Kelly Olynyk Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Sign Kelly Olynyk To Four-Year Deal

July 7th, 2017 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7, 3:19pm: The Heat have officially signed Olynyk, the team announced today in a press release.

“As soon as Kelly Olynyk became an unrestricted free agent, we pursued him,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He is not only a post player, he can also play away from the basket. What we like the most is that he is a playmaker, tough defender and rugged rebounder. At just 26 years old, he fits in perfect with our young core that will play together in their primes.”

JULY 6, 6:45pm: The Heat have reached an agreement on a four-year contract with free agent center Kelly Olynyk, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $50MM. Olynyk’s new deal will include a fourth-year player option, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

Because the Celtics withdrew Olynyk’s qualifying offer earlier this week, he’s an unrestricted free agent and can sign outright with Miami. Boston needed to clear the big man’s cap hold from its books in order to help create enough space for Gordon Hayward‘s new maximum salary deal with the team. Until Olynyk’s QO was rescinded, he had been a restricted free agent, but becoming unrestricted helped accelerate his market.

Olynyk, 26, appeared in 75 regular season games for the Celtics last season, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG and once again showed off an ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%). His most memorable performance in Boston came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Wizards, when he helped the C’s seal the series with a 26-point outburst.

By signing with the Heat, Olynyk will join a frontcourt that needed a little depth, given Willie Reed‘s free agency. Veteran power forward James Johnson also reached the open market over the weekend, but Olynyk’s deal won’t preclude a new agreement with Johnson, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who tweets that the team still intends to get something done with the unrestricted free agent.

Having now reached eight-figure deals with Olynyk and Dion Waiters, the Heat only have about $6MM in cap room left over, but could open up another $6MM+ by waiving Wayne Ellington‘s non-guaranteed contract and another $4MM or so by stretching Josh McRoberts‘ deal.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the Mavericks and Heat have had discussions about a trade that would create more space for Miami, so it’s possible that Dallas is willing to take on McRoberts — Tyler Johnson would be the other logical trade candidate on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacers, Nets, Others Interested In Kelly Olynyk

July 5th, 2017 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers, Nets, Kings, and Jazz are among the teams “coming on strong” for Kelly Olynyk, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reports (via Twitter)

Gordon Hayward‘s decision on Tuesday likely helped jump-start the market for several other free agents, but none were impacted as directly as Olynyk. In order to help create cap room for Hayward’s maximum salary contract, the Celtics withdrew Olynyk’s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent rather than an RFA.

Olynyk is now eligible to sign outright with a new team, which has created significant interest around the league. The Pacers, Nets, Kings, and Jazz all have cap room left over, and would each likely be able to offer more than the mid-level exception, though Brooklyn may want resolution on Otto Porter‘s offer sheet first, and Indiana is trying to shed some salary, per Amick.

Olynyk, 26, appeared in 75 regular season games for the Celtics last season, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG and once again showed off an ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%). His most memorable performance in Boston came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Wizards, when he helped the C’s seal the series with a 26-point outburst.

Celtics Rescind Kelly Olynyk’s Qualifying Offer

July 4th, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of their agreement with Gordon Hayward, the Celtics have started making moves to create cap room for Hayward’s maximum salary contract. That means that Boston has pulled Kelly Olynyk‘s qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Olynyk initially received a qualifying offer worth about $4.19MM from the Celtics in June. That offer didn’t lock the two sides into anything, but it made the 26-year-old center a restricted free agent, and created a $7.74MM cap hold on Boston’s cap. The Celtics need to clear that $7.74MM cap hold to help make space for Hayward, opening the door for Olynyk to sign outright with another team.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), there will be a “strong” market for Olynyk, who averaged 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG in a part-time role for the Celtics last season. The seven-footer’s ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%) should appeal to several teams.

The Hawks and Pacers will be on the list of potential suitors for Olynyk, per Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

Celtics Extend Qualifying Offer To Olynyk

June 29th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to Kelly Olynyk, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The 26-year-old center is coming off a year in which he posted 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Given Boston’s position in the middle of some serious free agency pursuits, it’s worth noting that the C’s retain the ability to rescind the offer so long as Olynyk doesn’t accept it first, Himmelsbach adds.

Considering that Olynyk is slated to become a restricted free agent if he doesn’t, it’s unlikely that he would accept the one-year, $7.7MM qualifying deal.

Olynyk is a sharpshooting big man that can make an impact from beyond the arc, a combination in particularly high demand these days, but he doesn’t contribute much outside of his niche.

Regardless, whether or not Boston chooses to match any offer that Olynyk can scrounge up on the open market will largely depend on their success finessing a big name or two over to Beantown this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, Monk, Draft

June 9th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Austin Kent

A big time signing could jeopardize Kelly Olynyk‘s future with the Celtics, Jay King of Massachusetts Live writes. The organization would need to explore renouncing the restricted free agent’s contract in order to free up cap space.

Still, King writes, it’s possible that the franchise could free up money in other ways that don’t involve parting ways with the sharp shooting big man. The British Columbia native averaged 9.0 points per game in 75 contests with Boston this season.

Olynyk could yield as much as $10-$12MM this summer, his value no doubt inflated by the NBA’s growing emphasis on outside shooting, but whether or not the C’s will be in a position to retain him depends on the rest of their plans over the course of a busy offseason.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks will bring Kentucky’s Malik Monk in for a workout early next week, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. New York picks eighth in this month’s draft and NBADraft.net actually slots Monk in at the No. 8 spot in their latest mock draft.
While there will be plenty of intriguing options available to the Sixers when they select third in the NBA Draft particularly Justin Jackson and De’Aaron Fox, Keith Pompey of the Inquirer says not to overlook Duke product Jayson Tatum.
The latest list of free agents and rookies to be worked out by the Nets has been published by Nets Daily.
The Raptors auditioned a number of draft prospects this week, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun wrote about their workouts.

Celtics Notes: Free Agents, Thomas, Green, George

May 26th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Next season’s Celtics may have little resemblance to the group that earned the East’s top seed and reached the conference finals, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Free agents Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko are both very unlikely to be-resigned, according to Deveney. Johnson started 77 games this season, but his role was cut severely in the playoffs. Fellow free agents Gerald Green and James Young will also probably be let go. Kelly Olynyk may be a tougher call as a restricted free agent. The Celtics would like to keep him, Deveney notes, but they aren’t certain to match a large offer. The team would also like to trade center Tyler Zeller, who has one year left on his contract at $8MM, which won’t be guaranteed until July 2nd.

There’s more today out of Boston:

Isaiah Thomas is eligible for an extension this summer, but it’s unlikely to happen, Deveney states in the same story. Thomas has one year left on his deal at the extreme bargain price of about $6.26MM. The most likely scenario, according to Deveney, is that Thomas will play out his current contract, then pursue a max deal starting at more than $30MM per season in 2018, either from the Celtics or another organization. There has been speculation about a possible Thomas trade this summer, but Deveney says the Celtics haven’t talked to anyone about dealing him. Other offseason decisions include possible extensions for Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, and Deveney notes that Boston can’t afford to invest big money in all three guards.
Executives around the league believe the Celtics will hold on to the No. 1 draft pick and select Markelle Fultz, Deveney adds in the same piece. They will take a year to see how he meshes with Thomas, Bradley and Smart before making any long-term decisions. Kansas forward Josh Jackson is probably the most likely choice if they pass on Fultz, according to Deveney.
At today’s exit interview, Green said he wants to return to the Celtics and help them win a title, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. The 31-year-old played just 47 games during the season, but started seven times in the playoffs.
Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics last summer, believes Boston will be a popular destination for free agents, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I think it’s gonna be very attractive,” he said. “If you look at our team, the upside and everything, it’s a good time to be a Celtic.”
Boston has the assets to land Paul George in a trade if he refuses to sign a long-term deal with the Pacers, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Marks and Chris Mannix discuss the Celtics’ offseason options in a video on the Vertical website, with Marks saying a trade with Indiana is feasible without including the Nets’ pick for this year or 2018. He suggests a package of Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier, Zeller and the Grizzlies’ 2019 first-rounder may be enough to get a deal done.

Celtics Notes: No. 1 Pick, Cap Room, G. Green

May 18th, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

A little over 36 hours after landing the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, the Celtics weren’t yet fielding trade calls regarding that selection, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. However, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets, Ainge expects the phone to start ringing by next week.

Ainge has indicated that he’s open to every option with that top pick, including a potential trade, but Celtics sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the most likely outcome is the team keeping and using the No. 1 selection. As Kyler notes, the C’s recognize that draft picks don’t come with any guarantees, but they also believe that the pick is very valuable from a financial perspective — getting a potential star on a rookie contract may be more appealing than trading for an established star who is already on a lucrative deal and will only get more expensive.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

The debate over whether the Celtics should keep or trade their pick is a lively one. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) weigh the pros and cons of the two approaches, while Charles Curtis of USA Today argues in favor of trading it and Michael Pina of Vice Sports makes the case for keeping it.
Assuming the Celtics keep the first overall pick, Markelle Fultz is the obvious favorite to be selected, but expect the team to work out several of the top prospects before making a final decision, Steve Kyler writes in his piece linked above.
Boston is expected to be a major player for Gordon Hayward if the All-Star forward opts out of his contract with Utah, but as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders observes (via Twitter), the club may have to part with Kelly Olynyk in order to create enough cap room for a max contract.
Celtics swingman Gerald Green, who will be eligible for free agency this offseason, has signed with agent James Dunleavy of Independent Sports and Entertainment, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Green was previously represented by BDA Sports.

Atlantic Notes: Goodwin, Porzingis, Olynyk

May 7th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Nets may have stumbled upon a building block when they inked Archie Goodwin to a two-year deal following a pair of 10-day contracts this season. The feeling is mutual, a Nets Daily report suggests.

“I can grow with this team, grow with the staff and organization,” the 22-year-old recently told the media. Though the combo guard was waived by both the Suns and the Pelicans in 2016/17, he arrived with the Nets as an intriguing source of potential.

After spending one year with Kentucky, Goodwin opted to enter the 2013 draft and was selected toward the end of the first round. In 12 games with the Nets this year, Goodwin’s minutes were limited but he flashed his potential with 18.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per 36 minutes.

“They’re actually going to give me an opportunity and this summer is going to be a big, big summer for me. I’m going to take advantage of it,” Goodwin said of the Nets.

Goodwin’s deal with the Nets has a team option for 2017/18 and becomes partially guaranteed on opening night.

After a cryptic tweet referencing the Clippers was published from his account, Kristaps Porzingis claims that he was hacked. The Knicks big man tweeted his explanation on Sunday.
The Celtics will have to make a tough decision this summer, choosing whether to build their future around the star who has led them to one of their best finishes in years or commit to one of the prized point guards eligible in this year’s draft. Basketball Insiders’ Moke Hamilton breaks down the scenario in his latest feature.
Although he’s been involved in several incidents, the most recent culminating in a Kelly Oubre Jr. suspension after the guard took offense to a hard screen, Kelly Olynyk insists that he’s not a dirty player. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England discusses the incident that transpired in the Celtics–Wizards series.

Potential 2017 RFAs Whose Qualifying Offers Will Be Impacted By Starter Criteria

April 7th, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will go into effect on July 1, 2017, includes a number of changes to the free agent process, including some that apply specifically to restricted free agents. However, one aspect of restricted free agency unaffected by the new CBA is what’s referred to as the “starter criteria,” which can affect how much an RFA’s qualifying offer will be worth.

Here’s how the starter criteria works: A player who is eligible for restricted free agency is considered to have met the starter criteria if he plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency. A player can also meet the criteria if he averages either of those marks in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency. For instance, if a player started 50 games in 2015/16 and 35 in 2016/17, he’d meet the starter criteria, since his average number of starts over the last two seasons exceeds 41.

A player’s ability or inability to meet the starter criteria can affect the value of the qualifying offer he receives as a restricted free agent, as follows:

A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
For all other RFAs, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.

Extending a qualifying offer to a player ensures that a team has the right of first refusal if he signs an offer sheet, and gives the player the option of signing that one-year QO. Generally, the value of a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer isn’t hugely important, since very few RFAs accept those offers outright. Still, those QOs can have an impact on a team’s salary cap outlook during July’s free agent period, so it’s worth checking in to see which potential RFAs will be eligible for higher or lower qualifying offers this summer.

Listed below are the top-14 picks on track for restricted free agency who have not met the starter criteria. These players will be eligible for qualifying offers worth $4,187,598.

Alex Len (Suns)
Nerlens Noel (Mavericks)
Trey Burke (Wizards)
Michael Carter-Williams (Bulls)
Kelly Olynyk (Celtics)
Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves)

Len and Noel had the worst QO luck this season. As the fifth and sixth overall picks in 2013, they would have been in line for qualifying offers worth about $6.4MM and $5.85MM, respectively. Instead, their QOs will be worth less than $4.2MM. Both players were very close to meeting the starter criteria too — they’ve started 77 games apiece in the past two years, so they’ll fall just short of the 82 required.

The players listed below are non-lottery first-round picks who will meet the starter criteria. That will make each of them eligible for a qualifying offer worth $4,588,840.

Tony Snell (Bucks)
Mason Plumlee (Nuggets)
Tim Hardaway (Hawks)
Andre Roberson (Thunder)

All four of these players were selected in the 20-26 range in the 2013 draft, and their QOs would’ve ranged from about $3.39MM to $3.22MM if they hadn’t met the starter criteria.

Here are the rest of the RFAs whose qualifying offers won’t necessarily be determined by the standard criteria:

Undrafted power forward JaMychal Green (Grizzlies) has met the starter criteria, putting him in line for a QO worth $2,820,497 instead of the more modest amount he would’ve received as a minimum-salary player.
Two players – Joe Ingles (Jazz) and Ben McLemore (Kings) – still have a chance to meet the starter criteria depending on how the season’s last four days play out. Ingles has played 1,848 minutes this season, meaning he would have to average about 38 MPG in Utah’s last four contests to reach 2,000, which is a tall order. McLemore may fall just short as well, as he currently sits at 79 starts over the last two seasons. He’ll need to start three of the Kings’ last four games in order to average 41 starts per year, but he has only been in Sacramento’s starting lineup twice since the start of March. (End-of-season update: Neither Ingles nor McLemore met the starter criteria.)

Free Agent Rumors: Teague, Rose, Olynyk, Waiters

March 23rd, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Much has been made of Paul George‘s approaching free agency, but the Pacers star won’t be eligible to hit the open market until 2018. Another key Indiana player – Jeff Teague – will see his contract expire this summer, and if Teague leaves the Pacers as a free agent, that probably increases the likelihood of a George departure as well, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

One league source who spoke to Deveney predicted that Teague will seek a contract close to the max, pointing to Mike Conley‘s five-year, $150MM+ deal with the Grizzlies as one that Teague’s camp will probably bring up in contract negotiations. However, Deveney notes that Teague grew up in Indianapolis and would like to stay with the Pacers, which means a hometown discount isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Here are a few more notes from around the NBA related to current free agents or players whose contracts will be up this summer:

In a video for The Vertical, Bobby Marks and Chris Mannix identify Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk as two free agents whose value is very hard to pin down. Mannix suggests he wouldn’t commit to Rose for more than one or two years, while the duo agrees that Olynyk will likely command an annual salary worth at least $10MM, a substantial price to pay for a player whose production has been inconsistent.
It has been a tale of two seasons for Dion Waiters, who is enjoying perhaps his best year as a pro in Miami, but has also been slowed by various injuries, including the ankle sprain that currently sidelines him. Still, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn’t expect those injuries to give the Heat much additional leverage in contract talks this summer with Waiters, since they’re not serious, long-term ailments.
Former NBA players Solomon Jones and Jarnell Stokes are currently NBA free agents, but both players have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter links). Stokes’ D-League rights are held by Sioux Falls, so last year’s NBADL will return to the Skyforce. The club waived former NBA center Johan Petro in a corresponding move.