Mike Dunleavy Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Gay, OKC, Wolves, Hawks

June 29th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Rudy Gay will hold meetings with potential suitors in Austin, Texas this weekend, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Thunder have long been rumored to have interest in Gay, and Wojnarowski notes that Oklahoma City continues to view Gay as a potential fit on its roster.

In addition to Gay, Blake Griffin has long been considered a probable 2017 free agent target for the Thunder, and in the wake of Wednesday’s Chris Paul trade, Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link) wonders if OKC likes its chances of landing Griffin any more. The Thunder won’t have the cap space to sign Griffin outright, but could make a sign-and-trade work. Still, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes, Griffin would have to want to play in OKC, and there has been little indication of that so far.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) identifies Mike Dunleavy Jr. as a potential free agent that will be on the Timberwolves‘ radar, noting that Minnesota needs shooting and Dunleavy has played for Tom Thibodeau before. Dunleavy technically remains under contract with the Hawks, but his 2017/18 salary features only a small partial guarantee, so it’s possible he’ll be waived soon.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor views Jimmy Butler as the sort of player capable of helping the Wolves attract notable free agents to Minnesota, per Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. The club is believed to be in the market for a free agent point guard, so Butler’s influence may be put to the test very soon.
The Hawks have many players eligible for free agency this weekend, and may explore the market for outside targets, but new general manager Travis Schlenk doesn’t expect the team to rush to get anything done at 12:01am on July 1, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details.
After missing the entire 2016/17 season, free agent point guard Mo Williams is working toward a possible NBA return, agent Raymond Brothers tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that Brothers is now representing free agent forward Brandon Bass as well.

Mike Dunleavy Diagnosed With Right Ankle Synovitis

March 3rd, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Milo Taibi

Mike Dunleavy has been diagnosed with right ankle synovitis, the Hawks announced in a press release. Per the team’s injury report: “An MRI taken at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center on Feb. 28^th revealed the injury and a second opinion by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Southern California Orthopedic Institute also confirmed the diagnosis.”

Dunleavy will be out for an undetermined length of time.

Dunleavy, who initially sought a buyout after being traded to Atlanta, has performed well under Mike Budenholzer. Dunleavy has averaged 5.9 points while shooting 44.2% on 3-pointers with the Hawks, receiving 16.2 MPG.

After tonight, Dunleavy will have missed the Hawks’ last four games.

Rockets Rumors: Dunleavy, Chalmers, Jack, Ibaka

February 8th, 2017 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While some players around the NBA are lobbying their respective front offices for roster reinforcements, James Harden told reporters today that he’d be content with the Rockets standing pat at this month’s trade deadline.

“I love what we have, love it,” Harden said, per Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. “From top to bottom, we have depth. You can throw any guy in there and they know their role, that’s important. I’m going to ride with these guys for sure.”

Harden may be content with Houston’s current 15-man squad, but general manager Daryl Morey is always exploring ways to upgrade his roster, and figures to be busy over the next two weeks. Here’s more from Watkins on avenues the Rockets are exploring:

The Rockets engaged in serious talks with Atlanta about acquiring Mike Dunleavy, and while those discussions ultimately didn’t result in an agreement, the team remains on the lookout for another shooter, writes Watkins. K.J. McDaniels would have been part of the deal if the Rockets had worked something out for Dunleavy.
The Rockets would like to add another ball-handler to their roster to take some pressure off of Harden and Patrick Beverley. The club has looked at veteran free agents Mario Chalmers and Jarrett Jack to potentially fill that role, per Watkins.
According to Watkins, the Rockets have “some interest” in Serge Ibaka, who could provide rim protection, rebounding, and an outside shot, making him a good fit in Houston. The Magic’s asking price for Ibaka is believed to be quite high, however.
Given how well the club has played, Rockets officials think it will be tricky to make a deal that improves the roster without disrupting team chemistry, says Watkins. Morey has publicly expressed a similar sentiment.

