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Texas Notes: Mavs, Nowitzki, Rockets, Messina

July 16th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs‘ offer to Lance Stephenson was for two years and $20MM, rather than three years at that total, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, who corrects his earlier report (Twitter link). Chris Broussard of ESPN.com confirms that the sides had a “handshake agreement” on a two-year, $20MM pact contingent on the Rockets matching the Dallas offer to Chandler Parsons. Of course, the Rockets declined to match, and Stephenson wound up with Charlotte instead. There’s more on another offer the Mavs have made amid the latest from the Lone Star State:

Dallas is willing to give summer league swingman Eric Griffin a partially guaranteed deal, reports Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Griffin, who went undrafted out of Campbell in 2012, was in camp with the Heat last autumn. It’s unclear whether he’ll accept what the Mavs have on the table, indicating other NBA clubs may have interest, though that’s just my speculation.
A source close to the Lakers denied that the team floated a maximum-salary offer to Dirk Nowitzki, telling Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that the Lakers would never have done so.
The Rockets intend to sign second-round pick Nick Johnson this summer, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). The shooting guard from Arizona went 42nd overall in last month’s draft.
The Spurs officially hired European coaching star Ettore Messina as an assistant coach Tuesday, the team announced, more than a month after GM R.C. Buford denied a report that they were close to a deal. Messina appeared to be a strong candidate for the Jazz head coaching vacancy this spring and was mentioned in connection to the Lakers head job, too.

Southwest Notes: Parsons, Mavericks, Baynes

July 16th, 2014 at 12:40am CST by Ryan Raroque

Here’s what we’ve gathered out of the Southwest Division:

It’s widely suspected around the league that Dan Fegan insisted that the Rockets turn down their team option on Chandler Parsons before he would allow fellow client Dwight Howard to sign in Houston last summer, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. Parsons strongly denied knowing of such a deal, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
On Monday, Parsons told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he wasn’t thrilled with how the Rockets handled his restricted free agency. “…I was offended by the whole process…(Houston) publicly said that they were going out looking for a third star when I thought they had one right in front of them. I guess that’s just how they viewed me as a player. I don’t think I’ve scratched the surface of where I can be as a player and I think I’m ready for that role.”
Today, Parsons said he was surprised about the backlash he received by making those comments. While he didn’t back off from what he said, Parsons also cited that he praised Rockets GM Daryl Morey (Twitter link from Feigen).
On Monday, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson told Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the team may not be done tweaking their roster. “We’re not done…But we feel pretty good about where things are right now.” Following the team’s addition of Rashard Lewis today, Price reminds that Nelson plans to keep one of the team’s final two roster spots open for flexibility down the line (Twitter link).
In the former piece, Price mentions also Al-Farouq Aminu, Bernard James, Shawn Marion, and Ivan Johnson as other names that Dallas could attempt to add before the start of next season.
Nelson sat down for an interview with KESN-FM 103.3 to offer some insight on how the Mavs plan to approach the rest of the season (transcription via SportsDayDFW) and mentioned that the team is always keeping its eye out for a shooter. It’s worth noting that he said this before they added Lewis, however.
While they won’t close the door on re-signing Marion, Nelson acknowledges that the veteran forward’s value in the marketplace is much higher than what the Mavs can afford.
The Spurs still hope to retain restricted free agent center Aron Baynes, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Young adds that San Antonio is willing to match any reasonable offer.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Spurs Re-Sign Boris Diaw

July 15th, 2014 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

JULY 15TH: The deal is official, the Spurs announced via press release.

JULY 6TH: Spurs forward Boris Diaw announced on Twitter that he’ll be re-signing with the Spurs. It’s a three-year, $22.5MM deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The 32-year-old was a key part of the Spurs’ championship team and his return was considered a vital part of management’s plan to compete for a sixth franchise title next season. The third year of Diaw’s deal is partially guaranteed, according to sources. Diaw is guaranteed $15.5MM over the first two years of the deal.

