Heat hope to keep Goran Dragic

Heat hope to keep Goran Dragic

A key free agency reminder: Just because a player chooses to opt out of his contract and test free agency does not mean that player will necessarily leave that team. Sometimes, the player really is testing free agency with intent to leave. But quite possibly, the player simply wants his current contract to end and he may very willing to simply re-sign with that same team. Every situation is different. With that said, here’s ESPN.com reporting on the Heat:

Heat hope to keep Goran Dragic

The Miami Heat already know Goran Dragic is bypassing his player option for next season to become a free agent July 1, but league sources say they plan to be highly aggressive in trying to secure a commitment from their new point guard early in free agency.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Heat are planning to offer Dragic a five-year deal in excess of $80 million to keep him in Miami after acquiring the 2014 All-NBA third-team selection from Phoenix on trade deadline day in February.

Only Miami can offer a five-year deal this summer to Dragic.

Paul Pierce may enter free agency

Paul Pierce may enter free agency

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting on Wizards forward Paul Pierce — and this is still unofficial but he will reportedly test the free agent market:

Paul Pierce may enter free agency

Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce has decided to play next season but is expected to bypass his $5.5 million player option, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The decision, which is due by the end of the month, would make Pierce a free agent for the second straight year.

Opting out opens the possibility of Pierce playing his 18th NBA season elsewhere but does not completely eliminate the prospect of Pierce returning to Washington. Pierce could choose to re-sign.

The most probable destination outside of the District would be to go back home to play for the Los Angeles Clippers and reunite with Doc Rivers, his coach for nine seasons with the Boston Celtics. Los Angeles has limited salary cap flexibility and will likely only be able to offer Pierce, who celebrates his 38th birthday in October, the taxpayer mid-level exception of $3.37 million for next season, but are closer to winning a championship than the Wizards even in the loaded Western Conference.

Trade speculation swirls around Ty Lawson

Trade speculation swirls around Ty Lawson

It’ll be interesting to see if the Denver Nuggets hang onto point guard Ty Lawson or find him a new home this offseason. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Trade speculation swirls around Ty Lawson

Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said the organization is in a good place just four days from as important an NBA draft as the team has had in a long time.

“It’s the time of year when all of our focus should be on the draft and potential trades around the draft,” Connelly said.

The Nuggets have made some of those trade calls, and they have received others.

The biggest trade speculation continues to swirl around last season’s starting point guard, Ty Lawson. But the reality is there are no untouchable players on the roster if the deal offered is one the Nuggets feel they can’t refuse.

“The variables come when you get one phone call and the best-laid plans go out of the window,” Connelly said.

Draymond Green was big part of Warriors success this season

Draymond Green was big part of Warriors success this season

Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting on the 2015 NBA champion Golden State Warriors:

draymond green

The third-year power forward sprang to stardom during this championship run, thrust into a starting role at the beginning of the season when incumbent starter David Lee went down with a hamstring injury.

By the time Lee got back to work, Green had established himself as the team’s emotional heart, providing hustle and spark when the team needed it. But his contract is up, which is bad news for Golden State. The good news is that he’s a restricted free agent, which in NBA parlance means the Warriors have the ability to match any offer for Green’s services.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers sat down with The Chronicle during the NBA Finals to discuss the team’s future, including Green’s. He wasn’t able to come right out and say the team wants to re-sign the young man from Saginaw, Mich. Because of legal concerns, the league has begun discouraging that sort of thing. But after Green put up a triple-double in the deciding Game 6 victory over Cleveland, the writing is on the wall, if not on the contract just yet.

“Our hope is to keep the core together,” said Myers. “That is within our control.”

Warriors aim to keep Draymond Green

Warriors aim to keep Draymond Green

Versatile Warriors forward Draymond Green was a big part of the team’s success this season, which ended in celebration as winners of the NBA championship. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting on the future between Green, who reportedly made just $915,000 this season, and the squad:

Warriors aim to keep Draymond Green

No need to beg or plead, no need to lay down and block Draymond Green’s path to Detroit or any other city with an NBA team.

The Warriors have this covered. They’re not letting Draymond walk, no matter what it costs to retain the heartiest partier among the Warriors during the team’s championship parade and celebration Friday at Lake Merritt.

General manager Bob Myers rather vowed as much while addressing over 500,000 fans at the rally.

“We’ll bring him back,” Myers said from the podium. “If you’re worried, don’t worry.”

