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Nine Teams Eyeing Danilo Gallinari

June 30th, 2017 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Danilo Gallinari is receiving interest from nine teams as free agency nears, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). According to Amick, many of those clubs are contenders, though non-playoff teams like the Nuggets and Kings are also in the mix. Gallinari’s free agency will likely take a few days to unfold, Amick adds.

Gallinari, who will turn 29 next month, indicated in an interview earlier in June that the Nuggets wouldn’t necessarily be his first choice in free agency, and that he’d consider them like he would any other team. However, he reversed course this week, suggesting that one of his first meetings would be with Denver and that he’d like to re-sign with the Nuggets.

While Gallinari has acknowledged that he won’t be offered a maximum salary contract, ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote earlier today that the market for the veteran forward should be in the range of $20MM annually.

I placed Gallinari 12th on my list of this year’s top 50 free agents, noting that his injury history may diminish his value a little, but predicting he’ll still do very well for himself on the open market.

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Lowe’s Latest: George, Hayward, Ibaka, Gallinari

June 30th, 2017 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

A proposed scenario that would see the Celtics sign Gordon Hayward, trade for Paul George, and sign George to a contract extension isn’t realistic, writes Zach Lowe in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Lowe points out, there would be no reason for George to re-up with Boston right away in that scenario unless he could renegotiate a maximum salary, and it would be extremely difficult for the C’s to accommodate such a deal without moving Al Horford.

Knowing that if they acquire George, he could be a rental, the Celtics have thus far been unwilling to include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, or the Lakers’ 2018 first-rounder in any of their offers to Indiana, Lowe reports. Lowe’s best guess at Boston’s offer is a package that would include Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and one of the team’s other first-round picks. The C’s will be reluctant to go much higher than that, given their fear that George could leave in 2018 — Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times wrote on Thursday night that the Pacers forward is still telling friends he expects to be a Laker in 2018.

While George could just be a one-year rental, the Celtics have competition for him. According to Lowe, the Wizards would likely be willing to sign-and-trade Otto Porter and include a first-round pick. The Cavaliers would swap Kevin Love straight up, though that doesn’t interest Indiana much, per Lowe. If the Nuggets get involved again via three-way talks for George and Love, they could offer Gary Harris and a first-round pick, though NBA execs expect Harris to command upwards of $20MM annually on his next contract, which is due soon, says Lowe.

Here’s more from Lowe with the free agent period right around the corner:

  • Lowe views Hayward as less than a 50-50 bet to stay with the Jazz, with both the Celtics and Heat as legitimate suitors. The ESPN scribe adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if a mystery fourth team ends up getting a meeting with Hayward.
  • The market for Raptors big man Serge Ibaka and Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is expected to be in about the $20MM-per-year range, sources tell Lowe.
  • The Sixers have told player agents that they plan on signing one-year contracts in free agency this summer to preserve future cap space. They may also use some of their current cap room to sign Robert Covington to a renegotiated extension, writes Lowe.
  • Lowe expects the Bucks to sign Tony Snell to a deal in the range of $10-12MM annually.
  • Despite drafting De’Aaron Fox, the Kings may still spend on a free agent point guard as a veteran mentor, particularly if they decide they want to chase a playoff spot right away, says Lowe.
  • The Grizzlies are “crossing their fingers” that the market for RFA power forward JaMychal Green isn’t as competitive as expected, according to Lowe.
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Kings Won’t Tender QO To Ben McLemore

June 28th, 2017 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings won’t tender a qualifying offer to free agent guard Ben McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move ensures that McLemore will become an unrestricted free agent, rather than a restricted free agent.

McLemore, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2013 draft, but has been inconsistent during his four years in Sacramento. The subject of trade rumors earlier in his career, McLemore was rumored to be making a strong impression on the Kings’ new coaching staff last fall, but he ultimately received a career-low 19.3 minutes in 61 games this season. Although McLemore’s numbers (8.1 PPG, .382 3PT%) were decent, he doesn’t appear to be a part of Sacramento’s future plans.

Because McLemore didn’t meet the starter criteria, his qualifying offer would have been worth $4,187,598. That would have given the Kings the right of first refusal if another team attempted to sign the former Kansas Jayhawk. Instead, McLemore will be free to sign outright with any club.

