Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic Trade 25th Pick To Sixers

June 22nd, 2017 at 9:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers acquired the rights to Orlando’s pick at No. 25 and used it to select Anzejs Pasecniks, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Orlando will receive a 2020 first-rounder that originally belonged to the Thunder and the less favorable pick of the Nets’ and Knicks’ 2020 second-rounders, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link).

Pasecniks is a 7’2″ center out of Latvia who is a former teammate of Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis. He weighs just 226 pounds and will need to add bulk to be effective in the NBA, so he may have to spend at least one more season overseas.

Orlando came into tonight with four picks, but wound up with just Jonathan Isaac at No. 6, plus whomever it takes at No. 33. The 35th selection was traded to the Grizzlies in a separate deal.

The 2020 first-round pick headed to Orlando in the deal is top-20 protected in 2020, ’21, and ’22. If it doesn’t convey in one of those three years, Orlando would instead received the Thunder’s 2022 and 2023 second-round picks.

Blazers Acquire No. 10 Pick, Draft Zach Collins

June 22nd, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

9:05pm: The trade is now official, according to the Blazers. The Kings used the 15th and 20th picks on Justin Jackson and Harry Giles, respectively.

7:36pm: The Trail Blazers and Kings have agreed to a trade involving draft picks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Wojnarowski reports that Portland will send the 15th and 20th overall selections to Sacramento in exchange for the No. 10 pick.

Having acquired the 10th overall pick, the Blazers will use the selection to draft former Gonzaga big man Zach Collins, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Complete 2017 NBA Draft Results]

The Kings had already used the No. 5 overall pick to select point guard De’Aaron Fox, but had a second top-10 pick as a result of February’s DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Pelicans. Sacramento will turn that selection into two more mid-first-rounders, and the team is now a candidate to use one of those picks on a draft-and-stash prospect.

As for the Blazers, they entered the night with three first-round picks. In this deal, they’ll send out their own pick (No. 15) and the Grizzlies’ first-rounder (No. 20), which they acquired in February in a trade with the Nuggets.

Portland will still have the No. 26 pick and will add a promising young big man in Collins with the No. 10 pick, leaving prospects like Malik Monk, Donovan Mitchell, and Luke Kennard for teams picking outside of the top 10.

Grizzlies Acquire 35th Pick From Magic

June 22nd, 2017 at 9:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Memphis has reached a deal with Orlando to acquire the 35th pick in the draft, tweets Adrian Wojnarowki of The Vertical. In return, the Magic will receive Brooklyn’s second-rounder in 2019, according to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).

It would have been the third pick of the night for Orlando, which already took Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac at No. 6 and owns Toronto’s selection at No. 25.

The Grizzlies came into tonight with no picks. Their first-rounder was sent to Cleveland in a 2013 deal and then went to Denver, Portland and Sacramento, which wound up with Harry Giles at No. 20. The Nuggets own Memphis’ second-rounder at No. 49.

Spurs Tender Qualifying Offer To Jonathon Simmons

June 22nd, 2017 at 12:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have become the latest team to tender a qualifying offer to a pending restricted free agent, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News, who reports that swingman Jonathon Simmons has received a QO from the club. The move will ensure that the Spurs have the right of first refusal on any offer sheet Simmons signs in July.

Simmons, 27, continued to play a rotational role for the Spurs in 2016/17, averaging 17.8 minutes per contest in 78 games. However, he saw his shooting percentages dip drastically. After posting a solid shooting line of .504/.383/.750 in his rookie season, Simmons shot just .420/.294/.750 in year two, though his play on the defensive side of the ball was strong.

While the Spurs appear to be exploring ways to create cap room this summer, they may not have to renounce Simmons’ cap hold right away, even if they don’t expect to hang onto him. His qualifying offer and cap hold are both worth a modest $1,671,382.

Mason Plumlee, JaMychal Green Receive Qualifying Offers

June 21st, 2017 at 11:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Mason Plumlee and JaMychal Green have formally received qualifying offers from the Nuggets and Grizzlies, respectively, making them restricted free agents, according to RealGM’s official transactions log.

Plumlee, who was traded from the Trail Blazers to the Nuggets in February, averaged a career-high 10.4 PPG in 2016/17 to go along with 7.5 RPG and 3.5 APG. He was in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, making him eligible for restricted free agency. Because the former 22nd overall pick met the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer from Denver increased to $4,588,840.

