Knicks Acquire Derrick Rose From Bulls
The Knicks and Bulls have agreed to deal that sends Derrick Rose to New York, along with Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick. In exchange, Chicago receives Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Both teams have officially confirmed the move, with the Knicks announcing that they’ve also waived guard Tony Wroten as part of the deal.
[RELATED: Knicks among teams Dwight Howard would consider]
K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) first reported that an agreement was in place, along with all the names involved, while Adrian Wojnarwoski and Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link) were first to report that the two teams were engaged in “advanced talks” on a trade that would send Rose to the Knicks. The deal also came on the heels of earlier reports that the Bulls were open to moving Rose, and that the Knicks had internally discussed acquiring the Chicago point guard.
While Rose has been plagued by injuries since his MVP campaign in 2010/11, he managed to stay on the court for 66 games this past season, his highest mark in five years. In those games, he recorded averages of 16.4 points and 4.7 assists, shooting .427 from the floor.
Rose is entering the final year of his contract, and is set to earn a $21.323MM salary in 2016/17, so the Knicks are betting on him continuing to stay healthy going forward, and perhaps recapturing the form that saw him win that MVP award five years ago. If the 27-year-old has a solid season in New York, the Knicks would hold his Bird Rights when he becomes eligible for free agency in 2017.
By acquiring Rose, the Knicks will perhaps shift their focus in free agency more toward big men. The team could still use backcourt help, particularly at the two, with Arron Afflalo opting out, but losing Lopez will leave a hole at center in New York. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggests (via Twitter) that Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol could be among the Knicks’ targets in July, and we know Howard would be open to signing with New York.
Noah and Gasol, of course, are Bulls free agents, but the odds of those players both landing elsewhere appear to be on the rise with Lopez headed to Chicago. If the Bulls go into full rebuilding mode, Jimmy Butler could be a trade candidate as well, but considering they acquired veteran players in exchange for Rose, I’d be surprised if the Bulls go in that direction.
As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweets, the Bulls have been eyeing point guard prospects in this year’s draft class, and while the team won’t get Kris Dunn at No. 14, a player like Wade Baldwin is a potential target. In Calderon, Chicago will at least have a solid veteran at the position for one more year.
From a financial perspective, the salaries involved in the swap are virtually a wash, despite Rose’s $20MM+ cap figure. Lopez, Grant, and Calderon combined to earn $21,625,172 in 2015/16, compared to $21,040,340 for Rose and Holiday. As Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets, Rose’s 15% trade kicker won’t be applied to this deal, since his salary would exceed the max with that kicker — it would have been in play if the trade had been completed in July.
The Knicks create a traded player exception worth $1,572,360, the amount of Grant’s salary, but will likely renounce that exception next month in order to use space under the cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jeremy Lin Opts Out Of Contract
JUNE 22: Lin, whose decision was due on Wednesday, has officially turned down his player option and will hit the open market in July, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.
JUNE 7: Jeremy Lin will opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, reports Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Haynes, the Hornets will make an effort to re-sign Lin, but the point guard figures to have plenty of suitors.
[RELATED: Player option decisions for 2016/17]
Lin, 27, signed a modest two-year contract last summer with Charlotte — that deal paid him $2.139MM in 2015/16, and featured a $2.235MM player option for 2016/17, which was always considered unlikely to be exercised unless Lin suffered a major injury or saw his performance fall off a cliff.
In his first – and possible only – season with the Hornets, Lin averaged 11.7 points per game, right in line with his career average. Lin’s .412 FG% and 3.0 assists per game were the worst full-season marks of his NBA career, but he was still a capable backup to Kemba Walker at the point.
Lin’s option decision deadline is on June 22, so he won’t officially be on track for free agency until that date passes. At that point, Lin will remain on Charlotte’s books with a cap hold worth about $2.567MM. The Hornets only hold his Non-Bird rights, so the team won’t be able to exceed the cap significantly to sign him. Still, with only about $46MM in guaranteed salary on their books for now, the Hornets should be able to find room for Lin if they make him a priority.
Brandon Bass Declines Player Option
JUNE 22: Bass has now officially opted out of his deal with the Lakers, making him a free agent on July 1st, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
JUNE 16: Brandon Bass will turn down his $3.135MM player option for next season with the Lakers and become an unrestricted free agent, the player’s representatives have informed Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The notion that the power forward would opt out and test the open market this offseason was first relayed by Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group back in April.
The 31-year-old saw his numbers decline as he assumed a bench role in L.A. this season after spending the previous four years primarily as a starter for the Celtics. His 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes per game were his lowest in each category since the 2009/10 campaign. Still, Bass is a solid teammate who works hard and provides veteran leadership, all qualities the Lakers could benefit from by re-signing the big man this offseason. For what it’s worth, Bass noted that he hopes to remain with the franchise and that the feeling is mutual, Turner tweets.
Two strong possibilities for Bass next season if he doesn’t return to Lakers would be the Celtics and Clippers, though that is merely my speculation. Boston coach Brad Stevens said in December that he remained high on Bass, who said shortly before then that he’d planned to play out the rest of his career with Boston until the Celtics signed Amir Johnson instead last summer. The Tony Dutt client ended up with the Lakers, signing a two-year, $6.135MM contract in July. L.A. reportedly made Bass available for trades over the winter, but offers were said to be unappealing.
Richard Jefferson To Retire?
WEDNESDAY, 11:01am: Jefferson has backtracked a little on his initial announcement, suggesting that he hasn’t totally finalized his decision to retire. As Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk outlines, Jefferson discussed his decision on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday.
“No, it’s is not set in stone,” Jefferson said. “My teammates, ‘Bron and those guys, keep trying to talk me out of it. They say I’m crazy if I retire, so we’ll see. It’s still up for debate.”
SUNDAY, 10:49pm: Moments after winning his first NBA championship, Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson said he plans to retire from the league, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. “Hell of a way to go out,” the 15-year veteran said shortly after Cleveland prevailed in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Jefferson, who will turn 36 on Tuesday, played in 74 games for the Cavs this season, mostly in a reserve role. He averaged 5.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per night.
Jefferson started his career in the 2001/02 season with the New Jersey Nets. He also played for the Bucks, Spurs, Warriors, Jazz and Mavericks. He signed a one-year deal with the Cavaliers in August.
“I’m done. I’m done,” Jefferson told Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet. “I need a cigar.” (Twitter link).
Manu Ginobili Declines Player Option
9:43am: In his full story on Ginobili’s decision, Charania writes that the veteran Spur is leaning toward re-signing with San Antonio for at least one more season.
9:33am: Veteran guard Manu Ginobili is the latest player to decline a player option for 2016/17, opting not to pick up his $2.94MM option for next season, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that Ginobili was expected to head to free agency, as he continues to weigh his options.
While Ginobili will become a free agent, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave San Antonio, or even that he’ll continue his NBA career. Ginobili and the Spurs may ultimately work out a deal that allows him to return for another season, but it doesn’t sound like the 38-year-old has made a decision yet on whether to keep playing or retire.
The longtime Spur did show signs of slowing down in 2015/16, his 14th season in San Antonio. He played fewer than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his NBA career, and scored just 9.6 points per contest, his lowest mark since his rookie year. Still, while Ginobili’s role has been reduced, he continued to be reasonably effective when he did play — his 2015/16 shooting percentages (.453 FG%, .391 3PT%) were slightly better than his career averages.
The Spurs are expected to make a run at Kevin Durant this summer, and could take a look at some other top-tier free agents, but the looming decisions for Ginobili and Tim Duncan, who also has a player option for 2016/17, may have an impact on their offseason approach. Assuming both players want to continue their careers, it’s hard to imagine the Spurs not welcoming them back.
Deron Williams Opts Out Of Mavericks Deal
Deron Williams is the latest Maverick to inform the team of his decision to opt out, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki have also told the Mavs that they’re turning down their respective player options to sign new contracts.
[RELATED: Player option decisions for 2016/17]
We heard back in April that Williams intended to opt out of his contract this summer in order to seek a multiyear deal. At that time, reports indicated that the team and player had mutual interest in working out a new agreement that would allow Williams to return to Dallas. Once July 1st arrives, however, other teams will have the opportunity to make their own pitches to the veteran point guard.
Williams, who turns 32 on Sunday, appeared in 65 regular-season contests for the Mavericks in 2015/16, averaging 14.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game. While those numbers aren’t close to the ones Williams put up during his heyday in Utah, Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson pointed to what he saw as a renewed sense of enthusiasm in the point guard’s play this past season.
Williams’ player option for 2016/17 would have paid him $5,621,026, but with the cap on the rise, there’s a very good chance he’ll be able to surpass that salary on the open market, and he should be able to lock in a deal for more than one year as well.
Bucks Ink Jason Kidd To Contract Extension
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
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
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
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.