Stein’s Latest: Rockets, Cavaliers, Blazers, Pistons

January 13th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

ESPN.com’s Marc Stein takes a swing at picking the All-Star starters from each conference and passes along some trade rumors in his latest column. He lists four teams that could be active with the deadline less than six weeks away:

The Rockets‘ hopes of acquiring Mike Dunleavy Jr. fell through this week when the Hawks committed to keeping him, but Houston is still looking for another shooter. GM Daryl Morey tried to get involved when Atlanta was searching for a third team in its deal with Cleveland, and he had interest in acquiring Dunleavy when it looked like he might not report to the Hawks. Sources tell Stein that K.J. McDaniels has surpassed Corey Brewer as the Rocket most likely to be traded. McDaniels has one season left on his current deal at more than $3.3MM, while Brewer is signed for one more more season at $7.6MM.
The Cavaliers have $4.4MM left from their Anderson Varejao trade exception, which will expire February 20th. That means a trade for a backup point guard may be just as likely as a veteran free agent signing such as Mario Chalmers, Jarrett Jack or Norris Cole.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has moved ahead of Reggie Jackson on the list of untouchable Pistons in possible trades. Caldwell-Pope is now atop that list alongside Andre Drummond. Detroit is well below .500 since Jackson returned from tendinitis in his left knee in early December. Jackson, whose 5.5 assists per game are the lowest during his time in Detroit, still has three seasons and more than $51MM left on his current deal.
Three Trail Blazers who signed huge offseason deals will become eligible to be traded on Sunday. Keep an eye on whether Portland tries to unload some of the salary it committed to Allen Crabbe, Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard.

Eastern Notes: Dunleavy Jr., Cavs, Monroe, Noel

January 12th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mike Dunleavy Jr. labelled reports that indicated he wanted a buyout from the Hawks “pretty inaccurate” and believes he’ll fit right in with the team, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports. The Hawks were hoping to find another team for the 36-year-old swingman when he was included in the deal that delivered sharpshooter Kyle Korver to the Cavaliers, Vivlamore continues. Dunleavy has since received assurances from coach Mike Budenholzer that he’ll get some playing time, though he will not immediately become part of the rotation. “I fit in as far as the way I play,” Dunleavy told Vivlamore. “I move, cut, shoot, pass. That’s the way this team is structured. It’s not a matter of what are you going to do for me or how am I going to fit in. It didn’t take much explaining.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

In the aftermath of the Korver trader, the $9.6MM trade exception that the Cavaliers gained in the trade that sent Anderson Varejao to the Trail Blazers last February has been reduced to $4.4MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. That exception will expire on February 20, Wojnarowski continues. The Cavs created two more exceptions worth $4.8MM and $2.2MM in the deal that also shipped Mo Williams and a protected 2019 first-round pick to Atlanta. Those exceptions will expire on February 7, 2018, Wojnarowski adds.
Bucks center Greg Monroe is a long way from deciding whether to exercise the player option on his contract, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Monroe has a $17.8MM option this summer in the final year of his three-year, $50MM deal. “I’m not thinking about anything like the off-season right now,” he told Gardner. “There is a time and place for everything. If and when I have to make a decision, that time is not right now.” Monroe, the subject of heavy trade speculation during the offseason, has boosted his stock with his play this season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists as the leader of the second unit.
Sixers big man Nerlens Noel, whose playing time has spiked this month, calls this group the “closest team I’ve been on” in his short NBA career, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly tweets. Noel, a prime trade candidate as our Luke Adams detailed last month, is averaging 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes over the last three games. His comment suggests he might be softening his tone about his role with the club.

Hawks Notes: Millsap, Dunleavy, Williams, Wilcox

January 12th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Paul Millsap is reportedly off the trade block in Atlanta, but with six weeks to go until this year’s trade deadline, several NBA.com writers and reporters remain unconvinced that the team’s decision is final. David Aldridge, Steve Aschburner, Scott Howard-Cooper, and John Schuhmann are among the scribes who believe there’s still a chance Millsap could be moved by February 23, with Howard-Cooper writing that the phrase “taken off the market” will mean nothing if a team calls the Hawks with an offer that Atlanta likes.

