NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Bulls Sign Matas Buzelis To Rookie Contract

July 3rd, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Rookie forward Matas Buzelis, the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft, has signed his first NBA contract with the Bulls, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

A 6’10” forward who played for the G League Ignite in 2023/24, Buzelis averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game across 34 NBAGL outings. While there’s optimism among NBA evaluators about his ability to improve as a shooter, he made a modest 45.3% of his field goal attempts and 26.1% of his three-pointers for the Ignite.

Viewed as a possible top-five pick, Buzelis slipped out of the top 10 and will head to a Chicago team that’s in the midst of retooling its roster. The Bulls have already traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, are prepared to lose DeMar DeRozan in free agency, and are looking to move Zach LaVine.

As our breakdown of this year’s rookie salaries shows, Buzelis will earn approximately $5.2MM in his first NBA season and nearly $24MM over the course of four years, assuming he signed for the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale (which virtually every first-rounder does). The third and fourth years of the deal will be team options.

FA Rumors: DeRozan, Kings, Hield, Warriors, Martin, Heat, Hezonja

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Assuming DeMar DeRozan doesn’t sign with a cap-room team, it will almost certainly require a sign-and-trade to land him, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link). As Haynes explains, DeRozan has no interest in settling for a mid-level offer.

“For the teams that might be calling or gauging interest in DeMar taking a full mid-level exception, which is around $13MM, I’m told that is not even being considered right now,” Haynes said on Tuesday.

The Bulls won’t bring back DeRozan, but they’re open to working with him on a sign-and-trade to help him get where he wants, Haynes confirms. Still, negotiating that sort of deal will be a challenge, given that some of the forward’s suitors (like Miami) aren’t in a great financial position to make a sign-and-trade. I’d also expect Chicago will be reluctant to take back much salary, since the team projects to be about $13MM below the luxury tax line, though that number is fluid and would move up or down if other moves are made.

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape identified the Kings as one “dark horse” suitor to watch for DeRozan. Sacramento has reportedly made Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and draft capital available in trade talks (in general, not for DeRozan specifically) as the team looks to upgrade its roster around Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Previous reporting has indicated that the Bulls like Huerter.

Here are a few more free agency updates from around the NBA:

Buddy Hield doesn’t have an agreement in place with the Warriors yet, but the two sides are “tracking toward” a deal, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links), who says that a sign-and-trade would likely see the Sixers receive second-round draft capital in return. If Golden State doesn’t send out additional salary, the club would have to absorb both Hield and Kyle Anderson into a trade exception created by sending Klay Thompson to Dallas, or complete all three of those moves as one multi-team mega-deal in order to maximize Thompson’s outgoing salary as a matching piece (John Hollinger of The Athletic briefly explored this more complex possibility on Tuesday night).
While Caleb Martin‘s return to the Heat is still considered unlikely, it shouldn’t be entirely ruled out, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang, who suggest in a pair of stories for The Miami Herald that the team’s interest in re-signing Martin hasn’t waned as long as the price is right. Jackson and Chiang also say that Miami remains in the mix to sign Haywood Highsmith, though his return is “far from guaranteed.”
The Heat had initial discussions with DeMar DeRozan on Tuesday and expect to follow up on Wednesday, but there have been no indications that the club will “move mountains” (ie. shed significant salary) in order to land him, Jackson tweets.
Although Real Madrid has officially announced its new five-year contract with Mario Hezonja, the veteran forward has an NBA-opt out until July 20 with a modest buyout figure and has received interest from “numerous” NBA teams, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The 29-year-old, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, appeared in 330 NBA regular season games but has been out of the league since 2020.

Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents

July 3rd, 2024 at 7:09am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of this year’s top free agents came off the board during the exclusive window for teams to negotiate with their own players between the end of the NBA Finals and the official start of free agency on June 30. Many more have reached deals with their own teams or new clubs since Sunday at 5:00 pm CT.

But there are still many starter- and rotation-caliber players left unsigned — only 33 of our top 50 free agents have reached contract agreements so far, leaving 17 up for grabs. Here are those players who don’t yet have new deals in place:

LeBron James, F
DeMar DeRozan, F
Miles Bridges, F
Tyus Jones, G
Gary Trent Jr., G
Isaac Okoro, F (Cavaliers RFA)
Caleb Martin, F
Buddy Hield, G
Simone Fontecchio, F (Pistons RFA)
Luke Kennard, G
Malik Beasley, G/F
Haywood Highsmith, G/F
Precious Achiuwa, F/C
Markelle Fultz, G
Saddiq Bey, F
Cedi Osman, F
Gordon Hayward, F

Now, this isn’t 2010, 2014, or 2018. No one expects James to leave Los Angeles. It’s presumably just a matter of time until he and the Lakers agree to terms on either a new maximum-salary contract or something below that, if it helps L.A. acquire an impact player.