McLemore joins Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke as 2013 lottery picks whose teams won’t be tendering them a qualifying offer this week.

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Brogdon, Saric Headline 2016/17 NBA All-Rookie Teams

June 26th, 2017 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has announced its All-Rookie teams for the 2016/17 season, with Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon and Sixers forward Dario Saric headlining the First Team. Brogdon and Saric were the only two players who were unanimously named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

Here’s the full breakdown of this year’s All-Rookie squads:

First Team:

Second Team:

Brogdon, Saric, and Embiid are the finalists for the 2016/17 NBA Rookie of the Year award, which will be announced later tonight during the league’s TV broadcast on TNT.

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Pistons Notes: Luxury Tax, Point Guard, Drummond

June 26th, 2017 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

With approximately $95MM in guaranteed salaries on their books for 2017/18, the Pistons will be in danger of going into luxury tax territory if they re-sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a maximum salary contract or something close to it.

However, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets that a source in the know told him the Pistons would be okay with being slightly over the tax line. As Ellis notes in a piece for The Free Press, even if Detroit begins the ’17/18 season in the tax, that doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be on the hook for tax penalties at the end of the year. Luxury tax penalties aren’t determined until the final day of the regular season, so the Pistons could make trades to sneak back under the threshold, if necessary.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • Given their current cap situation, the free agent market won’t offer an easy path to roster upgrades for the Pistons, Ellis writes for The Free Press. Ellis expects Detroit to attempt to find a point guard to play behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith, but that would likely be a minor move. Within the piece, Ellis also suggests that Caldwell-Pope’s restricted free agency may not get resolved quickly if he doesn’t find an offer sheet he likes.
  • Andre Drummond‘s name surfaced in trade rumors again last week, and while Drummond has been “hurt” in the past at being mentioned in trade rumors, he’s most accustomed to it now, per head coach Stan Van Gundy (link via The Detroit Free Press).
  • The Kings, who have had interest in Drummond in the past, were linked to the veteran center again last week, but Ellis writes that Detroit wasn’t motivated to make a move. “It’s part of the usual draft-day dance,” a Pistons source told Ellis shortly before the draft. “Sacramento making a play for him and would like to make it happen. Us not so much.”
  • Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press wonders if the Pistons will end up regretting making the “safe” play and picking Luke Kennard on draft day.
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Kings Notes: Joerger, Fox, Giles

June 25th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

With as many as five rookies on board for 2017/18, the only way to gauge head coach Dave Joerger‘s performance as the club’s head coach will be with time.

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes that the the 43-year-old bench boss will need to show discipline and patience with his young roster, traits that would have serve him well during his stint as a minor league coach in the G League.

It could be years before Kings fans see just what players like De’Aaron Fox and Justin Jackson are capable of and that’s never a good thing for coaches at the professional level. As Jones notes, Joerger’s three predecessors didn’t even last two seasons.

Still, there’s been a culture shift in Sacramento and, in addition to this year’s rookie crop, the roster boasts numerous development projects ranging from 2016/17 mid-season acquisition Buddy Hield to sophomore Greek big man Georgios Papagiannis.

“There aren’t many teams who have had nine players in the first or second years of their contract,” Joerger said. “It hasn’t been done, but you have to give them time and keep our expectations that guys go out and compete hard every night and they get better everyday in practice.”

There’s more from the Kings:

  • When fifth-overall pick De’Aaron Fox goes to work with his new Kings teammates he’ll do so with one big advantage; he actually knows his fellow rookies well already. Fox spoke with the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones in a recent media scrum.
  • It didn’t take long for the basketball world to notice that the Kings brought home a good haul from the NBA Draft and, unsurprisingly, general manager Vlade Divac is happy with who they got. Divac spoke with the media, including Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
  • For better and worse, 20th-overall pick Harry Giles is drawing comparisons to former Kings forward Chris Webber, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes.
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Kings Notes: Fox, Post Draft Grades, Private Jet

June 24th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by marksuleymanov

The Kings got their man when they selected De’Aaron Fox with the fifth overall pick in Thursday’s draft but even if the team had the first pick, the result may have been the same. Per Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 (via Twitter), general manager Vlade Divac said that Sacramento “most likely” would have taken Fox first overall.

