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And-Ones: Kings, Rivers, West

July 2nd, 2015 at 11:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings blundered when they agreed to a cap-clearing trade with the Sixers before they had a commitment from someone on which they could use that cap flexibility, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines. Besides, the Kings aren’t exactly inspiring confidence with primary targets such as Monta Ellis, who’s since agreed to sign with the Pacers, Rajon Rondo and Wesley Matthews, Ziller adds. It’s the latest in a string of puzzling decisions in Sacramento, as SportsBusiness Daily rounds up.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Though he didn’t rule out a return to the Clippers, free agent guard Austin Rivers says that he intends to explore his options before making a decision, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
  • Draymond Green‘s representatives used Tristan Thompson‘s proposed deal with the Cavaliers as a baseline for their negotiations with the Warriors, Sam Amick of USA Today notes (on Twitter). Thompson is reportedly close to landing a deal in the $80MM-$82MM range, Amick adds.
  • The Warriors promoted Larry Harris to director of player personnel and hired Lachlan Penfold as head of physical performance/sports medicine, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • Free agent forward David West is most likely to end up with either the Wizards or the Spurs, Stein tweets.
  • The Nuggets and unrestricted free agent Darrell Arthur have been engaged in productive talks about a new contract, but no deal appears to be imminent, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. Arthur has drawn interest from several teams across the league, including the Pistons and Wizards, Dempsey notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Kenyon Martin Retires

July 2nd, 2015 at 6:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito
Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Veteran forward Kenyon Martin is hanging up his sneakers and retiring from the NBA, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports. “It’s been a great 15 years,” Martin told Spears. “Thanks to all the fans that supported me over the years. But a time does come when you have to walk away, and the time is now for me. I’m ready for the next chapter of my life. I would like to thank the Nets, Nuggets, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks for the opportunity to play the game that I love. It’s been real. Thanks for the love.”

Martin said that he is interested in coaching on the college or NBA level. He also plans to help his 14-year-old son, Kenyon Jr.,  develop into a basketball star, Spears relays. “I have family time and business ahead,” Martin said. “And if something coaching comes up [basketball-wise], I will consider it. I’m also getting Kenyon, Jr., ready to be the No. 1 pick in a couple of years.”

The 37-year-old was the No. 1 overall pick by the Nets in the 2000 NBA Draft. He played for the Nets, Clippers, Nuggets, Knicks, and Bucks over the course of his 15 year professional career. Martin appeared in 11 contests for Milwaukee last season, averaging 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 12.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 APG, with a slash line of .483/.234/.629. The Andy Miller client made almost $113.144MM in NBA salaries over the course of his career, according to Basketball-Reference and Basketball Insiders data.

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Western Notes: Wright, Asik, Crowder, Lin

July 1st, 2015 at 9:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In the wake of losing free agent big man Tyson Chandler to the Suns, the Mavericks reached out to center Brandan Wright, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com tweets. Wright, whom the team dealt as part of the package to acquire Rajon Rondo from the Celtics last season, agreed to a three year, $18MM deal with the Grizzlies earlier this evening. Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Pelicans are in discussions with free agent Omer Asik about the center re-signing with the team, John Reid of The Times Picayune tweets. Blazers‘ free agent big man Robin Lopez doesn’t appear to be an option for New Orleans at this point, Reid adds.
  • The Mavericks are intent on adding depth at point guard this offseason, and were one of the first teams to reach out to free agent Jeremy Lin, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). Dallas has also touched base with Patrick Beverley, J.J. Barea, and Nick Calathes, Tim MacMahon tweets.
  • The Clippers and Mavericks are among the teams that have expressed interest in free agent point guard C.J. Watson, Kennedy relays (Twitter link).
  • The Mavericks and the Celtics are the frontrunners to sign free agent swingman Jae Crowder, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter).
  • The Pelicans and Mavs have both been in contact with free agent forward Richard Jefferson, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets are intent on re-signing Corey Brewer, and Houston was the first team to contact the swingman when the free agent signing period commenced, Kennedy tweets.
  • The Pelicans, Rockets, and Knicks have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent center Kendrick Perkins, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
  • Denver’s top priorities in free agency are to re-sign Jameer Nelson and Will Barton, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. The Nuggets are strong contenders for Nelson, and the general expectation is that they’ll keep Barton, as Dempsey details. The team would also like to re-sign Darrell Arthur but expects the Pistons, among others, to make a run at him, Dempsey writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Monta Ellis In Talks With Pacers

July 1st, 2015 at 4:00am CST by Chuck Myron

4:00am: Indiana is believed to be offering Ellis a deal in the three-year, $32MM range, Wojnarowski reports.

