Clippers Re-Sign DeAndre Jordan
2:31pm: The deal is official, the Clippers announced via press release.
THURSDAY, 9:14am: The Clippers haven’t sent out a press release or formal announcement, but they did acknowledge the move on Twitter with a photo of Jordan and the words “We’re officially centered.” Jordan put pen to paper with Relativity Sports agent Jarinn Akana present, but not Fegan, his primary agent, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The agency has yet to provide certification of the contract, Spears notes, so it can’t yet become official. Also present when Jordan signed the contract were Rivers, Paul, Griffin and Paul Pierce, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Mavericks never got to meet with him face-to-face, as was supposed to have been the case, Shelburne adds (on Twitter). The deal contains a 15% trade kicker, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
11:21pm: Jordan’s deal is actually for four years, $87.6MM, with a player option after the third season, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets (h/t to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders).
10:05pm: The deal is reportedly a five-year maximum salary contract in excess of $110MM, and includes a player option for the final season, Stein tweets.
9:47pm: In what turned out to be one of the more bizarre free agency dramas in recent memory, DeAndre Jordan has reversed course and has elected to re-sign with the Clippers, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). The center had reached a verbal agreement with the Mavericks last week, but changed his mind after having time to mull over his decision. The exact length and amount of the contract are unknown, but it is almost assuredly a maximum salary arrangement. The signing cannot become official until after midnight Eastern time this evening. Mavs team owner Mark Cuban has begun to notify people within the Dallas organization that Jordan is remaining in Los Angeles, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
The unusual circumstances surrounding Jordan’s free agency convinced Clippers officials that they needed to remain at Jordan’s side until he is formally able to put pen to paper on a new contract, given that Jordan had already changed his mind once during the process, Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com note. Sources informed the ESPN duo that Jordan, in a meeting today at his Houston home with several teammates and top Clippers officials, indicated to the team that he intended to renege on last Friday’s commitment to sign a four-year, $80-plus million max deal with the Mavericks and return to Los Angeles instead.
There were conflicting reports regarding Jordan’s agent, Dan Fegan, that he steered the center toward the Mavs because of the close relationship Fegan has with Cuban. One of Jordan’s reasons for wanting to leave Los Angeles was his desire to have an expanded offensive role. Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers reportedly informed Jordan that he wasn’t aware of the veteran’s desire for a larger role, and the Clippers offered to hire a big man coach and increase Jordan’s number of touches on the offensive end. Jordan was apparently tired of playing third wheel behind Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. The center also reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with Paul, though there were conflicting reports on just how much of a factor that was in Jordan’s initial willingness to leave Los Angeles.
Jordan made 82 appearances for the Clippers last season, averaging 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 34.4 minutes per game, with a slash line of .710/.250/.397. The big man’s numbers through seven NBA seasons are 8.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 1.7 BPG, with a shooting line of .664/.125/.417.
Spurs Re-Sign Tim Duncan
The Spurs have formally re-signed Tim Duncan, the team announced. The sides had been working toward a two-year deal that would pay him $5MM this season with a player option for year two, as TNT’s David Aldridge reported.
Duncan last week confirmed his return for this coming season, which was reportedly in line with San Antonio’s expectation throughout the spring. Little, if any, doubt existed that he would re-sign with the Spurs as long as he indeed decided to play a 19th season in the NBA, but the question has been just how much of a discount the still-productive 39-year-old would give the team.
The Jim Tanner client made nearly $10.362MM this past season, but Aldridge’s report would indicate that his pay has been cut in half. The Spurs will open cap room to sign LaMarcus Aldridge and others, so a $5MM salary for Duncan would give him a lower cap hold and facilitate the addition of San Antonio’s newest star power forward. The $70MM salary cap, nearly $3MM higher than expected, will help, and it could mean Duncan gets a larger salary this season than he otherwise would have.
Hawks Re-Sign Paul Millsap
1:36pm: The deal is indeed official, the Hawks confirmed via press release.
JULY 9TH, 12:46pm: The team hasn’t made any formal announcement, but Millsap refers to it as official on his verified Twitter account.
JULY 1ST, 5:43pm: The Hawks and forward Paul Millsap have reached an agreement on a new contract, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The deal will be for three years, and approximately $58MM, with a player option included for the final season, TNT’s David Aldridge relays (on Twitter). Millsap also received interest from the Magic, who were the biggest threat to take Millsap away from Atlanta, as well as the Pacers, Mavericks, and Knicks.
