Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Carmelo Anthony will reportedly re-sign with Trail Blazers

Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career will continue, and he’ll remain where he’s comfortable. In Portland. Via the New York Post:

Carmelo Anthony won’t be making a return to the Knicks.

The veteran wing, who spent seven seasons in New York, is finalizing a one-year deal to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to The Athletic. Anthony wanted to show loyalty to the franchise that gave him a second chance at the NBA last season and knows he will play a key role on a potential NBA title contender, The Athletic reported.

The 36-year-old Anthony enjoyed a resurgence in Portland, averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds last season while helping the Blazers storm to the playoffs in the NBA bubble.

Jerami Grant leaving Nuggets as free agent to join Pistons

Forward Jerami Grant will reportedly be leaving the Nuggets as a free agent to join the Pistons. Via the Detroit News:

At 6-foot-8, Grant has the versatility to play either forward spot and looks to be the starting small forward alongside Blake Griffin. He’s expanded his 3-point production to about 39% in each of his last two seasons and he brings a defensive presence to guard either forward spot. Grant carved out a nice niche for himself with the Denver Nuggets, who made the same offer of three years and $60 million, but Grant opted for the Pistons in order to have an expanded role on offense. It’s the biggest financial commitment the Pistons made in free agency and they got a solid player who can be insurance in case Griffin is injured again.

One of the big questions is why the Pistons didn’t commit the same money to Christian Wood, who reached a deal with the Houston Rockets for three years and $41 million. One read on that is that Grant is a more proven commodity in his six seasons and although Grant’s numbers haven’t been as solid as Wood’s were last year in a smaller sample size, the Pistons were more comfortable spending that money on Grant’s potential in their building plan.

Knicks and Nerlens Noel agree to a contract

The Knicks haven’t added stars this free agency, but they’ve been filling out their supporting cast. Via the New York Post:

Nerlens Noel agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal to join the Knicks, ESPN reported, providing depth at center behind Mitchell Robinson.

The 6-foot-10 Noel, the No. 6 overall pick by the 76ers in 2013, spent last season with the Thunder, averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while offering a defensive presence.

Rajon Rondo leaving Lakers to sign with Hawks

The Hawks have been as busy as any team in the NBA during the first two days of free agency. The latest is that veteran guard Rajon Rondo will be leaving the 2020 league champion Lakers to head to Atlanta. Via the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

The Hawks are signing Rajon Rondo to a two-year, $15 million contract, the AJC has confirmed.

Rondo, 34, will bring a veteran presence and playoff experience to a young Hawks team trying to qualify for the postseason this year. He also will fill a hole on the Hawks’ roster as a secondary playmaker and ballhandler behind Trae Young. That was one of three major problems the Hawks had to solve entering the 2020 season – improved 3-point percentage (which the Danilo Gallinari signing addresses), improved defense (which the Kris Dunn signing addresses) and preventing the offense from stalling when Young goes to the bench, something the Rondo signing can help with if he gives the second unit a boost.

Nets and Jeff Green reportedly agree to a contract

The Nets roster for the 2020-21 NBA season is packed with talent, and veteran forward Jeff Green will reportedly be joining the mix. Via the New York Daily News:

The Nets continue to build a roster in Kevin Durant’s vision, agreeing to terms with veteran forward Jeff Green. Durant and Green have a relationship dating back to their days as teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Nets’ acquisition of Green addresses a key need for a floor-spacing, versatile two-way player at the four. He has played this role on a number of potential contenders, including last season’s Houston Rockets and the 2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers…

In 18 games with the Rockets last season, Green averaged 12 points and shot 56% from the field and 35% from three.

Hornets and Gordon Hayward reportedly agree to contract

The Celtics are losing one of their key contributors to the Hornets in free agency. Here’s Boston.com:

The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to the Hornets on Saturday, as the small forward reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal with Charlotte.

