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Free Agent Rumors: Iguodala, Noel, Roberson, Ingles

July 1st, 2017 at 9:32am CST by marksuleymanov

The Heat are one of three teams scheduled to meet with free agent Gordon Hayward, which could put several free agency plans on hold. For Miami free agent James Johnson, being patient is not a problem, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.

“I’m a patient guy,” Johnson said to Jackson at a recent golf tournament. “They can take as long as they want. My mindset is winning. I think Hayward can help us win and I’m all for it. They brought me here for a reason and I know they’re going after Hayward for a reason and I think his statistics and his numbers that he [produces], he fits in the best here.”

Johnson, 30, developed into a solid two-way player last season, averaging 12.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and shot nearly 48% from the floor. However, if Miami does lure Hayward to South Beach, retaining both Johnson and Dion Waiters would be problematic from a financial standpoint. Stretching Josh McRoberts‘ salary and several other moves would have to be made to re-sign both players. However, Johnson has reiterated he does not mind waiting to see how the Heat’s plan develop.

Here are some other free agency rumors circulating around the NBA:

The Rockets‘ meeting with two-time NBA champion and free agent Andre Iguodala is scheduled for this morning, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (via Twitter).
In a separate tweet, Haynes reports that the Knicks and Bucks have inquired on free agent swingman Ben McLemore.
Restricted free agent Nerlens Noel can speak to other teams, but appears very likely to remain in Dallas. It’s likely a matter of “how much and when” the Mavericks get a deal done with the swingman, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (via Twitter).
With Paul George headed to Oklahoma City, the Thunder are more likely to retain restricted free agent Andre Roberson, according to ESPN’s Royce Young (via Twitter).
The Nets have secured a meeting with free agent Joe Ingles, sources tell Adam Joseph of 16WingsARing (via Twitter).
We heard on Friday night that the Cavaliers have interest in Zach Randolph. That interest is mutual, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

Mutual Interest Between Jose Calderon, Cavs

July 1st, 2017 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have targeted veteran free agent Jose Calderon to be their backup point guard, reports Jason Lloyd of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Lloyd, the interest between the Cavs and Calderon is mutual.

Calderon, who will turn 36 this fall, saw his production fall off in 2016/17, as he averaged just 3.4 PPG and 2.1 APG in 41 games with the Lakers and Hawks. The Spaniard’s shooting percentages (.410 FG%, .313 3PT% also represented the worst marks since his rookie season. Still, it appears Cleveland is willing to bet on him having a bounce-back year in 2017/18.

Last season, the Cavs finished the year with Deron Williams as their backup point guard behind Kyrie Irving. Although Williams provided some solid minutes during his time with the team, he looked overmatched in the NBA Finals against the Warriors, making just two of 16 shots in that series.

Assuming the Cavs aren’t able to shed salaries, their ability to add free agents this offseason will come down to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.2MM) and the minimum salary exception. If they’re able to work out a deal with Calderon, I’d expect it to be worth the minimum.

Free Agent Rumors: Porter, Randolph, Millsap, Holiday

July 1st, 2017 at 2:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ session with Otto Porter ended without an agreement, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. Porter plans to start meeting with other teams this weekend (Twitter link). That creates a potential opening for the Nets, who appear willing to offer the max of four years and $100MM, according to a post on NetsDaily. Philadelphia may also get involved, but the Sixers seem reluctant to make long-term offers. Washington has promised to match any offer for the restricted free agent.

There’s more late-night free agency news:

Aldridge has two more tidbits to pass along. The Cavaliers are interested in Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph and plan to call him today (Twitter link). Also, Blake Griffin‘s decision to re-sign with the Clippers means the Suns will intensify their pursuit of Hawks forward Paul Millsap (Twitter link).
Jrue Holiday met with the Pelicans tonight, but no deal was reached, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The two sides are expected to get together again in the morning.
The new $201MM supermax contract that the Warriors gave to Stephen Curry doesn’t include a no-trade clause or a player option, according to Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link).
Spurs forward Jonathon Simmons has gotten calls from the Kings, Clippers and Timberwolves and is ready to start holding meetings, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).
In addition to Simmons, the Clippers plan to meet with Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari on Sunday and Jazz forward Joe Ingles this weekend, relays Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
There’s a strong chance that Celtics‘ power forward Amir Johnson will sign with the Sixers, a source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Johnson has a history with Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo, who traded for him in 2009 as GM of the Raptors.
The Kings met tonight with Andre Iguodala and Patrick Patterson, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves have put in a call to Ty Lawson as a possible backup for Jeff Teague, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The Pelicans, Thunder and Kings have also been in contact with Lawson.
The Grizzlies are the latest team to show interest in Kings guard Ben McLemore, relays Chris Mannix of The Vertical (Twitter link).
The Knicks contacted Suns power forward Alan Williams tonight, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Williams fits New York’s goal of finding players who can contribute on both ends of the floor, Begley notes.

Jefferson's Business Manager Indicted After Stealing $7MM

June 30th, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by Austin Kent

A former business manager of Richard Jefferson has been indicted of fraud, Billy Heyen of Cleveland.com writes. The manager stole $7MM from the Cavaliers veteran after forging Jefferson’s signature and illegally establishing power of attorney over his finances.

Latest On Cedi Osman, Cavs

June 30th, 2017 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman is heading to Cleveland to meet with Cavaliers staff, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Pick reports that Osman has informed his Turkish team, Anadolu Efes, that he’ll pull the trigger on his NBA opt-out worth $1MM.

Osman, a 22-year-old wing, was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but has remained in Turkey for the last two seasons. In 2016/17, he averaged a team-high 13.4 PPG in 34 Turkish League games for Anadolu Efes, chipping in 4.2 RPG and 1.6 SPG.

We heard earlier today that the Cavs have been in discussions with Osman, though it wasn’t clear the team would have the flexibility to sign him this offseason, since the Cavs will likely be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception (worth $5.192MM) and may not want to dedicate most or all of it to a 22-year-old prospect.

For what it’s worth, Pick’s report doesn’t explicitly state that the Cavs have an agreement in place with Osman. While signing with Cleveland would be Osman’s easiest path to the NBA, the Cavs could still trade his rights to another club. Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net noted earlier today (via Twitter) that the Spurs are interested in Osman, though the two teams haven’t yet discussed a possible deal.

Cavs To Make Contract Offer To Kyle Korver

June 30th, 2017 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

12:30pm: The Spurs, Lakers, and Clippers are also expected to have interest in Korver, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. We can add those potential suitors to the Pelicans and Bucks, who are noted below.

11:57am: The Cavaliers are expected to make a contract offer to Kyle Korver when free agency opens early on Saturday morning, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. While details of that offer aren’t yet known, it will likely come at 12:01 am ET on Saturday, per Vardon.

Because the Cavaliers traded for Korver during the season, they acquired the veteran’s Bird rights along with him, which will allow them to make him a contract offer without any restrictions. However, the team will have to seriously consider the tax implications of an offer to Korver. Cleveland projects to be well over the tax line already, and repeater tax penalties will be significant.

There are also several other teams believed to have interest in Korver. Vardon names the Pelicans and Bucks as two clubs likely to be among the suitors for the veteran sharpshooter, though it remains to be seen how aggressive those teams – or others – will be.

In addition to eyeing a new deal for Korver, the Cavaliers have also had discussions with Turkish forward Cedi Osman, a draft-and-stash prospect who was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft. However, with no cap room and only the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.192MM) at their disposal, the Cavs’ ability to offer a significant contract will be limited, especially if they intend to use that MLE on someone else. As Vardon notes, Carmelo Anthony remains on the club’s radar as a probable target if he’s bought out, though there’s no indication that the Knicks are leaning toward that option.

The Cavaliers continue to operate without a full-time president of basketball operations or GM in place. We heard earlier this week from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Chauncey Billups and the Cavs remained in talks after Billups issued a counter-offer to the team, but there is still no resolution. Assistant general manager Koby Altman has essentially been Cleveland’s acting GM.

