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Latest On Russell Westbrook

July 7th, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat and Pistons are expected to be the top contenders to land Russell Westbrook if the Thunder decide to trade him, according to Sam Amick and Brett Dawson of The Athletic.

Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti will meet this week with Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, to plot out the future for the former MVP. All three were blindsided by Paul George‘s trade request, which was the result of Kawhi Leonard‘s successful lobbying effort to join him on the Clippers.

The Thunder are motivated to move Westbrook, not only because he’s the lone star left in OKC and will make $171MM over the next four years, but also because he plays the same position as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the centerpiece of their return in the George deal.

Miami would like to pair Westbrook with Jimmy Butler and could offer a package built around Goran Dragic, who has one year left on his contract at $19.2MM, and Dion Waiters, who is owed a combined $24.7MM over the next two seasons. Detroit’s offer might include Andre Drummond ($27MM in 2019/20 with a $28.75MM player option the following season), Reggie Jackson (one year left at $18MM) and Tony Snell ($11.39MM next season followed by a $12.18MM player option).

Some executives believe the Rockets could get involved as well, given GM Daryl Morey’s penchant for star chasing. However, pairing Westbrook with James Harden and Chris Paul, two other guards who like to control the ball, may prove awkward, and matching salary wouldn’t be easy. Houston would almost certainly have to part with Clint Capela ($14.9MM next season), Eric Gordon ($14MM), and P.J. Tucker ($8.35MM) in any deal if Paul isn’t included.

Sources with knowledge of Houston’s thinking confirmed to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com that the Rockets have interest in Westbrook. However, one team source described a potential deal as a “long shot,” says MacMahon.

There’s more today on the Westbrook front:

The Knicks have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Westbrook, but will have to wait until December to make a move, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York no longer has the cap room to absorb Westbrook’s $37.5MM salary for next season after reaching deals with six free agents, and those new players can’t be traded before December 15. If the opportunity is still there, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington and Taj Gibson will all have expiring contracts that could interest the Thunder as they try to reduce a league-high tax bill. The Knicks can also offer the 2021 and 2023 first-rounders they acquired from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Berman adds.
Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated mentions the Timberwolves, Celtics and Magic as other possibilities. A swap with Minnesota would be easy if OKC would accept Andrew Wiggins in return, he states, while the Celtics could offer Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown or wait a year and trade newly acquired Kemba Walker. Orlando has been seeking a point guard for years and has a lot of wings and big men to offer.
The Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, Bucks, Spurs and Raptors all have the assets to get involved as well, according to Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com.

Magic Re-Sign Nikola Vucevic To Four-Year Deal

July 6th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6: The Magic have officially re-signed Vucevic, the team confirmed today in a press release. The club also announced its deals with Terrence Ross and Al-Farouq Aminu.

JUNE 29: All-Star center Nikola Vucevic will stay in Orlando on a four-year, $100MM contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The deal will enable the Magic to keep one of the primary cogs of their playoff team in place for what should be the best part of his career. The 28-year-old posted career highs this season with 20.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per night. He also improved as a 3-point shooter, sinking 1.1 per game and hitting them at a .364 clip.

Vucevic was among the biggest bargains in the league this year, putting up All-Star numbers at a salary of $12.25MM. He has blossomed into an elite NBA center since being acquired from the Sixers in a four-team trade in 2012.

The signing is bad news for teams seeking center help in free agency, such as the Kings and Mavericks. The Celtics were also rumored to be interested in Vucevic before committing their cap room to Kemba Walker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Waive Center Timofey Mozgov

July 6th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have waived center Timofey Mozgov, according to a tweet from the team’s PR department. Mozgov missed all of last season due to a knee injury.

Mozgov’s $16.72MM salary for next season is fully guaranteed and Orlando will use the stretch provision to avoid going over the luxury tax threshold, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. His salary will be stretched at a cost of $5.57MM per year over the next three years. By stretching Mozgov’s contract, Orlando could potentially retain restricted free agent Khem Birch, Robbins adds (Twitter links). Orlando made Birch an RFA by extending a $1.82MM qualifying offer.

The Magic were $3MM over the luxury tax line and a projected $890K below the tax apron prior to waiving Mozgov, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. By stretching Mozgov, Orlando falls $8.2MM under the tax and $12MM under the apron, Marks adds.

Mozgov underwent right knee surgery in early January. The Magic acquired him last July as part of a three-way swap with the Bulls and Hornets.

Mozgov, 32, was one of the big winners during the free agent frenzy of 2016, as he signed a four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers. Buyer’s remorse quickly set in as he only appeared in 54 games with Los Angeles before he was traded to Brooklyn. The Hornets acquired him last summer, then shipped him to Orlando.

