Nets Sign Andrei Kirilenko
FRIDAY, 3:50pm: The Nets have officially signed Kirilenko, the team announced today in a press release.
THURSDAY, 6:22pm: According to multiple reports, Andrei Kirilenko has agreed to sign with the Nets for their taxpayer's mini mid-level exception, which is worth about $3.1MM. The move was first reported by longtime NBA writer Peter Vecsey (Twitter link) and then confirmed by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), who later tweeted that the deal is a two-year contract with a player option for the second year. The 6-foot-9 forward is the latest big splash for the Nets in an offseason full of them. He will join a talented and determined group of veterans in a ring-or-bust environment in Brooklyn.
Kirilenko, 32, averaged 12.4 PPG and 5.7 RPG last year for the Timberwolves after spending the entire lockout-shortened season of 2011/12 playing back in his native Russia. He spent the 10 years prior in a Jazz uniform. While he wasn't the All-Star he was in his Utah days last year, Kirilenko was still an efficient player for Minnesota, tallying a PER of 17.67 in 64 games. He will presumably come off the bench in Brooklyn.
This moves promises to raise some eyebrows, as Kirilenko turned down a player option from the Wolves worth more than $10MM and has now chosen to sign with the Nets and fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov for considerably less. Prior to his NBA career, Kirilenko played for CSKA Moscow from 1998 to 2001, then owned by Prohkorov. We had heard Kirilenko's name primarily connected with the Spurs and Cavs of late, so this news definitely comes as a surprise. Just yesterday, Bondy reported that there was "nothing happening" between Kirilenko and the Nets.
Kirilenko is represented by Marc Fleisher at Entersport, as shown in our agency database.
Lakers Sign Chris Kaman
FRIDAY, 3:49pm: The Lakers have formally announced the Kaman signing, making it official.
MONDAY, 3:40pm: Kaman will get the Lakers' mini mid-level exception, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Assuming Kaman receives the full amount of the exception, he'll earn a one-year salary of $3,182,700.
3:13pm: The Lakers and free agent big man Chris Kaman have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
Because they're an over-the-cap team, the Lakers can only sign free agents using the mini $3.18MM mid-level exception or the minimum-salary exception. Coming off a one-year, $8MM deal with the Mavericks, Kaman will presumably sign for more than the veteran's minimum, but the terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
It goes without saying that Kaman wasn't the Lakers' top target among free agent centers this summer, but the 31-year-old remains relatively productive. In 66 contests for the Mavericks last season, he averaged 10.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG in just 20.7 MPG. The Landmark Sports client also shot 50.7% from the floor and recorded a 16.3 PER.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that there was mutual interest between the Lakers and Kaman.
Warriors Sign Speights To Three-Year Deal
FRIDAY, 3:38pm: The Warriors have officially signed Speights, the team announced today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 7:32pm: The deal will be for three years and $11MM, with a team option for the final season, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.
MONDAY, 6:32pm: The Warriors have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with big man Marreese Speights, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). The final year of the deal is a club option, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) first reported that a deal was close.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old spent last season with the Grizzlies and Cavs, averaging 8.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG. The Grizzlies dealt him, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby, and a future first-round pick to the Cavs for Jon Leuer in January, a deal that helped Memphis ease some of their payroll burden and get beneath the tax line.
Speights will help to fill the void left in Golden State when Carl Landry declined his paltry $4MM player option and wound up signing a four-year, $26MM deal with the Kings. Landry had said that he hoped to remain with Golden State, but a significant raise was enough to lure him away.
Speights had a $4.52MM player option for next season with the Cavs but opted out and Cleveland reportedly didn't pursue re-signing him. The Cavs didn't see him as a tremendous fit anyway, but with a frontcourt group that includes Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, and Tyler Zeller, there wasn't much room for him.
The big man is represented by ASM Sports, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Thunder Sign Steven Adams
The Thunder have officially signed 12th overall pick Steven Adams, the team announced today in a press release. As our chart of salaries for first-round picks shows, Adams figures to receive a salary of about $2.09MM in his rookie season.
Adams, who played just one season at the University of Pittsburgh, is the first player from New Zealand to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. He was drafted using one of the picks the Thunder acquired from Houston in last October's James Harden trade.
The Thunder also officially announced the signing of Andre Roberson, which we passed along on Wednesday.
Timberwolves Sign Shabazz Muhammad
The Timberwolves have officially signed 14th overall pick Shabazz Muhammad, team president Flip Saunders told reporters, including Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Muhammad was the first of two players selected by the T-Wolves in the first round last month.
Muhammad, a UCLA product, will be in line for a first-year salary worth about $1.89MM, as our chart of rookie salaries shows. There's no word yet on an agreement with Gorgui Dieng, who the Wolves selected 21st overall.
Timberwolves Sign Corey Brewer
FRIDAY, 2:05pm: The Wolves have officially signed Brewer, GM Flip Saunders told reporters today (Twitter link).
I surmised earlier this afternoon that Minnesota would likely use most or all of its mid-level exception to sign Brewer.
