Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Acquire No. 3 Pick, Draft Luka Doncic

June 21st, 2018 at 9:21pm CST by Luke Adams

9:21pm: Marc Stein of The New York Times has the protection details on the 2019 first-round pick going to Atlanta in the deal. According to Stein (via Twitter), it will be top-five protected in 2019 and 2020, top-three protected in 2021 and 2022, and fully unprotected in 2023.

6:47pm: The Mavericks and Hawks agreed to a blockbuster trade involving the No. 3 pick that allowed Dallas to draft Luka Doncic.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the Hawks will acquire a 2019 first-round pick in the trade, while Atlanta took Trae Young at No. 5. No veteran players are involved in the deal, Woj adds (via Twitter).

Previous versions of the trade had Kent Bazemore going to Dallas and Wesley Matthews to Atlanta, but the Hawks were reluctant to add Matthews to a young, rebuilding team. They opted for a simple swap of picks, with some light protections on the future first-rounder. Atlanta had been hoping to free up some cap room by finding a taker for Bazemore, who is owed more than $18MM next season and has a player option worth nearly $19.3MM in 2019/20.

The teams were close to a trade around 5:00pm ET, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, but fell apart until the Mavs agree to include the future pick. The pick is scheduled to transfer next season, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports and will be top-five protected (Twitter link).

A source from the Mavericks, who described the protections as minimal to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, said, “We hope it conveys next year.” (Twitter link).

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Suns Acquire Mikal Bridges From Sixers

June 21st, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

After selecting Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick to kick off the draft, the Suns have agreed to acquire another top-10 prospect. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Phoenix has reached a deal with the Sixers that will send No. 10 overall pick Mikal Bridges to the Suns, with No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith heading to Philadelphia.

In addition to Smith, the Sixers will receive the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick from Phoenix, tweets Charania. The trade is now official.

The Suns were just about to select Donte DiVincenzo when a call came through from Philadelphia about a trade, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

By moving from the 1oth pick to the 16th, the Sixers will save about $1MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), who notes that the extra money will be helpful if Philly decides to make a max offer in free agency.

The first-rounder from Miami will remain unprotected, according to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). A 2021 selection could be even more valuable if the NBA does away with its one-and-done rule that year, since that year’s top high-school seniors and college freshman could both be draft-eligible for the first time.

The trade puts an unexpected twist on what was nearly a storybook night for Villanova’s Bridges, who hails from the Philadelphia area. He and his mother both seemed thrilled at the prospect of having him join the Sixers. Instead, Bridges heads west to join a rebuilding franchise in Phoenix.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Clippers Acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander From Hornets

June 21st, 2018 at 7:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came off the board at No. 11 to the Hornets, but he won’t remain with Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reports that the Clippers are sending the No. 12 pick and two second-round picks to the Hornets in exchange for Gilgeous-Alexander, Woj adds (via Twitter).

With their newly-acquired No. 12 pick, the Hornets selected Miles Bridges, per Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). The deal is now official.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who remained out of sight through most of the workout process, gets his reported wish to play in L.A. At 6’6″, his size and versatility make him attractive to NBA scouts, some of whom believe he could become the best point guard in the draft. A late bloomer at Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander became a starter midway through the season and averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists in 37 games.

Bridges failed to raise his draft status after a surprise decision to return to Michigan State for his sophomore season, but he could still be a nice pickup for the Hornets. In two years with the Spartans, he averaged 17.0 points per game and shot 38% from 3-point range.

As for the future picks changing hands in the deal, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets will get second-rounders in 2020 and 2021.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Knicks’ Kyle O’Quinn Declines Player Option

June 20th, 2018 at 8:05pm CST by clarkcrum

Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn has declined his player option for the 2018/19 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. O’Quinn will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Quinn, 28, enjoyed a career year with the Knicks during the 2017/18 season, averaging a career-high 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game with a .598/..235/.772 shooting line.

Unlike the Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon, who was reported to have picked up his player option at nearly the same time that news broke on O’Quinn, the Knicks’ big man was only scheduled to make $4,256,250 next season, nearly $3MM less than what Dedmon will make.

