Jarrett Jack

Nets, Cavs, Celtics Close To Jarrett Jack Trade

9:38am: The Cavs will probably end up with a future second-round pick when the deal gets done, according to Stein (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 9:35am: An agreement is close on a three-way deal involving Cleveland, Brooklyn and Boston that would send Jack to the Nets, Stein tweets. Karasev would go to Brooklyn as well. The Celtics would receive Thornton, Tyler Zeller and a first-round pick, Stein adds (on Twitter). It’s unclear what the Cavs would get, but it appears as though they would receive the cap flexibility to acquire LeBron. Boston would be using its nearly $10.3MM trade exception to acquire Thornton, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, who adds that the first-rounder the Celtics are getting is for 2016 (Twitter link).

10:23am: The Hawks are among the teams the Cavs have recruited as a potential landing spot for Thornton, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The Hawks have nonetheless shown little interest in Thornton, Berger adds (on Twitter).

8:51am: The Cavs, who had reportedly been shopping Jack and draft picks, are now doing the same with Thornton and picks on the assumption they’d be able to get Thornton from the Nets, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports details. Cleveland is also making Sergey Karasev available in trades, Wojnarowski adds.

JULY 7TH, 7:59am: The Cavs and Nets have a deal in place contingent upon finding a third team to absorb Thornton, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports said Sunday on Fox Sports Radio, and as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio confirms. The Suns, Mavs and Timberwolves are among the teams potentially interested in Thornton, Amico hears. Cleveland has been shopping Jack and dangling a draft pick to go along with him, as Wojnarowski reported this weekend, and one way or another, the Cavs intend to trade Jack before the coming season begins, a source tells Amico. Unloading Jack has become key to Cleveland’s efforts to clear max cap room for LeBron James, as we passed along earlier.

JULY 2ND, 9:56pm: As predicted by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Nets and Cavs are revisiting talks of a Thornton-Jack swap, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.

1:43pm: The Kings are interested in Jack, too, but they’re holding off until they know what happens with restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

JULY 1ST, 8:14pm: The loss of Shaun Livingston is likely to resurrect the Thornton-for-Jack trade talks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

JUNE 23RD, 8:01am: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is also hearing denials of Thornton-Jack talks, though Jack’s name has come up as the Cavs discuss potential trades with other teams, Amico says.

SATURDAY, 3:47pm: League sources deny that the Nets and Cavs have discussed a Thornton/Jack swap, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.

2:36pm: The Nets and Cavs are discussing a trade that would center around Marcus Thornton and Jarrett Jack, reports Marc Stein of ESPN. Cleveland is interested in freeing up cap space by shedding Jack’s contract, which is guaranteed through 2015/16, in favor of Thornton’s expiring pact, says Stein, who adds that Brooklyn is among the few teams in the league undeterred from acquiring Jack’s extended deal.

Jack signed a $25MM contract with the Cavs last summer after a successful 2012/13 campaign in which he came off the bench behind Stephen Curry for the Warriors. His 2013/14 season was a disappointing one however, as the point guard shot just 41% from the floor and posted a career-low 11.5 PER.

Thornton was acquired by the Nets at last season’s trade deadline, and he proved to be a valuable asset for Brooklyn, averaging 12.3 points per night in just 23.8 minutes per contest. He’s set to enter free agency after the 2014/15 season.

According to Stein, the Nets fear they’ll lose free agent-to-be Shaun Livingston this offseason after a year in which the often-injured point guard exceeded expectations on a minimum-salary contract, and the club is looking to replace his production by acquiring Jack from the Cavs. Brooklyn, deep in the luxury tax, would only be able to offer Livingston a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $10MM using the taxpayers mid-level exception. The Timberwolves are one team rumored to be interested in Livingston that can make a more lucrative offer.

And-Ones: Early, Bazemore, Lin, Nets

The Knicks may have gotten the steal of the draft when they selected Cleanthony Early with the 34th pick, opines Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The article also notes that Early plans on using his draft night slide as motivation, saying, “At the end of the day, they made their decision, they made their choices, and they’re going to have to live with that, they’re going to have to stick with that. I’m going to have to live with that, I’m going to have to stick with that. But the only difference is, the way my heart is set up and the way I am, I’m going to use it as motivation. It fires me up. If I ever feel like I am being overlooked or I feel like I got something to prove, I’m willing to accept that challenge. The only thing I have to do is get in the gym and continue doing what I’ve been doing.

Here’s more from around the league:

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Deng, Mavs, Ariza

Luol Deng is apparently sticking to his desire for $12MM per season, notes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). Deng has spoken with the Heat who are unsure about how much cap space they will have until LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade make their decisions, and the Hawks who are currently unwilling to pay that amount, according to the tweet. Deng’s best chance might be with the Mavericks who he is scheduled to meet with soon, opines Amico.

