake from the Lakers in exchange for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks, the team announced on Wednesday evening via press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports confirmed the completed deal (via Twitter), while Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times was the first to report the discussions (via Twitter). Ken Berger of CBS Sports was first to confirm the inclusion of Bazemore and Brooks (via Twitter).

Blake had been enjoying a nice run in his fourth year in Los Angeles, averaging 9.5 points and 7.6 assists in 33 minutes per contest despite missing most of December with an elbow injury. As USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets, the deal has been in the works since last week, as Blake was the Warriors target once acquiring Andre Miller became unrealistic. Grantland’s Zach Lowe likes the move for Golden State, tweeting that they get a solid player for next to nothing and open up a roster spot in the process. Spelling Stephen Curry, who averages 37.7 minutes per night this season, the 33-year-old Maryland product figures to fill a role that has been vacant since Jarrett Jack left for Cleveland.

Blake was informed of the deal at the Staples Center just prior to the team’s game against the Rockets tonight and walked out in street clothes according to multiple reports. While his availability via trade was never in doubt, rumors surrounding Blake seemed less prevalant than those involving Laker teammates Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill and Chris Kaman. Bresnahan caught up with the point guard beforehand. “Real mixed emotions,” Blake said. “The hardest thing really is my family. Now I’m going to have to spend four months probably away from them.” (Twitter link)

As Berger points out, the move helps the Lakers creep closer to the luxury tax threshold. He calculates it would shave nearly $3.5MM off the bill for the Lakers in the unlikely scenario that they are done dealing (Twitter link). Meanwhile, to obtain Blake, the Warriors utilized the $4MM exception they acquired by dealing Brandon Rush to Utah this summer, tweets Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. Blake will be a free agent this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Trade Thornton To Nets For Terry, Evans

February 19th, 2014 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings and Nets have announced the first trade of the 2014 deadline season, a deal to send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans. David Aldridge of TNT first reported the agreement, via Twitter. The deal came together over the last 24 hours or so, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports the first to report that negotiations had become serious. No picks or cash are involved in the transaction, according to Aldridge, though Wojnarowski reported that the teams were discussing making a conditional pick that would go to the Nets a part of the trade. Both teams had room beneath the 15-man roster limit, so no one will have to be released before the trade can become official.

The Nets take on less than $1MM in extra salary as a part of the trade, but that’s compounded because they’re deep into tax territory. The Nets are also willing to take back Jordan Hill from the Lakers, and that would mean the Nets would be in line for a luxury tax payment of about $105MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), and that’s money that would be distributed to non-taxpayers at season’s end. Together with Brooklyn’s roughly $100MM payroll, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend more than $200MM on this year’s team.

Both teams were also in talks with the Cavs about Jarrett Jack, but it appears they instead decided to make a trade of their own. All three players are on guaranteed deals that run through 2014/15. Thornton, the highest-paid player in the deal, earns $8MM this year and is set to receive close to $8.6MM next season. Terry makes about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans will get roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.

The Kings have shown eagerness this season to trade Thornton, their leading scorer from 2011/12. He was involved in multiple reported proposals, including ones to the Cavs and Nuggets. He’s averaging just 8.3 points in 24.4 minutes per game this season, but that includes a 42-point outburst against the Pacers on January 24th.

“Marcus is a proven scorer in this league,” Nets GM Billy King said of the 26-year-old Thornton, in the team’s release. “He is a young talent who will help us in the backcourt.”

Terry, 36, has slumped after signing a three-year contract in 2012 with the Celtics, who traded him to the Nets in the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster this past summer. He’s averaging 4.5 PPG and 16.3 MPG this season, both career lows. Evans, long one of the best per-minute rebounders in the league, is excelling in that category again this season, grabbing 13.4 boards every 36 minutes. He’s nonetheless seen a more than 50% cut in playing time this year for Brooklyn, thanks in part to the presence of Garnett.

“Adding Jason and Reggie provides our roster with toughness and veteran leadership that will help this team continue to grow,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said, in Sacramento’s press release. “They bring a wealth of NBA experience to Sacramento that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on our younger players. We also thank Marcus for his contributions and wish him great success going forward.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chris Duhon Breaks Deal With Italian Team

February 19th, 2014 at 8:02am CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 8:01am: Duhon has decided to back out of his contract with Juve Caserta, Carchia reports. Since the deal had already gone official, it’s unclear what repercussions the guard will face.

3:44pm: Atripaldi, Caserta’s GM, puts the chances of Duhon playing with the team at 30% in an interview with Prima Rete (transcription via La Reggia Del Basket; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).

TUESDAY, 12:06pm: The deal may come apart because of family matters for Duhon, according to Carchia, who says resolution about whether the guard will indeed play in Italy should come within the next few hours (Twitter links).

7:15pm: Juve Caserta has officially announced the Duhon signing, Carchia reports. The team’s GM Marco Atripaldi stated, “We have a deal with Chris Duhon. He will land in Italy next week.”

1:40pm: Duhon’s deal is now official, Carchia reports. Caserta will announce the signing later today, and Duhon will likely join his new club next week sometime.

SATURDAY, 9:11am: Duhon has not yet signed a contract with Caserta but is expected to do so today, a source close to the team tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

FRIDAY, 11:18pm: Chris Duhon has reached an agreement to play with Caserta in Italy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Duhon last played in the NBA for the Lakers during the 2012/2013 season. He averaged 2.9 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 2.9 APG last year over 46 games. Duhon was originally drafted out of Duke in 2004 by the Bulls. He was taken as the ninth pick in the second round. His career averages over nine NBA seasons are 6.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 4.4 APG. He spent his first four years with the Bulls, then spent time with the Knicks and Magic before ending up with the Lakers.

During his last season in L.A., back issues related to a herniated disk slowed him down until he was finally waived by the Lakers. Then in October of 2013 he was involved in a bizarre accident, where a motorist intentionally hit Duhon with his car after the two men had had a verbal altercation. He hit his head on the windshield, and sustained both head and body injuries from the incident.

His agent, Ray Bradbury of BDA Sports was quoted as saying, “Chris is ready to play again and wants to show everyone he’s healthy. This is a great opportunity.”