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Pelicans Agree To Trade Anthony Davis To Lakers

June 15th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have reached an agreement to trade All-Star big man Anthony Davis to the Lakers for guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, forward Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The rest of the Pelicans’ haul includes a 9-30 protected first-rounder in 2021, which becomes unprotected in 2022, and an unprotected first-rounder in 2024.

New Orleans will also have the right to swap unprotected first-rounders in 2o23 and will have the option to defer the 2024 pick until 2025, according to reports from Tim Bontemps of ESPN and Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links).

[UPDATE: Davis trade will become a three-team deal]

The Lakers immediately become championship contenders with Davis joining forces with LeBron James. Davis’ agent Rich Paul, also James’ agent, had tried to steer trade talks toward the Lakers over the winter after Davis’ desire to be traded was made public. But Davis didn’t get his wish at the time.

Paul and Davis recently met with the Pelicans’ new top executive, David Griffin, who tried to convince Davis to rescind his trade request. Davis declined and expressed his desire to play long-term for either the Lakers or Knicks.

GM Rob Pelinka, who has been under fire after criticism from former Lakers president Magic Johnson, pulled off a major coup by winning the Davis sweepstakes over the Knicks and Celtics, among others. Los Angeles gave up plenty in the deal but didn’t have to include another talented big man, Kyle Kuzma.

Davis could sign an extension with the Lakers but still intends to test free agency next summer, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

The Lakers will have either $27.8MM or $32.5MM in cap room after the deal to pursue a high-level free agent, depending upon timing and Davis’ willingness to waive his $4MM trade bonus, ESPN salary cap expert Bobby Marks tweets.

The trade cannot be officially finalized until after the new league year begins in July. It may be even be completed as late as July 30 — newly-drafted players can be traded immediately without signing a rookie scale contract, but if they sign that contract, they aren’t eligible to be dealt for 30 days. Waiting those 30 days would be advantageous to the Lakers for cap-related reasons, as Marks notes (via Twitter).

The Lakers still don’t have quite enough cap room to max out a free agent like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker but they’re close to it, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Naturally, one of those free agents might take a little less to form a superstar trio in Los Angeles or the Lakers could make other moves to clear more cap room. Walker will be the Lakers’ top free agent target, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Boston refused to part with its top young player, forward Jayson Tatum, in trade talks with the Pelicans, Stein add in another tweet. That put the Lakers in the driver’s seat for Davis’ services.

With Ball and Hart joining Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans have greatly enhanced their backcourt. They now have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in Thursday’s draft. It’s a slam dunk they’ll select Duke forward Zion Williamson with the top pick and theyll get another high-level prospect, unless they have another trade in the works. Williamson and Ingram should be a formidable duo at the forward spots and the Pelicans can now concentrate on bringing in another big man to make all the other pieces work.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jimmy Butler To Decline 2019/20 Player Option

June 14th, 2019 at 2:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jimmy Butler will decline his player option for the 2019/20 season and hit the free agent market, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The Sixers have been expecting Butler to take this route.

Philadelphia remains “adamant” about retaining Butler and the franchise appears willing to do whatever is necessary to re-sign the 29-year-old. Butler has previously expressed that he’s confident a max contract awaits him in free agency.

The Lakers have real interest in prying Butler from Philadelphia. Los Angeles is hoping to place other stars around LeBron James this offseason. The starting salary on a potential max contract for Butler is projected to come in around $32.7MM. The Lakers will need to make an additional move to accommodate that figure, as we detailed in the team’s Salary Cap Digest.

Butler will be an unrestricted free agent and his cap hold of roughly $30.7MM will count toward the Sixers’ books unless they decide to renounce him or he signs elsewhere. He played 55 regular season games and 12 playoff contests after Philadelphia acquired him last fall.

Knicks Exercise Team Option On Allonzo Trier

June 14th, 2019 at 12:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have decided to exercise Allonzo Trier‘s option for next season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The rookie guard will make $3.5MM for 2019/20.

Trier had a surprisingly successful first season after going undrafted out of Arizona. He signed a two-way deal with New York shortly after the draft, then quickly proved he was ready for the NBA, averaging 10.9 PPG in 64 games while shooting .394 from 3-point range.

The decision will have little effect on the Knicks’ hopes of signing two elite free agents this summer, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even with Trier’s salary in place, New York has $69.8MM in cap space, which is enough to add two players at 30% of the max and about $130K short of adding a 35% and a 30% player.

With his option decision out of the way, Trier can now be traded, Marks adds.

