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Southwest Rumors: Neal, Jackson, Ellis, Dalembert

July 24th, 2013 at 1:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that the Spurs were in the "process of" withdrawing their qualifying offer to Gary Neal. The RealGM transactions log indicates that the move indeed took place, and if that's so, the timing is key. Yesterday was the deadline for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers without having to get the player's consent. Teams that pull QOs after the deadline also automatically lose Bird rights to those players. So, the Spurs have not only saved themselves the trouble of getting Neal's permission by presumably withdrawing his QO yesterday, but they've also given themselves more flexibility to re-sign him, if they choose. Here's more on Neal and other notes involving Southwest Division clubs:

  • It's been a couple weeks since Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times mentioned that the Bucks were among the teams interested in Gary Neal, but today Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio indicates that Milwaukee remains in the running (Twitter link). 
  • It appears that this year's 42nd overall pick will play in France. Pierre Jackson, whom the Pelicans acquired as part of the Jrue Holiday/Nerlens Noel trade, has agreed to sign with ASVEL Villeurbanne of France, according to Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of Catch-and-Shoot (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
  • Now that the Mavs' signings of Monta Ellis and Samuel Dalembert are official, Mark Deeks has provided contract details for them on the Mavs page at ShamSports. Ellis has a three-year, $25.08MM deal with a player option in the final season, and Dalembert gets two years and $7,568,030, with only a $1.8MM guarantee in year two. Dalembert also has a 15% trade kicker.
  • Chandler Parsons believes that he had a critical influence on Dwight Howard's decision to sign with the Rockets, as the big man's new teammate tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
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Kyler On Jennings, Henderson, Blair, Mozgov

July 24th, 2013 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

When I asked a week ago how Brandon Jennings' free agency would play out, over 41% of you predicted that he and the Bucks would ultimately work out a sign-and-trade agreement that sends him to another team. However, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, while some sign-and-trade scenarios have been explored, the Bucks aren't about to "sandbag their season" by moving Jennings in a deal that doesn't land them a starting-caliber point guard. Here's more from Kyler's latest NBA AM piece:

  • The Bucks and Jennings continue to maintain a dialogue, and Kyler thinks a deal in the $8MM-per-year range could be worked out, but something that pays Jennings $11-12MM annually is unlikely.
  • Mo Williams is considering a few scenarios, but is still hoping to land a "solid multiyear offer." If one doesn't materialize, he may be willing to take a small one-year contract to join a contender, as we heard last week.
  • Like the Bucks with Jennings, the Bobcats are waiting for a rival suitor to set Gerald Henderson's price. According to Kyler, several teams would be willing to do mid-level type offer sheets for Henderson, but the Bobcats would almost certainly match such an offer. Kyler adds that it appears likely Henderson will return to Charlotte on a multiyear deal, rather than signing his qualifying offer or being traded.
  • "Most of the league" has called about DeJuan Blair "in some capacity," writes Kyler. It sounds as if plenty of clubs would be willing to do one-year, low-money deals, but Blair is still seeking a multiyear pact, or a sign-and-trade that would allow him to keep his Bird rights.
  • Timofey Mozgov's destination remains unclear, with Kyler suggesting that the Spurs may be interested in the Nuggets' restricted free agent.
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Odds & Ends: Flopping, Neal, Blazers, Faverani

July 23rd, 2013 at 10:13pm CST by Zachary Links

NBA commissioner David Stern says the league's anti-flopping rules were working well and the competition committee recommended no changes to them, but not everyone is on board.  The NBPA is now seeking an arbitration hearing on the matter, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.  "We are now in the process of scheduling a case with our arbitrator to determine whether the NBA is allowed to unilaterally impose discipline in an area that exceeds the commissioner's authority without the consent of the union," NBPA interim executive director Ron Klempner said. "It's a subject they need to bargain with us, and we hope that the arbitrator will find that any type of discipline must be collectively bargained."  Here's tonight's look around the Association..

  • Gary Neal wouldn't be an option for the Bobcats without a sign-and-trade with the Spurs, but that scenario hasn't been discussed yet, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com questions whether the amnesty clause and more punitive luxury-tax penalties have really helped level the NBA playing field.
  • Mike Tokito of The Oregonian spoke with ex-teammates of new Blazers additions Robin Lopez, Thomas Robinson, Dorell Wright, and Earl Watson.
  • The Celtics used $2MM of their mid-level exception on Vitor Faverani and now have $3.15MM left, tweets Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.  The Brazilian big man agreed to a two-year, $6.3MM deal that became official yesterday.
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Greg Oden Decision Expected Next Week

July 23rd, 2013 at 6:44pm CST by Luke Adams

6:44pm: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro, and representatives from the Pelicans watched Oden workout today, sources close to the situation told Jeff Goodman and Marc Stein of ESPN.com.  Oden will put his skills on display again Thursday for Hawks officials before a private meeting with the Pelicans later this week in Las Vegas.  One source close to the process told the ESPN.com duo that teams in the Oden hunt are still in the information-gathering stage and no offer has been made yet.