But even if we take the four-time MVP off this list, there are some intriguing names here, starting with DeRozan, a player believed to be the only free agent still available whom LeBron would take a pay cut to accommodate. As we relayed on Tuesday, the Lakers have interest in DeRozan, as do the Heat, but Miami can’t offer more than the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.2MM) and L.A. would almost certainly have to move at least one eight-figure contract to make a competitive offer for the star forward.

There’s reportedly some mutual interest between the Clippers and Bridges, though that interest may be stronger from the player’s side than the team’s. Jones, meanwhile, is said to be seeking starter-level money, with a sign-and-trade considered a possibility, but we haven’t really heard much about which teams are involved for the steady veteran point guard.

It’s interesting that Trent, Hield, Kennard, and Beasley are among the top free agents without a deal. All four provide valuable floor-spacing on offense, but aren’t elite defenders. Teams may be wary about investing big money in outside shooters who could be targeted (especially in the postseason) on the other end of the court. The Warriors are reportedly discussing a potential sign-and-trade deal for Hield, while Kennard is considered likely to return to the Grizzlies.

As long as there’s no team pursuing an offer sheet for Okoro or Fontecchio, the Cavaliers and Pistons can afford to be patient in those negotiations, since they have most of the leverage over their respective restricted free agents. The Knicks and Hawks don’t have the same leverage with Achiuwa and Bey after declining to issue them qualifying offers, but even as unrestricted free agents, both players appear open to re-signing with their previous teams.

I’m a little surprised that neither Martin nor Highsmith has come off the board yet. The longer the stay out there, the more the door cracks open for a possible return to the Heat, though that’s considered more plausible for Highsmith than Martin.

As for Fultz, Osman, and Hayward, the rumor mill has been pretty quiet on those players so far.

One factor that’ll make it more difficult for all of these players to get favorable contracts? Keith Smith of Spotrac tweeted on Tuesday morning that the Jazz, Pistons, Magic, and Sixers were the only teams with cap room remaining, and Orlando has since used most or all of that leftover space by agreeing to re-sign Moritz Wagner and agreeing to renegotiate Jonathan Isaac‘s contract to give him a pay raise for 2024/25.

Utah and Detroit could still add another free agent or two, but it may be prudent for them to keep much of their cap room open for now in order to be able to jump into trade talks as a third team willing to take on salary that comes with assets attached. Philadelphia is also a possible landing spot for some of these free agents, but the 76ers also seem to be exploring ways to use their remaining cap room on the trade market, with Dorian Finney-Smith mentioned on Tuesday as one potential target.

If they can’t land a deal from one of those cap-room teams, many of the best free agents left on the board will have to find a team willing to hard-cap itself at the first tax apron by acquiring them via sign-and-trade or by signing them using more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception. That may not be easy, and could result in some of the players on the back end of our top 50 ultimately settling for the minimum or something close to it.

All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2024 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Warriors Pursuing Buddy Hield Via Sign-And-Trade

July 2nd, 2024 at 11:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are engaging in serious discussions about a sign-and-trade that would send sharpshooter Buddy Hield to Golden State, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the Warriors and Sixers are working on the details of a potential deal.

While Golden State is parting ways this offseason with Klay Thompson, who ranks sixth all-time in made three-pointers (2,481), Hield isn’t far behind him on that all-time list, coming in at No. 22 with 1,924 three-pointers of his own. Over the course of his eight-year career, Hield has knocked down 40.0% of 7.6 three-point attempts per game.

In 2023/24, Hield appeared in a league-high 84 regular season games, exceeding the typical 82-game limit as a result of a midseason trade that sent him from Indiana to Philadelphia. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 25.7 minutes per game for the Pacers and Sixers, with a .386 3PT%.

Hield’s elite shooting made him the No. 24 free agent on our top-50 list, though as I wrote within that article, his game doesn’t really stand out in many other areas. His value also took a bit of a hit this year, as he was essentially dumped for non-rotation players and a couple second-round picks by a Pacers team that eventually made it to the Eastern Conference finals, then barely saw the court in the Sixers’ first-round playoff series vs. New York.

Still, depending on the cost – in terms of both his salary and the piece(s) going to Philadelphia – that outside shot could make him a worthwhile investment for the Warriors.

