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Month: November 2024

Trail Blazers Sign Anthony Morrow

September 18th, 2017 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 18: The Blazers have issued a press release formally announcing their deal with Morrow.

SEPTEMBER 15: The Trail Blazers have reached an agreement to sign free agent shooting guard Anthony Morrow, agent Wallace Prather tells Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). According to Charania, Morrow will receive a one-year, non-guaranteed deal from Portland.

Morrow, who will celebrate his 32nd birthday later this month, began the 2016/17 campaign with the Thunder, but finished the season with the Bulls after being included in the trade that sent Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson to Oklahoma City. In 49 total games, the Georgia Tech alum averaged a very modest 5.5 PPG with a disappointing .389/.308/.919 shooting line.

While Morrow wasn’t particularly effective last season, with his FG% and 3PT% both representing career lows, he has historically been a much better shooter — he entered last season having made 42.5% of his career three-point attempts. In 2012/13, Morrow had a similarly subpar showing as he split time between the Hawks and Mavericks, but he played well for the Pelicans the following season, so there’s a precedent for him bouncing back from a down year.

Still, Morrow won’t be a lock to make Portland’s roster out of training camp. The Blazers have 14 players on guaranteed contracts and are into luxury-tax territory, meaning the team may not want to carry a 15th player to start the season. Even if the Blazers do open the year with 15 players, Morrow could face competition for that final spot from younger guards like Archie Goodwin and Isaiah Briscoe, though he’d probably enter camp as the favorite.

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Heat Notes: Winslow, Sullinger, Williams

September 18th, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been an eventful few days for the Heat, who saw point guard Goran Dragic lead Slovenia to its first EuroBasket championship with an impressive 35-point performance in the final game of the tournament, earning MVP honors. Dragic’s 35 points in the championship game were the highest EuroBasket Final output since Pau Gasol poured in 36 back in 2003.

Meanwhile, the Heat also officially announced its contract extension with Josh Richardson today. According to reports, Richardson’s new deal will lock him up through the 2020/21 season, with a player option for 2021/22. Miami also added undrafted rookie Erik McCree to its roster for training camp.

Here’s more from out of South Beach:

  • Justise Winslow has been “off the board with his commitment this summer,” a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, suggesting the third-year forward is working hard to develop his jump shot and his all-around game. As Jackson notes, the Heat are expected to exercise Winslow’s 2018/19 team option in the coming weeks. Winslow will compete with Richardson and Rodney McGruder for the starting job at small forward, Jackson adds.
  • According to Jackson, Heat president Pat Riley was “intrigued” by Jared Sullinger, who visited the team earlier this summer. However, Sullinger wasn’t in shape at the time, and Miami didn’t make him an offer. The big man has since signed with a team in China.
  • Jackson also notes that the Heat still have one of their two-way slots open, suggesting that camp invitee Matt Williams is a candidate for that spot since his contract can be converted into a two-way deal.
  • In an Ask Ira feature, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if all the incentive bonuses on new contracts for players like Dion Waiters and Kelly Olynyk may put head coach Erik Spoelstra in a difficult spot this season.
  • If you haven’t weighed in already, be sure to vote on the Heat’s win total for 2017/18. Polling will close on Tuesday morning.
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Heat Sign Erik McCree

September 18th, 2017 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have moved one step closer to filling up their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Erik McCree to a contract. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a short-term deal that’s mostly – or fully – non-guaranteed.

After starting his college career at Murray State, McCree transferred to Louisiana Tech and has spent the last three years at the school. The 6’8″ forward averaged 17.7 PPG and 8.9 RPG in his senior year, with a respectable shooting line of .476/.362/.770. He went undrafted in June.

With the addition of McCree to their roster, the Heat now have 19 players under contract, including 13 on guaranteed salaries. Rodney McGruder and Okaro White – who don’t yet have fully guaranteed contracts – have the inside track on the team’s final two regular season roster spots, so McCree looks like a good bet to land with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League team, as an affiliate player.

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Magic Hire Randy Wittman As Coaching Consultant

September 18th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 18: The Magic have confirmed the changes to their coaching staff noted below, announcing today in a press release that Wittman has joined the club as a coaching consultant, while Hernandez and Hill are now assistant coaches.

SEPTEMBER 3: Former Wizards head coach Randy Wittman is completing a deal to become a coaching consultant in Orlando, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. He will report directly to head coach Frank Vogel in the new position.