4:14pm: Greg Oden is expected to make a decision next week on where he'll sign for the coming season, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears (via Twitter), the former first overall pick will be choosing from a list of suitors that includes the Heat, Spurs, Pelicans, Kings, Mavericks, and Hawks.

Oden was said to be working out today for a group of teams, including the Pelicans, Kings, and Heat. New Orleans' interest in Oden has seemingly ramped up lately, as multiple reports have indicated the team plans to make him an offer in the $3MM range. It appears as if the Pelicans are out of cap room, so perhaps the offer would be for the $2.65MM room exception, which could be used to hand out about $5.42MM over two years.

Despite the Pelicans' interest, reports continue to suggest that the Heat and Spurs remain the frontrunners for Oden. San Antonio has already used its mid-level exception, and doesn't have its bi-annual exception available this summer, so anything more than a minimum-salary offer is unlikely. Miami, on the other hand, could offer part or all of its taxpayer mid-level exception.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Gary Neal To Become Unrestricted Free Agent

July 23rd, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs are in the process of withdrawing their qualifying offer to Gary Neal, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move increases the likelihood that Neal will end up landing with a team besides San Antonio, with Stein adding (via Twitter) that the free agent guard is expected to be "snapped up quickly."

Neal's one-year qualifying offer was worth about $1.12MM, and allowed the Spurs to match any bids for him. Had Neal signed an offer sheet with another club, the Spurs would have had three days to decide whether to match it or let him walk. Now, the 28-year-old will be able to sign outright with a rival suitor.

Neal has posted nearly identical numbers in his three seasons in San Antonio, with his averages ranging from 9.5 to 9.9 PPG in 21.1 to 21.8 MPG. However, after posting a 41.9% three-point rate in each of his first two years, that mark fell to 35.5% in 2012/13.

It's not clear where Neal will land once he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported a couple weeks ago that the Bucks were one of four interested teams.

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NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2013/14

July 23rd, 2013 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's salary cap is famously known as a "soft cap," allowing teams to surpass the cap threshold using various cap exceptions, sometimes by a significant margin. Last season, the Lakers' team salary exceeded the cap by $40MM, with the team spending about $100MM (plus taxes) on its roster of players.

However, under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, there are a few instances in which a team can become hard-capped for a season. If a team's salary exceeds the luxury tax threshold ($71,748,000) by $4MM+, that team is not permitted to acquire a player via sign-and-trade, or to use the full mid-level or bi-annual exceptions. As soon as a team completes a sign-and-trade deal, or uses its BAE, or uses more than $3,182,700 of its MLE to sign a player, that club becomes hard-capped at $75,748,000 for the 2013/14 season. In other words, team salary can't exceed that amount at any point before June 30th, 2014.

For some clubs, that hard cap isn't a major concern. For instance, the Pelicans still have about $12MM in breathing room below the hard cap, and seem to be just about done making moves. On the other hand, the Celtics are only about $2MM below the hard cap, so any trades or signings Boston makes for the rest of the season will have to be constructed to ensure team salary doesn't surpass that $75.748MM cutoff.

Here are the clubs who are now locked into a hard cap for the 2013/14 season, along with an estimation (via HoopsWorld) of their current team salaries and the reason(s) why the hard cap was created:

Boston Celtics
Current estimated team salary: $73,638,001
Hard cap created: Acquired Keith Bogans via sign-and-trade

Los Angeles Clippers
Current estimated team salary: $72,361,060
Hard cap created: Acquired J.J. Redick via sign-and-trade; signed Matt Barnes and Darren Collison via non-taxpayer MLE

Toronto Raptors
Current estimated team salary: $70,710,039
Hard cap created: Acquired Quentin Richardson via sign-and-trade

Washington Wizards
Current estimated team salary: $69,883,992
Hard cap created: Signed Martell Webster via non-taxpayer MLE; signed Eric Maynor via BAE

Indiana Pacers
Current estimated team salary: $69,150,000
Hard cap created: Signed C.J. Watson via BAE

Golden State Warriors
Current estimated team salary: $68,333,105
Hard cap created: Acquired Andre Iguodala via sign-and-trade; signed Marreese Speights and Toney Douglas via non-taxpayer MLE

Denver Nuggets
Current estimated team salary1: $66,849,937
Hard cap created: Acquired Randy Foye via sign-and-trade; signed J.J. Hickson via non-taxpayer MLE; signed Nate Robinson via BAE

San Antonio Spurs
Current estimated team salary2: $64,782,127
Hard cap created: Signed Marco Belinelli and Jeff Pendergraph via non-taxpayer MLE

New Orleans Pelicans
Current estimated team salary: $63,347,645
Hard cap created: Acquired Tyreke Evans via sign-and-trade

Minnesota Timberwolves
Current estimated team salary3: $61,158,583
Hard cap created: Acquired Kevin Martin via sign-and-trade; signed Corey Brewer via non-taxpayer MLE; signed Ronny Turiaf via BAE

1  Estimate includes Timofey Mozgov's cap hold
2  Estimate includes Gary Neal's cap hold
3  Estimate includes Nikola Pekovic's cap hold

HoopsWorld was used in the creation of this post.