“It was a guy that we all loved and in some way,” he said, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin. “If we had the No. 1 pick, he would’ve been our guy. De’Aaron is our future.”

The Kentucky guard averaged 16.7 PPG and 4.6 APG in 36 collegiate contests this past season and was rumored to be taken anywhere from second overall to sixth overall. Despite working out for several teams, Fox told FOX Sports’ Aaron Torres that the vibe around the team was special and that he felt his presence could lead to bigger things.

“I know they really want a point guard, I know they need one,” Fox said. “They have the young pieces, and in a few years I do think we could be competing for championships.

Here are additional notes surrounding the Kings:

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Kings Release Arron Afflalo

June 23rd, 2017 at 3:55pm CST by Austin Kent

The Kings have released Arron Afflalo today, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The guard had a contract guarantee that would have otherwise triggered today.

Afflalo had initially signed a two-year $25MM with the Kings last offseason but the second year, worth $12.5MM, would have only been guaranteed if he remained on the club’s roster through today.

Considering the different state that the franchise is in now versus last year, it’s no surprise that the team has decided to part ways with the veteran.

Per Bobby Marks of The Vertical, rather than pay the $12.5 that had been earmarked for the 2017/18 campaign, the Kings will instead stretch $1.5MM in payouts to Afflalo over the course of the next three seasons.

In 61 games for the Kings last year, including 45 starts, Afflalo put 8.4 points per game.

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Blazers Acquire No. 10 Pick, Draft Zach Collins

June 22nd, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

9:05pm: The trade is now official, according to the Blazers. The Kings used the 15th and 20th picks on Justin Jackson and Harry Giles, respectively.

7:36pm: The Trail Blazers and Kings have agreed to a trade involving draft picks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Wojnarowski reports that Portland will send the 15th and 20th overall selections to Sacramento in exchange for the No. 10 pick.

Having acquired the 10th overall pick, the Blazers will use the selection to draft former Gonzaga big man Zach Collins, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Complete 2017 NBA Draft Results]

The Kings had already used the No. 5 overall pick to select point guard De’Aaron Fox, but had a second top-10 pick as a result of February’s DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Pelicans. Sacramento will turn that selection into two more mid-first-rounders, and the team is now a candidate to use one of those picks on a draft-and-stash prospect.

As for the Blazers, they entered the night with three first-round picks. In this deal, they’ll send out their own pick (No. 15) and the Grizzlies’ first-rounder (No. 20), which they acquired in February in a trade with the Nuggets.

Portland will still have the No. 26 pick and will add a promising young big man in Collins with the No. 10 pick, leaving prospects like Malik Monk, Donovan Mitchell, and Luke Kennard for teams picking outside of the top 10.

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Trade Rumors: Nuggets, Butler, Dudley, Drummond

June 22nd, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets, who spoke to the Bulls at the February trade deadline about Jimmy Butler, have engaged with Chicago again as the draft approaches, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN. According to Goodman, any offer Denver makes obviously wouldn’t include Nikola Jokic, but would feature multiple young players and draft picks.

Butler, of course, has reportedly indicated that he wants to remain with the Bulls. And while a fondness for Chicago and his Bulls teammates may play a part in that stance, he’s also aware that he’ll no longer be eligible for a potential Designated Veteran Extension if he’s traded. Butler would be eligible for that super-max extension if he earns an All-NBA nod next year, but only if he remains on the Bulls, which is the “real reason” he doesn’t want to be moved, tweets Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA as the draft inches closer:

  • The Suns have talked to the Pelicans about a potential Jared Dudley trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who adds that any deal would likely involve second-round picks. New Orleans may not have the cap room to absorb Dudley’s $10MM salary outright, so the Pelicans may have to send out a contract or two in a possible swap.
  • Although there have been whispers about Sacramento’s interest in Andre Drummond, a deal between the Kings and Pistons remains unlikely at this point, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press adds (via Twitter) that he has been told multiple times that any Drummond trade is unlikely, though that could change.
  • Amick passes along another note on the Kings, tweeting that while Sacramento plans to use pick at No. 5, there’s a chance the team will move the No. 10 selection in order to land a player and a later pick.
  • A source tells Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (Twitter link) that there’s “no way” the Trail Blazers acquire LaMarcus Aldridge from the Spurs.
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