NBA free agency live updates: DeMar DeRozan heading to Bulls via sign-and-trade

The NBA’s free-agency period began at 6 p.m. EDT on Monday.

We’ll be tracking the latest moves around the league, including what the Celtics might do.

DeMar DeRozan heading to Chicago via sign-and-trade

A day after acquiring Lonzo Ball via sign-and-trade, the Bulls are adding another top free agent through a sign-and-trade.

DeRozan agreed to a three-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls, who are trading Thaddeus Young, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks to the Spurs, per multiple reports.

After spending the first nine years of his career in Toronto, DeRozan spent the last three in San Antonio, averaging 21.6 points per game as a Spur.

Lakers pick up Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk in latest veteran adds

The Lakers are continuing to add shooting around their “Big 3” of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

Carmelo Anthony is signing with the Lakers, he announced on Tuesday. The 10-time NBA All-Star has spent the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers, averaging 14.3 points per game over that span. Anthony, 37, is a longtime friend of James as the two were both a part of the 2003 NBA Draft.

The Lakers will also add shooting guard Malik Monk, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Monk, 23, spent the first four years of his career with the Hornets, making 40.1 percent of his 3-pointers last season and scored a career-high 11.7 points per game.

Steph Curry agrees to massive extension with the Warriors

Steph Curry’s won’t be leaving the Bay Area anytime soon.

The star point guard agreed to a four-year, $215 million extension with the Warriors on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The extension will make Curry the first player to sign two $200-plus million deals in NBA history.

Curry’s played his 12-year career in Golden State, where he’s won three NBA titles and two MVPs. He could have become a free agent in 2022 if he decided to opt out of his current contract.

Patty Mills picks the Nets

Another point guard can be crossed off the Celtics’ free agent list.

Patty Mills will sign a two-year, $12 million deal with the Nets, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday. The ex-Spurs guard chose the Nets over several contenders, Wojnarowski reported.

The Celtics were targeting Mills, according to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. Mills played under new Celtics coach Ime Udoka when the latter was an assistant in San Antonio.

76ers add Andre Drummond

The 76ers and Lakers are swapping centers via free agency.

A day after Dwight Howard ditched Philadelphia for Los Angeles, Andre Drummond agreed to a one-year deal with the 76ers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. The deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum.

The Celtics and Drummond had mutual interest when Drummond was bought out by the Cavaliers last season. Drummond ultimately picked the Lakers, citing the opportunity to be in the starting lineup as one of his reasons for going to Los Angeles.

Otto Porter Jr., Rudy Gay will sign with Western Conference teams

A pair of free-agent wings the Celtics were targeting won’t be coming to Boston.

Early Tuesday morning, small forward Otto Porter Jr. agreed to a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Golden State Warriors. Porter Jr. took less money to play with Golden State, declining a mid-level exception offer from an unnamed team, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes reported.

Rudy Gay also came off the free-agent board on Tuesday, agreeing to a two-year, $12.1 million deal with the Jazz, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.

Gay played under new Celtics coach Ime Udoka when Udoka was an assistant with the Spurs. When Udoka received the Celtics’ coaching job, Gay was one of the most vocal supporters of the hire, leading many to speculate if he’d join his former coach in Boston.

Spencer Dinwiddie agrees to deal with Wizards

One of the top free agents came off the board early Tuesday morning.

Former Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie agreed to a three-year deal with the Wizards, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. The contract will three years, $60 million, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. Because of the Wizards’ cap situation, Washington will either have to agree to a sign-and-trade with Brookyln or offload salary in another trade in order to acquire Dinwiddie.

The Celtics had internal interest in Dinwiddie, according Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

Monday

Semi Ojeleye signs with Milwaukee

Late Monday night, ESPN reported former Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye had agreed to a one-year deal with the Bucks. Ojeleye, the 37th pick of the 2017 draft, averaged 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds over four seasons with the Celtics.

