Everything You Need to Know from Day 10 of NBA Free Agency

NBA teams weren't focused on adding stars during Monday's portion of the free-agency festivities. Not many remain on the open market, and the ones who do are still hearing pitches and evaluating offers. 

Instead, it was a depth day. 

Reggie Bullock, Alan Williams and Joffrey Lauvergne provided the highlights, while rumors about other second-unit contributors such as Ian Clark swirled. But lest we forget, those are important pieces for any competitive organization; starters alone can't guarantee success. 

Did the NBA happenings flee your mind while you watched Aaron Judge pound baseballs over the centerfield statue in Marlins Park? Did you miss any of the news throughout the day while beginning another work week? 

Don't worry. We've got you covered.

Alan Williams Will Remain in Phoenix

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Alan Williams is returning to the Phoenix Suns on a three-year deal worth $17 million, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania.

Alex Len is probably not all that thrilled.

Dragan Bender, Tyson Chandler and Marquese Chriss, in addition to Williams, all factor into the 4-5 rotation, and Phoenix has to find minutes for Jared Dudley, Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren at power forward. Len, a restricted free agent, will almost certainly become collateral damage in this logjam.

Williams is an interesting player. His per-minute numbers are through the roof, and there were times last season when he superseded Len in head coach Earl Watson's rotation. While undersized for a center at 6'8", he's a defensive rebounding machine despite a suboptimal vertical. Opponents shot under 50 percent against him at the rim, and he's at least a serviceable lane-runner out of the pick-and-roll.

If the Suns remain committed to getting younger, then Chandler's departure is inevitable, at which time Williams becomes an invaluable worker bee. This commitment represents a slight gamble, since he's never sniffed the 1,000-minute plateau, but the price is low enough for Phoenix to float it absent of any buyer's remorse. 

Joffrey Lauvergne Joins San Antonio's Cause

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Joffrey Lauvergne just punched his ticket into the basketball Hall of Fame.

After splitting time with the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder through his first three NBA seasons, the 6'11" skyscraper has joined the San Antonio Spurs on a two-year deal, according to Charania. Now the question is: How many All-Star appearances will he make? Will he be their next frontcourt success story?

Dewayne Dedmon made a name for himself in San Antonio last season predominantly as a reserve. Lauvergne, 26, barely does any of the same things, but he's an OK stationary rim protector, decent defensive rebounder and improving three-point sniper. 

And, yes, we're playing it fast and loose with the use of "improving."

Lauvergne is a career 29.3 percent shooter from downtown, but he's boosted his accuracy rate and volume every year. The Spurs showed a willingness to let Pau Gasol bomb away, and Lauvergne should get the green light if and when he works his way into the rotation.

Anyway, you know how this goes: The Spurs sign an afterthought to a cheap deal, he outperforms his contract, they win 60-plus games and we wonder loudly and shamelessly which teams will overpay him the next time he hits free agency.

Detroit Pistons Re-Sign a Wing

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The news we've all been waiting for finally broke Monday night, per The Vertical's Shams Charania: The Detroit Pistons finally came to an agreement with their incumbent wing and brought him back on a new contract. 

No, not Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He's still a free agent, now of the unrestricted variety after the Pistons rescinded his offer sheet in the wake of the Avery Bradley trade. 

We're talking about Reggie Bullock. Obviously. 

Since going No. 25 in the 2013 NBA draft, Bullock has played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Pistons, with whom he's spent the last two years of his career. Now, he'll be there for another two as he's paid $5 million for his services. 

So, does this move the needle for the Motor City? 

Not really. Bullock has proved himself a decent wing defender and can knock down the occasional triple (39.7 percent on 1.9 attempts per game for the Pistons), but there's a reason he's played so sparingly in every location. He's not a star in the Association, and that's not likely to change as he embarks upon his age-26 season. 

This is a depth move for the Pistons. They'll likely slot Bullock behind Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard, only playing him for about 15 minutes per game unless his all-around efforts experience a late—and unexpected—surge. 

