Trail Blazers Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: P. Gasol, Mavs, Wolves, Wright, More

Pau Gasol, whose contract with the Bucks is up, continues to recover from a procedure on his left foot, but he wants to continue his NBA career next season, he tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

“My recovery from surgery has been smooth and I expect to be fully cleared for basketball activities in early August,” Gasol said. “I cannot wait to start training again.”

Gasol, who is an unrestricted free agent, is the only one of Milwaukee’s free agents who has yet to reach an agreement this week. There has been no indication that the Bucks are seeking a reunion.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors:

  • The Mavericks are among the teams that have expressed “strong interest” in Delon Wright, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Timberwolves have also inquired on Wright. Wright is a restricted free agent, so the Grizzlies would have the chance to match an offer sheet.
  • The Timberwolves continue to kick the tires on free agent point guard T.J. McConnell, according to Wolfson, who tweets that the Sixers, Heat, Lakers, Grizzlies, Suns, Wizards, and Pacers have also checked out McConnell. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter) notes that McConnell could be a target for Miami if the team trades Goran Dragic.
  • The Thunder are among the teams that have expressed some interest in veteran guard Jodie Meeks, a league source tells Brett Dawson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dawson’s report came shortly before Oklahoma City agreed to terms with Alec Burks, so it’s not clear if the club remains interested in Meeks.
  • In a text message to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link), Enes Kanter explains that he considered re-signing with the Trail Blazers, but didn’t feel as if they gave him enough time to make his decision. Kanter agreed to a two-year deal with Boston.

Trail Blazers Sign Jaylen Hoard To Two-Way Deal

JULY 1: The Trail Blazers have officially signed Hoard to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 21: The Trail Blazers have reached agreement on a two-way contract with Jaylen Hoard of Wake Forest, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi.

The 6’8″ forward out of France had a strong freshman season with the Demon Deacons, averaging 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds in 31 games. He has been playing internationally since 2015.

Portland didn’t issue any two-way deals last season. The Blazers are one of just two teams without a G League affiliate, so Hoard will get much of his training with another organization.

Heat To Trade Hassan Whiteside To Blazers

The Heat have reached an agreement on a trade to send center Hassan Whiteside to the Trail Blazers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Portland is giving up Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard in the deal.

[UPDATE: Harkless to be re-routed to Clippers in four-team trade]

In acquiring Whiteside, the Blazers will secure a replacement at the five for Enes Kanter, who looks like a good bet to sign elsewhere. Whiteside figures to start at center for the Trail Blazers while Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a leg injury that is expected to sideline him well into the 2019/20 regular season.

Whiteside, 30, saw his role in Miami decline over the last couple years, but continued to put up strong numbers on a per-minute basis. In 72 games in 2018/19, the big man averaged 12.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG in just 23.3 minutes per contest.

While the Blazers will fortify their center position in the deal, their perimeter defense will take another hit. Having already lost Al-Farouq Aminu in free agency to Orlando, Portland will now part with Harkless as well. Newly-acquired forward Kent Bazemore will be leaned on heavily to help replace that duo.

As for the Heat, they’ll move on from Whiteside, who hadn’t been thrilled about having his minutes cut back during the last two seasons, publicly griping about his role on more than one occasion. Miami won’t have to take back any long-term salary in the deal, as all three players are on expiring contracts, and will save about $4.8MM based on the difference in salaries between Whiteside ($27.1MM) and the combo of Leonard ($11.3MM) and Harkless ($11MM).

Those savings could come in handy, since the Heat will face a hard cap of $138.9MM by acquiring Jimmy Butler via sign-and-trade. Speaking of that Butler trade, cap expert Albert Nahmad notes (via Twitter) that moving Whiteside won’t help solve the salary-matching issue Miami faces in that deal, so at least one more move will be required.

With Whiteside out of the picture, Bam Adebayo projects to take an ever larger role in Miami’s frontcourt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rodney Hood Re-Signs With Blazers

JULY 6: The Blazers have offically re-signed Hood, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JUNE 30: Free agent Rodney Hood has agreed to stay with the Trail Blazers on a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

While Woj pegs the value at $16MM, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports that the agreement will be worth $5.7MM next season and contains a $6MM player option for the following season. Those numbers make more sense, as Portland doesn’t have Hood’s Bird rights and likely will be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Portland acquired Hood in a deal with Cleveland prior to the trade deadline last season, using his scoring and energy off the bench heading into the playoffs. The team recently traded for Kent Bazemore as insurance on the wing if Hood committed elsewhere, but the two sides were able to finalize an agreement less than an hour into free agency.

Hood, 26, averaged 9.6 points per game in 27 contests with the Blazers this season, shooting 45% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range. He was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft to Utah.

