Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Ink Jason Kidd To Contract Extension

June 21st, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 21st, 5:18pm: The contract extension is official, the team announced. “Our goal remains to be a consistent contender for NBA Championships and we believe that Jason Kidd is the right man for the job,” said Bucks co-owner Wes Edens. “In terms of preparing, developing and relating to today’s players, we think there is no better fit to lead our young and talented roster. We are excited that Jason will continue to call Milwaukee his home.”

“I truly believe that continuity is extremely important in our business, so I’m very happy for Jason and the Bucks organization to continue the partnership we have,” said GM John Hammond. “Jason and his staff work tirelessly to help our players grow and develop and I look forward to working with them to build our roster into a consistent contender.”

JUNE 13th, 6:27pm: The extension is done and Kidd will receive $18MM over three years after completing the final season of his current deal at $5MM, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports.

2:28pm: In his full story on extension talks between Kidd and the Bucks, Wojnarowski writes that the deal would add three years to Kidd’s current contract, taking him through 2020.

2:14pm: The Bucks and head coach Jason Kidd are putting the finishing touches on a new contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to Wojnarowski, it’s expected to be a three-year, $15MM+ extension for Kidd.

Kidd, who became the Bucks’ head coach in 2014, has one year remaining on his initial contract with the team, a three-year pact which was believed to be worth in the neighborhood of $5MM annually. It sounds like the head coach’s new deal with Milwaukee will have fairly similar terms to his old one, though it’s not clear if the two sides will tack on three new years, locking up Kidd through the 2019/20 season, or if they’ll tear up the old contract and have the new three-year deal take effect next season.

In his first year with the Bucks in 2014/15, Kidd led the team to a 41-41 record and a playoff berth. The franchise took a step backward this past season in a more competitive Eastern Conference, finishing with a 33-49 record. However, with a handful of young building blocks in place, there’s still plenty of optimism for the future in Milwaukee.

In the wake of the Bucks’ disappointing 2015/16 season, Kidd received a public vote of confidence from team ownership, with co-owner Marc Lasry suggesting an extension may be on the horizon. Wojnarowski subsequently reported in late May that Milwaukee was working on a new deal for its head coach.

Dwight Howard Declines Player Option

June 21st, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In a move that was widely expected, Dwight Howard has declined his player option for 2016/17 and will test out the free agent market this summer, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The Rockets big man was set to earn $23,282,457 next season, but will now attempt to top that amount as an unrestricted free agent.

Howard’s time in Houston hasn’t gone all that smoothly, with the center not meshing well alongside star shooting guard James Harden and seeing his overall involvement in the team’s offense decline steadily the past two campaigns. He made 71 appearances for the Rockets this past season, averaging 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.63 blocks in 32.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .620/.000/.489.

The 30-year-old hasn’t ruled out re-signing with the Rockets despite his reported unhappiness in Houston, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets. That may be a wise move on Howard’s part, given the decline in his physical skills, production and with the league’s diminished focus on traditional paint-roaming big men, he may find the open market a challenging one to land a long-term deal in. Howard’s best bet may be to ink a short-term deal, perhaps a two-year pact with an opt-out after the first season, in order to rebuild his free agent value and potentially snag a more player-friendly pact in the process during the summer of 2017.

Heat Extend Qualifying Offer To Tyler Johnson

June 21st, 2016 at 4:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have formally extended a qualifying offer to combo guard Tyler Johnson, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (via Twitter). By doing so, Miami has made Johnson a restricted free agent, which means the team will have the opportunity to match any offer sheet Johnson were to ink this summer.

Johnson, 24, earned $845,059 for his work in 2015/16 and his qualifying offer is valued at $1,180,431. With the NBA salary cap set to increase to as much as $94MM for 2016/17, Johnson has an excellent shot at significantly increasing his salary for this past season, plus, he has the opportunity to sign a long-term agreement that would provide him with greater security moving forward.

The combo guard’s 2015/16 campaign was shortened due to injury, with Johnson only appearing in 36 contests courtesy of a bum shoulder that required surgery in February. Johnson averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.0 minutes per outing for the Heat when on the court and his shooting line on the season was .486/.380/.797.

Dirk Nowitzki Won’t Exercise Player Option

June 21st, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki has decided to turn down his player option for 2016/17, which will make him a free agent on July 1st, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). The option had been worth approximately $8.692MM.

