Welcome to Around the Realm, where we look at the top news stories from around the league. If I missed any notable stories, feel free to discuss in the comments!
As an additional note, with so many moves over the last two days, I will not be able to make this all-inclusive, but will try to capture the biggest news.
Gordon Hayward lands in Charlotte
After a few days of speculation that he might end up in Indiana or New York, Gordon Hayward surprised everyone and landed with the Charlotte Hornets.
Free agent Gordon Hayward is signing a 4-year, $120M deal with Charlotte, per source.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020
Hayward is still a very good player when he’s healthy, but the Hornets are making a huge financial commitment to a player who will be 34 at the end of his deal.
The Lakers land Marc Gasol
There was a battle between the Raptors, Lakers, and Mavericks all hoping to sign Gasol for the season, but ultimately he ended up in Los Angeles.
Marc Gasol is finalizing a deal to sign with the Lakers, sources tell me and @ZachLowe_NBA.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 23, 2020
As part of signing Gasol the Lakers sent JaVale McGee to Cleveland.
The Lakers are trading JaVale McGee to Cleveland, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 23, 2020
In three days the Lakers replaced Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee with Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell. Quite the upgrades for the reigning champs.
The battle of Los Angeles
Of course, the Lakers aren’t getting every player they want. Before signing Gasol the Lakers had been hoping to land Serge Ibaka, but he ended up signing with the Clippers.
Free agent Serge Ibaka has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 22, 2020
Meanwhile, in Toronto
While the Raptors lost Ibaka and Gasol, they didn’t wait long to replace them, adding Tristan Thompson, Aron Baynes, and Alex Len (who we wrote about earlier).
Sources: Two-year, $19 million deal for Tristan Thompson in Boston. https://t.co/U6p14ooIwg
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 22, 2020
Toronto picks up one of the top big men on the market in Aron Baynes. Second season is a team option, sources said. Marc Gasol heads to Los Angeles on an agreement with the Lakers, where his preference has been and where his brother Pau is an icon. https://t.co/BiJ9JpeIGg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2020
Hawks sign Rajon Rondo
Aside from Danilo Gallinari and their not-very-nice attempts to sign Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Hawks also added Rajon Rondo.
Hawks are determined to get better defensively in the backcourt rotation, bringing on Rondo and Kris Dunn on two-year deals. https://t.co/pn3tayvhAA
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020
Rondo was good in the playoffs for the Lakers, but tends to check out in the regular season. Atlanta better hope all these moves lead to a playoff berth, otherwise adding Rondo is unlikely to help.
The Knicks got a bargain on Austin Rivers
I know a lot of people aren’t huge fans of Austin Rivers, but three years for just $10 million seems like a bargain.
Update on Rivers' contract: Three years, $10M, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/mfOQ2XIne7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 23, 2020
Carmelo Anthony stays in PDX
After some talk of Melo possibly finding a new home, maybe even back in New York, he ended up signing on to stay with Portland for another season.
One-year deal for Carmelo Anthony in Portland, sources said. https://t.co/3AiNteh9GN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
The Lakers keep some supporting cast
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Markieff Morris are both staying with the Lakers on new deals.
Third year for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Lakers contains a partial guarantee, sources say. The deal gives him a $15M average salary over next two seasons and $68M guaranteed over five years — and last year's championship ring soon. https://t.co/LssARAoEpV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 22, 2020
Free agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a minimum deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2020
KCP was really important to the Lakers last season, but that contract still feels like an overpay to me.
Two former Kings centers get new deals
DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein each agreed to new contracts. Willie will stay in Dallas, and Boogie will join the Rockets.
Cousins will sign a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, sources said. Houston expressed interest in signing the four-time All-Star before the NBA restart in July. Cousins serves as an upside signing, and has shown focus and drive in rehab through multiple long-term injuries. https://t.co/LUCaKrWwcj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2020
Team option on second season, sources said. Mavericks quietly received strong consideration from Marc Gasol since the start of free agency, but moved to re-sign Cauley-Stein today. https://t.co/OV8CcREFgP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 22, 2020
It’s a strange world where Cousins gets a non-guaranteed minimum and Cauley-Stein gets multiple years guaranteed. Of course, if Cousins can prove himself healthy, he could earn a more lucrative deal next summer.
I still want to know when the Kings plan to actually do something. Fox’s new contract aside….
Here’s to tomorrow!
They’re probably waiting for the Bogdanovic situation to end before making moves, I mean Whiteside is still available ð©.
Whiteside is a hypothetically replacement for Alex Len, he’s a 20-25 MPG player behind or in front of Holmes. I kind of like Holmes as high nergy off the bench.
I don’t mind it, I prefer Len, but you could say Whiteside is probably better than Len.
Here’s the problem with Whiteside, he is very deliberate with his post moves, he gives the ball away, because he brings the ball down low and gets easily stripped. His post moves are super mechanical.
He’s just begging for the opponent to take the ball away from him. Offensively he has to be used soley as a lob target, a roll target, an offensive rebounder, and high pick setter.
You cannot use Whiteside as a low post center, he brings your offensive to halt. So as long as the coach knows this you go away from this weakness.
The reason I do like Whiteside us because Marvin cannot anchor a defense as a center. He’s not a good help defender and he does not control the paint like Len or Whiteside or Holmes.
I would like to add Whiteside bc it solidifies Baglet at the 4. He has no business guarding starting level centers.
And in case you have not noticed, the centers in the West have gotten big. Whiteside is a big dude.
One thing I haven’t seen discussed here – Bogdan actually signed the offer sheet, right? Doesn’t that mean a sign-and-trade with the Hawks is out of the question?
Thanks for asking, that’s my understanding as well. Can someone please clarify?
All the reporting shows he signed the offer, so I think we can feel pretty comfortable there – if so, we’re either matching (and trying to deal him later) or letting him go today.
When you match a RFA an automatic 1 year no trade clause kicks in, so Bogdan would have to agree to be traded in the next year. Plus, the deal includes a 15% trade kicker, meaning trading him even after the one year comes for a price. I’m guessing McNair is ringing all 30 teams to try and deal Hield, which if happens, makes swallowing Bogdan’s contract a little easier. I think they should match regardless. I don’t think the Bogdan deal is an overpay.
Yep I get all that, just wasn’t sure if we’d be hearing about an S&T with the Hawks, which depends on whether he actually signed the offer sheet.
I think it was BHE or Adamsite that mentioned that the Hawks could pull the offer if Bogi did not technically “sign” the document…not sure the legality of all that. If they are able to pull the offer sheet, then a S&T could be done, I think. But my guess thoughts are that will not happen and the Kings will get nothing.
You are correct.
Willie got one year guaranteed contract with a team option on second year. It is basically a one year minimum deal unless he plays well.
Is that you Magic Johnson??
Reads like a Magic tweet
I dont know what you are talking about. Greg said Willie got a multiyears guaranteed, the Sham tweet says otherwise
Per spotrac NBA:
Interesting, ok thanks, better than I thought, good for Willie, he can afford some new tattoos if he has any space left
Meanwhile, the Kings sit on their hands…
Nobody said tanking would be easy.
So, this would make how many years we’ve been trying the “tanking” strategy? Maybe we should try to build a team to win?
Asking for a friend.
As crazy as it sounds, they’ve been trying to win for a few seasons.
The Bogi thing is a pretty big decision from a cap perspective, so I think this is fine.
The only real bummer is missing out on Christian Wood imo. The contract he received feels like a steal.
I agree about Wood, total steal for Hou.
They have not properly tanked.
Tanking happens in the offseason, like right now, and it has to hurt.
Or so I’ve heard.
Regardless of what happens with Bogi this team is too talented for an outright tank. Their floor is probably in the 25-30 win range (in a full season, not whatever 2021 brings). Unfortunately, their absolute ceiling is around 45 wins and being summarily bounced from the playoffs.
It’s not a great spot to be in. The new lottery rules help a little, though.
You have to factor in the adjusted schedule; we mainly face other teams from the pacific division and we are the weakest brother of the bunch.
Maybe it will be like tanking except without the part where you have to strip the team of anybody who knows how to basketball.
Win/Win!
Yeah, but our talent level isn’t really that high and we have a coach who has the unique ability to minimize that talent.
Accurate definition of the Eight Seed Cycle…
Their floor is probably in the 25-30 win range …their ceiling is around 45 wins and being summarily bounced from the playoffs.
We dream of the Eight Seed Cycle. We’re stuck in the 11th seed Cycle.
That was the argument some, including myself, used in possibly trading Fox for future assets. If the 2021 and 2022 drafts are the true goal here, you sell the farm. IMO, that would also mean matching on Bogi for the sole purpose of moving him later for assets, trade kicker be damned. Letting him walk for nothing is no way to get assets.
It would be different if Bogi was walking on some large deal that freed up a bunch of space that could be used to take on bad deals for picks, but letting him walk really doesn’t free up much of anything.
That’s what Vlade tried to do for at least the last two seasons. He just failed so badly we have to rebuild again.
Given the Kings cap situation and what players have signed for, which deals would you have made, keeping in mind that players like Bazemore (for example) are not going to sign for $2.3m here if they can get that from GS?
No snark here – I am truly interested. I have seen other Kings fans lament the lack of moves, but I have yet to see anyone offer up what the Kings should be doing.
I really liked the S&T with the Bucks and I am sad it didn’t happen.
I also thought, mutually exclusive to the above, that a Buddy trade with Philly should have been pursued more aggressively, but perhaps those negotiations began and ended if Thybulle was off the table.
My uneducated guess is that teams are low-balling the Kings on Hield right now, thanks to Walton and Hield himself. And if the offers aren’t anything more than “we’ll take him off your hands,” I think holding onto Hield at least until the trade deadline is the way to go – his value is not going to go down (injury notwithstanding).
Yep, totally agree.
I really don’t think it is going to go up either. The other 29 GMs know who Buddy is and so does McNair. I don’t buy the idea that he can improve on his value.
I think Buddy’s value will miraculously go up if they match Bogi as well. The other GM’s know the Kings hands are tied right now.
It should go up – his contract length will be going down, and his ongoing annual is on a sliding scale.
And I think his value improves because other teams needs will change – all depends on who thinks they need a Buddy Hield to get them into the playoffs or through the playoffs.
I think that it can change, but the market can also change, depending on where teams are in the playoff hunt, what underperforming contracts they have, etc.
Timing is a huge component when it comes to a player’s actual trade value. The trade deadline will be a different market than today’s market.
There seems to be more than a few veterans that are taking one year deals with options on a second, either to play somewhere they desired or in situations that can be advantageous to getting a better offer next year when way more teams have cap space. I think Len signing in Toronto is a great example, he is going to be able to play 1800+ minutes for well run team that should be able to get to the second round of the play offs at least. That is a much better opportunity than he would get with the Kings.
Well .. ?
Well, I guess we are waiting a bit longer now.
Weird. I thought it was 10am PST.
gonna be a long day!
Apparently they get two full business days. Since the deal was made on a Sunday I guess they get until the end of Tuesday?
Probably helps McNair, and ties up ATL’s $ longer. I’ll take it!
Walton needs more time to look at the tape.
There’s no downside to taking it to the buzzer – if a great offer for Buddy comes in then that would absolutely change their approach.
So if the Kings match the offer from ATL, is there a path where they could then trade Bogi to Milwaukee (with Bogi’s permission)?
Yes, but not for a while. Normally newly signed players can’t be traded for a few months into the season. Normally it is mid December with the season starting in October. I have no clue what the new date is for new free agent signings to be traded.
So what is the over/under of the Kings matching Bogi?
I have a feeling the Kings match and we somehow found a way to trade Buddy.
While I am here for the debate and conversation regarding this team moving forward, I also am still super excited about Tyrese Haliburton. I understand this might not be the thread, but with a lot of negativity I’ve been feeling the past couple days or so, I am also really looking forward to seeing his fit with Fox.
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