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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Jefferson, Kaun

July 7th, 2015 at 7:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics have failed to land a major star via free agency thus far this offseason, but being free of burdensome contracts heading into the summer of 2016 will set the franchise up to be major players, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. Salary cap experts are saying that Boston could potentially get themselves $39MM-$50MM under the cap if they play their cards properly, which means they could have the ability to sign two free agents to maximum contracts next offseason, Bulpett adds. The Boston Herald scribe also notes that it may be easier for the team to land two stars rather than one in the same offseason since players want to go where they have the opportunity to win, and signing as a duo would hold more potential appeal.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • The Knicks are one of several teams to express interest in unrestricted free agent guard John Jenkins, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link).
  • Nets forward Cory Jefferson has been forced to cease Summer League play due to an ankle injury he has been struggling with, Shams Charania of RealGM relays (on Twitter). If Jefferson remains on Brooklyn’s roster past July 15th his contract for 2015/16 will become partially guaranteed for $150k, and this setback isn’t expected to affect Jefferson’s roster spot, Charania notes.
  • If the Cavaliers and the Nets end up striking a deal to send Joe Johnson to Cleveland, there is a very good chance that the draft rights to Sasha Kaun head to Brooklyn in the transaction, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily tweets. The 30-year-old center has reportedly been a target of the Nets’ this offseason, though the talks between the two franchises appear to be stalled for the moment.
  • As much as the Raptors may end up missing Lou Williams‘ offensive game, the team is glad to have rid itself of the distractions that the guard brought to the squad, Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun writes. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year agreed to a three-year, $21MM arrangement with the Lakers, and if Nick Young isn’t traded, which the Lakers are reportedly exploring doing, it will certainly make for an entertaining locker room in Los Angeles in 2015/16.
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Atlantic Notes: Williams, Ridnour, Sixers

July 6th, 2015 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder
 Lou Williams was surprised the Raptors did not make him an offer, he revealed in a Q&A session with Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy. Williams, who agreed to a three-year, $21MM contract with the Lakers on Sunday, thought the Raptors would make a spirited attempt to re-sign him. Instead, they chose to shake up with their roster by reaching agreements with DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph and Bismack Biyombo. “Just to speak candidly, it caught me by surprise that we didn’t get something done. I made it clear that I wanted to be there and I thought, with the type of year that I had, the feeling would be mutual,” Williams told Kennedy. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I think they wanted to go in a different direction and become more of a defensive-minded team. With the way that the playoffs ended, I think it left a sour taste in management’s mouth and they went out and picked up defensive players.”
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
  • While Joseph will be the second Canadian, along with retired Jamaal Magloire, to play for the Raptors during the regular season, that wasn’t the reason why they were so enamored with him, Doug Smith of the Toronto Sun writes. Joseph, who agreed on a four-year, $30MM contract to leave the Spurs, has impressed the Raptors’ brass for years with his toughness and defensive prowess, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise the club targeted him, Smith adds.
  • Luke Ridnour said that he expects the Raptors to waive him before his $2.75MM salary becomes guaranteed Friday and confirmed that he’s still contemplating retirement as he spoke with TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The 34-year-old point guard also dished to Aldridge about what it was like to have his contract traded four times in one week.
  • The Sixers fleeced the Kings in the unofficial but agreed upon trade that sent Nik Stauskas, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry to Philadelphia, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Stauskas fills a backcourt need and the team can eventually decline a team option on his contract if the second-year shooting guard doesn’t pan out, Pompey continues. Landry and Thompson can become role models and mentors for their young frontcourt lottery picks — Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Pompey adds. With that trade, the Sixers will likely have less roster movement than the past two seasons when 48 players saw action, Pompey concludes.
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Spurs Pull Qualifying Offer To Cory Joseph

July 5th, 2015 at 5:37pm CST by Will Joseph

The Spurs have withdrawn their qualifying offer to Cory Joseph, making the point guard an unrestricted free agent, tweets Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News, who cites a league source.

The Spurs originally extended a qualifying offer to Joseph on June 30, then making him a restricted free agent, but, that, of course, was before the team reached an agreement to sign LaMarcus Aldridge. The move to rescind the offer increases the likelihood that Joseph will not be back with the Spurs, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News tweets. The Spurs still have Joseph’s Bird Rights.

The Raptors, who have been interested in taking a shot at Joseph, have the financial flexibility to overpay, if necessary, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets. The client of Rich Paul filled in nicely this past season as a starter when both Tony Parker and Patty Mills were injured in December and because of that, there’s a distinct possibility of his price tag rising. Joseph is from Canada, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has pledged to pursue Canadian players, so it is very logical that he’d at least consider signing Joseph. Yet, as Wolstat tweets, the Spurs remain in play.