Given his injury situation and lack of production in prior years, Mozgov made find it difficult landing another NBA job.

Eastern Notes: Lawson, Bulls, Collison, Sirvydis, Magic

July 4th, 2019 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics announced three additions to their coaching staff today, including the official hiring of Kara Lawson as their first-ever female assistant. A 13-year WNBA veteran and Olympic gold medal winner, she spent the past two seasons as the primary television analyst for the Wizards and covered games for ESPN Radio.

“This was a good fit,” Lawson said to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I wanted to go somewhere where I’d be challenged, I wanted to go somewhere where I’d be allowed to coach, and I wanted to go to an organization that was going to be playing in big games to be able to get a sense of that last frontier of coaching, which is being able to do it in pressure situations in the regular season and the playoffs.”

Also added to coach Brad Stevens’ staff were Brandon Bailey, who served as coach of the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine the past two seasons, and Joe Mazzulla, a former assistant with the Red Claws.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

It got lost in the shuffle of this week’s free agency frenzy, but according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), there was a belief in league circles that the Bulls were the frontrunners to sign Darren Collison before the free agent point guard unexpectedly announced his retirement.
The Bulls have added two new assistants to head coach Jim Boylen’s staff, according to a press release from the team. Chris Fleming announced in May that he was leaving the Nets to come to Chicago, and Roy Rogers, who recently parted ways with the Rockets, officially joined the team Wednesday. In addition, Karen Stack has been elevated to assistant coach, Paul Miller was named assistant to the head coach and former intern Chris Kent is the new video coordinator.
Deividas Sirvydis, who was selected by the Pistons with the 37th pick in the draft, will likely spend the upcoming season in Europe, tweets international basketball writer Donatas Urbonas. Rytas Vilnius GM Rolandas Jarutis expects to have the 6’8″ shooting guard back next season unless he has an outstanding performance with Detroit’s Summer League team. Sirvydis, 19, was MVP of the EuroLeague Basketball Next Generation Tournament in 2018.
The Magic have probably given up on Fran Vazquez ever coming to the NBA, but there was news this week on their 2005 draft pick, whose draft rights they still retain, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. The 36-year-old re-signed with his Zaragoza team in Spain, so his cap hold will be removed from Orlando’s books for another season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Sumner, Nets, De Colo

July 2nd, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The first-round draft pick the Pacers will send the Bucks in their sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon is lottery-protected in 2020, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. And if it doesn’t convey in 2020, it’s lottery-protected for five more drafts after that before becoming unprotected in 2026, Lowe adds. In other words, barring a catastrophe in Indiana, Milwaukee will be getting a pick in the back half of the first round, likely next year.

Meanwhile, Edmond Sumner‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will be worth $6.5MM, a league source tells Grant Afseth of The Kokomo Tribune (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether all three years will be fully guaranteed, but it sounds like Sumner will be getting more than the minimum.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

A source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times that Spencer Dinwiddie was “at the forefront” of a months-long push to convince Kyrie Irving to choose the Nets over the Knicks — and to push Kevin Durant in the same direction. While DeAndre Jordan spent the last two months of the season with the Knicks, he also came to view Brooklyn as a more favorable destination to team up with Irving and Durant, according to Stein, who says the veteran center “joined the chorus promoting the Nets” in recent days.
EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahce is in serious pursuit of Raptors RFA guard Nando De Colo, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, De Colo – who last wore an NBA uniform in 2014 – remains focused on getting back into the NBA. But if he doesn’t get an offer he likes within the next couple weeks, it’s possible he’ll sign with the Turkish club, says Carchia.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with veteran center Nikola Vucevic to talk to him about his new $100MM contract agreement with the Magic. “I feel rewarded for what I’ve done – not just last season, but what I’ve done throughout all of my years in Orlando,” Vucevic said of his new deal. “It means a lot for the team to reward me with this nice contract. It was important for me to be able to continue [my career] there and I’m glad we were able to agree on a deal that keeps me in Orlando for four more years.”

Magic Sign Al-Farouq Aminu To Three-Year Deal

June 30th, 2019 at 5:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 6: The Magic have officially signed Aminu, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Magic have agreed to a contract with Al-Farouq Aminu, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The deal will be for three years and $29MM, which works out to the amount of the full non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. It includes a player option on the final year.

Aminu, 28, averaged 9.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 81 games (28.3 MPG) as the Trail Blazers’ starting power forward last season. He’s also capable of knocking down three-pointers, having made 35.3% of his attempts during his four years in Portland, and is a strong defender.

