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Free Agent Rumors: Holiday, Cousins, Burke, More

July 4th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent swingman Justin Holiday has received interest from the Lakers, Clippers, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards, Hornets, and Cavaliers, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Given how quickly most of the top players came off the market, Holiday represents one of the more intriguing options available, given his ability to knock down three-pointers (1.8 3PG on 35.4% shooting over the last three years) and defend on the perimeter.

According to Scotto, the Grizzlies are open to the idea of accommodating a sign-and-trade deal involving Holiday, so a team with interest in him could potentially acquire him using a trade exception if it doesn’t want to cut into its mid-level.

Here’s more on a few NBA free agents:

Wizards interim head of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard briefly spoke with free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins in Las Vegas, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). A previous report indicated there was virtually no chance of Cousins signing with Washington, and Buckner cautions that the conversation was described as small talk, but she still refers to it as an “interesting development.”
The Lakers are in the mix for free agent point guard Trey Burke, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). Los Angeles still has plenty of roster spots to fill, so it’s not clear how high Burke is on the team’s wish list.
Veteran NBA big man Darrell Arthur, who sat out last season after being waived by Phoenix in October, is considering a comeback and is open to continuing his career overseas, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Marc J. Spears, and Ohm Youngmisuk spoke to coaches, scouts, and executives at the Utah and California Summer Leagues to get their thoughts on free agency so far. Among the highlights: McMahon writes that a number of rival executives and scouts believe the Rockets dodged a bullet by not landing Jimmy Butler.
The Suns have formally renounced their free agent rights to several players, including Dragan Bender, Jamal Crawford, Jimmer Fredette, and Ray Spalding, per RealGM’s transactions log.

Latest On Kawhi Leonard

July 4th, 2019 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After meeting this week with the Lakers, Clippers, and Raptors, Kawhi Leonard has yet to make a free agent decision and doesn’t plan on making an announcement today, tweets Cris Carter of Fox Sports 1.

Appearing this morning on First Things First (video link), Carter had suggested that Leonard may announce his decision on Friday, though that’s certainly not set in stone. The former NFL wide receiver may seem like an unusual source for updates on the NBA’s top free agent, but Carter is more plugged-in than most when it comes to Kawhi, as his relationship with Leonard and his camp dates back years.

ESPN’s Jalen Rose said on Wednesday that he has heard there’s a 99% chance of Leonard re-signing with the Raptors. Frank Isola of The Athletic conveyed a similar sentiment today (via Twitter), and a player whose free agency will be affected by Leonard’s has heard the same thing, albeit not directly from Kawhi or his reps, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who cautioned taking his own update with a grain of salt (Twitter link).

Nonetheless, Carter insists there is still no clear frontrunner. According to Carter, the trust that Leonard has established with the Raptors over the last year is an important factor, and yesterday’s meeting with Toronto was “very impressive,” but the Finals MVP has a “great deal of interest” in both the Lakers and Clippers.

Grizzlies Exploring Trade Market For Iguodala; No Buyout Planned Before Season

July 4th, 2019 at 12:35am CST by Luke Adams

Once they officially acquire Andre Iguodala from the Warriors after the July moratorium ends, the Grizzlies won’t buy him out right away, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

According to MacMahon, Memphis is actively exploring the potential trade market for the veteran forward, with the Rockets and Mavericks among the interested teams. The Grizzlies don’t intend to give Iguodala a buyout before the season begins, MacMahon adds.

The fact that the Grizzlies will receive a lightly-protected future first-round pick from Golden State in their deal for Iguodala doesn’t suggest that he has significant value, but that trade was a necessity for the Warriors, who had to clear salary to accommodate D’Angelo Russell‘s new maximum-salary deal under a hard cap of $138.9MM.

With no similar cap crunch of their own, the Grizzlies will have far more leverage in their own trade discussions involving Iguodala. They shouldn’t expect a huge return, given his age (35) and his cap charge ($17.2MM), but there’s reason to believe that the former Finals MVP would appeal to contending teams. According to MacMahon, he has drawn “significant interest.”