1:25am: Ellis and his family are traveling to Indiana to meet with Pacers officials on Wednesday, Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter).

1:06am: The Hawks, Nuggets and Kings are calling on Ellis tonight, too, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

JULY 1ST, 12:31am: Ellis is “gathering traction” in talks with the Pacers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Bird is determined to reach a deal and the Pacers are pushing hard, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

JUNE 30TH, 11:22am: The Kings have interest in Ellis, too, Broussard hears (Twitter link).

12:11pm: Interest is mutual between Ellis and the Heat, and the shooting guard also plans to talk to the Hawks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, who suggests that Ellis would generally prefer to sign with an East Coast team.

JUNE 24TH, 10:15am: The Pacers and Heat are interested in signing Monta Ellis, who’s opting out of his contract with the Mavs to become a free agent, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Interest from both would presumably hinge on other option decisions. The Heat would be unlikely to have the cap space necessary to chase Ellis if Dwyane Wade opts in to his $16.125MM salary for next season or if the sides work out a new deal. The same is the case with the Pacers and both Roy Hibbert and David West, who also hold player options.

Ellis, a Relativity Sports client is surely seeking more than the $8.72MM he would have seen on his player option with the Mavs. The shooting guard has until midnight tonight to change his mind and opt in, but that would be unforeseen. The Heat have only about $43MM committed for next season against a projected $67.1MM cap, but they have a lucrative offer earmarked for Goran Dragic and also seemingly have interest in retaining Luol Deng, who has a player option worth $10.152MM. A continued partnership with Wade, who’s reportedly open to leaving the team amid tense negotiations, would presumably push the team well into tax territory, though Miami is reportedly shopping Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen in an effort to clear salary. Ellis would ostensibly be a replacement for Wade at the shooting guard position in Miami.

Indiana, unlike Miami, doesn’t have a star entrenched at two-guard, though with $36MM in guaranteed salaries on the books, Hibbert’s option of more than $15.514MM and West’s, worth $12.6MM, would largely close the door on any chance the Pacers have at opening cap room without making a trade. The deadlines both face to decide on their respective options aren’t until next week, GM Kevin Pritchard said, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), and it’s unclear what they’ll choose to do. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird earlier this spring seemed to encourage Hibbert to opt out as Indiana seeks a faster style of play.

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Qualifying Offers: Tuesday

June 30th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are the latest qualifying offer decisions to come in..

Earlier Updates:

  • The Sixers declined to offer guard Glenn Robinson III a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  However, Philly has shown an inclination to revisit a longer-term deal for Robinson this summer, according to those same sources.  In 35 games as a rookie, Robinson averaged 2.1 PPG.
  • The Hornets will not make a qualifying offer to guard Jeffery Taylor, according to a source that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).  Taylor will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • Pero Antic, who was rumored to be going overseas, was given a qualifying offer by the Hawks, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).  If the Hawks need to maximize their cap space, Pincus adds (link), they can revoke the qualifying offer to Antic and renounce him.
  • As expected, the Magic have extended qualifying offers to both Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets made Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels restricted free agents by extending QOs to them, Pincus tweets.
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Free Agent Rumors: Wade, Pierce, Aldridge

June 30th, 2015 at 1:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The latest free agent rumors..