The Magic have an opening on their staff with the departure of David Adelman to Denver. Wojnarowski adds that current Orlando assistants Jay Hernandez and Matt Hill will both be promoted (Twitter link).

Wittman compiled a 178-199 record in four and a half seasons as head coach in Washington. He led the team to two playoff appearances and two second-round exits before being fired in 2016. Wittman has also served as head coach of the Cavaliers and Timberwolves and spent a year as an assistant in Orlando in 2005/06.

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Central Notes: Galloway, Pistons, Thomas, Nwaba

September 18th, 2017 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Having received a three-year, $21MM deal, Langston Galloway was the Pistons‘ biggest free agent investment of the offseason, and even he admits that he was surprised how quickly he reached an agreement with the team, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

“I really thought it was going to take a while. I thought I was going to be on the board for a long time,” Galloway said. “My agent was pretty optimistic. We knew there were a few teams talking about me, but nobody really said, ‘We’re going to take a chance on you and go with you.’ But, hey, once 12 o’clock hit and I got an unexpected call from [Pistons president of basketball operations] Stan [Van Gundy], that was amazing.”

As Langlois details, Galloway is comfortable playing at both the one and two, and his ability to handle the point allowed the Pistons to avoid having to go out and sign a third pure point guard behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith.

Here’s more from around the Central:

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Wolves, Wiggins Expected To Finalize Extension Soon

September 18th, 2017 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and fourth-year forward Andrew Wiggins are expected to finalize a five-year, maximum salary contract extension in the coming days, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Having spoken to team owner Glen Taylor, Wolfson suggests that the two sides are likely to get the deal done before Minnesota’s first practice on Saturday.

We heard nearly a month ago that Wiggins had decided to part ways with agent Bill Duffy shortly after Duffy had negotiated a potential five-year extension for his client. The deal between Wiggins and the Wolves wasn’t expected to get done until the 22-year-old sorted out new representation, at which point the club’s offer figures to remain on the table. While the exact value of that offer won’t be known until the 2018/19 salary cap is finalized, a maximum deal currently projects to be worth about $148MM, based on the most recent cap estimates.

That would be a significant investment in Wiggins, who has developed into one of the NBA’s most dangerous scorers, but struggled on the defensive side of the ball last season, and doesn’t contribute much in other statistical categories. Wiggins increased his three-point percentage to 35.6% in 2016/17, which was easily a career high, but averaged a modest 4.0 RPG and 2.3 APG.

Taylor has reportedly indicated that he wants to meet with the former No. 1 pick face-to-face before locking in his new deal in order to receive assurances that Wiggins is committed both to the franchise and to improving his all-around game.

Assuming Wiggins and the Wolves finalize an agreement, the next major investment on tap for the franchise would likely come a year from now, when Karl-Anthony Towns will become extension-eligible for the first time.

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Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

September 18th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With NBA training camps around the corner, teams are finalizing their preseason rosters, and Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players signed new contracts this offseason. To that end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, years, salary, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect reported agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either — deals marked with a † symbol are primarily non-guaranteed.
  • A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
  • Click on a player’s name for our full report on his deal.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the desktop site. You can find it on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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Glen Davis Considers Playing In G League

September 18th, 2017 at 1:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Glen Davis may be headed to the G League as the next step in what he hopes will be an NBA comeback, relays Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

An eight-year veteran and a valuable reserve on the Celtics’ 2008 championship team, Davis hasn’t played in the NBA since the Clippers chose not to re-sign him after the 2014/15 season. At age 31, he still believes he has a place in the league.

“I want to play. That’s my next step,” Davis said. “Whatever I have to do to show I can play the game at a high level still and help a team win, I will do. I know it’s going to be a process because I haven’t played in two years. But I feel like I’m at the prime in my game and I still have a lot to offer. I am considering the G League. It’s a great opportunity to show all 30 teams that I can play without getting hurt. They can see what I can still do. This is the best opportunity to make my steps back to the NBA.”

Davis’ NBA resume includes 514 games with the Celtics, Magic and Clippers, averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds over his career. He also has a long injury history that began in 2013 with Jones fracture surgery on his left foot. He had ligament surgery on his left ankle two years later, then broke the ankle in a 2015 playoff series.

Davis expected to recover within two to three months and said he was contacted by both the Clippers and Mavericks, but no offers materialized.