Miami’s moves highlight first night of free agency

The Heat reloaded and revamped their roster on Monday, putting together the pieces of a potential contender next season. First, they acquired Raptors guard Kyle Lowry in a sign-and-trade, inking the 2019 NBA champion to a three-year deal worth $90 million. Then they re-upped with Jimmy Butler on a four-year $184 million max deal that tops off at $50.3 million in the final season (Butler’s age 36 year). The Heat then re-signed Duncan Robinson to a five-year $90 million contract and coaxed P.J. Tucker to pick up $15 million over two years. Add Dewayne Dedmon (one year deal) and Max Strus (two years, $3.5 million), and the Heat were as busy and aggressive as any team on the first day of free agency.

Blake Griffin returning to Brooklyn

Blake Griffin will stay with the Nets on a one-year deal, according to ESPN. Griffin averaged 10 points and just under five rebounds in Brooklyn after the Pistons bought out the remainder of his contract midseason.

Norm Powell back in Portland

The Trail Blazers were so impressed by Norm Powell last season after acquiring him from the Raptors, they brought him back on a lucrative five-year deal worth $90 million, according to ESPN. Powell shot 41 percent from three and averaged 17 points in Portland playing next to Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Ex-Celtic Jeff Green headed to Denver

The Celtics reportedly had interest in Jeff Green, but forward/center agreed to a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets worth $10 million total on Monday according to ESPN. Green, who the Celtics drafted in 2007 and later acquired via trade in 2011, has a player option on the second year of his deal. Green started 38 games for the Nets last season.

Knicks active in free agency

In addition to adding Evan Fournier, the Knicks kept their surprise playoff team together on Monday -- re-signing Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks. All three players signed for three years. Rose’s deal is worth $43 million, while Noel received $32 million, and Alec Burks re-upped $30 million.

Alex Caruso signing with Chicago

Chicago landed Alex Caruso, inking the defensive-minded former Lakers guard to a four-year deal worth $37 million, per ESPN. Caruso, whose popularity soared online during his time with the Lakers, proved himself more than just a meme during the Lakers’ run to the 2019-20 championship in the Disney World bubble. The Bulls have now landed two solid defenders who can play alongside star guard Zach LaVine..

Fournier set to leave Boston

Evan Fournier, who spent the second half of last season with the Celtics, has agreed to a four-year deal with the Knicks that could be worth as much as $78 million, according to ESPN.

Chris Paul staying in Phoenix

No great surprise here, but according to ESPN, Chris Paul has agreed to stay with the Suns on a new four-year deal that could be worth as much as $120 million.

And three updates from Miami, all per multiple reports: one, Jimmy Butler is expected to agree to a maximum contract extension with the Heat. Two, Duncan Robinson has agreed to a five-year, $90 million contract to stay with Miami. And two Kyle Lowry is heading to the Heat on a three-year deal which will come via a sign-and-trade.

Ex-Celtic Daniel Theis on the move

According to Kelly Iko of the Athletic, former Celtics center Daniel Theis is headed to the Rockets on a multi-year deal.

The Celtics traded Theis to the Bulls at the trade deadline as part of a three-team deal that brought Mo Wagner and Luke Kornet back to Boston. The trade helped keep the Celtics under the luxury tax.

Theis played well enough last season to price himself out of the Celtics’ range, especially as Robert Williams looked like a regular contributor. A highly versatile defender at the five, Theis also offered some offense a stretch big and set great screens in the pick-and-roll.

Kelly Olynyk signing with the Pistons

Free-agent Kelly Olynyk, who had been linked to the Celtics in some reports, has agreed to a three-year, $37M deal with the Pistons, according to ESPN.

Bulls land Lonzo Ball

Just after the official start of free agency, the first big move was announced: Lonzo Ball is heading from New Orleans to Chicago, courtesy of a sign-and-trade agreement. Ball gets a four-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls, per ESPN. Big Baller Brand, indeed.

Celtics among group of teams showing interest in Reggie Jackson

Clippers point guard Reggie Jackson appears to have a suitor in place he once called home.

The Celtics are one of at least four teams that are interested in the Boston College product, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

After a relatively tame regular season in which he scored 10.7 points per game, Jackson shined for the Clippers in their playoff run. He scored 17.8 points per game over 19 playoff games and stepped up when Kawhi Leonard missed the Western Conference Finals, putting up 20.3 points per game in that series.