Plumlee could sign a one-year deal worth that amount and reach the unrestricted market in 2018, but he’s more likely to sign a long-term contract this summer. He could negotiate directly with the Nuggets or sign an offer sheet with another team, giving Denver the opportunity to match it.

As for Green, he wasn’t a first-round pick and isn’t coming off his rookie contract, but only has three NBA seasons under his belt, making him eligible for restricted free agency as well. Like Plumlee, Green met the starter criteria, bumping the value of his qualifying offer to $2,820,497.

The 27-year-old entered Memphis’ starting lineup on a full-time basis last season in place of Zach Randolph, averaging 8.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 77 contests (75 starts). With Randolph also eligible for free agency this offseason, the Grizzlies may have to make a decision between keeping their longtime stalwart at power forward, or their younger starter.

Wizards Acquire Tim Frazier From Pelicans

June 21st, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Luke Adams

8:32pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.

7:32pm: The Wizards and Pelicans have agreed to a trade that will send guard Tim Frazier to Washington, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto (via Twitter), the Pelicans will receive this year’s No. 52 overall pick in the deal.

Frazier, 26, signed a two-year contract with the Pelicans last summer after impressing the team in a brief 2015/16 audition. He appeared in a career-high 65 games (35 starts) for New Orleans this past season, acting as the starting point guard early in the year when Jrue Holiday was unavailable, then re-entering the starting lineup late in the season after the Pelicans traded several guards. For the season, Frazier averaged a respectable 7.1 PPG and 5.2 APG.

Despite a solid year for the Pelicans, Frazier apparently wasn’t in the team’s plans going forward. New Orleans will send the Penn State product to the Wizards, who have been in the market for a point guard capable of backing up John Wall after Brandon Jennings and Trey Burke underwhelmed in 2016/17.

Frazier will be an inexpensive bench option for the Wizards, who will be on the hook for his modest $2MM salary next season. Although Washington is currently well over the cap, the team can take on Frazier using a traded player exception created in a February deal with the Nets.

That trade exception, worth approximately $2.5MM, will be used to absorb Frazier’s current salary of $2.09MM. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will create a TPE worth Frazier’s salary, though that exception will disappear in July if the team uses cap room.

With Frazier no longer in the picture, the Pelicans have two guards – E’Twaun Moore and Quincy Pondexter – on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, with two more – Jordan Crawford and Quinn Cook – on non-guaranteed deals. Fortifying the backcourt and potentially re-signing Holiday will be top priorities for New Orleans this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers’ Nick Young Declines 2017/18 Player Option

June 21st, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Nick Young has turned down his player option with the Lakers for the 2017/18 season, reports Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). As a result of the move, Young will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Last offseason, Young was viewed as a potential release candidate for the Lakers. At the time, he was coming off a season in which he averaged career-worst marks in PPG (7.3) and FG% (.339). However, he enjoyed a solid bounce-back season in 2016/17, starting 60 games for Los Angeles, averaging 13.2 PPG, and posting a shooting line of .430/.404/.856.

Young’s deal with L.A. included a 2017/18 player option that would have paid him approximately $5.67MM. Heading into the free agent market, he should be able to comfortably top that figure. This year’s group of free agent shooting guards isn’t particularly strong, and Young’s 2.8 three-pointers per game was a top-10 mark in the NBA — that outside shooting ability should be coveted by a number of teams.

Young has talked in the past about how much he enjoys playing in Los Angeles, so it’s possible that he and the Lakers work out a new contract to keep him in the mix. However, the Lakers already have an eye toward their 2018 cap flexibility, and won’t want to add much guaranteed money to their books, since it could compromise their pursuit of impact players next year.

Assuming Young lands elsewhere, adding shooting will be a priority for the Lakers this offseason. Young and D’Angelo Russell, who is headed to Brooklyn, were the team’s top two three-point shooters in 2016/17.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Greg Monroe Will Opt In With Bucks

June 21st, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Greg Monroe will opt in for the final year of his contract with the Bucks, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Today was the deadline for Monroe to make a decision on the $17.88MM salary for next season.

