JaVale McGee Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Re-Sign JaVale McGee

August 1st, 2017 at 2:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

AUGUST 1: The Warriors have issued a press release officially announcing their new deal with McGee.

JULY 27: The Warriors have reached an agreement with JaVale McGee to bring the center back to Golden State, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. The deal will be for one season, though the salary details have not yet trickled out.

Retaining McGee will likely be the franchise’s last significant move after it was able to bring back nearly every piece of its latest championship team. Golden State now has 15 players with guaranteed deals on the books.

McGee excelled as a role player for the Warriors last season, shooting a career-best 65.2% from the field and sporting an electric 25.2 player efficiency rating. In addition to Golden State, the center spent time in Denver, Philadelphia, and Dallas since being selected by Washington with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2008 draft.

While McGee could earn up to 120% of the minimum salary via his Non-Bird rights, another minimum deal appears likely. It won’t come cheap for the Warriors, who are deep into tax territory and will pay at least $2.50 per dollar in tax penalties on McGee’s new deal.

JaVale McGee To Meet With Kings

July 6th, 2017 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center JaVale McGee continues to look for a new home and has lined up a meeting with the Kings for Thursday, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Sacramento has already been active during the free agent period, striking deals to sign George Hill and Zach Randolph. However, the Kings still have some cap room left over, creating the flexibility to outbid rival suitors for McGee if they so choose.

The Kings’ frontcourt currently includes Randolph, Willie Cauley-Stein, Georgios Papagiannis, Kosta Koufos, Skal Labissiere, and – when he gets healthy – Harry Giles. There’s no shortage of options there, but many are young, developing players, so if McGee were to sign in Sacramento, he’d likely have an opportunity to take on a bigger role than he had in Golden State.

A nine-year NBA veteran, McGee played a career-low 9.6 minutes per game for the Warriors last year, but his per-minute production skyrocketed in Golden State. The veteran center averaged a career-high 23.0 points per 36 minutes, and his .652 FG% was also easily the best of his career.

McGee has received interest so far from the Warriors and Clippers, so it appears he’s a good bet to stay out west.

JaVale McGee To Meet With Clippers

July 5th, 2017 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center JaVale McGee has a meeting lined up with the Clippers on Wednesday, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). Wojnarowski also reported previously that L.A. has scheduled a meeting with free agent point Derrick Rose for today.

A nine-year NBA veteran, McGee played a career-low 9.6 minutes per game for the Warriors last year, but his per-minute production skyrocketed in Golden State. The veteran center averaged a career-high 23.0 points per 36 minutes, and his .652 FG% was also easily the best of his career.

The Warriors have been busy since the free agent period began, striking deals to bring back key free agents like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and David West. There hasn’t been much chatter about McGee’s status, but Wojnarowski says the 29-year-old has remained engaged with the Dubs on the possibility of a return.

Like the Warriors, the Clippers are over the cap, so they could offer McGee either a minimum salary deal or part or all of their mid-level exception. The Clips’ MLE could be worth up to $5.192MM if they want to avoid a hard cap, or up to $8.406MM if they’re comfortable with being hard-capped for a second consecutive year. L.A. was the only NBA team to use its bi-annual exception a year ago, so it’s not available this time around.

The Clippers’ frontcourt is getting a little crowded, with the club already having agreed to re-sign Blake Griffin to rejoin DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup. L.A. also added Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell and agreed to a sign-and-trade for Danilo Gallinari. Still, that group doesn’t include a big, rim-protecting backup for Jordan, so there could be a role for McGee with the franchise.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Russell, McGee

June 26th, 2017 at 8:35am CST by Austin Kent

As free agency nears, the Lakers may avoid signing players to contracts that extend past 2017/18 for fear of eating into potential Paul George cap space, Justin J. Page of ESPN writes. The club is currently expected to have $18MM to work with this summer and potentially over $40MM next summer, depending on the status of Julius Randle.

Considering that the key here would be to retain flexibility to make a move for George when he officially hits free agency in 2018, the Lakers could zero in on players with one-year deals when the 2017 free agency period begins next week. Los Angeles could justifiably overpay for players in 2017/18 so long as they come with team options for anything beyond that.

