Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Iguodala, Oubre, Williams, Smith

August 5th, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A reunion between the Warriors and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala could be in the works. Iguodala has narrowed his choices to his former team along with the Nets and Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Iguodala, 37, played 63 regular-season games with the Heat this past season and averaged a modest 4.4 PPG in 21.3 MPG, with a majority of his field-goal attempts coming from beyond the arc. Iguodala won three rings in six seasons with the Warriors.

We have more free agent buzz:

Free agent forward Kelly Oubre is in discussions with the Hornets, David Aldridge of The Athletic tweets. Oubre averaged 15.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG for Golden State last season but only made 31.6% of his 3-point attempts. The Hornets are also reportedly pondering an offer sheet to Bulls free agent Lauri Markkanen — with approximately $14MM in cap room remaining, they wouldn’t be able to sign both players unless one accepted a very team-friendly rate.
Before Lou Williams chose to return to the Hawks, the Lakers, Warriors and Bucks showed interest in the three-time Sixth Man of the Year award, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Williams opted for a one-year, $5MM agreement with Atlanta.
Free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. won’t return to the Pistons, Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets. That’s no surprise, considering Detroit drafted Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick and reached an agreement with Cory Joseph after declining its team option on him.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Clippers, Curry, Vogel

August 5th, 2021 at 7:26pm CST by Luke Adams

About an hour before word broke on Tuesday that DeMar DeRozan had agreed to join the Bulls via sign-and-trade, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that DeRozan intended to meet with the Clippers. So did that meeting actually happen before DeRozan reached a deal with Chicago? Haynes shared some details in the latest episode of his Posted Up with Chris Haynes podcast.

“The Clippers’ brass were on their way to DeMar’s house,” Haynes said. “Things got a little bit more interesting with the Bulls, it looked like a deal was going to get done with Chicago, and DeMar DeRozan’s agent Aaron Goodwin called the Clippers out of courtesy and was like, ‘You know what, let’s not waste anybody’s time. Out of respect to you guys, let’s cancel this meeting. (DeRozan)’s going to go elsewhere.'”

Haynes added that the Clippers were going to have to do “a ton of work” on their roster to be able to make DeRozan a competitive offer, suggesting that the veteran wing – who received an $85MM commitment from Chicago – wouldn’t have been willing to settle for the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9MM), which was all L.A. realistically had at its disposal.

“DeMar DeRozan was not going to any team and taking the mid-level. He wasn’t,” Haynes said. “Not the full mid-level, not the taxpayer mid-level. He wasn’t having it.”

Here are a few more updates from around the Pacific:

Speaking to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic after news of his new $215MM extension with the Warriors broke, Stephen Curry said he loves the players Golden State drafted last Thursday and was happy to hear the team was pursuing veteran free agents this week, even if top targets like Patty Mills and Nicolas Batum are headed elsewhere. “I would be disappointed if there was ever a vibe that you’re complacent or that you’re not proactive and looking to always get better,” Curry said. “So if you’re telling me we’re trying to go after Batum, we’re trying to go after Patty, and things didn’t line up like that, then that’s just how the league works. But if there’s ever a situation where you don’t feel that commitment from upstairs, then we have issues. I haven’t felt that this summer.”
Thompson adds in the same story that the fourth year on Curry’s extension was a “minor sticking point,” given its unprecedented cap hit, but the Warriors ultimately relented. Curry, who will turn 38 during the 2025/26 season, will earn a staggering $59.6MM that year.
Now that the Lakers have nearly finished filling out their roster with a handful of free agent commitments, the next big question for the franchise to answer is Frank Vogel‘s status, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. Vogel is a candidate for an extension, since he’s entering the final year of his contract as the team’s head coach.

Warriors Sign Moses Moody To Rookie Contract

August 5th, 2021 at 4:35pm CST by JD Shaw

The Warriors have signed swingman Moses Moody to his rookie scale contract, the team announced on social media today.

Moody, 19, averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per contest (32 games) as a freshman at the University of Arkansas last season.

Golden State picked Moody with the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft. The Warriors also held the No. 7 pick in the draft, choosing to select G League Ignite player Jonathan Kuminga.

The Warriors dealt with numerous injuries last season and finished with a 39-33 record. Having young pieces such as Kuminga and Moody will be imperative for the future, though the team remains focused on contending with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson,and other veterans in the present day.

