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Bobcats Acquire Gary Neal

February 20th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bobcats announced that they have acquired Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour from the Bucks in exchange for Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) first reported the agreement. NBA: Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks

“We are excited to add a pair of quality players to our backcourt,” Bobcats president Rod Higgins said. “Gary is an exceptional shooter and Luke is a veteran point guard who can help us off the bench. They both have significant postseason experience so they know how to get where we’re trying to go. We look forward to adding them to our rotation. We also want to thank Ramon and Jeff for their contributions and professionalism and wish them the best of luck.”

Charlotte was attempting to talk Milwaukee into the idea that taking Sessions would make it easier for the Bucks to trade Ridnour, and apparently they agreed, simply deciding to fold Ridnour into this deal.

An earlier report suggested Caron Butler and Ben Gordon could be involved in the deal, but that wasn’t the case. The Suns, Kings, Wolves and Thunder were among the teams in the mix for Neal this week, but Charlotte emerged as the most serious suitor today.

Ridnour, a free agent at season’s end, makes $4.42MM, while Neal earns $3.25MM this season and gets the same pay next year. Sessions is on a $5MM expiring deal while Adrien makes the minimum.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bobcats, Bucks Close To Gary Neal Swap

February 20th, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Charlie Adams

11:28am: Caron Butler and Ben Gordon could also be involved, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.

11:10am: Charlotte is trying to sell Milwaukee on the idea that acquiring Sessions makes it easier for them to trade Luke Ridnour, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:59am: The proposed deal would send Sessions to the Bucks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sessions, making $5MM, earns more money than Neal’s $3.25MM, so apparently Kohl would have to get involved.

10:56am: The Bobcats and Bucks are nearing an agreement that would send Neal to Charlotte, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Still, Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl would have to sign off on an increase in team salary as part of the deal, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 6:45am: The Bobcats are trying to convince the Bucks to take on Ramon Sessions in return for Neal.

11:06pm: While they may be looking for a shooter, the Thunder’s interest in Neal could be overstated, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also confirms interest in Neal from the Bobcats.

4:39pm: Woelfel adds the Suns, Wolves and Kings to the list of suitors for Neal (via Twitter).

1:15pm: The Bucks have progressed with several teams on the Neal front, but they’re still holding off on agreeing to a deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 12:29pm: The pursuit of Neal is the only active discussion the Bobcats are engaged in, with talks for Evan Turner having flamed out early, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Bobcats and Thunder are both interested in acquiring sharpshooting Bucks guard Gary Neal, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links). Stein reports that Neal has been being openly shopped by Milwaukee since January, and we heard on Friday that the fourth year guard is unhappy with the Bucks. A recent Woelfel piece labeled Brandon Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton as the only untouchable assets on the Bucks roster, so it’s not a surprise the club is open to moving Neal.

After a solid postseason performance with Spurs en route to finals loss versus Miami, Neal signed with Milwaukee on a two-year, $6.25MM deal. While he hasn’t put up extraordinary numbers so far this season, he’s proven throughout the course of his career that he can be a good shooter capable of putting up solid numbers on some nights.

Charlotte has been very active so far this deadline. News broke earlier today that they were close to a deal with the Bucks that would’ve brought in Neal and Caron Butler, but the alleged move fell through at the last minute. It’s unclear if a new deal would involve Butler, but reports have indicated the Bobcats are willing to give up a draft pick for the right price.

Neal’s other potential suitor, the Thunder, are said to be looking for a shooter. Neal would certainly welcome a move to Oklahoma City since we’ve heard reports suggesting he wants to play for a contender. The Thunder would have to send some salary out in return however, since trading for Neal would put the team over the tax line.

Central Notes: Karasev, Barnes, Ilyasova, Pistons

February 19th, 2014 at 11:21pm CST by Alex Lee

Here is the latest coming out of the Eastern Conference’s Central Division on Wednesday night:

The Cavaliers have recalled rookie Sergey Karasev from the D-League, the team tweeted earlier tonight. Karasev returned to the Canton Charge for last night’s contest after being recalled to the NBA a week ago.
Despite a recent uptick in Harrison Barnes rumors, Zach Lowe of Grantland tweets that any buzz about the UNC product likely ending up in Cleveland is inaccurate for now.
Acting Cavaliers general manager David Griffin is a “breath of fresh air” in trade talks according to one opposing GM, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Griffin took over general manager duties after Chris Grant was fired earlier this month.
The asking price for Ersan Ilyasova is very high, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who adds that Bucks owner Herb Kohl believes the 6’10” Turk could eventually be a star. Ilyasova requested a trade from Milwaukee last week.
While the Pistons are hardly without their problems, things are pretty quiet on the trade front in Detroit, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Players like Charlie Villanueva, Will Bynum, Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko were thought to be on the block, but there has been next to no movement since the surprise firing of head coach Maurice Cheeks.

