We have our first offer sheet signing. Enes Kanter is going to the Portland Trail Blazers for a max contract of $70 million over four years, with a 15 percent trade kicker.
Only he isn’t.
Having lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Wes Mathews and Nicolas Batum, the Trail Blazers went for a Hail Mary on Thursday and tendered an offer sheet to Kanter, arguably the best pickup of the trade deadline.
Oklahoma City has 72 hours to match the offer, and the only question is whether they will wait three full days to do so. Sam Presti has already gone on record saying he’ll match — as well he should. He had been offering Kanter a reported starting salary of $15.5 million with 7.5 percent annual raises — about $1 million shy of the max.
Kanter will now get the max, but Portland could only offer 4 1/2 percent annual raises, so the penny-pinching Thunder will save a few bucks after they match. But they are still looking at a luxury tax bill in the $20 million range.
Kanter has a player option after the third year, by which time we’ll know whether the Thunder have lost Kevin Durant (unrestricted in 2016) and Russell Westbrook (unrestricted in 2017). If they lose both, Kanter can be flipped at the trade deadline in 2018 if he intends to opt out.
Then again, the Thunder could win the title in 2016, Durant and Westbrook could decide to stay, and Kanter would likely be more inclined to return. One of the underlying questions will be whether Kanter harbors any resentment for having to go through another team to get the max money he deserves.
In other news, LeBron James signed a max contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers for $23 million in the first year and $24 million in the second year, which is a player option. One year from now, James will opt out and sign a five-year max deal that’ll be worth more than $200 million.
We are listing this as a secondary item, because some things were foregone conclusions. Like the fact that the Cavs have already emerged as the biggest winners of free agency, San Antonio’s haul notwithstanding.
The only surprise regarding the James signing was that it came before the Cavs have agreed on a new deal with Tristan Thompson. Both players are represented by agent Rich Paul, and there was a widespread belief that James would wait until Thompson’s deal was done. But with the sides at an impasse — Thompson wants max money, and the Cavs feel they are bidding against themselves — it made sense for the Cavs and Paul to find some way to move forward on some front, and with James back from vacation, the timing was right.
The Kanter offer sheet and the LeBron signing came after the NBA was taken over by the DeAndre Jordan drama, a phalanx of Clippers players — along with owner Steve Ballmer and coach Doc Rivers — congregating en masse at Jordan’s house in Houston and staying there until he signed his four-year, $87 million deal.
(RELATED: SHOULD WE ALL CUT DeANDRE JORDAN A BREAK?)
Rivers was predictably glib about it the day after, telling reporters the contingent spent the evening watching Summer League games, downplaying the rift between Jordan and Chris Paul and expressing bewilderment at the EmojiFever that overtook Twitter as the events were playing out in real time.
In related news, the loss of Jordan meant a big financial bump for Wes Mathews, whose contract with Dallas will now be worth $70 million over four years rather than $57 million.
Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban gave a comment to Fortune Magazine on the Jordan fiasco: ““Yeah, kind of a fucked up situation, but, it happens. I’m moving on.”
Cuban also got into a Twitter war with Chris Broussard of ESPN, who reported that Cuban flew to Dallas Houston and was texting people to try to learn the address of Jordan’s home.
.@Chris_Broussard that’s is the dumbest shit Ive ever heard. If you had any ethics u would msg me and I will give u his address
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 9, 2015
When those two start emoji battling each other, it could get interesting.
In other news that we already knew (aside from the multitude of official signings), the Lakers and Pacers scheduled a trade call with the league office to complete the Roy Hibbert deal. Indiana is getting back a second-round pick and some cash. Zoinks.
Also, Tim Duncan mimicked Manu Ginobili and did a two-year deal. As we all have seen, Timmy can play at an effective level for at least two more years.
Onto the rankings, which are based on supply and demand rather than talent, and right now there is an extreme demand for centers (especially in Los Angeles Dallas).