Free Agent Rumors: Randle, Gibson, Bullock, Bulls

The Kings will be among the teams in pursuit of Pelicans forward Julius Randle, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN. He cites the Nets, Knicks and Bulls as other expected suitors.

Randle, 24, had a career-best season after signing a one-year deal with New Orleans last summer. He averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 73 games while shooting 52% from the field. He also improved as a long-distance shooter, hitting 34% of his shots from 3-point range.

Here are more rumors as we move to within 24 hours of the start of free agency:

  • The Timberwolves will have plenty of competition for Taj Gibson, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who lists the Clippers, Nets, Bucks, Bulls, Warriors, Raptors, Trail Blazers, Hornets and Lakers as having interest in the veteran forward (Twitter link). Gibson has averaged 11.5 PPG and 6.9 RPG during his two years in Minnesota.
  • There’s mutual interest between the Knicks and shooting specialist Reggie Bullock, according to Ian Begley of SNY.TV. Bullock averaged 11.3 points per game while splitting last season between the Pistons and Lakers.
  • The Bulls are looking for a point guard, but want to limit the contract to two years, reports K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. That may take them out of the running for Malcolm Brogdon or Patrick Beverley, Johnson notes, but he cites other options such as Cory Joseph, Tyus Jones and George Hill who might be willing to accept a shorter contract. The Bulls are counting on first-round pick Coby White to take over the position within two years and want the free agent’s contract to expire in the summer of 2021 at the same time as Otto Porter‘s and Cristiano Felicio‘s.

And-Ones: Trades, Antetokounmpo, World Cup

Jae Crowder would be a nice contingency plan for the Warriors should they lose Kevin Durant in free agency, Kevin Pelton contends in a piece for ESPN+. Pelton argues a deal that sends Crowder, who has one year left on his contract, to Golden State for Shaun Livingston and a future first-rounder makes sense for both sides.

Other ESPN insiders write about the trade they’d like to see this summer, with Bobby Marks breaking down a Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade that sends Eric Gordon to Philadelphia and Clint Capela to Sacramento. The whole piece is worth checking out.

As we brace for an offseason of change, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for Greece in the Basketball World Cup, according to Demetris Nellas of the Associated Press“Whether I play the 1 [point guard] or the 5 [center], I don’t care,” the NBA MVP said. “I’m a basketball player. I want to help the team any way I can.”
  • The NBA has announced that the Academy Games will be in the United States for the first time in history. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com provides a detailed look at the games in Atlanta, relaying that the camp will feature eight teams and approximately 90 players from around the world.
  • Isaiah Whitehead will play for the Trail Blazers‘ Summer League team, The Athletic’s Michael Scotto relays (Twitter link).
  • The Mavericks have announced their Summer League roster and former first-rounder Cameron Payne is among the notable players. Kostas Antetokounmpo, the brother of Giannis, is also playing for the team in Las Vegas.
  • Semaj Christon will play for the Kings‘ Summer League team, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia tweets.
  • Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox has been invited to join Team USA’s Select Team, which will hold training camp in Las Vegas this summer, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports passes along (Twitter links). Nets center Jarrett Allen has also been invited.

[In case you missed it: Team USA Announces 20-Player Roster For World Cup]

Five Key Offseason Questions: Portland Trail Blazers

After suffering an embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Pelicans in 2018, the Trail Blazers weren’t even considered a lock to make the postseason in 2019. During the preseason, oddsmakers pegged Portland’s over/under at 42.5 wins, ninth in the Western Conference.

The Blazers easily exceeded that total, finishing with a 53-29 mark and claiming the No. 3 seed in the West. Although their season ended once again with a four-game sweep, it happened in the Conference Finals this time around, after they’d eliminated the Thunder with a memorable Damian Lillard buzzer beater and knocked off the Nuggets in a Game 7 in Denver. Portland will enter the 2019/20 season looking to build on that playoff success.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. How close are the Trail Blazers to legit title contention?

The Trail Blazers didn’t win a single game against the Warriors in the Western Finals, but they built double-digit leads in each of the last three contests and led for most of those games. Now that Golden State will be without Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson for most or all of next season, do the Blazers have an opening to win the West?

Well, yes and no. Portland’s path to the Western Finals was a favorable one, as the team avoided what would have difficult matchups against the Rockets or Jazz. If the bracket had looked a little different, it’s entirely possible that the Blazers could have been eliminated a round or two earlier.

But the West should be more wide open in 2019/20 than it has been in years, so there’s reason for the Blazers to believe they’re just one or two moves away from breaking through. The Raptors, who could have been considered the Blazers of the East in recent years, are a good reference point for Portland — Toronto suffered several postseason disappointments and repeatedly fell short of the NBA Finals before winning a championship in 2019. Maybe the Blazers could follow suit.

