NBA rumors: Free agency and trades

Follow along here for all the NBA free agency rumors, updates and news.

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Jul 3, 2015

The NBA free agency period began at 12:01 a.m. ET on July 1 and teams immediately began formally jockeying for position to sign some of the league's top talent.

While players and teams can now officially agree to contracts, players can't officially sign contracts until July 9.

Like every off-season, this one is jam-packed with intrigue and storylines. Questions abound: Will LeBron James remain in Cleveland? Will LaMarcus Aldridge leave the Blazers for a title contender? And what about the futures of other high-profile free agents like DeAndre Jordan?

Fortunately, you can follow every move in NBA free agency with our free-agent tracker, along with our analysis and grades from our NBA experts. Below, you'll also find rankings for the top 25 free agents, positional rankings, top storylines to watch and the latest trade rumors and buzz.

FA tracker | Grades | Top 25 | Position rankings

Free Agent Signings:

Rumors

• Cory Joseph and the Raptors have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $30 million deal, according to ESPN. Joseph, who has played all four of his NBA seasons with the Spurs, will have a player option in year four.

• Point guard Reggie Jackson will return to the Pistons on a five-year, $80 million deal with no options, according to Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Jackson turned down a four-year, $48 million extension with the Thunder in October. "Thank you Pistons organization," Jackson wrote on Twitter. "Looking forward to the next 5 years of my life."

• Swingman Omri Casspi has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal to return to the Kings. Casspi averaged 8.9 points in 67 games for Sacramento last season.

• Milwaukee Bucks officials refuted a story from Sunday night reporting that coach Jason Kidd will replace GM John Hammond this week.

• The Lakers have been busy on Sunday, reportedly agree to deals with Lou Williams (three years, $21 million) and Brandon Bass. Yahoo's Marc Spears first reported the Bass news. Los Angeles continues to try and free up cap space for its reported trade for Roy Hibbert and subsequent free agent deals. Shooting guard Nick Young is a candidate to be unloaded, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.

• Dallas continues to try and fill out their roster after luring DeAndre Jordan away from the Clippers. The Mavericks are pursuing a sign-and-trade to acquire free agent point guard Jeremy Lin from the Lakers, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.

• The Cavaliers are considering a trade for Nets guard Joe Johnson, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports. A potential Brooklyn-Cleveland deal could include the Cavs sending Brendan Haywood's non-guaranteed contract to the Nets as a cost-saving measure for Brooklyn, Windhorst says. Johnson's salary for next season is $24.8 million, making him the second-highest-paid player in the league.

• DeMarre Carroll, who has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Raptors, said in an interview Sunday that the Hawks told him they could not keep he and Paul Millsap. Millsap is reportedly returning to Atlanta.

• The Blazers are targeting forward Rasual Butler, reports The Oregonian’s Jason Quick. Butler is not in a rush to sign and also has interest from the Spurs, Warriors and other teams.

• The Knicks have been in "constant contact" with the representatives for forward Lou Amundson about bringing him back next season, reports ESPN's Ian Begley.

• The Knicks are also continuing to talk to Jason Smith's representatives about bringing the forward back for next season, reports ESPN's Ian Begley.

• With LaMarcus Aldridge agreeing to a four-year deal, the Spurs are going to lobby Manu Ginobili even harder to play one more year, ESPN's Marc Stein reports. Ginobili, 37, is currently an unrestricted free agent.

• Kosta Koufos will sign a four-year, $33 million deal with the Kings, ESPN's Marc Stein reports. The deal reportedly includes a player option after year three, which allows Koufos to become a free agent in 2018. Koufos is the third major deal for the Kings this off-season. Sacramento reached a one-year, $10 million agreement with Rajon Rondo and a three-year, $19 million deal with Marco Belinelli.

• Kevin Seraphin is garnering free agent interest from Lakers, Suns and Spurs, as well as interest from his previous team the Wizards, according to Yahoo's Marc J. Spears.

