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Blazers Extend QOs To Crabbe, Leonard, Harkless

June 29th, 2016 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have ensured that their three players eligible for restricted free agents will indeed becomes RFAs when July begins. According to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com, Portland has issued qualifying offers to Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard, and Maurice Harkless, giving the team the right of first refusal on all three players.

Of the trio, Crabbe appears poised to cash in with the biggest deal this summer, after a breakout 2015/16 season that saw him set new career highs in PPG (10.3), FG% (.459), and several other categories, while shooting 39.3% on 3.5 three-point attempts per game. Three-and-D wings like Crabbe – whose qualifying offer is worth $2.725MM – should do well on the open market this year, so it’s no surprise that he’s drawing interest from several teams already.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the 76ers, Nets, and Kings are among the teams with interest in Crabbe. If he signs an offer sheet with one of those clubs, or another suitor, the Blazers will have the opportunity to match it and bring him back.

The same can be said about Leonard and Harkless, who each receive qualifying offers exceeding $4MM. They’ll have the option of simply signing the QO (which is essentially a one-year contract offer), working out a new contract with the Blazers, or signing an offer sheet elsewhere, which Portland could match.

Both players were solid rotation pieces for the Blazers in 2015/16, though Harkless continued to struggle to shoot from outside, while Leonard’s increased usage came with a career-worst .448 FG%. Of course, Leonard’s dip in field goal percentage was partly the result of an uptick in three-point attempts (3.7 per game), on which he shot 37.7%. His ability to make outside shots and grab boards should generate plenty of interest around the league.

LeBron James To Decline Player Option

June 28th, 2016 at 11:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Although LeBron James has indicated he’ll return to the Cavaliers for the 2016/17 season, he won’t do so on his current contract. Agent Rich Paul tells Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com that his client will decline his player option and sign a new deal.

James’ decision doesn’t come as a real surprise, since opting out and re-upping with the Cavs ensures that he’ll get a larger raise than he otherwise would have. LeBron’s player option for 2016/17 was worth just over $24MM. Depending on what type of deal he signs, the reigning Finals MVP figures to earn a salary closer to $30MM on a new contract.

According to Haynes, Paul says no decision has been made on what type of contract James will sign, and there’s no timetable for when that new deal will be made official. The situation is a little complicated, since Cleveland only holds Early Bird rights on LeBron. An Early Bird deal would allow for a 30% raise on his 2015/16 salary, but the contract would have to be for at least two years, with no options. A Non-Bird agreement would allow him to opt out again in 2017, but would mean accepting a more modest raise.

With the salary cap set to rise again in 2017/18, and James earning Bird Rights with the Cavaliers at that point, it makes sense for him to wait one more year to sign a longer-term contract, since Cleveland doesn’t have the cap room to accommodate a long-term, max contract at this point. No matter what type of contract LeBron signs, he intends to sign it with the Cavs — he and Kyrie Irving and the rest of his Cleveland teammates will look to defend the first title in franchise history.

“I love it here. I love being here. I love my teammates,””James said on the day of the Cavs’ championship parade through downtown Cleveland. “Obviously my agent will take care of all the logistical things but, I’m happy. I’ve got no plans to go nowhere at this point.”

Tim Duncan Exercises Option, Unsure About 2016/17

June 28th, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Spurs big man Tim Duncan has elected to exercise his player option for the 2016/17 campaign, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. But despite the veteran choosing to opt in, it doesn’t mean he has definitively decided to continue his playing career, the scribe adds. Duncan is set to earn $5,643,750 if he suits up next season.

Duncan, 40, is still seriously contemplating his desire to continue playing ball and needs time to judge how his body feels, team sources tell Wojnarowski. The Spurs are allowing Duncan to make a decision on his own timetable, despite their plans to pursue unrestricted free agent forward Kevin Durant this summer. The scribe also notes that this is the most serious Duncan has been about hanging up his sneakers and calling it a career at any point over the past few years.

The future Hall-of-Famer saw his production decline this season, averaging a career-low 8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 25.2 minutes per contest over 61 appearances. He shot .488/.000/.702 from the field on the campaign.

Cavs To Pick Up Team Option On Jordan McRae

June 28th, 2016 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will exercise their team option for 2016/17 on guard Jordan McRae, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. The team’s decision, which was due later this week, will ensure McRae remains on the roster for now, but doesn’t necessarily guarantee him a roster spot for the regular season. According to Haynes, McRae’s ’16/17 salary isn’t fully guaranteed.

After initially signing McRae to a 10-day contract earlier in the year, the Cavs liked what they saw from the Tennessee product, ultimately inking him to a two-year deal. McRae didn’t see much action for the champs in the regular season or the playoffs — he briefly appeared in garbage time in two postseason games, and averaged 7.5 minutes in 15 regular-season contests.

Still, one of those in which McRae appeared was the regular-season finale, when the Cavs rested their regulars and gave their bench players an opportunity to start. McRae went off for 36 points in that game, easily a new career high.

Unlike most teams around the NBA, Cleveland doesn’t expect to have or use any room under the cap this summer. As such, turning down McRae’s option wouldn’t have freed up any cap space to sign a replacement, particularly since it’s only a minimum-salary option, worth about $875K. So it makes sense that the Cavs picked it up.

With McRae’s option set to be exercised, there are only a couple more team option decisions remaining, as our free agent list shows. NBA clubs typically don’t use team options in free agent contracts too often, since non-guaranteed salaries have a similar function, and give teams more flexibility, since they aren’t limited to a June decision deadline.

