The Pelicans are viewed as the most likely of Kyle Lowry‘s prospective suitors to guarantee a third year in their offer to the veteran point guard, sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. However, it’s the Heat that are considered the current frontrunners to land Lowry.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms as much in his latest report, suggesting that the Heat are ready and willing to attach assets to Goran Dragic to entice the Raptors to accept a sign-and-trade offer, with Precious Achiuwa and draft picks among the pieces that could be in play. According to Wojnarowski, the Pelicans and Mavericks – rumored to be two of Lowry’s most aggressive suitors – are beginning to consider other options as they look for a starting point guard.
Here are a few more updates on free agents, with the start of the 2021 free agent period less than 24 hours away:
- Lakers free agent guard Alex Caruso is expected to meet with several teams when free agency begins on Monday, a source tells Jovan Buha of The Athletic. There’s an expectation that Caruso will have multiple options in the range of the full mid-level exception (approximately $9.5MM).
- Caruso was viewed as one of the Cavaliers‘ top targets when they were expecting to use their mid-level exception on a point guard, but now the team is focused on adding a wing or two with that MLE, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Fedor names Doug McDermott, Alec Burks, Reggie Bullock, Kent Bazemore, Denzel Valentine, Garrett Temple, Torrey Craig, Furkan Korkmaz, and Bryn Forbes as viable options for the Cavs.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca hears from league sources that Raptors RFA wing Gary Trent Jr. may be looking for a contract in the range of $50MM+ over three years.
- Anthony Slater of The Athletic confirms there’s mutual interest between Nicolas Batum and the Warriors and that the two sides will likely be in touch early in the free agency process. An earlier Sunday report identified Golden State as a probable Batum suitor.
- The Pelicans are viewed as a possible landing spot for free agent guard Avery Bradley, whom the Rockets are hoping to sign-and-trade, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.
2 of 4 Lakers free agents are likely walk for nothing
Caruso
Tucker
Schroeder
Matthews
Not SNT
Schroeder will and we will get the door for him
Wes is nothing
Not sure on other 2
If there’s a S&T it will be THT not Dennis but still find it unlikely
Well why would they need Dennis when they got Russ. No way they can pay Dennis what he wants now . I can see one or two resign I’m hoping one tht
Warriors are planning to use $6m MLE
Batum and Warriors will be in touch
How else would they sign any free agents for more than the minimum?
Ah, there he is! Have to say tho, getting a little lazy with the creativity of your names. I would’ve gone with “PorterGreenWood”.
I have a funny feeling Knicks will get Alex in the end
LA can’t afford to lose any of their top free agents namely Schroder, Caruso, and THT. And they can’t pay Drummond more than the MLE. Even if they don’t re-sign Schroder, the Lakers need to get something for him in a S&T.
As RFA Lakers can’T match larger deals … THT is gone if they don’t release cap asap
You are right
Lakers are not allowed to use $9.5m MLE to sign Drummond bc of hard cap rules
Sure they can Wally –
They are getting nothing for Dennis and thats fine – Genie isnt going Lacob w the books crazy and theres no surplus value newayz in Dennis S&T ……If you were lucky youd need to find a
A-cap needy team
B-needing PG, and targeting Dennis specifically?
C-that wanted to shed a shooter
D- in that same pay range
You know any teams like that??? NO
That money would just be used for Tht/Caruso
Lakers will get thier boons via vet mins and T-MLE – Expect Dwight and Melo to be a Laker by dinner tomorrow night w many more to come
Drummond? Who’s that? Forgotten already . This isn’t a video game around here, foddler gets thrown away like trash and we do not look backwards in the Laker org
They will have the worst bench in the entire NBA next season and if/when LeBron, Davis, and/or Westbrook miss extensive time next season the team will struggle to finish any higher in the standings than they did a few months ago. So maybe 47-35 if they’re lucky?
lmao dwight and melo are washed. lakers are doomed if thats the bench pieces they have adding to a washed lebron/westbrick and glass AD
Exactly, so we shouldn’t have to hear anybody complaining about LBJ building a super team. Cuz a washed superteam would be an oxymoron and well you know, doesn’t make any sense…
Oh we will buddy ! We will be a LBJ built Super awful old team that cant shoot in hoops rumors come Oct 1st
We will also be the favorites in Vegas Oct 1 as well for what that’s worth to the same folks !
Ill check in Oct 1 w ya Wally
You do understand how the “favorites in Vegas” are determined, right? They are solely based on how the fans bet their money, that’s it. Since a lot of fans out there who want to throw their money away are going to bet on the Lakers to win another championship next season, of course they will be favored. It has nothing to do with what those who set the lines think will happen when the season begins.