Page also writes that fans can expect the franchise to continue shedding as much salary as possible, the primary target being Luol Deng and the $54MM remaining over the course of the last three years of his deal.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The Clippers ended up agreeing to pay $2MM for the Bucks draft pick that turned into Sindarius Thornwell at No. 48, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Shortly after trading the No. 2 pick of the 2015 draft, Magic Johnson called to question D’Angelo Russell‘s leadership abilities. Per Baxter Holmes of ESPN, when Johnson introduced rookie Lonzo Ball at the Lakers’ practice facility, he implied that the team needed a leader and somebody that other players want to play with.
After finding a seemingly impeccable fit with the Warriors, JaVale McGee is eager to remain in the Bay Area, Scott Reiss of KTVU tweets.
As speculation mounts that LeBron James could be targeting a move to Los Angeles next summer, the battle between the Lakers and Clippers gains momentum. Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Daily News points out that the potential pursuit of James may see L.A. legends Magic Johnson and Jerry West squaring off.

Warriors Rumors: Free Agents, Iguodala, Livingston

June 16th, 2017 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

It has been less than four full days since the Warriors won Game 5 of the NBA Finals and captured their second title in three years, but fans and observers are already looking ahead to see how Golden State intends to keep its championship roster together. Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News takes a deep dive into that subject today, breaking down the Warriors’ salary cap options and providing a handful of insider tidbits as well. Let’s round up the highlights…

Multiple NBA sources have told Kawakami that it’s all about the Warriors’ Big Four and Andre Iguodala, suggesting that the team won’t break the bank for anyone else on the roster. That includes free-agents-to-be like Zaza Pachulia, David West, Ian Clark, and JaVale McGee.
Out of that group of the Warriors’ top five players, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Iguodala are all eligible to become free agents. Kawakami expects Curry to receive a five-year, super-max deal worth upwards of $205MM, while Durant appears willing to accept a 20% raise rather than the full max, allowing the club to stay over the cap to re-sign Iguodala and possibly others.
Assuming Durant settles for a 20% raise, look for Iguodala to sign a multiyear deal worth between $8MM and $12MM annually, says Kawakami. The Sixth Man of the Year candidate has suggested he expects to re-sign with Golden State and that negotiations are almost done. If another team swoops in with a massive offer, it’s possible Iguodala reconsiders his options, but at that this point, the main question appears to be how many years will be on his new Warriors contract.
Shaun Livingston‘s situation is “much more open-ended,” with Kawakami pegging the odds of the point guard’s return as a coin flip. Kawakami speculates that a one- or two-year deal worth $6-7MM per year would be feasible for the Warriors, but Livingston will likely do better than that on the open market.
As Kawakami points out, it’s worth keeping an eye on the tax apron, which is projected to be around $127MM for 2017/18. If a team wants to use its full mid-level exception and/or bi-annual exception, it can’t exceed the apron at any point during the league year. If the Warriors go over that number, they’ll be limited to the taxpayer MLE – worth about $5.2MM – and minimum salary contracts for any additional signings.

NBA Finals Notes: Warriors Centers, Williams, Kerr

June 4th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

After being forced to unload Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli to create enough cap room to sign Kevin Durant, the Warriors were able to put together a competent center rotation for $4.9MM, writes Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated. Golden State devoted seven roster spots to the center position after adding Durant, with Zaza Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee earning most of the playing time. All three signed one-year deals last offseason and will be free agents again this summer, as will James Michael McAdoo, who also saw playing time in Game 1.

