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Knicks Expect To Meet With KD, Kawhi Early In Free Agency

June 26th, 2019 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks expect to have meetings with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard early in free agency before heading west to Los Angeles to meet with second-tier free agents, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A report earlier today indicated that Durant is officially turning down his 2019/20 player option in order to hit the open market this Sunday. The Warriors, Nets, and Clippers are expected to be among the Knicks’ top competitors for the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who will likely receive long-term, maximum-salary offers from multiple teams.

As for Leonard, his free agency has long been viewed as a two-team race between the Clippers and Raptors, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated during the network’s TV special on Tuesday night (video link). Wojnarowski indicated that Kawhi’s camp is also keeping an eye on the Lakers, though Chris Mannix of SI.com says people close to Leonard are skeptical that he’d join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Knicks haven’t been mentioned much as a probable landing spot for Leonard, but they’re known to have interest and it appears as if they’ll get their shot to make a pitch.

In other Leonard news, Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears from league sources that multiple teams have expressed interest in adding the duo of Kawhi and Jimmy Butler together in free agency. Leonard isn’t believed to be seeking a team-up with another free agent, but league sources tell Begley that there are clubs who believe that playing together would appeal to the two star forwards.

The list of teams that could realistically acquire two maximum-salary free agents is slim. Begley doesn’t specifically identify any of the clubs that have interest in a Leonard/Butler pairing, but the Knicks have the cap room, so it’s possible they’ve discussed the possibility as an alternative to Durant.

The Clippers and Sixers are among the other teams that might realistically have a path to signing both players, though both clubs would have to make additional moves to create the necessary cap space. The Nets could easily open up enough room, but have been linked more strongly to Kyrie Irving and Durant than Leonard and/or Butler.

Sixers Notes: Horford, Brogdon, Butler

June 25th, 2019 at 9:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It’s not a given that the Sixers bring back their five starters this offseason.

Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris will each have rival teams looking to offer them a max deal. J.J. Redick will likely see heavy interest on the market as well, with Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer hearing that shooting guard will yield offers in the range of $12MM annually.

“They have tough decisions to make and so do we,” GM Elton Brand said.

Bringing back those three players will put the Sixers over the salary cap and out of contention for a number of free agents. Should the team decide to make major changes, there’s a wide range of talent on the market.

“We definitely need hard-nose players, shooting,” Brand said. “We want to add shooting. If you watch the playoffs, these are playoff-tested players … I don’t want to say names … but [the Sixers want] veteran-tested players, playoff-tested players that can take us over the edge with our talent.”

Al Horford, Malcolm Brogdon, and Danny Green are players the team could have interest in Pompey adds.

Here’s more on Philadelphia and the team’s pending free agents:

Don’t be surprised if the Clippers make a play to sign Harris, Pompey notes. The combo forward, who came to the Sixers via a midseason trade with the club, will be taking meetings on June 30 and July 1.
The Sixers may have to offer a five-year deal in order to keep Jimmy Butler, Pompey writes. Butler and his camp are meeting this week to go over free agent objectives.
Marcus Morris, Ed Davis, Ish Smith, Cory Joseph, and Patrick Beverley are among the free agents whom the Sixers could pursue, Pompey adds in the same piece. The team has confidence in its ability to lure one or two impactful free agents should it lose one of its max free agents.
Derek Bodner of the Athletic details how the Sixers are devaluing second-round picks. The team will have three more second-rounders next year after wheeling and dealing picks last week, as I recently detailed.
Furkan Korkmaz may join Turkish team Fenerbahce next season, according to Sportando. The former No. 26 overall pick is all but certain not to be back in Philadelphia next year.

Western Notes: Thompson, Spurs, Allen

June 25th, 2019 at 6:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Klay Thompson would be open to a meeting with the Clippers should the Warriors not present him with a max salary offer at the start of free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski said on the network’s free agency special. Thompson is expected to re-sign in Golden State.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

San Antonio could be a fit for Trevor Ariza, Jabari Young of The Athletic writes. Ariza earned $15MM last season on a one-year deal and the Spurs had interest in him last summer, Young hears. Ariza is a candidate for the mid-level exception.
The Spurs have kept a close eye on Amir Johnson since he played in Toronto, Young adds in the same piece. Young speculates that the 32-year-old big man could be a fit in San Antonio, citing his close relationship with DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay.
Grayson Allen, who was traded to the Grizzlies in the Mike Conley deal, aims to improve his defense during Summer League, as he tells David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “When I tell you I’m going to work on defense this summer, I don’t think many people picture guys in summer workouts doing defensive slides,” Allen said. “…But for me it’s going to be continuing to work on that footwork on the defensive end, getting my body in great shape, great conditioning going into summer league and the season.”

Latest On Kawhi Leonard

June 25th, 2019 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri expressed confidence today that his team will be able to re-sign Kawhi Leonard, telling reporters that he believes the franchise has “built a trust” with the All-NBA forward and adding that there have been positive discussions between the two sides.

