Milos Teodosic

Clippers Sign Milos Teodosic

Aug 19, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Serbia point guard Milos Teodosic (4) shoots the ball against Australia power forward Aron Baynes (12) during the men's basketball semifinal in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY SportsJULY 10, 3:27pm: Teodosic has officially signed his contract with the Clippers, according to a tweet sent out by his agency.

JULY 6, 1:44pm: European point guard Milos Teodosic has reached an agreement with the Clippers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. It will be a two-year, $12.3MM contract with a player option on the second season (Twitter link).

Several teams have been in competition for the 30-year-old, who is considered to be one of the top players outside the NBA. He was reportedly seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM to $30MM, but his new contract is substantially less, at least in the first season.

The Heat, Kings, Nuggets, Jazz, Nets, Bulls and Timberwolves were among the other teams that expressed interest. Minnesota offered its room exception, but understood that he could get more money elsewhere, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Brooklyn decided that Teodosic’s defensive shortcomings made him a poor candidate for big money or big minutes, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link).

A star with Serbia at the 2016 Olympics, Teodosic made his current team, CSKA Moscow, one of the best in the Euroleague. He has averaged 16.1 points per game over the past two seasons and 6.5 assists over the last three. The Russian squad was hoping to keep him, but admitted that it couldn’t compete financially with NBA teams.

Teodosic’s signing may end the Clippers’ interest in Derrick Rose, who met with the team on Wednesday. With Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams already on the roster, there doesn’t seem to be any room for Rose.

No Deal Between Milos Teodosic, Bulls

3:43pm: Several outlets are reporting that the story about Teodosic joining the Bulls has not been verified. Tweets from Sean Highkin of TheAthleticChi, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today and Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago have all cast doubt on the rumor.

3:16pm: The Bulls have won the bidding for Serbian guard Milos Teodosic, according to Eurobasket.

 

Eastern FA Rumors: Bulls, Teodosic, Nets, Raptors

The Nets were considered the frontrunners in the Milos Teodosic sweepstakes for much of the year, but point guard became less of a priority for the team after last week’s D’Angelo Russell, opening the door for another NBA team to make a play for Teodosic. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter), that team may be Chicago — Jones has heard the Bulls are “close” to reaching a deal with the EuroLeague star.

If the Bulls end up finalizing a deal with Teodosic, he would be the team’s third major point guard addition of 2017. Chicago also acquired Cameron Payne in a trade with Oklahoma City at the deadline, and landed Kris Dunn from Minnesota in last week’s Jimmy Butler blockbuster.

Here are a few more free agency rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

  • The Wizards and Pistons are bracing for the Nets to make a strong push on restricted free agents Otto Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, respectively, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Although those players have somewhat similar skill-sets, the Nets aren’t focused on filling a specific need or position in free agency, as head coach Kenny Atkinson tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
  • The Raptors‘ brass will likely meet with agent Andy Miller in Orlando this weekend, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Miller represents both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, Toronto’s top two free agents, who figure to be a part of those meetings as well.
  • Rudy Gay has been linked to the Heat in the past, but Miami isn’t currently among the teams to arrange a free agent meeting with him this weekend, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
  • Asked if the Knicks were still be seeking free agents who fit into a specific system, head coach Jeff Hornacek suggested this week that the team’s focus will be more on talent than system fit, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That sounds like good news for free agents who weren’t fond on Phil Jackson‘s triangle.

Free Agent Rumors: Lowry, Paul, Teodosic, Pachulia, Heat

Michael Grange of Sportsnet spoke to NBA team sources, as well as longtime player agents, to delve into Kyle Lowry‘s free agency. Grange writes that “it is becoming increasingly evident that Lowry will take the opportunity to test the market.” He also adds that the Raptors are the only team that can guarantee a fifth year in a contract offer to Lowry and can pay more over four years than any other suitor. Grange finds a consensus among his sources that Lowry will not be receiving a max deal out in the market and that “his ceiling will top out at $30 million annually, although that would most likely be on a shorter deal.”

Here are some other relevant free agent rumors:

  • According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (link via Twitter),  Chris Paul and his agents met with the Clippers on Tuesday and discussed the player’s future. Paul’s camp and Clippers officials will speak again soon.
  • Milos Teodosic announced that he will likely leave his Russian team and wishes to play in the NBA, via Novosti by way of Sportando“I will not stay with CSKA Moscow almost for sure. But I don’t know yet where I will continue my career,” Teodosic said. “Going to the NBA is my wish but when I will know where, I will say that.”
  • Zaza Pachulia back with the Hawks? The reunion is an interesting idea that Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution floats, as the team has just one center at present (Miles Plumlee) and Pachulia is an unrestricted free agent and likely to move on from the Warriors. Furthermore, Vivlamore points out that Atlanta’s new GM Travis Schlenk knows Pachulia from his time with the Dubs.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald asks and answers key questions about the Heat‘s free agency. If Miami were to land Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin, could they still keep James Johnson or Dion Waiters? Jackson says it would be difficult but not impossible. Click through for his detailed answer.

