Tag: contract

Hornets keeping Miles Bridges with 3-year, $75M contract

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Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges goes up for a dunk against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The Charlotte Hornets are keeping forward Miles Bridges after the forward was re-signed to a three-year, $75 million contract, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the agreement cannot yet be announced.

Bridges has spent his first five NBA seasons with the Hornets and indicated leading up to free agency that he wanted to remain with the franchise that drafted him in the first round in 2018 out of Michigan State.

He averaged a career-high 21 points and 7.3 rebounds last season after sitting out all of the 2022-23 season due to his involvement in a domestic violence situation. Bridges was suspended 30 games by the NBA last summer after pleading no contest, and sat out the first 10 games of the season.

READ: NBA: Kemba Walker returning to Hornets as part of coaching staff

In February, additional criminal charges connected to the domestic violence case against Bridges were brought, but then later dropped because of “insufficient evidence,” court documents revealed.

Bridges had been facing three charges for an alleged violation of a domestic violence protection order in Charlotte on Oct. 6, 2023, misdemeanor child abuse and injury to personal property.

But the state said in a Charlotte Mecklenburg County Court filing that prosecutors would “not be successful at trial.”

Authorities said the woman who accused Bridges gave conflicting stories of what happened.

READ: New coach Charles Lee out to turn around struggling Hornets

Superior Court documents say that when police officers responded to a call they found a woman – the mother of Bridges’ two children — and the two children in a vehicle with a damaged windshield. She initially told police another woman at the house caused the damage, but then told them a few days later it was Bridges who inflicted the damage.

Later, court documents stated the woman told prosecutors she was unsure how her car was damaged leading to the charges being dropped

Over the course of his five season with the Hornets, Bridges has averaged 14.8 points and six rebounds.

In other news, Charlotte announced that it received guard Devonte’ Graham from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for cash considerations. However, in a corresponding transaction, the Hornets waived Graham, making him an unrestricted free agent.



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Charlotte also announced that it has waived forward Davis Bertans, guard Bryce McGowens and forward Aleksej Pokusevski.

Franz Wagner sign largest contract in Orlando Magic history

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Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) makes a move against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, right, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Franz Wagner has agreed to the largest contract in Orlando Magic history, a five-year extension that will be worth at least $224 million, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.

The contract value could reach $270 million if he becomes supermax eligible, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement cannot yet be announced.

The NBA offseason moratorium on such moves gets lifted Saturday.

READ: NBA: Jonathan Isaac agrees to $84 million deal with Magic

Wagner has averaged 17.8 points in his three seasons with the Magic. He averaged 15.2 points as a rookie before climbing to 18.6 and 19.7 over the last two seasons, respectively.

The 22-year-old forward who helped Germany win the World Cup last summer and is slated to play at the Paris Olympics starting later this month has teamed with Paolo Banchero to give the Magic one of the league’s top young frontcourts.

Wagner, who played at Michigan, has started all 231 of his appearances with the Magic, a team coming off a Southeast Division title and the franchise’s first playoff berth in four years. Orlando pushed Cleveland to a seven-game series before losing in the first round.

Wagner’s extension begins with the 2025-26 season.



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Raptors, Quickley agree on 5-year, $175M contract

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Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on February 28, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP

The Toronto Raptors and point guard Immanuel Quickley intend to agree on a five-year NBA contract that could be worth up to $175 million, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Friday.

Final terms were still be worked out, though the basic parameters of the agreement are done, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions were not to be revealed publicly.

ESPN first reported the agreement, which cannot be executed until the offseason moratorium is lifted by the league on July 6.

READ: NBA: Raptors, Scottie Barnes agree on $225M extension

It is the second massive deal that the Raptors have essentially struck in recent days, the other being the max extension to Scottie Barnes — one that will be worth at least $225 million and could reach $270 million over five seasons.

And the agreement with Quickley makes clear that he’s another significant part of Toronto’s rebuilding plan.

Quickley was traded to Toronto in late December as part of the move that also brought RJ Barrett to the Raptors and sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. Quickley started all 38 of his appearances with the Raptors, averaging 18.6 points and 6.8 assists in those games.

Quickley scored 25 or more points 11 times last season; 10 of them came after he was traded to Toronto. He had six or more assists on 24 occasions; 22 of those came after the trade.

Later Friday, the Raptors announced they have exercised the $23 million team option on the contract of wing Bruce Brown for the coming season. Brown averaged 10.8 points this past season.



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Pistons, coach JB Bickerstaff agree on 4-year contract

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FILE – Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff shouts at his team during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic, May 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a four-year NBA contract with coach J.B. Bickerstaff with a team option for a fifth season, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.

The Cleveland Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff in May after they lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals despite them winning 99 games over two years.

The Pistons fired coach Monty Williams one season into a six-year, $78.5 million contract after they had the NBA’s worst record for a second straight year. They also fired general manager Troy Weaver after they won 23% of their games in his four seasons.

READ: NBA: Pistons decline 19M option for Evan Fournier

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has been busy trying to turn around a three-time NBA championship-winning franchise that has fallen on hard times.

The 45-year-old Bickerstaff, who twice finished among the top five in NBA Coach of the Year voting, was 170-159 in four-plus seasons in Cleveland. He had six victories in the playoffs. He took over when John Beilein, a former Michigan coach, walked away from the Cavs during the 2019-20 season.

Bickerstaff also was promoted to replace fired coaches in Houston and Memphis, going 37-34 with the Rockets in the 2015-16 season and winning 48 games with the Grizzlies during most of the 2017-18 and all of the following season.

READ: NBA: Mavericks trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Pistons for Quentin Grimes

Bickerstaff’s father, Bernie, won 419 NBA games with Seattle, Denver, Washington, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Pistons went into free agency with $50 million in salary cap space, desperately looking for an influx in talent to play with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham.

Langdon has begun to reshape the roster by declining a $19 million option for Evan Fournier, extending a qualifying offer to Simone Fontecchio and acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas in a trade. He drafted Ron Holland of the G League Ignite with the fifth pick overall.

The Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, when they appeared in the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight year.



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Kenny Atkinson signs 5-year contract to coach Cavaliers

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FILE -.The Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring former Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson as their new coach. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

CLEVELAND— Kenny Atkinson’s first stint as an NBA head coach ended with a sudden, strange separation in Brooklyn.

He’s hoping for a longer-lasting relationship in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers finalized a five-year contract on Friday with Atkinson, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant with Golden State and now takes over a Cleveland team coming off its second straight playoff appearance.

In choosing the respected Atkinson, the Cavs ended a monthlong search that began after the firing of J.B. Bickerstaff, who led the team to 99 wins the past two seasons. Bickerstaff was let go after Cleveland lost in five games to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

READ: NBA: Cavaliers hiring Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as next coach

“Kenny brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of player development, and a relentless work ethic that aligns with the vision we have for this franchise,” said Koby Altman, the team’s president of basketball operations.

“His familiarity coaching alongside some of the NBA’s best elevates this partnership and we are excited that Kenny will guide our team and help us achieve our goals both on and off the court,” Altman added

The Cavs plan to introduce Atkinson — the franchise’s 24th coach — at a news conference on Monday.

“This is an incredible opportunity to lead an already talented young roster with an equally bright future,” Atkinson said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand and had to prepare for this group as an opposing coach, and the task was not easy. I’m so excited to now be on this side of the ledger to help continue moving this team forward.”

READ: NBA: Cavaliers to interview assistants Johnnie Bryant, Quinn

There was a delay in Atkinson signing his contract because he was in France helping its national team prepare for the upcoming Paris Olympics. He’ll be back in Europe next week for exhibition games with the French team.

Atkinson arrived in Cleveland on Wednesday and was in the team’s draft room when the Cavs selected Cal forward Jaylon Tyson with the No. 20 overall pick.

Atkinson’s hiring is another significant move in a pivotal summer for a Cleveland team that believes it has the necessary roster to compete for a championship. The next step — and perhaps the most important — is getting All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to sign a long-term contract, which he is expected to do.

The 57-year-old Atkinson is a safe, sound pick by the team’s front office and chairman Dan Gilbert, who hasn’t always handled coaching searches with aplomb. Gilbert’s outside-the-box hires of first-time NBA coaches David Blatt and John Beilein backfired badly.

Atkinson is far less risky.

He has the resume, highlighted by offensive success and a reputation for developing players. Atkinson began as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni in New York and has also been on staffs with Tyronn Lue and most recently Steve Kerr.

Atkinson won a title with the Warriors in 2022.

“Kenny is a great friend,” said Kerr, also the U.S. team’s coach who encouraged Atkinson to join the French staff. “He’s a great coach. That’s the reason Cleveland just hired him. And I was very lucky to have him the last few years.”

The Cavs are counting on Atkinson to bring out the best in their young players, particularly 23-year-old forward Evan Mobley, and take the team further than Bickerstaff could.

His experience with the Nets undoubtedly shaped Atkinson. Although his record wasn’t sparkling (118-190), he got Brooklyn’s players to buy in and the team made incremental improvements in each of his four seasons, making the playoffs in Year 3.

However, 62 games into the 2020 season, Atkinson was pushed out amid an ownership change and the ballyhooed arrivals of stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. His dismissal remains somewhat mysterious, one of those behind-the-scenes power struggles that percolate throughout the league.



