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Sixers Trading Al Horford, Draft Picks To Thunder For Danny Green

November 18th, 2020 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers and Thunder have agreed to a trade that will send Al Horford and two draft picks to Oklahoma City and Danny Green to Philadelphia, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The two picks headed to Oklahoma City are the Sixers’ 2025 first-round pick – which will be “lightly” protected – and the 34th pick in tonight’s draft, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer clarifies (via Twitter) that the ’25 first-rounder will be top-six protected.

According to Woj (Twitter link), Philadelphia will also receive wing Terrance Ferguson in the swap, while OKC will acquire the rights to draft-and-stash prospect Vasilije Micic, a 26-year-old who is considered one of the top point guards in Europe.

For the Sixers, the move represents a way to get off the most cumbersome prospect on the team’s books. While Horford (owed $27.5MM in 2020/21) would only have been Philadelphia’s fourth highest-paid player, the other three – Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris – all have clear roles on the team going forward, whereas Horford wasn’t a great fit during his first year as a Sixer.

The 76ers will replace Horford will Green, a three-and-D wing who adds some much-needed outside shooting to their lineup. Although Green struggled for the Lakers late in the postseason, he was a solid starter throughout the regular season, averaging 8.0 PPG with a .367 3PT% in 68 games (24.8 MPG). He has won championships in each of the last two seasons, having been a major part of Toronto’s rotation in 2018/19.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN details (via Twitter), the Sixers’ financial savings as a result of the deal should be substantial. Marks estimates it’ll save the team $18MM in tax penalties in 2020/21, as well as $7.7MM in salary. There will also be $42MM in long-term savings, with Green on a $15MM expiring contract and Horford still owed guaranteed money in ’21/22 and ’22/23.

The Thunder, who are acquiring Green in a not-yet-finalized deal with the Lakers, will either fold this deal into that one, making it a three-teamer, or renounce their free agents and use cap room to take on Horford, as Marks notes (via Twitter). If Oklahoma City takes the latter route, it would presumably close the door on the possibility of a Danilo Gallinari sign-and-trade scenario.

The Thunder now hold four picks in tonight’s draft — Nos. 25, 28, 34, and 53. And, of course, the 2025 pick is the latest in a long line of future first-rounders acquired by GM Sam Presti, who continues to stockpile assets for the franchise’s rebuild.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Trade No. 45 Pick To Bucks

November 18th, 2020 at 2:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Magic have traded their No. 45 pick in today’s draft to the Bucks in exchange for two future second-rounders, the team’s official PR account tweets.

One of the second-rounders headed to Orlando is a Pacers pick and will be conveyed in either 2022, 2023, or 2024. The other is the Bucks’ second-round pick in 2026. Should MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo opt to depart Milwaukee next summer, that pick could end up landing fairly high in the second round.

The Pacers owe their 2021 second-round pick to the Nets, but it has 45-60 protection in both ’21 and ’22, meaning it may not change hands until it becomes unprotected in 2023. The Magic will get a Pacers second-rounder one year after the Nets get theirs.

The Bucks appear to be interested in adding second-round picks this year because, due to a CBA quirk, those picks will only count for $898K against both the luxury tax and hard cap if they sign for the minimum. Undrafted rookie free agents, meanwhile, would count for $898K against the cap but about $1.62MM against the luxury tax.

These small savings are imperative for Milwaukee since the Bucks will lack much wiggle room after their Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic trades are finalized and will likely surpass the luxury tax line, approaching their hard cap.

The Magic also hold the No. 15 selection in today’s draft, while the Bucks also have the No. 60 pick. There are conflicting reports on whether or not Milwaukee will also receive the No. 42 pick from New Orleans in the Holiday deal, which is not yet official.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Suns’ Saric, Spurs’ Poeltl Among Players Receiving QOs

November 18th, 2020 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

A series of players have received qualifying offers from their respective teams, making them restricted free agents this fall, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Those players include Suns forward Dario Saric, Suns guard Jevon Carter, Grizzlies two-way guard John Konchar, Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl, and Spurs two-way players Quinndary Weatherspoon and Drew Eubanks.