Here’s more from around the league:

  •  Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders runs through the best and worst performances from the first day of Summer League action, including some lottery picks making their debuts.
  • The Rockets and the Cavaliers are getting closer to creating max contract slots, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Rockets are discussing deals for Jeremy Lin, and the Cavs have been shopping Jarrett Jack packaged with a draft pick, notes Wojnarowski.
  • Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders looks at the Mavericks cap situation after the reported signing of Devin Harris.
  • Trevor Ariza met with the Heat on Thursday, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link).

Cavs, Jazz Talking Swap Of No. 1 Pick, Favors

8:00pm: The sense is that, despite the buzz, the Cavs really aren’t close to a deal they like, Amico tweets.  Meanwhile, a source close to Waiters tells Amico (link) that Waiters believes he or Kyrie Irving will be traded.  The two guards reportedly clashed last season.

7:16pm: The Jazz and Cavs are discussing a trade that would involve Derrick Favors going to the Cavs for the No. 1 pick, according to Spencer Checketts of 1280 AM (via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News on Twitter).  Checketts says that Utah is offering Favors, Alec Burks, and the No. 5 pick to the Cavs for the No. 1 selection and Jarrett Jack.  Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), meanwhile, hears that the deal being discussed also includes Utah’s No. 23 pick.

Checketts adds that the Utah front office is split about including Burks in their offer to Cleveland (link).  Checketts hears (link) that the Jazz initially offered Favors and the No. 5 pick for the No. 1.  The Cavs wanted an unprotected first-round pick thrown in and the Jazz then countered with the No. 23 in this year’s draft.

The Cavs have also talked with the Sixers, Magic, and Timberwolves within the past 24 hours, Amico tweets.  Meanwhile, the Cavs have also discussed Dion Waiters with an unknown team in the top ten (link).

Favors is set to begin a four-year, $49MM deal this season and one surprised NBA insider tells Genessy (via Twitter) that he can’t see Utah moving the former No. 3 overall pick.  This past season was Favors’ best to date.  The soon-to-be 23-year-old averaged 13.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG in 30.2 minutes per contest.  His 19.0 PER was also a career best and the youngster has seen that number rise in each of his NBA seasons.

Depending on who you ask, the Cavs may have discussed Jack with the Nets last week in a deal that would have brought them guard Marcus Thornton.  Jack signed a $25MM contract with the Cavs last summer after a successful 2012/13 campaign in which he came off the bench behind Stephen Curry for the Warriors. His 2013/14 season was a disappointing one however, as the point guard shot just 41% from the floor and posted a career-low 11.5 PER.

It was reported last week that Utah was making Burks available in order to move up in the draft.  The shooting guard averaged 14.0 points in 28.1 minutes per game with a 15.8 PER, all career highs.

While there has been a lot of buzz around Andrew Wiggins as the clear-cut No. 1 choice in this year’s draft following Joel Embiid‘s injury, the Jazz could be eyeing the top pick in order to tab Duke’s Jabari Parker.  Parker, who is of the Mormon faith, would be tremendously marketable in Utah.

L.A. Notes: Magic, Rivers, Farmar, D’Antoni

Magic Johnson earlier this week denied interest in buying the Clippers, but he’s apparently changed his mind, judging by his remarks Wednesday, as Ben Bergman of 89.3 KPCC reports (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).

“I will be owning an NBA team sometime,” Johnson said. “Is the Clippers the right situation? Of course. It’s one of the premiere franchises.” 

The teams of Johnson’s past and perhaps his future have been most prominent in news across the league this week, and there’s more this afternoon on both the Lakers and the Clippers:

  • Doc Rivers hasn’t made it entirely clear whether he intends to return to the Clippers, but he says he has no interest in making the jump across Staples Center to coach the Lakers, observes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
  • Jordan Farmar was a fan of Mike D’Antoni, but the soon-to-be free agent point guard doesn’t find the Lakers any less attractive now that the coach has resigned, as Farmar tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “I want to be a Laker,” Farmar said. “I like playing for Mike. Whether it’s Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni or whoever else coaches this team, that won’t deter me from wanting to be a Laker.”
  • D’Antoni reportedly would like another NBA coaching job, but the general sentiment leaguewide is that his success with the Suns was an aberration, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. A GM who spoke to Deveney called D’Antoni a “one-trick pony.”
  • There seems to be a decent chance that the Clippers will sell for more than $1 billion, but It will take more than money to buy the team, as James Rainey and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times examine.
  • Cavs guard Jarrett Jack believes every player in the league should boycott practices and games next season if Donald Sterling still owns the Clippers by then, as Jack said today on 95.7 The Game, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.