Celtics could reunite with Isaiah Thomas

The Celtics’ search to find a new point guard might bring them back to an old one.

“Boston, I’m told, has interest in an Isaiah Thomas reunion, with new Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens known to be one of Thomas’ biggest fans,” longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported Monday.

Thomas was a fan favorite during his three seasons in Boston, and was named an All-Star twice. The Celtics traded Thomas to the Cavaliers as part of a package for Kyrie Irving in 2017.

After suffering a hip injury in his final season in Boston, Thomas has failed to play at the level he was once at. Now 32, he has played for five teams since leaving Boston, with his last stint coming on a 10-day contract on the Pelicans this past season.

Celtics may have ‘internal’ interest in Spencer Dinwiddie

The list of point guards the Celtics are reportedly interested in is growing. Boston has interest in Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

“Acquiring Dinwiddie — who told SI’s Howard Beck that he is seeking a contract in the five-year, $125 million range — gets financially complicated,” Mannix wrote.

Dinwiddie, 28, played in just three games this past season after tearing his ACL. When Kyrie Irving missed much of the 2019-20 season for the Nets, Dinwiddie stepped up in the starting point guard role and averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game.

The Pelicans and Wizards are among other teams reportedly showing interest in Dinwiddie.

Evan Fournier drawing interest from the Knicks

With multiple reports suggesting that Evan Fournier and the Celtics are still far apart in contract negotiations, there’s one team that’s ready for Fournier to hit free agency, according to Mannix. “Count the Knicks among the teams interested in Evan Fournier,” Mannix wrote. “The question is, how aggressive will Boston, which used a sizeable chunk of the trade exception created by the departure of Gordon Hayward, be in re-signing him? Rival executives believe Fournier will attract offers in the neighborhood of $15 million per season. That may be more than Boston is willing to spend.”

Fournier is asking the Celtics for a four-year, $80 million contract, the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy reported Saturday.

Sunday

Celtics losing confidence in signing Evan Fournier

From Globe reporter Adam Himmelsbach:

“The Celtics are losing confidence in their ability to re-sign veteran wing Evan Fournier.

The Celtics acquired Fournier from the Magic in exchange for two second-round picks in March. The move was completed to bolster Boston’s playoff push, and because it would give the Celtics the ability to sign Fournier to a long-term deal this summer despite being over the salary cap since they would hold his Bird Rights.”

Kawhi Leonard to become unrestricted free agent

Yahoo Sports is reporting that Kawhi Leonard will turn down his player option worth $36 million and become an unrestricted free agent.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to decline his $36 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 1, 2021

ESPN is reporting, however, that Leonard is expected to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers, and just plans to negotiate a new deal.

Kawhi Leonard has declined his $36M player option for next season and becomes a free agent, per source. Now, the expectation is that Leonard will negotiate a new deal to stay with Clippers. @ChrisBHaynes first on declining option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 1, 2021

Chris Paul to become unrestricted free agent

Multiple outlets are reporting that Suns star Chris Paul will decline his player option for next season and will become a free agent.

Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul is declining his $44.2 million player option for the 2021-22 season and becoming an unrestricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2021

Heat looking to sign Kyle Lowry

ESPN is reporting that the Heat are looking to add the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry in a sign-and-trade situation.

Lowry's long been intrigued with joining Heat star Jimmy Butler and the Miami organization, and now Miami's maneuvered to have two key elements of a possible sign-and-trade package – Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa -- to offer Raptors once talks can ensue at 6 PM, per sources. https://t.co/MrpMhhB7aJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2021

Boston has eyes on Jeff Green

The Celtics want a key bench piece, according to Adam Himmelsbach, and the way to do it will be through a mid-level exception:

“According to a league source, the Celtics prefer to pursue a player with extensive experience and are focused on adding size and shooting. Forward Jeff Green is believed to be a primary target. Green played for the Celtics from 2011-2015, including a season and a half with Brad Stevens as his head coach.”