Saric and Poeltl are the most notable names in the group and were also the most likely to receive qualifying offers, since Phoenix and San Antonio will want to retain the ability to match offer sheets on those players. Saric’s QO is worth about $5.1MM, while Poeltl’s is for approximately $4.6MM.

Saric, Poeltl, and the other players who received qualifying offers could accept those one-year contract offers, but will likely try to negotiate new, longer-term deals, either with their own teams or with rival suitors.

The Pistons won’t be extending a qualifying offer to two-way player Jordan Bone, so he’ll become an unrestricted free agent, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster confirmed this week that the club will be making its annual qualifying offer to EuroLeague guard Nando De Colo, per Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link). Currently a member of Fenerbahce in Turkey, De Colo hasn’t played in the NBA since 2014, but would be a Raptors RFA if he wants to return, since Toronto has issued a QO each year since then.

Grizzlies Extend QO To Melton, Making Him RFA

November 18th, 2020 at 2:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Grizzlies have opted to extend a qualifying offer to backup point guard De’Anthony Melton ahead of his third season, making him a restricted free agent, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and USA Today Sports (Twitter link).

Melton’s qualifying offer is worth $1,820,564. The Rockets drafted Melton with the No. 46 pick in the 2018 draft, but traded him to the Suns for his rookie season. The 22-year-old guard out of USC played 60 games, including eight starts, during his first year with Memphis in 2019/20. He averaged 7.6 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 2.9 APG across 19.5 MPG.

With Melton now a restricted free agent, the Grizzlies have the right to match any offer sheet the 6’2″ guard signs during the coming offseason.

Thunder Decline Option On Deonte Burton

November 18th, 2020 at 11:19am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Thunder will not exercise their $1,663,861 third-year team option on 6’4″ wing Deonte Burton, making him an unrestricted free agent, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

The move will enable Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti to open up a roster spot and generate a little added cap flexibility, as the team might be very active in draft-day dealmaking. Haynes notes that the Thunder may be open to bringing the 26-year-old Burton back.

Burton went undrafted in 2017 out of Iowa State. He had been on the Thunder roster since the 2018/19 season, when he started out by signing a two-way contract with the club before agreeing to a standard contract in March 2019. Burton played 39 games with the club last season, averaging 9.1 minutes per night.

Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman notes that, with Burton clearing their books, the Thunder now have only 13 players under contract for next season, including third-year wing Hamidou Diallo, for whom they have an identical $1,663,861 team option, and veteran big man Mike Muscala, who has yet to exercise his $2,283,034 player option.

Jazz Trade No. 23 Pick To Knicks For Nos. 27, 38

November 18th, 2020 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

9:07am: The trade is official, the Knicks announced in a press release.

8:32am: The Knicks have moved up four spots late in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team is sending the 27th and 38th overall picks to the Jazz in exchange for No. 23.

New York will also receive the rights to 2008 second-rounder Ante Tomic in the deal, Wojnarowski adds. However, Tomic is not expected to join the NBA at any point.

The timing of the move is interesting, as this sort of deal is typically completed during the draft, when teams have a better sense of which players will be available – or unavailable – when they’re on the clock.

The Knicks may have felt they needed to leapfrog a team in the 24-26 range to target a specific player, or may have other plans in mind for the No. 23 pick. For now, they’ll enter tonight’s draft holding the eighth and 23rd overall selections.

As for the Jazz, they clearly have enough players they like in the 20s to feel comfortable pulling the trigger on this deal early. They’ll acquire a second-round pick whom they’ll likely be able to sign at or near the rookie minimum. Utah previously traded away its own second-rounder.