As noted by Bobby Marks of ESPN, O’Quinn’s decision to decline his option likely won’t have any impact on the Knicks’ 2018/19 cap situation unless Enes Kanter also decides to decline his $18.62MM option, as the Knicks would likely only have the ability to operate under the cap if Kanter becomes a free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon Exercises Player Option

June 20th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by clarkcrum

Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon has opted into his contract for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Dedmon will earn a salary of $7,200,000 next year after exercising his player option.

Dedmon, 28, enjoyed a career-best season in Atlanta during the 2017/18 campaign, averaging a career-high in points (10.0), rebounds (7.9), and assists (1.5) per game. Dedmon was even able to increase his range to the three-point line, shooting a relatively respectable 35.5% from deep on 141 attempts after only attempting one three-pointer in his entire career before this season.

Despite those improved numbers, it remained unlikely that Dedmon would have commanded a higher annual salary than the $7.2MM he will earn next season.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have openly discussed their plans to build for the future, so Dedmon’s expiring contract could potentially become a trade asset sometime in the not-so-distant future. However, given Dedmon’s production, he’s probably an unlikely candidate to be waived.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marreese Speights Close To Signing With Chinese Team

June 18th, 2018 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran big man Marreese Speights is close to an agreement with China’s Guangzhou Long Lions, international reporter David Pick tweets.

This would be an interesting move for Speights, who is once again entering unrestricted NBA free agency next month. It suggests the offer must be substantial, since he could still fit the bill for an NBA team seeking a stretch four and veteran leadership.

Speights has bounced around the league in recent seasons and played on a veteran’s minimum contract — approximately $2.12MM — with the Magic last season. The cap hit on the contract was $1.47MM and the league paid the difference.

Speights, whose career began in 2008/09 with the Sixers, is best known for playing with the Warriors for three seasons. He won a ring in 2015.

He appeared in all 82 regular-season games with the Clippers in 2016/17, then moved on to the Magic last season. He saw action in 52 games, including three starts, and averaged 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 13.0 MPG.

The 6’10” Speights shot an above-average 36.9% from long range while taking a career-high 4.5 attempts per game.

Spurs’ Rudy Gay To Decline Player Option

June 18th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs forward Rudy Gay will turn down his 2018/19 player option, electing to become a free agent on July 1, reports ESPN’s Chris Haynes. The option would have paid Gay a salary of $8,826,300 for next season.

Gay, whose 2016/17 campaign ended early due to an Achilles injury, made a speedy recovery and was ready to go for the Spurs in the fall after signing a two-year, $17.2MM deal with the club. However, he was nagged by Achilles and heel problems during the winter, limiting him to 57 regular season games — he never seemed fully like his old self.

“A lot of times, I will-powered through games, will-powered through practices,” Gay told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News in April. “I didn’t feel like there was anything worse I can go through (than the Achilles tendon injury).”

In that conversation with McDonald earlier in the spring, the veteran reportedly sounded “genuinely torn” over whether or not to pick up his option, but it makes some sense that he’d seek a new deal on the open market. While Gay missed time with health problems and averaged a career-low 21.6 minutes per contest, his per-minute numbers were solid, as he posted 11.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a .471/.314/.772 shooting line for the season.

Additionally, Gay may not want to lock himself into another season with the Spurs as long as the team’s roster remains in flux. In addition to Kawhi Leonard‘s reported desire to leave San Antonio, Danny Green and Joffrey Lauvergne also have player-option decisions to make, Tony Parker and Kyle Anderson will be free agents, and Manu Ginobili is believed to be considering retirement.

Still, Gay is no lock to get a raise on his $8.8MM+ player-option salary. The mid-level exception for 2018/19 figures to be worth a little less than that, so in order to top that salary, Gay would probably have to either negotiate a new deal with San Antonio or find a team with cap room willing to make him a sizable offer.