Whether they use cap room or remain an over-the-cap team and retain their $21MM+ trade exception, the Mavericks would have the ability to acquire Iguodala without sending out any salary. The capped-out Rockets would have to get more creative, particularly if they don’t want to part with one of their current starters in a trade.

While MacMahon doesn’t mention the Lakers as a team with trade interest in Iguodala, they’d also have the cap room necessary to make a play for him if Kawhi Leonard decides to sign elsewhere. As MacMahon notes, Rob Pelinka was Iguodala’s agent before he became the Lakers’ general manager.

Latest On Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green

July 3rd, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Luke Adams

9:18pm: Leonard won’t make a decision tonight and may not announce his intentions for a few days, a source tells Jabari Young of The Athletic (Twitter link). Leonard plans to thoroughly review his options with his representatives before choosing one. Contrary to reports, Young states that Leonard hasn’t discussed a two-year deal with any of the three teams involved.

5:11pm: Cris Carter of Fox Sports 1 provides an update on the situation, emphasizing that Leonard hasn’t reached a decision and the Raptors, Lakers and Clippers all remain under consideration (Twitter link). He also cautions not to expect a quick answer.

4:39pm: Day four of the Kawhi Leonard Watch took an unusual turn today, as word leaked out that the private plane belonging to MLSE – the group that owns the Raptors – was bound for Toronto from Los Angeles.

While there was no official confirmation that Leonard himself was on board, Canadian news network CP24 captured video of the plane touching down in Toronto, with its occupants piling into a pair of SUVs and driving downtown to a hotel where president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri had reportedly been spotted earlier in the day — and where a crowd of Torontonians gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the Finals MVP (video link via James Wattie of CBC Toronto).

We still don’t have any formal updates on whether Leonard will choose the Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers, but if Kawhi’s camp traveled to Toronto for its meeting with the defending champs rather than hosting the team in Los Angeles, that doesn’t seem like a bad sign for the Raptors’ chances.

ESPN basketball analyst Jalen Rose added some fuel to that fire today by declaring during an episode of Get Up (video link) that he has heard with “99%” certainty that Leonard will be re-signing with the Raptors on a two-year deal that would put him in line to reach free agency again when he has 10 years of experience and qualifies for a higher maximum salary.

While Rose has been right about Leonard in the past, he’s not typically a news-breaker, so it’s probably not safe to treat his latest report as gospel quite yet. Leonard’s camp has been tight-lipped throughout the process — until they make an official announcement or leak word of Kawhi’s decision to a trusted reporter, we’re not jumping to any conclusions.

Meanwhile, Danny Green‘s free agent decision will likely be impacted by Leonard’s, since the shooting guard has interest in running it back with the Raptors if his longtime teammate stays in Toronto. Green’s podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford offered an update in the wake of Rose’s pronouncement, tweeting that the best offer that Green has received so far – in terms of years and money – has been from the Mavericks.

However, Sanford added that Green would strongly consider a return to Toronto – likely on a two-year deal – if Kawhi stays. Green also wouldn’t rule out going to the Lakers, according to Sanford, who notes that the Lakers’ offer could increase if they don’t land Leonard.

Rockets Focused On Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee

July 3rd, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

After missing out on their top summer target when Jimmy Butler opted for Miami, the Rockets are looking at two former Warriors as they fill out their roster, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

With a need for depth at the wing and in the middle, Houston is turning its attention to Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee, according to Feigen. With the moratorium is lifted Saturday, Iguodala will be on his way to Memphis, part of a cost-cutting move that enables Golden State to trade for D’Angelo Russell without exceeding the tax apron.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey may be willing to send next year’s first-round pick to the Grizzlies as part of a package to acquire Iguodala, who will make $17,185,185 in the final year of his contract. Morey could hope for a buyout and try to get Iguodala at a better price, but he would risk losing him to another team, such as the Lakers, where Iguodala’s former agent, Rob Pelinka, serves as GM.

