|
 Aldridge, one of the most coveted players in the 2015 free agent
class, is scheduled to visit with officials from the Los Angeles
Lakers and then the Houston Rockets starting Tuesday night. Free
agency begins at 9:01 p.m. PT.
The Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are
also confirmed participants in the Aldridge Sweepstakes.
--
Free agent All-Star center Marc Gasol is granting the Memphis
Grizzlies exclusive negotiating rights before setting up additional
meetings with multiple suitors.
Gasol was scheduled to host officials from the only NBA team he has
played for on Wednesday in his native Spain.
Gasol, 30, could sign a maximum five-year, $110 million contract or
opt for a one-year deal to return to free agency next season, when
the max-contract ceiling is projected to rise significantly with the
new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
--
Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler postponed several meetings with
teams trying to lure the All-Star out of Chicago after receiving a
max offer of $90 million for five years to return to the team.
Butler received a $4.5 million qualifying offer from the Bulls, who
would retain first right of refusal to match any incoming contract
Butler receives in restricted free agency starting Wednesday. But he
might not make it to free agency after being offered the five-year
max contract.
--
Restricted free agent Draymond Green and the NBA champion Golden
State Warriors are working toward a deal to keep Green from reaching
the open market.
Green was scheduled to meet with team officials Tuesday, and both
sides are geared toward a contract that will keep the entire
Warriors' roster intact with one exception: unrestricted free agent
point guard Leandro Barbosa.
--
University of Kentucky coach John Calipari denied a Yahoo Sports
report that he had talked to Sacramento Kings about their head
coaching position.
In his Tweet, Calipari said that Kings principal owner Vivek
Ranadive never offered him a job, and concluded by saying, "I WILL
BE AT KENTUCKY."
General manager Vlade Divac said the report was "absolutely untrue."
--
[to top of second column] |
Point guard Luke Ridnour was traded to the Toronto Raptors, his
fourth team in a span of six days.
Ridnour was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Raptors,
who gave up the rights to Tomislav Zubcic. The Thunder also receive
a $2.85 million trade exception.
Oklahoma City picked up Ridnour before the NBA draft from the
Charlotte Hornets for guard Jeremy Lamb.
His offseason roster hopping began when Ridnour was traded from the
Orlando Magic to the Memphis Grizzlies, who dealt the 34-year-old to
the Hornets.
--
The Cleveland Cavaliers extended qualifying offers to guard Matthew
Dellavedova, guard Iman Shumpert and forward/center Tristan
Thompson, making them restricted free agents.
The qualifying offers allow the Cavaliers a right of first refusal
to any of the three players who might sign an offer sheet with
another NBA team.
--
LeBron James is no longer the king of NBA jersey sales. Stephen
Curry, the sharpshooting guard who led the Golden State Warriors
past James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the
franchise's first championship in 40 years, passed James for the
best-selling jersey in the league.
--
Veteran Mike Miller exercised his 2015-16 option to return to the
Cleveland Cavaliers for a second season, his 16th in the NBA.
(Editing by Larry Fine) ))
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