Mavs’ Willie Cauley-Stein To Decline Player Option

November 18th, 2020 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein will turn down his $2.29MM player option for the 2020/21 season and become an unrestricted free agent, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. A report earlier this week had indicated that Cauley-Stein may be leaning in that direction.

Cauley-Stein signed a two-year deal with the Warriors last summer that was worth a little more than the minimum, with a second-year player option. However, after 41 games in Golden State, he was dealt to Dallas, where he finished the season. In total, he appeared in 54 games, averaging 7.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 20.3 minutes per contest.

There’s a little risk involved in the decision for Cauley-Stein, who would take a pay cut if he has to settle for a minimum-salary contract in free agency this time around — his minimum would be worth about $1.88MM.

It’s not clear if his decision is a signal that he’s seeking a raise or if he just wasn’t enthusiastic about returning to Dallas, where his playing time slipped to a career-low 12.1 MPG and he mostly fell out of the club’s rotation down the stretch.

Cauley-Stein is one of two Mavericks veterans holding a player option for the 2020/21 season. The other – Tim Hardaway Jr. – is considered likely to opt in.

Nuggets Extend Qualifying Offer To Torrey Craig

November 17th, 2020 at 9:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets forward Torrey Craig has been extended a qualifying offer for the 2020/21 season in Denver, making him a restricted free agent, per Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Nuggets own Craig’s full Bird rights.

The move ensures that the Nuggets front office will be able to match any offer sheet Craig, 29, signs on the open market.

The 6’7″ Craig played for 58 regular season games in Denver for the 2019/20 season. A solid perimeter defender with limited shooting ability, he averaged 5.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 0.8 APG for Denver in 2019/20, his third NBA season. He was a key bench rotation option during the 46-27 Nuggets’ surprising run to the 2020 Western Conference Finals.

Craig was the first man off the bench behind starting Nuggets small forward Jerami Grant, who recently declined his $9.35MM player option for the 2020/21 season and is now an unrestricted free agent.

Pistons Exercise Option On Svi Mykhailiuk

November 17th, 2020 at 8:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons small forward Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has had his $1,663,861 third-year team option for the 2020/21 season exercised, per Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The move doesn’t guarantee his salary, but it’ll become guaranteed if he remains on the roster through this Saturday, which is a lock.

Mykhailiuk enjoyed a modest breakout season in 2019/20, appearing in 56 of a possible 66 games for Detroit as a solid part of the team’s rotation. He averaged 9.0 PPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.9 RPG – all career highs – in 22.6 MPG, knocking down 40.4% of his three-point attempts.

After playing out the 2020/21 season, Mykhailiuk will become eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2021.

The Pistons, who missed the NBA’s Orlando restart with a 20-46 record and the No. 13 seed in the East, will have the seventh pick in tomorrow’s draft. They’ll also have a much bigger free agency decision facing them on Friday, when standout power forward Christian Wood hits the market.

Blazers’ Rodney Hood Opting Out, Will Become Free Agent

November 17th, 2020 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers wing Rodney Hood will pass on his $6MM option for the 2020/21 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Hood will become a free agent later this week.

Hood’s decision is somewhat surprising, as he spent most of this past season recovering from an Achilles tear that he suffered last December. The expectation was that he’d play it safe coming off that injury, picking up his option and setting himself up for 2021 free agency as he regains his old form over the course of the season.

However, Wojnarowski suggests that Hood – who has had nearly a full year to recover from his Achilles surgery – will be able to play immediately with a new team. It’s not clear if a reunion with the Trail Blazers on a new contract is still in play for the 28-year-old or if he’s committed to seeking a new home.

Before his injury, Hood was playing extremely well as Portland’s starting small forward, averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG on .506/.493/.778 shooting in 21 games (29.5 MPG). While that three-point percentage is well above his career average, Hood is a fairly reliable shooter and a solid defender, making him a nice fit on the wing for most teams.

While the Blazers are now at risk of losing Hood, removing his $6MM option salary from their books puts the team in good position to use its full mid-level exception, worth about $9.3MM.