2017 June | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Celtics, George, Parker, Beverley

June 29th, 2017 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Celtics are reportedly still hoping to pull off a trade for Paul George after the new league year begins, Boston considers the Pacers‘ current demand for George unrealistic, per Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter links). Murphy notes that the C’s are currently waiting to hear back from Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.

According to Murphy, the Pacers’ most recent demand in talks with the Celtics included the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and the Lakers’ protected 2018 pick, plus at least one starting player. As we noted earlier today, Boston is willing to put multiple picks and players in an offer for George, but wants to retain its most valuable draft assets, such as those two aforementioned picks.

Let’s round up a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA…

Jabari Parker‘s latest ACL injury has complicated the Bucks‘ ability to potentially improve their roster this offseason, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who says that Milwaukee had been considering including Parker in trades at the deadline in February. “His name definitely came up, and it was obvious they’d have a steep price, but they were willing to talk about him,” one league executive tells Deveney.
The Cavaliers have been eyeing Patrick Beverley for “quite some time,” but a source familiar with the team’s thinking tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com that the veteran point guard probably isn’t going anywhere now that he’s a member of the Clippers. According to McMenamin, L.A. likes Beverley and might not be willing to deal him after landing him in Wednesday’s Chris Paul blockbuster, even if Cleveland could offer a solid package.
One challenge the Timberwolves‘ front office faces if it wants to move Ricky Rubio comes in the form of owner Glen Taylor, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson tweets that every Wolves trade goes through Taylor, who “loves” Rubio.
Executives around the NBA have questions about the way the Paul deal between the Rockets and Clippers went down, though an Eastern Conference exec says that no one’s going to “rat anybody out” when it comes to tampering. Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times has the details and the quotes.

Clippers’ Luc Mbah A Moute To Opt Out

June 29th, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute has decided to turn down his player option for 2017/18 and opt out of his contract, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The move will ensure that Mbah a Moute becomes an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

Mbah a Moute, 30, averaged 6.1 PPG and 2.1 RPG with a .505/.391/.678 shooting line for the Clippers in 2016/17, appearing in 80 regular season games (22.3 MPG). While Mbah a Moute’s offensive production is modest, his defensive abilities kept him in the Clippers’ starting lineup for nearly the entire season.

The 2017/18 player option turned down by Mbah a Moute would have been worth $2,302,135. With the NBA’s minimum salaries on the rise, his lowest possible NBA salary for ’17/18 will be $2,116,955, so even if he’s unable to find a team willing to give him more than the minimum, he won’t have to accept much of a pay cut. In all likelihood, Mbah a Moute will be able to top that number, perhaps on a multiyear deal.

The Clippers signed Mbah a Moute last summer using the bi-annual exception, making L.A. the only team ineligible to use the BAE this offseason.

Nets To Retain Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris

June 29th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will hang onto Sean Kilpatrick and Joe Harris, allowing their 2017/18 salaries to become fully guaranteed, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Both players are on minimum salary deals and will earn $1,524,305 next season.

Although Wojnarowski classifies the Nets as having picked up team options on Kilpatrick and Harris, there are no formal options for the club to exercise. Instead, Brooklyn simply has to keep the duo on its roster, since both contracts call for their 2017/18 salaries to become guaranteed if they’re not waived by June 30.

Kilpatrick, 27, has enjoyed an increased role since joining the Nets in February 2016. In his first full season with the team, the 6’4″ guard averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG, with a shooting line of .415/.341/.843.

Harris, another shooting guard, also had a career year in 2016/17, averaging 8.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG with a .425/.385/.714 shooting line in 52 games (11 starts) for Brooklyn.

Kilpatrick and Harris will both be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.

Free Agent Rumors: Gay, OKC, Wolves, Hawks

June 29th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Rudy Gay will hold meetings with potential suitors in Austin, Texas this weekend, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Thunder have long been rumored to have interest in Gay, and Wojnarowski notes that Oklahoma City continues to view Gay as a potential fit on its roster.

In addition to Gay, Blake Griffin has long been considered a probable 2017 free agent target for the Thunder, and in the wake of Wednesday’s Chris Paul trade, Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link) wonders if OKC likes its chances of landing Griffin any more. The Thunder won’t have the cap space to sign Griffin outright, but could make a sign-and-trade work. Still, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes, Griffin would have to want to play in OKC, and there has been little indication of that so far.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) identifies Mike Dunleavy Jr. as a potential free agent that will be on the Timberwolves‘ radar, noting that Minnesota needs shooting and Dunleavy has played for Tom Thibodeau before. Dunleavy technically remains under contract with the Hawks, but his 2017/18 salary features only a small partial guarantee, so it’s possible he’ll be waived soon.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor views Jimmy Butler as the sort of player capable of helping the Wolves attract notable free agents to Minnesota, per Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. The club is believed to be in the market for a free agent point guard, so Butler’s influence may be put to the test very soon.
The Hawks have many players eligible for free agency this weekend, and may explore the market for outside targets, but new general manager Travis Schlenk doesn’t expect the team to rush to get anything done at 12:01am on July 1, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details.
After missing the entire 2016/17 season, free agent point guard Mo Williams is working toward a possible NBA return, agent Raymond Brothers tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that Brothers is now representing free agent forward Brandon Bass as well.

