2013 NBA Season

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Bucks have fired Larry Drew from his head coaching position.

The writing was on the wall with the trade for the coaching rights to Jason Kidd. Drew was absolutely horrible with the Bucks last season, leading the team to the worst record in the NBA. Brandon Knight was really the only offseason pickup to work out for the Bucks while guys like Ersan Ilyasova, O.J. Mayo and Larry Sanders were abysmal signings. Drew will likely catch on as an assistant elsewhere.

Source: Brian Windhorst on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

Kidd's putsch failed and there is almost no scenario where he can go back to coaching the Nets after unsuccessfully trying to poach Billy King's job, so leaving for another gig affords him the opportunity to save some face and saves the Nets the trouble of having to fire him.

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Nets reportedly will have a $144 million loss over the 2013-14 season, according to Grantland.com.

Wow. They have to pay $90 million in luxury tax and are not going to get much help in revenue sharing because they are in a big market. By comparison, the Wizards were next-to-last in net loss at $13 million. Obviously Mikail Prokorov has enough money to foot the bill, but that has to sting.

Source: Grantland.com



In case this went by you without noticing...

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Bucks are sending two second-round picks to the Nets to secure the coaching rights on Jason Kidd.

The Nets are lucky to get anything back since Kidd's time was done in Brooklyn. Kidd is going to be ripped apart by the New York media for asking for so much control despite having just one year of coaching experience. The Bucks are expected to give him a bigger role, but he'll have a much worse roster to build around. Kidd ran assistant coach Lawrence Frank out of town earlier in the 2013-14 season and his ego is growing by the day. The Nets will look to replace him with someone like Lionel Hollins or George Karl.

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

An interesting financial move by the Hawks. They traded Lou Williams (who may have single-handedly shot them out of the Pacers series last year) and their 2013 1st round pick (a Brazilian with magnificent hair) to the Raptors for John Salmons contract. They will probably buy him out, freeing up more cap room. They seem to be up to something. If they can get one of the bigger names, they can be an intriguing team with a healthy Al Horford.

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Hawks have Luol Deng at the top of their free-agency wish list, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The Hawks are expected to have more than $15 million in cap space with Sunday's trade of Lou Williams to the Raptors. Deng's market value likely took a major hit last season due to injuries and shooting just 25.8 on isolation plays with the Cavs last season (Synergy), so the Hawks should be able to bring in someone decent on top of Deng with that cap space.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

Carmelo Anthony will meet with the Bulls on Tuesday, the first day of free agency, followed by meetings with the Rockets and Mavericks on Wednesday.

All three teams have championship aspirations and enough cap space to vie for Melo's services, despite recent reports that the Knicks were "increasingly optimistic" about keeping him in New York. Melo said that he hopes to choose a team by the second week of July, so we're not expecting an imminent decision after his first round of meetings.

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Cavaliers brass are reportedly flying out to New Jersey to offer Kyrie Irving a max contract extension when free agency opens up on July 1.

The contract will be for 5 years worth $90 million, and Kyrie is reportedly expected to sign. Irving's defensive abilities have been questioned, but there's not doubt that he is a max contract kind of player. He's an elite talent on the offensive end, and in his third season with Cleveland, Kyrie put up averages of 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers a game. He has had issues with staying healthy in the past, but he was able to suit up for 71 games last season.

Source: Chris Broussard on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh plan to give Pat Riley "a window to enact his plan to rebuild the supporting cast."

This makes sense and as of now all signs point to LeBron staying in Miami, but as usual things could change depending on how Riley does. We'll keep you updated as LeBron-a-palooza continues down a less ridiculous, but equally as dominating role as it did the last time he was a free agent.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter


The Mavs are focusing their efforts on acquiring free agent Carmelo Anthony, which according to Ken Berger "speaks to the belief around the league that (LeBron) James stays in Miami."

If LeBron is the first domino that needs to fall it's probable that Melo is the second one. The Knicks are expected to get the last presentation to Anthony, and we'll just have to wait for the reports to trickle out before we get a sense of what he'll do.

Source: Ken Berger on Twitter


The Lakers are interested in unrestricted free agent Chris Bosh according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

The Lakers have a lot of cap room to play with and Bosh would certainly be a solid acquisition. This is definitely in the embryonic stage and Bosh's status is tied to his relationship with LeBron James and the Heat more than anything right now.

Source: Dave McMenamin on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Cavaliers and Kyrie Irving have agreed on a max, 5-year contract extension, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The deal, which can be signed on July 10, is worth $90 million and this is the first big move of free agency. Locking down Irving for the next six years is also a massive win for Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers, as the chances of Irving signing elsewhere were at least a possibility. Now let's just hope he can stay healthy and live up to the hype, as he's had his share of ups and downs during his time in Cleveland.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter


ctc

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

Chris Bosh has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with the Heat, beginning with an $11 million salary in 2014-15.