While the Warriors are reportedly eyeing Nowitzki as a potential free agent target this offseason, it would be a major upset if the German big man signed with any team besides the Mavericks. His decision to opt out of his contract is likely about getting a multiyear deal in Dallas, rather than jumping ship for another team.

“It’s probably going to look like (I’ll opt out),” Nowitzki said earlier this month. “Since I felt great and played sort of decent, I might opt out and maybe sign a two- or three-year deal (with the Mavericks). We’ll see how it goes, but that’s probably the plan for now.”

At around the same time that Nowitzki made those comments, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, “Dirk gets to do whatever he wants to do. Period.” If that involves heading to Golden State or another team in an attempt to get one last ring before he retires, the Mavs would presumably let him go and wish him luck, but for now it sounds like the 38-year-old would rather try to win that ring in Dallas.

With Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams expected to opt out of their contracts as well, the Mavericks currently only have about $29MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2016/17. That gives the team room to pursue top-tier free agents, though if Parsons, Williams, and Nowitzki all re-sign, that cap room could get chewed up quickly.

Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams To Opt Out

June 21st, 2016 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Arron Afflalo will turn down his player option with the Knicks for the 2016/17 season, opting to explore the free agent market in July, reports Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops and The Associated Press (Twitter link). Afflalo’s decision on his player option had been due this Wednesday.

By opting out, Afflalo will forfeit an $8MM salary for the coming season, under the assumption that he’ll be able to land a bigger deal on the open market. While there’s a possibility he’ll return to New York, plenty of teams around the NBA will have cap room and could target the veteran shooting guard as a more affordable alternative to the players who will earn max deals.

Afflalo, 30, signed with the Knicks last summer as a free agent, and averaged 33.4 minutes in 71 regular season contests for the team. Most of his averages for the 2016/17 season, including 12.8 PPG, a .443 FG%, and a .382 3PT%, were very similar to his career marks.

Even before Afflalo made his decision, the Knicks had been prioritizing backcourt additions this offseason. The club had been preparing for Afflalo to test the market, with new head coach Jeff Hornacek suggesting earlier this month that he expected the former UCLA standout to “see what’s out there.”

Meanwhile, Derrick Williams, who has a $4.598MM player option for 2016/17 and whose decision was also due by tomorrow, will also opt out of his contract, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former second overall pick had arguably his best NBA season in 2015/16, setting career highs in points per 36 minutes (18.7), field goal percentage (.450), and a few other categories, as a part-time contributor for the Knicks.

With Afflalo and Williams no longer on the books for next season, the Knicks now have $56MM+ committed to seven players, not taking into account qualifying offers or cap holds for pending free agents. The salary cap is projected to land in the $94MM range.

Caron Butler Exercises Player Option With Kings

June 21st, 2016 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran small forward Caron Butler has exercised his player option for the 2016/17 season, locking in his contract with the Kings for one more year, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). The option is worth $1,551,659.

As our list of player option decisions for this year shows, Butler is only the second player who has decided to pick up his option rather than testing the free agent market, joining Cavaliers guard Mo Williams. Considering Butler’s option is only worth the minimum salary, it’s a little surprising he would opt in, but perhaps he figured he’s better off taking that guaranteed money rather than trying to find another team willing to sign him for the minimum.

Butler, who initially entered the NBA as the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft, barely saw the floor during the 2015/16 season, playing a total of 176 minutes in 17 games for the Kings. Although he was briefly nagged by an ankle problem early in the year, his absences from games were primarily the result of DNP-CDs.

Sacramento reportedly tried to find a trade partner during the season to give Butler an opportunity to play more elsewhere, but ultimately kept him on the roster. The team may again attempt to include the 36-year-old in a deal this offseason — moving his minimum salary shouldn’t be too difficult, assuming there are any teams with interest.

With Butler’s minimum contract now on the books for the 2016/17 season, the Kings are carrying nearly $63MM in guaranteed salary, which doesn’t include the cap hold for their first-round pick. The salary cap is projected to increase to about $94MM.

Pistons Acquire Cameron Bairstow

June 17th, 2016 at 10:52am CST by Eddie Scarito

David Banks/USA TODAY Sports Images

The Pistons have agreed to a trade with the Bulls that sends power forward Cameron Bairstow to Detroit in exchange for combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie, the team announced. The deal is official, per the press release. Chicago has confirmed the trade with a press release of its own.

