John Lucas III Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Dirk, Smith, Johnson, Vucevic

October 5th, 2012 at 11:00pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:

Dirk Nowitzki wants to play beyond the two seasons remaining on his contract, writes Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.com.
J.R. Smith tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that he would rather start than come off the bench for the Knicks this season.
Stefan Swiat of Suns.com writes that Wesley Johnson has looked strong in training camp. The third-year guard was acquired by Phoenix from the Timberwolves in a three-team deal in July.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel speculates that Nikola Vucevic, acquired from Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard trade, will replace Howard as the Magic's starting center.
Raptors coach Dwayne Casey tells Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun that he expects John Lucas to be a contributor this season.

Raptors Sign John Lucas III

July 27th, 2012 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have officially signed John Lucas III, the team announced today in a press release. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week that the two sides were in "serious talks," while Mark Deeks of ShamSports added over the weekend that Lucas' deal was expected to be for two years and $3MM, including a second-year team option.

Lucas, 29, was one of Derrick Rose's backups in Chicago last year, and Rose's nagging injuries meant that Lucas played a career-high 14.8 minutes per game, averaging 7.5 points and 2.2 assists. In Toronto, he'll be behind Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon on the depth chart, though with Calderon on an expiring contract, Lucas could step into a larger role if the Spaniard is traded before or during the season.

The Raptors were able to sign Lucas after finalizing a deal to send James Johnson to the Kings. Clearing Johnson's $2.8MM cap figure from their books gave the Raptors plenty of space to sign Lucas to an annual $1.5MM salary.

Raptors In Serious Talks With John Lucas III

July 21st, 2012 at 9:20pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 9:20pm: Lucas has received a two-year, $3.0MM offer from the Raptors, with the second year of the contract being a team option, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.

WEDNESDAY, 4:46pm: The Raptors are "in serious talks" with John Lucas III, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. According to Stein, Toronto is close to a deal to sign Lucas away from the Bulls, with Chicago resigned to losing the 5'11" guard.

The Raptors have been considering signing a third point guard to play behind Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon, and perhaps become Lowry's primary backup if Calderon is traded. While Lucas is hardly a big name, he had a quietly effective season for the Bulls in 2011/12, as we noted earlier today in our list of top remaining free agents by PER. The 29-year-old's 16.3 PER puts him second among available point guards. Lucas also averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 assists in 14.8 minutes per game, all career highs.

Free Agent Rumors: Humphries, Stiemsma, Lin

July 12th, 2012 at 11:02pm CST by Luke Adams

As NBA teams continue to agree to contracts and officially sign this year's free agents, you can keep tabs on all the activity by checking out Hoops Rumors' 2012 Free Agent Tracker. We're continuously updating our database to reflect the latest contract agreements, adding details on years and salaries as they become available. But there are still plenty of unsigned players left on the market, so we'll track today's rumors on those guys right here:

TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter) cites league sources that believe Kris Humphries would be more inclined to remain with the Nets than leave for the Bobcats. Marc Stein tweeted that the Nets could be involved no matter what Humphries decides to do, and could end up offering to negotiate a sign-and-trade if he chose Charlotte.
The Timberwolves are waiting for Portland to make a decision on Nicolas Batum before they extend an offer sheet to Greg Stiemsma, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Earlier updates:

Jeremy Lin will sign his $28.8MM offer sheet with Houston on Friday, marking the start of the three day clock in which the Knicks can match the offer (Twitter link via Howard Beck of the New York Times).
TNT's David Aldridge says that the Nets want to keep Kris Humphries and are not currently facilitating a sign-and-trade deal with the Bobcats (Twitter link). In fact, it appears that both teams are competing against each other to sign him. ESPN's Marc Stein tweets that Charlotte is currently offering a three-year deal worth $22MM, while the Brooklyn is offering three years and $24MM.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that the Knicks have interest in Ronnie Brewer.
Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas reports that the Mavericks remain interested in re-signing Delonte West.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida says that although Rasheed Wallace had been contemplating a return since 2010 and even had a workout with the Heat last season, the 6'11 forward/center appears to be "done" (Twitter link).
With the Bulls casting out a wide net in free agency, Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald tweets that Chicago could have already been in touch with Greg Oden.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Will Barton and his agent are currently working out a deal with the Trail Blazers.
If they lose Nicolas Batum, the Timberwolves are interested in signing Courtney Leeoutright, rather than in a sign-and-trade deal, tweets Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
C.J. Watson will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers tomorrow afternoon, but there's no guarantee he'll go unclaimed. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweetsthat Watson is drawing interest from several teams.
Brad Miller isn't technically a free agent, but his contract for 2012/13 is non-guaranteed, meaning he could hit the market soon. While Miller is expected to retire, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that nothing is official on that front. The deadline to waive Miller without paying his full guarantee is July 30th, so the Timberwolves are expected to continue looking to include him in a trade before that date.
The Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves are eyeing Anthony Tolliver, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Twitter link).
Courtney Lee and the Timberwolves have continued to talk daily since free agency opened, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune agrees that Lee could become Minnesota's top target if the team's offer sheet for Nicolas Batum is matched by the Trail Blazers.
Greg Oden's agent Mike Conley tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that his client has begun working out and is interested in playing in the NBA in 2012/13. Conley's comments about Oden's desire to play this season, perhaps with the Heat, echo what we heard in May.
The Bulls continue to negotiate with John Lucas III even though he's drawing interest from the Heat, Wizards, and other teams, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