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Western Notes: Wolves, Gomes, Mavs, Clark

July 23rd, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote earlier today that there's about a "99.9999%" chance that the Timberwolves work out a deal to bring back Nikola Pekovic. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune also suggests that it's just a matter of time, tweeting that he thinks a deal will be completed next week. Whether or not the Wolves re-sign Pekovic, and it seems like a lock that they will, don't expect the team to have any interest in Greg Oden, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter). According to Wolfson, David Kahn had interest in Oden, but Flip Saunders is passing on the former first overall pick.

Here are a few more items from out of the Western Conference:

  • Ryan Gomes, who says he hopes to be a coach one day, has worked out for the Thunder and Spurs as he weighs his options for the upcoming season, he tells Nick Greene of the Hartford Courant.
  • Mavericks owner Mark Cuban appeared on KESN-FM in Dallas to follow up on his comments about the team potentially being better off without Dwight Howard, and the Dallas Morning News has the details.
  • Undrafted free agent guard Ian Clark put up 33 points in the Warriors' championship win at the Las Vegas Summer League, and is drawing interest from NBA teams, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Zillgitt names the Warriors, Trail Blazers, and Jazz as clubs eyeing Clark.
  • A strong Summer League performance also has NBA teams eyeing Dionte Christmas, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Suns are among the clubs with interest.
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Lowe’s Latest: Clippers, Gay, Pekovic, Heat

July 23rd, 2013 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest lengthy piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe evaluates the offseason so far for all 30 NBA teams, writing that the Rockets stand alone as the only club to significantly improve without sacrificing future assets or flexibility. It's worth reading Lowe's entire piece, especially if you're curious to find out what he had to say about your favorite team. But here are a few notable tidbits from the story:

  • The Clippers recognize that even after adding free agents Ryan Hollins and Byron Mullens, the team needs another big man, and will likely sign one soon.
  • Lowe notes that the Raptors could be in position to clear a chunk of cap space next summer, when Rudy Gay's and Kyle Lowry's contracts could expire. According to Lowe, the Raps privately expressed a belief when they traded for Gay last season that he'd likely opt out next summer in search of a longer-term deal, rather than exercising his 2014/15 player option.
  • While the Jazz have taken some criticism for letting Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap walk rather than trying to flip them at the trade deadline for something of value, Lowe says Utah would have been willing to move either player last February if the club could have landed a first-round pick and avoided taking on long-term money.
  • There's some confusion among rival executives about why the Lakers are bothering with players like Chris Kaman and Nick Young, rather than going into full-blown tank mode, says Lowe.
  • Among the executives Lowe spoke to in Las Vegas, a couple of the most common questions involved what the Mavericks' and Bucks' plans are, since neither team seems to have a clear-cut direction.
  • The Timberwolves are a "99.9999% bet" to re-sign Nikola Pekovic at a fair number, according to Lowe.
  • Don't expect the Heat to be passive about LeBron James' potential 2014 free agency, says Lowe, adding that Pat Riley and the front office "won't promise him the same aging and top-heavy roster."
  • The Spurs are likely one of the teams unhappy about Andrei Kirilenko's new deal with the Nets, since San Antonio tried to acquire the Russian via sign-and-trade after being told he wouldn't sign for mid-level money.
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Free Agent Rumors: Miller, Oden, Camby, Blair

July 22nd, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent rumors and rumblings have slowed down since the start of July, as most of the bigger names have come off the board. Still, even though not a ton of teams have significant cap space or exception money remaining, plenty of intriguing players remain on the market. We're entering the point in the summer where teams are hunting for bargains and value signings, so here's the latest on a few players who could fit that bill:

  • Mike Miller is meeting face-to-face for a second time with both the Thunder and Grizzlies, who appear to be the two favorites for him, says Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Rockets and Nuggets aren't out of the running yet, but Miller's choice will likely come down to OKC or Memphis (Twitter links).
  • The Heat, Pelicans, and Kings will observe Greg Oden in person as he works out this week, according to Stein and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, though Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) it'll just be the Pelicans and Kings. The Spurs and Mavericks are still in the hunt as well, with Miami and San Antonio still viewed as the frontrunners for the former first overall pick.
  • Marcus Camby is expected to make a decision on his next team within the next week, with the Rockets, Bulls, and Heat among the finalists, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  • According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, DeJuan Blair's asking price is in the $3MM range, Lamar Odom is only interested in playing for a Los Angeles team, and Josh Akognon is drawing heavy interest from Chinese teams.
  • Zwerling adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks have some interest in Ivan Johnson, but the big man is still seeking a mini mid-level deal.
  • Prior to reaching an agreement with the Nuggets, Nate Robinson received serious interest from the Wizards, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Washington had already used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, so making a competitive offer would have been tricky.
  • Free agent point guard Delonte West spoke to Tzvi Twersky of SlamOnline.com about his desire to return to an NBA roster.
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Western Rumors, Kaman, Johnson, Splitter, Mavs

July 21st, 2013 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The top two free agents this summer came from Western Conference teams, and Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in the West, though Howard left the Lakers for the Rockets. That helps maintain the perception of the Western Conference as the stronger side of the league, even as the Heat have won the last two championships. Here's more on a few of the West's teams:

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