Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers, Nuggets, Hawks Discuss Gallinari Sign-And-Trade

July 4th, 2017 at 12:25am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 4, 12:25am: The Nuggets are expected to receive some form of draft compensation in the proposed deal – assuming it gets done – for their willingness to facilitate a sign-and-trade of Gallinari, Wojnarowski says in his full ESPN report. It would likely come in the form of a second-round pick from the Hawks, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who tweets that Atlanta would receive cash in the deal.

JUNE 3, 11:40pm: Crawford has “no plans” to play in Atlanta if this three-way trade gets finalized, so a buyout or another trade of Crawford is considered necessary for the Hawks if they acquire him, tweets Amick.

11:27pm: The proposed sign-and-trade would send Gallinari to the Clippers and Millsap to the Nuggets, with Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, and a first-round pick heading to the Hawks, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The first-rounder would likely be the pick L.A. acquired from Houston in last week’s Paul trade, tweets Wojnarowski.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests (via Twitter) that Crawford may want a buyout if he ends up in Atlanta, though with $14MM+ on his cap hit for 2017/18 and a partial guarantee on his deal for the following year, that could be tricky.

11:16pm: Free agent forward Danilo Gallinari is leaning “strongly” toward committing to sign with the Clippers, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). If Gallinari reaches a deal with L.A., it’s expected to be a three-year pact worth $65MM, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), the Nuggets and Hawks would both be involved in the agreement if Gallinari and the Clippers strike a deal, with the former No. 6 overall pick heading to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade scenario. The involved parties are still working through the details, but Atlanta would land a first-round pick in the proposed deal, tweets Amick.

The Clippers don’t currently have the cap flexibility to accommodate a market-value Gallinari signing without a sign-and-trade, but the Nuggets won’t be eager to take much – if any – salary back in a sign-and-trade, since they’ve earmarked most of their cap space for Paul Millsap. As such, it makes sense for a team with cap room like the Hawks to enter the mix — they could absorb some outgoing salary from the Clippers, getting a draft pick in the process as a sweetener. And, with Denver involved, they could also include Millsap in the deal.

We’ll wait to see whether the three teams – and Gallinari’s camp – can all come to an agreement, but if the Clippers finalize a deal, they’d be hard-capped for the 2017/18 season at $125.266MM, and would still have their mid-level exception available. Los Angeles shook up its roster last week by trading Chris Paul to the Rockets, but picked up a few interesting pieces in that trade, such as Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Sam Dekker. The Clips also agreed to re-sign Blake Griffin over the weekend, so there’s still a decent amount of talent on the roster.

Gallinari, who turns 29 next month, has had some trouble staying on the court in recent years, appearing in just 175 total games over the last four seasons. However, he has been a versatile and effective scorer when he plays, averaging 18.2 PPG with a shooting line of .447/.389/.902 in 2016/17.

The Clippers reportedly met with both Gallinari and Rudy Gay over the weekend as the team aggressively sought out a small forward.

Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Hill, Rockets, Hayward

July 3rd, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant would have give the Warriors an even bigger discount to help them land Kings free agent Rudy Gay if Andre Iguodala had not agreed to re-sign, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets. Durant agreed to a two-year, $53MM contract on Monday with a starting salary of $25MM. Iguodala agreed to a three-year, $48MM contract to remain with Golden State. Amick’s tweet gives insight into the type of money it will take to land Gay despite the Achilles tear he suffered last season.

In other free agent developments:

The Nuggets are still pursuing free agent point guard George Hill and trying to clear cap to make that happen, Amick tweets. Denver already made a big splash by reaching an agreement with power forward Paul Millsap on a three-year, $90MM contract. The Lakers are in serious discussions with Hill on a one-year deal but Los Angeles is also considering another free agent point guard, Rajon Rondo, according to Amick (Twitter link).
Rockets GM Daryl Morey plans to hold onto his remaining non-guaranteed contracts and $3.3MM bi-annual exception, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Morey might add a player on a minimum contract, Feigen adds.
The Jazz’s meeting with Gordon Hayward on Monday lasted 3 1/2 hours and included newly-acquired point guard Ricky Rubio, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Hayward held meetings with the Heat and Celtics the previous two days and is expected to make a decision within the next two days.

Free Agent Rumors: Hayward, Knicks, Rose

July 3rd, 2017 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

While there have been indications that Gordon Hayward will make a decision on his new team Tuesday or Wednesday, a source close to the player tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that Hayward may actually inform teams of his decision as early as tonight. Hayward met with the Heat on Saturday and the Celtics on Sunday, so all that’s left on his schedule is a Monday sit-down with the Jazz. While there was speculation earlier in the process that another team might enter the picture for Hayward, it appears he’ll decide between his three long-reported suitors.