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Bulls Notes: Rose, Asik, Howard, Hinrich

July 12th, 2012 at 10:24pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Derrick Rose's road to recovery appears to be progressing along nicely according to his brother Reggie, who says that the Bulls superstar is "way ahead of schedule." Rose is now walking without a brace and is currently in California enjoying a quiet retreat from Chicago in the meantime (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago has the report). Here's what else we've heard out of Chicago tonight, including more on Omer Asik, thoughts on Dwight Howard, and a returning Bull..

Free Agent Rumors: Lucas, Camby, Lewis

July 8th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Daniel Seco

Jeff Green reached an agreement to remain with the Celtics on Saturday, while Aaron Brooks became an unrestricted free agent after the Suns withdrew their qualifying offer to the guard. What will Sunday bring? Here are the latest rumors on a number of free agents still on the market:

The Heat have interest in unrestricted free agent point guard John Lucas III, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Marcus Camby's meeting with the Knicks today was "very positive," a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, and Zwerling hears that Camby is drawn to the Knicks because of his "great relationship" with GM Glen Grunwald.
"Everything went well" during the Heat's meeting with Rashard Lewis today, as Lewis' agent tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Lewis has yet to make a decision, with the Knicks and Hawks still in the running, Aldridge says.

Earlier updates:

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) identifies the Nets and Knicks as the frontrunners in sign-and-trade talks to land Marcus Camby. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News says that in addition to meeting with the Knicks in Houston, Camby held a conference call with the Nets (Twitter link).
Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets that Brandon Rush could be an option for the Timberwolves or Trail Blazers, whichever team loses out on Nicolas Batum. Also, Berger includes Shannon Brown in the mix of suitors for Courtney Lee, O.J. Mayo, and Lou Williams once the two-guard dust clears (Twitter link).
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas says that the Mavericks will resume talks with Ramon Sessions on Monday. Along with Dallas, the Rockets appear to interest the free agent point guard because of the opportunity to start.
According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the Knicks had a "very productive" meeting with Marcus Camby today.
The Magic still do not know if Spaniard Fran Vasquez will be joining the team next season,tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Vasquez was a lottery pick in 2005.
The Bulls will not pick up C.J. Watson's option, and are attempting to deal him before July 10th, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
The Mavericks, Rockets, Knicks, Hawks, Suns, and Bucks are all interested in signing guard Randy Foye, tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.
According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, Greg Stiemsma's agent said his client did not receive a $3MM offer sheet from the Timberwolves.
The Celtics are interested in Courtney Lee after meeting with the free agent shooting guard on Saturday night, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Even with the addition of Hinrich, the Bulls have Michael Redd and Gerald Green on their radar, tweets Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
Brooklyn head coach Avery Johnson says the Nets' focus is to re-sign Brook Lopez as trading for Dwight Howard remains out of their control, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The team has begun negotiating with Lopez on an extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
With Camby postponing a meeting with the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel considers the likelihood of signing Greg Oden similar to how the team added Eddy Curry last season.
The Knicks brass will meet with Marcus Camby in Houston on Sunday with hopes that the big man will land in New York to serve as a backup for Tyson Chandler, says Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Look for the Celtics to explore internal options to replace Ray Allen rather than spend excess money on players who may not prove to be a good fit in Boston, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
The Bucks have emerged as a potential landing spot for Kirk Hinrich as they look to improve their backcourt depth, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, but Milwaukee will have to look elsewhere as Hinrich reached a verbal agreement with the Bulls earlier on Sunday.

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Bulls Rumors: Hinrich, Asik, Roy, Fisher, Lucas

July 2nd, 2012 at 11:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

In case you missed it amidst tonight's flurry of free agent rumors, the Bulls are making Kirk Hinrich their top free agent target, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Johnson has more in a full report, adding that Hinrich will command most, if not all, of the team's $3MM mini mid-level exception. Hinrich may not be altogether exciting for Bulls fans, but they haven't stopped their pursuit of others, including Brandon Roy, and GM Gar Forman left open the possibility the team could match the Rockets' backloaded offer for Omer Asik, which will be officially tendered on July 11th. "I'm not going to talk about any type of negotiation or anything contractually until we see something," the GM said. "We've made it clear we value Omer and it's been our goal that Omer would stay with the Bulls." Johnson has more out of Chicago, and we've got the highlights here:

Free Agent Rumors: Lin, Hinrich, Kaman, Nash

July 2nd, 2012 at 10:07pm CST by Luke Adams

While a report surfaced last night suggesting that the Knicks may be reluctant to match a backloaded offer to Jeremy Lin, it doesn't appear that such an offer will come from Brooklyn. According to TNT's David Aldridge, the Nets haven't reached out to Lin, and appear to be viewing Steve Nash as Plan B if they can't lock up Deron Williams. Let's round up a few more free agent tidbits from around the league….