Ford’s Latest: Magic, Cavs, Bobcats

February 18th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Victor Oladipo may be the only Magic player unavailable for a trade, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who adds that the team is looking for multiple first-round picks or young players for Arron Afflalo. Ford believes Orlando will indeed find a taker for Afflalo, but that’s in contrast to a report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicating the Magic aren’t that eager to trade him and aren’t hearing from any team with strong interest (Twitter link). The Magic’s price is much lower for Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson, Ford writes, and while Amick tweets that the Magic is focusing most of its trade attention on those two, Orlando hasn’t gotten anywhere with either of them yet, Amick says.

Ford has much more in his latest Insider-only piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

The Cavs and Bobcats appear to be the only teams capable of trading away a 2014 lottery pick that would actually do so, according to Ford. If the Cavs are determined to make a playoff push, they’ll offer Dion Waiters and their 2014 first-round pick in search of veteran help, Ford writes.
There’s nothing major happening on the Ersan Ilyasova front, Ford hears, naming Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour as the Bucks most likely to be traded. Milwaukee is reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, who’s a native of nearby Racine, Ford adds.
The Sixers want “significantly” more than just a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young, which has been dissuading some teams from trading for him, Ford writes.
Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are the names that come up most frequently in trade discussions involving the Celtics, according to Ford.
Several GMs tell Ford that the Lakers appear willing to discuss any player on their roster short of Kobe Bryant.
Everyone outside of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas is available from the Kings, with Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Jimmer Fredette the primary bait, Ford writes.
It’s unlikely the Jazz trade Gordon Hayward, Ford says, naming Marvin Williams as the team’s most likely trade candidate.
Teams are looking to acquire a package of both Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey, but the Pistons remain unwilling to deal Monroe, as multiple GMs tell Ford.

Bobcats, Lakers Talk Gasol, But Trade Unlikely

February 18th, 2014 at 10:42am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bobcats and Lakers have spoken about Pau Gasol, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, but Bonnell’s source cast the notion of a trade between the teams as unlikely. Charlotte is wary of giving up a “significant” first-round pick for Gasol, who’s on an expiring contract and might not want to re-sign, Bonnell writes.

Still, the ‘Cats are aggressively pursuing deals as the deadline nears. They were moving closer to a deal to acquire Caron Butler and Gary Neal from the Bucks but those talks fell apart in recent days, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. They’ve been connected to Evan Turner, Brandon Bass, Taj Gibson and others in the past few weeks.

Most of the chatter surrounding Gasol of late has involved the Suns. Phoenix and the Lakers appear to be in a standoff regarding draft compensation, though those teams have been expected to rekindle talks before the deadline.

Ersan Ilyasova Requests Trade

February 14th, 2014 at 9:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ersan Ilyasova concedes he has some strong emotional attachments to the Bucks organization and to Milwaukee, but he admits his allegiance to the team is being severely tested these days, according to The Racine Journal Times. As the team’s longest-tenured player, Ilyasova has become dismayed about the front office’s penchant for making radical personnel changes. Multiple sources have said that he has expressed a desire to be traded, apparently having had his fill of the Bucks’ continual rebuilding project. For the record, Ilyasova declined to comment on whether he or his agent, Andy Miller, had requested a trade.

Speaking about those personnel changes, Ilyasova noted how the team went to the Eastern Conference playoffs during the 2009/10 season and then made wholesale roster changes the following offseason. The result was a 35-47 record in 2010/2011. Then, after making the playoffs last season, the team brought in 11 new players an have won only nine games this season, and are on the way to the worst record in team history.

The Bucks are still searching for the right team chemistry, and according to the article, are willing to trade anyone on the roster outside of John Henson and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ilyasova is arguably the Bucks’ best trading chip and several teams are believed to be interested in him. For the season, Ilyasova is averaging 10.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, in 27.1 MPG.

Ilyasova isn’t the only player on the team wanting out of Milwaukee. In the same article it was noted that Gary Neal and his agent, David Bauman, have talked to GM John Hammond in recent weeks about the possibility of a trade. Neal wants to play for a contender, instead of coming off the bench for a rebuilding team. Milwaukee remains agreeable to helping Neal move onto a competitive team, tweeted Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He was signed to a two-year, $6.5MM contract this past summer. For the season, Neal is averaging 10.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.6 APG,

Also from the Racine Journal Times post, Pelicans guard Eric Gordon said before Wednesday night’s game that he’s “heard the Bucks have had interest in him for some time.” Gordon is reportedly on the trading block, though his contract for $14.2MM this season, $14.9MM next season, and a player option of $15.5MM in 2015/16 would make it difficult for the Bucks to fit him into their budget.

Bucks Rumors: Trades, Sanders, Smart

January 20th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are the only team in the league without at least 10 wins, and they sit atop our Reverse Standings with the NBA’s worst record. Teams in their position usually start thinking about the future at this point in the season, but that’s not the case for Milwaukee, which notoriously avoids bottoming out. The Bucks would be “more than willing” to trade for vets who could help them sneak into the playoffs in the moribund Eastern Conference, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who has more from Milwaukee:

Bucks management is still “very open” to trading Larry Sanders before the deadline, Amico writes in the same piece, echoing his report from last month. Milwaukee would want to make draft picks the centerpiece of the package it receives in exchange. The team would still have to absorb a significant amount of salary in a deal for Sanders, thanks to the Poison Pill Provision that was triggered when the Bucks signed Sanders to his extension this past summer.
Milwaukee is enamored with Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart, Amico says, adding that it would nonetheless be tough to envision the Bucks taking him first overall.
O.J. Mayo, like many on the Bucks, has seen his minutes go up and down, and he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel that the inconsistent rotation is partly to blame for the team’s struggles. “It’s hard to get a rhythm when you don’t know what’s going to happen for you night in and night out,” Mayo said. “You may get six minutes, 30 minutes. There’s no staple to what we’re doing. You can hang in there, compete and keep it close.”
Gary Neal left San Antonio this past summer to sign a two-year, $6.5MM deal with the Bucks, but he misses the winning he enjoyed with the Spurs, as he says to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “When you’re evaluating job choices, the financial aspect comes into it,” Neal said. “I think I made the best decision for me and my family.”
Darington Hobson, whom the Bucks selected 37th overall in the 2010 draft, has reached a deal with Migdal Haemek, a team in an Israeli minor league, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Hobson has appeared in just five regular season NBA games, all with the Bucks in 2011/12.

Bucks Looking To Trade Gary Neal

January 7th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

It appears the Bucks’ time with Gary Neal may be short-lived. After signing the guard to a two-year contract this summer, the Bucks are trying “everything they can” to trade Neal before the February 20th trade deadline, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

Neal, a three-year veteran, has played in 23 games for Milwaukee this season, averaging 20.5 MPG and 10.4 PPG. He is currently playing on a two-year, $6.5MM contract that is fully guaranteed.

The Bucks’ urgency to make a move appears to be stemming from a locker room altercation between Neal and Larry Sanders.

Central Notes: Neal, Teague, Cavs

December 12th, 2013 at 5:37pm CST by Ryan Raroque

This past offseason, the Spurs extended then-restricted free agent Gary Neal a qualifying offer worth about $1.1MM, which was significantly below the two-year, $7.5MM agreement he eventually reached with the Bucks. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News, Neal believes he got a fair shake from Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford and understood that he wouldn’t be retained if he wanted more than what San Antonio was initially offering:

“I figured after three years, the Spurs benefitted me, and I benefitted the Spurs…But it’s a business. I kind of knew after Game 7 in the Finals, unless I signed a qualifying offer, I wouldn’t be back…I have no complaints…If (they didn’t give me the opportunity), they could have found another guy one of those summers to shoot 40 percent from three,..I thank Coach Pop a thousand times for that.”

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

The rest of the league is confused why the Bulls aren’t willing to give Marquis Teague more playing time, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Chicago reportedly dangled Teague in trade talks during the preseason.
The Cavaliers have recalled Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev, and Henry Sims from the D-League, as per the team’s official website.
Pistons forward Gigi Datome is determined to play for the Italian national team next summer, whether it’d be during the FIBA World Cup or the Eurobasket Qualifying Round, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (hat tip to Tuttosport).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Bucks Sign Gary Neal

July 30th, 2013 at 4:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 30TH, 4:05pm: The Bucks have officially signed Neal, the team announced today (Twitter link).

JULY 27TH, 4:31pm: Bonuses could push the value of Neal's contract to $7MM, TNT's David Aldridge reports (on Twitter).

3:42pm: Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com tweets that the full value of the deal is $6.5MM (hat tip to RealGM.com), which makes a little more sense, considering San Antonio's reluctance to re-sign Neal. If Arnovitz is correct, the Bucks will have to use cap room rather than their room exception.

2:53pm: The Bucks have agreed to sign Gary Neal to a two-year contract worth more than $3MM, a source tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier today that the sides were nearing a deal. It appears that the Spurs withdrew their qualifying offer to Neal, so that allows Milwaukee to sign the combo guard outright without having to wait three days to find out whether the Spurs match. Neal's contract will be fully guaranteed, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt tweets.

The David Falk client was reportedly likely to re-sign with the Spurs at one point this month, but a deal with San Antonio never materialized. The Bucks were one of four teams with interest in Neal, who was receiving offers that the Spurs were reluctant to match, prompting GM R.C. Buford and company to sign Marco Belinelli.

The Bucks can absorb Neal's contract into either their room exception, which allows a starting salary of $2.652MM, or their plentiful cap space. Bringing Neal aboard doesn't figure to have much affect on the team's negotiations with Brandon Jennings, since Milwaukee can go over the cap to re-sign him.