Latest On Magic Coaching Search
With the Nets, who had been the leading contenders for Dwight Howard, out of trade talks for now following the re-signing of Brook Lopez, the team has begun to focus on its head coaching search. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports former Pistons coach and current Sixers assistant Michael Curry has been added to the list of candidates for the position.
Hawks, Jazz Swap Marvin Williams, Devin Harris
JULY 11, 5:46pm: The deal is now official, tweets Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune.
JULY 2, 6:10pm: The Hawks and Jazz have agreed to deal Marvin Williams for Devin Harris, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It's the second deal of the day for new Hawks GM Danny Ferry, who agreed to ship Joe Johnson to the Nets earlier.
Jeremy Evans Re-Signs With Jazz
WEDNESDAY, 2:02pm: The Jazz have officially re-signed Evans, according to a team release.
THURSDAY, 7:01pm: Jeremy Evans has agreed to terms with the Jazz on a three-year, $5.5MM deal, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). The forward was a restricted free agent but decided to remain with Utah after spending the first two seasons of his career in Salt Lake City. Evans, 24, averaged 2.1 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 29 games during the 2012 season. The former second-round pick won the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend in Orlando.
Odds & Ends: Miles, Magic, Celtics, Hawks
With free agent news and rumors dominating the headlines over the last week, it's been easy to miss a number of other stories that have flown under the radar. One such story today: The Wizards have hired Don Newman as an assistant coach under Randy Wittman. A longtime NBA assistant coach, Newman has spent the last seven years on the Spurs' bench in San Antonio, and represents a solid hire for Washington.
Here are a few more Monday afternoon odds and ends from around the league….
Raja Bell, Jazz Agree To Contract Buyout
After reporting last night that the Jazz were close to reaching a buyout agreement with Raja Bell, Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune confirms that the two sides have reached a verbal agreement on a contract buyout. Once the deal is made official and Bell becomes an unrestricted free agent, he'll be free to sign with any team in the league, and the veteran says he intends to explore all his options.
Free Agent Rumors: Jamison, Sessions, Lewis
Five days into free agency, a number of big names, such as Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, are off the market. But there are still plenty of players out there looking for contracts. We'll wrap up many of today's free agent updates right here, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Antawn Jamison had dinner in Charlotte with Bobcats executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The former UNC star has also been talking to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Jamison's former agent, and will chat with head coach Mark Jackson in the near future.
- The Mavericks have reached out to Ramon Sessions for a second time and pitched a starting job to the veteran point guard, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Rashard Lewis will visit the Heat this weekend after having his contract bought out by the Hornets, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). The Hawks and the Knicks are among other teams interested in the veteran forward.
Earlier updates:
Josh Howard Drawing Interest From Mavs, Others
12:15pm: In addition to the six clubs reported by Spears, two other teams have expressed interest in Howard, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. Howard is seeking a multiyear contract, according to Smith (Twitter link).
10:10am: Nearly two and a half years after the Mavericks traded him to Washington in a seven-player blockbuster, Josh Howard is drawing interest from his old team. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Mavs are one of a handful of teams showing interest in the small forward. Spears names the Jazz, Lakers, Nets, Spurs, and Celtics as other potential suitors.
Northwest Rumors: Millsap, McGee, T-Wolves
The Northwest has certainly been the NBA's most active division on the restricted free agent market so far today, with the Trail Blazers extending Roy Hibbert a maximum offer and the Timberwolves making a hard push for Nicolas Batum. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Portland's four-year offer to Hibbert is worth $58.4MM. I assume that's based on 2011/12's maximum-salary figures, which are likely to stay the same for 2012/13. Hibbert is leaning toward signing the offer sheet when the moratorium ends, which would give the Pacers three days to match it, says Berger.
Here are a few more Sunday updates out of the Northwest:
Danny Green, Roger Mason Interested In Jazz
The Jazz are expected to seek an outside shooting threat at the wing position in free agency this year, and two such players are interested in filling that role, reports Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. Danny Green and Roger Mason have interest in signing with Utah, Smith says, and a source close to Green says the Jazz could be a "perfect fit."
Qualifying Offers: Friday
With the NBA's 2012 free agent period just two days away, teams continue to extend qualifying offers to free agents in order to make them restricted. If a qualifying offer is not tendered to a player eligible for restricted free agency, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Players who are tendered qualifying offers have the option to accept the one-year contract and hit unrestricted free agency a year from now, but the primary purpose of the offers are to ensure that the player's team can match any offers for him this summer. We'll track today's qualifying offer updates right here, with the latest added to the top of the page….
- The Cavs have made a qualifying offer to Luke Harangody, according to the joint Twitter account of Plain Dealer writers Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade. The tender is expected to be around $1.05MM.
Earlier updates: