Pistons free agent center Greg Monroe said Sunday he will meet with five teams this week, including the Knicks, and said he wants to play for a club ready to win. He also seemed to be campaigning to stay in his hometown.
Monroe, who is from Louisiana, said at his basketball clinic in New Orleans hes looking for a two-year deal with an opt-out after one season to take advantage of the coming rise of the salary cap.
According to the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate, Monroe will speak with the Knicks, Celtics, Bucks, and Blazers with the Pistons out of the picture. Free agency begins Wednesday.
Im looking to be with a team thats ready to win, Monroe told the newspaper. Hopefully it will be a team where Im the missing piece.-NYPOST
Meanwhile, USA Today reports that the Mavericks, Lakers, and Knicks will join the Clippers in holding meetings with Jordan, while the Bucks unfortunately for the were unable to pique the big man's interest.
The 26-year-old free agent center who spent his first seven seasons with the Clippers is clearly giving serious thought to changing jerseys, as three people with knowledge of his situation said he is expected to meet with at least four teams the Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks in the first few days of free agency. The meetings are expected to take place in the Los Angeles office where Jordan's representatives, Dan Fegan and Happy Walters of Relativity Sports, are based. The people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process.
NJ.com
Jeremy Lin, who was the most celebrated athlete in New York in 2011 when he became a surprise starter with the Knicks and ignited "Linsanity," could be returning to New York during free agency.
The point guard, who, while playing for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, hasn't achieved the success he had in New York, could be a Knicks target as they look for inexpensive, short-term players to form a bridge to the future during a total rebuilding of the organization.
When he returned to the Garden with the Lakers in April, Lin played 24 minutes and scored just four points in a 92-80 loss.
"Every time I come back, I always have great memories," Lin said then. "I remember those great times. I'm always thankful. Coming back to New York with these fans at the Garden, that was very special to me and I'll always cherish that."
Caron Butler
After his release from the Milwaukee Bucks before July 1, Caron Butler has emerged as a candidate for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, a league source told RealGM.
The Lakers and New York Knicks also expect to make an inquiry on Butler, a 13-year NBA veteran who has averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds for his career.
David Aldridge & #10004;@daldridgetnt
An under the radar free agent will be Dallas' Al-Faroqu Aminu. Sked to visit NYK, BOS, POR, TOR & NOP, w/Mavs still in mix.
LeBron and Rich Paul were personal friends before they had a professional relationship. Lebron left CAA to make Rich Paul his agent.
LeBron hired Rich Paul to work for him as part of his management team, and it's because of LeBron that he actually became an agent after getting connected with and working under well-established agent Leon Rose. Now Paul has his own agency. His clients include Lebron, Norris Cole, Thompson, Eric Bledsoe, among others. They're business partners.
Lebron doesn't just want to be a basketball player. He wants to be a businessman and a power broker among athletes.
Does he come with a free suit and folding chair for the 25 games he'll miss per year?
People would just blame that on being with the Knicks though.
Yea it would be weird but to be fair we have no idea how much Knicks or the rest of the NBA will offer right?
What would be an appropriate contract you think for him? 7-9 million a year?
Again, if we don't get a SG this year, there are many younger SGs coming available next year. The rim protectors next year? Ed Davis and Ian Mahinimi. No thank you.
And I keep forgetting about Kyle O'quinn. Solid defense and shooting range, has been even hitting a few 3s on occasion. I'd think somewhere in the 6-8 million range ought to do it. Perfect compliment to Monroe.
Monroe at $15 million, O'quinn at $6 million, that should allow about $6 million to spend on a stop gap SG. Maybe Gerald Green on a 1 year deal?
And if we are simply keeping Calderon because of shooting, do you think we could swap him for Kevin Martin? Just as bad on defense but can get high volume 3s in on 40% shooting. Solid spark off the bench.
K-Mart/Grant/Ledo
Melo/Early
O'Quinn/KP
Monroe/Aldrich
I might be optimistic on that one, but hopefully can get us 35-40 wins, compete for an 8 seed, and next year we can splash on SGs and fill out the bench.
For others? Not so much. Lets take 6th man "X". Mr. X is going to get paid 28/4 this year in part on the knowledge that the cap is going up next year. If there wasnt massive cap inflation, he might get only 15/3 or 20/4. But it's not like if he could opt out that next year there would by 40/4 available for him -- the 28/4 is already pricing the cap rise in -- except for max contract players.
This is the problem with Monroe. He's a max guy because of the cap rise. He shouldnt expect materially more than 15 million per if he opts out next year -- maybe he gets more, but on a 2 year deal he risks more than 50% of the 60 million should he suck/get hurt.
true, but we're looking at an unprecedented situation where just about EVERY team is going to have max cap room. Role players and such get overpaid when there's 2-3 teams bidding. What happens when there's say 10-20 teams in the mix for a guy?