It’s unclear if Golden State would be sending out any salary in the proposed sign-and-trade. There are ways for the team to pull it off with little to no outgoing money as long as Hield’s starting salary isn’t too high, but moving off an expiring contract – such as Gary Payton II and/or Kevon Looney – would give the Warriors more flexibility under their first-apron hard cap and could allow for a more lucrative contract for Hield. A third team might be required in that scenario if the Sixers aren’t interested in taking on salary from the Warriors. But to be clear, this is all hypothetical, since no other details on the talks have been reported so far.

Central Notes: Smith, LaVine, Mitchell, Rivers, Bucks’ Staff, Wright

July 2nd, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On the surface, the Bulls’ three-year agreement with free agent Jalen Smith may not seem like a big deal. But The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry believes the former Pacers big man could be due for a breakout season.

Smith fits into the Bulls’ aim of getting younger and more athletic. He’s adept at rim-running and offensive rebounding and he’ll improve their interior defense, Mayberry writes, adding that Smith could even become the starter if Nikola Vucevic is dealt.

We have more from the Central Division:

An NBA insider tells The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley that the relationship between Zach LaVine and the Bulls’ top brass is completely shattered and “filled with mistrust.” The Bulls are trying hard to move LaVine and his big contract. If they fail in those efforts before training camp, the front office and ownership would consider that the worst-case scenario.
With the Cavaliers getting Donovan Mitchell to agree to an extension, the gamble they made in agreeing to that blockbuster 2022 deal with Utah has paid off for the team and the city, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. Mitchell’s presence in the Cleveland lineup will keep it in contention for the foreseeable future, he adds.
The Bucks have salary-cap issues and will have to rely more on their younger players to fill in the gaps. Coach Doc Rivers isn’t fazed by that prospect, he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We wanted young talent. We did,” Rivers said. “We think that skill development in our league is becoming more and more important. The more of the young talent you can get to bring up with the veteran talent, the better. And that’s what we’re going to do all summer. Free agency is here right now, and now we’re looking for other guys, more veterans, to add to the mix. I like the mix of guys I think we’re going to end up with and it’s exactly the ratio that we want right now.”
The Bucks have finalized their coaching staff, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. The Bucks have hired Darvin Ham, Greg Buckner, Jason Love and Spencer Rivers as additions to the staff this summer. Dave Joerger, Rex Kalamian, Pete Dominguez, Joe Prunty and Vin Baker will remain on Rivers’ staff.
The Bucks are adding veteran guard Delon Wright on a one-year deal and Nehm takes a closer look at what he could bring to the rotation.

Suns Sign Jalen Bridges To Two-Way Contract

July 2nd, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 2: Bridges has officially signed his two-way contract with the Suns, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

JUNE 27: Baylor forward Jalen Bridges, who was ranked No. 53 on ESPN’s big board but ultimately went undrafted, has agreed to a two-way contract with the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania hears Bridges was coveted by “several” suitors before accepting a two-way deal with Phoenix.

Bridges, who spent his first couple seasons with West Virginia before transferring to Baylor in 2022, averaged 12.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 1.1 SPG while converting 41.2% of his three-point looks in 35 games for the Bears in 2023/24 (31.7 MPG).

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bridges has a sturdy frame and solid potential as a three-and-D role player if he can continue to make shots at a high level while minimizing mistakes on both ends of the court. However, he doesn’t provide much as a ball-handler or passer.

Bridges was ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s best available list among players who went undrafted.

L.A. Notes: Bridges, George, Tucker, Gentry, Thompson, Bronny James, Hood-Schifino

July 2nd, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have some interest in free agent forward Miles Bridges, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports. Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season for the Hornets but his history of domestic violence allegations may have turned off some potential suitors. A sign-and trade would likely be required for the Clippers, with Norman Powell ($19.2MM) and Terance Mann ($11.5MM) among the potential trade pieces if something comes to fruition, Turner writes.

Law Murray of The Athletic confirms that the Clippers are exploring the possibility of adding Bridges, but he believes that the forward has more interest in the potential union than the team does. According to Turner, people close to Bridges view the Clippers as a fit due to the organization’s apparent willingness to give players second chances.