Moody is set to earn $3.56MM next season and $17MM in total on his four-year rookie contract. As we previously relayed, the Warriors signed Kuminga to his rookie scale deal as well. It will pay him $5.46MM next season and $24.85MM in total.

Sixers Re-Sign Danny Green

August 4th, 2021 at 11:25pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: The Sixers have officially re-signed Green, the team announced today in a press release.

“Bringing Danny back was a top priority for our organization this offseason,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a statement. “He has proven to be an important leader on and off the floor, and he knows what it takes to win an NBA title as a three-time champion. We are very happy that he’ll continue to remain a crucial part of the 76ers.”

AUGUST 4: The Sixers have agreed to terms with veteran swingman Danny Green on a two-year deal that will bring him back to Philadelphia, according to his Inside The Green Room podcast co-host Harrison Sanford (Twitter link). A league source confirms the news to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Because the 76ers have Early Bird rights on Green, they won’t need to use their mid-level exception to complete the signing.

Agent Raymond Brothers tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the 34-year-old’s new deal won’t include any options. However, a follow-up tweet from Sanford suggests the second year will be non-guaranteed, with a July 1, 2022 guarantee date.

According to Sanford (Twitter link), Green had discussions with the Nets, Celtics, Bucks, Bulls, and Warriors, among other teams, during free agency this week. He turned down a two-year offer from the Cavaliers, Sanford adds.

A 12-year NBA veteran who has won titles with three different teams, Green started all 69 games he played for Philadelphia in 2020/21, averaging 9.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.3 SPG with a .412/.405/.775 shooting line in 28.0 MPG.

Green has long been a reliable three-and-D wing, having knocked down 40.1% of his career attempts from beyond the arc.

The Sixers waived George Hill this week and lost Dwight Howard to the Lakers, but have now lined up deals to bring back both Green and Furkan Korkmaz. The club also signed Andre Drummond to a minimum-salary contract on Wednesday and has agreed to a deal with forward Georges Niang.

Warriors Sign Jonathan Kuminga To Rookie Contract

August 4th, 2021 at 9:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Seventh overall pick Jonathan Kuminga formally signed his rookie scale contract with the Warriors on Tuesday, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

Kuminga made it official with Golden State a day before making his pro debut at the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento. He scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting against Miami’s Summer League squad on Wednesday.

As our breakdown of this year’s rookie scale salaries shows, Kuminga – the No. 7 overall pick in last Thursday’s draft – is projected to earn $5.47MM in his rookie season, assuming he signed for the maximum allowable amount (120% of the rookie scale). His four-year deal will be worth nearly $25MM in total.

The Warriors haven’t made an official announcement yet about signing Kuminga — they’ll likely send out a press release in the coming days to announce his deal and Moses Moody‘s at the same time.

Warriors Waive Alen Smailagic

August 4th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by JD Shaw

AUGUST 4: The Warriors have officially waived Smailagic, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Friday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

AUGUST 1: The Warriors plan to waive big man Alen Smailagic ahead of his August 6 guarantee date, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smailagic had two more non-guaranteed seasons left on his deal.

As Slater notes, waiving Smailagic frees up an extra roster spot for the Warriors ahead of free agency. Golden State is expected to target veterans on the open market, with former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala mentioned today as a possibility.

Smailagic, 20, was the No. 39 pick in 2019. He appeared in 29 games for the team, averaging three points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.7 minutes per contest.

Teams and players can begin negotiating free-agent deals starting Monday at 6:00pm ET.

Free Agency Roundup: Rose, Bjelica, Suns, Vanderbilt, Niang, Schroder

August 3rd, 2021 at 6:12pm CST by Eli Cohen

Derrick Rose had received interest from the Pelicans, Wizards, Bulls, and Heat before re-signing with the Knicks, write Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of USA Today. The USA Today adds that Kyle Lowry signing with the Heat helped usher Rose back to the Knicks and coach Tom Thibodeau. Rose agreed to a three-year, $43MM deal on Monday.

In the same piece, Zillgitt and Medina write that five other teams considered signing Nemanja Bjelica with their mid-level exception, but Bjelica prioritized signing with the Warriors instead. Bjelica agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum earlier today.

