Everything You Need to Know from Day 3 of 2015 NBA Free Agency
We're three days into free agency, and bombs are still dropping around the NBA.
In the past 24 hours alone, one of last season's title contenders lost a third of its Big Three, another brought back a pair of important role players and two teams desperate to fill cap space did so at last.
That mass of maneuvers may not measure up to the $1.4 billion committed to new contracts on Day 1, (per Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney). Nor can it hold a candle to the flurry of free-agent news that came across the wire on Day 2.
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But, like new contracts in the face of the soon-to-explode salary cap, the latest batch of buzz provides plenty to catch up on relative to the hush around the rest of the sports world. So, before Day 4 of the 2015 contract bonanza gets underway, take a moment to read up on what went down Day 3.
Another 2-Step from Texas to L.A.
For the second time in the last three offseasons, an athletic, shot-blocking, rebound-gobbling big man will leave Southern California for a team in tax-friendly Texas.
According to the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner, DeAndre Jordan will soon sign a four-year deal worth upward of $80 million (with an option in Year 4) with the Dallas Mavericks. In doing so, Jordan spurned a five-year, $109 million offer from the Los Angeles Clippers, per ESPN's Arash Markazi.
To hear ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz tell it, the Mavs went hard after Jordan from the get-go, with Dirk Nowitzki and ace recruiter Chandler Parsons aiding the effort: "Nowitzki interrupted his vacation to fly to Los Angeles to join Chandler Parsons to take Jordan out. Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle wined and dined him. The full-court press was on and, for the first time since high school, Jordan was an object of desire."
But, per Arnovitz, the seeds of Jordan's exodus were planted long before Jordan and Parsons became dinner pals:
"He was tired of [Chris] Paul's constant barking and petty gestures, like distributing high-fives to the three other guys on the floor following a timeout but somehow freezing out Jordan. Optics aside, the biggest issue for Jordan was that, despite the leaps and bounds he made to be named first team all-defense, the Clippers always treated him like the player he was when he arrived in the NBA, and never like the player he'd become.
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Now, the Clippers find themselves without their First Team All-Defensive center or many means of replacing him. Jamal Crawford, for one, isn't mad at his now-former teammate:
As it happens, Crawford figures to be in play to help the Clippers recoup a starting center, per Markazi, especially with Lance Stephenson joining L.A.'s roster. It's possible, too, that the Clippers will look to fill their vacancy at the 5 by turning Jordan's departure into a sign-and-trade with Dallas, per CBS Sports' Ken Berger:
However this situation shakes out, the Clippers are likely to take a significant step back in the West.
The Mavs, meanwhile, still have some work of their own to do this offseason if they're to contend in 2015-16. Finding an upgrade at point guard would appear to top Dallas' to-do list.
That being said, the Mavericks could (and should) find themselves in a much stronger position over the long haul than they were just a couple of days ago. With Jordan and Wesley Matthews joining Nowitzki and Parsons in Big D, the Mavs have assembled a solid foundation that could strengthen considerably in the not-so-distant future. As Michael Pina put it for Sports on Earth:
"Nobody is picking Dallas to win the title next season, and in the treacherous West it's still possible they get eliminated in the first round or miss the postseason altogether. But they definitely won't be terrible. And with Jordan officially onboard, their post-Nowitzki future looks brighter than it's ever been.
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The Latest on LaMarcus
There could be another noteworthy big man on his way to the Lone Star State. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the San Antonio Spurs are currently sharing the catbird seat with the Phoenix Suns in pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge's coveted services.
Aldridge has already met with those two teams in addition to the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors. According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, Aldridge was spotted dining with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in L.A. on Friday, marking the second time San Antonio has courted him this summer.
The Spurs seem to be the odds-on favorites in the Aldridge sweepstakes. Aside from offering him a return to his roots (he's from Dallas and went to college in Austin), San Antonio can bring him closer to the title that he covets. With his 30th birthday right around the corner on July 19, Aldridge isn't keen to waste any more time trawling for postseason success.
In the Alamo City, he probably wouldn't have to, not with Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green already set to re-up with the five-time champions.