—B/R's Adam Fromal

Carmelo Anthony Thinks He Might Be Houston-Bound

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Another day, another Carmelo Anthony trade rumor.

During an appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN.com's Ian Begley indicated that Anthony "feels pretty confident" the New York Knicks will send him to the Houston Rockets. Here's the full context of what he said (via Clutch Points):

"I’m told that Carmelo feels pretty confident at this point that a deal will get worked out to Houston but the teams to date are nowhere near the finish because it’s so tough for the Knicks and Rockets to get a deal together one-to-one. So it looks like there is going to have to be a third team involved. Probably Ryan Anderson is going to have to be moved on to that third team for this deal to happen."

There are a lot of moving parts here—perhaps too many.

Finding a taker for the final three years and $61.3 million on Anderson's contract will be difficult. The Rockets must ship out at least one first-round pick to grease the wheels, which directly impacts what they'll be able to give the Knicks as part of the trade.

Hashing out an agreement will be easier if New York is interested only in immediate salary-cap relief without absorbing long-term deals. Is person-in-charge Steve Mills ready to sell that low? And if so, can the Rockets line up a new home for Anderson?

Though it feels like Anthony will be in a different uniform at the start of next season, the looming logistical hurdles are such that he could go from trade asset to buyout candidate to just plain stuck in a matter of hours.

Ian Clark Has Caught Milwaukee's Eye

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Multiple sources told the Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel the Milwaukee Bucks' ongoing search for perimeter shooters has led them to Ian Clark, the combo guard who upped his stock over the past two seasons with the Golden State Warriors.

This is a fairly good fit depending on the price. Clark shot 37.4 percent from beyond the arc last year and was even more efficient off the catch, putting down 42.3 percent of his spot-up treys.  

Executives around the league initially thought Clark would command the mid-level exception or more, according to Charania, but the market has cooled relative to last summer (particularly for guards not named Tim Hardaway Jr.). Milwaukee might be able to get him for substantially less than the $8.4 million sticker price originally attached to him.

Even then, any sizable investment in Clark over the long haul is a dice roll.

More than 50 percent of his field-goal attempts this past season came with a defender four or more feet away. He has spent the last two years shining in garbage time and playing off All-NBA talents left and right. He won't enjoy that same luxury in Milwaukee or anywhere else.

Again: If the price is right, the cash-strapped—not to mention spacing-strained—Bucks should take a flyer. But, after bankrolling what have turned out to be questionable deals for Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson and Mirza Teletovic, they can ill afford to miss, even if they'll only be on the hook for part of the mid-level exception.

Denver Nuggets Eyeing Mason Plumlee

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The Denver Nuggets don't plan to let Mason Plumlee walk after moving to acquire him in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers last year. That wouldn't be a great look after Jusuf Nurkic blossomed in his new home. 

Plumlee obviously won't start in the Mile High City now that Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic are locked into the frontcourt's featured spots. But he would be a great addition for depth, especially since his skill set is rather similar to Jokic's. He's not as advanced a scorer and is more athletic operating on the interior, but his ability to serve as a facilitator from the elbows and out of the post help Denver keep running offense through its bigs. 

That's presumably what president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had in mind when speaking about the team's desire to bring back its restricted free agent. 

"Roster balance is something we need to look at...We're excited to get Mason back," he said on an ESPNU broadcast, as relayed by BSN Denver's Harrison Wind. 

How that happens remains to be seen. To this point, no reports of Plumlee discussions have emerged from Nuggets headquarters, though they may just plan on matching any offer sheet he receives from another organization. 

—B/R's Adam Fromal

This Day in Knicks: Hypocrisy, Rondo and an Excellent Tim Hardaway Jr. Quote

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"Bringing back Tim to his original NBA home is an exciting time for him and this franchise," Steve Mills said of the Knicks' decision to guarantee Hardaway $71 million over the next four years. "As a versatile wing whose game continues to improve, he will fit right into the core of players that make up a roster emphasizing youth, athleticism, accountability and unselfishness."