If Gay ultimately settles for a lesser salary for next season, it would be the second consecutive summer that he has taken a pay cut. In 2017, he declined his $14MM+ option with the Kings before signing that new deal with the Spurs that paid him approximately $8.4MM in 2017/18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jamal Crawford Opts Out Of Wolves Contract

June 18th, 2018 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 18: Crawford has declined his 2018/19 option, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

MAY 2: Veteran shooting guard Jamal Crawford will turn down a player option that would have paid him $4,544,400 for the 2018/19 season, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Crawford, who signed with the Timberwolves last summer, will hit the free agent market rather than opting into the second year of his contract with the club.

Crawford, 38, joined the Wolves after being traded from the Clippers to the Hawks and then reaching a buyout agreement with Atlanta. In his first – and potentially only – season in Minnesota, the 18-year vet averaged 10.3 PPG and 2.3 APG with a shooting line of .415/.331/.903.

Haynes’ report doesn’t give any hints about what Crawford’s next move will be, but it’s safe to say he’ll be looking for a role on a contending team. Declining his player option doesn’t necessarily mean that Crawford won’t return to the Timberwolves, since the two sides could, in theory, work out a new deal. In fact, Haynes says in a follow-up tweet that Jimmy Butler has told management he’d like to have Crawford back next season.

Still, Minnesota already has more than $110MM in guaranteed salary on its books for 2018/19, and wants to add wings who can shoot threes and defend multiple positions. While Crawford fits that bill to some extent, the Wolves will likely be seeking more traditional three-and-D players, so it’s not clear whether he’ll be part of their plans.

Several veterans have already exercised – or will exercise – their player options for 2018/19, since there’s a belief that league-wide spending in free agency will be down this summer. However, Crawford’s option salary of $4.5MM+ was fairly modest, and he has already earned over $100MM in his NBA career, as our Austin Kent noted on Tuesday. As such, turning down that option isn’t a major gamble. Even if he gives up a couple million dollars and settles for a minimum-salary deal this offseason, Crawford would likely be willing to trade that money for a legit shot at a title.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets’ Darrell Arthur Exercises Player Option

June 15th, 2018 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets power forward Darrell Arthur has opted into his contract for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Arthur will earn a salary of $7,464,912 next year after exercising his player option.

Arthur, 30, enjoyed perhaps the best year of his career in 2015/16, his first season in Denver, when he averaged 7.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a .452/.385/.755 shooting line in a rotation role for the team. However, he has seen his playing time cut back significantly over the last two years.

In 2017/18, Arthur appeared in just 19 games for Denver, averaging 2.8 PPG and 0.8 RPG in 7.4 minutes per contest. With Paul Millsap, Trey Lyles, Kenneth Faried, Juan Hernangomez, and Wilson Chandler all seeing time at the four while Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee handled the five, there simply wasn’t a role for Arthur.

Since Arthur was unlikely to command more than the minimum salary on the open market, his decision to pick up his player option comes as no surprise. It doesn’t assure of him spending the 2018/19 season in Denver though.

With the Nuggets potentially looking to lock up Jokic and Will Barton to lucrative new deals this summer, the team will probably need to cut costs elsewhere, making Arthur a candidate to be traded or released. The Nuggets could reduce Arthur’s 2018/19 cap charge by nearly $5MM by waiving and stretching him. The club is also said to be exploring trades involving Faried.

Arthur’s player-option decision continues an offseason trend that reflects the lack of league-wide cap room available this summer. After only eight total veterans picked up their player options in 2016 and 2017, Arthur becomes the 10th veteran to do so in 2018, and he won’t be the last. The full list of player option decisions can be found right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rex Kalamian To Join Clippers’ Coaching Staff

June 14th, 2018 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

The coaching shakeup in Toronto continues as assistant Rex Kalamian has agreed to take a job with the Clippers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kalamian will join Doc Rivers‘ staff after spending three years working under former head coach Dwane Casey with the Raptors.

Kalamian started his NBA career as a scout with the Clippers in 1992 and was promoted to assistant coach three years later. He also spent time with the Sixers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Kings and Thunder before coming to Toronto in 2015.

Kalamian reportedly interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching job when Casey was fired last month, but wasn’t among the finalists for the position. The Clippers had an opening after assistant Pat Sullivan left to join David Fizdale’s staff with the Knicks.