Jazz Possible Frontrunners For Teodosic

The Jazz could be the frontrunners to land the services of international free agent Milos Teodosic, Jody Genessey of the Deseret News writes. A Serbian publication recently declared as much and Genessey suggests that the point guard’s ties to head coach Quin Snyder could help facilitate a deal.

As we wrote about last week, Teodosic is said to be seeking a three-year contract worth between $25MM and $30MM. That’s a considerable raise over what he would likely receive from his current CSKA Moscow squad in Russia.

In addition to the fact that Snyder was CSKA Moscow’s assistant coach in 2012/13, the Jazz boast another connection in current assistant coach Igor Kokoskov, a native of Teodosic’s Serbia.

Finally, Genessey notes that of the three teams previously linked to Teodosic by ESPN – Utah, Brooklyn and Sacramento – the Nets have since traded for a point guard in D’Angelo Russell. Similarly, it’s worth noting that the Kings drafted point guard De’Aaron Fox fifth overall in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Bulls In Mix For Milos Teodosic?

If Milos Teodosic decides to leave Europe for the NBA, the Bulls appear to be a possible landing spot, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. The Bulls are reportedly willing to offer Teodosic a multiyear contract worth more than CSKA Moscow’s reported offer of 12 million euros over three seasons.

After a weekend report claimed CSKA upped its initial offer to Teodosic, a separate report suggested that the Russian team’s offer has not been changed and is considered “final.”

Varlas quotes several NBA general managers who claim that Teodosic is the best player not signed to an NBA squad. The 30-year-old Serbian guard has been a productive player in Europe, averaging exactly 16.1 PPG the last two seasons while averaging 6.5 APG over the last three.

The Netsacquisition of D’Angelo Russell earlier today may have eliminated a notable suitor for Teodosic’s services, as NetsDaily points out. Brooklyn has been mentioned all year as a possible landing spot for the Euroleague star, but with Russell and Jeremy Lin at the point guard spot, it no longer appears to be a position of need for the Nets.

Still, it seems that Teodosic will have no shortage of suitors no matter where he decides to play next season. Various reports have named the Jazz, Kings, Heat, and Nuggets as other NBA clubs that could be in the mix for the point guard’s services.

Latest On Milos Teodosic, CSKA Moscow

JUNE 19, 7:49am: A CKSA Moscow source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link) that CSKA hasn’t upped its offer to Teodosic since the team made its initial proposal following the Euroleague finale. That offer is viewed as “final,” per Pick.

JUNE 18, 10:11am: CSKA Moscow has made a substantially higher offer to free agent guard Milos Teodosic, who is expected to be pursued by several NBA teams this summer, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

The latest offer from the Russian powerhouse is five years at 30 million euros — about the equivalent of $33.9MM — with an “important role as a leader” when his playing days are finished. It represents a significant increase from the three-year, $13.5MM package that CSKA offered when the season ended.

The Nets are expected to aggressively pursue Teodosic, who is one of the top players outside the NBA and who made a splash at the 2016 Olympics. International writer David Pick has relayed that the 30-year-old guard will be seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM to $30MM. The Heat, Kings, Nuggets and Jazz have also expressed interest in Teodosic.

Coming off a third-place finish in this year’s Euroleague, Teodosic plans to take time to contemplate his next move.

“We had a great season, which was very difficult given the new Euroleague format. Unfortunately, we did not win there, but had better success in the VTB United League,” Teodosic told the Russian news agency TASS this week. “Now I want to have a good rest and decide where to continue my career. At the moment I’m lost in thought.”

CSKA Moscow Attempting To Retain Milos Teodosic

Euroleague star Milos Teodosic said way back in September 2016 that he was looking forward to exploring his NBA opportunities in the summer of 2017, but his current team won’t let him go without a fight. According to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops, CSKA Moscow is offering Teodosic a new three-year contract worth 12 million euros.

In 29 Euroleague games this season, Teodosic averaged 16.1 PPG and a team-high 6.8 APG while making 38.1% of his three-point attempts. His play helped CSKA Moscow earn a VTB League championship and a spot in the Euroleague Final Four, where the team finished third behind Fenerbache (Turkey) and Olympiacos (Greece). Teodosic’s performance also attracted plenty of NBA interest.