The Suns can't offer any of that immediate certainty. They don't have any Larry O'Brien Trophies or rings to show off. But they do have some shiny objects of their own—namely, Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight, both of whom will be teaming with Eric Bledsoe, Markieff Morris and company once the 2015-16 season begins.
That's an enticing option for Aldridge, and the incumbent Portland Trail Blazers and Rockets might not be completely out of the picture just yet, per Berger. In all likelihood, though, Aldridge's decision will come down to two teams that locked into many a playoff battle in the mid- to late 2000s, with similarly high stakes.
Houston Keeps a Couple Killer B's
In case you hadn't noticed, it was a busy Friday for basketball in Texas.
The Houston Rockets continued their own inexorable march to reconstitute last season's Western Conference finalists. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Patrick Beverley, the Rockets' oft-injured bulldog of a point guard, will be back in Space City by way of an altogether agreeable deal:
The same goes for Corey Brewer, who has a new three-year, $23.4 million contract of his own to celebrate, per USA Today's Sam Amick.
According to ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins, the Rockets' returns have only emboldened the team in its pursuit of the biggest fish in this summer's sea of free agents:
And if there's anything Houston has made clear in recent years, it's that general manager Daryl Morey always has more tricks up his sleeve.
"We can be a dangerous, dangerous team," Beverley said upon re-signing, per the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.
Even more so if a certain All-Star power forward climbs aboard.
Kings Finally Find Takers
Beverley and Brewer were among the most recent free agents to spurn overtures from the Sacramento Kings.
This, a day after Wesley Matthews and Monta Ellis opted to sign with Dallas and Indiana, respectively, over lucrative offers to play in California's capital.
At the very least, though, Sacramento made contact on a pair of its swings on Friday. Whether either results in anything close to a home run is another story.
The splashier of the two came courtesy of Rajon Rondo, who will be stopping into Sacramento on a one-year deal worth $9.5 million, per Amick. Not surprisingly, the four-time All-Star has his sights set on getting a taste of next summer's expected salary-cap bonanza, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears:
"Rajon Rondo is taking one-year deal with Kings with expectation to cash in on major raise in salaries with TV deal next summer, source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 3, 2015"
Marco Belinelli will accompany Rondo at his introductory press conference. The small forward is set to leave San Antonio for a three-year, $19 million deal in Sacramento, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
As it happens, the Kings may have Rudy Gay to thank for getting the ball rolling in both cases. Per News10's Sean Cunningham:
"Rondo spent Thursday night in Sacramento and had dinner with close friend and new teammate Rudy Gay for over three hours. The two became close as McDonald's high school All-Americans and Rondo even served as a groomsman in Gay's wedding.
Gay was advising his friend throughout the free agency process and even played matchmaker for the Kings and Rondo.
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Once Gay piqued Rondo's interest in the Kings, the point guard reportedly pushed for the sort of perimeter marksmanship that Belinelli brings to the table, according to Spears:
Neither of these signings is likely to set Kings fans dancing in the streets of Sacramento, but their team had to do something of consequence after going to such questionable lengths to clear cap space. As Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote:
"Contending teams can flip first-round picks in exchange for pieces that might put them over the top. Rebuilding teams cannot flip first-round picks in exchange for nice players who might not even push them into the race for the no. 8 seed — especially not a Kings team already out a first-round pick to Chicago, via the Cavs, that they dealt in an on-its-face terrible deal for J.J. freaking Hickson.
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All told, the Kings are now banking on DeMarcus Cousins to continue dominating down low while Rondo aims for a career resurgence under head coach George Karl.
That is, if this combustible bunch doesn't explode first.
Knicks Say 'YOLO' to RoLo, Derrick Williams
Like the Kings, the New York Knicks have struck out in their attempts to court some of this year's most heralded free agents. But the Knicks, to their credit, have done more than save face with those they've managed to sign.
After snagging a commitment from Arron Afflalo on a two-year, $16 million deal on Wednesday, New York now has another former Trail Blazer, Robin Lopez, destined for its payroll. According to Wojnarowski, the bushier of the Lopez twins will pocket $54 million over the next four years.
Later on, the Knicks took another shot at filling out their frontcourt. According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, Derrick Williams will be leaving Sacramento for the Big Apple on a two-year, $10 million pact with a player option in the second year.
