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Mavericks will reportedly sign Chandler Parsons to offer sheet

Here’s the Associated Press via the Star Tribune reporting on versatile small forward Chandler Parsons and the Mavs:

The Dallas Mavericks have made a move at small forward, agreeing with restricted free agent Chandler Parsons on a three-year offer sheet worth more than $45 million.

Houston will now have to decide whether to match the offer.

Two people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday night that Parsons agreed to the offer sheet with the Mavericks, while a third person confirmed the terms. The people commented to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the offer sheet can’t be officially signed until Thursday, when the NBA’s moratorium on signing free agents ends.

No Carmelo Anthony free agency decision yet

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News Blog with an update on Knicks free agent star forward Carmelo Anthony:

When will Carmelo Anthony decide where he will play?

As of Wednesday night, a source close to Anthony insisted “there is no decision yet.” The source then added it is “still up in the air.”

Neither the Lakers nor the Knicks have been informed on where Anthony will play. But a New York Daily News report quoted an unnamed friend who said Anthony plans is expected to announce announce on Thursday that he re-signing with the Knicks.

Cody Zeller hopes Hornets do land Gordon Hayward

Here’s the Charlotte Observer reporting on the Hornets. That’s right, the Hornets. There aren’t Bobcats around anymore. Not in NBA basketball, at least. Get used to it. The Hornets. Charlotte Hornets. Anyway, here:

Would free-agent forward-guard Gordon Hayward be a good fit with the Charlotte Hornets?

No, Hornets forward Cody Zeller replied Wednesday; Hayward would be a “perfect” fit.

“I love his game. He plays really fundamental basketball, creates a lot for his teammates,” Zeller said following summer-league practice.

“(Passing is) one of his talents. And he shoots really well and he’s big for a guard. I think he’d be perfect for us.”

Hayward, 6-foot-8, who played his first four seasons with the Utah Jazz, has agreed to sign a four-year, $63 million offer sheet with the Hornets once the NBA’s moratorium on signings ends Thursday. The Observer reported the Hornets’ agreement with Hayward early Wednesday morning.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert adds muscle

Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune reporting on young Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert:

“You look taller,” somebody said.

“I’m just bigger,” Rudy Gobert responded with a smile.

The Jazz’s young center still stands at 7 feet, 2 inches Wednesday as he spoke with reporters following the team’s second day of summer league practices.

But entering his second season Gobert has packed on some extra muscle — and looks to be ready for a bigger role.

As a rookie last year, Gobert made 45 appearances, averaging 2.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and roughly one block in nine minutes a game.

Bucks sign first round draft pick Jabari Parker

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed first round draft pick Jabari Parker, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

All first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they want to begin their NBA career right away. Therefore, this signing is standard operating procedure, and was expected.

The second overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, Parker played one collegiate season at Duke University, where he was a consensus First Team All-America selection. While with the Blue Devils, Parker also earned honors as a First Team All-ACC member, ACC Rookie of the Year and USBWA National Freshman of the Year. His 19.1 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game were both Top-50 in the nation, with the points per game average marking the fourth-highest effort ever by an ACC freshman. He is the fourth freshman in ACC history to lead the league in rebounding.

With 670 points and 306 rebounds, Parker became the 14th player in Duke history to record 600+ points and 300+ rebounds in the same season, and he is just the sixth ACC freshman to ever reach the 600-point plateau. He is also the first Duke freshman to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding. Parker posted a career-high 30 points (10-of-17, .588) to go along with 11 boards in a win vs. UNC on March 8. The 30-point effort was the most by a Duke freshman in the 238 games played in series history against the rival Tar Heels.

Additionally, Parker received First Team All-America honors from The Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. Parker was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy and John R. Wooden Award, and he was honored as the top freshman in the country through the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award by the USBWA. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week a record 10 times and was on the All-ACC Academic Team.

A native of Chicago, Parker attended Simeon Career Academy, where he led Simeon to four IHSA Class 4A state championships and averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior. He was named the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic Co-MVP, is a two-time Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year and Illinois Mr. Basketball winner, and was named National Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. Parker has also played for USA Basketball, earning gold medals at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

Raptors sign first round draft pick Bruno Caboclo

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed forward Bruno Caboclo (cuh-BO-clo) to his rookie scale contract. He is under contract through the 2015-16 season, with two team option years to follow. The Raptors selected the 18-year-old Brazilian with the 20th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.

All first round NBA draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to come to the NBA right away. Therefore, this signing is standard operating procedure, and was expected.

Caboclo, 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, was the Most Valuable Player at the 2013 Basketball Without Borders Americas. He played in 16 games this past season with Pinheiros (Sao Paulo) where he contributed 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds. In three Liga Americas contests, he averaged 8.0 points shooting .714 from the field and .667 from three-point range.

Caboclo and the Raptors open their preliminary round in the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Friday, July 11 versus the Los Angeles Lakers at 3 p.m. (6 p.m. ET).

Jarred Shaw added to Hornets summer league roster

Here’s the Deseret News reporting on the Jazz summer league squad:

Former Utah State men’s basketball player Jarred Shaw will be a member of the Charlotte Hornets NBA Summer League roster.

The NBA Summer League will be held July 11-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Thomas and Mack Center and COX Pavilion on the UNLV campus. Each team will play no fewer than five games, including three preliminary games before beginning the seeded tournament on July 16.

Cavs will reportedly trade Jarrett Jack to Nets

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on a trade that absolutely does matter, because it helps the Cavs clear salary room in their quest to try to bring LeBron James back to Cleveland:

The Cleveland Cavaliers will trade Jarrett Jack to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday as part of a three-team deal with Boston to create more salary-cap space for the pursuit of LeBron James, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Nets have agreed to take on the contracts of Jack and youngster Sergey Karasev from the Cavaliers in a swap that will also see the Celtics acquire Brooklyn’s Marcus Thornton, Cleveland’s Tyler Zeller and a protected 2016 first-round pick from the Cavaliers.

“I’m very, very excited. Obviously, playing in New York is a compliment in and of itself,” Jack told ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “The opportunity to play at the Barclays every night, I couldn’t be happier.”

Cleveland will take back the draft rights to Ilkan Karaman and Edin Bavcic from the Nets to complete the transaction, a league source told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The moves will give the Cavaliers significant financial flexibility by shedding the contracts of Jack, Zeller and Karasev.

Carmelo Anthony likely to re-sign with Knicks

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting that unless something changes, Carmelo Anthony is expected to stick with the Knicks:

Carmelo Anthony is prepared to spend the prime years of his career in New York, the Daily News has learned.

A person close to Anthony told The News on Wednesday that barring a last minute change of heart Anthony will re-sign with the Knicks after “agonizing over this” for the past week.

“He will have something for everybody on Thursday,” said the friend who was with Anthony before Anthony’s scheduled workout with Kevin Durant and Kevin Love in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “He is really torn because this is the biggest decision of his career. But he wants to get it done in New York. He told me he believes in Phil.”

Hornets hire Pat Delany as assistant coach

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has added Pat Delany as an assistant coach on the staff of Head Coach Steve Clifford.

Delany joins the Hornets after spending last season as head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Miami Heat. In his first head coaching job, Delany led the team to a 31-19 record, which was tied for the second-best record in the D-League. The .620 winning percentage was the fifth-best in the franchise’s 25-year history and the second-best in its eight seasons in the D-League.

Prior to being named head coach of the Skyforce, Delany served as the Heat’s advance scout for six seasons from 2007-13. He also served as the team’s video coordinator for four seasons from 2003-07 following one season as a video intern.