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Qualifying Offers: Tuesday

June 30th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are the latest qualifying offer decisions to come in..

Earlier Updates:

  • The Sixers declined to offer guard Glenn Robinson III a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  However, Philly has shown an inclination to revisit a longer-term deal for Robinson this summer, according to those same sources.  In 35 games as a rookie, Robinson averaged 2.1 PPG.
  • The Hornets will not make a qualifying offer to guard Jeffery Taylor, according to a source that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).  Taylor will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • Pero Antic, who was rumored to be going overseas, was given a qualifying offer by the Hawks, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).  If the Hawks need to maximize their cap space, Pincus adds (link), they can revoke the qualifying offer to Antic and renounce him.
  • As expected, the Magic have extended qualifying offers to both Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets made Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels restricted free agents by extending QOs to them, Pincus tweets.
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Cavs, Raptors Eyeing Cory Joseph?

April 7th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs and Raptors should be expected to “take long looks” at soon-to-be restricted free agent Cory Joseph, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The Spurs can match offers for the Toronto native with a qualifying offer of nearly $3.035MM, though they already have a backup point guard on a long-term deal in Patty Mills, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, and Tony Parker signed a three-year extension that kicks in next season. Still, Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich expressed hesitancy today to take playing time from Joseph, complimenting the 23-year-old’s tenacity, notes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links).

It’s not the first time Joseph has impressed Popovich with his drive, though the Rich Paul client told McDonald a few months ago that he didn’t even ask his agent about a rookie scale extension when he was eligible this past offseason, figuring the team wouldn’t give him one. McDonald speculated when he wrote in January that it would be tough for San Antonio to afford Joseph this summer, considering his increase in minutes and production, though Joseph’s role has regressed since he filled in as a starter when both Parker and Mills were injured in December. The Spurs have Joseph’s Bird rights, though he’ll presumably be down the list of priorities with Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green and Marco Belinelli among the other Spurs set to hit free agency.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has pledged to pursue Canadian players, so it makes sense that he’d at least consider signing Joseph. Toronto has a chance to open up cap space, with only about $49MM in commitments for next season. The Cavs have even less guaranteed salary on their books, but that doesn’t include money for four of their five starters, including LeBron James, and they seem poised to zoom into luxury tax territory. So, Cleveland would have a tough time ending up with Joseph unless the team used the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception or convinced him to take the minimum, though James and Joseph share the same agent.

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Western Notes: Joseph, Jerrett, Smith

January 13th, 2015 at 8:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cory Joseph, cognizant that he was an afterthought as a deep reserve on the Spurs, didn’t even ask his agent about a rookie scale extension before the October deadline because he assumed the team wouldn’t give him one, as he tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Now, amid a breakthrough year for the point guard, it seems like the Spurs will be hard-pressed to afford the raise he’ll likely merit, McDonald writes. “He always impressed me with the way he plays,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is not blessed with the most talent in the world, but I don’t think there is anybody on the planet who gets more out of what he’s got.”

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • The Thunder have once again assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Jerrett’s seventh sojourn of the season with the Blue. The 21-year-old has only appeared in four games with the Thunder this season, and has averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 5.9 minutes per contest.
  • When the Thunder inked Ish Smith to a deal using a hardship exception back in November, he was looked at as little more than a short-term insurance policy, but Smith turned that audition into a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. Smith’s work ethic impressed the coaching staff, and with Reggie Jackson‘s future with the team cloudy, Smith remains an important part of Oklahoma City’s roster, Slater adds.
  • The Pelicans created a traded player exception worth $507K for Russ Smith, and the Grizzlies created one valued at $3.15MM for Quincy Pondexter, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Both players were part of the three-team deal with the Celtics for Jeff Green.
  • Pondexter is overjoyed with the trade that brought him back to the Pelicans, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com writes. “It’s unbelievable,” Pondexter said. “This game takes you full circle sometimes. To be back with [coach] Monty [Williams] and [GM] Dell [Demps] and the guys, there’s no place I’d rather be right now. [New Orleans] was always a second home in the league. I’m glad to be back.” Pondexter spent his rookie season in New Orleans and then was dealt to the Grizzlies for Greivis Vasquez.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Odds & Ends: Lakers, Kupchak, Silver

February 13th, 2014 at 11:30pm CST by Charlie Adams

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told reporters, including Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, that if Los Angeles makes a deal, it’ll be one that address issues in “2014/15 and beyond” (Twitter link). Another tweet from Trudell explains that the club won’t be dealing for a player that can make an immediate impact, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears from Kupchak that it’s actually been pretty quiet around the office as far as trade talks go (Twitter link). Let’s round up a few more tidbits in our nightly look around the league..