  • Dwyane Wade is seeking at least $16MM a year on a three or four-year deal, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com.  Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported earlier that Wade was seeking a three-year deal and would welcome $20MM a year.
  • League execs tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that there is not a robust market for Wade because of his age (33) and history of injury problems.
  • The Wizards are growing more confident in their ability to re-sign Paul Pierce, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Clippers have appeared to be his primary suitor, with the Celtics also reportedly in the mix.
  • In addition to their pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs could have some interest in former Blazers forward Thomas Robinson, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com (on Twitter).  Of course, Aldridge and Robinson have a history together.  Robinson, a former No. 5 overall pick, has bounced around the league quite a bit since he was drafted in 2012.
  • Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez is on the Knicks‘ radar, according to Al Iannazone of Newsday.  Lopez has value to the Knicks as a big man with energy and solid defensive skills.
  • The Thunder are among the teams expected to pursue Caron Butler when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times writes.  It was previously reported that the Bulls, Clippers, Spurs, Lakers, and Knicks are expected to be in the mix for the veteran, who says he expects to get waived by Milwaukee.
  • Oleksiy Pecherov is eyeing an NBA comeback and is working out with the Nuggets today, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.  Pecherov has played 111 games in the NBA with the Wizards and Wolves averaging 3.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG.
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Northwest Notes: Favors, Ingles, Lyles, Nuggets

June 27th, 2015 at 4:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Favors is not being shopped around the league by the Jazz despite the team’s reported interest in free agent Paul Millsap, a source told Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. A source had told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News earlier this week that Favors might be traded to make room for Millsap. While the Jazz are likely to gauge Millsap’s interested in returning to Utah, they like the defensive pairing of Favors and Rudy Gobert along the interior, Falk continues. That duo had a defensive rating of 92.5 points allowed per 100 possessions, fourth best in the NBA, over the last 29 games when the Jazz went 19-10, Falk notes. Favors also has a team-friendly contract averaging $11.6MM over the next three seasons, Falk adds.

In other news around the Northwest Division:

  • Utah will make a $1,045,059 qualifying offer to Joe Ingles, giving the Jazz the right to match all offers for the one-year veteran in free agency this summer, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links). That’s no surprise, since Tribune scribe Gordon Monson had identified mutual interest this spring between the Jazz and the Australian swingman. Utah is still planning to re-sign him, Jones adds.
  • The Jazz selected Trey Lyles with their first-round pick over his Kentucky teammate Devin Booker because of his playmaking ability and defensive versatility, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Lyles can not only back up Favors, he can slide over to small forward and even center on occasion, Jones continues. Booker would have come onto the team as the third shooting guard with no apparent path to playing time, Jones adds.
  • The Nuggets let two trade exceptions expire unused Friday — one worth $1.75MM for Anthony Randolph, who went out in the trade that brought in Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris, and the other worth $1,422,720 that was a vestige of last summer’s Evan Fournier/Arron Afflalo trade.
  • Former NBA point guard Sergio Rodriguez confirmed to The Oregonian’s Jason Quick that he is thinking about returning to the NBA and will gauge the market after free agency begins Wednesday. He called the buyout in his contract with Real Madrid of Spain, worth a reported 2 million euros that comes to almost $2.234MM at today’s exchange rate, a reasonable one, Quick adds. Conflicting reports of late had painted different pictures about whether Rodriguez was considering the NBA, and another report identified the Nuggets as one of three NBA teams with interest.
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Northwest Notes: Mudiay, Radicevic, Towns

June 26th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The first round selection of Emmanuel Mudiay on Thursday night all but assures that Ty Lawson‘s time with the Nuggets is up, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post writes. Denver feels fortunate that the young point guard fell to them at the No. 7 overall pick, and the team acknowledges that Mudiay’s limitations as a shooter are why he was still on the board that late in the lottery, Kiszla notes. “If he had a jumper, we’re not getting him. He’s No. 1, with a bullet,” Nuggets GM Tim Connelly said. “His shot’s not broken. He’s confident. And he’s a worker.” Connelly insisted that Mudiay and Lawson could exist in the same backcourt, saying “Absolutely. Excited about it,” when the prospect was brought up. But the team shouldn’t risk exposing Mudiay to the potentially negative influence that Lawson could provide, and must find a trade partner to facilitate the veteran’s departure from Denver, Kiszla opines.