As with Dwyane Wade, Bosh terminated his lucrative contract in favor of a longer-term deal that would allow the Heat to keep LeBron James and rebuild the roster with greater depth. Bosh was a sneaky third-round fantasy value last season in only 32 minutes per game, and he remains a strong draft option for steady (if unspectacular) across-the-board production.

Source: John Canzano on Twitter Jul 1 - 2:52 PM



Dwyane Wade will reportedly return with the Heat on a four-year contract, according to the Oregonian's John Canzano.

He'll earn $12 million in the first year of the deal, which means he lost close to $10 million in 2014-15 by declining his player option. It's a bold move for Wade, though he'll make some of it back by locking himself into a contract through the 2017-18 season. His ailing knees make that a risky proposition for Miami, but by restructuring Wade and Chris Bosh's contracts they've propped open the window for a few more championship runs with the Big 3.

Source: John Canzano on Twitter


Luol Deng is reportedly one of Miami's top free agent targets, along with Kyle Lowry, but he's not expected to take a big pay cut to joint he Heat.

All signs point to LeBron James re-signing with Miami, which is one more reason for Deng to view the Heat skeptically as the team to give him a multi-year contract. He's also drawn interest from the Clippers, Hawks and Mavericks but may not get the offer he's after until LBJ and Carmelo Anthony are no longer tying up the free agent market.

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter


LeBron James is seeking a maximum salary on a short-term contract with the Heat which would expire after 1-2 years, according to John Canzano of the Oregonian.

Such a deal would theoretically allow LBJ to play a few more years with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade before their declining play closes the championship window, at which point he could seek his fortunes elsewhere as a free agent. He'd hit free agency again as a 31-year-old if he does sign a two-year deal, setting him up for another massive multi-year pact.

Source: John Canzano on Twitter



Canzano might have been a little early with those numbers:

Wade, Bosh still working on framework of contract figures, conversations ongoing today, sources tell Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2014

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Nets have reached an agreement with Lionel Hollins to become the team's new head coach on a four-year, $18 million deal.

The Nets didn't waste any time here. The Jason Kidd drama unfolded on Saturday and it took just a few days to hire Hollins. He was always the man for the job and should be a nice fit for the Nets. Hollins' Grizzlies ran a very slow pace in Memphis, which figures to be a style he'll take with him to Brooklyn. He's one of the best coaches in the league and this whole Kidd issue may be a blessing in disguise.

Source: Nets PR on Twitter


Great move by the Nets.


C.J. Miles has agreed to a four-year, $18 million contract with the Pacers.

The Pacers were reportedly looking to get Miles in on a mid-level exception and this is a fairly long deal from the team. The team is expected to go all out on Lance Stephenson, so Miles would likely come off the bench. He's not going to be worth drafting in most fantasy leagues.

Source: Candace Buckner on Twitter


A sign-and-trade deal involving Josh Smith and Isaiah Thomas "may be in the works," according to Grantland.com.

The Pistons are believed to be interested in signing the restricted free agent while Greg Monroe reportedly wants to see Smith get traded, so it makes sense. The Smith signing did not go well and the Pistons weren't a very efficient offense while their defense wasn't great either. Smith would play a little further from the basket compared to most power forwards, which works next to DeMarcus Cousins. Although, a Smith, Cousins and Rudy Gay frontline doesn't sound great on paper.

Source: Grantland.com

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Rockets' meeting with unrestricted free agent Carmelo Anthony lasted about six hours including lunch.

The meeting included a tour of the arena and Anthony talked with Dwight Howard and James Harden for about 10 minutes. The Rockets do have a decent chance of prying Melo away from the Knicks, but they'll get competition from the Mavericks and Bulls next.

Source: Marc Spears on Twitter


The Rockets pre-informed Jeremy Lin of the use of No. 7 on the meeting with Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday.

Lin took to Twitter when the news of Rockets photoshopping Melo in a Houston No. 7 jersey at the team's facility. "If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them," Lin said. The Rockets are certainly going to look to deal him to clear some cap space.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

Sacramento Kings sign G Darren Collison.

The terms of the deal are a full mid-level exception for 3 years and $16 million, according to Clippers beat writer Brad Turner. The 26-year-old averaged 11.4 points, 0.9 three-pointers, 2.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in his only season with the Clippers and had a productive mid-season stretch when Chris Paul was injured during which he averaged over six assists per game. It will be interesting to see how this move affects restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas, but Collison reportedly signed with the impression that he'll be the starter and could prove to be an interesting mid-draft target if that comes to fruition.

Source: Brad Turner on Twitter


The Kings are always a mess and seem to have no direction most of the time. But, Collison was the premier backup "pure" point-guard available, so this is a huge signing for a franchise that's used to getting the crumbs of available free agents. This almost surely writes Isaiah Thomas' ticket out of town, as the Kings seem to view Thomas as a backup, not a starter. Now, if Collison is actually going to be the starter, then the Kings could continue to use Thomas the way they have....dominating 4th Quarters while coming off the bench at each half. Collison should not be playing starters minutes for anyone except for short stints.

