Mavs move on after failing to land Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard

It’s Plan B again for the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted Friday that it was ”time to get back to work” amid multiple media reports that Dallas was out of the running for free agent center Dwight Howard.

”The Mavs are back open for business,” Cuban wrote on Twitter.

It’s the second straight summer Dallas has missed on a big name in free agency after declining to bring back key pieces of the 2011 championship team in the name of salary cap space.

Reported by the Associated Press

Celtics introduce Brad Stevens as new coach

celtics

The Boston Celtics introduced Brad Stevens as their new coach Friday at a press conference at the team’s training center in Waltham, Mass.

Stevens is the 17th head coach in the franchise’s history.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and members of the team’s ownership group were also present.

“One of the things that I am so thrilled about is working at a place that has such high standards and places such a value on culture,” Stevens said.

He added that he is “absolutely humbled” by the chance to coach the Celtics.

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Warriors will land Andre Iguodala

andre iguodala

The Warriors have been informed by Dwight Howard he will not be joining Golden State, according to a team source.

According to USA Today, Howard has chosen to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to become a Houston Rocket.

The Warriors emerged from long shot to viable option after meeting with Howard on Monday. But despite adding swingman Andre Iguodala, Howard chose to pair up with All-NBA guard James Harden to become the next great center for the Rockets. Houston can offer the same four-year, $88 million contract the Warriors could offer but Texas doesn’t have state taxes, which means Howard can keep more of his money.

That means Golden State will keep starting center Andrew Bogut.

About an hour before this news, the Warriors have reached a four-year deal worth $48 million with Iguodala, multiple sources confirmed.

The Warriors cleared the cap space needed by trading the expiring contracts of Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson and Brandon Rush to Utah. The deal also included multiple picks, including the Warriors’ 2014 first-rounder.

Reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group

Warriors trying to dump salaries to get Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard

The Golden State Warriors must believe they have a realistic chance of landing free agent Dwight Howard, because they are trying to dump contracts to have enough cap space to sign Howard, ESPN.com reported.

The Warriors would need work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Howard.

According to ESPN.com, Golden State is prepared to offer the Lakers Andrew Bogut and his expiring $14 million contract and either Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson in the deal.

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Cleveland Cavaliers will sign Earl Clark

Earl Clark put his name on the NBA map last season, occasionally stepping up for nice stretches while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Clark is considered a player that teams should bring off the bench, but he’s shown flashes of being worth starting every now and then. He has drive and talent. And will put on a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey soon.

earl clark

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a two-year contract with free agent forward Earl Clark, sources told ESPN.com.

The second year of the deal is a team option, according to a source.

The Sporting News reported the total value of the deal is $9 million.

Clark leaves the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been in a holding pattern with free agents as they wait for a decision from Dwight Howard, after averaging career highs in points (7.3) and rebounds (5.5) last season.

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

San Antonio Spurs will sign Marco Belinelli

Any time the San Antonio Spurs sign a player, I immediately assume that the player is at least slightly better than everyone previously realized. Because most players just seem to do better as they are placed in the Spurs machine. With that:

marco bellineli

The San Antonio Spurs have reached agreement with free-agent guard Marco Belinelli on a two-year, $6 million contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Belinelli, 27, averaged 9.6 points in 73 games for the Chicago Bulls last season. He is a 38.7 percent 3-point shooter in six NBA seasons. The Spurs will be his fifth team.

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Knicks to keep J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni

The New York Knicks are keeping J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni, two key members of their first Atlantic Division championship team since 1994.

Both players agreed to new deals Thursday, their agents confirmed.

Smith, the Sixth Man of the Year, gets a four-year contract worth around $25 million.

Reported by the Associated Press

Al Jefferson to join Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats have been trying to put themselves on the NBA map for a long time. For far too long, they’ve been a doormat, suffering big loss after big loss. And apparently they’ve had enough. And will now overpay a bit to get a big guy who can score and rebound in a Charlotte jersey.

Al Jefferson

Free-agent big man Al Jefferson is headed to the Charlotte Bobcats, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Utah Jazz center, after a two-day visit with the Bobcats, has verbally agreed to a three-year contract with Charlotte worth an estimated $41 million.

The deal contains a player option in Jefferson’s contract after the second year, sources said.

Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Kyle Korver agrees to multiyear deal with Atlanta Hawks

Every team that actually wants to win — and that’s most of them — needs shooters. Guys that don’t necessarily create their own shot, but can stretch the floor, catch a pass, fire it up and hit nothing but net. Kyle Korver is one such player. And therefore was in demand. But despite being pursued by multiple teams, Korver will be staying where he was last season.

kyle korver

The Hawks landed their first free agent Wednesday night — and it was one of their own.

Kyle Korver reached an agreement to re-sign with the Hawks on a multiyear deal, according to a person familiar with the situation. Per NBA rules, the contract cannot be signed until July 10.

The sharp-shooting Korver was a hot commodity during free agency and sought by several teams. The Hawks met with Korver this week in California, where he makes his offseason home, while in Los Angeles to speak to free-agent center Dwight Howard.

Even with Korver’s contract, the Hawks still have enough room to sign Howard to a maximum deal.

Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Boston Celtics name Brad Stevens as next head coach

In a fairly shocking move, the Boston Celtics announced today that they have come to an agreement with Brad Stevens to be the 17th head coach of the team.

Stevens, age 36, has served for the past six years as the head coach of Butler University men’s basketball team, never winning fewer than 22 games and leading the Bulldogs to two national championship games against Duke and Connecticut. His career win percentage is .772, including a 33-5 season in 2009-10. He was also the youngest coach to reach the Final Four since Bob Knight in 1973.

A native of Zionsville, Indiana, Stevens was a three-time academic All-America nominee while earning four varsity letters at DePauw University, before graduating with a degree in economics. He later joined the Butler University program as the coordinator of basketball operations under then-coach Thad Matta, before being named head coach in 2007.

“Brad and I share a lot of the same values,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “Though he is young, I see Brad as a great leader who leads with impeccable character and a strong work ethic. His teams always play hard and execute on both ends of the court. Brad is a coach who has already enjoyed lots of success, and I look forward to working with him towards Banner 18.”

Stevens and his wife Tracy, along with their children Brady and Kinsley, will be introduced to the media at 11:00am on Friday at the Celtics Training Center at Healthpoint.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion at this basketball forum topic.