Goran Dragic Picks Up Player Option

June 13th, 2019 at 6:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Goran Dragic has picked up his $19.2MM player option for the 2019/20 season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Rade Filipovich, Dragic’s agent, said the point guard “wants to stay in Miami forever,” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.

Dragic had until June 29 to make a decision, though the Heat have been operating under the assumption that he would make this move. Miami now has roughly $102.6MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2019/20 season.

Rumblings that the Heat are looking for a point guard upgrade didn’t stop Dragic from picking up his option. Dragic is now eligible to be traded.

The Heat originally traded for the veteran point guard at the 2015 trade deadline, giving up four players and pair of picks in the deal. Norris Cole, Danny Granger, Shawne Williams, and Justin Hamilton were all sent to Phoenix — none of those players are on an NBA roster anymore.

The Suns used the 2018 pick they received from the deal to select Zhaire Smith and packaged him along with Miami’s 2021 selection—the other pick Phoenix received from the Dragic deal—to move up and take Mikal Bridges (the Clippers now own Miami’s 2021 selection via the Tobias Harris trade).

Prior to picking up his option, Dragic did not receive any assurances from Pat Riley that the Heat would not trade him, per Jackson (Twitter link). However, Riley also didn’t indicate that trading him was the plan.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jonas Valanciunas Won’t Pick Up Player Option

June 13th, 2019 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas won’t opt into the final year of his contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that Valanciunas intends to turn down his 2019/20 player option. June 13 represented the deadline for the veteran big man to make his decision.

The player option would have paid Valanciunas a salary of $17,617,976 next season if it had been exercised, per Basketball Insiders. Instead, he’ll head to the open market on June 30 in search of a new contract, though his priority will be to negotiate a new deal with Memphis, says Wojnarowski.

According to Woj, new Grizzlies VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman and Valanciunas’ agent Leon Rose are set to work “aggressively” on finding a new agreement that works for both sides.

Valanciunas, 27, spent the first six and a half years of his NBA career in Toronto, but was sent to the Grizzlies in February in the deadline deal that saw the Raptors acquire Marc Gasol.

After putting up the best numbers of his career on a per-minutes basis through 30 games with the Raptors, Valanciunas continued that trend with the Grizzlies while taking on an expanded role. In 19 games (17 starts) down the stretch with his new team, he averaged a double-double (19.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG) with 2.2 APG and 1.6 BPG in just 27.7 minutes per contest.

Although Valanciunas has always been a strong interior scorer and rebounder, as last year’s numbers showed, he doesn’t have a ton of shooting range and isn’t an elite defender. As such, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to match his $17.6MM option salary on a new contract.

However, opting out and signing a new deal will allow Valanciunas to gain more long-term security. Even if his new annual salary doesn’t represent a raise, he certainly should be able to surpass $17.6MM in total value on his next contract. The Grizzlies will have his Bird rights, so they won’t face any restrictions in what they can offer him.

To keep tabs on all of this offseason’s player option decisions, be sure to check out our tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rockets Claim Deyonta Davis Off Waivers

June 12th, 2019 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have claimed center Deyonta Davis off waivers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Davis was released by the Hawks on Monday and would have been an unrestricted free agent if he went unclaimed today.

The 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis spent his first two NBA seasons with the Grizzlies, appearing in 98 games for the team. After being traded and waived during the 2018 offseason, the 22-year-old caught on with the Warriors’ G League team for most of last season. A solid NBAGL showing earned him a late-season call-up from the Hawks.

Davis averaged 4.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in nine games (13.1 MPG) with Atlanta down the stretch, signing a contract with the club that included a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2019/20. That $1,645,357 salary will become partially guaranteed for $250K if he remains under contract through July 31, according to Basketball Insiders.

It’s not clear what the Rockets have in mind for Davis. We’ve seen GM Daryl Morey accumulate minimum-salary players for trade purposes in past seasons, but under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, Davis won’t count for salary-matching purposes as long as his deal remains non-guaranteed. Players claimed off waivers also don’t become trade-eligible for 30 days.

The Rockets don’t need to make a corresponding roster move to take on Davis, since teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players in the offseason.

Celtics’ Aron Baynes Opts In For 2019/20

June 12th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics center Aron Baynes has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The decision will ensure that Baynes remains under contract with Boston for another year, earning a salary of $5,453,280, per Basketball Insiders.

After initially joining the Celtics for the 2017/18 season, Baynes re-signed with the club on a two-year, $10.65MM contract last summer. Like teammate Kyrie Irving, he had until June 13 to decide on whether to opt in for next season or to opt out and head back to the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Unlike Irving, Baynes will be picking up that option.

