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Mo Williams is headed to the Cavs

You can go home again. Veteran guard Mo Williams sees what’s up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he wants in. Perfectly understandable, since LeBron James is back and he’s got people. Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting:

Mo Williams was “very interested” in a return and he’s officially back.

The 32-year-old veteran point guard has agreed to a two-year, $4.3 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a league source confirmed. He has a player option on the second year.

Northeast Ohio Media Group reported before the free-agency period began that Williams wanted to return to Northeast Ohio.

He played two seasons with the Cavaliers from 2008-10.

Zach LaVine ready to play more shooting guard next season

Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press reporting on a key member of the Minnesota Timberwolves youth movement — Zach LaVine, who averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 assists in 24.7 minutes per game last season, shooting 42.2 percent and may look to score more in 2015-16:

Zach LaVine admits he’s not very good at paintball.

In fact, the second-year Timberwolves guard has a scar on his neck to prove it after an intense introduction to the sport while spending the July 4 weekend with friends.

LaVine has been open to trying new things this summer. That also means playing more shooting guard for the Wolves.

“That’s my thinking; I played a little bit more (shooting guard) today,” he said after the first minicamp practice Monday. “You know I like to score.”

With Minnesota acquiring point guard Tyus Jones from Cleveland in a draft-day trade last month, LaVine’s future as a floor leader appeared to be numbered.

Warriors, Leandro Barbosa will stick together

The Golden State Warriors won 67 games last regular season and went on to win the 2015 NBA championship. Although guard Leandro Barbosa had a limited role on the team, he was part of a winning squad that clearly had nice chemistry beyond their stars, and it’s good news that he’ll be back for 2015-16. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:

Barbosa was a semi-polarizing figure insofar as the team’s front office was divided on his value to the team. The divide was not strident, but it definitely was there. It was easy to see why. The veteran guard was by turns exasperating and electrifying.

Kerr defended Barbosa at every turn. So did Barbosa’s teammates. They loved “LB” as a role model for putting in the extra work, for injecting humor and for his featured role in generating esprit de corps.

That is largely why the Warriors and Barbosa, who is an unrestricted free agent, will reunite next season. General manager Bob Myers issued a statement affirming the team’s intention, which can’t become official before Thursday, at the conclusion of the league’s moratorium period.

Barbosa agreed Monday to play his 13th season on a one-year contract worth a reported $2.5 million.

Kings and Kosta Koufos agree to deal

The Kings will add an underrated talent who has shown solid ability in very limited minutes to their frontcourt. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

The Kings agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract with free-agent center Kosta Koufos, a league source confirmed Saturday night.

The deal has a player option after three seasons.

Koufos, 26, averaged 5.2 points and 5.3 rebounds as a backup with Memphis last season.

The 7-foot, 265-pound Koufos gives Sacramento an experienced backup for DeMarcus Cousins.

Jeremy Evans will sign with Mavericks

Jeremy Evans will sign with Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have had an impressive offseason. And after striking agreements with starter-level talent these past few days, they’re solidifying their bench a bit. Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune reporting on an athletic former member of the Utah Jazz who will take his hops to Texas:

The Utah Jazz have lost their former NBA slam dunk champion.

A free agent forward, Jeremy Evans announced via Twitter on Sunday afternoon that he had reached a deal to join the Mavericks. According to an ESPN report, the deal is for two years at the league minimum.

The 27-year-old Evans was a second-round pick by the Jazz in 2010. But after being a regular rotation player two seasons ago for coach Tyrone Corbin, Evans saw his minutes and role dramatically reduced last season under new coach Quin Snyder.

“If I’m here, I’m going to be so happy,” Evans said during his exit interview in April. “I feel like this is my home. If not, I know it’s still going to be a bright future and wish everybody the best.”

Lakers, Lou Williams agree to deal

It’s been a tough free agency period for the Lakers. They need all the help they can get, at almost every position. And even though they already have a scoring guard by the name of Kobe Bryant, adding another will help, whether that player gets used as a point guard or simply as scoring punch off the bench. They just need players, period. Enter Lou Williams. Here’s the Toronto Star reporting:

Lou Williams has a new home and the Raptors have escaped making another tough decision that might not have resonated well with fans.

