2017 NBA Free Agency, Trades, Rumors:

NBA free agency is under way. There’s still plenty of league news, rumors and updates, and that figures to be the case all week. Stay current as we keep you posted …

Richard Jefferson returning to Cavs next season

The Cavs are getting one of their role players back for next season. Richard Jefferson announced on his podcast he’s holding off on retirement and will return to play in 2017-18. The veteran is under contract through the 2018-19 season. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Tony Allen sign-and-trade in the works?

The Clippers are continuing to retool their roster after Chris Paul’s departure and that means hunting for talented guards to bolster their backcourt. One of their targets is Grizzlies guard Tonny Allen. Los Angeles saw J.J. Redick leave in free agency and Allen, while a downgrade in shooting, would be a huge benefit on the defensive side of the ball. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 4:06 p.m. ET)

Market heating up for Olynyk

The Celtics renounced Kelly Olynyk in order to help clear cap space after Gordon Hayward decided to leave Utah for Boston in free agency. According to Sam Amick of USA Today, there is plenty of interest on the market for Olynyk. The Nets, Pacers, Kings and Jazz are all “coming on strong.” Amick also notes that the Pacers are “trying to shed salary” to acquire the now-unrestricted free agent. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 2:56 p.m. ET)

Waiters to stay in Miami

Free agent Dion Waiters appears to be closing in on a new deal. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Waiters is closing in on deal with Miami Heat. Waiters put together a bounce-back season, averaging 15.8 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.5 percent from downtown. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 2:31 p.m. ET)

The champs land Swaggy P

The rich get richer. Just a day after coming to terms on a deal with sharpshooting veteran Omri Casspi, the Warriors added another scorer off the bench. Nick Young and Golden State agreed to a one-year, $5.2 million contract,  according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Young’s agency later confirmed the news. Kevin Durant also responded with a hilarious tweet of Swaggy P(Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 1:56 p.m. ET)

Faried could be on the move

The Denver Nuggets made a big move to acquire All-Star forward Paul Millsap, and with he and Nikola Jokic expected to take up most of the frontcourt minutes, Kenneth Faried could be on the move. According to a report from HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy, teams have been calling about making a trade for the power forward. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 1:17 p.m. ET)

Hawks interested in Noel?

The Atlanta Hawks no longer have their two best bigs from last season, with Dwight Howard off to Charlotte, and Paul Millsap headed out West to Denver. In search of some new talent, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype is reporting that the Hawks may be interested in restricted free agent Nerlens Noel(Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 1:10 p.m. ET)

Cavs after longtime Heat vet Udonis Haslem?

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t made many moves this offseason, but according to a report from Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, they have their eye on Heat veteran forward Udonis Haslem. While he doesn’t offer much value to Miami on the court, the team views his presence as a mentor priceless, which is why the Heat intend to keep him rostered. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 12:48 p.m. ET)

Celtics could look to acquire Marc Gasol

The Celtics just landed Gordon Hayward and could once again be on the hunt for another big addition. Per a report from Chris Mannix, league executives believe that the Celtics could trade for big man Marc Gasol, as the Grizzlies’ future is in flux. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 12:12 p.m. ET)

Clippers to meet with McGee

As they continue to try and reshape their roster following the Chris Paul trade, the Los Angeles Clippers are set to meet with free agent JaVale McGee on Wednesday, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The big man, however, still remains in talks with the Warriors about a possible return. (Updated Wednesday, July 5 at 10:12 a.m. ET)

Patrick Patterson joins Thunder

Patrick Patterson will be joining the retooling Thunder. He and the Thunder agreed on a $16.4 million contract with a player option in the third year. Patterson is a strong defender that can stretch the floor and a great fit next to Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The third year player option also gives him an escape if those two bolt in free agency once their contracts end. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 11:03 p.m. ET)

Otto Porter signs max offer sheet with Nets, Wizards intend to match

Otto Porter and the Nets reportedly agreed to a max contract offer sheet, worth $104 million on Tuesday. Starting July 6, once Porter signs an offer sheet, the Wizards will have 48 hours to match Brooklyn’s offer. As of now, Washington is reportedly expected to match the Nets offer despite the steep price. This is what the Nets do. They go after expensive names in restricted free agency and hope to steal a name however it looks like the Wizards are going to keep this one. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 11:00 p.m. ET)

Celtics shopping Smart?

The Celtics got their man, agreeing to a deal with free agent forward Gordon Hayward, but that means they will have to move someone currently on the team in order to clear the cap space to sign Hayward. According to a report from Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript, the Celtics have been calling teams about moving Marcus Smart(Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 9:10 p.m. ET)

Three-team trade involving Gallinari, Millsap agreed upon

After a few days of hold-ups, Danilo Gallinari and Paul Millsap are on the move. According to a report from Chris Vivlamore, the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers have agreed upon a three-team trade that will send Millsap to the Nuggets and Gallinari to the Clippers. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 9:06 p.m. ET)

Warriors agree to deal with Casspi

The Golden State Warriors continued their busy offseason on Tuesday, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team agreed to a one-year deal with free agent forward Omri Casspi(Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 8:52 p.m. ET)

Interest peaking on Olynyk

With the Celtics having agreed to a deal with Gordon Haywardthey renounced Kelly Olynyk in order to help clear cap space. With the big man now an unrestricted free agent, there are a number of teams interested, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.  (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 8:39 p.m. ET)

Gordon Hayward agrees to join Celtics

The Gordon Hayward sweepstakes has come to a conclusion on the Fourth of July. The former Butler player will team up with his college coach Brad Stevens in Boston. Hayward penned a Players’ Tribune article announcing his move from Utah to Boston. He’s reportedly signing a four-year, $128 million deal with the Celtics. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 8:33 p.m. ET)