I would have agreed with that view of the Millsap situation after a report surfaced suggesting that the Hawks were telling other teams the big man was unavailable. Telling clubs that Millsap isn’t available is a move that could be used as leverage later, in an effort to get those same teams to improve their offers. Still, Atlanta also reportedly informed Millsap himself that he won’t be dealt, and NBA teams don’t often reverse course on that sort of promise in a matter of weeks — I’d be somewhat surprised if the Hawks move Millsap, though it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Here’s more from out of Atlanta:

Mike Dunleavy Jr., who reported to the Hawks and passed his physical earlier this week, expects to make his debut for the team on Friday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) spoke to the other veteran acquired in last weekend’s trade by the Hawks, though Mo Williams isn’t expected to report to or play for the club. As Kennedy details, Williams is focused on coaching younger players, and doesn’t seem interested in coming out of retirement as an NBA player anytime soon.
In the wake of a report that Wes Wilcox made a “racially charged joke” at a recent season-ticket holder event, the Hawks general manager has received an undisclosed discipline from the team, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
According to Spears, this is what Nzinga Shaw, the Hawks’ diversity and inclusion officer, had to say about Wilcox’s comments: “After hearing multiple sides of the story and getting multiple eyewitness accounts of what took place, I am not convinced that what we heard and read in Deadspin is a direct quote that was used. Wes, however, certainly did make his off-color statement, which included elements of describing his wife’s race. People that were in the room could make the assumption that he was using her race for the reason of the comments that followed. We certainly do not approve of this behavior and we are going to handle this manner internally.”

Mike Dunleavy Reports To Hawks, Passes Physical

January 10th, 2017 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

3:07pm: Dunleavy has passed his physical, officially completing the deal between the Cavs and Hawks, tweets Vivlamore.

JANUARY 10, 12:45pm: Dunleavy has formally reported to the Hawks to undergo his physical, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

JANUARY 9, 2:41pm: After a conversation with head coach Mike Budenholzer about his potential role in Atlanta, Mike Dunleavy Jr. has “made peace” with joining his new team, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Dunleavy will report to the Hawks on Tuesday.

Dunlevay, who was a part of the trade between the Hawks and Cavaliers that sent Kyle Korver to Cleveland, had been reluctant to report to Atlanta, preferring to negotiate a buyout that would allow him to join a contending team of his choice. On Thursday and Friday, when the Hawks and Cavs were still finalizing the deal, there were reports that Atlanta was seeking a third team to take on Dunleavy, perhaps signaling to the veteran sharpshooter that the Hawks didn’t really want him.

However, after the trade was announced, Budenholzer spoke enthusiastically about the role he envisioned for Dunleavy in Atlanta, and according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), once the 36-year-old was convinced that Budenholzer and the Hawks wanted him, there was no more talk of a buyout. There is “significant respect” between Dunleavy and Budenholzer, per Wojnarowski.

Although the situation has been resolved for now, there’s no guarantee that Dunleavy will finish out the season in Atlanta. We’re still about a month and a half away from the trade deadline, and if Dunleavy plays well for his new team, it’s possible the Hawks will flip him to another contender. The Warriors and Rockets were among the clubs believed to be keeping an eye on the situation in case Dunleavy hit the open market.

In 23 games for the Cavs this season, Dunleavy averaged career-worst marks in PPG (4.6) and FG% (.400). His current contract will pay him a guaranteed $4.84MM salary this season, with a partial guarantee of $1.66MM on his 2017/18 salary ($5.18MM).

Warriors, Rockets Keeping Eye On Mike Dunleavy

January 9th, 2017 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he was officially traded to the Hawks on Saturday, Mike Dunleavy Jr. currently has no plans to report to Atlanta, preferring to work out a buyout that would allow him to pick his new team. While there’s no indication yet that the two sides will work out a deal, some potential suitors for the veteran forward have emerged.

According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Warriors would consider Dunleavy as a potential free agent target if his contract is bought out by the Hawks. Golden State can’t offer more than the minimum salary to Dunleavy, but given the 36-year-old’s decline in production and his desire to join a contender, that would likely be enough to get something done.

