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Pacific Notes: Davis, Shumpert, Brewer, Hill

July 1st, 2015 at 8:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers are set to ink Paul Pierce to a three year, $10MM deal, which will eliminate a major roster weakness of a season ago. Los Angeles is also looking at Wesley Johnson, Jeremy Lin, Corey Brewer, and Willie Green, Sam Amick of USA Today notes (on Twitter). Though it’s not clear if the addition of Pierce will end the Clippers’ potential pursuit of Brewer and Johnson, both of whom can man the three spot.

Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The Lakers were one of the first teams to reach out to restricted free agent Iman Shumpert, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Shumpert is set to ink a four-year, $40MM deal to return to the Cavaliers.
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers has reached out to representatives of free agent Glen Davis, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Davis appeared in 74 games for Los Angeles in 2014/15, averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per contest. Rivers also has been in contact with Caron Butler‘s representatives, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times adds (via Twitter).
If the Kings are unable to land Rajon Rondo, the team could look to sign Brewer, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays (Twitter link). There is some measure of support to ink Brewer within Sacramento’s front office, Mannix adds. Two other teams have contacted Rondo, Mannix adds, though Sacramento still is the frontrunner.
The Clippers’ hope was that re-signing center DeAndre Jordan would aid the team in landing Pierce, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). It’s unclear if the team promised Pierce that Jordan would return, prompting him to sign, or if the veteran decided to join L.A. regardless of whether or not the big man will be his teammate next season.
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing center Jordan Hill, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. Hill’s representatives also fielded several calls from other interested teams, Medina adds. Los Angeles declined its $9MM team option on Hill for 2015/16.
The Clippers had checked with Brewer’s representatives if the mini-mid level amount would be enough to sign him, and were told they had no shot at that amount, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
The Kings, Clippers, and the Knicks have all expressed interest in free agent forward Dahntay Jones, Kennedy tweets.
In addition to the Lakers, teams showing interest in free agent Ed Davis are the Knicks, Pistons, Trail Blazers, and Celtics, Medina relays (Twitter link).
Free agent Leandro Barbosa said that he and the Warriors have mutual interest, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group tweets, translating a story from from Folha da Região in Barbosa’s native Brazil.

Knicks Front-Runners For Arron Afflalo

July 1st, 2015 at 4:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 4:24pm: The Knicks and Afflalo have a meeting scheduled for Thursday, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News tweets.

TUESDAY, 12:28pm: Afflalo is open to signing a short-term deal that allows him to become a free agent again in a year or two, and he may ultimately seek such an arrangement, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

MONDAY, 2:03pm: The Knicks are the front-runners for Arron Afflalo, who opted out of his deal with the Blazers last week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The same is true of the Knicks and Greg Monroe, though New York will take meetings with LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and others. Carmelo Anthony has put in a recruiting call to Afflalo and others, as ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported minutes earlier.

League sources who spoke with Wojnarowski estimate that Afflalo’s next deal will be for $36-38MM over three years. The Knicks have only about $31MM in guaranteed salaries for next season, not counting a $3,443,100 cap hold for Kristaps Porzingis and a $1,310,300 cap hold for Jerian Grant, the two players New York wound up with from the first round of Friday’s draft. That, combined with minimum-salary roster charges for open spots, would still likely leave about enough room against the cap, projected at $67.1MM, for a max deal for Monroe and a contract for Afflalo starting around $12MM a year.

Blazers Dream Of Aldridge, Greg Monroe Pairing

July 1st, 2015 at 4:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Blazers’ top goal is to sign both LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe, The Oregonian’s Jason Quick reports (Twitter link). Conflicting reports paint a confused picture of whether Portland still has a realistic shot to land Aldridge, but Monroe has the Blazers on a list of four teams with which he plans to meet.

Portland has about $24.9MM in guaranteed salaries on its books, not counting whatever Al-Farouq Aminu would make on his new four-year $30MM deal. A max deal for Aldridge would start at an estimated $18.96MM and a max for Monroe would begin at an estimated $15.8MM, though those figures stand to rise with a new, higher salary cap projection. Assuming those maxes don’t grow too much higher, it would leave just about enough to squeeze in Aminu’s deal, though the Blazers only have seven players on their roster at present, so they would be hit with about $2MM in roster charges plus Aminu’s salary for next season. So, it’s likely the Blazers would either have to clear some salary via trade, buyout, or release via the stretch provision.

In any case, it seems like a long shot, but it does appear to indicate that Monroe is the team’s primary target aside from Aldridge.

Mavs, Raptors Meet With Wesley Matthews

July 1st, 2015 at 12:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:46pm: The Raptors have a meeting set with Matthews, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Toronto would likely have to offload a significant amount of salary to afford him, given the Carroll deal. DeMar DeRozan has been heavily involved in the recruitment of both, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (on Twitter), so presumably he won’t be on the move if the Raptors trade anyone. Meanwhile, Stein indicates that Toronto’s meeting with Matthews has already happened (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 11:41am: Dallas is considered the front-runner for Matthews, Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets. Toronto has a deal with DeMarre Carroll, so presumably that’ll take the Raptors out of the running.