Here’s the latest out of the Northwest Division:

  • The Thunder had been making a push to acquire the No. 12 pick from the Jazz before the draft, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Nuggets‘ plan for Serbian point guard Nikola Radicevic is for him to remain overseas next season with Sevilla in Spain’s Liga ACB, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post tweets. Denver selected Radicevic with the No. 57 overall pick on Thursday night.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns was the Timberwolves‘ primary target in the draft from day one, writes Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. Minnesota coach/executive Flip Saunders believes that the 2015 No. 1 overall pick has only scratched the surface of his ability, Hartman notes. “The thing about Towns is he has great versatility, I mean, he handles the basketball extremely well for a guy that is just under 7-foot,” Saunders said. “He is a two-way player. He can block shots and score offensively. He didn’t show it in college, because [Kentucky coach John] Calipari didn’t ask him to do it, but he’s a very, very good perimeter-type shooter. So I just think his versatility, and then he’s very charismatic.“
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Lakers Talk Deal For Cousins With Kings

June 25th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 3:15pm: The Lakers are unwilling to part with Julius Randle in the Cousins trade talks, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The scribe adds that Randle has dropped 20 pounds and improved his outside shot.

WEDNESDAY, 10:18pm: The Kings and Lakers have exchanged frameworks for potential deals for Cousins, and talks are expected to intensify on Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relays. The Kings have also started to engage with teams and explore possible trade scenarios beyond the Lakers, Wojnarowski’s sources have informed him. Sacramento is reportedly seeking the No. 2 overall pick, Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and other draft assets in return for Cousins, Wojnarowski adds. The Kings would also want to unload forward Carl Landry‘s contract in any deal, according to the Yahoo! scribe’s sources. Los Angeles is currently unwilling to part with Randle, and are reluctant to do so with Clarkson as well, according to Wojnarowski.

3:06pm: Cousins “would not be unhappy” if the Lakers acquired him, a league source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, and he’d be thrilled if the Kings traded him to a large market or a playoff team, as Medina heard a source familiar with Cousins’ thinking.

WEDNESDAY, 2:23pm: The Lakers are offering the No. 2 pick as the teams continue to talk, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. L.A. would probably have to include Randle, too, according to Bresnahan, but it’s not clear if he is indeed in any proposal so far.

TUESDAY, 9:17am: The Magic aren’t involved, a league source tells Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Randle and the No. 2 pick are “in play” for a trade that brings Cousins to the Lakers, a source tells Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his mock draft. Still, Sacramento would rather take back veterans, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported overnight.

4:46pm: Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has also made it clear publicly that he doesn’t want to trade Cousins, and that’s been the case privately as well, according to Jones, as well as Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 3:54pm: The Lakers, Kings and Magic have had exploratory talks about a proposal that wound send DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. However, the Kings and Sacramento vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac continue to insist that Cousins is off limits, Stein notes. Still, the Lakers have “actively pursuing” trade possibilities over the past few weeks to find a way to get the talented 24-year-old to L.A., as Stein details.

Stein mentions the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic as someone who could theoretically step in for Cousins at center in Sacramento, but it’s unclear if Vucevic has been a part of the talks. Stein lists Julius Randle and the No. 2 pick as trade assets for the Lakers, but it’s similarly uncertain whether the Lakers have spoken about giving them up. The Nuggets have drawn increasing mention as a team likely to go after Cousins since Denver’s hiring of ex-Kings coach Michael Malone this month, according to Stein. Still, they don’t have the sort of trade chips that would allow them to compete with the Celtics, whom Stein reported last month were also likely suitors, the ESPN scribe writes. Realistically, a host of teams would seemingly have interest in trading for Cousins, who’d become the top trade candidate on the market if the Kings relent and give him up.

Divac has said time and again that he values Cousins and isn’t looking to trade him, at one point calling him “untradeable.” The notion that he might be on the block was ignited earlier this season amid Sacramento’s pair of midseason coaching changes. Cousins, who connected with Malone, released a statement expressing support for then-candidate George Karl, whom the team has since hired. The Kings also hired Divac late in the season to a role that put him in charge of basketball operations and displaced GM Pete D’Alessandro, who’s now with the Nuggets. Cousins has asked not to be traded, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes (Twitter link).

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

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Nuggets, Heat Pursuing Kings’ Eric Moreland

June 25th, 2015 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Nuggets and Heat have discussed deals with the Kings involving forward Eric Moreland, league sources told Shams Charania of RealGM.   Moreland underwent surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder back in January, shutting him down for the season.

The talks involving Moreland are expected to be a part of larger trade possibilities.  Moreland had a strong summer league showing for the Kings a year ago but appeared in just three regular-season games before his January surgery. Moreland, who went undrafted one year ago, played his college basketball at Oregon State.  Later that summer, the Kings inked the 6’10” shot blocker to a multi-year pact.

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