Kyrie Irving Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Officially Sign Kyrie Irving

July 6th, 2019 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have signed Kyrie Irving to his new four-year contract with the team, according to the NBA’s transactions log, which lists the deal as official. Brooklyn hasn’t formally announced Irving’s signing yet, but the club has a complex series of transactions that must be completed, so it may be waiting to announce Irving at the same time as Kevin Durant.

Irving is moving from one Atlantic playoff team to another after earning All-NBA Second Team honors with the Celtics this past season. He averaged 23.8 PPG and a career-high 6.9 APG and 5.0 RPG with impressive efficiency numbers (.487/.401/.873 shooting).

However, locker-room and chemistry issues, as well as a disappointing second-round exit in the postseason, soured his second and final year in Boston. The C’s will replace him with another All-NBA point guard, Kemba Walker.

While Irving was initially expected to sign a four-year maximum-salary contract worth just shy of $141MM, a report indicated that he (and Durant) would accept a little less than the max in order to accommodate a four-year, $40MM deal for DeAndre Jordan. We’ll have to wait to find out the final terms of Irving’s new contract.

For more on Irving’s new deal, check out our original story from last weekend on his agreement with the Nets.

Hawks Acquire Allen Crabbe In Trade With Nets

July 6th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: A month after it was agreed upon, the Nets have officially traded Crabbe to the Hawks along with the No. 17 pick (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) and a lottery-protected first-round pick in exchange for Prince and the Hawks’ 2021 second-rounder, according to press releases from both teams.

Brooklyn will, of course, use its cap room to sign Irving and Durant.

JUNE 6: The Nets and Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send Allen Crabbe, the No. 17 pick in the 2019 draft, and a lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

The move will allow the Nets to clear more than $17MM from their books for the 2019/20 season by swapping Crabbe’s expiring $18.5MM deal for Prince’s ($3.48MM) and clearing the cap hold for the No. 17 pick. That will put Brooklyn on track to enter the offseason with more than $47MM in cap space. The Nets will now have a clearer path to creating two maximum-salary cap slots if they’re willing to renounce D’Angelo Russell‘s cap hold.

[RELATED: Latest On D’Angelo Russell]

The fact that the Nets were willing to agree to move Crabbe so early in the offseason signals that they have big plans for that extra cap room, which is particularly intriguing given the recent rumors linking Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Irving is “serious” about the Nets, and Brooklyn is looking to beat out the Knicks and the rest of the NBA for top free agents this summer.

If Russell is renounced, the Nets would have enough cap space for Irving and another maximum-salary free agent, unless that player has 10+ years of NBA experience (like Kevin Durant). In that scenario, the club would have to make one more modest cost-cutting move.

Besides creating extra cap flexibility, the Nets also pick up a solid young wing with three-and-D potential in Prince. The 25-year-old has averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG with a .431/.387/.834 shooting line in 137 games (29.3 MPG) over the last two seasons in Atlanta. He’s extension-eligible this offseason and will be a restricted free agent in 2020 if he doesn’t get a new deal.

From the Hawks’ perspective, acquiring Crabbe in exchange for Prince and their 2021 second-round pick will allow them to pick up two extra first-round selections, which could be used to add two more young prospects to their core or could be dangled in subsequent trade discussions.

Atlanta is now armed with three top-20 picks in the 2019 draft (Nos. 8, 10, and 17). There have been rumors that the Hawks have explored the idea of packaging their two top-10 picks to move up — adding the No. 17 selection to the mix should give the club more leverage in those discussions.

Meanwhile, the on-court impact of swapping out Prince for Crabbe shouldn’t be significant, as they play fairly similar roles. While Crabbe’s lucrative contract isn’t team-friendly, he has still been a very good three-point shooter in recent years, posting a .396 3PT% since signing his four-year deal in 2016, and his deal will expire after the 2019/20 season.

The Hawks’ cap room for 2019 will be cut nearly in half by the deal, but the team still projects to have about $23-25MM in space.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter), the two teams won’t be able to complete the trade until July, since the Hawks won’t have the cap room necessary to absorb Crabbe’s contract until the new league year begins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Sumner, Nets, De Colo

July 2nd, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The first-round draft pick the Pacers will send the Bucks in their sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon is lottery-protected in 2020, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. And if it doesn’t convey in 2020, it’s lottery-protected for five more drafts after that before becoming unprotected in 2026, Lowe adds. In other words, barring a catastrophe in Indiana, Milwaukee will be getting a pick in the back half of the first round, likely next year.

Meanwhile, Edmond Sumner‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will be worth $6.5MM, a league source tells Grant Afseth of The Kokomo Tribune (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether all three years will be fully guaranteed, but it sounds like Sumner will be getting more than the minimum.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

A source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times that Spencer Dinwiddie was “at the forefront” of a months-long push to convince Kyrie Irving to choose the Nets over the Knicks — and to push Kevin Durant in the same direction. While DeAndre Jordan spent the last two months of the season with the Knicks, he also came to view Brooklyn as a more favorable destination to team up with Irving and Durant, according to Stein, who says the veteran center “joined the chorus promoting the Nets” in recent days.
EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahce is in serious pursuit of Raptors RFA guard Nando De Colo, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, De Colo – who last wore an NBA uniform in 2014 – remains focused on getting back into the NBA. But if he doesn’t get an offer he likes within the next couple weeks, it’s possible he’ll sign with the Turkish club, says Carchia.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with veteran center Nikola Vucevic to talk to him about his new $100MM contract agreement with the Magic. “I feel rewarded for what I’ve done – not just last season, but what I’ve done throughout all of my years in Orlando,” Vucevic said of his new deal. “It means a lot for the team to reward me with this nice contract. It was important for me to be able to continue [my career] there and I’m glad we were able to agree on a deal that keeps me in Orlando for four more years.”

Warriors Agree To Acquire D’Angelo Russell Via Sign-And-Trade

July 1st, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 1: The Warriors will send a future protected first-round pick to the Nets as part of the deal to help incentivize them to acquire Durant via sign-and-trade, tweets Wojnarowski.

JUNE 30: The Warriors are trading for D’Angelo Russell, Treveon Graham, and Shabazz Napier from the Nets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The move would be made via sign-and-trade in exchange for Kevin Durant.

Russell will receive a four-year, $117MM maximum salary contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

It was reported earlier today that the Warriors may have an interest in turning Durant’s departure into a sign-and-trade with the Nets. If they hadn’t taken back any salary in the deal, the Dubs could have created a $30MM trade exception. Instead, they’ll land one of the top restricted free agents on the market.

Brooklyn replaced Russell with Kyrie Irving at the point guard position and the franchise was said to be open to helping Russell find a new home of his choosing, even if it meant committing to a sign-and-trade. The Nets wouldn’t look to take salary back in most scenarios, but since they are getting Durant from Golden State, sending Russell there wouldn’t hinder their ability to sign their new stars.

Russell was said to be eyeing a possible move to Minnesota to team up with his close friend Karl-Anthony Towns. Perhaps that was before a deal in Golden State seemed like a feasible option.

The Warriors must stay below the tax apron, which is set at approximately $138.9MM, to remain eligible to accept a sign-and-trade. Doing so with Russell and Klay Thompson receiving maximum-salary deals will be extremely difficult, so another move or two is likely coming for Golden State. As Wojnarowski tweets, Andre Iguodala may have to be moved. Shaun Livingston also appears unlikely to be back.

[UPDATE: Warriors trading Iguodala to Grizzlies]

With Thompson expected to miss most or all of the 2019/20 season with a torn ACL, Russell figures to share the backcourt with Stephen Curry next season in a revamped Warriors lineup. It will be fascinating to see if the club plans to move forward and build around all three guards long-term once Thompson is healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nets, Kyrie Irving Agree To Four-Year Deal

June 30th, 2019 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 30: The Nets and Irving have agreed to a four-year, $140,790,600 deal, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, it includes a fourth-year player option.

[UPDATE: Irving will accept less than the max to accommodate a $40MM deal for DeAndre Jordan]

JUNE 29: The Nets and free agent point guard Kyrie Irving are set to meet in New York on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are motivated to quickly agree to terms on a four-year, maximum-salary contract worth a projected $141MM.

Once Irving commits to the Nets, the team is expected to renounce restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell, allowing him to become unrestricted, league sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). However, Brooklyn is also willing to work with Russell and his reps to help him get to the destination of his choice, and may not renounce his rights if there’s a sign-and-trade deal that appeals to the Nets, Woj adds (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Lakers reach out to Russell]

Whether or not Russell’s cap hold remains on their books, the Nets will have the room necessary to sign Irving outright. Renouncing Russell – or trading him without taking back any salary – would give the club the room to sign another max-level player to join Kyrie.

It has been a roller coaster year for Irving, who said during a preseason team event with the Celtics that he intended to re-sign with Boston at season’s end. A frustrating season with the C’s made him re-think that stance, and rumors in recent months suggested that he might be eyeing a move to the Knicks. However, within the last month, multiple reports indicated that it was New York’s other team, the Nets, that Irving was focused on joining.

Irving will be moving from one Atlantic playoff team to another after earning All-NBA Second Team honors with the Celtics this past season. He averaged 23.8 PPG and a career-high 6.9 APG and 5.0 RPG with impressive efficiency numbers (.487/.401/.873 shooting). However, locker-room and chemistry issues, as well as a disappointing second-round exit in the postseason, soured his second and final year in Boston.

The Celtics have already lined up a replacement for Irving, as All-NBA Third Team guard Kemba Walker reportedly plans to agree to terms on a four-year, maximum-salary deal with Boston once free agency officially begins on Sunday.

As Boston swaps one All-NBA point guard for another, the Nets will do the same with a pair of All-Star point guards, replacing Russell with Irving. While Russell had an impressive breakout season in Brooklyn in 2018/19, the Nets’ willingness to invest big money in Irving reflects the team’s belief that the former Cavalier and Celtic is the more dynamic play-maker and scorer.

Once they secure a commitment from Irving, the Nets are expected to pursue his good friend Kevin Durant. They’d need to make at least one more roster move to open up the room necessary to land Durant, since his maximum salary projects to be about $5.5MM higher than Kyrie’s due to his 10+ years of NBA experience.

If the Nets can’t land Durant, they’ll have plenty of other options on the free agent market. Tobias Harris is one name that has been frequently linked to Brooklyn.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Durant To Nets A Done Deal?

June 30th, 2019 at 3:43pm CST by clarkcrum

Marc Stein of The New York Times is reporting that the Nets are emanating an “undeniable vibe of confidence” that Kevin Durant will join his friend Kyrie Irving and announce tonight that he plans to sign with the Nets.

Brian Lewis of the New York Post adds that there are individuals within the Brooklyn organization – both players and front office employees – that are “quietly confident” that Durant will choose Brooklyn over the Warriors, Knicks, and Clippers.

Finally, Chris Broussard of Fox Sports hears that a team who was in the hunt to sign Durant now thinks that Durant is heading to Brooklyn as well.

As we noted earlier, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out if Brooklyn’s confidence is well-placed, as Durant will announce his decision online when free agency opens this evening.

Charania’s Latest: Nets, D-Lo, Durant, Livingston, More

June 29th, 2019 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Kyrie Irving remains “fully focused” on a potential deal with the Nets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says Brooklyn’s goal is to sign the trio of Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan. If they can get Irving but Durant heads elsewhere, the Nets could shift their focus to players like Tobias Harris or Julius Randle, Charania writes.

As for D’Angelo Russell, league sources tell Charania that the expectation is the Nets will either renounce D-Lo’s rights or try to complete a sign-and-trade deal that sends him elsewhere. A sign-and-trade would be complicated, since Brooklyn may prefer to use its cap room on free agents rather than trade pieces in return for Russell.

Here’s more from Charania:

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers is tentatively scheduled to travel to New York this weekend to meet with Kevin Durant and his inner circle, league sources tell Charania. Durant is also expected to talk to the Knicks, Nets, and Clippers, though no formal meetings have been set, says Charania, who adds that there’s a belief that KD has considered the possibility of teaming up with Kawhi Leonard.
Shaun Livingston, who originally had a guarantee date of June 30 on his contract, has agreed to push that date back to July 10, reports Charania. Livingston has a partial guarantee of $2MM on his $7.7MM salary, and the Warriors now have more time to decide whether to retain him at that price.
With Kemba Walker appearing likely to sign elsewhere, the Hornets are focusing on other point guards like Terry Rozier, sources tell Charania. It’s not clear if Charlotte believes the mid-level would be enough to land Rozier, or if the team would attempt a sign-and-trade.
The Sixers remain “fully focused” on trying to re-sign Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, according to Charania, who notes that rival teams interested in Butler believe the fifth year Philadelphia can offer will be a major factor for the swingman and agent Bernie Lee. If the 76ers don’t offer that fifth year, it’s possible the market for Butler will open up.
The Knicks have targeted free agent center Robin Lopez as a potential backup for Mitchell Robinson, league sources tell Charania.
The Celtics intend to pursue a big man using their $4.8MM room exception, with Enes Kanter and Kevon Looney among their targets, per Charania.

Lowe’s Latest: Walker, Brogdon, Mavs, Rubio, Butler

June 28th, 2019 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics might be the frontrunner for Kemba Walker‘s services but devoting most of their cap space to the All-Star point guard would leave them without any proven frontcourt players and limited ways to acquire them, ESPN’s Zach Lowe writes in an in-depth look at free agency. The addition of Walker would force coach Brad Stevens to use either Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum or Gordon Hayward at power forward, Lowe notes. Walker also ran more pick-and-rolls with the Hornets than Kyrie Irving did with the Celtics, yet Irving was sometimes accused of being a ball hog, Lowe adds.

Here are some other interesting tidbits from Lowe’s column:

Bucks restricted free agent Malcolm Brogdon will lose a suitor if the Celtics ink Walker. The Suns, Bulls, Mavericks and Pacers could potentially extend Brogdon an offer sheet but some teams are concerned about his foot issues.
The Mavericks are not looking to sign any high-level free agents.
The Pacers are looking to make a run at point guard Ricky Rubio. They are also likely to let power forward Thaddeus Young walk and go with a frontcourt of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. Indiana rejected trade offers for Turner at the draft.
The Heat could get involved in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes via a sign-and-trade.
The Nets have no interest in doing a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves involving restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell if it means taking back Jeff Teague or Andrew Wiggins.

And-Ones: Irving, Lakers, Robinson, Morris

June 27th, 2019 at 11:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving remains as much of a target for the Lakers as Kawhi Leonard is, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Earlier today, Los Angeles was able to amend the Anthony Davis trade agreement, giving them the ability to carve out roughly $32MM in cap room.

Irving seems likely to join Brooklyn, but that won’t stop the Lakers from making an attempt to lure the point guard to the team. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Former No. 5 overall pick Thomas Robinson will play in the summer league for the Spurs, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Robinson most recently played in the G League for the Red Claws, the affiliate of the Celtics.
Markieff Morris is unlikely to re-sign with the Thunder, Maddie Lee of the Oklahoman writes. The scribe details how many players who sign during buyout season end up switching teams come the offseason.
Damyean Dotson believes the Knicks will be fine even if they don’t land a big star in free agency this summer, as Marc Berman of the New York Post passes along. “We have a full team of young guys,” Dotson said. “My teammates Allonzo [Trier], Kev [Kevin Knox] Mitchell [Robinson], [R.J. Barrett], we’re rising stars. We can build together and one day become a great team if we work hard keep listening to coach [David Fizdale]. All the guys played last year got experience.”

Atlantic Notes: Irving, Carter, ‘Melo, Nets, Raptors

June 25th, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving is reportedly leaning toward the Nets in free agency and Brooklyn’s infrastructure is a major part of the reason why, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the network’s free agency special.

General manager Sean Marks has assembled a deep roster filled with young talent and role players on team-friendly deals. The coaching staff is well regarded and management has made several shrewd moves to get the team to the point where two stars could come in and immediately contend for the Eastern Conference crown. The situation appears favorable compared to that of the Knicks, a team that would have to do additional work to build out the roster.

Kevin Durant and Irving have long been rumored to potentially team up in New York. Woj adds that the Knicks may have to start parsing the market for a second star to pair with Durant if they are going to sell the former MVP on a duo in the Garden.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks could bring in Vince Carter as a mentor to the team’s younger players, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports. Carter has previously spoken highly on coach David Fizdale and the former All-Star gave consideration to joining New York last offseason.
Carmelo Anthony would have interest in signing with the Knicks and finishing his career in New York, Begley adds in the same piece. While Anthony would be a strong mentor for the Knicks’ young core, given how well he handled the spotlight in NYC, Begley notes that it’s far more likely that Melo signs with the Lakers this summer.
The Nets have added Amida Brimah to their Summer League roster, a source tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Nicola Lupo of Sportando (Twitter link), former Suns point guard Josh Gray will also play for Brooklyn’s Summer League team.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic examines the Raptors‘ cap constraints in an extensive piece. Regardless of whether Kawhi Leonard leaves in free agency, Toronto will likely be operating as an above-the-cap team.