Jordan Clarkson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Qualifying Offers: Clarkson, Dellavedova, Galloway

June 30th, 2016 at 8:39pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Players eligible for restricted free agency don’t become restricted free agents by default. In order to make a player a restricted free agent, a team must extend a qualifying offer to him. The qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract offer, varies in amount depending on a player’s service time and previous contract status. A qualifying offer is designed to give a player’s team the right of first refusal. Because the qualifying offer acts as the first formal contract offer a free agent receives, his team then receives the option to match any offer sheet the player signs with another club. You can read more about qualifying offers here.

Here’s the latest QO activity from around the league:

The Cavaliers tendered point guard Matthew Dellavedova a qualifying offer worth $1,434,095, making him a restricted free agent, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The Lakers have submitted qualifying offers to Jordan Clarkson ($2,725,003), Tarik Black ($1,180,431) and Marcelo Huertas ($1,074,636) making all three restricted free agents, but declined to tender one to Ryan Kelly ($2,155,313), making him an unrestricted free agent, Pincus tweets.
The Knicks submitted a qualifying offer to guard Langston Galloway ($2,725,003), but declined to do so for forward Cleanthony Early ($1,180,431), making him an unrestricted free agent, Pincus relays (via Twitter).

Sixers Rumors: Free Agency, Rubio, Beverley

June 29th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have generally steered clear of the free agent market, particularly when it comes to high-priced players, during their lengthy rebuilding process, but that approach could change this year. The team reportedly has “serious” interest in Harrison Barnes, who may be in line for a max contract, and agents who have spoken to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News suggest there’s a different vibe around the team this summer.

“By all indications, they’re going to be aggressive, and I think once you get past that first tier of free agents, you are going to have a perfect storm in Philadelphia that is going to make players want to go there,” one agent told Deveney. “Brett Brown is a good coach. They’ve got money. They’ve got playing time available. I mean, it couldn’t be a more different situation than what we’re used to.”

Here’s more on the Sixers, via Deveney:

More on the Sixers, from another player agent: “I’ve got guys who tell me they want to going there. I mean, excited to go there. It’s a different approach.”
Philadelphia isn’t expected to pursue top-tier free agents like Al Horford, but the team will be willing to gamble on young guards and wing players who could command large salaries, like Barnes. A source confirmed to Deveney that the Sixers do indeed plan to show interest in Dion Waiters and Allen Crabbe, as we’ve heard this week.
Evan Fournier and Jordan Clarkson are two more free agents who may receive consideration from the 76ers, but both players are restricted FAs and will be difficult to pry away from their current teams, writes Deveney.
The Sixers are expected to pursue “one or more point guards” on the trade market, according to Deveney, who says the team explored a possible deal for Ricky Rubio on draft night. Such a deal would have had to be a three-way trade to get the Timberwolves the veteran help they were seeking.
Per Deveney, Philadelphia has also expressed some trade interest in Patrick Beverley, whom the Rockets have reportedly shopped.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Kupchak, Bender, Clippers

June 25th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings‘ decision to take big men in the first round of the draft may force them to make an aggressive offer to free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento traded down with its first pick and took center Georgios Papagiannis at No. 13, then later added forward Malachi Richardson at No. 22 and forward/center Skal Labissiere at No. 28. The selections leave the Kings with holes on the roster, Jones notes, and could make them desperate to keep Rondo, who led the NBA in assists this season.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Kings GM/executive Vlade Divac said his team is “set” in the front court after draft night, Jones tweets. Divac adds that he is open to re-signing Rondo.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak hopes to surround all his young talent with some veteran leaders, posts Baxter Holmes on ESPN Now. L.A. selected Brandon Ingram on Thursday to team with D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, if he re-signs with the team. “History tells you that a bunch of young guys on the team is probably not a good thing,” Kupchak said. “They look around for leadership or they look around for advice from somebody who’s been through this a couple times, and if there’s nobody to talk to, well, you don’t know how to handle the situation. So I think we will look to add some veteran leadership and hopefully it’s not only leadership but guys who can help us win games.”
The Suns feared Dragan Bender wouldn’t be available later if they didn’t take him at No. 4, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix. The Suns thought Denver would take Bender at No. 7, which is why they nabbed him with the fourth pick and waited until No 8 to take Marquese Chriss.
Even though they have limited cap room, the Clippers will make an effort to re-sign all their free agents, coach Doc Rivers told Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “To a man, they all want to come back,” Rivers said. “Then there’s business. We’ll see once July 1st comes. It’s going to be interesting the way the cap’s going up. We have three Bird [Rights] guys we have a chance of signing [Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford and Luc Mbah a Moute], but they all may be — not all of them — but they may outprice and we can’t sign all three. But we’re going to try.”

Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Cousins, Luwawu

June 16th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers combo guard Jordan Clarkson, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, reiterated his desire to remain in Los Angeles for the long-term and expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing for new head coach Luke Walton, Shahan Ahmed of NBCLosAngeles.com relays. “With the Warriors, the biggest thing is ball movement,” Clarkson said. “Those guys are making the ball pop. Everyone is getting open shots, setting good screens. They set a lot of guard to guard screens, take advantage of switches. That style of play, I think it fits us well. We got a lot of guys that can put the ball on the floor and make plays for each other, and at the same time being able to play in a system where ball movement is the emphasis.”

Here’s the latest out of the Pacific Division:

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins said that he is optimistic about the team’s direction under new coach Dave Joerger, adding that he is looking forward to less drama next season, Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 tweets.
The Clippers are parting ways with assistant coach for player development Dave Severns, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register relays (via Twitter).
French combo guard Timothe Luwawu has a workout scheduled with the Suns this weekend, international journalist David Pick tweets.
The Kings will hold a group workout on Friday and the attendees will include Ryan Anderson (Arizona), Robert Brown (UAB), Tyler Harris (Auburn), Stefan Jankovic (Hawaii), Retin Obasohan (Alabama) and Jamari Traylor (Kansas), the team announced.

Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Conley, Whiteside

June 9th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines a few of this year’s top free-agents-to-be, taking stock of their situations and passing along the latest notes and rumors he’s heard on each player. Here’s a round-up of some of the key info from Kyler’s piece:

Even though Kevin Durant is considered most likely to return to the Thunder, he’s expected to take meetings, and Kyler hears that the Warriors and Spurs are “planning big pitches.” The belief around the NBA is that Durant will return to OKC on a deal that allows him to opt out in a year so that his free agency will line up with Russell Westbrook‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s in 2017.
Sources close to Mike Conley‘s camp have suggested recently that Conley is “more open to new situations” than the Grizzlies would like. According to Kyler, those sources believe that the point guard wants to see signs that Memphis is serious about fortifying its roster with other pieces before committing to the team for the long term. Kyler identifies the “dark horse” in the Conley sweepstakes as the Spurs, who are believed to be willing to make some changes to their core if it means landing another high-level player.
Hassan Whiteside is expected to land a maximum-salary contract, with the Lakers and Celtics among the teams believed to be interested. The Heat remain the favorites for the big man, but if they “try to play games,” Whiteside will shop around for other offers, according to Kyler.
The Raptors and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Nicolas Batum, but Batum will likely be in line for a max contract or something close to it, and the Hornets are viewed as the team most likely to accommodate such a deal.
DeMar DeRozan is viewed as a near-lock to return to the Raptors on a max deal.
Assuming they don’t land Durant, the Warriors sound prepared to keep their current roster intact, even if that means matching a “crazy offer sheet” for Harrison Barnes, writes Kyler.
The odds of RFA-to-be Jordan Clarkson ending up with any team besides the Lakers are slim, but it’s possible his camp will seek out an offer sheet from another club if necessary, in order to get more favorable terms.

Western Notes: Clarkson, Spurs, Felton

June 9th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jordan Clarkson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, wants to remain with the Lakers and be a part of turning the franchise around, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News relays. “We had two tough years, but I don’t want to be a guy that is afraid and will run away from challenges,” Clarkson said. “I want to be a part of the situation when it turns around because I was here when it was down. I never want to leave.”

The young guard also expressed his willingness to take on whatever role the franchise requires of him, Medina adds. “I will do anything a team asks me to do,” Clarkson said. “If it’s to come off the bench, I would impact the game by coming off the bench. If I were to start, I would impact the game as a starter. I would impact the game either way.”

