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Western Links: Brown, Mavericks, Clippers

June 29th, 2013 at 9:39pm CST by Spencer Lund

The deadline for the Suns to waive Shannon Brown in order to pay half of his $3.5MM salary for the 2013/14 season has passed, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter). Brown was re-signed to a two-year deal worth $7MM with excess Suns' cap room in July of 2012.

The Suns could waive Brown and only eat half of his $3.5MM contract if they did so before whichever occurred first: 36 hours after 11:59 pm the day of the 2013 NBA Draft, or June 30th. That first deadline has passed, so now the Suns are on the hook for the full amount.

Here are some more notes on the Western Conference, including Kobe Bryant's thoughts on Dwight Howard's free agency:

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes that no matter when the Mavericks see Howard, they'll have a captive audience.
But fellow Dallas Morning News columnist, George Diaz, wants his Mavs readers to remember that Howard cherishes fun over titles.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that the Mavs don't expect to hear from Shawn Marion today, since they'll only be notified if he elects to opt out of the final of his contract, and they expect the deadline to pass quietly. Marion has an early termination option for the last year of a deal that will pay him $9.32MM next season (w/ some performance bonus'). SI's Chris Mannix confirms he's not going to opt-out (Twitter).
According to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune, DeMarre Carroll is hoping to get a longer stay with the Jazz.
ESPNLosAngeles.com writers Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi debate whether the addition of Doc Rivers makes the Clippers championship contenders.
Shelburne also says the Clippers are taking their time before making any moves after bringing on Doc Rivers (Twitter), so they're going to take their time with possible Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan moves.
Dan McCarney of the Express-News checks in with the Spurs' Euro stash.
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com spoke with the Lakers' Kobe Bryant about Dwight Howard's impending free agency, and sent out a few tweets with Kobe's answers.

Zgoda On Wolves, Mayo, Stiemsma, Kirilenko

June 29th, 2013 at 1:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Andrei Kirilenko's decision to opt out of his contract could be something of a game-changer for the Wolves, since it frees up more than $10MM of salary for next season. That means the team has greater flexibility to pursue a new starting shooting guard or small forward through trade or free agency, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, pointing to O.J. Mayo as a likely target. President of basketball operations Flip Saunders has said that re-signing restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic is the club's primary offseason goal, and Zgoda looks at what could come next for the Wolves:

Minnesota will waive Greg Stiemsma before his contract becomes fully guaranteed on July 17th, according to Zgoda. I'd imagine the team will try to find takers for Stiemsma's contract in trades before then, though that's just my speculation. There's no partial guarantee on his deal, so the Wolves won't owe him anything if he's off their roster by the 17th of next month.
The Wolves aren't likely to offer more than two seasons in another contract for Kirilenko.
Zgoda wrote earlier this month that either J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour was likely to be traded by draft night, and while that didn't happen, the team was in talks with the Bucks about a Ridnour/Ekpe Udoh swap this week. The Wolves still trying to trade one or both of Barea and Ridnour, according to Zgoda.
The Wolves would like to include the minimum-salary deal of Chris Johnson in a Barea or Ridnour trade, too.
Saunders is expected to meet with free agent small forward Chase Budinger in San Diego to talk about a new deal.

Andrei Kirilenko To Opt Out

June 29th, 2013 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Andrei Kirilenko is opting out of his deal with the T’Wolves, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). The Russian will hit the open market rather than earn $10.22MM with Minnesota next season.

We’ve heard that the Wolves would like to bring Kirilenko back, but aren’t keen on a deal that would pay him $10MM+ per season. Kirilenko’s opting out may not be a sign that he is expecting a deal with an AAV beyond $10MM, but the 32-year-old could be seeking something in that neighborhood on a multi-year deal.

If the Wolves do not retain Kirilenko, they could be left with a decent chunk of cap space this summer. With AK off of the books, the Wolves have roughly $39MM in guaranteed salary for next season. Of course, the Wolves will have to commit a considerable amount of money to Nikola Pekovic if they decide to match his offer sheet. All indications are that the club wants to retain the 27-year-old.

Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Maynor, Wolves

June 28th, 2013 at 10:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was quantity over quality for Northwest Division clubs in the 2013 draft. None of them landed anyone picked higher than ninth, with Trey Burke heading to the Jazz, but seven of the 30 first-round picks wound up with Northwest teams, including two each for the Jazz, Timberwolves and Thunder. The only team from the division not to come away with a first-rounder was the Nuggets, who wound up with a pair of players from the second round. Here's more from the Northwest:

LaMarcus Aldridge isn't completely sure he wants a trade, but if he is dealt, he would reportedly prefer to go to the Bulls. Unless the Blazers are willing to accept Carlos Boozer or Luol Deng in return, it's unlikely Aldridge ends up in the Windy City, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Eric Maynor didn't get a qualifying offer from the Blazers, but that move was expected and both team and player expressed interest in a reunion via unrestricted free agency. The drafting of C.J. McCollum is a much stronger sign that Maynor won't be back, according to The Oregonian's Joe Freeman.
Tim Leighton of the St. Paul Pioneer Press examines the uncertainty surrounding Andrei Kirilenko's pending decision on his $10.2MM player option for next season and speculates on possible free agent fits for the Wolves. He lists O.J. Mayo, J.J. Redick, Kevin Martin, Kyle Korver and Marco Belinelli as possible targets.

No. 26 Pick To Thunder, No. 29 To Warriors

June 28th, 2013 at 9:52pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:52pm: The Thunder confirmed their end of the trade via press release. Oklahoma City acquired the rights to Roberson (No. 26) in exchange for Archie Goodwin (No. 29) and cash (presumably the $1MM that Kawakami reported).

THURSDAY, 11:22pm: Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has the details on the Warriors' trades via Twitter. According to Kawakami, Golden State gave up $1.6MM and a 2014 second-rounder for the Wolves' 26th overall pick and Malcolm Lee. The Warriors then got $1MM from the Thunder to move back to No. 29. Finally, Golden State sent Lee and the 29th pick to the Suns for No. 30. The key takeaway here is that Lee's guaranteed 2013/14 salary is now on Phoenix's books.

9:42pm: According to Katz (via Twitter), the Warriors also sent a future second-round pick to the Wolves in order to initially grab the 26th pick.

9:17pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports now reports (via Twitter) that the Thunder have moved up to No. 26, while the Warriors will acquire OKC's No. 29 pick. According to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman (via Twitter), Golden State bought the 26th pick from Minnesota, then sent it to the Thunder for the 29th pick and cash. The Thunder will take Andre Roberson with the 26th pick, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

9:13pm: The Timberwolves have agreed to send the No. 26 overall pick to the Warriors, according to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter). The Wolves had previously picked up an extra first-rounder by sending their 9th overall pick to the Jazz for the 14th and 21st picks. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that the Wolves appeared likely to move the 26th pick.

Wolves Exercise Option On Dante Cunningham

June 28th, 2013 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have exercised their team option to retain Dante Cunningham for the 2013/14 season, the team announced today (Twitter link). The decision will ensure that Cunningham is guaranteed his $2.18MM salary for next year.

Cunningham, 26, was one of the few Wolves to stay healthy last season, appearing in 80 games for the club and recording averages of 8.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG. While Cunningham's production wasn't spectacular enough, it was solid enough to make him a good value at $2.18MM.

The Wolves will also face a couple more decisions on current players in July. Greg Stiemsma's $2.69MM salary for next year will be guaranteed if he's not waived on or before July 17th, while Mickael Gelabale's minimum-salary deal will be guaranteed if he's not released on or before July 22nd.

Wolves Extend Qualifying Offer To Nikola Pekovic

June 28th, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Amidst all the draft craziness yesterday, the Timberwolves made a procedural move, submitting a qualifying offer to Nikola Pekovic, the team announced (via Twitter). The one-year offer, worth $6,046,500, officially makes Pekovic a restricted free agent this summer.

Like the other top restricted free agents on the market, Pekovic won't be accepting the qualifying offer, but it ensures that the Wolves will have the opportunity to match a rival offer sheet for the big man. Although Minnesota has insisted that retaining Pekovic is the club's top priority this summer, the 27-year-old figures to receive long-term offers in the neighborhood of at least $12MM annually.

