2014 Free Agency Updates

[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Yahoo Sources: Euro shooter Damjan Rudez reaches agreement on three-year deal with Indiana Pacers. <a href="http://t.co/usXyxBAkvt">http://t.co/usXyxBAkvt</a></p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484346844932108288">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Free agent guard Ben Gordon has agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal with the Orlando Magic, league source tells Yahoo Sports.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484381238308782082">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Cavs believed to be preparing a max offer sheet for restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, sources said. Yahoo reported he is visiting today</p>&mdash; Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/statuses/484381497676554241">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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:shocked:

 

[Phills14]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: Utah restricted free agent Gordon Hayward meeting in Cleveland today, lucrative offer sheet forthcoming. <a href="http://t.co/uOv7QPttT9">http://t.co/uOv7QPttT9</a></p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484388868678901761">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Utah Jazz restricted free agent Gordon Hayward is meeting with Cleveland Cavaliers officials in Ohio today, and a lucrative, multi-year offer sheet is expected to be forthcoming, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Hayward is meeting with the front office and coaching staff today, but owner Dan Gilbert isn't expected to be part of the presentation, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Hayward, 24, could sign an offer sheet with the Cavaliers when the free-agent moratorium is lifted July 10, and league rules would give Utah three days to make a decision on matching the deal. The Jazz and Cavaliers could also negotiate a sign-and-trade agreement.

Utah had contract extension talks with Hayward in October that ultimately ended without an agreement. Jazz officials have maintained that they value Hayward, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, and will match any offer. If the Cavaliers decide to make a max offer of four years, $60-plus million, it will test the Jazz's devotion to Hayward's talents.

Hayward averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 assists and five rebounds last season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If Cavs make max offer to Gordon Hayward, it would be a four-year, $63m deal starting at $14.8m. He made $3.5m last season.</p>&mdash; Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/statuses/484390588146802688">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Douglar]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...-maximum-offer-sheet-gordon-hayward-utah-jazz

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting restricted free agent forward Gordon Hayward for a visit Wednesday and are preparing a huge offer sheet to try to pry him away from the Utah Jazz, sources told ESPN.com.

The Cavs, who have the ability to clear as much as $20 million in salary-cap space, are believed to be willing to start a deal at the maximum contract number of about $15 million per season.

The Cavs see Hayward as a complement to young franchise cornerstones Kyrie Irving and No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins.

Cleveland, which got a commitment from Irving to sign a five-year, $90 million extension earlier this week, sees Wiggins as a shooting guard. Hayward would become the small forward.

The Cavs had been hoping to secure a meeting with LeBron James but haven't been successful and moved on to make Hayward their top free-agent target.

Hayward averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Jazz last season in 77 games, all starts. He had seven games with double-digit rebounds and six with double-digit assists. He scored more than 20 points in 22 games.

Hayward was selected with the ninth overall selection in the 2010 draft out of Butler. For his career, he's averaged 12 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 287 games, 179 of them starts.

No offer sheets can be signed until July 10.

 

[Douglar]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Told by Cavs source details reported about meeting with Jazz free agent Gordon Hawyard have been &quot;greatly exaggerated.&quot;</p>&mdash; Sam The Bullshit Whisperer (@SamAmicoFSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamAmicoFSO/statuses/484417013888974851">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Douglar]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Free agent CJ Miles has agreed to 4-year, $18M deal with Pacers, league source tells Yahoo. <a href="https://twitter.com/CandaceDBuckner">@CandaceDBuckner</a> 1st reported an agreement.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484416321384247296">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>ESPN has learned, meanwhile, that Bulls officials are headed to LA on Thursday for sitdown with their top target after Melo: Pau Gasol</p>&mdash; Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/484459120809246721">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bulls and Thunder have emerged as two new top-flight teams in the hunt for Gasol, who has predictably been drawing considerable interest</p>&mdash; Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/484459379752988672">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

From Broussard:

When the Miami Heat's "Big 3" went their separate ways after a lunch meeting last Wednesday, they went not knowing whether they had played their last game together, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

While Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were committed to returning to the Heat, LeBron James was unsure of what he would do, the sources said.

The only certainty coming out of the meeting concerning James was that he wanted a maximum-level salary.

James did not ask or suggest that Wade and Bosh opt out of their deals or take lesser salaries to allow the Heat to add other top players, according to the sources.

When Bosh and Wade opted out of their contracts a few days later -- joining James who had done so before their lunch meeting -- it was widely assumed the three were working together and would all return to the Heat.

But sources who have spoken with two of the Big 3 said that was not the case. Bosh and Wade are intent on returning to Miami, but neither of them knows what James will do.