Still, there will be plenty of rival suitors looking to lure Leonard back south of the border. Here are the latest rumblings on a few of those contenders:

A meeting between Leonard and the Clippers is tentatively scheduled for July 2, Frank Isola of The Athletic hears (Twitter link). Teams technically aren’t permitted to contact free agents to set up meetings until June 29, but it won’t be surprising if some plans are in the works before then. We’ll have to wait to see if this is one of them.
Chris Broussard of FOX Sports has heard that the Lakers won’t be in the running for Leonard, even if they can create enough cap room to offer a max or near-max contract (link via Wil Leitner of FOX Sports Radio).
Despite rumblings that the Mavericks are confident about getting a meeting with Leonard, Mike Fisher of 247Sports.com says it’s “premature” to go that far. According to Fisher, the Mavs would love to meet with Kawhi, but “don’t know yet” if he’ll consider them.
The Knicks remain hopeful about getting a meeting with Leonard in free agency, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Mavs Interested In Patrick Beverley, Nikola Mirotic

June 25th, 2019 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free-agent-to-be guard Patrick Beverley is “very much in play” for the Mavericks next week, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Sources tell Townsend that Beverley and the Mavs view one another as a “perfect fit.”

It remains to be seen how much of their projected cap room the Mavs will be willing to commit to Beverley, who figures to be in line for a sizable raise. The veteran point guard is also expected to draw interest from teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Sixers. Still, a source tells Townsend that Beverley and the Mavs plan to meet near the start of free agency.

Nikola Mirotic is another free agent receiving consideration from the Mavericks, a source tells Townsend, though the veteran power forward is further down on the team’s wish list than Beverley. Mirotic appears unlikely to re-sign with the Bucks, since they’ll also be trying to bring back Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and Brook Lopez.

Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic has long been viewed as a potential target for Dallas, but Townsend hears that the Magic center will be seeking a starting salary in the $25MM range, which would likely price the Mavs out of the bidding. The Magic, Celtics, and Kings could be among the teams in play for Vucevic, Townsend adds, noting that Al Horford appears to be a more likely target for Dallas if the club decides to spend big on a center.

The Mavs project to have about $29-30MM in cap space this summer if they keep the cap holds for Kristaps Porzingis, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber on their books. They could create a little extra flexibility by renouncing Finney-Smith and/or Kleber, but wouldn’t be able to carve out significantly more space without moving a player like Tim Hardaway or Courtney Lee.

Lowe/Marks: Patrick Beverley Positioned For Big FA Payday

June 25th, 2019 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

Lowe and Marks both believe Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley will do very well in free agency. After initially viewing Beverley as a mid-level type player, Marks now believes that the veteran could get an offer closer to $14-15MM per year.

[SOURCE LINK]

Budenholzer Named Coach Of Year

June 24th, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer was named Coach of the Year at NBA’s annual awards show on Monday.

The former Hawks coach was hired last summer and guided Milwaukee to the league’s best record. The Bucks became an offensive juggernaut under his watch, scoring a league-best 118.1 points per game.

The Nuggets’ Michael Malone and Clippers’ Doc Rivers were the other finalists.

Budenholzer was also named Coach of the Year in 2015 with Atlanta. He was also Hoops Rumors’ consensus choice this year.

Lou Williams Named Sixth Man Of Year Again

June 24th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

For the third time in five seasons, Clippers guard Lou Williams was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year. The announcement was made at the NBA’s annual awards show on Monday.

There was little suspense that Williams would gain the honor for the second straight year. While the other finalists, Williams’ teammate Montrezl Harrell, and Pacers’ big man Domantas Sabonis, had plenty of big games, no bench player made a bigger impact than the veteran guard, who seems to get better with age.

Williams, 32, averaged 20.0 PPG and a career-high 5.4 APG in 26.6 MPG, more than six minutes less per game than the previous season when he averaged a career-high 22.0 PPG. He’s signed for two more seasons, though his $8MM salary for 2020/21 is not guaranteed.

He was Hoops Rumors’ unanimous choice for the award as well.

Clippers Notes: Hayes, Kawhi, Free Agency

June 24th, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

In other Summer League news, former Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes will play for the Clippers‘ squad, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Hayes is employing an NBA out after signing with EuroLeague team Zalgiris. Hayes appeared in nine NBA games during the 2017/18 season, including five with the Kings.

Within an article exploring the pitch the Clippers should make to Kawhi Leonard in free agency, ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz cites sources who say a belief that Leonard would sign with an L.A. team in 2019 was a significant reason why the Celtics and Sixers didn’t go all-in for the forward on the trade market a year ago.
While Leonard will be the Clippers‘ top target in free agency this summer, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said that the club would “never put all our eggs in one basket,” as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times relays.

Woj's Latest On Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard

June 21st, 2019 at 12:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors, Nets, Knicks, and Clippers will all be “significant considerations” for Kevin Durant in free agency this summer, according to Wojnarowski. “One thing I’m told is he is really focused on making his decision independently of anyone else and that includes Kyrie Irving,” Woj said of Durant, per RealGM. “He’s at a point in his career where he’s going to decide really essentially on a four-year deal elsewhere or a five-year deal with Golden State, where he’s going to spend the rest of his prime.”
While the Raptors and Clippers are still considered the frontrunners to sign Kawhi Leonard, Wojnarowski hears that Leonard may take free agents meetings with the Knicks and perhaps the Nets and Sixers as well (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com).