Cavs Notes: Irving, Deng, Jack, Zeller

Interim Cavs GM David Griffin tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald that no player in Cleveland is “untouchable,” including Kyrie Irving. “As a franchise, it is my philosophy that absolutely no one is untouchable in any area. Why would you ever do that? It doesn’t make any sense to me.” says Griffin. “That doesn’t mean anybody’s ever going to go away, either, because untouchable and tradable are different things. I don’t want to get into semantics, but untouchable is a ridiculous word.” Here are some more Cavs notes from Finnan’s article:

  • Griffin also told Finnan that it was “exhilarating” to be at the front of negotiations through the trade deadline for the first time. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “Running it and being the name of record are different. I’ve run the trade deadline and I’ve been the one to have to make sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. But I was never the one in the paper tomorrow that’s going to be a moron. That part for me was unique. That experience was different.”
  • Sources tell Finnan that the Cavs worked unsuccessfully to move Luol Deng, Jarrett Jack, and Tyler Zeller before the trade deadline. Griffin says that the Cavs didn’t come close to moving Deng.
  • Finnan says there were some talks of the Cavs trying to trade for Pierre Jackson, the unsigned Pelicans rookie who is headed to Turkey.

Wolves Interested In Jarrett Jack

1:58pm: The Minnesota deal doesn’t appear to be happening, Amick tweets.

1:54pm: It sounds like the Wolves and Cavs haven’t been able to agree on a deal involving Jack, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.  It’s unknown if the Cavs have other discussions going at this time.

1:14pm: A Jack-for-Barea deal is “not likely,” a source tells Spears (on Twitter).

1:09pm: A source confirmed to the Plain Dealer (via Twitter) that the Wolves and Cavs have discussed a deal with Jack and J.J. Barea, but Jack having two years left versus the one on Barea’s deal has proven to be problematic.

1:06pm: The best chance the Cavs had of moving Jack was to Kings for Jason Thompson, but Cleveland balked at taking back salary, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

12:02pm: The Timberwolves, falling short on getting Andre Miller, are reaching out to Cavs to try and get Jack, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.

11:59am: The previously reported Jack-for-Thompson deal is on life support, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.  The initial report indicated that the Cavs wanted a third team to send Thompson to, and apparently they’re finding that extraordinarily difficult.  Putting all the pieces together, it sounds like Jack is staying put.

11:31am: With less than three hours from the deadline, a deal involving Jack seems considerably less likely, sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).

7:58am: The Cavs probably won’t end up dealing Jack, a source tells the Plain Dealer (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 10:59pm: The Cavs are unlikely to send Jack to Sacramento unless they find a third team to take the Kings’ Jason Thompson, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein, putting Cleveland in an all too familiar scenario. A deal that would have had Jack leaving Cleveland stalled earlier this week when the Cavs couldn’t find a destination for Jason Terry. (Twitter links)

3:17pm: The Nets are hesitant to take on Jack because of his lengthy deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who says it’s unlikely that the Cavs and Nets would pull off a trade.

11:19am: The Cavs and Kings have spoken about including Jason Thompson or Marcus Thornton in a Jack deal, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

10:56am: The talks involving the Nets and Cavs are “not on the front burner,” according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (Sulia link).

9:59am: The Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but they’re not in on talks for Jack, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

TUESDAY, 8:59am: The Kings are also in on the Jack talks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear if they’re competing with the Nets for the guard’s services, or if they’re willing to absorb Terry in a deal that sends Jack to Brooklyn.

MONDAY, 4:38pm: The Nets are looking to replenish their draft-pick stock in the swap, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

3:44pm: The Cavs and Nets have indeed engaged in discussions about a trade involving Jack and Terry, report Youngmisuk and ESPN.com colleague Marc Stein. The Cavs would prefer to find a third team to take on Terry, according to the report.

2:23pm: The Nets are eyeing guard Jarrett Jack, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com, who hears that there’s a chance Brooklyn swaps Jason Terry for Jack. It’s unclear how strong the odds are of that, or if the Cavs are interested in Terry.

Jack is in the first season of a four-year, $25.2MM contract that pays him $6.3MM each season, while Terry will make about $5.625MM this year and slightly more than $5.85MM next season in the final year of his deal. The difference between their salaries would be compounded for the Nets, who are well into the tax. New Cavs GM David Griffin would be parting with one of predecessor Chris Grant‘s key offseason additions if Cleveland surrenders Jack, who hasn’t had the same impact for the Cavs as he had last year with Golden State.

Jack, 30, is shooting a career-worst 39.7% this season, and his 8.5 points per game is his lowest scoring average since he was a rookie. Terry, whom the Nets acquired from the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster, is plumbing even farther depths. The 36-year-old is posting new lows in scoring, rebounding, assists, field goal percentage and minutes.  If Jack is dealt to Brooklyn, it’ll be his seventh team in nine NBA seasons.