Magic Won’t Extend QO To Andrew Nicholson

June 28th, 2016 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic will not extend a qualifying offer to Andrew Nicholson before this week’s deadline, meaning the 26-year-old will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent rather than as an RFA, reports Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Nicholson, the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft, had a solid rookie season in Orlando, averaging 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game, with a .527 FG%. However, his role didn’t increase at all over the course of the next three seasons, and he has yet to repeat his PPG and FG% marks from that rookie year.

If the Magic had elected to make Nicholson a restricted free agent, it would have meant extending him a qualifying offer worth about $3.395MM, and it would have given the team the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signed with another team. Instead, Nicholson will be free to sign anywhere. His cap hold of approximately $5.951MM will still apply to Orlando’s books until the team renounces his rights or he signs a new contract.

While Nicholson won’t exactly be one of the most-coveted free agents on the market in July, he may draw interest from teams that believe he can be used better than he was in Orlando. After shooting no three-pointers in his rookie year, Nicholson did try to develop a long-distance shot in subsequent seasons — he made 41 of 114 three-point attempts (36.0%) in 2015/16, which could appeal to potential suitors.

Pau Gasol To Opt Out Of Bulls Contract

June 27th, 2016 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Pau Gasol has formally notified the Bulls that he’ll opt out of his contract, declining his player option for 2016/17 rather than picking it up, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). The move, which will allow Gasol to hit the open market, had long been expected, with a report way back in December suggesting the veteran was “very likely” to turn down that option.

Gasol, who signed with the Bulls in 2014, would have made $7,769,520 in 2016/17 if he had opted into the final year of his contract. However, the former third overall pick has continued to be productive during his time in Chicago, averaging 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season, and earning All-Star nods in each of the last two years. He should be in line for a raise, if he wants it, and likely another multiyear deal.

The Bulls, who traded former MVP Derrick Rose to New York last week, appear to be in the midst of a rebuilding phase, or at least a retooling phase. Gasol doesn’t seem to be part of those plans, and while neither side has come out and said that the Spaniard – who turns 36 next month – won’t be back, it would be a shock if he re-signed in Chicago.

Several teams will likely have interest in the 15-year veteran, including the Knicks, who sent Robin Lopez – a potential replacement for Gasol – to Chicago in the Rose deal. Earlier in the offseason, Pau’s brother Marc Gasol advised his brother to sign with San Antonio, and that’s a possibility the Spurs could explore if they miss out on their top target, Kevin Durant.

Grizzlies Claim Tony Wroten Off Waivers

June 26th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Grizzlies have claimed Tony Wroten off waivers, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Knicks waived Wroten with they agreed to acquire Derrick Rose.

GM Chris Wallace drafted Wroten back in 2012 and the University of Washington product played just one season for the Grizzlies. Wallace was forced to step down as GM back in 2014 during a front office shake-up and the team waived Wroten during that time, as Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.

Wroten only appeared in eight games for Sixers last season before Philadelphia waived him on Christmas Eve. The Knicks later signed him to a two-year deal, minimum-salary deal that contained no guaranteed salary for the 2016/17 campaign. Memphis will pick up that contract by claiming the guard off waivers. Wroten is a career 23.1% 3-point shooter and has a career player efficiency rating of 12.6.

Grizzlies To Release Xavier Munford

June 25th, 2016 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies plan to waive point guard Xavier Munford, tweets international journalist David Pick. Memphis had a team option on Munford worth $874K for next season, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who was unable to confirm Pick’s report with the Grizzlies.

The 6’3″ rookie out of Rhode Island appeared in 14 games with Memphis this season, averaging 5.7 points and 1.6 assists per night. Munford inked two 10-day contracts in March before signing for the rest of the season on April 7th. He was one of a record-setting 28 players to appear on the Grizzlies’ roster.

Memphis isn’t assured of keeping free agent point guard Mike Conley, but the franchise fortified itself at the position Thursday when it drafted Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin.

Tyrone Corbin To Join Suns’ Coaching Staff

June 25th, 2016 at 6:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will hire Tyrone Corbin as an assistant to head coach Earl Watson, tweets Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. This is Corbin’s first coaching job since he was dismissed as head coach of the Kings midway through the 2014/15 season.

He started his coaching career in 2004/05 as an assistant with the Jazz. He was promoted to head coach in the middle of the 2010/11 season and compiled a 112-146 record in three and a half seasons.

Corbin landed an assistant’s job in Sacramento in 2014/15 and was appointed interim head coach when Michael Malone was fired. He held that position for 28 games, posting a 7-21 record, until the Kings hired George Karl.

Earlier this month, Corbin was mentioned as a candidate for the lead assistant’s position with Golden State.

James Anderson To Play Overseas

June 25th, 2016 at 3:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Kings swingman James Anderson has reached an agreement with the Turkish club Darussafaka, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). The contract details are unknown, though Pick does classify the deal as a long-term pact. It is also unknown if the contract contains an NBA-out clause.

Anderson will be joining former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, who is now head coach of Darussafaka. The 27-year-old opted out of his deal with Sacramento in May in order to become an unrestricted free agent. He was in line to earn $1,139,123 for the 2016/17 campaign.

The swingman made 51 appearances for the Kings this past season, including 15 starts. Anderson averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 14.1 minutes per night while shooting .376/.267/.759 from the field.