While an earlier report (linked below) from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune suggests the Bulls will only offer the minimum to Kirk Hinrich, Johnson says he's now emerging as the team's top target (Twitter link).
Chris Kaman had a "positive" meeting with the Pacers today, but no offer was made, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes Lin and Nash may be an either/or proposition for the Knicks.

Earlier updates:

Lin has received interest from a number of teams, including the Raptors, Mavericks and, contradicting Aldridge, the Nets, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes. At least one of those teams has considered making Lin a backloaded offer, according to Kennedy.
Lin and fellow restricted free agent Greg Stiemsma have withdrawn from the USA Olympic select team. Lin is off the team because of contract concerns, as Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets, and Stiemsma is nursing a foot injury, tweets Howard Beck of The New York Times.
Jamal Crawford will spend Tuesday with the Clippers, frontrunners for his services, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The Celtics, Sixers, Suns and Wolves are also interested.
It's likely the Bulls won't pick up C.J. Watson's option, but that could change if they don't match Omer Asik's offer sheet from the Rockets, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Restricted free agent Devin Ebanks has drawn the eye of the Magic, Thunder, Nets, Hawks and 76ers, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
The Warriors, one of the teams on Brandon Roy's list of finalists, would like to bring him aboard, but can't afford to commit cap space to someone whose status is so uncertain, says Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group, who adds that if Roy is unwilling to sign for the minimum, it's unlikely he'll be a Warrior (Twitter link).
The Bulls are pursuing Derek Fisher, write Ramona Shelburne and Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, and the Heat, Mavs and Thunder are also on the radar for the veteran guard. The report also confirms the team's interest in Brandon Roy (linked below).
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that John Lucas III is a good bet to re-sign with the Bulls (Twitter link).
Marco Belinelli is drawing interest from teams targeting shooting guards, and the Mavericks are one possibility for him, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Berger also tweets that interest in unrestricted free agent centers Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby has increased since Omer Asik agreed to a deal with the Rockets.
Goran Dragic is expected to meet with Rockets officials today in Houston, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has been in contact with Brandon Roy about the possibility of signing with Chicago, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Roy has met with the Timberwolves and Mavericks, and intends to meet with the other three clubs on his wish list before making a decision, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
While they're rumored to have interest, the Cavs haven't made an offer to Alexey Shved, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
Chris Wilcox, recovering from aortic surgery, has been cleared for full-court contact, his agent tells TNT's David Aldridge.
Steve Novak is drawing heavy interest, as nearly a dozen teams contacted his representatives yesterday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman says the Knicks are targeting Anthony Tolliver as a possible alternative if Novak gets away.
The Suns and Pistons are among the teams pursuing Michael Beasley, according to Sam Amick of SI.com.
Amick also says the Raptors, Suns, Nets, Hornets, Lakers, and Rockets have expressed some interest in Goran Dragic.
The Bulls' talks with Kirk Hinrich have focused on the veteran's minimum, which is unlikely to get it done with eight teams in the mix, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
The Wizards have reached out to a handful of their own free agents as well as John Lucas III and Hinrich, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Jonny Flynn is receiving interest from the Hawks in addition to the Cavs, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

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Hayes On Bulls’ Offseason Plans

May 13th, 2012 at 7:25pm CST by Sean Highkin

In a new column, Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times addresses several major questions the Bulls will face this offseason:

Despite his on-court regression in his second season, the Bulls are expected to match all offers on restricted free-agent center Omer Asik.
Chicago will likely not pick up their options on all three of C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver, because they want to clear cap space to re-sign Taj Gibson after next season.
Hayes speculates that John Lucas III may develop into more of a three-point specialist than a backup point guard, which will likely make him cheaper to retain.

Central Notes: Irving, Bucks, Lucas

March 22nd, 2012 at 8:56pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There are several significant storylines to follow in the Central Division as it relates to the standings. The first place Bulls are hanging onto a three game lead over the Heat, and both are on a three-game winning streak. While it may not be likely that the Pacers overtake Chicago for top of the division, Indiana sits just two games behind the Magic for a chance at third place and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Bucks, who are currently on a league-best six-game winning streak, are one game behind the Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot. Beyond that, here are some other things we've heard from the Central:

This article from Cleveland.com highlights Kyrie Irving's impressive performance in the fourth quarter in a recent loss to Atlanta, and follows up with a few miscellaneous Cavaliers notes.
Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes about Scott Skiles approach to the Bucks' remaining season schedule.
Although Derrick Rose has been battling injuries throughout the season, the Bulls have managed an 11-4 record without him. An instrumental part of that success can be credited to the emergence of John Lucas III as a solid contributor. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune digs deeper into Lucas' journey up to this point in the season.
The Pistons completed last week's road trip with a disappointing 1-4 record, two losses which included coming up short to the Clippers in overtime and Ben Gordon missing a potential game winner in Denver. David Mayo of MLive.com writes more about Detroit's inability to finish games, as well as some thoughts from head coach Lawrence Frank.
Tayshaun Prince is determined to turn things around in Detroit, writes Chris Tomasson of FS Florida.