TUESDAY, 11:44pm: The Mavs and Matthews are meeting this evening, at the same time a different Mavs contingent is with DeAndre Jordan, according to Stein (on Twitter).

12:30pm: New York is among the teams on Matthews’ radar, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who nonetheless expresses pessimism that the money would work for both sides.

8:58am: The Raptors and Mavs have interest in signing Wesley Matthews, who’s ahead of schedule as he rehabs his torn left Achilles tendon, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News first reported the interest from Dallas. The Jeff Austin client is seeking about $15MM on his next deal, as Sam Amick of USA Today reported earlier.

The Celtics and Knicks are also reportedly interested. All four teams, as well as the incumbent Blazers, have the cap flexibility necessary to pay the swingman what he’s seeking, though it would seem they all have higher priorities, including LaMarcus Aldridge, a teammate and close friend of Matthews. It would be a tight squeeze for the Mavs and Knicks to sign both to the sorts of deals that Aldridge, who can command the max, and Matthews are looking for, and it would be virtually impossible for the Raptors and Celtics to do so unless they clear salary via trade. The Blazers, who have Bird rights on both, have the greatest capacity to sign the pair, but Aldridge is reportedly almost certain to leave Portland.

Matthews, a career 39.3% three-point shooter and fifth in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus among shooting guards, would fit the three-and-D type the Mavs reportedly plan to seek if they sign Aldridge. Matthews would be a more difficult fit in Toronto, where DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross are under contract on the wings.

Latest On Danny Green

July 1st, 2015 at 1:19am CST by Will Joseph

1:19am: Sources who spoke with Berger believe that Green is a “goner,” as far as the Spurs are concerned, the CBSSports.com scribe writes within his Free Agent Buzz piece.

WEDNESDAY, 12:39am: Sacramento is going hard after Green, tweets Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who says the swingman is the team’s No. 1 target (on Twitter).

11:52pm: The Kings have expressed interest, reports Sean Cunningham of News 10 Sacramento. The Pistons called him first, reports USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter links), and Detroit and the swingman have planned a meeting, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 8:24pm: Green has the Knicks high on his list but his top choice would be to remain in San Antonio, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are trying to set up a meeting with the swingman, Berman adds.

3:54pm: The Blazers, at least for now, aren’t expected to meet with Green, reports Jabari Young of CSNNW.com.

MONDAY, 2:17pm: The Knicks would like to meet with Green, too, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post.

SUNDAY, 7:40pm: Danny Green, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, has attracted interest from the Blazers, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who cites a source. The Pistons and Mavs are also in the mix for Green’s services, Berger adds.

The Blazers do not have a small forward under contract for next season. Green has proven he can play as a shooting guard or a small forward. Of course, Portland’s biggest roster move concerns LaMarcus Aldridge and whether or not the unrestricted free agent will re-sign with the Blazers.

The Mavs are reportedly targeting Green, though he’d like to re-sign with the Spurs and San Antonio is apparently making that a priority. If there’s a fear among Spurs executives, it’s that they won’t have enough space left to retain Green, Berger writes.

The Pistons reportedly will make Green a higher priority in free agency this summer than fellow target Tobias Harris, because, as an unrestricted free agent, Green would be easier to sign than Harris, a restricted free agent.

Blazers Unlikely To Sign-And-Trade LaMarcus Aldridge

June 30th, 2015 at 11:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Blazers are unlikely to agree to any sign-and-trade deals involving LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com.

The Blazers can give Aldridge more money than any other club out there with a five-year, $108MM deal. It stands to reason that Aldridge would want that contract, but not necessarily with the incumbent Blazers, as we have heard in recent days. However, for the time being, the Blazers have not shown a willingness to play ball.

Aldridge has been heavily connected to the Spurs as well as the other two Texas teams, the Mavs and Rockets. The big man will meet with all three of those clubs this week, plus the Lakers, Suns, Raptors, and Knicks. Meanwhile, executives believe that the Lakers are looking to clear space in order to offer deals to both Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan.

Western Rumors: Clippers, Chandler, Davis

June 30th, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Zachary Links

If DeAndre Jordan leaves for the Mavs, the Clippers will try to sign and trade for Tyson Chandler, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). However, the Clippers are still “hopeful” that they’ll retain Jordan. Here’s more from the West..

