NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Monta Ellis, Nikola Pekovic and More Free Agents

Despite the fact that the NBA’s moratorium on transactions has passed and a number of marquee free agents officially signed on Wednesday, the exciting part of the offseason is far from over.

A handful of big-name players are still on the open market, including plenty of former All-Stars and talented veterans who will definitely make an impact come playoff time next year.

Let’s take a look at some these talents and highlight the latest buzz concerning their offseason plans in Thursday’s rumor roundup.

T-Wolves Closing in on Deal for Pek

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to re-sign restricted free-agent center Nikola Pekovic on a four-year, $50 million extension.

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the two sides are getting close to an agreement and could reach a deal in the near future.

It’s imperative that the up-and-coming T-Wolves retain their homegrown battering ram of a big man.

Standing at 6’11”, 290 pounds, Pekovic is rapidly improving on both ends of the court and still has some upside—despite being 27 years old.

Pek was a second-round draft pick back in 2008 but didn’t make his NBA debut until the 2010-11 campaign. He started 62 games last year, averaging 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest.

With his sheer size—making him capable of defending any pivot in the league—and skill in the paint, the Yugoslavian has a bright future ahead of him, and Timberwolves fans are hoping those plans prominently involves the Twin Cities.

 

Monta Cans Agent

Monta Ellis is arguably the top unrestricted free agent still available on the open market, but it may take some time for the veteran guard to make a decision.

According to Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel, sources are confirming that Ellis recently fired his longtime agent, Jeff Fried, and is looking for new representation.

Dan Fegan, a superstar agent whose clients include Dwight Howard, Amar’e Stoudemire, Nene, Ty Lawson, John Wall, Ricky Rubio and others, is apparently atop the 27-year-old’s short list.

Gardner explains that regardless of whom Ellis hires, he will likely be seeking something in the monetary range of the $12.5 million per year he turned down from the Milwaukee Bucks.

With talent quickly dwindling and scorers of Ellis’ caliber tough to come by, a solid agent will certainly help the shooting guard find a new home in a hurry.

Spurs Leave AK47 Meeting Empty-Handed

The San Antonio Spurs called a meeting with the Timberwolves, hoping to reach an agreement on a sign-and-trade for versatile free-agent forward Andrei Kirilenko.

Unfortunately, Wojnarowski reported that the talks ended without a transaction, and it seems the Spurs will have difficult—if not impossible—hurdles to overcome in order to add AK47 to their roster.

Minnesota was apparently “unwilling” to take back the assets the Spurs offered, which would have totaled up to between $8 million and $9 million in yearly salary—a fair price for the Russian forward who opted out of the $10 million he could have made in the Twin Cities.

It’s a shame, as Kirilenko would have made a great Spur—due to his unselfish play, three-point shooting, defensive skills and ability to play various positions.

While he may not push San Antonio back into the NBA Finals and help them win it all, he could be a solid asset who makes life easier throughout the regular season and playoffs.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Spurs continue their quest to acquire the 32-year-old veteran or give up after the latest talks broke down.