Although he battled injuries and was limited to just 51 games in 2018/19, Baynes has been a reliable presence in the middle for Boston over the last two seasons. In 132 total regular season contests, he has averaged 5.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG while playing solid frontcourt defense.

A source tells Keith Smith of RealGM (Twitter link) that Baynes opted in with an understanding that the Celtics don’t plan on including him in a trade package this summer.

With Baynes locked in for 2019/20, the Celtics are now carrying just over $70MM in guaranteed contracts. That doesn’t include salaries for Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rozier, or Marcus Morris, all of whom will be free agents.

Boston figures to operate as an over-the-cap team unless perhaps Irving and Horford both walk, which isn’t viewed as a likely scenario at this point — rumors of Kyrie departing continue to swirl, but there have been no indications that Horford plans to jump ship.

Baynes, who becomes the ninth veteran to exercise a player option already this offseason, as our tracker shows, is now on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. He’ll have full Bird rights at that point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kyrie Irving To Decline 2019/20 Player Option

June 12th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Kyrie Irving won’t exercise his player option for the 2019/20 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Opting in would have ensured that Irving was under contract with the Celtics next season for $21,329,752. Instead, he’ll reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Irving reportedly had a June 13 deadline for picking up his player option. As Charania notes (via Twitter), the star point guard doesn’t technically have to submit any paperwork to turn down the option, so he’ll simply let that deadline pass without taking any action.

Irving, 27, put up excellent numbers in Boston this past season, averaging a team-high 23.8 PPG to go along with career-highs in APG (6.9) and RPG (5.0). He shot 48.7% from the field, including 40.1% from beyond the three-point line, earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.

Despite his impressive individual stats, it was a tumultuous year for Irving and the Celtics, who didn’t meet preseason expectations and faced frequent questions about team chemistry. After publicly vowing last fall to re-sign with the Celtics at season’s end, Irving wavered on that stance over the course of the year and called out teammates in comments to the media when the club struggled.

Following Boston’s second-round elimination at the hands of the Bucks, the idea of Irving re-signing with the Celtics increasingly appeared to be a long shot. He has been repeatedly linked to the Knicks throughout the season, with the Nets emerging as the favorite in recent weeks. Teams monitoring the situation currently view Brooklyn as Irving’s most likely destination, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reiterated today.

Still, while the Celtics appear to be preparing for life without Kyrie, they also haven’t entirely given up on the idea of re-signing him, according to a Tuesday report. It’s also not clear if – or how – Kevin Durant‘s Achilles injury may impact Irving’s plans. There were rumors throughout the year that the two friends may look to team up for the Knicks or another club.

The Celtics could offer Irving a five-year deal worth up to a projected $189.7MM, while a rival team could max out at $140.6MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hornets’ Marvin Williams Opts In For 2019/20

June 11th, 2019 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Marvin Williams has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). With that option locked in, Williams is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2020, and will earn $15,006,250 next season, per Basketball Insiders.

Williams, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is coming off another solid season in which he averaged 10.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG with a .422/.366/.767 shooting line for Charlotte.

A forward like Williams, who can guard multiple positions and knock down three-pointers (.378 3PT% since joining the Hornets in 2014), would probably do reasonably well on the open market. However, the former UNC standout is entering his age-33 season and almost certainly wouldn’t match his $15MM option salary in free agency.

Williams said in April during his exit interview with reporters that he intended to pick up his option, so today’s news doesn’t come as a surprise. Two Hornets veterans – Williams and Bismack Biyombo – have now officially opted in for 2019/20, adding approximately $32MM to the club’s commitments for next season.

The Hornets are currently carrying about $81MM in guaranteed salaries, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still seems like a good bet to pick up his own $13MM player option. If he does, it would push team salary above $94MM without taking into account a new deal for Kemba Walker, limiting Charlotte’s ability to significantly upgrade its roster whether or not Walker returns.

Williams will become the eighth veteran this spring to officially exercise a player option, as our tracker indicates.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Waive Power Forward Deyonta Davis

June 10th, 2019 at 4:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have waived power forward Deyonta Davis, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.

Davis had a non-guaranteed salary of $1,645,357 for next season. He would have received a partial guarantee if he remained on the roster through July. Letting him go early gives Davis a better chance to hook onto another team, rather than keeping him on the roster after most free agents around the league had already signed.

Davis signed a multi-year contract with Atlanta late in the season after a pair of 10-day stints.

The 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis spent his first two NBA seasons with the Grizzlies before playing primarily for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League this season.

Davis appeared in nine games with the Hawks, averaging 4.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 13.1 minutes per contest.