Latest News and Notes as NBA Free Agency 2015 Opens
NBA free agency kicked off at midnight on the east coast and it has already been a wild ride, with multiple top-level players inking deals.
Of course there was Anthony Davis' mega five-year, $145 million deal to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans and Kawhi Leonard's maximum contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs but many other deals have already happened and several players are on the move. Although Marc Gasol is expected to stay in Memphis, there are still many All-Stars left on the board.
Here's a look at the latest news regarding some of the biggest names in free agency.
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Perhaps the NBA's most sought-after free agent, LaMarcus Aldridge has had several meetings and suitors thus far.
The four-time All-Star has met with the Los Angeles Lakers in a near two hour meeting that went "really well," per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Here's a look at how the rest of Aldridge's schedule over the next few days breaks down:
The San Antonio Spurs are apparently the favorites to land Aldridge after re-signing Leonard and Danny Green and trading Splitter, as they will now have cap space to sign him.
DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan has emerged as a strong candidate to switch teams as multiple suitors are pursuing him.
A midnight meeting with the Dallas Mavericks was definitely a surprise, and if he were to go to Dallas, it is suspected that a sign-and-trade for fellow center Tyson Chandler would be possible.
Jordan, who led the NBA in rebounds in back-to-back seasons, is seeking a four-year deal and a larger role offensively, per ESPN's Chris Broussard. According to the same report, he will also meet with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers before ultimately making a decision.
The Portland Trail Blazers are on the verge of signing point guard Damian Lillard to a maximum five-year contract that will pay upwards of $120 million, per Marc Stein of ESPN.
The move is especially encouraging for the Blazers, who have already traded Nicolas Batum and face the looming free agencies of LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews.
Portland, who won 51 games last year, was bumped from the playoffs in the first round in five games by the Memphis Grizzlies. Locking up Lillard, trading for Mason Plumlee and signing Al-Farouq Aminu are Portland's first steps toward keeping a strong roster moving forward.
Danny Green
Just a few hours after keeping Kawhi Leonard in the fold, the San Antonio Spurs have reportedly re-signed Danny Green, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.
Green averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game last season and is a career 42% three-point shooter. Signing him also gives the Spurs insurance if Manu Ginobili retires.
This contract has already forced another move to happen, as the Spurs have traded Tiago Splitter to the Atlanta Hawks, per Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brook Lopez has agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract to stay with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo.
Although Brooklyn traded young center Mason Plumlee to the Trail Blazers, the signing of Lopez is still a bit curious.
The Nets have been tied heavily to trade rumors surrounding the 27-year-old center in recent seasons. Additionally, Lopez has battled foot injuries in his career, playing only five games in 2011-12 and 17 in 2013-14.
Although he was healthy last season, Lopez started just 44 of his 72 games and was the subject of harsh criticism from head coach Lionel Hollins.
“[He’s] the same Brook. He can score,’’ Hollins said in November, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “He needs to be better defensively, he needs to be better rebounding, he needs to be better passing the ball to his teammates.’’
Maybe Hollins warmed up to Lopez as the season moved on, or the Nets just want to make him the centerpiece of the organization once Joe Johnson and Deron Williams are off the books.
Paul Millsap
The Atlanta Hawks were the biggest surprise in the NBA last season but they might be losing a key player in their starting rotation.
Multiple reports have the Orlando Magic making a hard push to sign Millsap, who has made back-to-back All-Star appearances with the Hawks.
ESPN's Chris Broussard has reported that the Atlanta Hawks have matched the offer and Millsap will decide between the two.
Millsap is about as consistent as it gets in the NBA and could be a nice complement to Nikola Vucevic for the Magic. The 24-year-old center has averaged a double-double in three straight seasons and his work down low could allow Millsap to play as a stretch-four.
This move would be especially interesting because it affects restricted free agency as well.
Tobias Harris
If the Magic were to sign Millsap to the reported four-year, $80 million deal, they might pass on matching offers for restricted free agent Tobias Harris.
Harris, 22, averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game last season and has earned high praise from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.
Although there will be plenty of suitors, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix is reporting that Harris won't come cheap.
DeMarre Carroll
In a surprise move, the Toronto Raptors have snuck in and signed DeMarre Carroll to a four-year, $60 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo.
Carroll is an interesting fit on the Raptors, as the tough defender can likely slide nicely into the small forward slot in their starting rotation, pushing Terrence Ross to the bench.
The signing creates a hole in the Atlanta Hawks' starting five which may need to be filled via free agency or trade before next season begins. Tim Hardaway Jr., who the Hawks acquired on the night of the NBA Draft in exchange for point guard Jerian Grant, is more of a shooting guard.
Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe has been busy this morning, meeting with the several teams since free agency began.
Monroe is seeking a maximum contract, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
The left-handed big man will surely be in high demand, although the New York Knicks still remain the favorites to sign him.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News is highly optimistic that a deal will get done soon.
Free agency has started with a bang, but there a lot more deals to come in the next few days. With stars like LaMarcus Aldridge still available, anything can happen as teams try to clear cap space and lure their targets away from their respective teams.
Although they haven't made splashes just yet, the Knicks and Lakers are still two marquee franchises with a lot of money to spend, so keep an eye on them.
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