Williams, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $21 million (U.S.) contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sparing the Raptors from being anything like a villain in the departure of another free agent.

Along with Amir Johnson (to Boston on a two-year, $24 million deal) Johnson was a key part of last year’s Raptor success, and there were fans who would have liked both to return.

But the Raptors were not going to pay Williams that salary for three years and they weren’t going to go near $12 million a season for Johnson.

Pacers will keep Rodney Stuckey

Here’s the Indianapolis Star with an update on guard Rodney Stuckey:

The Indiana Pacers continued shaping their roster on Sunday by working a deal with in-house free agent Rodney Stuckey.

The team and Stuckey have agreed on a three-year deal worth $21 million with a player option the third year, according to his agent.

Stuckey, 29, had a career year in his first season with the Pacers. Though Stuckey started 36 games, he found his niche as the Pacers’ high-scoring sixth man in averaging 12.6 points on 44 percent from the field, the highest shooting mark of his eight seasons.

Kings, Rajon Rondo agree to short-term deal

The Sacramento Kings have landed some temporary help at the point guard spot. Rajon Rondo’s stock is down these days. He’s never been a good outside shooter, but his overall affect on a team has been questioned lately. Joining the Kings, who have plenty of individual talent that can use some help working together efficiently as a squad, will be a good test, and fun for fans to watch. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

The Kings reached an agreement with point guard Rajon Rondo on a one-year deal worth approximately $10 million, a league source confirmed Friday.

Rondo met with the Kings on Friday and left the facility before deciding to sign with the team.

Best known as a four-time All-Star with Boston, Rondo finished last season with Dallas.

It was Rondo’s first full season since tearing his right ACL in 2013. He averaged 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists in 22 games with the Celtics before he was traded to Dallas last December.

No Tristan Thompson, Cavs agreement yet

No Tristan Thompson, Cavs agreement yet

Here’s the News Herald reporting on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hope to retain the services of rugged role-playing power forward Tristan Thompson but apparently haven’t come to a final free agent contract agreement just yet:

We’re not privy to what caused the interruption in the Cavs’ bliss. All we know is that there was a snag and Thompson has yet to agree to a deal.

It’s undoubtedly not the length of the contract. The five-year deal is the maximum allowed under the NBA’s salary-cap regulations.

Maybe Thompson wants a player’s option in the final year of the contract.

Perhaps it’s coming down to dollars and cents (sense?). The most the Cavs can offer him under the rules is around $90 million. The Cavs were reportedly offering $80 million. That’s the difference of him making $16 million a year as opposed to $18 million.

For as much as I respect Thompson’s lunch-pail game, that’s a lot of money for a 10.1-point career scorer.

DeAndre Jordan leaving Clippers to sign with Mavericks

Now this is a big one. Center DeAndre Jordan, he of massive hops, free throw struggles and impressive defensive ability, is leaving the Los Angeles Clippers and joining the Dallas Mavericks. Nobody expected this. Jordan fits in well on the Clippers, catching lobs from Chris Paul and having limited responsibility on offense while being part of a winning squad. But the Mavs offered monster money, and big DeAndre is reportedly accepting it. Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram blog reporting:

Following a sluggish performance on the opening day of free agency, the Mavs rolled up their collective sleeves and have bounced back in a very big way.

First, early Friday morning, the Mavs convinced Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews to agree in principle to a four-year free agent contract. Then, on Friday afternoon the Mavs beat the odds again and secured a verbal agreement from Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who accepted a four-year, $81 million contract from the Mavs.

Thus, Jordan becomes the first marquee player – aka a big fish — from another team to sign a free agent contract with the Mavs in the team’s illustrious 35-year history.

Wooed aggressively by the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Clippers and Mavs, Jordan had narrowed his choices down to the Mavs and Clippers. And after mulling over what the Mavs and Clippers had to offer, Jordan decided he wanted to jump-start the rest of his career in Dallas.