I know it was a few years ago, but JR Smith got 7 mil in a packed SG market coming off a 6th man of the year award. I don't care if the cap is going up... Afflalo can't get 8 mil coming off a bad season.
You can work deals, you can agree to deals, but nothing is official until deals can be signed.
He had a PER lower than Shumpert last year lol. I saw something on twitter also about how his on-off the court numbers are also average at best.
If you look back at that offseason, pretty much everyone got 6-8 million dollars... JR Smith, Mayo, Gerald Henderson, Jose Calderon, JJ Redick, and a few other guards who slip my mind at the moment. Belinelli took less to play in San Antonio.
Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine 47s47 seconds ago
As for Rockets, like we reported last week, Houston WANTS to get in the game for both Aldridge and Kevin Love. Needs to shed salary, tho
I wouldn't mind taking Clint Capela as part of a deal.
Following
Eric PincusVerified account
@EricPincus
The Chicago Bulls have given Jimmy Butler both a qualifying offer AND a max qualifying offer @BBallInsiders
Fucking A, you just put the imagine of Masai Ujiri licking Aldridge's balls in my mind.
They'd have to pay us back now.
No longer content merely to dominate the basketball world of tomorrow with Latvian super-stud Kristaps Porzingis, Phil Jackson might be looking to pry the rights to 6'10" power forward Nemanja Bjelica away from the Minnesota Timberwolves, per Eurohoops' Nikos Varlas:
According to Eurohoops sources, the Euroleague MVP has already decided to continue his career in the NBA. He has to sign his new contract until the 10th of July, the date his opt out clause in the contract with Fenerbahce/ Ulker expires. Bjelica has been in contact for a long time with the Timberwolves, however now the Knicks entered the picture.
Bjelica is a unique case and his passing ability makes him a great fit for the triangle offense. Thats probably why the Knicks are really interested on him and they seem willing to offer him a better deal than the one he already has on the table from Minessota. It remains to be seen what Minessota will decide, since the Timberwolves also want the Serbian Forward and Euroleague MVP of the season on their roster for next season.
Bjelica averaged 11.5 points on 53.7 percent shooting (37% from three), 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce. Euroleague is the basketball equivalent of the Champions League, so he won MVP honors in a showcase of the best teams from around Europe. Also, he is apparently the Serbian Magic:
Quote:
Aldridge to meet with the Raptors? That's pretty wild because he's guaranteed the max wherever he goes so there is no incentive in trying to play teams against each other. Guess he just wants his balls licked by as many teams as possible
Fucking A, you just put the imagine of Masai Ujiri licking Aldridge's balls in my mind.
LOL Dan msgd me this on Facebook and I said the exact same thing...
Bjelica, 27, has moved toward breaking into the NBA after being named the Euroleague MVP this past season. At 6-foot-10, Bjelica is a skilled forward who could play three positions at the NBA level.
I honestly wouldn't even be thrilled if they gave Green that much money, I think he should come in at around 10 per, but I could talk myself into it just because you probably are going to have to overpay to get him away from San Antonio.
Exactly. If part 1 is true, why would the Knicks and their 100% lack of assets be the ones to land him? They can tell him to fuck off and stay in Europe.
I wish Knicks could get rid of Calderon's contract
Cavs are looking for a vet PG maybe they would be interested in Haywood for Calderon?
Quote:
he's simply never going to sign there? But if that's the case, other teams would surely be in the mix.
Exactly. If part 1 is true, why would the Knicks and their 100% lack of assets be the ones to land him? They can tell him to fuck off and stay in Europe.
If he's never going to sign there maybe he said he wants NY and only NY.
As the Daily News reported in April, an NBA executive called Greg Monroe to the Knicks "about as close to a done deal as you can get."
What the HELL?!?!?!? - ( New Window )
I dont know why he'd go to SAS. Who knows if the wheels are going to fall off the bus there. Look, I love Leonard. Im not convinced he can carry a playoff team. Manu, Duncan, Splitter, and Green are all likely gone this summer or next. Meaning after Leonard (22 PER), what's left is Parker in his mid 30s and in a CLEAR statistical decline, and flotsam. Guys who look good as the 6th-7th best guys on a team and are exposed when you ask more of them.
And why LA? That could work well. Or its the corpse of Kobe, Russell's defensive and athletic concerns prove value, and Randle aint shit/never recovers. Huge risk.
I don't get it. Does that mean they're guaranteeing not to sign or trade for anyone else?