• Free agent forward Kyle O'Quinn has agreed to a four-year, $16 million deal with the Knicks. New York will reportedly acquire him in a sign-and-trade with the Orlando Magic, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

• The Lakers and Pacers are in talks for a deal that would send center Roy Hibbert to Los Angeles, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal for the former All-Star would put the Lakers over the salary cap for the upcoming season if it is completed. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne adds that the deal is expected to be done by July 9.

• Though the Cavaliers are courting free agent power forward David West, LeBron James won't be involved, reports ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Windhorst reports James "has no plans" to communicate with anyone while a free agent. He adds that James doesn't plan to begin contract talks with Cleveland until Tristan Thompson's deal is fully settled. James and Thompson share an agent, Rich Paul.

• Doc Rivers and free agent center JaVale McGee plan to talk on the phone Saturday about McGee joining the Clippers, reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers have a hole in the middle after DeAndre Jordan's departure and are giving McGee "serious consideration."

• ESPN's Marc Stein reports the Pelicans have reached an agreement to bring back forward Dante Cunningham. Stein and RealGM's Shams Charania both report Cunningham will make $9 million over three years, Charania also reporting Cunningham will have a player option in the final year of the deal.

• The Spurs have interest in free agent power forward Carlos Boozer as they work to fill out their bench after agreeing with LaMarcus Aldridge, reports ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

• Free-agent center Bismack Biyombo has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Raptors, reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.

• Dallas is "firmly in the mix" for free agent point guard Jeremy Lin, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reports the Mavericks hope to sign both Lin and point guard J.J. Barea.

• With the Spurs and Cavaliers now heavily in on David West, the Wizards are "monitoring" the situation while working to re-sign power forward Drew Gooden and sign another wing player, reports TNT's David Aldridge.

• According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles times, the Pacers and Mavericks are discussing a sign-and-trade deal that would involve the Clippers aquiring Pacers center Roy Hibbert and send Monta Ellis and DeAndre Jordan, who have already agreed to new deals, to Indiana and Dallas, respectively. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reports that move is doubtful and that the Mavericks have no motivation to help the Clippers acquire a new center.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has agreed to sign a four-year, $80 million maximum contract with the Spurs, reports Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Aldridge confirmed on Twitter that he is headed to San Antonio.

• The Spurs are now “aggressively pursuing” free-agent power forward David West, looking to sign him to a veteran minimum offer, reports Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. However, ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the Cavaliers have “aggressively” entered the bidding for West.

• Wojnarowski reports Cleveland is the leader for West. He notes West, who played at Xavier, has strong ties to Ohio.

• Gregg Popovich currently plans on coaching all of the five-year contract that he signed with San Antonio last summer, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.

• The Magic have agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with point guard C.J. Watson, reports Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears.

• The Spurs and Suns have "solidified" themselves as the frontrunners for LaMarcus Aldridge, reports Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

• After failing to re-sign DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers could have more than $30 million in salary cap space next summer—enough to "become a real threat" to sign Kevin Durant, reports Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

• Kings forward Rudy Gay played an "instrumental" role in convincing Rajon Rondo to sign with Sacramento, reports Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears.

• Free agent center DeAndre Jordan is "on [the] verge" of accepting a four-year deal upward of $80 million to join the Dallas Mavericks, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. Stein calls Dallas "firmly in the lead" and adds a decision could come on Friday.

• Yahoo's Marc Spears reports Jordan plans to announce his decision to join the Mavericks early Friday evening.

• In wake of Jordan's decision, TNT's David Aldridge reports Dallas and free agent point guard J.J. Barea are working on a deal. Barea has also been negotiating with the Heat and reportedly seeks a three-year contract.

• The Mavericks are looking to retain veteran forward Richard Jefferson on a minimum deal, reports CBS Sports' Ken Berger. Yahoo's Marc Spears reports Jefferson will remain in Dallas.