Atlantic Rumors: Carmelo, Celtics, Sixers, Ujiri

June 29th, 2017 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Phil Jackson was the driving force behind the Knicks‘ push to trade Carmelo Anthony, but just because Jackson is no longer with the franchise, that doesn’t mean Anthony is a lock to play out his contract in New York, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. With the Knicks embarking on a rebuild, Anthony doesn’t really fit into the club’s plans or its timeline, in Iannazzone’s view.

Meanwhile, Marc Berman of The New York Post hears that Jackson believed Anthony’s influence on Kristaps Porzingis was detrimental and that the veteran turned Porzingis against the Knicks’ triangle offense. Said one source: “Phil thought Carmelo was trying to sabotage him.”

While we wait to see how things play out with Anthony under new leadership in New York, let’s round up a few more Atlantic notes and rumors…

Although the Celtics are willing to move players and draft picks in a possible Paul George trade, the club wants to hang onto the “most critical pieces” of its draft pick stockpile, says Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. In other words, Boston is probably unlikely to include Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder in an offer to the Pacers.
In a pair of tweets, Derek Bodner clarifies the Sixers‘ return in Wednesday’s Shawn Long trade, reporting that Philadelphia received $100K in cash and the Rockets‘ own 2018 second-round pick. The $100K in cash was the maximum the 76ers could receive before July 1, since the team was up against its limit for the 2016/17 league year.
As of Wednesday evening, the Knicks hadn’t requested to speak to Raptors president Masai Ujiri, their reported top target to replace Phil Jackson, but if and when that happens, Ujiri will have a decision to make, writes Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star. While Toronto would likely ask for significant compensation for Ujiri, the club would be willing to let him go if he wants to join the Knicks, says Arthur.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer explains why he doesn’t think a reunion with Andre Iguodala would make sense for the Sixers.

Gordon Hayward Will Meet With Three Teams

June 29th, 2017 at 8:36am CST by Arthur Hill

JUNE 29, 8:36am: There are conflicting reports on the order of Hayward’s meetings, with some reports – including one from ESPN’s Jorge Sedano – suggesting the sit-down with the Celtics will happen last, following Monday’s session with the Jazz.

The order of the meetings likely won’t end up being all that important, however. Last summer, for instance, Kevin Durant met with the Warriors second out of six teams.

JUNE 28, 8:23pm: Hayward will meet with the Celtics on Sunday, according to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.

7:10pm: The Heat will get the first meeting with Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Hayward has scheduled a session with Miami officials for Saturday, the first day of free agency, then will meet with Utah’s delegation on Monday. The Celtics will also get a meeting, but a date hasn’t been set, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.

Those are the only three teams Hayward will be considering, Jones adds, and he would like to make a decision quickly. Hayward, who opted out of a $16.7MM deal for next season, is expected to receive max offers from all three organizations. However, the Jazz have the advantage of being able to sign him for five years, while the Heat and Celtics are limited to four.

Hayward, 27, is coming off his first All-Star appearance, averaging 21.9 points in 73 games and shooting almost 40% from 3-point range. He has spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Utah.

Tony Snell, Ron Baker Receive Qualifying Offers

June 29th, 2017 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Tony Snell and Ron Baker are the latest players to receive qualifying offers from their respective teams, having been tendered by the Bucks and Knicks, respectively, according to RealGM’s transactions log. With QOs in hand, Snell and Baker will now head into the new league year as restricted free agents.

Snell, acquired by the Bucks last fall in exchange for Michael Carter-Williams, was a reliable rotation piece in Milwaukee last season, averaging a career-high 8.5 PPG to go along with 3.1 RPG and a .406 3PT%.

A career 37.3% shooter from three-point range, Snell figures to draw plenty of attention from teams seeking three-and-D wings, with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical suggesting earlier this month than an annual salary in the neighborhood of $11-13MM may be within reach for the 25-year-old. Since he met the starter criteria, Snell’s qualifying offer will be worth $4,588,840.

