NBA Free Agency News
The biggest news — other than CP3 staying in Clipperland — from free agency’s opening day wasn’t that big at all. Mostly, a smattering of smaller-name reported signings dotted the map, including Mike Dunleavy to the Bulls, C.J. Watson to the Pacers and Eric Maynor to the Wizards among the notables. There was also Tyreke Evans getting a $44 million offer from Pelicans. As we gear up for Day 2 of free agency, here are some overnight items that you may have missed …:
Bucks, Mavs interested in trade for Bledsoe?
Chris Paul‘s tweet yesterday not only assured Clipper fans that he’ll be in the fold for years to come, but re-opened the door to trading his understudy as well, it seems. According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein andRamona Shelburne, the Clips are thinking of moving reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe to either the Bucks or Mavs in an effort to land 3-point specialist J.J. Redick or scoring swingman O.J. Mayo.
According to the ESPN.com report, new Clippers coach Doc Rivers wants to keep Bledsoe on the roster, but the Clippers are nonetheless engaged in “live” talks with the Bucks and Mavs regarding trades. The Magic and Raptors may also factor into a Bledsoe deal as the Clips have been in touch with those teams with talks that would land either ArronAfflalo (from Orlando) or high-flying swingman DeMarDeRozan(from Toronto).
Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden hasn’t played in an NBA game since Dec. 5, 2009 as a member of the Blazers. Since then, he’s undergone surgeries on his troublesome knees and flirted with comebacks with the Cavs, Heat and other rumored teams. As free agency chatter picks up, Oden’s name is buzzing again, with the reigning-champion Heat and the reigning Western Conference champion Spurs at the top of his list, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman:
The Los Angeles Clippers addressed an acute need for more shooting Tuesday by acquiring guard J.J. Redick from Milwaukee and forward Jared Dudley from Phoenix in a three-team deal that sent guard Eric Bledsoe and swingman Caron Butler to the Suns. The Bucks will get two second-round picks in the trade.
Redick, a career 39 percent shooter from three-point range, will get a four-year contract worth $27 million in a sign-and-trade contract.
Dwight Howard has, as expected, been a busy man during the opening two days of free agency.
First came a rendezvous with the Houston Rockets once the free-agent season began at 12:01 a.m. ET (or 9:01 Howard time in L.A.) that included chats with the Rockets’ brass as well as a few Houston basketball legends.
Yesterday, two teams perceived to be long shots to land Howard — the Warriors and Hawks — had their say with the All-Star big man. And while all of this is going on, the team Howard last played for — the L.A. Lakers — are concocting their pitch to him (which will take place sometime today).
The driving force of the Lakers’ talk will undoubtedly be the future they can sell Howard on, particularly a financial one. Per the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Lakers can offer Howard a longer, richer overall contract (five years, $118 million) than any other team can. Plus, as Bresnahan points out, the Lakers are in position for a shopping spree in the near future:
The Lakers finally get their time with Dwight Howard, meeting with him Tuesday and trying to persuade him to stay with the franchise for five more years.
They will sell themselves as the 16-time NBA champions — how could they not? — and they also subtly will remind him Steve Nash is the only player currently under contract after next season.
As in, there’s a massive shopping spree on the way in a year.
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