Here’s the latest from out West:

The Spurs have explored trading up in the first round of the NBA Draft, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). It is unclear which teams San Antonio has contacted or who the team may be targeting if it was able to improve is draft position via trade. The Spurs currently own the No. 29 overall pick this June.
Former SMU forward Markus Kennedy has a workout scheduled with the Mavericks on June 14th, Kennedy (no relation) tweets.
Point guard Raymond Felton, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, said that his preference is to re-sign with the Mavericks, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays (Twitter links). “Of course, this is where I want to be. I’d love to come back here, so hopefully we can make that happen,” Felton said. “It’s a process. … I’m out of it now. My agent and the organization, it’s their situation now.“
The Nuggets have workouts set for Friday with DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph’s), Joel Bolomboy (Weber State), Cheick Diallo (Kansas), Taurean Prince (Baylor) and Antwan Scott (Colorado State), the team announced via press release.

Knicks Rumors: Afflalo, Clarkson, Hernangomez

June 9th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday, we learned that the Knicks are in negotiations to retain Kurt Rambis as an assistant on new head coach Jeff Hornacek‘s staff, and we passed along the names of several free agent targets viewed as “realistic” for the team, including a handful of veterans who are working out at a Knicks mini-camp. We’ve got a few more items out of New York to round up today, all courtesy of Ian Begley of ESPN.com, whose latest piece is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let’s dive right in…

Asked which position the Knicks will prioritize this offseason, general manager Steve Mills provided an unsurprising reply. “It’s clear we need a lead guard, someone that can really carry the load, day in and day out,” Mills said during an MSG Network program. “That’s something that I think is one of our biggest needs.”
According to Begley, Arron Afflalo has yet to make a decision on his $8MM player option for 2016/17, but the expectation is that the veteran guard will opt out, potentially leaving the Knicks even more short-handed in the backcourt.
Begley hears that Jordan Clarkson has fans within the Knicks organization, but Clarkson will be a restricted free agent this summer, and appears likely to stay with the Lakers.
Mills indicated that New York hopes to sign 2015 second-round pick Willy Hernangomez this offseason. “We won’t be able to do anything until July 1 but we’re in conversations about that,” the GM said.
We’ve heard previously that the Knicks plan to acquire a draft pick, and Begley notes that the team has been working out prospects, emphasizing the triangle offense in those sessions.
Mills, on the possibility of getting involved in the draft: “Teams have multiple picks, so some of those teams are going to be interested in moving their picks. A lot is going to depend on who is there in the draft that we really like. We have a feel for if there are any players that we really like that we think can impact this team and then we’ll go out and aggressively get a pick if we think something’s there. But we also have to balance the number of young guys on the roster versus veterans that we may be able to bring in through free agency or trade. So that’s a balance that we’re constantly looking at.”
Mills added the Knicks expect to have “a pool of 30 or 40 players” that they’ll look at in free agency, with the intention of adding at least a couple free agents from that group. “The most important thing is to understand who the guys are that you have a really good chance of getting so that you’re not chasing the guys that you really don’t have a chance,” Mills said.

Southwest Notes: Bickerstaff, Fizdale, Pachulia, Mavs

May 29th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff is being considered for a job on the Grizzlies‘ staff, tweets John Martin of ESPN929.com. A source told Martin that Bickerstaff traveled to Memphis Friday to meet with new coach David Fizdale. Bickerstaff had a 37-34 record with Houston after taking over for Kevin McHale in November. He pulled his name out of consideration in the Rockets’ coaching search before they hired Mike D’Antoni.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Fizdale has a reputation as a players’ coach, but that’s because he’s a communicator, not a pushover, writes Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal. Fizdale spent the past two seasons as an assistant in Miami, where he became known for his directness. “That doesn’t mean you’re always nice. That means you’re true with your players,” former Heat point guard Beno Udrih said in an interview with ESPN 92.9. “I think players appreciate more if coaches, when he needs to be tough, he’s tough to them. And he can communicate in a different way that — picking up his voice — he does that. He has that very good balance to do that.”
The Mavericks hope to improve at center, so it’s likely that free agent Zaza Pachulia will wind up with another team, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Pachulia was a pleasant surprise after Dallas acquired him from the Bucks last summer in exchange for a second-round draft pick. He started 69 games and averaged close to a double-double with 8.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per night. The Mavs made a strong play for DeAndre Jordan last summer and are expected to chase free agent centers again. If they get one, they may not be able to afford to keep Pachulia as a backup.
Veteran Charlie Villanueva may also be leaving Dallas after a down shooting season, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Normally an effective stretch four, Villanueva connected on just 27% of his 172 3-point attempts this season. He is only 32, so there’s still a chance he’ll bounce back, but Sefko expects it to be with another organization.
The players the Mavericks target in free agency will provide a clue on the direction the franchise is taking, Sefko writes in a question-and-answer column. The writer says the Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson would be a nice pickup at point guard, but Dallas may not want to live with his mistakes while giving him time to develop. Sefko thinks the Mavericks will pursue veteran free agents who can help them win right away.

Lakers Notes: Clarkson, Scott, Walton

May 8th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Will Joseph

Jordan Clarkson, who is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, strongly wants to re-sign with the Lakers after the team hired Luke Walton as coach, Jovan Buha of ESPN.com relays. “It really impacts it a lot,” Clarkson told Buha. “That style of play fits me, as well as the other guys. I definitely want to stay here in L.A. and be here. I said in my exit interview, I don’t want to be that guy who bounces around from team to team. I want to be here in L.A. — a place where I can call home — and leave a legacy. The hiring makes it even better.” Clarkson made $845,059 this year, and L.A. must make a $3.2MM qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids through the Gilbert Arenas Provision.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Byron Scott‘s one regret from his time leading the Lakers is that he wished he played his veterans more minutes, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. It’s interesting that Scott said that, considering he was often criticized for the way he handled his younger players, as Medina adds. Scott dismissed the idea that he was too much of a disciplinarian to his younger players, per Medina, and instead said their inexperience hindered their development. Scott was 38-126 as the Lakers’ coach.
Clarkson isn’t the only one on the Lakers gushing about Walton. Julius Randle believes his versatility can improve under the new coach because Walton worked extensively with Warriors star Draymond Green, helping to make Green more dynamic, Medina writes in a separate piece.

New York Notes: Conley, Rambis, McCullough

May 8th, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets will be shopping for a point guard this summer and may have a better shot at landing Mike Conley now that coach Dave Joerger has been fired in Memphis, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Conley, who averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists this season and led the NBA in assists-to-turnovers ratio, has said he wants to see how the Grizzlies’ offseason plays out before deciding to re-sign.

Lewis foresees a point guard shakeup in Brooklyn even if the Nets can’t lure Conley. He expects Jarrett Jack, who started 32 games before tearing his ACL, to be released, allowing the Nets to save all but $500K of his $6.3MM salary. Shane Larkin has a June 29th deadline to decide whether to exercise a $1.5MM option for next season. New coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation for developing point guards and worked closely with Jeremy Lin when both were with the Knicks. Lin could be an option if he opts out of a deal with Charlotte that would pay him only slightly more than $2.2MM. Lewis writes that Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Seth Curry and Jordan Clarkson could be other targets, along with overseas players such as Milos Teodosic, Nando De Colo, Malcolm Delaney and Sergio Rodriguez.

There’s more out of New York:

The Knicks also have interest in Conley and might see their chances improving because of the events in Memphis, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. That’s especially true if GM Chris Wallace, a huge supporter of Conley, leaves the Grizzlies as well, Berman writes.
Knicks president Phil Jackson may be repaying Kurt Rambis after costing him the head coaching job with the Lakers 17 years ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Rambis took over on the Lakers’ bench after Del Harris was fired in 1999 and expected to be named head coach after the season ended. However, late owner Jerry Buss hired Jackson, and Rambis’ coaching career was put on hold. Now the interim coach with the Knicks, Rambis is believed to be Jackson’s choice to lead the team next season.
Nets rookie Chris McCullough showed a lot of promise late in the season, but he will probably be brought along slowly next year, according to NetsDaily. McCullough, the 29th pick in last year’s draft, missed most of the season while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered at Syracuse. A 6’11” power forward with an impressive vertical leap and 3-point range, McCullough gives Brooklyn hope for the future, but the author speculates that Atkinson will phase him in gradually and may even send the 21-year-old to the team’s new D-League team for occasional seasoning.