July 6, 2013 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Jarrett Jack is signing with Cleveland Cavaliers

Jarrett Jack still sounded a little surprised Saturday that he was no longer a member of the Golden State Warriors. But the veteran guard knows the NBA life leads to sudden changes, and so, he’s ready to move on to his next gig, in Cleveland, as a member of the Cavaliers.

The Cavs agreed to terms with the eight-year veteran, one of the top free agents on the market, on a four-year, $26 million deal that will be consummated after the NBA’s moratorium on signing contracts ends July 10.

Jack became available after the Warriors reached agreement Friday with free agent Andre Iguodala on a four-year, $48 million deal, forcing them to have to renounce their rights to Jack and forward Carl Landry (who agreed to a deal in Sacramento Saturday) when the moratorium ends.

The Contra Costa Times first reported the agreement between Cleveland and Jack.

Reported by David Aldridge of TNT/NBA.com

Shaun Livingston is signing with Brooklyn Nets

In need of a backup point guard to support starter Deron Williams, the Brooklyn Nets turned to a popular name who showed promise years ago before suffering a brutal injury.

The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to terms with backup point guard Shaun Livingston, a source told ESPNNewYork.com.

ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported earlier Saturday that the Nets were closing in on a deal with Livingston to add backcourt depth under new coach Jason Kidd.

Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Detroit Pistons will sign Josh Smith

The Josh Smith era in Atlanta is over.

The Hawks forward has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Pistons according to WSB.

Smith played all nine seasons with his hometown Hawks, who selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He is ranked in the top 10 in most of the Hawks’ all-time statistical categories, including games, points and rebounds.

Smith could have received a maximum deal of five years and $94 million from the Hawks.

Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Detroit Pistons jumped into free-agency feet first after testing the waters, striking a deal with Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith to a four-year, $54 million deal, sources tell the Detroit News.

The deal could rise to $56 million if Smith reaches performance incentives but for the moment, he’ll be making $13.5 million per season to play both forward spots for the Pistons, immediately turning them into a more athletic and dynamic team.

The Pistons were first at Smith’s door in Los Angeles at the dawn of free agency, at 12:01 AM Monday morning, making clear their intentions to be a real player in free agency with over $20 million in cap space.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News

Dwight Howard says Kobe Bryant was not why he left Lakers

Dwight Howard downplayed Kobe Bryant’s pitch as a reason for leaving the Lakers for Houston and claimed he was already a winner in an interview with The Times’ T.J. Simers.

In the Lakers’ meeting with Howard on Tuesday, Bryant reportedly told Howard he should listen to Bryant more often to learn how to become a champion.

“People twisted a lot of things he said,” Howard said Friday night. “I haven’t won a championship but I’m in the NBA. That’s winning. I’m blessed to be able to play this game, blessed to come out of back surgery. Winning isn’t all about just having a championship, but winning in life. Kobe never challenged that and nothing he said had anything to do with my decision. I respect Kobe, know who he is, but this is about me and going in a different direction.”

Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Dallas Mavericks interested in Andrew Bynum

After moving on from Dwight Howard’s decision to head to Houston, the Mavericks have started to seriously pursue Andrew Bynum, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

However, the Mavs will proceed with caution due to the knee condition that caused the 7-foot, 285-pound Bynum to miss all of his lone season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to the sources, the evaluation process of the 25-year-old Bynum’s problematic knees will be “exhaustive.”

The Mavs consider their medical staff, headlined by Team USA athletic trainer Casey Smith and Dr. T.O. Souryal, to be the best in the league.

Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Free agent Dorell Wright and Trail Blazers agree to two-year, $6 million contract

Free agent wing Dorell Wright has agreed to sign a two-year contract for $6 million with the Trail Blazers, agent Greg Lawrence said.

The signing won’t become official until Wednesday.

“He was really impressed with Coach Stotts and Neil (Olshey) and how they thought he would fit in,” Lawrence said. “He’s excited about playing with (Damian) Lillard and he likes the city.”

Wright, a 6-foot-9 sharp-shooter, last season averaged 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds as a reserve for Philadelphia.

Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian

Tyreke Evans says he wanted to stay with Kings

Tyreke Evans said it still hasn’t fully set in that at the start of his fifth NBA season he will not be a King.

His hope when free agency began July 1 was that he would reach an agreement to stay in Sacramento. Instead, Evans will head to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade on Wednesday, when the NBA moratorium on transactions is lifted.

“It’s been interesting just going through the process figuring out what was going to happen,” Evans said. “But at the end of the day, it was business. We (agent Arn Tellem and Evans’ family) did what was best for my career. We definitely wanted to stay in Sac, but that didn’t work out, so I have an opportunity to go to New Orleans.”

Evans will sign a four-year contract worth $44 million, the sum New Orleans offered him as a restricted free agent, and be dealt to the Pelicans in a three-team trade that will bring point guard Greivis Vasquez to Sacramento.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Clippers and Matt Barnes agree to three-year, $11-million deal

The Clippers continue to shape up their roster, this time agreeing to bring back one of their own free agents.

Free-agent Matt Barnes agreed Friday to a deal allowing the small forward to return to the team.

This caps a busy week for the Clippers after getting Chris Paul to agree to re-sign on Tuesday and doing a trade on Wednesday to acquire J.J. Redick from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns.

Barnes will sign a three-year deal worth about $11 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the negotiations. The first two years of the contract will be guaranteed, the executives said…

The Clippers used part of the $5.1-million mid-level exception on Barnes, and it probably means they won’t be able to sign free-agent power forward Carl Landry, who walked away from a $4-million contract next season from the Golden State Warriors and was seeking at least that much in a new deal.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Andre Iguodala will join Golden State Warriors

The Nuggets are in Plan B mode.

Their top target this offseason was their own free agent, Andre Iguodala. But the swingman decided Friday to play for the Golden State Warriors, two NBA sources confirmed.

Iguodala accepted a four-year contract that will pay him $48 million. He can’t officially sign with Golden State until Wednesday.

The Nuggets are left without their most versatile player and best perimeter defender. It’s been a difficult couple of months for the franchise, which has suffered significant losses in the front office and now on the court…

Iguodala has been enamored with the Warriors for a while. When the Nuggets weren’t able to secure his services for days after the Sacramento Kings offered, then rescinded, a four-year contract worth $14 million annually, his exit from Denver seemed inevitable.

According to one source, the Nuggets offered Iguodala a five-year contract worth $60 million — with $52 million guaranteed. That’s right, the Nuggets presented a more lucrative offer than did Golden State. Yet the Warriors beat the Nuggets again.

Reported by Christopher Dempsey and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Dwight Howard leaves Lakers for Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard has agreed to terms with the Houston Rockets, joining an up-and-coming team with one of the NBA’s most dynamic young players while becoming the biggest free-agent name to ever turn his back on the Lakers.

He ditched the Lakers despite their very public campaign to retain him, including numerous billboards around Los Angeles with his image and the simple slogan “STAY.”

But Howard left, eschewing pitches from Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and a team of Lakers executives in a lengthy meeting Tuesday in Beverly Hills…

Howard declined a five-year, $118-million contract offer from the Lakers to accept a four-year, $88-million deal with the Rockets, his third team in an 11-month period.

“Walt Disney said, ‘Big risks, big rewards,’” Howard said. “He put everything he had into ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ and the sky was the limit. Now there’s Disneyland and Disney World.

“It’s a big sacrifice leaving $30 million. Really, really a big sacrifice. But I want to win a championship and I want to get back to being the person who I am and have some fun and enjoy playing basketball. And I think that’s what I’ll find in Houston.”

Reported by Mike Bresnahan and T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times