The addition of Monroe was heralded as a major free agent signing for the franchise when he agreed to a three-year, $50MM deal with Milwaukee in 2015. His first season with the Bucks was considered a disappointment, and his name appeared frequently in trade rumors, but Monroe settled into a bench role this year and put up decent numbers. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 81 games as he reached the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Monroe reportedly told new GM Jon Horst that he wants to remain with the team and help it become a serious contender in the Eastern Conference.

Monroe’s decision means the Bucks will have little to no cap space this summer no matter what happens with restricted free agent Tony Snell. The Bucks are also awaiting a player option decision from Spencer Hawes, who is set to make a little more than $6MM next season.

Hawks Trade Dwight Howard To Hornets

June 20th, 2017 at 10:50pm CST by Luke Adams

10:50pm: The trade is official, with the Hornets issuing a press release to formally announce it.

“We are excited to add a player of Dwight’s stature to our roster,” Hornets GM Rich Cho said in a statement. “He has been a very talented player, an elite rebounder and rim protector as well as a physical presence since the moment he entered the league. Howard’s best seasons came alongside Coach Steve Clifford and we believe their familiarity will make an immediate impact for the Hornets this upcoming season.”

8:04pm: The Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send Dwight Howard to the Hornets, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link), Charlotte will receive Howard and the No. 31 pick in this year’s draft from Atlanta in exchange for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and the No. 41 pick.

For Howard, who was a perennial All-NBA center earlier in his career, the Hornets will be his fifth team in the last seven years. Having left the Rockets for his hometown Hawks a year ago in free agency, Howard got off to a solid start in Atlanta, but by season’s end, he was frustrated with his diminishing role. For the season, Howard averaged 13.5 PPG and 12.7 RPG in 74 contests (all starts).

Howard’s move to Charlotte will set him up for a reunion with Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. Howard’s most successful and productive NBA seasons came when he was being coached by Clifford — the former assistant coach was on Orlando’s staff from 2007 to 2012, then joined the Lakers during Howard’s lone season in L.A.

Howard is set to earn guaranteed salaries of $23.5MM (2017/18) and $23.82MM (2018/19) over the next two seasons, so once again, the Hornets are showing a willingness to take on significant money. The team did that at the deadline, sending a pair of smaller expiring deals to Milwaukee in exchange for Plumlee.

Now, the Hornets will flip Plumlee and his $12.5MM annual salary, which looks relatively modest compared to Howard’s cap figure. Plumlee’s contract runs through the 2019/20 season, while Belinelli has one year left at $6.61MM. Although Charlotte adds a little money to its books, the team’s flexibility for this summer won’t be affected — the Hornets would have been an over-the-cap team either way.

As for the Hawks, Travis Schlenk‘s first major move as Atlanta’s general manager will see the team swap Howard for Plumlee, move down 10 spots in the second round, and add a three-point sharpshooter in Belinelli. The move will create a small amount of extra spending flexibility for the Hawks this summer, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll make a strong effort to re-sign their own free agents like Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr., or if they’ll use that room for other moves.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings’ Langston Galloway To Opt Out

June 20th, 2017 at 10:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Langston Galloway has decided to opt out of his contract with the Kings and will become a free agent on July 1, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Galloway’s player option for the 2017/18 season would have been worth $5.434MM.

A former Knick, Galloway signed a two-year pact with the Pelicans as a free agent last summer, and averaged 8.6 PPG on .374/.377/.769 shooting in 55 games for New Orleans. However, when New Orleans and Sacramento agreed to a blockbuster February trade involving DeMarcus Cousins, Galloway was part of the package sent by the Pelicans to the Kings. In 19 games for Sacramento, Galloway finished the season by averaging 6.0 PPG and shooting .404/.475/.917.

Galloway had a lesser role in New Orleans and Sacramento than he had with the Knicks, and this year’s free agent market isn’t expected to be quite as player-friendly as it was in 2016, so there’s no guarantee the Saint Joseph’s alum will land another multiyear contract worth $5MM+ annually. However, he’s still just 25 years old, and made 39.0% of his threes in 2016/17, so he should appeal to several teams.

With Galloway off their books, the Kings will create even more cap flexibility for the offseason. The club currently only has two players with guaranteed salaries worth over $4MM, and projects to have more cap room than virtually any other NBA team. Sacramento could attempt to retain Galloway by tendering him a qualifying offer and making him a restricted free agent, but I expect the team to let him walk.

Here’s the full list of player options decisions for 2017/18.