Spurs GM R.C. Buford and Diaw’s agent Doug Neustadt completed the deal earlier today. With Diaw’s return set, the Spurs will continue their pursuit of free agent Pau Gasol with an offer of their midlevel exception, league sources tell Wojnarowski.

The deal includes protections for the Spurs’ salary-cap space should the organization change direction in the next few years and move toward a rebuild. In his 11 NBA seasons with Atlanta, Phoenix, Charlotte and San Antonio, Diaw has averaged 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Pau Gasol, Bulls Close To Agreement

July 12th, 2014 at 4:28pm CST by Cray Allred

4:28pm: Gasol is close to joining the Bulls, but it won’t be through a sign-and-trade, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

3:23pm: Dunleavy won’t be included in any sign-and-trade for Gasol, tweets Wojnarowski. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle hears the Rockets’ most likely role in the suggested deal would be to take on expiring contracts (Twitter link).

3:04pm: The Lakers appear to be in line to get “one or two picks” in a sign-and-trade for Gasol, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter), who adds that Houston might be involved in the deal in some fashion as well.

10:30am: The sign-and-trade discussions with the Lakers have involved sending Dunleavy and the non-guaranteed contracts of Mike James, Louis Amundson, and Ronnie Brewer to Los Angeles for Gasol, reports K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The possibility remains that the Bulls could work out agreements to acquire both Gasol and Anthony, but appears increasingly slim, per Johnson.

10:24am: A deal should be complete today, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. The mechanics of the deal, along with the ultimate implications for Chicago’s pursuit of ‘Melo, are still unknown.

8:12am: Free agent Pau Gasol is working with the Bulls on completing an agreement, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), confirming an earlier report from Spanish newspaper Marca.com. The deal would rely on the Lakers agreeing to a sign-and-trade with Chicago, and sources tell Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that Los Angeles is holding out for draft compensation to participate in such a deal. LA received a future first-round pick in Friday’s agreement to acquire Jeremy Lin, and the ESPN duo’s sources say the Lakers are looking for the same in exchange for paving Gasol’s path to Chicago.

If the Bulls can’t work out a sign-and-trade for Gasol’s services, the Spurs are still poised as front-runners to acquire the skilled big man, per Stein and Shelburne. The talks indicate that the Bulls have lost optimism of signing Carmelo Anthony, despite reports that they are the Knicks’ only competitor to land the New York free agent, and that the Lakers are resigned to losing Gasol after having several contract offers rejected by him. The Thunder and Knicks are both likely out of the running for Gasol, the ESPN scribes write.

The Bulls have been hoping to find a willing partner to take back the final year of Carlos Boozer‘s contract rather than amnesty him, and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has tweeted out his cap calculations that show a Gasol deal including Boozer is possible, albeit complicated (Twitter links). Pincus also identifies Mike Dunleavy‘s contract as a piece that would make the deal work.

Spurs Sign Kyle Anderson

July 12th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Cray Allred

Kyle Anderson has signed with the Spurs, the team announced in a press release. The 30th pick from the 2014 draft is in line for a $1,093,680 salary, assuming the team pays the fully allowed 120% of his rookie-scale wages. It is standard for teams to pay that amount, but not assured for players at the end of the first round like Anderson.

The UCLA product will likely come off San Antonio’s bench as a reserve point guard, but Anderson’s impressive size will provide the Spurs some flexibility on where the team can play him, as Hoops Rumors’ Eddie Scarito mentioned in Anderson’s prospect profile. Hoops Rumors’ Alex Lee projected that Anderson would be taken 26th overall in the final version of his mock draft, suggesting San Antonio got good value from the 30th pick.

Anderson joins the reigning NBA champions and will learn from perhaps the game’s best coaching staff, led by head coach Gregg Popovich. It might take some seasoning before Anderson is ready to get regular playing time, but he couldn’t ask for a better group to learn from.

Spurs Re-Sign Patty Mills

July 12th, 2014 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

JULY 12TH, 11:37am: The signing is official, per a team release.