Bairstow, 25, appeared in 18 games with Chicago last season, averaging 1.9 points, 1.6 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per outing. The two-year veteran was drafted out of the New Mexico with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. As a senior for the Lobos, he averaged a Mountain West Conference-high 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 32.9 minutes in 34 games. Bairstow holds career averages of 1.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.6 minutes in 36 NBA games with the Bulls. His 2016/17 salary of $980,431 is non-guaranteed.

Dinwiddie, 23, completed his second NBA season with averages of 4.8 points, 1.8 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes over 12 contests. He was drafted by the Pistons with the No. 38 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Dinwiddie owns career averages of 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes in NBA 46 games. The player is also set to earn $980,431 next season, an amount that is non-guaranteed.

J.R. Smith Won’t Exercise Player Option

June 15th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

June 16th could be the last day of the Cavaliers’ season, but it also represents a key date for Cleveland guard J.R. Smith for another reason — it’s the deadline for Smith to pick up his player option. And according to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, Smith will let that deadline pass without exercising his option, putting him on track for free agency in July.

Given the key role he has played for the Eastern Conference champs this season, and the relatively modest salary on his 2016/17 option, it’s not too surprising that Smith will turn it down. Had he exercised it, the 30-year-old would only have initially been guaranteed $2.2MM of his $5.375MM salary — the rest would have become guaranteed in September.

Opting out of his contract will allow Smith to explore the market for more sizeable offers, or to re-up with Cleveland at a higher rate. The Cavaliers hold Smith’s Bird rights, so cap space won’t be an issue if the team wants to re-sign him, and for his part, it sounds like the ex-Knick is happy in Cleveland. “This is where I want to be,” Smith told Haynes. “The fans love me; I love them and my teammates.”

In his first full season as a Cavalier, Smith averaged a career-high 6.6 three-point attempts per game and made 40% of them, the second-best mark of his 12-year NBA career. He has improved upon those numbers in the postseason, with a .444 3PT% on seven attempts per game from beyond the arc.

Smith is one of three Cavs veterans with decisions to make on player options this summer. Mo Williams reportedly intends to opt in, while LeBron James‘ decision has yet to be reported or announced.

Nando De Colo Signs Extension With CSKA Moscow

June 15th, 2016 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA second-rounder Nando De Colo, who was on track for free agency this summer, won’t be making his return stateside after all. CSKA Moscow announced today that De Colo has signed a three-year extension to remain with the team that he helped lead to a Euroleague title this past season.

“I am very happy to continue playing for CSKA,” De Colo said in a statement. “It wasn’t a tough decision to take. I came back to Europe to play, to use the opportunities and carry more responsibility day-by-day. This is what I did, what I had here with the club. This year we had an amazing season. And this is what I want: to play, to do it for the best team in Europe and to be one of the leaders of this team. This is what is the most important for me, this is why I signed with CSKA.”

Based on De Colo’s statement, it’s not hard to see why he opted to remain in Moscow rather than returning to the NBA. In his current role, the 28-year-old is a star player, having earned the Euroleague’s and VTB United League’s MVP awards last season. If he returned to the NBA, De Colo would have been more of a role player — in his two seasons in the league from 2012 to 2014, he averaged just 3.8 points and 1.7 assists per contest in 119 games (11.9 MPG).

De Colo’s NBA rights are still held by the Raptors, with whom he finished the 2013/14 season. If he does return to the league, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency. However, had De Colo sought an NBA contract this year, Toronto probably wouldn’t have fought too hard to hang onto him, considering the club is set at the point guard spot with Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, and 2015 first-rounder Delon Wright.

Cavaliers’ Mo Williams To Pick Up Option

June 14th, 2016 at 8:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams will pick up his option for 2016/17, reports Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. Williams will receive $2.2MM for next season, the last of a two-year, $4.3MM contract he signed with Cleveland last summer.

Williams faces a Thursday deadline to opt out and test the free agent market. Haynes writes that the Cavaliers have been notified that he intends to bypass that option.

Williams appeared in 41 games with the Cavaliers this season, averaging 8.2 points per night while shooting 35% from 3-point range. Physical problems involving inflammation of the cartilage under his left kneecap limited Williams’ availability. Next season will be his 15th in the NBA.