Meanwhile, the Dubs would have some competition for Dunleavy’s services from the Rockets, per Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter links). A source tells Watkins that Houston made an unsuccessful bid to trade for Dunleavy a few weeks ago, and while the ESPN scribe doesn’t expect the sharpshooter to ultimately land with the Rockets, there’s some interest there. Like Golden State, Houston could only offer the minimum salary.

If Dunleavy decides not to report to the Hawks, there are a number of different directions the team could go. Fining or suspending him is one option. Working out a buyout is also a possibility. Depending on how strong the interest from teams like the Warriors and Rockets is, it’s even possible Atlanta could work out a trade, though at his current cap hit of $4.8MM+, Dunleavy has less appeal than he would on a minimum salary deal.

The deadline for Dunleavy to report to the Hawks is 4:00pm CT today, though the team could push back that deadline or agree to waive it as the two sides continue to negotiate.

Mike Dunleavy Has No Plans To Report To Hawks

January 9th, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Two days after officially being traded from the Cavaliers to the Hawks, Mike Dunleavy Jr. has yet to report to his new team, and has no plans to do so before Atlanta’s Tuesday game, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution notes, Dunleavy has until 4:00pm CT today to report to the Hawks.

A Sunday report indicated that Dunleavy is seeking a buyout from the Hawks, and Wojnarowski confirms that the veteran sharpshooter is looking to become a free agent and join a contender. Of course, Atlanta – currently 21-16 and in fourth place in the East – could be considered a contender, but the team has begun a retooling phase and isn’t viewed as a serious threat to make a run in the postseason.

According to Vivlamore, the Hawks and Dunleavy are working through several possible solutions, and it’s too early to know exactly how the situation will play out. Shortly after the trade with Cleveland was announced, head coach Mike Budenholzer expressed some excitement about getting Dunleavy into the mix in Atlanta, but previous reports had suggested the Hawks were seeking a third team to take on the 36-year-old. As such, the Hawks probably won’t be too upset if Dunleavy ultimately doesn’t see the floor for them.

If Dunleavy doesn’t report to the Hawks by today’s deadline, the team could technically void the trade, but that’s unlikely to happen — the 2019 first-round pick acquired from the Cavs is the key asset in the deal for the Hawks, so they won’t want to lose that pick. Atlanta could postpone the deadline for Dunleavy to report, or could opt to fine or suspend him. For now, it sounds like both sides are trying to resolve the situation amicably.

In 23 games for the Cavs this season, Dunleavy averaged career-worst marks in PPG (4.6) and FG% (.400). Still, entering this year, he had made more than 40% of his three-point attempts over the last six seasons, so he could still have some appeal to a contending club in need of outside shooting. Dunleavy’s current contract will pay him a guaranteed $4.84MM salary this season, with a partial guarantee of $1.66MM on his 2017/18 salary ($5.18MM).

The other player headed to the Hawks in the Kyle Korver trade – Mo Williams – also won’t be reporting to the team.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. Seeks Buyout From Hawks

January 8th, 2017 at 7:06pm CST by Will Joseph

Mike Dunleavy Jr. has yet to report to the Hawks and is seeking a buyout from the team after Atlanta acquired the veteran Saturday in a trade, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports, citing league sources. Dunleavy, of course, would be a free agent if the Hawks grant him his wish.

The Hawks, Stein writes, would like to keep Dunleavy, who is earning $4.9MM this season. His contract for next year worth $5.2MM is only partially guaranteed. The sides were still in talks as of Sunday, Stein reports. Considering his contract and how much Dunleavy can help the Hawks, it would be somewhat surprising to see him become a free agent this way.

The Cavs sent Dunleavy to the Hawks Saturday. The swap, which is official, sent Kyle Korver to Cleveland in exchange for Dunleavy, Mo Williams and a protected 2019 first-round pick. Korver is with the Cavs in Phoenix but is unable to play or even watch the game from the bench because Dunleavy’s physical hasn’t been completed, Stein writes.