Conversely, since the overwhelming majority of fans out there think the Rockets will be terrible next season the odds for them will be set very low. So low in fact that they will shatter expectations due to the strong possibility that Houston will be the most improved team in the NBA next season with the Rookie of the Year, Jalen Green.
The Lakers might as well add Oladipo while they’re at it.
Says the guy who was Named after Him.
Too funny lol.
Dr- Yea Dwight looked totally washed giving Joker problems in the bubble-
Melo’s a terrible fit off the bn as a b/u 4 for a team that needs catch and shooters . Especially when you factor in he wants the whole vet min and only shot 41% from 3 last year
Can’t afford to lose them? But not sure they can afford to keep them either. Their tax bill is about to GSW level.
S&T for Schroeder is ideal … but who are his suitors?
And ThT @ okc
I’d renounce the right for most FREEs next 19 hours
It seems that Heat will offer Lowry 3 year $75 million too.
3 way deal upcoming
Mavs get Dragic
Heat get Lowry
Raptors get Bronson, Herro and Powell
Salary filler
If the Mavs get Dragic they can tell Doncic: We did for you, now sign with us.
Actually, it’s hard to picture them working together well, but they would be motivated.
Would be wise of Heat to lose Herro.
The deal is Lowry for Dragic / Achuwa and the cake is already baked. Will everyone please stop entitling themselves to Tyler Herro.. a guy the Heat said no to giving up for Westbrook, Harden, and Lowry already?
Rockets do a sign and trade for more draft capital. Stone loves those deals unless they add a veteran Forward or center who can play average or 10-12 minutes. With what they drafted and with Wood still around, it would be hard to sign and trade for league ready players right now. That have a stock pile of guards and forwards right now. Between what they drafted, Tate Jr, Wood, and others, minutes would be scarce for somebody. Guards are just as much of a log jam with Wall, KPJ, Green, Gordon, and others. Center is probably one area the Rockets don’t have a huge log jam. Wood is probably going to be the regular center with back up being…. Who?
They drafted Alperen Şengün at #16 to backup Wood at center.
They could also re-sign Kelly Olynyk to start at PF and backup at center.
What part of Olynyk would have to want to play for a rebuilding Houston team that will never win a ring, do you not understand?
If they pay him, why not? He had the best stretch of his career after he got traded to Houston. If he wants to win, he could take a vet min and go to any contender. $ and playing time matter to people.
Rockets drafted 2 forwards in the draft (one through trade) and 2 guards in the first round. I think Rockets are required to hold all 4 on the main roster since they are first round picks. Neither can go to the G-League or whatever. Only one of those forwards could potentially play center when I was looking at their scouting reports and stats. Rockets really don’t have a clear cut center. I hope for Mobley but he wasn’t willing to meet up with the Rockets. It is what it is.
Alperen Şengün (6-10, 243) plays center, not just potentially.
Both he and Christian Wood (6-10, 215) can play center in the modern NBA. The days of 7-foot, 270 pound centers is long over.
Mobley didn’t meet with the Rockets because he knew they were going to take Jalen Green. Daniel Theis (6-8, 245) can also play center, so they have 3 players very capable of playing the position.
It’s not like when they had PJ Tucker (6-5, 245) playing center two years ago. Even Usman Garuba (6-8, 229) can play center if needed.
I saw a list of the top FA’s that included Melo and Oladipo. What a weak group.
Not a great list for the Cavs at an MLE level. I gotta like Alec Burks for flexibility. Can he expect that much as a probable nonstarter? Fedor did Not imply that for that list. It would not bother me though.
McDermott, McConnell & Caruso might go over MLE.
The best expense would be somehow moving Love.
For Cavs, also in general, from Bas.Ref:
Good for full MLE: Dunc.Robinson, Alec Burks
More: Jar.Allen
Good under MLE: Gar.Temple, Bru.Brown, Kyle Guy, Tor.Craig, Darius Miller, I.Hartenstein, Dav.Nwaba, Ed Kaminski, Mo Wagner, Khem Birch, Svi.Myk., Josh Hart, and about 20 more listed under non-guaranteed contracts, which, IDK the rules for. (Plus good ones I have not seen! lol)
Burks just made 6 mill. Had a good yr as combo guard. Was very reliable and played both ways. I think a contender would be wise to sign him. I’m sure he’d take 5-7 mill as long as it was 3 yrs. Or an escalating contract 21 mill 3yrs. With Grimes as our pick. Knicks are not expecting Burkes to come back. He was solid for us last yr. Wish him the best. Like I said, a contender would be wise to sign him.
Avery Bradley, Nwaba, Burks, Forbes, or Josh Hart for Cavs. I’d be willing to start one so that Sexton can be the 6th man.
Avery Bradley isn’t starting for any NBA team. Not even Cleveland.