Los Angeles reached a deal earlier in free agency with guard Kevin Porter Jr., who also faced domestic violence allegations, and previously signed Joshua Primo, who was waived by the Spurs after he was accused of exposing himself to multiple women.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

An interesting side note on the failed Clippers-George negotiations, which led to his departure to Philadelphia: George, a California native, was “increasingly turned off” by the Clippers’ belief that he would stay with the team just so that his family could attend the games, according to The Athletic’s Murray.
In the same story, Murray reports that the Clippers are expected to part ways with P.J. Tucker this offseason, either by trading or waiving him. Tucker picked up his $11.54MM option for next season. Using the stretch provision to reduce his impact on the 2024/25 cap would be an option if he’s waived, Murray notes.
The Lakers are interested in adding longtime NBA coach Alvin Gentry to J.J. Redick’s staff, Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Gentry coached Anthony Davis and Redick in New Orleans.
Klay Thompson upset a member of his family by choosing to go the Mavericks instead of the Lakers, ESPN relays. Father Mychal Thompson, who played for the “Showtime Lakers” in the 1980s, wanted Klay to follow in his footsteps, he said in a SiriusXM NBA interview. “I’m really disappointed. I was hoping, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker,” Mychal said. “And it was close. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. But you know me, I was hoping and praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
There are many skeptics, but Redick said second-round pick Bronny James “earned” his way onto the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Rob (Pelinka) and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this. … Bronny has earned this through hard work.” LeBron James‘ son said he’s ready for the spotlight. “For sure, amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny said. “I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff, and the internet and stuff and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with st life. So it’s nothing different, but it’s more amplified, for sure. But I’ll get through it.” Bronny will sign a standard contract.
Lakers 2023 first-rounder Jalen Hood-Schifino won’t be on the club’s Summer League roster, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times tweets. He’s still rehabbing from back surgery.

Stotts, Stackhouse Expected To Join Warriors’ Staff

July 2nd, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors are planning to hire Terry Stotts as Steve Kerr‘s lead assistant coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Jerry Stackhouse is also expected to join the staff.

Stotts, 66, has a long career as an NBA head coach and assistant. Stotts was the Trail Blazers’ head coach from 2012-21 and was also head coach of Atlanta and Milwaukee. Stotts was hired as Adrian Griffin‘s lead assistant with the Bucks last offseason but abruptly left the organization before the regular season started when they clashed over scheme and philosophy.

Stotts will take the spot previously held by Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers’ new head coach. Stotts was also on Cleveland’s radar during its head coaching search.

Stackhouse, 49, interviewed for the Hornets coaching job that eventually went to Charles Lee. Stackhouse was hired as Vanderbilt’s head coach in 2019. The school parted ways with him after last season. The former All-Star guard was previously an assistant with the Raptors and Grizzlies and was also the head coach of the G League 905 Raptors.

Jazz’s Williams, Collier Sign Rookie Scale Contracts

July 2nd, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have signed first round picks Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier, according to a team press release.

The 10th pick in last week’s draft, Williams will make $5,469,120 in his first season, assuming the usual 120% of the rookie scale figure given out by most teams to first-rounders. He’s due to make $24,897,090 during his first four years in the NBA.

Collier, the 29th pick, is eligibile to receive $2,512,680 in his first year and a total of $12,903,788 through his first four seasons.

Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.

The 6’8” Williams posted averages of 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.4 minutes per contest as a Colorado freshman. The 6’5” Collier, a 2023-24 Pac-12 All-Freshman team honoree at USC, averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 27 games.

Celtics Sign Xavier Tillman To Two-Year Deal

July 2nd, 2024 at 7:08pm CST by Luke Adams

7:08pm: Tillman has officially re-signed with the Celtics, the club confirmed in a press release.

“When we got Xavier at the trade deadline, he came with the reputation of a winner and great teammate,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “Xavier is a hard worker who brings grit, toughness, and a team-first mentality that we appreciate. We are excited that Xavier has chosen to come back to the Celtics.”

4:04pm: Another free agent center is returning to Boston, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Xavier Tillman has agreed to a two-year deal with the Celtics. It’ll be a fully guaranteed minimum-salary contract, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter links).

Tillman is the third Celtics free agent big man to reach a contract agreement with the team since the start of free agency, joining teammates Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta. Thirteen of the 15 players who finished the 2023/24 season on the Celtics’ standard roster now appear poised to return for ’24/25, with only Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett unsigned.

Tillman spent his first three-and-a-half seasons in Memphis before being sent to the Celtics at February’s trade deadline. The 25-year-old didn’t see a ton of action down the stretch in Boston, averaging 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 13.7 minutes per contest across 20 regular season appearances. He then logged just 69 total playoff minutes during the team’s title run.

Still, Tillman is a solid interior defender showed in Memphis that he was capable of playing a slightly larger role than the one he had in Boston.

While the Celtics will have no shortage of frontcourt options with Kornet and Queta also returning, Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss at least the first month or two of the season while recovering from leg surgery and the team won’t want to lean too heavily on Al Horford, so there will be minutes available.