We have more free agency rumors:

The Suns have two or three roster spots available, and according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, they expect to fill those spots with another big man, a ball-handler, and a wing. Gambadoro adds that JaVale McGee‘s agreed-upon deal will use part of the non-tax payer mid-level exception, leaving the remainder for another move.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reports that the Timberwolves have met with RFA Jarred Vanderbilt. The 6’9 power forward is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 5.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.2 APG and providing an interesting blend of defense and play-making from the forward spot.
Georges Niang may be on the Sixers‘ radar as a backup power forward, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Niang has had a productive last three years for the Jazz, and would give the Sixers another shooter in the frontcourt.
Dennis Schröder was seeking $25MM a year when free agency started, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Now that Schröder is one of the last point guards left on the market, it’s unclear how much that number has come down.

Trade Rumors: Dinwiddie, Hornets, Ingles, T. Young

August 3rd, 2021 at 1:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spencer Dinwiddie is close to a deal with the Wizards, but it may take some complex maneuvering to get him there, Fred Katz writes in The Athletic’s free agency recap. The two sides are reportedly hammering out a three-year contract worth $60MM, but Washington is over the cap, so a sign-and-trade will have to be arranged involving the Nets and maybe more teams.

Katz points out that Brooklyn is already over the luxury tax threshold for next season and isn’t interested in adding salary. He suggests the teams may try to tie this deal to the trade sending Russell Westbrook to the Lakers. Katz is confident that Dinwiddie will eventually join the Wizards, but it won’t be easy to work through the details.

In the same piece, Alex Schiffer notes that Brooklyn has been trying to unload DeAndre Jordan‘s contract, which is worth nearly $20MM over the next two years. John Hollinger says the Lakers could send Kyle Kuzma directly to the Nets instead of the Wizards, which would enable Brooklyn to include Jordan and avoid a huge rise in its tax bill.

There’s more on potential trades to watch for:

The Hornets are one of the few teams that still has flexibility after an active first night of free agency, Hollinger adds. A sign-and-trade of Devonte’ Graham allows Charlotte to have $15MM in cap room or to expand the deal and bring another player, possibly Lauri Markkanen. Hollinger states that the Hornets still need one more guard and another big man.
The Warriors would be interested in trading for Joe Ingles if the Jazz make him available, sources tell Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Ingles will turn 34 soon, but his passing and shooting would be valuable in Golden State’s system, though Thompson cautions that actually acquiring him would be tricky from a cap perspective. The Warriors still have hope of signing longtime Spurs guard Patty Mills, Thompson adds.
Several contending teams and younger teams are interested in getting Thaddeus Young from the Bulls, tweets Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago is hoping to resolve the situation with Markkanen before making a decision on Young.
There’s still a chance the Raptors could keep Goran Dragic– who is being acquired from the Heat in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade – rather than flipping him to another team, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link).

Warriors Sign Nemanja Bjelica

August 3rd, 2021 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 6: The Warriors have officially announced their deal with Bjelica, confirming the move in a press release.

Despite reportedly receiving interest from several other teams willing to offer more than the minimum, Bjelica said his decision to sign with Golden State took “less than a minute,” per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

AUGUST 3: Free agent forward Nemanja Bjelica has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Warriors, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Heat acquired Bjelica from the Kings at the trade deadline in March, but he played in just 11 games for Miami, averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per night. He had been relegated to a bench role in Sacramento after being a starter for the past two seasons.

The 33-year-old gives Golden State another veteran shooting option as they try to move back into title contention. He had the best year of his NBA career in 2019/20 with the Kings, putting up 11.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG on .481/.419/.821 shooting in 72 games (27.9 MPG).

The Warriors still have their taxpayer mid-level exception to make further moves, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who reports that Bjelica’s deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum (Twitter link).

Warriors Sign Otto Porter

August 2nd, 2021 at 11:18pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: The Warriors have officially signed Porter, according to a press release from the team.

AUGUST 2: The Warriors have reached a deal with free agent forward Otto Porter, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Porter turned down the mid-level exception elsewhere in order to join Golden State on a minimum-salary deal, sources tell Haynes (Twitter link).

Porter, 28, was a reliable three-and-D wing earlier in his career, earning a maximum-salary investment during the 2017 free agent period when the Wizards matched his four-year, $106MM+ offer sheet from Brooklyn.

However, injury issues derailed Porter’s career in recent years. He has played just 42 games since the start of the 2019/20 season and has spent time with the Bulls and Magic since being traded out of Washington in 2019.

If Porter stays healthy, he’d be a terrific fit on the wing in Golden State, helping the team space the floor on offense and handle opposing forwards on defense. Porter is a career 40.2% three-point shooter and has averaged 10.9 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 441 regular season contests since entering the league in 2013.