As for Baker, the undrafted free agent out of Wichita State will receive a more modest $1,512,611 qualifying offer, though Ian Begley of ESPN.com indicates the 6’4″ guard may draw enough interest to force the Knicks to use some of their cap room to retain him. In his rookie season, Baker appeared in 52 games (13 starts) for New York, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.1 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest. He’ll be subject to the Arenas Rule.

Los Angeles Notes: Rivers, Jordan, Lopez, Simon

June 28th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers is denying a report that an ongoing feud between his son, Austin, and Chris Paul led to Paul’s trade to Houston today, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. In a series of tweets, Doc Rivers thanked Paul for his years of service and called his departure a “big loss” for the team. He also said there have been rumors floating around that Paul was clashing with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as well as Austin Rivers.

“We’ve heard all the stories about Blake and DJ and Austin,” Doc Rivers said (Twitter link). “I can’t comment just on Austin because it’s just not right. We’ve heard he left because of all three today (Twitter link). There is a lot of speculation on why he left. The one thing I know is he didn’t leave because of any of those three guys (Twitter link). He left because he felt like he would have a better chance to win somewhere else.” (Twitter link)

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

The Clippers may re-examine the idea of trading Jordan now that Paul is gone, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Jordan and Griffin are something of an awkward pairing with both preferring to play near the basket, and Lowe suggests that the problem will worsen without an elite point guard on the floor. L.A.’s front office took several calls about Jordan last week and may decide to move him if the organization is headed toward a rebuilding project. Jordan has a player option worth a little more than $24MM for 2018/19.
The Lakers‘ trade for Brook Lopez last week was about more than just cap relief, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Lopez, who grew up in North Hollywood, was acquired from the Nets along with the 27th pick in the draft in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and the three years and $48MM left on Timofey Mozgov‘s contract. “A lot of those emotions turned into general excitement with this opportunity to come back home and chance to lead the franchise back to success,” Lopez said today as he met the L.A. media. “I want to be out there teaching the young guys and being a guy that [coach] Luke [Walton] can rely on and do whatever he asks.”
Despite talk that the Lakers will save their big free agency moves for next summer, new GM Rob Pelinka told Medina that he wants to contend right away (Twitter link). “We don’t see next year at all as a rebuilding year,” Pelinka said. “We see next year as a Lakers year.”
Miles Simon has been added to the Lakers‘ coaching staff, the team announced on its website. The Most Outstanding Player of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, Simon has recent coaching experience with USA Basketball, capturing gold medals at several junior levels.

Bulls Will Extend Qualifying Offer To Lauvergne

June 28th, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls plan to make a qualifying offer to Joffrey Lauvergne, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.

The third-year forward/center came to Chicago from Oklahoma City in a five-player deal at the February deadline. He averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20 games with the Bulls.

The 6’11” French native was picked 55th overall in the 2013 draft and traded to the Nuggets on draft night. He spent two years there before being dealt to the Thunder. Lauvergne made a little more than $1.7MM this season.

Free Agent Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Korver, Millsap, Hill

June 28th, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy says keeping restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be the Pistons‘ priority in free agency, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The Pistons submitted a $4.96MM qualifying offer to Caldwell-Pope earlier this week, giving them the right to match any offer he receives. Van Gundy adds that the team will be searching for a third center at the veterans minimum and would like to find a veteran point guard to back up Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith (Twitter link). “Our main focus in [free agency] is guards,” Van Gundy said, “whether it’s our own guys or whatever we can spend on the MLE.”

There’s more as the free agency countdown continues:

Luxury tax issues could force Kyle Korver out of Cleveland, even though he and the team would like to extend their relationship, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers may have to part with Korver, who shot a league-best .485 from 3-point range this season, if a large offer comes from another organization. Cleveland topped the $113MM tax threshold by $15MM this year and is facing a luxury tax bill of about $24.8MM, which includes a repeater penalty for exceeding the threshold every year since LeBron James returned. The Cavs currently have 10 players under contract for 2017/18 with a total salary of $128MM. With a projected tax line of $119MM, the team is looking at $29.75MM in taxes without filling up the roster.
Six to eight teams are expected to pursue Hawks forward Paul Millsap, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Nuggets, Spurs and Rockets are teams that have expressed interest in Millsap, although Houston’s plans may be altered by the package it gave the Clippers today in exchange for Chris Paul. New Hawks GM Travis Schlenk has said the Hawks don’t expect to make a full max offer to Millsap.
Gordon Hayward is hoping the Jazz will re-sign point guard George Hill, relays Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (Twitter link). Utah is hoping for an early meeting with Hill, who averaged 16.9 points in 49 games after coming to the team in an offseason trade. Hayward remains the top priority in free agency, and the Jazz will meet with him Monday after he hears presentations from the Heat and Celtics.

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