How did Mills follow up his little nod to the importance of accountability?

By missing Hardaway's introductory press conference on Monday, per the New York Daily News' Frank Isola. Duh.

Whatever, though. At least Hardaway would quash some of the prevailing confusion and snark incited by his return to the Big Apple. 

Or maybe not.

As Hardaway told reporters of the Knicks' free-agency pitch, per the Record's Steve Popper: "They said straight up, 'You have to obviously improve a lot more on defense and improve a lot more on the offensive end.'"

This sounds more like a rejection letter than an offer. And yet, the Knicks gave Hardaway $71 million, because they're the Knicks.

But don't let any of this Knicksyness distract you from the fact that they remain in touch with free-agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Begley, or that their search for a general manager has come to a screeching halt.

Basically, it's business as usual for the NBA's foremost laughingstock.

Orlando Shows C.J. Watson the Door

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In one of this summer's more predictable moves, the Orlando Magic have elected to waive C.J. Watson, according to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes.

Watson became expendable after the addition of Shelvin Mack, and with his $5 million salary set to fully guarantee after July 10, showing him the door was a no-brainer. Orlando gains $4 million in cap space by ditching his deal, and head coach Frank Vogel won't be tempted to dilute the point guard rotation even further.

(Aside: R.I.P. to the short-lived Mack-Watson-D.J. Augustin-Elfrid Payton carousel. They had the potential to form one of the most random floor-general rotations in league history.)

Watson should be able to find work elsewhere, even if it's on a make-good contract—and not just because Minnesota Timberwolves coach-president Tom Thibodeau is collecting old Chicago Bulls soldiers like Pogs. 

Orlando signed him to a three-year, $15 million deal in 2015 because he was, at the time, a career 38.3 percent three-point marksman. Point guards who can operate off the ball are always valuable, and Watson remains unafraid to fire away in a hurry.

Granted, he buried just 30.1 percent of his triples through two seasons in Orlando. But Stephen Curry himself would have trouble nuking nylon within the Magic's cluster-you-know-what of an offense.

Top Remaining Free Agents

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The talent pool is dwindling quickly, but quite a few impact players are still looking for homes. These are the top five free agents remaining from our original Big Board:

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Unrestricted

Will Kentavious Caldwell-Pope end up making more than $16 million per year from a team buying into his two-way upside, or will starting the offseason as a restricted free agent come back to bite him? Either way, his potential to thrive from beyond the arc and serve as a lockdown defender could make him a bargain. 

2. Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Restricted

If another franchise can steal Nerlens Noel away from the Dallas Mavericks, they'll be adding a big who can capably protect the rim in any and all situations while also thriving as a roll man. But let's be real. That's not happening, because the Mavs are surely matching any offer sheet Noel signs this summer. 

3. Dewayne Dedmon, C, Unrestricted

Just imagine if Dewayne Dedmon develops an offensive game. He's currently limited to cleaning up trash around the basket and finishing the occasional roll with an easy slam while preserving energy for his fantastic and versatile defense. If he develops even a single go-to post move, he could quickly elevate up the NBA's center hierarchy. 

4. JaMychal Green, PF/C, Restricted

JaMychal Green can handle the ball like a wing, especially when he's allowed to play the part of facilitator. He can comfortably score in the post or step out to the arc for the occasional three-point try. He's a deft defender noteworthy for his versatility. All he's missing is the opportunity to blossom into a star and make the most of his per-minute excellence. 

5. Pau Gasol, PF/C, Unrestricted

Pau Gasol is no longer a dominant player in any one area. He can score from the inside or the perimeter, and he's a surprisingly adept defender if he's placed in a system that mitigates his lack of mobility. The San Antonio Spurs figured out how to use him perfectly, and that's why, per Wojnarowski, they plan to bring him back.

—B/R's Adam Fromal

Dan Favale and Adam Fromal cover the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow them on Twitter, @danfavale and @fromal09.

Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.