With so many high-priced commitments in Portland, it’s no surprise that Aminu was forced to look elsewhere for a contract this offseason. Orlando has been busy this weekend, already agreeing to bring back Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Re-Sign Terrence Ross

June 30th, 2019 at 5:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 6: The Magic have officially re-signed Ross, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Magic will re-sign Terrence Ross to a four-year, $54MM deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Orlando appears content to run it back with the team that made the playoffs this past season for the first time since it traded away Dwight Howard. The Magic also agreed to re-sign Nikola Vucevic, one of the pieces they received in that 2012 Howard deal.

The Magic acquired Ross in the Serge Ibaka deal during the 2016/17 campaign. He started 81 games for the club last season, posting 15.1 PPG in just 26.5 minutes per game as Orlando’s sixth man. He also knocked down 38.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc while jacking up 7.0 per game.

Because the Magic held Ross’ Bird rights, no other exception will be required to make the signing official.

We ranked Ross 19th in our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Harris, Leonard, Portis

June 30th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Tobias Harris is meeting with the Sixers to begin free agency, The Athletic’s David Aldridge tweets. Harris is seeking a full, five-year max deal.

Jimmy Butler is in Miami to begin his free agency tour and is expected to tell the Heat that he wants to sign with them. The Sixers will likely get a chance to speak with Butler before he signs elsewhere, as Miami doesn’t have the cap space necessary to offer Butler a max contract.

Here’s more from the start of free agency:

Magic Johnson said he has spoken to Kawhi Leonard and Dennis Robertson (Leonard’s uncle) after Leonard’s camp contacted him, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link). No meeting between the parties has been set up yet.
Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker are both operating as if they will not be back with the Wizards, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reports on Twitter. Both players were brought to Washington in the mid-season deal that sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago.
Julius Randle is on the Knicks‘ radar, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link). New York missed out on Kevin Durant, watching him sign with the Nets.
The Knicks are meeting with Reggie Bullock tonight, Aldridge tweets. Bullock is ready to commit to a “strong offer,” Aldridge adds. The Lakers would like to keep him, though New York will be among the teams which will have a chance to steal him away from Los Angeles.

Malcolm Brogdon Gets Qualifying Offer From Bucks

June 29th, 2019 at 11:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks took the decision down to the wire, but they have extended a qualifying offer to Malcolm Brogdon that makes him a restricted free agent, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Brogdon’s offer is $3,021,354, according to Basketball Insiders, and that will also count as his cap hold.

The 2017 Rookie of the Year has been limited by injuries the past two seasons. He put up a 15.6/4.5/3.2 line in 64 games before suffering a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot in March. Brogdon has earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s most efficient shooters, averaging 51% from the field, 43% from 3-point range and a league-best 93% from the foul line this year.

The Bucks may be reluctant to match a huge offer for Brogdon when they have other free agent concerns in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. The Suns, Bulls, Mavericks and Pacers have been mentioned among interested teams, but there are lingering concerns about the long-term condition of his foot.

There are a few more decisions on qualifying offers to catch up on:

The Nuggets extended a QO to two-way player Brandon Goodwin, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. The point guard got into 16 NBA games during his rookie season.
The Hawks opted not to give a QO to Justin Anderson, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Journal Constitution (Twitter link). Anderson appeared in 48 games for Atlanta after being acquired in a trade with the Sixers last summer.
Jerian Grant will also be an unrestricted free agent after the Magic passed on a QO, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge. Acquired from the Bulls during the offseason, Grant appeared in 60 games for Orlando.
The Clippers didn’t extend a QO to G League Rookie of the Year Angel Delgado, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.
Rockets two-way players Trevon Duval and Vince Edwards didn’t receive qualifying offers, and neither did Warriors two-way player Marcus Derrickson, according to Keith Smith. However, Damion Lee – Golden State’s other two-way player – received a QO (Twitter links).

Magic Preparing Four-Year, $90MM+ Offer For Vucevic

June 28th, 2019 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are preparing a four-year contract offer believed to be worth more than $90MM for free agent center Nikola Vucevic, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter). Orlando is hoping to complete a deal with Vucevic early in free agency, according to Stein.

Vucevic, 28, is coming off the best season of his eight-year NBA career. He established new career highs in PPG (20.8) and RPG (12.0), among other categories, adding a more reliable three-point shot to his game (1.1 3PG, .364 3PT%).

Although he struggled in the playoffs as the Magic fell in five games to the Raptors, Vucevic is Orlando’s only All-Star, and it makes sense that the team would make a strong effort to bring him back, even after using last year’s lottery pick on a center (Mohamed Bamba).

It remains to be seen if the Magic’s offer will be strong enough to entice Vucevic to stay. He’s expected to draw interest from a handful of other teams in need of frontcourt help — the Kings and Mavericks have been frequently mentioned as possible landing spots, though Dallas is believed to be wary of his asking price. The Celtics are also a potential suitor, but appear more likely to use their cap room on Kemba Walker.