3:32pm: The Knicks would also target Hibbert if they miss on Jordan and Robin Lopez, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).
11:56am: The Mavericks remain hopeful about luring DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers, but if they don’t, they would consider trading with the Pacers for Roy Hibbert, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). It would be a “salary-dump deal,” MacMahon says, presumably meaning that Dallas would absorb Hibbert into cap space instead of taking back players from Indiana. The Clippers’ chances at keeping Jordan are reportedly 50-50, though the Lakers and long shot Knicks also loom as threats.
Indiana seems eager to part with Hibbert, having reportedly been aggressive in their apparent attempts to trade him before the draft. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird and coach Frank Vogel signaled this spring that they wanted to move on from Hibbert, who nonetheless picked up his player option worth more than $15.514MM.
Hibbert has a 15% trade kicker in his deal, and even though the starting salary in his deal was for the max, the kicker still has value, as he’s since accrued seven years of service and is eligible for a max worth roughly 30% of the salary cap instead of just 25%, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links here). So, the kicker would likely add more than $2.327MM to his salary. The Pacers would have to pay that, though it would count toward his cap hit for whichever team were to take him on.
I think the best case scenario for Roy Hibbert is trade with the Warriors. David Lee for Roy Hibbert straight up. Both teams will benefit greatly. The Warriors get a back up center and insurance for Bogut. The Pacers get a scoring, rebounding power forward they desperately need. It would work financially because their contracts are nearly identical.
People love to knock the Knicks, but the Mavs roster is even worse. They have an over-the-hill Dirk, Chandler Parsons and then Devin Harris and Raymond Felton. Plus their first rounder.
The Knicks roster is a lot better right now… but you don’t hear the media making fun of the Mavs.
Slight edit made for language.
Don’t forget the Mavs have a more recent history of success and a proven Coach. Not to mention an owner we know is willing to spend with the biggest markets.
Hopefully if the Knicks gets Hilbert it’s for Calderon…..