• TNT's Aldridge also links the Clippers to Pacers center Roy Hibbert and Wizards big man Nene as two potential trade options to help replace Jordan in the middle.

• LaMarcus Aldridge hopes to narrow his list of options to two or three teams on Friday, and no final decision appears imminent, reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.

• Rajon Rondo had a "good" visit with the Sacramento Kings and vice president Vlade Divac but has not accepted any offer, reports Yahoo's Spears.

• DeAndre Jordan remains honed in on the Clippers and Mavericks, reports Wojnarowski.

• Rajon Rondo and the Kings finished their Friday morning meeting without a deal done, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.

• Free agent shooting guard Gary Neal has agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million contract with the Wizards, Wojnarowski reports. Washington will use its bi-annual exception to sign Neal and offer the midlevel exception to free agent forward David West, he adds.

• Sacramento and Spurs free agent shooting guard Marco Belinelli have agreed to a three-year, $19 million contract, reports ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

• The Knicks and free agent center Robin Lopez are finalizing a four-year, $54 million deal, reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. He adds that free agent center DeAndre Jordan unexpectedly picking the Knicks would be the only event that could alter Lopez's move. Wojnarowski later reported that Jordan has eliminated the Knicks, clearing the way for Lopez.

• No visits to other cities are currently planned for LaMarcus Aldridge ESPN's Marc Stein reports. He adds Aldridge will likely take a couple of days to "digest" all the information presented to him in the past couple of days.

• Free agent point guard Rajon Rondo and the Kings are meeting on Friday morning, reports ESPN's Stein.

• Wizards free agent guard Will Bynum's "priority" is to play in the NBA this season and not overseas, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman. Goodman reports Bynum's hometown Bulls, the Wizards, Suns, Pacers, Raptors and Grizzlies all have interest.

• The Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs and Suns all have mutual interest with free agent big man Amare' Stoudemire, according to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report.

• There is "exploratory" mutual interest between free agent guard Rodney Stuckey and Cleveland, reports Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

• Spurs coach Gregg Popovich seeks another meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge on Friday or Saturday, reports John Canzano of the Oregonian. Canzano adds that Aldridge's decision may not take much longer, and that San Antonio feels he will settle on the Spurs.

• Free agent guard Rajon Rondo flew into Sacramento on Thursday night and will visit with the Kings likely through Friday afternoon, reports Yahoo's Marc Spears.

• The Knicks are meeting with free agent guard Corey Brewer and forward Derrick Williams Friday in Los Angeles, reports ESPN's Chris Broussard.

• LaMarcus Aldridge's meeting with the Lakers on Thursday had a good presentation, but Los Angeles doesn't believe Aldridge was “wooed” by it, reports Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. It was Aldridge's second meeting with the team.

• Free-agent power forward David West is most likely to sign with the San Antonio Spurs or Washington Wizards after leaving the Indiana Pacers, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.

• Stein also reports the Wizards are shopping big man Nene, hoping to trade him into cap space if possible. Yahoo's Marc Spears reports Nene has not been actively shopped by the team.

• The Miami Heat and free-agent guard Lou Williams have mutual interest, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

• The New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors have discussed a trade that would send power forward David Lee to New York, reports the New York Post.

• ESPN's Tim MacMahon reports a decision from DeAndre Jordan is expected Friday or Saturday.

• After meeting with the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan remains "truly 50-50" and "torn" between the Mavericks and staying in Los Angeles, reports Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

• The Clippers' presentation to Jordan was "very, very well done," reports the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner. Jordan is not expected to have a decision made in the next 24 hours, reports Turner.

• Although the Knicks have received a commitment from Robin Lopez, they are "still pursuing" DeAndre Jordan, reports Bleacher Reports' Howard Beck.

• LaMarcus Aldridge had a lengthy dinner with Heat president Pat Riley that was still going on as of 9 p.m. PT on Thursday, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.