Lucas Nogueira

And-Ones: LeBron, Novak, Hibbert, Butler

The Heat and Cavs expect LeBron James to make his decision on where to sign before he gets on his flight to Brazil this weekend, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It’s likely that any decision James makes will impact where Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, and Chandler Parsons find themselves next season as well. While much is seemingly tied to the four-time MVP’s choice, odds are low anything is decided tonight. Let’s catch up on the rest of the league while we wait on LeBron and the 2014 edition of “The Decision”:

  • The Raptors are finalizing a buyout with Lucas Nogueira‘s team in Spain, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (on Twitter). We had heard earlier this week that Toronto was likely to bring over Nogueira and Bruno Caboclo prior to the start of 2014/15.
  • The $9.8MM trade exception that the Warriors had created from the Richard Jefferson deal with the Jazz expired tonight, as David Aldridge of NBA.com observes (via Twitter).
  • The Steve Novak trade, which became official today, allows the Raptors to create a $3,445,947 trade exception equivalent to Novak’s salary. The three-teamer between the Nets, Cavs and Celtics that was also formalized today allows the Nets to create a diminutive $741,160 trade exception equal to the difference between Marcus Thornton’s salary and the sum of the salaries for Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev. The Cavs could end up with trade exceptions out of the deal, too, but they’re poised to open cap room, so those exceptions would disappear when they officially dip below the cap.  
  • The Bucks and Pacers have had discussions for a trade including Roy Hibbert, writes Gery Woefel of the Racine Journal Times. Milwaukee is interested in acquiring Hibbert, says Woelfel, but it isn’t clear if Indiana is interested in any packages the Bucks could put together.
  • Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris‘ rookie deals expire after 2014/15, and as a result, the duo became extension eligible this summer. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel hears discussions about new contracts between the Magic and the young big men will pick up some time around Labor Day.
  • Caron Butler is being pursued by the Clippers and Thunder, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Butler, of course, has spent time with both organizations.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Raptors, Rose

Andre Drummond said he’ll do whatever’s necessary to convince restricted free agent Greg Monroe to remain with the Pistons and feels confident Monroe will return given his affection for Detroit, as Drummond told MLive’s David Mayo. Drummond expressed doubt that the team would trade Josh Smith, in spite of rumors.

Here’s more from the east:

  • The dispute over just how large a role Derrick Rose played in Chicago’s pitch to Carmelo Anthony seems to indicate a disconnect somewhere, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com believes it signals a deeper misunderstanding between the Bulls and Rose’s camp (Twitter links).
  • Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira appear likely to join the Raptors this year, but GM Masai Ujiri has indicated that the team probably won’t ink second-round pick DeAndre Daniels for this coming season, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
  • The Raptors are enamored with P.J. Tucker, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who wonders if the team will throw an offer sheet his way now they know Steve Novak‘s contract is coming off the books (Twitter links).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Raptors Likely To Ink Caboclo, Nogueira This Year

The Raptors acquired a pair of Brazilian-born prospects last week, pulling a stunner with their selection of power forward Bruno Caboclo at No. 20 overall in the draft and trading for the rights to center Lucas Nogueira, last year’s 16th overall pick. While they seem like strong candidates to be stashed overseas, both are instead expected to join the team for next season, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Mystery surrounds Caboclo, who wasn’t among the top 100 prospects in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings going into the draft. Still, the 6’8″ 18-year-old apparently drew the attention of multiple NBA teams. The Jazz and Suns were reportedly ready to draft him before the Raptors could snag him with the 37th overall pick, as they’d told Caboclo they would do. So, Toronto made its preemptive strike.

Nogueira spent an injury-plagued 2013/14 with Asefa Estudiantes of Spain, averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game in just 18 appearances. The 21-year-old 7-footer nonetheless came away with 1.6 blocks per game in those limited minutes, so he appears to be an intriguing rim protector.

Caboclo is likely to receive a starting salary worth more than $1.458MM on his rookie scale contract, as our table of salaries for first-round picks shows. Nogueira would make the scale amount for this year’s 16th overall pick, even though he was drafted last year, so he’s in line for nearly $1.763MM.

Raptors, Hawks Exchange Salmons, Williams

TUESDAY, 7:13am: The Raptors and Hawks officially announced the trade overnight before the July moratorium began. Williams and the rights to Nogueira go to Toronto while Salmons and a 2015 second-rounder go to Atlanta.

NBA: Charlotte Bobcats at Atlanta HawksMONDAY, 10:00pm: The snag in the trade has been resolved.  The Raptors will also send a 2015 second-round choice to Atlanta in the deal, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

The Raptors should end up with a $2.133MM trade exception for Salmons, Pincus tweets.

8:06pm: The Hawks still aren’t expected to keep Salmons past the new deadline, a league source tells Charania (on Twitter).

8:04pm: The Hawks won’t release Salmons today, and both sides have agreed to extend the waiver deadline to July 10th, a league source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 8:25pm: The Hawks will indeed waive Salmons tomorrow, Wojnarowski reveals in his full story.

7:37pm: The Raptors have agreed to send John Salmons to the Hawks in exchange for Lou Williams and the rights to Lucas Nogueira, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Marc Stein of ESPN first revealed that the two sides were in advanced discussions of such a deal (Twitter link).

Salmons’ $7MM contract is only partially guaranteed for $1MM if he’s waived by the end of tomorrow, as Chuck Myron explained in our recap of upcoming guarantee dates. Given Atlanta’s reported interest in a run at a Carmelo Anthony/LeBron James pairing, it’s probably only a matter of time until Salmons finds himself a free agent. In 78 games for the Kings and Raptors last season, Salmons averaged just 5.0 points per game while shooting 36.8% from the floor.

Williams is a few years removed from his prime, but it’s unlikely the Hawks are giving up the former stud point guard and rights to Nogueira, a 2013 first-round selection, just to get $7MM off of their books. It’s possible, and maybe even likely, that this move is a precursor to a bigger deal, suggests Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). The trade should be finalized sometime tomorrow, tweets David Aldridge of TNT, giving Atlanta the window required to shed Salmons’ contract before it becomes guaranteed.

Eastern Rumors: Fizdale, Nogueira, Ross

Paul George has been cleared to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, days after being diagnosed with a concussion suffered in Game 2. The Pacers have fared well on the road this postseason, and will hope to regain home court advantage by snagging a win in Miami. Here’s a roundup of Eastern Conference news:

  • Heat assistant David Fizdale hasn’t been contacted by any teams with head coaching vacancies, but does have Erik Spoelstra’s blessing to pursue a job, he tells Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel“There have been no [contacts], no conversations, nothing like that,” Fizdale said. “Quite honestly, [Spoelstra] gets very annoyed with me, because he’s like, ‘Why don’t you care about being a head coach?’ And I’m like, ‘Cause we’re in the playoffs.'” Fizdale has been linked with the Cavs vacancy, but downplays having any ties to Cleveland’s front office.
  • Hawks 2013 first-round pick Lucas Nogueira has decided to leave his Spanish league team and either play for Atlanta or another European team next season, reports Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype). Nogueira still has a year left on his contract with Asefa Estudiantes of Spain, but his NBA buyout is $600K, which is precisely the maximum amount NBA teams are allowed to pay next season to cover a buyout from an international club without any money counting toward the cap.
  • In an answer to a mailbag question, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star suggests that Terrence Ross is a trading chip the Raptors should gauge interest in this summer.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Boozer, Ridnour, Nogueira

The general opinion around the league has been that the Bulls will use the Amnesty Provision on Carlos Boozer after the season. But during last nights broadcast of the Bulls/Nets game, TNT’s Craig Sager had a different opinion, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.com. Sager has heard that the team might not Amnesty Boozer after all. Sager stated, “He (Boozer) told me tonight that he has been assured that he will not be traded by next week’s deadline, nor will the team buy out the final year of his contract this summer unless they can land a superstar who is too good to pass up.” If superstar was the word used, writes Brigham, then that could be referring to if the team could somehow lure either LeBron James, or Carmelo Anthony to sign with the Bulls this summer.

More from around the East:

  • Several teams have called the Bucks about Luke Ridnour, including Washington and Sacramento, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Bucks are also fielding calls about their young players, as teams aren’t sold that owner Herb Kohl is serious about going through the pain of a youth movement. But the message from the Bucks has been consistent. They have taken the stance that barring a significant offer, their young assets are staying put, writes Berger.
  • Also from the Berger article, he writes that the trade dynamics are much more fluid than at recent deadlines, especially in the East. Several teams are on the borderline between pulling back and positioning for a better draft pick or making a move to push for a playoff spot. For example, with 30 losses each, the Bobcats and Pistons are on the cusp of an almost hopeless postseason venture as the seventh or eighth seed, which would almost certainly mean a first-round sweep at the hands of Indiana or Miami. According to Berger, the quandary is that they’re also only five games out of the fourth spot, which could deliver home-court advantage in a winnable first-round series.
  • Lucas Nogueira‘s decision to leave the care of Hawks doctors and rejoin his team in Spain was his and not the Hawks’, notes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription only). Still, there’s no indication that the team is upset with his choice.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Suns, Bobcats, Pietrus

Executives from around the league say the Bobcats and Suns are the teams to watch with the trade deadline a week from today, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both teams are buyers looking to improve their postseason chances, and Charlotte in particular has been involved in numerous trade rumors of late. Here’s more from around the Association:

  • A recent conversation with Nicolas Batum sold Mickael Pietrus on the idea of joining the Blazers, but Portland, with a full 15-man roster, declined the free agent swingman’s pitch to join the team, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post figures Mike Woodson has coached the Knicks for the last time at Madison Square Garden, since New York follows up Wednesday’s home loss to the Kings with a tough road trip after the All-Star break.
  • Dan Gadzuric has signed with Petrochimi of Iran, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The 36-year-old is continuing his career overseas after retiring from the NBA this past fall.
  • Hawks first-round draftee Lucas Nogueira is headed back to Spain to rejoin Estudiantes next week, observes fellow Sportando scribe Emiliano Carchia. The 16th overall pick this past June has been in the care of Hawks doctors, who’ve treated the severe tendinitis that’s sidelined him since December.
  • The Rockets have sent Robert Covington to the D-League, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The assignment will allow the rookie to take part in the D-League All-Star Game this weekend.

Eastern Notes: Nets, Nogueira, Crawford, Karl

With the announcement earlier today that Brook Lopez will be out for the season, there have been many speculations as to how the Nets will react. The disabled player exception is one option that has been mentioned and now trade speculations are beginning to surface. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com speculates that the Nets could pursue a trade for Omer Asik. It would be surprising if the Rockets bit on Berger’s proposal of Paul Pierce and a first-rounder that couldn’t go Houston’s way until 2020.

Some other notes around the Eastern Conference:

  • Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the Hawks first-round draft pick, Lucas Nogueira will be working with the Hawks team doctors now that he has returned to the United States to focus solely on his rehab. Nogueira will split his rehab time between Atlanta and LA but will be giving the team a better chance to monitor his progress.
  • Former NBA guard Coby Karl has  signed with the German team MHP Ludwigsburg Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. The son of NBA coach George Karl began the season in Italy.
  • Today Celtics guard Jordan Crawford reunited against his former team, the Washington Wizards. Prior to the meeting, Crawford discussed his departure from the Wizards with Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy. In the discussion, Crawford expressed his desire that he would have handled his departure with the Wizards differently. Crawford also shared that he plans to handle the return of Rondo differently than the ascension of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Diogu, Nogueira, Kennedy

It’s been an active past couple of days in the Association, and there are plenty of rumblings on other circuits, too. Here’s the latest on players with NBA ties:

  • Knicks training camp invitee Ike Diogu will join the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, last appeared in an NBA regular season game with the Spurs in 2011/12, though the Knicks reportedly considered bringing him back last month after Tyson Chandler‘s injury.
  • Lucas Nogueira has exercised a provision in his contract with Spanish club Estudiantes to suspend the deal while he seeks outside medical opinion on his ailing knees, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Hawks retain the NBA rights to Nogueira, the 16th pick in the draft this June.
  • D.J. Kennedy has left Gravelines of France and is on the radar of Italy’s Reggio Emilia, reports Prima Pagina (translation via Carchia). The Italian team may view him as a replacement for Coby Karl, who appears to be on the outs with the club. Kennedy was in camp with the Mavs this fall.
  • Kevin Murphy and French team SIG Strasbourg are in negotiations about a split, according to a L’Équipe report passed along by Catch-and-Shoot (translation via Carchia). Murphy signed with the club in August, shortly after the Warriors let him go.

Hawks Links: Millsap, Nogueira, Schroder

The forgotten suitor in July's Dwight Howard sweepstakes, the Hawks didn't have a splashy offseason, but the team re-signed a couple of its own key contributors in Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, and brought in players such as Paul Millsap and Elton Brand to replace outgoing free agents like Josh Smith. As the retooled Hawks look to return to the postseason for the seventh straight year, let's check in on a few items out of Atlanta….

  • Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld spoke to Teague, GM Danny Ferry, coach Mike Budenholzer, and Millsap himself about the Hawks' signing of the former Utah big man. Millsap is optimistic about the club's new pieces fitting together, as he tells Kennedy: "Because we have smart and intelligent guys, hopefully it won’t take that long [for the group to jell]. We’ve already been going through some things and we’re getting a feel for what we’re going to do. It’s been working out."
  • The Hawks and first-round pick Lucas Nogueira have filed the paperwork to remove Nogueira's cap hold from their books, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter). As Deeks notes in a second tweet, that means Atlanta can't sign their 2013 first-rounder until next July, and it creates a little more cap flexibility for the team.
  • Lang Greene of HoopsWorld takes a look at Dennis Schroder, the Hawks' other first-round pick this past June, who projects to be a long-term piece in the club's backcourt.

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