That comment is in line with Myers’ recent responses to all things Draymond. Management knows. Ownership knows. The men in the locker room know how much Green means to newly created fabric of this team.

Uncertain future for Monta Ellis in Dallas

Uncertain future for Monta Ellis in Dallas

Here’s the Dallas Morning News with some insight on the Mavericks, who face many difficult decisions, many of which hinge on what Monta Ellis decides to do:

Uncertain future for Monta Ellis in Dallas

Monta Ellis has a decision to make. Most people think they know what he’s going to do, but until he makes it official, the Mavericks are forced to have two plans of attack ready to implement.

It boils down to whether Ellis opts out of the final season of his contract.

If Ellis does, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team in the league, presumably whoever is the highest bidder.

That likely would not be the Mavericks.

If Ellis doesn’t opt out, he will play the final year of his contract with the Mavericks, making about $9 million in the 2015-16 season.

The smart money is on Ellis opting out of his contract.

Hawks face uncertainty as NBA Draft approaches

Hawks face uncertainty as NBA draft approaches

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution painting a picture of the Atlanta Hawks’ situation as both the NBA Draft and free agency approach:

The Hawks will enter the NBA draft not knowing if they will have two, one or zero gaping holes on their roster.

It’s not an enviable position.

The draft is Thursday, and six days later comes the start of free agency. Two-fifths of the Hawks’ starting lineup — DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap — will hit the open market and are free to sign with any team. Both could be gone. One or the other could depart. Both could return.

Drafting for need is illogical. The prevailing alternative would be to draft the best available player. Not necessarily.

“We do our best to separate the draft from free agency,” assistant general manager Wes Wilcox said. “Certainly, they are connected. Our focus in every draft is to identify the best player who fits us. There is the long-standing debate over drafting the best player versus drafting for a position of need. It’s certainly something we all juggle. We’ve become comfortable with being guided by what we call our draft objective, which remains the same every year, we want to draft a guy who fits without our culture, fits (coach Mike Budenholzer) and his system and can add to and become a piece of our core.”

When LeBron gave Kyrie a good talking-to

When LeBron gave Kyrie Irving a good talking-to

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals, but they still had an amazing season and can expect to compete for the 2016 championship. Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting on a key development that took place during the regular season:

On Nov. 5, Irving led the team with 34 points in a loss to Utah. But in 45 minutes he failed to register an assist.

The night before in a loss to Portland, there were reports James and Irving had a dispute in the locker room, prompting Irving to dash without addressing the media. Irving missed 14 of his 17 shots that night. That’s when James said the team was developing “bad habits.”

As the team’s point guard, for Irving to not have a single assist was inexcusable, and James couldn’t stay quiet any longer.

“He came up to me and was like, ‘One, you can never have another game with no assists,’ ” Irving said, describing James’ words. “‘You can damn near have just one, two, three, but you can’t have zero.’ “

Warriors celebrate championship at parade

Warriors celebrate championship at parade

Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting on the Golden State Warriors championship parade, which took place Friday afternoon in Oakland:

The streets of Oakland were awash in yellow and blue as hundreds of thousands of fans watched and cheered the Golden State Warriors victory parade, which has been 40 years in the making.

In a rare moment of glory, Oakland – a city that usually makes news for crime, corruption, protests and violence- shined in the national spotlight.

On Friday, blue-and-gold-clad fans flooded downtown to see the NBA championship players, MC Hammer, six floats and, of course, the championship trophy, won after the team bested LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

People started lining up as early as 3 a.m., and city officials estimated at least 500,000 fans packed the streets when the parade started about 10 a.m.

Kamala Moore arrived at the parade route at 4:15 a.m. “It’s history in the making,” she said.

“Oh my gosh, I really want to see Riley (Curry),” she said, referring to the 2-year-old daughter of Stephen Curry, her favorite player.

Steve Blake exercises Blazers contract option

Steve Blake exercises Blazers contract option

Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

Blake (6-3, 172) appeared in 81 games for the Trail Blazers last season. In 350 games (232 starts) over five seasons with Portland, Blake holds averages of 7.8 points (41.4% FG, 39.8% 3-PT, 78.2% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

For his career, Blake has averages of 6.7 points (40.1% FG, 38.5% 3-PT, 77.8% FT), 2.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists over 12 seasons with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers and Golden State.

Blake, 34, played four years at the University of Maryland, where he won an NCAA Championship in 2002, and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the ninth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.