7:01pm: The deal is worth about $12MM over three years, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

JULY 2ND, 6:18pm: The Spurs and Patty Mills have reached agreement on a three-year contract, according to Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News (on Twitter). Mills, as we learned last night, could be out of action for up to seven months thanks to a shoulder injury. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

In the wake of the injury news, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that a re-signing was likely for the Aussie guard. In a career-high 81 games this past season, Mills averaged 10.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG with a PER of 18.7. Mills proved to be especially vital in the postseason, including a 17 point performance (with five three pointers) in the deciding Game 5 of the Finals.

Latest On Pau Gasol

July 12th, 2014 at 12:13am CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 12:13am: The Lakers made a pair of offers to Gasol prior to today that were even higher than the two-year, $10MM figure Wojnarowski cited, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). They were worth $23MM over two years and $29MM over three years, and Gasol rejected them both.

FRIDAY, 11:05pm: According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), the top two contenders for Gasol are the Bulls and the Spurs. If the Bulls can’t work out a sign and trade with Lakers, it’s likely he goes to Spurs, notes Shelburne.

10:00pm: If Gasol ends up in Chicago, it’s unlikely to be as part of a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles for Boozer, tweets Wojnarowski.

7:40pm: The Hawks are making an aggressive pitch for Gasol, tweets Wojnarowski. Atlanta is reportedly offering $11MM per year, but Gasol will likely pass on the offer, adds Wojnarowski.

FRIDAY, 5:47pm: Gasol has turned down a two-year, $10MM per year deal with the Lakers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

10:33am: Gasol met Wednesday night with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

THURSDAY, 8:15am: The Spurs are moving closer to the front of the pack for Gasol, Wojnarowski tweets. The Bulls remain a favorite, as Wojnarowski suggests, and sources indicated to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that the Bulls hope to pursue a sign-and-trade with the Lakers involving Gasol and Carlos Boozer. It’s unlikely that the Bulls would give Gasol a deal longer than three years, Johnson adds.

TUESDAY, 2:16pm: The Knicks aren’t entirely out of the running for Gasol, but they’re way behind the Bulls, Thunder and Lakers, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Spurs are on the “periphery,” Berger adds.

1:55pm: The Bulls and Thunder remain the front-runners for Pau Gasol, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter), but Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com conflicts that report as far as the Thunder go, hearing that Oklahoma City believes it merely has a long shot hope for the free agent big man (Twitter link). The Lakers are “lurking” as a possibility for Gasol while the Spurs continue to forge ahead with their pursuit, Wojnarowski adds.

The Yahoo! scribe identified the Bulls and Thunder as Gasol’s most favored destinations late last week, and the 34-year-old met Monday with Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Confusion over Oklahoma City’s standing in the race for Gasol isn’t new, as multiple reports painted different pictures last week. In any case, it seems that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have also been recruiting the Arn Tellem client, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week.

The Bulls have pitched Gasol on the idea that he would start for them, while the Lakers have used the notion that he’ll be back with them next season as part of their recruiting efforts with other free agents, confident he’d return if they can sign Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James. The Spurs envision signing him for the $5.305MM mid-level exception, and Gasol would reportedly consider San Antonio if he decides to sign for less than he could receive elsewhere. The Thunder also appear to be in the mix at the mid-level unless they can work a sign-and-trade, but the Bulls might be able to offer more if they amnesty Carlos Boozer, and the Lakers hold his Bird rights.

And-Ones: Dragic, Tolliver, Bogdanovic, Aldridge

July 9th, 2014 at 11:30pm CST by Cray Allred

Dahntay Jones has met with the Clippers, and has received interest from the Knicks, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Here’s more from around the league:

Zoran Dragic has signed a two-year contract extension with his Spanish League team, the Euroleague announced (H/T Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). NBA teams including the Rockets had shown interest in the brother of Goran Dragic. The original deal had a $500K NBA buyout clause for the upcoming season, although it is unclear if the extra years will feature the same flexibility.
Free agent Anthony Tolliver has been in serious discussions with six teams, including the Clippers, Cavs, Pistons, Spurs, Wizards, and Hornets, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Suns signed a declaration that the 2014 draft pick will not play in the NBA this season, a formality that clears his rookie scale cap hold from the team’s books, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports. Bogdanovic is signed overseas and can’t opt out until at least 2016.
LaMarcus Aldridge‘s choice to seek a new deal with the Blazers as a free agent next summer was one of two options presented him by Portland owner Paul Allen and GM Neil Olshey last month, reports Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The Blazers brass suggested the All-Star consider a three-year, $55MM extension he could sign immediately, or wait to become eligible for a five-year, $108MM max deal as an unrestricted free agent. “I don’t want it to be perceived that I’m not happy or I’m not staying on because I’m not signing a three-year deal,” Aldridge said. “It’s just financially smarter to wait … and I’m looking forward to signing the five-year deal when the chance comes.”
Considering the recent max offers extended to Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons, it seems certain that Klay Thompson will also merit a max deal when he becomes a free agent. Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group hears that the Warriors have budgeted measures to find room for the shooting guard, should he not be traded away in a deal for Kevin Love.

Spurs, Gregg Popovich Agree To Extension

July 9th, 2014 at 3:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs have reached agreement on a multiyear extension with Gregg Popovich, the team announced. The league’s reigning Coach of the Year also carries a strong front office presence, and decisions are made in tandem with GM R.C. Buford, who won this year’s Executive of the Year honor. The length of the extension is unclear, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports hears that Popovich, 65, is eager to coach another four or five years (Twitter link).

Popovich is fresh off having won his fifth championship for San Antonio, and this past season was the second time in three years and third time overall that he won Coach of the Year. He’s poised next season to win his 1,000th game as an NBA head coach, all of them having come with the Spurs.

The fiery sideline boss is 967-443 since taking over the coaching duties for the Spurs in 1996/97. He preceded Buford as GM, having begun in that role in 1994, and he held both the GM and head coaching titles for several years until Buford took over the day-to-day business of running the team.

In a market where coaches with no prior experience are receiving five-year, $25MM deals, Popovich’s value is seemingly several times more lucrative. It’s unclear how much Popovich is receiving on the deal, but it seems likely that, as many of his players have done, he’s working for less than he’s worth.

Spurs Sign Bryce Cotton

July 9th, 2014 at 2:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:35pm: Cotton’s guarantee is only for $50K, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.

WEDNESDAY, 8:38am: The contract is “nominally guaranteed” for the first season and non-guaranteed for 2015/16, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. It’ll become fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster, McDonald adds, though I suspect that full guarantee would apply to this coming season, and not 2015/16 (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 6:23pm: Cotton has officially signed with the Spurs, the team announced.

SUNDAY, 8:55am: A source tells Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News that Cotton remains unsigned (Twitter link). Young suggests that the deal on the table from the Spurs is just a summer league arrangement and says that Cotton is on the lookout for something more.

JULY 2ND, 11:24am: The deal is expected to be formally signed on Wednesday, Charania writes in his full piece, and since minimum-salary contracts are some of the few that can become official during the July moratorium, that suggests that Cotton is indeed getting the minimum. Several teams offered to draft him if he agreed to play overseas next season, but he rejected those entreaties, according to Charania, who identified the Mavs as another team that had interest. The second season is fully guaranteed if he makes the team out of training camp, Charania adds, presumably referring to this year’s training camp.

11:11am: The Spurs and undrafted Providence guard Bryce Cotton have agreed on a partially guaranteed two-year deal, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Presumably the arrangement is for the minimum salary, or something close to it.

San Antonio worked out Cotton prior to the draft, and while the team held multiple late second-round picks at one point, it wound up trading two of them and using the 54th overall pick on Nemanja Dangubic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the shoulder injury to Patty Mills, which may keep him out for up to seven months, played a role in Cotton’s deal.

Cotton notched 21.8 points, 5.8 assists and 2.4 turnovers per game in his senior season with the Friars. He also averaged 39.9 minutes per outing, nearly the length of an entire college game.