There’s more this morning from the NBA Finals:

After six seasons of bouncing around the league on bad teams, Derrick Williams is enjoying his chance to play for a championship, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, Williams spent a little more than two seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Kings. He played for the Knicks in 2015/16, then signed with the Heat last summer. He joined the Cavaliers after being waived in February. “That’s the thing, you’re learning from other greats, All-Stars on this team,” said Williams, who turned 26 last week. “The difference between this organization and others I’ve played in is we know which direction we’re going in. We know what the goal is each and every year, coming back individually better, playing together as a team, getting better as a team.”
Even with their convincing win in the opener, the Warriors miss having Steve Kerr on their bench, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Kerr, who is dealing with chronic pain from back surgery in 2015, is considering a return for tonight’s Game 2. “We miss his voice, obviously,” Klay Thompson said. “His knowledge of the game is incredible. Just his demeanour — he has such a calming demeanour. No moment is too big for him. And he just knows how to keep us in line, keep us focused. So does [interim coach] Mike Brown. Mike is doing a great job. But we definitely miss Steve.”
Adam Silver talked about the need for parity when he took over as commissioner, but he is presiding over his third straight Cavaliers-Warriors Finals matchup, notes Paul Flannery of SB Nation. It’s also the seventh straight year that LeBron James has been in the Finals, which raises questions about the NBA’s long-term popularity if it remains dominated by a few teams. “From a league standpoint, you always want to see great competition,” Silver said. “It’s what our fans want to see. It’s what we provide in this league. But having said that, this is real life. It’s not scripted, and it happens. So, sure, the fan in me would love to see more competition at times, but on the other hand, I’ve said it before, I think we should also celebrate excellence.”

Pacific Notes: McGee, Lakers, Clippers, Kings

May 4th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by marksuleymanov

JaVale McGee has been an enigma — more often a punchline for on-court gaffes than receiving praise for his athletic ability — during his nine-year NBA career, which has included stints with five different organizations. However, the 7’0″ center has put his skill set together to be a productive part of the Warriors‘ early run the playoffs, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated writes.

In his first postseason with the Warriors, McGee is averaging 8.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and shooting the basketball at an efficient .760 clip. As McGee explains to Spears, the perception of him being a distraction has fueled him to work harder to disprove detractors: “I haven’t done [anything]. Nothing at all. I have the same perception of guys doing bad stuff, getting DUIs and things like that. I have nothing like that. It’s frustrating knowing how hard you work,” McGee said. “That is just the misconception of what people see. It’s just a testimony to keep working hard, stay positive and eventually things will work out for you.”

The Warriors swept the Trail Blazers in the opening round and currently hold a 1-0 lead over the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals. McGee’s energy and production have been a huge reason for the team’s postseason success.

Here are additional news tidbits from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers saw two key departures from the organization this week. Tim DiFrancesco, the team’s strength and conditioning coach the last six seasons, has resigned, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. In a separate update, Holmes wrote that Yuju Lee, the Lakers’ director of basketball analytics, left the team after four seasons in lieu of accepting a demotion. These departures are another change for a Lakers team that saw a significant overhaul when Magic Johnson took over as president of basketball operations in late February.
Several NBA.com writers discussed several potential directions the Clippers may go in now that they have been eliminated from the postseason. The collection of scribes discuss Blake Griffin‘s potential plans in free agency, Chris Paul‘s future, and injuries decimating the team.
After the Kings missed their 11th consecutive postseason, Keith P. Smith of RealGM analyzes the team’s various needs ahead of the 2017/18 offseason. Sacramento’s offseason objectives will include acquiring a point guard, trying to replace the departed DeMarcus Cousins, and figuring out Rudy Gay‘s contract situation where the oft-injured forward holds a player option for next season.

And-Ones: Free Agents, D-League, Bennett, Oden

May 3rd, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several under-the-radar players who will be free agents this summer are improving their bargaining position with their performance in the playoffs, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. He identifies six players, starting with Golden State big man JaVale McGee, who is averaging 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks through five games despite playing just 11.8 minutes per night. McGee signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors for the veteran’s minimum and could be in line for a huge pay raise in July. The others that Kennedy singles out are Serge Ibaka of the Raptors, Joe Ingles of the Jazz, Nene of the Rockets, Andre Roberson of the Thunder and Deron Williams of the Cavaliers.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

The Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the D-League, have given coach Bob MacKinnon a two-year extension, tweets D-League Digest. The D-League veteran is in his first season with the Legends.
Invitations have been issued for the D-League’s Elite Mini Camp, which will be held May 8-9 in Chicago, relays Chris Reichert of FanSided. Many players have used this showcase to earn spots on summer league rosters, with alumni such as Jonathon Simmons, Hollis Thompson and DeAndre Liggins. Among the best-known names at this year’s camp will be Russ Smith, JaKarr Sampson, Ray McCallum and Cliff Alexander.
Former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, who played 23 games for the Nets this season, has been replaced on his Fenerbahce team in Turkey, according to Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. Taking his spot on the roster is Pero Antic, who played for the Hawks from 2013 to 2015. Bennett will remain with the club and is expected to be part of the upcoming EuroLeague Final Four.
Greg Oden, another former No. 1 pick, is hoping to be part of The Basketball Tournament this summer on ESPN, relays Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Oden’s team is called Scarlet and Gray and is made up of Ohio State alumni. “We think we’re a team that can win it,” he said. “We look at the talent we’ve had here in the last 10 years or so, and we can match up with anybody. We want the state of Ohio supporting us. We’re called Scarlet and Gray, but this team is a representation of the whole state.”

Pacific Notes: McGee, Kings, Redick, Rivers

April 20th, 2017 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green played a crucial role in the Warriors’ decision to sign journeyman center JaVale McGee last summer, as Sam Amick of USA Today explains. They share the same agent, B.J. Armstrong of Wasserman, and Green lobbied GM Bob Myers to give McGee a chance. McGee, who appeared in just 62 games over the previous four seasons, signed a contract for less then $1MM and has emerged as a valuable role player. “I didn’t know him that well at all, but you [could] see some of the skills that a guy has and see that, alright that could possibly fit in,” Green told Amick. “Being that he’s super athletic, he offered something that we didn’t have.” McGee will re-enter the free agent market this summer and should be in greater demand.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

The Kings have hired Luke Bornn as their VP of Analytics and Strategy, James Ham of NBC Sports California reports. Bornn, 31, was working for soccer’s A.S. Roma. “We’ll be looking at more advanced modeling tools often with the player tracking data to try and get a deeper understanding of player performance,” Bornn told Ham. Roland Beech, the team’s previous analytics guru, left the organization earlier this week.
Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick has gotten off just 13 shots in the first two games of the playoffs, but coach Doc Rivers appreciates his unselfish approach, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Redick has scored 11 points in the series under heavy defensive pressure but the team hopes to get him more involved in Game 3 on Friday, Turner adds. “Sometimes in certain games and series, you have to give yourself up to get the team stuff,” Rivers told the assembled media on Thursday. “J.J. has been terrific with that. He’s going to get his shot eventually.”
Clippers guard Austin Rivers will miss Game 3 with a strained left hamstring but remains hopeful of returning for Game 4, Turner reports in a separate story. Rivers has not played the last eight games, including the final six of the regular season.

Pacific Notes: Gay, Joerger, Griffin, Warriors

January 22nd, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rudy Gay will have surgery Monday to fix a torn Achilles tendon, the Kings announced on their website. The procedure will be performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and Gay will be out for the remainder of the season. The injury may affect the free agent market, as Gay had planned to opt out of his $14,263,566 deal for next season.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Garrett Temple has taken Gay’s spot in the starting lineup for now, but long-term decisions may not be made until next month, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. If the Kings continue losing and slip out of the playoff race, coach Dave Joerger may elect to give more minutes to younger players. Rookie guard Malachi Richardson was used in the first half Saturday for the first time all season. “Just be a buncha different dudes running in and out of there,” Joerger said. “Trying to find something that fits as you go through it.”
Blake Griffin plans to be ready for the Clippers game Tuesday at Philadelphia, relays Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Griffin has missed 17 games since undergoing minor knee surgery December 20th. “It’s as close as I can be, I think,” Griffin said Saturday. “It was good to get some contact in yesterday. So it’s good to get some like real work in besides just running and shooting. It’s kind of up to them.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is using seven low-salaried big men in a rotation at center, writes Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Anderson Varejao and Damian Jones are all getting minutes at the position, depending on the matchup.