Houston pursued Iguodala when he was a free agent in 2017 and put on “the best recruiting presentation of all time,” a source told ESPN. Iguodala canceled his other meetings and was reportedly ready to sign with the Rockets before Golden State increased its offer.

Feigen notes that if a trade happens, Memphis will have pulled off the rare feat of getting one first-rounder for taking Iguodala and another for letting him go.

The Rockets met with McGee, who played for the Lakers this season, on Sunday in a session that two sources told Feigen “went really well.” Houston’s interest in McGee wasn’t just a hedge against a Clint Capela trade, he adds. The team is looking for more size on its reserve unit and likes McGee as a pick-and-roll partner for James Harden and Chris Paul.

However, the Rockets are limited in what they can offer. McGee may be looking for more than a veteran’s minimum deal, and they will become hard-capped if they use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, leaving them unable to deal for Iguodala or anybody else with a significant salary.

Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Morris, Knicks, Wizards, Wolves

July 2nd, 2019 at 8:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have interest in free agent forward Marcus Morris, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, confirming a report from Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com (Twitter link). However, Dallas has “a few [players] ahead” of Morris on their wish list, according to Townsend.

Danny Green is one of those names believed to be ahead of Morris. The Mavericks have been linked to the veteran sharpshooter since the start of free agency, and a tweet from the account for Green’s podcast today listed the Mavs, Raptors, and Lakers as the teams still in play for the veteran shooting guard. The Mavs aren’t expecting an answer from Green until tomorrow at the earliest though, says Townsend.

Here’s more on the NBA’s remaining free agents:

The Knicks project to have one slot open on their 15-man roster for next season, and Lance Thomas is the favorite to fill it, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). New York recently waived Thomas to avoid guaranteeing his 2019/20 salary, but could bring him back on a more modest deal.
The Wizards haven’t circled back to free agent forward Jabari Parker so far, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), who says that the market is “still developing” for the former No. 2 overall pick.
The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on free agent forward Jake Layman, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Layman received a qualifying offer from the Trail Blazers, so he’s a restricted free agent.

Lakers Sign Jared Dudley To One-Year Deal

July 2nd, 2019 at 6:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 7: The Lakers have officially signed Dudley to his minimum salary contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JULY 2: The Lakers will sign Jared Dudley to a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com tweets. The contract will be a minimum salary arrangement.

Los Angeles is slowly adding to their roster as the franchise waits on Kawhi Leonard‘s decision. In addition to Dudley, the team has already agreed to terms with Troy Daniels on a minimum-salary deal.

Neither Daniels’ deal nor Dudley’s will impact the Lakers’ cap room, as they’ll be finalized with the minimum salary exception after the team uses that room.

Dudley appeared in 59 games for Brooklyn last season. He spotted them 20.7 minutes per game while shooting 35.1% from behind the arc. The Pistons were among the teams competing for his services this offseason.

A Southern California native, Dudley will be returning home on his new deal in the hopes of competing for a title, as he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

“This is something I’ve been contemplating. I’d be getting a chance to compete for a championship, which is something I haven’t had since the Steve Nash [Suns] days,” Dudley said. “I just think that being home and with that Laker brand, what’s better than that?”