The Nets have been frequently cited throughout the last year as a likely suitor for Teodosic, and various reports have named the Jazz, Kings, Heat, and Nuggets as other NBA clubs that could be in the mix for the point guard’s services.

CSKA’s alleged offer to Teodosic is based on a net figure, since European teams often pay the taxes on player contracts, Varlas notes. So, taking into account the money he’d pay in taxes and the conversion from euros to U.S. dollars, Teodosic would require a substantial offer from an NBA team to make a move stateside worth his while financially.

As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays, Teodosic recently suggested that he wants to rest and take his time deciding on his future, but CSKA Moscow will push for a decision soon. “We will try to build a stronger team and that’s why we are waiting Teodosic’s answer as soon as possible,” CSKA president Andrey Vatutin said this week, per Varlas.

Heat Rumors: Hayward, Collins, Teodosic, Winslow

An ESPN report on Friday morning suggested that the Jazz view the Heat as a serious threat in this summer’s Gordon Hayward sweepstakes, and according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, that fear isn’t unfounded. Jackson hears from a source connected to Hayward that the Utah forward has “legitimate interest” in Miami.

Within Jackson’s latest dispatch on the Heat, there’s also word that the team will bring in former Wake Forest power forward John Collins for a pre-draft workout next Wednesday. Collins ranks 20th on DraftExpress’ big board, but has a chance to be selected in the lottery, meaning he could be an option for Miami at No. 14.

Here are a few more Heat-related items worth passing along:

  • The Heat are expected to be one of the teams with interest in Euroleague star Milos Teodosic this offseason, according to a report out of Russia (passed along by NetsDaily.com). The report also identifies Brooklyn and Sacramento as probable suitors for the CSKA Moscow point guard, though those teams have been mentioned previously — Miami’s potential interest is new.
  • Joe Beguiristain of Heat.com provides an update on Justise Winslow‘s recovery from shoulder surgery today, passing along recent comments made by Winslow: “The shoulder is doing well. Five months down, one more to go as far as the six-month process. But I feel great. I got all my range of motion. We’re just trying to get it strong enough that it can endure contact and falls.”
  • While some teams may stretch out their rebuilds in order to avoid battling the Warriors head-on within the next year or two, don’t expect Pat Riley to take that approach with the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman’s recent Ask Ira series for The Sun Sentinel also includes a discussion on whether it makes sense for Miami to pay big bucks for both Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson.

And-Ones: James, 2003 Draft, Wanamaker

Many have compared Kevin Durant‘s decision to join Golden State to LeBron James‘ move to Miami back in 2010, but LBJ doesn’t see it as the same situation, as Steven Ruiz of USA Today relays.

“I don’t think our careers are the same, as far as changing teams,” James said. “Their team was already kind of put together. And you just implement a guy who’s ready to sacrifice – a great talent, a guy who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win. But that team, they already knew what they were all about, and he just had to come in and do what he had to do. And that’s what he’s been doing.

“For me, when I left [Cleveland] to go to Miami, we had to build something. We brought in eight or nine guys, and we had to build something. And when I came back [to Cleveland] we had to build something again.”

Ten players were already on the Warriors roster when Durant arrived in town compared to just two—Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem—on the Heat when James came to South Beach.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Former Cavaliers GM Jim Paxson admits that he made moves during the 2002/03 season with the 2003 draft in mind, as he tells Sam Smith of NBA.com. “That season before [in 2002] we traded Andre Miller to the Clippers because he was up for that rookie extension for Darius Miles and some parts,” Paxson recalled. “I told ownership even though there is no guarantee [for the top pick], we need to take one more step back because this [2003] draft is going to be special [Paxson said their draft order was LeBron, Carmelo and then Bosh]. Andre was good enough to keep us in the 27 to 31-win range, which would take you out of that top three to four picks. We tied with Denver [for the most lottery balls] when we won the last game of the season. Then we got lucky to get the No. 1.”
  • Paxson added that he knew right away he had to surround James with shooting, Smith passes along in the same piece. The Cavaliers took Jason Kapono in the second-round of the 2003 draft.
  • Dan Fegan denies any ties to the new Dynasty Sports Group agency that was founded by former ISE agent Aylton Tesch, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily. Tesch left ISE shortly after the company fired Fegan.
  • CSKA Moscow plans to pursue Brad Wanamaker, who played collegiate ball at the University of Pittsburgh before flourishing in Europe, in the event that Milos Teodosic leaves for the NBA, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link).