Here’s more on free agency from around the NBA:

A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks have told some agents their free agent plans are being held up to some extent, as they weigh their decision on whether to trade Carmelo Anthony. A report late on Monday night indicated Anthony is open to waiving his no-trade clause to join the Cavaliers or Rockets.
The Knicks have considered the possibility of seeking a sign-and-trade deal involving Derrick Rose in order to get something back for him, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Sign-and-trades are pretty rare, but can make sense when a player wants to join an over-the cap team — the Bucks, with whom Rose is meeting today, currently fit that bill.
The Nuggets‘ pitch to Paul Millsap included an appearance from Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, according to Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post, who says Marshall praised the city and told Millsap what it’s like to win in Denver. While it’s not clear if Marshall’s argument was a deciding factor, Millsap did commit to the Nuggets on Sunday night.
The Timberwolves‘ approach to free agency this summer has shown that the organization is transforming into a Tom Thibodeau-style team, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explains. Having agreed to sign Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson, the Wolves still have their room exception available as they scour the market for shooting help.

Nuggets Still Eyeing George Hill?

July 3rd, 2017 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets made their first big splash of the offseason on Sunday night, reaching an agreement on a $90MM deal with Paul Millsap. However, the team may not be done going after top free agents quite yet. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (via Twitter), a source says to expect the Nuggets to continue their pursuit of George Hill if they can move some salary.

As O’Connor suggests, the Nuggets don’t currently have the cap flexibility to make a competitive offer for Hill, with nearly $30MM of their 2017/18 cap now earmarked for Millsap. However, Denver has trade options. With Millsap, Nikola Jokic, Juan Hernangomez, and RFA Mason Plumlee looking like the team’s core pieces at the four and five, that leaves several of the other team’s highest-paid players in flux.

O’Connor identifies both Kenneth Faried ($12.92MM) and Darrell Arthur ($7.46MM) as potential trade chips if Denver looks to dump salary. I’d imagine Wilson Chandler ($12.02MM) could also be had in the right deal, though the Nuggets would likely prefer to keep him around, since he has the ability to play the three as well as the four. Trey Lyles ($2.44MM) is also in the frontcourt picture for the club, though moving him wouldn’t create much additional cap room.

The Nuggets were linked to multiple veteran point guards earlier in free agency, with Hill named among their potential targets. Denver reportedly reached out to the Jazz point guard during the first hour of free agency on Saturday morning, and a report later on Saturday suggested the Nuggets and Pacers were among the teams that had gone a little down the road with Hill.

If the Nuggets are able to move salary and get something done for Hill, it all but eliminates a reunion with Danilo Gallinari as a possibility for the club. Given Denver’s frontcourt depth after landing Millsap, I imagine the team isn’t pushing too hard at this point to get a new deal done with Gallinari anyway.

Clippers Considering Sign-And-Trade Offer For Gallinari

July 2nd, 2017 at 2:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are looking for a team with cap space that would be willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets involving Danilo Gallinari, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

Gallinari met with L.A.’s contingent Saturday night and hasn’t announced a decision yet on where he plans to sign. However, Amick states that the Clippers want to be ready with a trade offer for Denver in case he does opt to come to Los Angeles.

Nine teams expressed interest in meeting with Gallinari when free agency began, but it’s not certain how many face-to-face sessions he intends to have before making a final decision.

The Kings, who were among those teams, have apparently elected not to pursue Gallinari any more, Amick adds (Twitter link). A return to Denver remains in play for the 28-year-old forward.

The Celtics haven’t held a formal meeting with Gallinari, but they have made contact and consider him a backup plan in case Gordon Hayward signs elsewhere, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).

Gallinari appeared in 63 games this year, the most since missing the entire 2013/14 season after surgery on his left ACL. He averaged 18.2 points per night and shot .389 from 3-point range, his best performance in that category since coming to Denver in 2011.

Free Agent Notes: Waiters, Gallinari, Holiday

July 2nd, 2017 at 12:51pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Knicks, Bulls, and Kings all reportedly expressing interest in unrestricted free agent Dion Waiters, Heat president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra are headed out west to Los Angeles to meet with the guard, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. The duo want to convey to Waiters that the team is still very interested in retaining his services, even though it is in no position to make a large lucrative offer until Gordon Hayward decides among offers from Miami, the Celtics, and the Jazz, Jackson notes.

On the second day of free agency, here’s the latest news and notes from around the league:

Last summer’s free agent spending frenzy has taken its toll on this year’s crop of players on the open market, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (on Twitter). There are still approximately 100 players who are unsigned and cap space is quickly drying up around the league, the scribe adds.
The Clippers are set to meet with unrestricted free agent Danilo Gallinari this evening in Los Angeles, TNT’s David Aldridge reports (via Twitter). The Nuggets also remain a potential landing spot for the forward, though, Denver is currently “all in” on signing Paul Millsap, Aldridge adds.
The Knicks are among several teams that have contacted unrestricted free agent Justin Holiday and New York has strong interest in re-signing the guard, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). It was reported earlier today that the Bulls have a contract offer on the table for Holiday, so the Knicks will certainly have some competition for his services.
There is mutual interest between unrestricted free agent point guard Shelvin Mack and the Knicks, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake City Tribune relays (via Twitter). In 55 appearances for the Jazz last season, Mack averaged 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per outing. His slash line on the campaign was .446/.308/.688.
The Thunder appear to be committed to re-signing Andre Roberson, per a tweet from ESPN’s Royce Young. The scribe notes that it’s a “virtual lock” that Roberson will return to OKC in 2017/18.