Atlanta will presumably use cap space to ink the veteran and not his Early Bird rights. Millsap’s deal will pay him approximately $18.8 MM for the 2015/16 campaign, $19.646MM in 2016/17, and $20.492MM during the final season, which includes the previously mentioned player option, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets.
Millsap made 73 appearances for the Hawks last season, all as a starter, and averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 687 games are 13.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a slash line of .503/.340/.728.
Knicks Acquire O’Quinn In Sign-And-Trade
JULY 9TH, 1:28pm: The deal is official, both teams announced. It’s O’Quinn to the Knicks, with cash and the option to switch second-rounders in 2019 to the Magic.
JULY 4TH, 6:04pm: The Knicks have agreed to acquire Kyle O’Quinn via sign-and-trade with the Magic, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link). The deal will be for $16MM over four years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The contract contains an opt out after the third season, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Orlando will receive cash considerations as well as the rights to swap a second-round draft pick in 2019, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Magic had the right to match any offer sheet that O’Quinn signed since they extended a qualifying offer to the 25-year-old.
The big man averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game with Orlando last season. Although he started his NBA career as a center, O’Quinn played over two-thirds of his minutes at the four spot last season, per Basketball Reference.
Warriors Re-Sign Draymond Green
JULY 9TH, 1:21pm: The team hasn’t sent out a formal announcement, but GM Bob Myers said today to reporters, including Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, that the deal is official (Twitter link).
JULY 2ND, 8:40am: It’s $82MM, not $85MM, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe and Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group report (Twitter links). Green gets $14.26M this coming season, $15.33M in 2016/17, $16.4M in 2017/18, $17.47M in 2018/19, and $18.54M in 2019/20, Kawakami tweets.
JULY 1ST, 9:59pm: The Warriors and Draymond Green have come to terms on a five-year, $85MM deal that will see the forward return to Golden State, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Green’s deal is for less than the maximum, which would have been five years, and approximately $91MM, but it’s nevertheless a major raise for a player who toiled away for the league minimum last season. The contract is fully guaranteed, and contains no options, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
The signing comes as no surprise, though talks had reportedly stalled earlier today. The B.J. Armstrong client was noted as being willing to take less than the max to stay with the Warriors and help the club keep its roster together, despite the interest from other teams. Both the Hawks and the Rockets were reported to be suitors for the bruising forward, though the opportunity to remain in Golden State and pursue another NBA title was likely too strong a pull for Green to ignore, regardless of dollar figures.
“Excited, thankful, and grateful to be back in the Bay. Thanks to Peter Gruber, Joe Lacob, Bob Myers, Rick Welts and the entire Warriors organization,” Green said in his official statement. “Thanks to coach Steve Kerr and staff for helping me become a better player, and thanks to my teammates for being great and accepting. I love the fans, thanks for being great, now let’s chase championships.”
Green appeared in 79 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 11.74 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, with a slash line of .443/.337/.660. His career averages are 6.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG, while shooting .412/.321/.685.
Cavs Re-Sign Iman Shumpert
JULY 9TH, 1:04pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
“Iman is a versatile, two-way player who embodies much of the grit, determination and defense-first mentality our group became identified by,” GM David Griffin said. “He is evolving as a playmaker on both ends and his impact on our group was enormous throughout our Finals run.”
JULY 1ST, 6:34pm: The Cavaliers and restricted free agent Iman Shumpert have agreed to a new contract, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). The deal will be for four years and $40MM, and the final season will include a player option, Kennedy relays. The Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, and Mavericks were all interested in the defensive specialist’s services.
Shumpert was acquired at midseason by the Cavaliers along with J.R. Smith, who opted out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. It’s unclear if Shumpert’s deal will mean that Smith is destined to play elsewhere in 2015/16, though LeBron James reportedly wants the Cavs to re-sign the guard, so one has to wonder if that could outweigh the team’s reservations about Smith.
The 25-year-old played well for the Cavaliers last season, appearing in 38 games, though only one as a starter. Shumpert notched averages of 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, along with a slash line of .410/.338/.667.
Knicks Sign Derrick Williams
JULY 9TH, 12:51pm: The deal is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter).
JULY 3RD, 9:44pm: After striking out on a number of high-profile free agent targets, the Knicks have reached an agreement with free agent forward Derrick Williams, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It is a two year pact for $10MM, and it includes a player option for the 2016/17 season, Broussard adds. Williams became an unrestricted free agent when Sacramento declined to tender him a qualifying offer.