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The Cavs were also drawn to Atkinson’s offensive ingenuity. Under him, the Nets were at the forefront of playing faster and shooting more 3-pointers, a trend that took off and was embraced by the champion Celtics this season.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch gets contract extension

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Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch listens during a news conference after Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

The Minnesota Timberwolves took care of one bit of business before the NBA draft and free agency begin by signing coach Chris Finch to a four-year extension that will run through the 2027-28 season.

It marks the third contract Finch has signed since becoming head coach in February 2021. On Finch’s watch, the Wolves have made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and are coming off their first appearance in the NBA Western Conference finals since 2004.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The NBA draft is Wednesday and Thursday before free agency negotiations start this weekend.

“I’d like to thank [owner] Glen [Taylor], Becky [Taylor], and the entire organization for their continued support and commitment to me and the team,” Finch said in a statement. “I’m proud of the way we’ve been able to establish a great culture here with the Timberwolves and I look forward to continuing to lead this organization and make our fans proud.”

Finch is the second-winningest coach in franchise history, behind Flip Saunders, with a record of 160-127. His winning percentage of .557 is the best of any coach in franchise history.

READ: Timberwolves advancing further in NBA playoffs comes with cost

He previously signed an extension toward the end of the 2021-22 season. Finch finished third in this season’s Coach of the Year voting as the Wolves finished third in the Western Conference, and he has made an unconventional frontcourt of both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert work while overseeing Anthony Edwards’ ascension into an All-NBA player. Finch also coached the Western Conference in this season’s All-Star Game.

Finch coached the last two rounds of this season’s playoffs after rupturing his patellar tendon in Game 4 of the team’s first-round series against Phoenix when point guard Mike Conley collided with him on the sidelines. Finch sat behind the bench or off to the side as assistant Micah Nori, who has interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs this offseason, roamed the sidelines.

Finch developed his reputation as a great offensive assistant coach in Houston and New Orleans before Gersson Rosas hired him to succeed Ryan Saunders in February 2021. But Finch oversaw the league’s No. 1 defense this season.

Finch has worked in unusual circumstances in his first four seasons as coach, as he has had three different bosses running basketball operations for the Wolves during his tenure — Rosas; executive vice president Sachin Gupta, who was the interim president after Rosas’ firing, and President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly for the past two seasons. Connelly and Finch previously worked together in Denver, where Finch was an assistant.

READ: NBA: Timberwolves coach Chris Finch to have knee surgery

Despite criticism last season as the Wolves struggled in the first season after the Gobert trade, Connelly never wavered in his commitment to Finch and often referred to him as an “elite” coach.

“Chris is a wonderful coach, and an even better person,” Connelly said in a statement. “We are thrilled that he is being rewarded with a well-earned extension. Under his guidance the team has improved every year, he’s the perfect leader for our organization.”

Connelly recently restructured his deal to push back a buyout in his contract until after next season as the ownership situation between Taylor and Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore plays out in arbitration over the next few months.



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Pascal Siakam, Pacers agree on $189M, four-year contract

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Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) grabs a rebound during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Boston Celtics, Monday, May 27, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Pascal Siakam intends to sign a four-year, $189.5 million contract to remain with the Indiana Pacers when the NBA’s offseason moratorium is lifted in early July, a person with knowledge of the talks between the sides told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor the club may announce the agreement by league rule. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, was first to report that Siakam decided to remain with the Pacers.

Free agency does not begin until June 30, but this agreement was not in violation of any league rules. Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams could start speaking to their own free agents one day after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. And the Pacers were clear going into the offseason that retaining Siakam was a top priority, so it was no surprise that they wanted to begin official talks quickly.

READ: NBA: Pascal Siakam finds perfect fit in Pacers’ up-tempo offense

“The first very important step is to begin recruiting Pascal Siakam in earnest,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said a few weeks ago, shortly after the Pacers’ season ended. “That will start today with exit meetings. He’s a great player. He was tremendous for us.”

Siakam — a two-time All-Star and part of the Toronto team that won the 2019 NBA title — would be in line to make about $42 million next season and around $53 million in 2027-28, the final year of the new deal.

The Pacers acquired the 30-year-old power forward in a January trade, and he quickly became a major part of the team that would reach the Eastern Conference finals before falling to eventual NBA champion Boston. Siakam shot 55% from the field and 38% from 3-point range in 41 regular-season games with Indiana this past season.

Counting his time in Toronto, Siakam averaged 21.7 points and 7.1 rebounds this past season. The Pacers will have him and guard Tyrese Haliburton — who is about to enter the start of a $245 million, five-year deal that was agreed upon last summer — as their franchise cornerstones going forward.

Carlisle said he still considered this past season to be Year 2 of a rebuild in Indiana, but he noted that the acquisitions of Siakam and Haliburton (who was traded to Indiana in February 2022) fast-tracked the plan.

“The fact that all these pieces fit well together put us in a strong position this year,” Carlisle said when the season ended.



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