Lowe’s Latest: George, Hayward, Ibaka, Gallinari

June 30th, 2017 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

A proposed scenario that would see the Celtics sign Gordon Hayward, trade for Paul George, and sign George to a contract extension isn’t realistic, writes Zach Lowe in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Lowe points out, there would be no reason for George to re-up with Boston right away in that scenario unless he could renegotiate a maximum salary, and it would be extremely difficult for the C’s to accommodate such a deal without moving Al Horford.

Knowing that if they acquire George, he could be a rental, the Celtics have thus far been unwilling to include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, or the Lakers’ 2018 first-rounder in any of their offers to Indiana, Lowe reports. Lowe’s best guess at Boston’s offer is a package that would include Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and one of the team’s other first-round picks. The C’s will be reluctant to go much higher than that, given their fear that George could leave in 2018 — Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times wrote on Thursday night that the Pacers forward is still telling friends he expects to be a Laker in 2018.

While George could just be a one-year rental, the Celtics have competition for him. According to Lowe, the Wizards would likely be willing to sign-and-trade Otto Porter and include a first-round pick. The Cavaliers would swap Kevin Love straight up, though that doesn’t interest Indiana much, per Lowe. If the Nuggets get involved again via three-way talks for George and Love, they could offer Gary Harris and a first-round pick, though NBA execs expect Harris to command upwards of $20MM annually on his next contract, which is due soon, says Lowe.

Here’s more from Lowe with the free agent period right around the corner:

Lowe views Hayward as less than a 50-50 bet to stay with the Jazz, with both the Celtics and Heat as legitimate suitors. The ESPN scribe adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if a mystery fourth team ends up getting a meeting with Hayward.
The market for Raptors big man Serge Ibaka and Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is expected to be in about the $20MM-per-year range, sources tell Lowe.
The Sixers have told player agents that they plan on signing one-year contracts in free agency this summer to preserve future cap space. They may also use some of their current cap room to sign Robert Covington to a renegotiated extension, writes Lowe.
Lowe expects the Bucks to sign Tony Snell to a deal in the range of $10-12MM annually.
Despite drafting De’Aaron Fox, the Kings may still spend on a free agent point guard as a veteran mentor, particularly if they decide they want to chase a playoff spot right away, says Lowe.
The Grizzlies are “crossing their fingers” that the market for RFA power forward JaMychal Green isn’t as competitive as expected, according to Lowe.

Free Agent Rumors: Iguodala, Porter, Bogut, Terry

June 29th, 2017 at 3:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luxury tax concerns are making the Warriors hesitant about re-signing free agent Andre Iguodala, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. As a result, Iguodala plans to accept phone calls from other organizations when free agency begins tomorrow night (Twitter link). Iguodala has spent the past four seasons in Golden State and has been a key reserve and defensive presence for the defending champs. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 76 games this season.

The Warriors have about $38MM in guaranteed salary for next season, along with roughly $60MM in cap holds for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Shaun Livingston, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. If they lose Iguodala, they will have to use exceptions of $8.4MM and $5.2MM to replace him.

There’s more free agent news this afternoon:

The Wizards will get a shot at re-signing restricted free agent Otto Porter before he talks to other teams, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Aldridge warns that Washington “better not mess around & try to negotiate,” which is a sign that Porter won’t accept anything less than a max deal.
Andrew Bogut is close to full health and ready to test the free agent market, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Bogut had a disastrous debut with the Cavaliers in early March, fracturing his left tibia less than a minute into his first game. He was recently cleared for running and jumping and expects medical approval for full basketball activities in about two weeks. His agent, David Bauman, has been sending out health updates to NBA teams while Bogut rehabs in Australia. The Cavaliers could use Bogut to fill their backup center role, but luxury tax concerns may prevent them from re-signing him.
Jason Terry isn’t contemplating retirement at age 39 and would like to spend another season with the Bucks, relays Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox. Terry averaged about 18 minutes per game for Milwaukee this year, putting up 4.1 points and 1.3 assists. He also shot 43% from 3-point range. “I definitely think there’s a market for him and that there’ll be some teams looking for his services,’’ said his agent, Ryan Davis. “But I can see him going back to the Bucks. He and [Bucks coach] Jason Kidd have a good relationship and he wants to keep helping the Bucks turn their culture around.’’

Cavs Like Beverley, But Unlikely To Pry Him From Clippers

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

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.

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.