Heat waive Chris Bosh, clear his salary

Because of medical problems related to recurring blood clots, doctors have not cleared Chris Bosh to return to the NBA, and recently the Miami Heat were notified by the league that they would be able to clear Bosh’s salary — $52.1 million over the next two years — from their books.
Bosh will still get his money, but it will not count against the Heat’s salary cap space. On Tuesday, the Heat made it official by waiving Bosh. Team president Pat Riley added that the Heat will retire Bosh’s number. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 6:11 p.m. ET)

Jamal Crawford wants to join Lonzo, Lakers

Jamal Crawford is reportedly being moved to the Hawks in a three-team trade, but it’s likely a buyout could be coming his way in the near future. If that’s the case then he’ll be able to go anywhere he wants. If he gets his way then he could be back in Los Angeles, but this time he’ll be on the Lakers. Reports are that Crawford wants to play for Lonzo Ball and the Lakers rather than staying with the Hawks. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 5:02 pm. ET)

Memphis awaiting offer sheet from JaMychal Green

JaMychal Green might not be in Memphis next year. His offer from the Grizzlies left his agent very unhappy and now Memphis is awaiting an offer sheet. It appears that the Grizzlies are going to let the restricted free agency market decide the value on Green. If they like the price then they’ll match. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 4:58 p.m. ET)

Kings reach deals with George Hill, Zach Randolph

The Kings are off to a busy Fourth of July. According to Shams Charania of the Vertical, Sacramento has reached a three-year, $57M deal with veteran point guard George Hill. The Kings, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, also agreed to terms on a two-year, $24 million deal with veteran big man Zach Randolph(Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 1:40 p.m. ET)

Suns sign Europe standout Mike James

The Phoenix Suns have signed NBA rookie guard Mike James, the team announced on Monday. James has been a star in Europe, where he averaged 13.1 points, 3.0 assists and 0.9 steals in 25 Euroleague games with Panathinaikos in 2016-17. He went undrafted out of Lamar University in 2012. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 10:38 a.m. ET)

Young expected to make decision July 4th or 5th

After declining his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers recently, free agent Nick Young is closing in on a July 4th or 5th decision, Zach Lowe of ESPN reports. Among the bidders, Lowe reports, is the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 9:50 a.m. ET)

Free agent Mike Scott finalizing deal with Wizards

After five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, free agent guard Mike Scott is finalizing a minimum deal with the Washington WizardsAdrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Scott served as a bit player for the Wizards last season, averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds last season. But he’s shown flashes of becoming more than just a bench player. In the 2013-14 season, Scott, then 25, averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while playing nearly 20 minutes per contest. (Updated Tuesday, July 4 at 8:41 a.m. ET)

Pacers working towards buyout with Ellis

The Indiana Pacers have been busy this offseason, shipping Paul George to the Thunder in one of the most talked about deals of the summer. Earlier Monday afternoon they also reached an agreement with free agent point guard Darren Collison. Now, it appears they could be parting ways with Monta Ellis, as Nate Taylor of the Indy Star reported that the two sides are discussing a buyout, and it could be done later this month. (Updated  Monday, July 3 at 10:13 p.m. ET)

Pacers agree to deal with Collison

With Jeff Teague gone to Minnesota, the Indiana Pacers were in need of a point guard for next season, and it appears they have found one, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Pacers have agreed to a two-year deal with veteran free agent Darren Collison(Updated  Monday, July 3 at 7:23 p.m. ET)

Durant takes major paycut

Kevin Durant has reached an agreement with the Warriors that will serve as a major tax break for ownership. It was expected that he would take a paycut to help Golden State sign free agents and keep key players. However nobody expected him to cut off as much as he did. Durant will make $54 million over two years with a second year player option. That is well below the max. (Updated  Monday, July 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Swaggy to Warriors could happen, but several other teams interested

USA Today’s Sam Amick reports that Nick Young joining the Warriors is still a real possibility, but that several other teams are also interested in the 32-year-old free agent. The Warriors could offer Young the mid-level exception, while New Orleans has also been reported to have interest in Swaggy P, who shot 40 percent on 170 made 3-pointers last season with the Lakers. (Updated Monday, July 3 at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Suns waive Barbosa

Phoenix is waiving guard Leandro Barbosa, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Arizona Sports’ Craig Grialou reports that the move will save the Suns $3.5 million in cap space, and that Barbosa’s $4 million contract for next season would have become guaranteed after Monday. (Updated Monday, July 3 at 3 p.m. ET)

George Hill meeting with Lakers

Free agent point guard George Hill is meeting with the Lakers to discuss a potential one-year deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Lakers, who have also been linked to Rajon Rondo, reportedly hope to play Hill and Lonzo Ball together in the backcourt. (Updated Monday, July 3 at 1:45 p.m. ET)

Cavs still have no GM

The Cavs may have to wait a little longer on a new general manager. Brian Windhorst said Monday that it’s become “very clear” that their intended target, Chauncey Billups, is moving on from the position. Cleveland has yet to interview anybody else for the position. We are three days into free agency and the club has no GM.(Updated Monday, July 3 10:45 a.m. ET)

Rose interested in Milwaukee

Derrick Rose plans on meeting with the Bucks on Monday. The former MVP point guard hasn’t been linked to many teams, and so far only the Knicks have shown interest. Milwaukee could use a backup point guard, and if Rose is willing to take that role the two sides could find common ground. (Updated Monday, July 3 9:35 a.m. ET)