Broussard’s Latest: Carmelo, Rondo, Love

Most of the executives to whom ESPN Insider’s Chris Broussard has spoken believe the Bulls will make a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer. Some are “completely convinced” Chicago will go after him, Broussard writes. A rival GM thinks the team’s confidence in Nikola Mirotic‘s ability will play heavily into the team’s decision regarding Anthony. A report in recent days indicated the Bulls are among the front runners for last year’s scoring champ. Broussard has plenty more in latest piece, and we’ll round it up here:

  • Rajon Rondo quickly ended extension talks with the Celtics, and the discussions didn’t even get to the numbers stage, according to Broussard, who says the point guard wants to keep his options open as he seeks a payday and a winning situation. Rondo has expressed his commitment to Boston, but the Knicks, who remain interested in trading for him, view him as the perfect complement to Anthony.
  • A GM tells Broussard that it’s “a 100% certainty” that Kevin Love will sign with the Lakers after next season. Most executives who’ve spoken to the ESPN.com scribe also believe the former UCLA star is headed for the purple-and-gold.
  • The Lakers might be willing to overpay Eric Bledsoe to bring him aboard via restricted free agency this summer, a source tells Broussard. Suns owner Robert Sarver has indicated he’s willing to match any offer for the point guard, so it’d be a surprise if Bledsoe wound up back in L.A.
  • If the Celtics, who are looking to clear cap room, can find takers for Gerald Wallace, Jeff Green and Avery Bradley, “they’re gone,” Broussard says. It’s not a surprise that GM Danny Ainge would be quick to unload Wallace, but his apparent enthusiasm for moving Green and Bradley is noteworthy.
  • The Raptors had engaged in trade talk with other clubs about DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry before their run to the top of the Atlantic Division, but Toronto is no longer looking to move DeRozan, barring an substantial offer. Broussard hears the Raptors are not high enough on Lowry to offer him a sizable contract when he hits free agency this summer, but an opposing GM thinks Toronto will hang on to Lowry through the trade deadline because of fears about alienating the fan base.
  • The Pacers will only trade Danny Granger if another team “blows them away” with an offer, Broussard writes.
  • Broussard detects a strong sense around the league that the Pistons are eager to trade Josh Smith.
  • The Sixers would be willing to take back a little bit of salary to acquire draft picks for their veterans, according to Broussard. I assume he’s referring to long-term salary commitments rather than players on expiring deals.
  • The strong play of the Grizzlies has quieted chatter surrounding Zach Randolph, Broussard reports.
  • The Heat are interested in Andrew Bynum, but they’re unwilling to pay him more than the minumum salary, an executive tells Broussard. Bynum is reportedly holding out for more than that.
  • GMs who spoke to Broussard identified the following players as candidates to be traded before the deadline: Andre Miller, Jameer Nelson, Emeka Okafor, Kenneth Faried, Shawn Marion, Dion Waiters, Jarrett Jack, Francisco Garcia and Arron Afflalo.

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Morris Twins, Warriors

Chris Paul exited early from the Clippers’ Wednesday night game against New York, but Broderick Turner of the LA Times reports that Paul plans on playing and starting in Friday night’s divisional match up versus the Kings. Sacramento currently resides in the cellar of the Pacific Division, but the Kings are hoping that recently acquired Derrick Williams will help turn their fortunes around. Let’s take a look at a couple tidbits from the Pacific..

Odds & Ends: Asik, Howard, Irving, Jack, Sixers

The 11 pm CT deadline for extensions and team options for players still on their rookie contracts should steal most of the headlines tonight, but let’s look at some of the other buzz from around the league:

  • Rockets officials “continue to privately insist” that Omer Asik won’t be available via trade this season if he and Dwight Howard can be productive alongside one another in the Houston frontcourt, reports ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.
  • Speaking of Howard, Mark Cuban says the Houston center made “a mistake in judgement” by joining the Rockets over his Mavericks, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, who pulls several other interesting quotes from Cuban and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle about how the team is faring with their “Plan B.”
  • Meanwhile, Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram tweets that Cuban believes Howard had already decided on Houston as his destination before he sat down with the Mavericks last summer.
  • While the Cavaliers can’t offer star point guard Kyrie Irving an extension until next summer, the strong relationship between Irving and owner Dan Gilbert should reassure Clevelanders still sore over losing LeBron James, writes Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  • Valade also writes that, while the Andrew Bynum addition received most of the headlines, it is Jarrett Jack who will have the biggest impact among the new faces in Cleveland this season.
  • Sixers advanced scout and former assistant Ron Oliver won’t return for a third season with the team, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter).