Mike Dunleavy Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wolves, Mavs Discuss O.J. Mayo Sign-And-Trade

July 1st, 2013 at 7:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs and Timbewolves have engaged in sign-and-trade talks about O.J. Mayo, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, with J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour likely heading to Dallas in return. The Mavericks are also discussing a Mayo sign-and-trade with the Clippers involving Eric Bledsoe, though any Mayo deal probably hinges on Dallas missing out on Dwight Howard. Dallas would no doubt prefer the Bledsoe deal to any of the Minnesota trade options, so the Wolves appear to be down the list of options, notes Wolfson (on Twitter), who also points out that a Minnesota-Dallas trade isn't imminent.

Any sign-and-trade would require Mayo's consent, and Mayo and Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders were scheduled to meet today. Still, there are more than a half dozen teams with interest in the shooting guard, who seems destined to improve on the $4MM option for next season that he turned down from the Mavs.

The Mavs are reportedly becoming more and more confident they can work out a sign-and-trade for the Landmark Sports Agency client, and having at least two such deals in the works seems to indicate that's the case. Mayo tailed off after a hot start last season, but he still averaged 15.3 points per game and showed career-best 40.3% three-point shooting.

The Mavs aren't the only ones who've had multiple sign-and-trade deals in the works. Before Mike Dunleavy agreed to sign with the Bulls, the Wolves and Bucks were discussing a sign-and-trade that would have sent Ridnour to Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Bulls Close To Deal With Mike Dunleavy

July 1st, 2013 at 6:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls are the front-runners for Mike Dunleavy, and they're negotiating a two-year, $6MM deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Other teams remain in play, but there's confidence an agreement can be reached, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski pointed earlier to the Rockets as another option for Dunleavy, if Houston falls short of signing Dwight Howard (Twitter link). The Mavs, Lakers and Wolves are also in the mix, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Knicks reportedly like him, too. Still, Dunleavy is intrigued by the chance to play alongside Derrick Rose, Johnson notes (on Twitter).

The 32-year-old Arn Tellem client spent the past two seasons with the Bucks, where he made a career-high 42.8% of his three-point attempts this past season. When I examined his free agent stock, I figured he could fit in as a role player on a contending club, and that appears to be just what he would sign to do in Chicago. The Bulls would be using their mini mid-level to bring him aboard.

Wolfson On Mayo, Iguodala, Redick, Dunleavy

July 1st, 2013 at 10:17am CST by Chuck Myron

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has plenty on all things Timberwolves in his latest dispatch, including a look at the itinerary for president of basketball operations Flip Saunders that sheds some light on the team's order of free agent priorities. Here's what Wolfson is sharing:

The team's top targets appear to be Mayo, Redick and Martin, Wolfson tweets.

Earlier updates:

Saunders will meet with O.J. Mayo, and he could meet with Andre Iguodala as well, since agent Rob Pelinka has them together in Los Angeles. Iguodala, though, is probably out of the team's price range, Wolfson writes.
Saunders will then see Wasserman Media Group clients J.J. Redick and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Dorell Wright will likely meet with Saunders as well. Finally, Saunders will take his reported meeting with Rick Adelman favorite Chase Budinger, who's strongly interested in signing with the Bucks.
Kevin Martin is on the Wolves' radar, too, according to Wolfson. If Saunders can't land him or any of the above targets, he'll turn to Marco Belinelli.
Though it's more likely that Andrei Kirilenko will sign elsewhere, he'll still consider re-signing with Minnesota, a source tells Wolfson. The team made phone calls and held meetings last night, but it did not reach out to Kirilenko, Wolfson tweets.
Owner Glen Taylor's strong preference is to stay out of the luxury tax, and it's likely the team will remain below the tax line, but if Saunders can make a "can't miss" proposition to become a tax team, Taylor may consent to doing so.
We'd heard that the team plans to waive Greg Stiemsma before his non-guaranteed contract becomes fully guaranteed later this month, and Wolfson says the same is true for Mickael Gelabale, though Wolfson believes the team may try to find trading partners for them in the meantime.
J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour and Derrick Williams are the others on the team's trading block.
The team has not reached out to Carlos Delfino, Wolfson reports via Twitter.

Odds & Ends: Barnes, Mavs, Rockets, Pistons

July 1st, 2013 at 3:46am CST by Luke Adams

Only one contract agreement has been reached so far on the first night of the NBA's 2013 free agent period, but that doesn't mean we weren't treated to plenty of news and rumors. Here are a few more odds and ends from a busy Sunday night:

In addition to all the other players they reportedly contacted tonight, the Lakers reached out to Matt Barnes, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports that the Mavericks have expressed interest in Jose Calderon and Mo Williams. Even though MacMahon's report came before news broke that Dallas had agreed to sign Gal Mekel, it makes sense that the team would continue to seek a veteran point guard to complement rookies Mekel and Shane Larkin.
MacMahon adds (via Twitter) that now that Mekel is under contract, the Mavs are likely to trade the rights to 2009 second-round pick Nick Calathes, something that GM Donnie Nelson has hinted at.
After an encouraging meeting with Dwight Howard in Los Angeles, the Rockets will target players to complement him rather than fall-back options, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The team will meet with Corey Brewer and Mike Dunleavy next, according to Feigen (Twitter links).
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press spoke to Pistons owner Tom Gores about the process of hiring head coach Maurice Cheeks, the team's long-term vs. short-term prospects, and free agency.
Several NBA teams have expressed interest in point guard Bobby Brown, who played for four clubs between 2008 and 2010, tweets Shelburne.
Since they weren't released on or before June 30th, the 2013/14 contracts for E'Twaun Moore (Magic), Chandler Parsons (Rockets), Jason Smith (Pelicans), and Rodney Stuckey (Pistons) have become fully guaranteed. Paul Pierce's contract also became fully guaranteed, so it can be used in the Nets/Celtics swap that will be finalized later this month.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein rounds up the latest on a few early free agency rumors. We've already heard about most of the stories Stein addresses, such as the Nets leading the race for Kyle Korver, the Pelicans pursuing Tyreke Evans, and the Timberwolves and Bucks targeting Kevin Martin. However, there are a few notable tidbits from Stein, including word that the Thunder's odds of retaining Martin are dwindling.

Knicks Rumors: Will Bynum, Watson, Harris, Brand

June 30th, 2013 at 9:37am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are expected to be well into the luxury tax for next season, but that won't stop them from trying to improve their team, especially given the allure of the Madison Square Garden spotlight. Here's the latest:

The Knicks are looking for a point guard to replace the retired Jason Kidd, and have Will Bynum, C.J. Watson and Devin Harris on their radar, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who identifies Bynum as tops on that list. They're also looking for a backup big man, with Elton Brand and Lamar Odom under consideration, along with incumbent Kenyon Martin.
J.R. Smith believes he'll get an offer that exceeds the maximum of approximately $5.4MM that the Knicks can give him, Berman adds. The Bucks, Pistons and Suns are considering Smith.
The Knicks are resigned to the idea that Chris Copeland will sign elsewhere for more money, according to Berman. More than half a dozen other NBA teams are chasing Copeland. Berman believes the team may try to work out a sign-and-trade involving Copeland that would net a trade exception around $4MM, allowing the Knicks to bring aboard another player that way. The Knicks are also open to the idea of trading Steve Novak, Berman writes.
The Knicks like Mike Dunleavy and Marco Belinelli, but they're prioritizing a point guard instead with their mini mid-level, according to Berman.
GM Glen Grunwald and company hope proven veterans will become available in trades, and likely would be willing to part with anyone other than Carmelo Anthony for the right deal, Newsday's Al Iannazzone reports.

Woelfel On Nets, Dunleavy, Draft, Bucks

May 19th, 2013 at 8:48am CST by Chuck Myron

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times begins his look around the NBA with a profile on first-round prospect Glen Rice Jr., who could become the most highly drafted player to come out of the D-League. The Journal Times scribe also touches on offseason rumblings from around the league, and we'll round up the highlights here:

Woelfel hears the Nets are "honing in on Lionel Hollins" for their coaching vacancy. That would appear to be an exercise in futility, since Hollins says there's mutual interest in his return to the Grizzlies, the team he's guided to the Western Conference Finals. Woelfel also mentions Scott Skiles as a candidate, echoing a report by Sam Amick of USA Today earlier this month.
Soon-to-be free agent Mike Dunleavy has piqued the interest of several teams around the league. I examined Dunleavy's free agent stock last month, figuring he could fit in as a role player with a title contender.
Woelfel passes along a few draft rumors, noting that Kelly Olynyk and Michael Carter-Williams will work out for the Bucks, while the Magic, Nets and Knicks have shown interest in Phil Pressey. The Nuggets interviewed Otto Porter.
Bucks interim coach Jim Boylan is gone, but his assistant coaches remain. Their contracts are up at the end of June, along with a couple members of the team's front office staff, but it remains to be seen whether any of them will return.

Odds & Ends: Dunleavy, Collins, Kings, Sixers

April 30th, 2013 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check out a handful of Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….

Mike Dunleavy is facing free agency this summer, and tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'd be open to returning to Milwaukee, but that he'll have to talk to the Bucks to see what they're thinking.
The Wizards are unlikely to bring Jason Collins back for next season, considering he was included for salary purposes in a deadline deal and the team has plenty of frontcourt options already, as J. Michael of CSNWashington writes. Michael Lee of the Washington Post notes that the team's stance was unaffected by Collins' announcement this week.
The NBA relocation committee's recommendation to keep the Kings in Sacramento is more about Sacramento's future than its past, says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
After yesterday's vote, the Sacramento group is moving to finalize its offer for the Kings in time for May's Board of Governors meetings, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com believes it makes sense for the 76ers to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer. I'm not sure how realistic a possibility this is, since the Sixers would have to either make other roster moves to clear the necessary cap space to make a max offer, or propose a sign-and-trade, less than a year after giving up many young assets and picks for Andrew Bynum.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Mike Dunleavy

April 26th, 2013 at 8:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick will no doubt garner the most attention when the Bucks make their offseason plans, but once their futures are decided, Milwaukee may have to fend off other teams for another of their free agents. HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler touched on Mike Dunleavy this week, writing that the Bucks might see Dunleavy as a fallback option in case the team doesn't retain as many of its top three guards as it would like. The 32-year-old has never lived up to his promise as the third overall pick in the 2002 draft, but he's found a niche as a long-range shooter with plenty of size.

Dunleavy set a career mark with 42.8% three-point shooting this season, helping make up for the mediocrity of his teammates. Despite the presence of Ersan Ilyasova, who led the team by making 44.4% of his treys, and Redick for half a season, Milwaukee ranked just 13th in both three-point percentage and three-pointers made. Dunleavy could be particularly useful for the Bucks if they retain Jennings and Ellis but not Redick, since he'd help keep teams from packing the lane. The Bucks tried the Jennings-Ellis-Dunleavy combination fairly frequently, putting it on the floor for 10.4 minutes per night over 67 games. The Bucks were +0.8 in point differential with those three on the floor, compared to their season plus/minus of -1.5. The Bucks also improved from three-point range with that combination on the floor, shooting 37.3% compared to 36.0% for the season as a whole.

Dunleavy isn't the defender that Luc Mbah a Moute is, so I don't think the Bucks would be anxious to start Dunleavy at small forward, particularly alongside Ellis. Dunleavy has never been a full-time starter for a playoff team, and that probably isn't about to change now. Still, Milwaukee could run out the 6'9" Dunleavy as a backup two-guard and pair him with Mbah a Moute at times, giving the team plenty of length.

As I detailed earlier this evening, many of the best mid-level exception signings this year involved three-point shooters who came off the bench. The Bucks used cap space to ink Dunleavy to a two-year, $7.5MM deal in 2011, but that sort of contract would fit for a team that wanted to use part of its non-taxpayer's mid-level. The Duke product is probably in line for another such deal, though a slight paycut could be in order given his age. Accepting that might put several contending teams in play for him, since the taxpayer's mid-level includes a starting salary of $3.183MM for next season, only about $600K less than Dunleavy is making this season. The Heat, Thunder, Knicks and Spurs, the teams that grabbed the top two playoff seeds in each conference, all finished among the top five teams in three-point percentage this year, so Dunleavy might fit right in with a club that has title hopes.

Dunleavy's father, Mike Dunleavy Sr., wants to coach again, and is interested in joining a team with the financial wherewithal to make a title run. If he winds up with a coaching job, Dunleavy Jr. would probably be hard-pressed not to follow him, especially if he's with a playoff team. That could throw a wrench in the Bucks' plans to re-sign him, and Milwaukee could conceivably strike out with all four of their wing players this summer. That seems unlikely, though, and depends on several hypotheticals. And just because Dunleavy Sr. says he wants to coach, it doesn't mean he's headed for a sideline anytime soon. A reasonable expectation is for the Bucks to sign one or two out of Jennings, Ellis and Redick, and that sets them up to bring Dunleavy Jr. back, perhaps on another two-year deal. If they want to fend off the title contenders, I think keeping him on at his current salary would get the job done.

Kyler’s Latest: Pierce, Nuggets, Rockets, Odom

April 25th, 2013 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Hawks sources say the team would be open to working out a sign-and-trade involving Josh Smith this summer if it meant getting something of value in return for the unrestricted free agent. It appears there are still a number of possibilities though for Smith, who could end up returning to the Hawks or signing outright with another suitor. Here's more from Kyler:

Since less than a third of Paul Pierce's $15.33MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed, the "basketball move" may involve trading him or buying him out, but Pierce's history with the Celtics complicates the team's decision, says Kyler.
Andre Iguodala seems likely to decline his player option for next year in favor of re-signing a long-term contract with the Nuggets that reduces his cap hit for '13/14.
There's also mutual interest between Corey Brewer and the Nuggets in a new deal for the veteran, though Denver's cap situation may make it tricky for the club to give him much of a raise.
Carlos Delfino and Chandler Parsons both have deals with the Rockets that aren't fully guaranteed, but are good bets to be back in Houston unless the team needs to move them to make room for a star.
Sources tell Kyler that the Clippers would like to re-sign Lamar Odom, albeit for a significantly lesser salary than he's making now. Considering Odom is unlikely to receive huge offers on the open market, a multiyear offer from the Clips could get it done, says Kyler.
Mike Dunleavy's future in Milwaukee may depend on how much the Bucks spend to retain their bigger-name free agent guards.
According to Kyler, league sources have "openly questioned" how much longer Robert Sarver intends to own the Suns, leading to speculation that after the Kings sale is finalized, the Suns could be the next NBA franchise on the market.

Bucks Pursuing Josh Smith, Shopping Everybody?

February 16th, 2013 at 9:19am CST by Sean Highkin

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has some updates in his latest notebook column on where the Milwaukee Bucks stand in several trade discussions leading up to Thursday's deadline:

The Bucks are considering making an offer to the Hawks for Josh Smith, writes Woelfel. Smith has been most openly courted by the Nets and Celtics, with Brooklyn reportledly offering MarShon Brooks and Kris Humphries and Boston offering Jeff Green and Brandon Bass. However, Woelfel believes that the Bucks' package could be equally attractive if they include Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings. They could also make Ersan Ilyasova available in a package for Smith.
Woelfel writes that the Bucks are open to trading anyone on their roster and no one is off limits, although Ellis and Samuel Dalembert are the two players GM John Hammond would most like to move. Woelfel points to Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy as two other potentially attractive assets with expiring contracts.
Woelfel contradicts a previous report by ESPN on the status of Jennings, writing that the Bucks never made him a formal offer of a contract extension before the October deadline. Jennings is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Forward Drew Gooden is no stranger to the trade deadline, Woelfel writes. The 11-year veteran has been traded five times during the season in his career.