Latest On Kawhi Leonard

July 2nd, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

After seemingly all of the rest of the top NBA free agents came off the board on Sunday night, the basketball world continues to wait on Kawhi Leonard, who is mulling whether to sign with the Raptors, Lakers, or Clippers. Here’s the latest on Kawhi:

Leonard has completed his meetings with the Lakers and Clippers, and is meeting with the Raptors today, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).
Team officials for the Lakers and Clippers “appear determined” to say as little as possible about the process to avoid upsetting Leonard or his reps, since Kawhi’s camp has “insisted on total silence,” tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Despite that apparent insistence on silence, much of the Leonard-related chatter this week has focused on the Lakers. Stein tweets that the Lakers believe they’re “firmly in the lead” for the Finals MVP based on LeBron James‘ and Magic Johnson‘s recruiting efforts. An earlier report suggested that no frontrunner has emerged.
The Raptors haven’t backed off at all in their efforts to re-sign Leonard, according to Stein, who tweets that rapper – and Raptors global ambassador – Drake may be “mounting his own recruiting campaign” outside of Toronto’s formal pitch.
The general belief throughout free agency has been that Danny Green will wait on Leonard’s announcement before making his own free agency decision. However, Green’s podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas today that Green is “considering not waiting” on Kawhi (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News). Green and his agent are scheduled to discuss things tonight, Sanford added. The Mavericks, Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers are believed to have interest in the veteran sharpshooter.

Free Agent Rumors: Kawhi, Bender, Cousins, Mejri

July 2nd, 2019 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite some buzz on social media that Kawhi Leonard is leaning toward the Lakers, the reigning Finals MVP hasn’t reached a decision, tweets Cris Carter of Fox Sports 1. Carter – who has been an unexpectedly plugged-in source on Leonard since the forward’s days in San Antonio – adds that anyone thinking the Lakers have an edge on the Clippers or Raptors would be “wrong.”

Leonard is the last big star available in free agency, and his decision will have a long-lasting impact on all three franchises. Whichever club lands him will be a contender for the NBA title, while the other two teams will be scrambling to fill out their rosters. Leonard still hasn’t given any indication of when he plans to announce his choice.

Here are some more notes on the third day of free agency:

Now that the Suns have added Frank Kaminsky, they will part ways with Dragan Bender, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Bender had a disappointing three years in Phoenix after being selected with the fourth pick in the 2016 draft. He is an unrestricted free agent because the Suns declined his fourth-year option before the start of the season.
The Warriors can’t make an offer similar to the $6.4MM MLE that landed DeMarcus Cousins last summer, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Golden State is so close to the hard cap that it cannot go much above minimum deals to complete its roster.
Salah Mejri was working out today with the Mavericks‘ Summer League players and remains a possibility to re-sign, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
As cap space dries up, restricted free agents such as Kelly Oubre, Delon Wright and Tyus Jones may benefit by accepting their teams’ qualifying offers and becoming unrestricted next summer in a weaker free agent class, suggests Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Free Agent Rumors: Cousins, Kawhi, D. Green, Ennis

July 2nd, 2019 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

Big man DeMarcus Cousins is perhaps the biggest name left among free agents besides Kawhi Leonard, but there doesn’t appear to be much of a market for him, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on the network (video link). According to Wojnarowski, it’s not even necessarily a lock that Cousins will exceed the one-year, $5.34MM deal he signed with the Warriors a year ago.

In a separate appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (video link), Woj suggested that a one-year deal below $10MM for Cousins appears to be the most likely scenario, while ESPN’s Tim Bontemps pointed to the Lakers as one team that might be a fit in terms of cap room — but only if they fail to land Leonard.

Here’s more on some of the remaining free agents:

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins (Twitter link) hears that Kawhi Leonard met with the Clippers on Monday night, though Perkins believes the Lakers have the “upper hand” of the two L.A. teams. After meeting with the Clippers and Lakers, Kawhi is expected to give the Raptors the chance to make the final pitch before he finalizes his decision.
The Mavericks are in “strong position” to land free agent shooting guard Danny Green, regardless of what happens with Leonard’s free agency, tweets his podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford. According to Sanford (via Twitter), Dallas views Green as a valuable floor spacer and locker-room presence.
With approximately $4MM in cap space and their $4.8MM room exception still available, the Knicks have checked in on free agent wing James Ennis, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. According to Begley (via Twitter), the Lakers and Clippers are also among the clubs that have touched base with Ennis since free agency started.