  • Adam Zagoria of Sheridan Hoops looks toward the 2020 Summer Olympics and sees Canada’s potential team as a formidable force. Zagoria hears that college studs Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Ennis are expected to join forces with current NBA players Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. It’s possible a similar team could assemble for the 2015 Olympic qualifiers, but Zagoria thinks 2020 is when the expected Canadian roster will be able to reach its full potential.
  • Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu revealed he is interested in a potential NBA expansion into Europe. “Adam Silver, the new commissioner, is a great contributor to the sport,” said Bertomeu. “We have met and I think that we have a future together. We want to increase our cooperation and we want to see things realistically.” Lefteris Moutis of EuroHoops.net has the full story.
  • Silver looks even beyond Europe and sees opportunity for the NBA in markets all over the world, he tells Sam Amick of USA Today in an exclusive interview. “To me, the U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population. So when I look at markets like the billion people in Africa, the over billion people that live in India, the (1.3 billion) that live in China, just those markets alone where we’re just barely scratching the surface, there is so much opportunity out there for us.”
  • Amick’s piece sees Silver address a variety of hot-button issues, including the lottery, the minimum age for draft eligibility, and the latest CBA.
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Spurs Pick Up Options For Leonard, Joseph

October 28th, 2013 at 5:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs have exercised their 2014/15 options on Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph, the team announced via press release. It’s the fourth-year option for both, meaning they’ll be eligible for extensions to their rookie-scale contracts next summer. Leonard will earn close to $2.9MM in 2014/15, while Joseph will see a little more than $2MM, as our rookie contract option tracker shows.

The move to pick up Leonard’s option is a formality, since he quickly established himself as a key part of the franchise’s future in his first two seasons in San Antonio. I had the decision on Leonard as a “no-brainer” when I looked at pending rookie options last month, but I listed Joseph as “on the bubble.” The 29th pick in 2011 has appeared in only 57 games over his first two seasons combined, though he did serve as the team’s backup point guard for the majority of the playoffs last year, averaging 3.0 points and 1.2 assists in 9.6 minutes per contest.

The moves add nearly $5MM to San Antonio’s payroll for next season, bringing the total amount of the team’s commitments to about $33.5MM. That number is deceptively low, as I pointed out earlier this month, since it doesn’t include $9MM in non-guaranteed salary for Tony Parker and a $10MM player option for Tim Duncan.

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D-League Notes: Jones, Brackins, Warriors, Acy

March 13th, 2013 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the usual assignments and recalls, we've got a couple more D-League links of note to share. Let's round them up….

  • Perry Jones III has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder announced today in a press release. The 2012 first-round pick will be available for tonight's game in Oklahoma City vs. the Jazz.
  • The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired former first-round pick Craig Brackins, the D-League squad formally announced today (Twitter link). Brackins, who played in Italy earlier this season, was the 21st overall pick in 2010, but only appeared in 17 games over two season for the Sixers before failing to find an NBA job last summer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Thomas from the D-League, a day after their respective assignments, the team announced today in a press release. Bazemore and Thomas combined for 24 points and 26 rebounds in Santa Cruz's 110-103 win over Reno last night.
  • Kevin Jones has been re-assigned once again to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. Jones' D-League assignments this season have typically just lasted one game, so I imagine he'll return to the Cavs after playing for the Charge in tonight's game against the Bakersfield Jam.
  • With Andrea Bargnani officially ruled out for the season by the Raptors, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun anticipates that the team will recall Quincy Acy from the D-League (Twitter link).
  • Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, who is also the GM of the team's D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, spoke to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside about developing players and the relationship between the organization's D-League and NBA teams.
  • Ken Rodriguez of Spurs.com takes a look at Cory Joseph's journey to the D-League and back to the Spurs.
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D-League Moves: Spurs, Nets, Thunder, Cavs

February 28th, 2013 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves listed at the top of the page:

  • The Spurs have assigned Aron Baynes to the Austin Toros and recalled Cory Joseph, the team announced today in a press release. Joseph has been the Toros' leading scorer this year, averaging 19.4 PPG in 26 games, while Baynes is right behind him with 18.0 PPG in his two D-League games.
  • The Nets have re-assigned Tornike Shengelia to the D-League, according to a team press release. It's the third assignment of the year for the rookie, who excelled in his three games with the Springfield Armor, averaging 28.3 PPG and 13.7 RPG.
  • Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins have been sent to the Tulsa 66ers by the Thunder, the club announced today in a press release. All three players have spent time in the D-League this season, with Lamb standing out most in his 14 games with the 66ers, averaging 21.1 PPG.
  • The Cavaliers have assigned Kevin Jones to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Jones has been with Cleveland for all of February, though he's only appeared in three games for the club this month. For the season, the 23-year-old has seen limited minutes in 18 games for the Cavs, but has been dominant in seven contests with the Canton Charge, averaging 23.0 PPG and 12.6 RPG.
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