Unlike the Raptors, who had to break up their All-Star backcourt to take that next step, I don’t expect the Blazers to seriously consider moving Lillard or CJ McCollum. Instead, it makes more sense for Portland to try to acquire a third impact player using their growing collection of assets. Kevin Love has been a frequent subject of speculation as that impact player, though I expect the Blazers to aim even higher.

There aren’t likely to be teams pushing hard to pry Love from the Cavaliers this summer, and the Blazers could afford to wait until the 2020 trade deadline to try to make a splash if they don’t find a deal they like this offseason, so Love is an option that could be circled back to down the road.

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Blazers, Lakers, Celtics Have Interest In Kanter

The Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Celtics are expected to be among the teams to show interest in Enes Kanter when free agency opens, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Portland doesn’t have Bird rights on Kanter, and Boston and L.A. may end up using most or all of their cap room on impact players, so it’s possible that none of those three teams will have the resources to make a strong bid for Kanter. We’ll see if the taxpayer mid-level exception (Trail Blazers) or room exception (Lakers, Celtics) is enough to sign him.

Free Agent Rumors: Millsap, Blazers, Lakers, D-Lo, Kemba, Portis

The Nuggets are prepared to potentially account for Paul Millsap‘s $30MM team option on their 2019/20 cap if they don’t believe they’ll be able to negotiate a new, more favorable deal with the big man in free agency, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested as part of the network’s free agency special on Tuesday night (video link).

While the Nuggets would have limited cap flexibility this summer with Millsap’s $30MM on their books, the club values him and wants to bring him back, according to both Woj and ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

Meanwhile, Woj and Lowe also weighed in on Trail Blazers, Denver’s opponent in the Western Semifinals this spring. There are indications that the Blazers won’t rest on their laurels this offseason, according to Lowe, who suggests that Portland may be one move away from becoming a legit title threat.

Wojnarowski agrees, though he cautions that the Blazers – who are more likely to make a big move via trade than on the free agent market – may end up waiting until during the season to try to make that move. Woj adds that Portland may not be able to keep Rodney Hood, since it looks as if his value this summer could exceed the taxpayer mid-level. The Blazers don’t have Hood’s Bird rights.

Here’s more on free agency from around the NBA:

  • In a pair of ESPN appearances (video links), Wojnarowski continues to suggest that the idea of a reunion between the Lakers and D’Angelo Russell isn’t far-fetched. According to Woj, Russell is “open-minded” about the idea, while the Lakers wouldn’t mind seeing Kyrie Irving go to Brooklyn, since it would increase the odds of the Nets withdrawing Russell’s QO and making him an unrestricted free agent. If Anthony Davis waives his trade kicker, the Lakers could theoretically offer Russell his max without trading Moritz Wagner or Isaac Bonga.
  • One league source who spoke to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) views the Celtics as the favorites for free agent point guard Kemba Walker, followed by the Hornets and Mavericks.
  • The Wizards aren’t expected to match a huge offer sheet for Bobby Portis, who has generated interest from multiple teams already, sources tell Tony Jones and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jones also repeats a number that has been previously reported, indicating that Portis is seeking an annual salary of up to $16MM.
  • Al-Farouq Aminu is technically eligible for a contract extension with the Trail Blazers until Sunday, but he tells Jason Quick of The Athletic, “I haven’t really talked to [president of basketball operations] Neil [Olshey] (Twitter link). Aminu will reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent on the evening of June 30, assuming Portland doesn’t lock him up before then.

Blazers Issue Qualifying Offer To Jake Layman

The Trail Blazers have tendered a qualifying offer to forward Jake Layman, the team announced today (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported (via Twitter) that Portland would give a QO to Layman to make him a restricted free agent.

Layman, 25, has spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Blazers, but didn’t emerge as a reliable rotation player for the club until 2018/19. In 71 games (33 starts) last season, the former Maryland standout averaged 7.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .509/.326/.704 shooting in 18.7 minutes per contest.

The Blazers hold Layman’s Bird rights, so there will be no cap restrictions preventing the club from re-signing him. Portland does project to be a potential taxpayer though, so luxury tax considerations could dissuade the team from going too high on Layman if he draws interest from other suitors. His qualifying offer is worth $1,931,189, as we noted in our look at the Blazers’ cap situation last month.

Layman was the only Blazer eligible for restricted free agency this summer, so no further QOs are forthcoming. He’ll join teammates Al-Farouq Aminu, Seth Curry, Rodney Hood, and Enes Kanter – all of whom are unrestricted free agents – on the open market.