Free Agent Rumors: Ibaka, Bogdanovic, Knicks

July 2nd, 2017 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Addressing NBA-wide speculation that he’s older than his listed age of 27, Raptors free agent big man Serge Ibaka issued a statement expressing disappointment with the media for “prejudices” based on his origin. Within his written statement, Ibaka suggested that he needs to take a stand against the “false assumption” that has been circulating.

“I was born in the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville,” Ibaka wrote. “A city with a population bigger than 1 million. A city with hospitals, a civil registry, and an administration. I was born in a caring, loving and united family. I was not born in the jungle.”

Here’s more on free agency:

In addition to the Hawks, the Kings and Nuggets are among the teams showing legitimate interest in Wizards RFA sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Bogdanovic landing in Sacramento would be a fun scenario for play-by-play commentators, since the Kings have already reached a deal with Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Multiple agents who have been in touch with the Knicks get the impression that the team wants to add younger players and is reluctant to spend big money on a single free agent, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That could mean that New York’s reported interest in George Hill has waned.
As they explore the free agent market, the Pacers intend to target young players with upside who may not have reached their full potential with their previous teams, says Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis fit that bill, according to Taylor, who hears from a source that Pacers president Kevin Pritchard has “coveted Oladipo for years.”
Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald lays out why the Celtics badly need to land Gordon Hayward this week. As Bulpett explains, Boston’s cap room will no longer be available next summer when new deals are due for Isaiah Thomas and perhaps Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley as well, meaning 2017 is likely the team’s last and best chance to land a top-tier free agent.

Latest On Paul George

July 1st, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a near-unanimous view around the league that Paul George will sign with the Lakers next summer despite Friday’s trade to the Thunder, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Lowe states that the chances of George heading to L.A. are about 75%, and the Celtics and Cavaliers had that in mind as they were working to obtain him.

The Lakers also subscribe to that view, which is why they weren’t willing to part with Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball to get George from the Pacers now. Lowe adds that Indiana didn’t have any interest in former Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, who was subsequently dealt to the Nets.

The ESPN writer shares more information about Friday’s major deal:

The Celtics wanted to see if they could land Gordon Hayward in free agency before completing a trade for George. They were reluctant to deal two starters in exchange for George without knowing whether they were getting Hayward.
Boston’s last offer for George didn’t include Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, the 2018 Nets pick or the Lakers/Kings pick that Boston received from Philadelphia. There were reports that the Celtics offered Indiana three picks at some point, but Lowe believes those were a combination of Boston’s future selections and protected 2019 first-rounders from the Grizzlies and Clippers. All of those draft choices could have fallen into the 20s, Lowe notes, and the Pacers wanted something more likely to be in the top 10.
A three-way trade involving the Pacers, Cavaliers and Nuggets was discussed on Friday. The deal would have sent George to Cleveland, Kevin Love to Denver and Gary Harris, Trey Lyles and a protected first-rounder to Indiana. Lowe describes the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Celtics as “stunned” when news broke that George was headed to Oklahoma City.
The Trail Blazers tried to get George on draft night, offering a package that included several picks and at least one player, but the Pacers turned it down.

Suns No Longer Pursuing Millsap; Nuggets May Be Favorites

July 1st, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will no longer pursue Hawks power forward Paul Millsap, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

Phoenix has opted to use its available cap to take on salary dumps paired with assets, Wojnarowski adds. The Suns are committing to a youth movement are open to dealing any of the veterans on their roster.

The Nuggets, who have a meeting tonight with Millsap, may now be the favorites to sign him, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The Timberwolves, who reportedly met or will meet with Millsap, may have also pulled out of the running, Aldridge suggests.

Gary Harris will be joining team president Josh Kroenke, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and coach Michael Malone in their appeal to Millsap, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Denver is still open to re-signing Danilo Gallinari if its pursuit of Millsap doesn’t work out, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

The Kings are another possibility, although Amick says they remain a long shot, at least for now (Twitter link).

Knicks Reach Out To Rondo, Collison

July 1st, 2017 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks’ search for a veteran point guard to pair with rookie Frank Ntilikina continues, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has reached out to Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison.

New York has been linked to a number of free agent point guards since free agency opened and in the weeks leading up to July. Many of the team’s rumored trade of free agent targets – such as Jeff Teague, Ricky Rubio, and Jrue Holiday – are already off the board, but the Knicks appear to have no shortage of candidates for their point guard spot.

The Knicks are said to be considering a reunion with Derrick Rose, and are among the clubs with some reported interest in Michael Carter-Williams. George Hill is viewed as the Knicks’ top target, though he’s probably more of a long shot, given the club’s inability to make him the sort of lucrative, competitive offer he’ll get elsewhere. A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Nuggets and Pacers are a little “further along” on Hill.

It remains to be seen which point guard the Knicks will ultimately land, but expect a veteran addition of some sort — the club doesn’t believe Ntilikina is ready to start, per Berman.