"It's not a done deal," said one source, when asked about James' return to Miami. "That's for sure."

Bosh and Wade were so uncertain about James's future after last week's meeting that one of them spoke about what the Heat might look like without James, according to one source.

The decisions of Bosh and Wade to opt out of the final two years and $42 million of their contracts were sparked by their desire to add better players in an effort to entice James to stay in Miami, one source said.

While both players expect to sign larger contracts overall, each is willing to take less money annually.

Bosh is looking to sign a five-year deal worth between $80 million and $90 million while Wade is thinking along the lines of $55 million-60 million over four years, sources said.

Those figures, combined with a max-level contract that would begin at $20.7 million for James, would not clear the cap room it would likely take to sign free-agent targets such as Kyle Lowry, Luol Deng and possibly Pau Gasol.

James's camp has handled this year's free agency much different than it did in 2010. James has hired a new agent since then in longtime friend Rich Paul, and Paul has played it close to the vest.

Paul spoke with clubs interested in signing James beginning at midnight on Tuesday. His responsibility is to share that information with James and then James will decide the next steps.

One similarity between 2014 and 2010 is that James was likewise noncommittal in a meeting with Bosh and Wade before the trio joined forces in Miami that summer.

 

[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This will make <a href="https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills">@Patty_Mills</a> shoulder feel better. He and the Spurs have agreed to a 3-year contract. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Spurs?src=hash">#Spurs</a></p>&mdash; Buck Harvey (@Buck_SA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Buck_SA/statuses/484474023317745664">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Pau Gasol Addendum No. 1: Sources say Bulls' rising interest in Pau IS indeed reflection of concern they can't convince Melo to leave NYK</p>&mdash; Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/484487716508143616">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Thunder free agent guard Thabo Sefolosha visited the Wizards today, a source said, but no offer was made and there isn't much to offer.</p>&mdash; Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/statuses/484502311197097984">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Cleveland's belief that Utah will match any Hayward offer sheet is strongly discouraging Cavs from extending one, league sources tell Yahoo.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484496820236611584">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kyle Lowry has agreed to a 4 year, $48M contract to stay with Toronto, sources tell Yahoo.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484531648940085250">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Lowry's deal will including an ETO after the third year of the contract, source tells Yahoo Sports.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/484532371232784385">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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No contract offer for Gordon Hayward yet from Cavaliers
Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports 10:54 p.m. EDT July 2, 2014

The Cleveland Cavaliers will not be giving restricted free agent small forward Gordon Hayward an offer sheet Wednesday after his visit with the team, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

Despite indications that Hayward would refer an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, the person said the visit was an opportunity to get acquainted. The possibility of a later offer remains. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

Hayward, 23, is one of the top young free agents on the market, but the widespread belief is that the Utah Jazz would match any offer that comes his way. As USA TODAY Sports reported Monday, Hayward was expected to draw interest from the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, the Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and others.

 

[Douglar]

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/market-shrinking-on-miamis-big-three/#pqjyhSc8LqHhD34Z.99

[James is looking to] secure a max level two-year deal this summer.

According to an ESPN report, Bosh and Wade are committed to returning to the HEAT but James is less certain about the possibility. As free agency rages on, teams have been unable to contact James in order to setup meetings to sell the superstar of their own visions of grandeur. James wants to win at a high level. He is playing for legacy. Due to the explosion of social media, James is arguably the most criticized megastar in the history of sports. Despite the calm demeanor in front of the cameras when facing the media during times of adversity, James knows the only way to silence the harshest critics is to win even more titles.

And for this reason, Miami may no longer be the best option for James.

 

[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Free agent point guard Sebastian Telfair and Oklahoma City reach agreement, league sources inform <a href="https://twitter.com/CSNNW">@CSNNW</a> <a href="http://t.co/QLqDRlcBzy">http://t.co/QLqDRlcBzy</a></p>&mdash; Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/statuses/484641844681134080">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Sacramento Kings and Darren Collison are in discussions on a deal, sources tell HoopsHype. <a href="http://t.co/p8KojyRpwJ">http://t.co/p8KojyRpwJ</a></p>&mdash; HoopsHype (@hoopshype) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopshype/statuses/484705977200308224">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nothing I've heard leads me to believe the Heat have $10-12M to spend, as has been reported. More likely they operated as capped team.</p>&mdash; Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthanJSkolnick/statuses/484715687374778368">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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:detective

 

[wuck]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The irony -- am I using that correctly? -- is that Stan Van Gundy blew up the market on the Heat, with the Meeks move.</p>&mdash; Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthanJSkolnick/statuses/484720153871908865">July 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
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