WEDNESDAY, 3:48pm: A deal has been struck that will see Corey Brewer join the Timberwolves, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). It's not 100% certain whether Brewer will sign outright with the T-Wolves or be acquired via sign-and-trade, but the most recent update we heard had Minnesota sending Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee to clear the necessary cap space for Brewer. An earlier report suggested Brewer would receive a three-year, $15MM deal from the Wolves.
Brewer, 27, appeared in all 82 contests with the Nuggets last season, averaging 12.1 PPG, his best rate since his last stint in Minnesota, when he averaged 13.0 PPG in 2009/10. The Happy Walters client also established a new career-high in PER in Denver last season, with a 14.7 mark.
The Nuggets had interest in bringing Brewer back, but the salary he was seeking appeared to be out of the team's price range.
Wolves Re-Sign Chase Budinger
JULY 12TH: The Timberwolves have officially re-signed Budinger, the team announced today (Twitter link).
JULY 2ND: The Wolves have reached agreement on a deal with Chase Budinger that will keep him in Minnesota, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The deal will pay him $16MM across the next three seasons.
Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) adds that the deal will include an opt out after the second season (2014/15). For what it's worth, Budinger told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) that a deal is "really, really close" but not finalized, though he could just be keeping things mum until it's all official.
We heard earlier this week that Budinger got a four-year offer from the Wolves, along with J.J. Redick. Budinger came to the Rockets roughly this time last year along with Lior Eliyahu and a 2012 first-round pick that turned out to be Terrence Jones. In his debut season for Minnesota, Budinger missed significant time with knee trouble but averaged 9.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 22 minutes per contest across 23 games.
The Wolves certainly weren't the only team in pursuit of the Arizona product and the Bucks were among the clubs making a serious run at him. The Pelicans, Pacers, and Mavericks were also said to have interest.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement on a pact. Budinger is represented by BDA Sports Management, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Celtics, Nets Officially Complete Trade
The Celtics and Nets have officially completed the trade that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, the teams announced today in a pair of press releases.
"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," said Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in Brooklyn's statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against."
The Nets receive Garnett, Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White in the deal, while the Celtics receive Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, and Keith Bogans (signed-and-traded), along with 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks' or Nets' selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks are unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.
The deal couldn't be formally finalized until today because Joseph wasn't eligible to be traded within three months of signing with the Celtics on April 12th.
For more details on the swap, check out our initial post on the agreement.
Hawks Re-Sign Kyle Korver
JULY 12TH: Korver's deal with the Hawks is now official, the team has announced in a press release.
JULY 3RD: The Hawks have reached an agreement with Kyle Korver on a four-year contract extension worth about $24MM, reports Marc Stein of ESPN (via Twitter).
Korver, who spent last year in Atlanta, averaged 10.9 points per game in 30.5 minutes for the Hawks in 2012/13. It was the first time he averaged double figures in points or more than 30 minutes per night since leaving Philadelphia in 2008. Korver, 32, shot 45.7 percent from downtown last season, and was a coveted free agent.
Interest in the former Creighton star had heated up in recent days. At one point, the sharp shooter seemed destined for Brooklyn, with the Spurs and Bucks also in the mix. Korver is represented by Excel Sports Management, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Cavs Sign Jarrett Jack
JULY 12TH, 10:18am: The Cavaliers have officially finalized their deal with Jack, according to a press release from the team.
JULY 6TH, 4:44pm: The final year of Jack's salary is partially guaranteed, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. That may mean it's not a team option as reported below, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case. Gustavo Ayon's deal with the Bucks includes a team option that's already been picked up for this season, but the contract is still non-guaranteed.
3:56pm: The Cavaliers and Jarrett Jack have agreed on a four-year, $25MM deal, a source tells Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Jack, like Carl Landry, spent last season with the Warriors, but with Landry set to sign with the Kings, it looks like both are headed for new teams. The last year of Jack's deal will be a team option, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
The Excel Sports Management client helped the Warriors off the bench last season, notching 12.9 points per game on 40.4% three-point shooting. It appears he'll fill the same sixth-man role for the Cavs behind guards Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, according to Windhorst (on Twitter). When I examined Jack's free agent stock this spring, I expected a team with cap space would make him an offer for a $6MM annual salary, and it looks like that's about what happened.
The Warriors, Nuggets and Mavs were among the teams that had contact with Jack on the first day of free agency, and Dallas appeared to be intensifying its pursuit after Dwight Howard turned them down. The Mavs agreed to sign Jose Calderon last night, so perhaps that prompted them to drop out of the race for Jack.
It looked like the Warriors were poised to renounce Jack's Bird rights yesterday, but assuming the Nuggets agreed to a sign-and-trade for Andre Iguodala, they wouldn't necessarily have had to do so, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors points out. Now, it's a moot point, since Jack and Landry, Golden State's 29-year-old bench free agents, are headed elsewhere.
It's the second signing of the summer for the Cavs, who also used some of their ample cap space on a two-year, $9MM deal for Earl Clark, as our free agent tracker shows. Jack's is the first of the deals to include guaranteed money beyond next season. Only Anderson Varejao's deal extends beyond 2014, though Jack and first-round picks Anthony Bennett and Sergey Karasev will add to next summer's ledger.