Either way, Thomas is going to be signing a Restricted Free Agent contract with someone, forcing the Kings to have to make a decision. The Kings could end up getting nothing for Thomas. They'd be wise to do some sign-and-trade.

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly trying to engage the Celtics in a multi-team deal that would involve Rajon Rondo.

The Pacers have reportedly reached out to the Celtics in an effort to construct a multi-team trade that would presumably land Goran Dragic in Indiana. In the latest incarnation of this rumor, the Suns would land Rondo (who coincidentally drafted him), while the Celtics' proposed return is unclear at the moment. The one thing that is clear is that the Pacers are all-in on a point guard upgrade and George Hill may soon be left without a starting job.

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter


I usually don't re-post rumors on Redszone, but this one seems to have legs to it. Ainge hasn't done anything splashy since bringing his "Big-3" together when he first took over the Celtics' G.M. position. Phoenix is looking to land a Top-Star, but why they would want Rondo over Gragic is beyond comprehension. Gragic was phenomenal last season, one of the Top-4 Point Guards in the NBA last season, and he's only going to get better. He already is connected with the Phoenix players, but what happens in Phoenix doesn't always make sense. It would be a major coup if the Pacers could pull this off and obtain Gragic.

There's a zillion rumors every year involving Rondo, but the Pacers and Suns have enough talent to get Ainge excited to pull the trigger.

[Kingspoint]

Technically, nobody can sign a contract until July 10th, but verbal agreements can be in place.

Just sayin'.

Carlos Boozer (forever cementing himself as a scumbag) is the only player I can think of who made a verbal commitment and then didn't sign, so it's extremely rare when it happens.

[Kingspoint]

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

Unrestricted free agent Josh McRoberts has reportedly verbally committed to sign with Miami.

The deal is reportedly for the full mid-level exception for four-years, and $23 million with a player option after the third year. McRoberts is a solid role player, and a stretch four that can spread the floor with his shooting and passing abilities. While McRoberts was a sneaky low-end contributor last year, his statistical output in Miami is unlikely to help a fantasy squad. The Hornets lose their starting power forward, which opens up the door for Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh to compete for minutes. It will be interesting to see how the rotations in Charlotte develop, and we'll be monitoring that situation closely.

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter


McRoberts is the best FA addition the Heat have added since they first added Bosh and James to the squad.



...on a related note...

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

The Rockets have reportedly offered unrestricted free agent Chris Bosh a max deal of 4-years, $96 million.

After Bosh's weekend conversation with LeBron James, and the Heat's offer for substantially less, Bosh is reportedly "strongly considering" a move back to his home state of Texas. Bosh's career took a bit of a hit when he became the third wheel of the Big Three, but before he came to Miami he averaged 24.0 points, and 10.8 rebounds during his last season with the Raptors. Bosh is still an elite talent in the league, and he may decide he deserves to be paid like one. That being said, if James returns to Miami, Bosh will follow.

Source: Chris Broussard on Twitter


I don't see how Bosh can refuse this offer.


Two other impactual free agent signings from over the weekend...

From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments:

Spencer Hawes agreed to a four-year, $23 million deal with the Clippers on Friday.

The Clippers gave a ton of minutes to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin last season, so they absolutely needed a big man. Glen Davis was basically their best backup big last season, so it makes sense to pay a little more than market value on Hawes. His fantasy value takes an enormous hit here and he's not worth drafting in standard leagues.

...and...

The Blazers have reached an agreement with Chris Kaman on a two-year, $10 million contract.

This likely takes the Blazers out of the running on Spencer Hawes. Kaman will come in and back up Robin Lopez, who has been remarkably durable in his NBA career. He'll likely just have his minutes in the teens and will not have much fantasy value. The second year of his deal is partially guaranteed.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter


.....and, from this evening....

Unrestricted free agent Channing Frye has agreed on a four-year deal worth $32 million with the Magic.

Frye may be the starting power forward for the Magic, and he'll bring veteran leadership to a young Orlando roster. Frye had a nice season with Phoenix last season, averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.0 three-pointers through 28.2 minutes per game. It's possible Frye can get a bit more minutes in a less crowded rotation in Orlando, which would create a marginal uptick in the stats.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter

[Kingspoint]

LaMarcus Aldridge said that he'll wait until next summer to sign a contract extension with the Trail Blazers.

"I'm happy to stay [in Portland], happy to be here, happy with the direction the team has gone the last year or two," Aldridge said. "But I just want to get a five-year deal. I feel like that’s the best decision on my part." By waiting until next season, Aldridge would become eligible for a five-year, $108 million deal from Portland, which is more than any other team could offer. He said he aims to be the "best Blazer [player] ever," which is music to the ears of Blazers fans.

Source: Joe Freeman on Twitter


Aldridge isn't going anywhere. Currently, every single Blazer contract is set to expire at the end of the 2014-15 season with the exception of Batum's and Lillard's, which expire at the end of the 2015-16 season. GM Neil Olshey will have a lot of work to do next off-season.