In his third season in the NBA in 2012/13, Pekovic averaged a double-double, establishing career-highs in PPG (16.3) and RPG (10.0), among other categories.

Jazz Acquire Trey Burke

June 27th, 2013 at 9:29pm CST by Luke Adams

9:29pm: The deal is now official, with Burke heading to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14) and Gorgui Dieng (No. 21).

7:34pm: The Jazz will acquire ninth overall pick Trey Burke from the Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that the T-Wolves will acquire the 14th and 21st picks in the swap.

There was speculation earlier today that Utah would trade up in the draft to land one of the top point guards on the board. It was reported that the team may have to include Alec Burks along with the two first-rounders to get a deal done, but with Burke slipping to No. 9, the Wolves were apparently ahppy to simply pick up an extra pick.

Mid-Draft Rumors: Noel, 76ers, Warriors, Suns

June 27th, 2013 at 7:46pm CST by Luke Adams

You can follow tonight's draft picks right here, but we're hearing plenty of other rumblings outside of the picks themselves. Let's round up a few….

One executive whose team passed on Nerlens Noel told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Kentucky big man is actually healthier than Anthony Bennett or Alex Len, so injury concerns weren't the reason Noel slipped.
The blockbuster trade the Sixers made, acquiring Noel and a 2014 first-rounder for Jrue Holiday, signals one reason the team hasn't hired a coach yet, tweets Broussard. With a rebuild seemingly on the way, the 76ers wanted a new head coach to know what he was getting into.
The Warriors are receiving calls on Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, but value both players "very, very, very highly," according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
The Suns drafted Alex Len to keep him, and have no deals in place, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
A Luke Ridnour/Ekpe Udoh swap between the Timberwolves and Bucks won't happen tonight, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Cavs are in the process of trying to move up from No. 19, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.

More Draft Rumors: Thunder, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz

June 27th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will be on the clock in less than two hours, and we still don't know exactly what they'll do with that No. 1 pick. The rest of the first round only gets more uncertain, so it looks like we're in for a fun night. Here are the latest rumors and rumblings related to the 2013 draft:

The Thunder tried to acquire the Cavs' first overall pick, but OKC's bid failed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter), the Cavs have made a decision on their first overall pick, assuming they hang onto it. Within the next 15 minutes or so, we'll know what that decision is.
The Raptors are finding no traction in their efforts to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
While the Wolves continue attempting to move up in the lottery, teams ahead of them are "hesitant" to move their picks, a source tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

While the Jazz could be seeking a point guard at No. 14, don't expect Michael Carter-Williams to fall to them, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
The Cavs "definitely" have interest in Lucas Nogueira, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's Chad Ford is hearing that the Pistons will ride things out and keep the No. 8 pick (Twitter link).
The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th pick "as hard as advertised," in hopes of landing a 2014 lottery pick, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
In addition to the Suns (mentioned below), the Timberwolves also remain in play for the No. 1 pick, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Suns have offered the Cavs the Nos. 5 and 30 picks for the first overall pick, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Phoenix is after Nerlens Noel, according to Ford. But given how highly the Cavs seem to value that top pick, I doubt that offer gets it done.
There's "little chance" that the Magic part with the No. 2 pick, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
While the Timberwolves still have interest in trading up from No. 9, the price remains high, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. In the likely scenario that Minnesota remains at No. 9, the team is expected to target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cody Zeller, and C.J. McCollum, in that order.
The Cavs continue to explore trades involving the No. 1 pick, and Broussard says (via Twitter) that if they take anyone besides Alex Len, it could be part of a deal.
Various reports indicate that the Raptors are looking to acquire a lottery pick. Broussard tweets that they could be trying to get as high as No. 2, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com is hearing (Twitter link) Toronto is targeting a late lottery pick with its eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Suns are trying to acquire late-first-round picks, hoping to add more young players to the roster, tweets Broussard.
Although the Trail Blazers would like to add veterans more than youth, indications are that they'll keep the No. 10 pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The possibility that the Thunder could draft Antetokounmpo at No. 12 probably scares the Hawks, who have long coveted the "Greek Freak," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.