Lakers, Clippers Gear Up For Free Agency
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — NBA free agency began Tuesday night at 9:01 p.m. PDT, and both the Lakers and the Clippers look to get involved in the market very early on.
Earlier this morning, Chris Broussard of ESPN reported that free agent center DeAndre Jordan is seeking a four-year deal, with a player opt-out after the third year, regardless of where he signs.
Sources: @deandrejordan6 likely to do 4-yr deal, player opt after 3, no matter where he signs. Allows him 2,capitalize on new TV $ n few yrs
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 30, 2015
The deal Jordan is seeking will allow him to cash in after the third year of the deal, when the salary cap expands again.
The Clippers were the only team that could offer Jordan a fifth year, but now with Jordan wanting a four-year deal instead, the Clippers advantage in signing Jordan has vanished.
The Lakers were still first to meet with LaMarcus Aldridge this week, but sources say they are pursuing other free agents in case Aldridge elects to sign elsewhere. Kobe Bryant was at the meeting Tuesday night, in an attempt to help persuade LaMarcus Aldridge to sign with the Lakers. The same tactics were used last summer when the Lakers brought in Bryant to meet with Carmelo Anthony.
The meeting with Aldridge lasted two hours, according to a tweet by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. She also indicated that the meeting appeared to go well.
The Lakers meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge went almost two hours. Source in the room said it went "really well"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2015
Greg Monroe, the unrestricted free agent center who last played with the Detroit Pistons, is one of those players rumored to be targeted by the Lakers, if they do not sign Aldridge. Five teams have shown interest in Monroe: the Celtics, Knicks, Bucks, Trail Blazers and the Lakers, according to Marc Berman of the New York Times.
"I'm looking to be with a team that's ready to win," Monroe said. "Hopefully it will be a team where I'm the missing piece."
Monroe is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Monroe was a restricted free agent last year, but signed a qualifying offer worth $5.5 million to stay with the Detroit Pistons for the 2014-2015 season. The Lakers will meet with Monroe on Wednesday night.
Another Laker target, All-Star guard Jimmy Butler postponed all scheduled meetings today with other teams, as the Chicago Bulls offered him a max five-year, $90 million deal, according to Broussard. He had meetings with the Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, and Mavericks, but reportedly is not considering signing with another team, but rather determining how many years he wants to remain in Chicago for.
Sources: After CHI offered @JimmyButler max 5/$90-plus Mon, JB postponed meeting w/LAL, BOS, PHI, DAL. JB deciding how many yrs 2 sign w/CHI
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 30, 2015
The deal also has a player opt-out clause that Butler could use after the 3rd year in order to capitalize on the new salary cap.
The Bulls also offered Butler a $4.5 million qualifying offer (similar to the one Monroe accepted last year with Detroit), which if accepted, would make Butler an unrestricted free agent next season.
The Lakers have also expressed interest in guard Iman Shumpert, who played with the Knicks and Cavaliers last season.
Follow CBSLA on Twitter for all the latest updates starting at 9:01 p.m., when free agency officially begins. As we have seen in the past, a lot can happen in the first few hours of free agency, so look for the Clippers and Lakers to be heavily involved in meeting and trying to sign free agents.