The 24-year-old out of Arizona is a combo forward, and it’s not immediately clear how New York will utilize Williams. He could start at power forward alongside Carmelo Anthony, or come off the bench at either forward spot if the Knicks choose to keep ‘Melo at power forward, a position he has excelled at the last few seasons. The Mavericks, Kings, Wizards, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, and Suns all had some level of interest in Williams.
Williams began his NBA career in Minnesota, who made him the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft. He appeared in 74 games for the Kings last season, including six as a starter. Williams notched averages of 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 19.8 minutes per contest, to go along with a slash line of .447/.314/.684. His career numbers through four seasons as a pro are 9.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 0.6 APG, with a shooting line of .429/.301/.703.
Knicks Ink Arron Afflalo
JULY 9TH, 12:43pm: The deal is official, the team announced (on Twitter).
JULY 2ND, 8:01am: The Knicks will sign Arron Afflalo to a two-year deal worth $16MM with a player option on the final season, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The agreement gives the Sam Goldfeder client slightly more in average annual value than he would have made had he picked up his $7.75MM player option with the Blazers.
The deal comes as no surprise, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports on Monday identified the Knicks as the front-runners for the shooting guard who turns 30 in October, and Chris Mannix of SI.com reported Tuesday that Afflalo was open to a deal that allowed him to hit free agency again in a year or two. The Knicks were to meet with Afflalo today, and it sounds like they either met early this morning or reached agreement before having a sitdown.
New York will use part of its nearly $30MM in cap flexibility on the eight-year veteran, but plenty of room is left over to sign Greg Monroe to a max contract. Monroe is reportedly meeting with the Knicks and three other teams, including Portland.
Knicks Sign Robin Lopez
JULY 9TH, 12:42pm: The deal is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter).
2:15pm: Jordan’s representatives have told the Knicks that they’re out of the running, so the Lopez deal will be a go at the end of the July Moratorium, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
1:44pm: The contract would contain no option clauses, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck (Twitter link).
JULY 3RD, 12:54pm: The deal would be for four years and $54MM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who reiterates that it’s contingent on the Knicks falling short in their long shot effort to sign Jordan (Twitter links).
10:22pm: A source close to Lopez says the big man has committed to join the Knicks, but his deal is in a holding pattern until DeAndre Jordan makes his final decision, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
JULY 2ND, 8:23pm: Free agent center Robin Lopez is engaged in discussions with the Knicks on a deal that would pay him in the range of $12M-$13M per season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Knicks are also looking at trying to land DeAndre Jordan after missing out on Greg Monroe, who agreed to sign with the Bucks earlier today. The Knicks would also target Roy Hibbert via a trade with the Pacers if they miss on Jordan and Lopez, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reported earlier.
Lopez came away from his Wednesday night meeting with the team possessing a positive impression of New York, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Interest is mutual,” a source said. “That’s for sure.” The 27-year-old is also garnering serious interest from the Lakers, Wojnarowski adds. Both franchises have a profound need of depth at the pivot, and the defensive-minded Lopez would be a solid fit for either franchise. The Pelicans and Bucks were also reported to be interested in Lopez at the commencement of the free agent signing period.
The seven-footer made 59 appearances for the Blazers last season, averaging 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game. His career numbers through seven NBA seasons are 8.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.2 BPG, with a slash line of .532/.000/.759.
Wizards Sign Gary Neal
JULY 9TH, 12:39pm: The deal is official, the Wizards announced.
“Gary is a proven veteran who will bring us perimeter shooting and experience,“ GM Ernie Grunfeld said. “Adding him to our rotation makes our backcourt rotation deeper and more versatile.“
JULY 3RD, 2:21pm: The Wizards will sign Gary Neal for one year and $2.1MM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Washington will use its biannual exception, worth $2.139MM, to accommodate the contract, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). That leaves the $5.464MM mid-level exception for reported target David West, Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter).
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities raised the possibility of a sign-and-trade deal that would preserve Washington’s biannual when he reported interest in Neal from the Bulls, but it looks at this point that it’ll be a straight signing. The David Bauman client drew the eye of the Wizards this past season, when they would have had interest in signing him if he had engineered a buyout from the Timberwolves, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reported then.
Washington appealed to the guard based on its proximity to his hometown in Baltimore and the presence of starters John Wall and Bradley Beal, TNT’s David Aldridge tweets. His deal is a slight pay drop from the two-year, $6.5MM deal he signed in 2013, even though his scoring was up from his time with the Spurs.