Even though Hayward spent much of his three seasons in Boston missing time due to injuries, his departure is still a hit to the team. After struggling to regain his All-Star form in the 2018-19 season, Hayward bounced back this past year. He averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, showing some signs of the player he was prior to the gruesome ankle injury he suffered in his first game as Celtic…

While Hayward’s $34.2 million max salary is off the books, the Celtics don’t gain another max slot with him leaving. Moreover, the Celtics are currently over the $109.1 salary cap for next season. The Celtics’ salary for next season currently sits at $109.28 million, which includes the cap holds of first-round draft picks Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard as well as restricted free agents Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters.

Thunder will reportedly trade Steven Adams to Pelicans

In the middle of two days of frenzied free agent signing agreements, a multi-team trade is materializing that will send Thunder center Steven Adams to the New Orleans Pelicans. Via the Oklahoman:

The reality of a rebuild had hit by Monday, but Steven Adams’ name remained at the top of the Thunder roster entering the weekend, giving comfort to those fans still clinging to the past.

That last connection to the glory days disappeared early Saturday morning, when it was reported that the Thunder’s beloved center of seven years is headed to New Orleans as part of a four-team deal among the Thunder, Pelicans, Bucks and Nuggets.

In exchange for Adams, the Thunder will receive guard George Hill, forward Darius Miller, a 2023 protected first-round pick from the Nuggets and two future second-round picks from the Nuggets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

It’s a tremendous haul for Adams, an old-school, 27-year-old center earning $27.5 million in the final year of his contract…

The Thunder selected Adams with the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He became a full-time starter by his second season, and the quirky New Zealand native was adopted as an honorary Oklahoman.

Lakers and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope agree to a deal

The Lakers and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are sticking together, and this time on a longer deal than they’ve agreed to in the past. Via the LA Times:

The Lakers agreed to re-sign guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year contract, keeping one of their most valuable players from this year‘s championship run in purple and gold.

The deal is worth $40 million, according to people with knowledge of the agreement not authorized to speak publicly.

Caldwell-Pope is represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, the agency that also represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis and new Laker Montrezl Harrell.

Knicks and Elfrid Payton agree to contract

The Knicks and Elfrid Payton said their goodbyes, then quickly said “just kidding.” Here’s the New York Post:

After waving him on Thursday, the Knicks are set to re-sign Payton on a one-year, $5 million deal to fill the team’s hole at point guard, The Post’s Marc Berman confirmed.

Payton becomes the Knicks’ second signing since free agency began, joining swingman Alec Burks, who agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal on Friday night.

Last year, after signing a two-year, $16 million deal to join the Knicks, Payton started 36 games and averaged 10 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Cavaliers sign Isaac Okoro to rookie contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed their 2020 NBA Draft pick, guard/forward Isaac Okoro (oh-CORE-oh), General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Okoro (6-6, 225) was selected by the Cavaliers with the fifth overall pick in Wednesday’s draft. In his lone collegiate season at Auburn in 2019-20, Okoro played in 28 games (all starts), averaging 12.8 points on .514 shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.5 minutes per game. He was named to the 2019-20 All-SEC Second Team, All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team, becoming just the sixth player in SEC history to be named to an All-Conference Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Freshman Team in the same season, joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2011-12), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2011-12) and Nerlens Noel (2012-13), LSU’s Jordan Mickey (2013-14) and Texas A&M’s Robert Williams (2016-17). Okoro is Auburn’s highest draft pick since Chris Morris was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.

Okoro finished the 2019-20 season ranked 10th among all NCAA Division I freshmen in field goal percentage (.514) and was named to the Auburn Athletic Director’s Honor Roll after maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA in the fall. He became just the fourth Auburn player to ever earn SEC Freshman of the Week twice in a season (Nov. 18 and Dec. 9) and was the second Auburn freshman since 1990 to score in double figures in each of his first six NCAA games. Okoro won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He attended McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he averaged 19.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 steals as a senior in 2018-19 and led the team to a state championship.