He claims to be “100 percent” recovered from the physical problems and can go through workouts without pain. Davis has dropped 20 pounds and lists his playing weight at 295. He also says he has improved his 3-point shot and is ready to be a stretch forward. He wants to prove he can contribute to an NBA team, even if he has to go to the G League first.

“I want to play. That’s my next step,” Davis said. “Whatever I go out there to do to show I can play the game at a high level still and help a team win, I will do. I know it’s going to be a process because I haven’t played in two years. But I feel like I’m at the prime in my game and I still have a lot to offer.”

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Heat Sign Josh Richardson To Four-Year Extension

September 18th, 2017 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 18, 1:23pm: The signing is official, the team announced on its website.

SEPTEMBER 13, 5pm: The Heat are finalizing a four-year contract extension with Josh Richardson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that the deal will be worth $42MM. While Richardson was a second-round pick in 2015 and wasn’t eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, the league’s new CBA made him eligible for a veteran extension until opening night.JoshRichardson vertical

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Richardson’s agents met with Heat president Pat Riley about two weeks ago and the team expressed a willingness to give Richardson the maximum offer. Under the terms of the CBA, that max amount would mean a starting salary of 120% of the estimated annual salary.

Richardson’s new deal will go into effect for the 2018/19 season and would run through 2022 if he plays out the entire contract. However, the final year of the extension, for the 2021/22 campaign, is a player option, according to Jackson, who provides a year-by-year breakdown of the pact (Twitter links).

Richardson’s cap for 2017/18 won’t be impacted by the new deal — he remains on track to earn the minimum $1,471,382 this season. However, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks (ESPN Now link) details, the Heat now project to sit roughly $5.5MM below the tax with $117.5MM on the books for 2018/19. That figure could increase to approximately $119.6MM if Dion Waiters and Kelly Olynyk hit games-played bonuses in their respective contracts, according to Marks.

Richardson broke out as a rookie, evidenced by his 46.1% mark from behind the arc. He slumped as a sophomore though, in part because of ankle injuries. In 105 career games with the franchise to date, the shooting guard has scored 8.4 points per game and nearly averaged a steal per contest.

Sources tell Jackson that Richardson will be given the opportunity to compete with Justise Winslow and Rodney McGruder for the Heat’s starting small forward job this fall.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Celtics Notes: Irving, Ainge, Pierce, Morris

September 18th, 2017 at 1:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyrie Irving addressed the circumstances surrounding his desire to leave Cleveland during an appearance this morning on ESPN’s First Take (Twitter link). The All-Star point guard dismissed the idea that his trade demand was motivated by a desire to get away from LeBron James, according to a post from Chris Forsberg on ESPN Now. But Irving also told the hosts he didn’t inform James before making the request and doesn’t care if the Cavaliers star took it as a personal insult. “Why would I have to?” Irving responded to a question over whether he talked to James before meeting with owner Dan Gilbert.

Irving also discussed the loss of a potential “supermax” designated veteran extension by changing teams, saying “You can’t put a price on happiness,” relays ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter link). He responded to a question on whether he can win a title without James, first by saying “time will tell,” then “absolutely.”

There’s more today out of Boston:

  • President of basketball operations Danny Ainge may regret not trying harder to get Jimmy Butler from the Bulls when he was available, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com in his season preview of the Celtics. He states that Ainge could have easily topped Minnesota’s offer and that Butler would have provided a greater upgrade than switching Isaiah Thomas for Irving. Powell speculates that Ainge was reluctant to give Thomas a max extension next summer considering his hip problems and his age.
  • Paul Pierce, who signed a one-day deal with the Celtics in July so he could retire in Boston, is sharing his knowledge with the organization’s younger players, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. He has taken a particular interest in Jayson Tatum, the Celtics’ first-rounder, who has a skill set similar to Pierce’s. “I feel I can help out this young generation and impact that way,” said Pierce, who has landed a job as an ESPN analyst. “I can still talk about the game. I enjoy talking about the game, being around it; traveling to see games. It’s always going to be in my blood. It’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. So, it’s gonna be hard to completely pull me away from the game.”
  • Opening arguments were set to begin today in the felony assault trial for Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris, according to The Associated Press. The trial regarding a 2015 beating incident is expected to last 10 days and will conflict with the start of training camp. The Celtics acquired Marcus Morris from this Pistons this summer in a deal to free up cap room to sign Gordon Hayward.
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