Williams has all but fallen off the map since the Minnesota Timberwolves took him No. 2 overall in 2011. But the 24-year-old forward could add a slice of upside and athleticism to Derek Fisher's rotation at a reasonable rate.
With Lopez and Afflalo in tow, the Knicks have moved two sizable steps closer to fielding an honest-to-goodness basketball team around Carmelo Anthony in 2015-16. And the offseason's far from done, which means Anthony should be expecting more company at Madison Square Garden before all is said and done this summer.
Harris, Magic Extend Their Love Affair
At one point, the Knicks were thought to be serious suitors for Tobias Harris, a native of Islip, New York. That time has apparently passed now that Harris, a restricted free agent, is due to ink a four-year, $64 million deal to stay with the Orlando Magic, per RealGM's Shams Charania.
According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, this is the outcome for which Harris had been angling all along, dating back to his extension eligibility last season:
This, after rumors of discord between Harris and Scott Skiles, Tobias' former coach in Milwaukee, surfaced—and were subsequently squashed, per CBS Sports' James Herbert.
Apparently, the feeling was mutual, especially after the Magic came up empty elsewhere in free agency, per NBA.com's David Aldridge:
Harris should continue to serve as a solid offensive option on the wing in Orlando, alongside Nikola Vucevic and the burgeoning backcourt of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton. He averaged a career-best 17.1 points on 46.6 percent shooting (36.4 percent from three) in the Magic Kingdom last season.
Best of all, Harris is still young enough to grow in lockstep with Orlando's improving core, as Kennedy noted:
Things That Rhyme with 'Deal' and Other Tidbits
Elsewhere around the Association, the Washington Wizards added some depth and shooting to their backcourt. According to Wojnarowski, the Wizards will bring Baltimore native Gary Neal closer to home on a one-year, $2.1 million deal by way of their biannual exception.
Back in Texas, the Mavericks didn't just spend their Friday fitting Jordan under the cap. They were also busy retaining a pair of last season's reserves.
According to Spears, Dallas has brought Richard Jefferson back into the fold. It appears the same will soon be true for J.J. Barea, per Aldridge.
Sign-and-Trade Signals
The sign-and-trade portion of this summer's free-agent frenzy could soon be underway, beyond whatever terms the Clippers might try to swing with the Mavs regarding Jordan.
If L.A. can't find a replacement at center that way, it could consort with the Memphis Grizzlies. According to Wojnarowski, the Grizzlies are open to signing-and-trading Kosta Koufos, an unrestricted free agent who served as Marc Gasol's primary backup during the last two seasons.
Woj was also the first to report the Charlotte Hornets' willingness to sign-and-trade Mo Williams.
Rumor Has It...
As for the rest of Friday's NBA hearsay...
Per the Plain Dealer's Chris Haynes, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in touch with Rodney Stuckey. His decision figures to play a part in the future of J.R. Smith, who opted out of the last year of his deal with the Cavs to explore free agency.
According to Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling, Amar'e Stoudemire has exchanged some free-agent glances with a slew of interested NBA teams:
Those with a need in the middle and some flexibility to spare would do well to check in on the Indiana Pacers' most recent starting frontcourt. According to Wojnarowski, the Wizards have held on to their full midlevel exception with the hope of using it to attract David West to D.C.
Meanwhile, Roy Hibbert is still in Naptown, though he may not be for long. Per Berger, "Once the free-agent dust settles, the Pacers will engage teams in trade scenarios for Roy Hibbert, league sources said. They're looking for teams with room who can absorb Hibbert's $15.5 million salary."
The Clippers could be among those angling for Hibbert's services in the event the Mavs are willing to play ball on a Jordan sign-and-trade. As the Los Angeles Daily News' Robert Morales reported:
"A league source told this newspaper shortly after Jordan’s team announced he was leaving that the Clippers could aim for a deal like this that would bring them Hibbert, send Jordan to Dallas with Dallas shooting guard Monta Ellis heading to Indiana. Ellis on Thursday agreed to a four-year deal with the Pacers.
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With all of Day 3's wild action in the books, be sure to check back with us for Day 4's action Saturday.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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