The Pelicans want to get a new deal done with Anthony Davis quickly, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Negotiations can continue until Halloween, but New Orleans apparently wants to get everything sewn up this summer.
The Mavs are concerned that Al-Farouq Aminu will get a relatively big offer, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (on Twitter). If that happens, they’ll try to talk him into deal he could opt out of next summer.
The Lakers would be a winning taker of Brendan Haywood‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Cavs, but it’s not clear if L.A. has anything Cleveland would want in return, Sam Amico of FOX Sports tweets. There are conflicting reports on the matter, but the Cavs may have recently discussed the center with the Spurs.
Despite the uncertainty in Portland, Gerald Henderson says he’s excited to be with the Blazers, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes. Days ago, the Blazers sent forward Nicolas Batum to the Hornets for Henderson and forward Noah Vonleh.

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Mudiay, Jazz

June 30th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder want a first-round pick to part with Perry Jones, according to two execs who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI. Unfortunately for OKC, however, that doesn’t seem to be a realistic demand. Here’s more from the Northwest Division..

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke with Mannix about the chaos of draft night and the events leading up the selection of Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay did not work out for Denver, but the Nuggets did watch a great deal of film on him. Despite the uncertainty, Malone said that he trusted his front office and wasn’t hesitant about the pick.
The Jazz will have a conversation with Raul Neto, the Brazilian point guard they drafted two years ago, to gauge his interest in playing in the NBA next season, according to Aaron Falk, Tony Jones, and Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. The sense is that the Jazz want the 2013 second round pick to join them sooner rather than later. However, it’s not clear where he’d fit in given the team’s current logjam at point guard.
The Raptors never considered Tomislav Zubčić, a late second-round pick in the 2012 draft whose rights Toronto sent to the Thunder today, to be an NBA prospect, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter). Apparently, the Raptors drafted him mostly as a favor to help speed up the team’s buyout for Jonas Valanciunas, Wolstat writes.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey is prepared for what’s ahead, regardless of whether LaMarcus Aldridge stays or goes, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes.
The Thunder announced that they have named Monty Williams, Maurice Cheeks, and Anthony Grant as assistant coaches.

Blazers To Keep Chris Kaman

June 30th, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Blazers have decided to retain Chris Kaman for the 2015/16 season, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com (on Twitter). Portland had until 4 CT to waive the big man before his salary became fully guaranteed for the upcoming campaign. Portland declined to do so, meaning that Kaman will return for a second season.

During his exit interview in April, Kaman said he wanted to return to the Blazers for the 2015/16 season. However, with just $1MM of his $5,016,000 salary guaranteed for next season, that wasn’t quite a given. In 74 games (13 starts) last season, Kaman averaged 8.6 PPG and 6.5 RPG in less than 19 minutes per game. The 7-footer has averaged 11.4 PPG and 7.7 RPG over the course of his 12-year career.

Greg Monroe To Meet With Four Teams

June 30th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Will Joseph

WEDNESDAY, 4:00pm: Boston isn’t on the list of teams that Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today hears Monroe will meet with, so it looks like the Celtics are indeed a no-go.

TUESDAY, 8:05am: The Celtics are already out of the running for Monroe, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post, though it’s unclear whether Monroe has canceled his meeting with them.

MONDAY, 1:56pm: The Knicks, unsurprisingly, are the favorites for Monroe, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

SUNDAY, 8:20pm: Greg Monroe, who will become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, will meet with the Celtics, Knicks, Bucks, Lakers and Trail Blazers once free agent negotiations begin Wednesday and seemingly put an end to the idea that he will re-sign with the Pistons, reports Darrell Williams in a story for the Louisiana Advocate.

Though agent David Falk and Monroe have maintained that the Pistons have a shot to keep him, with Monroe going so far as to say at one point that they had the upper hand, he’s never appeared likely to re-sign after taking Detroit’s qualifying offer this past summer. When asked about the Pistons by Williams, Monroe suggested the team is going in a different direction.

“[Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy] had smaller teams in Orlando years ago,” Monroe said. “[Andre Drummond] is like Dwight Howard. So Stan wants to put good players around him. The team has different plans, and I respect that. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted.”

Monroe said he is looking for a two-year deal with an option, citing the expected rise of the salary cap as something that is affecting his decision. The big man also wants to play for a playoff-caliber team.

“I’m looking to be with a team that’s ready to win,” Monroe said. “Hopefully it will be a team where I’m the missing piece.”

Curiously, Monroe, while speaking with his hometown paper, said he would be interested in suiting up for the Pelicans, who have not shown interest.

“I’d love to play and represent this city,” he said. “Obviously, they have a guy like Anthony Davis who is a superstar already, and he’s only going to get better. I think I could really play well with him. Our games complement each other. I’m a low-post scorer. Obviously he’s a great midrange player.”

More likely choices include the teams Monroe said he will meet with. The Celtics have a need for a big man and possess the financial flexibility to make a deal happen, the Knicks need a cornerstone big man to build around and the Blazers need to plan for the possibility of life without unrestricted free agent LaMarcus Aldridge.