1. Kevin Seraphin, C, Wizards (Unrestricted): Probably the third-best French center in the NBA, depending on the relative merits of Alexis Ajinca. No question he is half the player that Rudy Gobert is. He averaged 12 minutes per game in the postseason, backing up Marcin Gortat. The five-year veteran had his best season in his sophomore campaign and has flatlined since. But he is 25 years old, so his long-term upside is still untapped. He’d like the opportunity to start. JULY 4 UPDATE: His friendship with new Clipper Paul Pierce could be a factor is getting him to Los Angeles as DeAndre Jordan’s replacement, but Paul Allen’s wallet could get him to Portland as Chris Kaman’s running mate. JULY 5 UPDATE: Marc Spears of Yahoo says Lakers, Wizards, Suns and Spurs in the mix. JULY 7 UPDATE: Keep an eye on the Clippers, who were linked to Seraphin by Dan Woike at the start of free agency. They still need a center to help replace the departed Jordan. UPDATE II: The Mavericks have expressed interest in Seraphin, a league source tells our Mike Scotto. JULY 9 UPDATE: Wizards are conducting business as though they expect Seraphin to move on, the Washington Post reports. Mark Cuban is now in France frantically texting in a foreign language trying to find Sepaphin’s chateau. JK.
2. JaVale McGee, C, Sixers (Unrestricted): This is a guy who was traded to Philadelphia so that Sam Hinkie could get to the salary floor. He was waived without a buyout in time to latch onto a playoff team, but no one bit. As of now, he is the highest-paid player on the Sixers’ roster for next season at $12 million, and there is no doubt he will join Josh Smith as a double-dipper (a player receiving paychecks from two teams). There is no getting away from the fact that he has underachieved throughout his career, and as a double-dipper, he may not be motivated to change. A major risk/reward guy who could go boom or bust depending on who signs him. JULY 4 UPDATE: Doc Rivers placed a phone call to McGee, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Also, George Karl likes him, so if DeMarcus Cousins gets moved, he can become a tutor to Willie Cauley-Stein and a cohort of Rajon Rondo. JULY 5 UPDATE: With the Lakers having acquired Roy Hibbert and the Kings getting Koufos, this could be a two-horse race between the Clippers and the Blazers. Then again, there are other teams with more cap space than the Clippers who could pad McGee’s bank account. JULY 6 UPDATE: See Seraphin. In a thin free agent market for centers at a discounted price, McGee is an option for the Clippers.
3. Enes Kanter, F-C, Thunder (Restricted): Probably the best pickup of the trade deadline, even though his awful defense in the pick-and-roll and at the rim – coupled with Serge Ibaka’s absence – made the Thunder look like an ABA team down the stretch. But Kanter’s offense is a welcome addition for a team that normally uses its centers as screeners and goons, and his effectiveness – if not his production – should be even better when lining up alongside Ibaka and Kevin Durant, whose free agency clock is ticking loudly. Now all GM Sam Presti has to do is convince skinflint owner Clay Bennett to look beneath the sofa cushions for the eight figures annually that it will take to keep Kanter, either with an offer right out of the gate or by matching another team’s pitch. That means luxury tax territory for one season until the cap jumps next summer. How OKC deals with Kanter is a direct referendum on Bennett. JULY 1 UPDATE: Portland may want a meeting, USAToday reported. JULY 2 UPDATE: Knicks made contact. JULY 3 UPDATE: The Thunder reached agreement with Kyle Singler on a five-year, $25 million deal. If they are low-balling Kanter, this thing could drag into August much like the Eric Bledsoe situation did a year ago. Or, a team such as the Lakers could make a max offer, which the Thunder would be sure to match — saving themselves some money in the process because an offer sheet would contain 4.5 percent annual raises rather than the 7.5 percent raises the bug Turk would get from re-signing directly with OKC. July 6 UPDATE: Thunder offered him a deal starting at $15.5 million per season, Vincent Goodwill reports. JULY 9 UPDATE: Kanter has been tendered a four-year, $70 million offer sheet by Portland.
4. LeBron James, F, Cavaliers (Unrestricted): He isn’t going anywhere, which is why he is randomly slotted here. The only way James doesn’t finish his career in his home state is if there is some sort of irreparable disconnect between him and owner Dan Gilbert that drives James away. If James went elsewhere, he would need a security force that would make President Obama blush. Depending on how you look at it, he could be first on this list or not even on it because his free agency is a formality to earn him an extra half-million dollars next season – and keep pressure on management to improve the roster. JULY 4 UPDATE: Has not tweeted since April 18. And we still do not know what his secret motivation was in the Finals. Meantime, life is good aboard a $29 million yacht, TMZ reported. JULY 9 UPDATE: Deal is done: Two years, base salary of $23 million in 2015-16, with an opt out next summer when he can get five years and more than $200 million.
5. Tristan Thompson, F, Cavaliers (Restricted): He turned down a four-year, $52 million contract extension in October, which may or may not have been a mistake. Counting all options and qualifying offers, the Cavs already are on the hook for over $100 million in salaries next season. It’s hard to imagine GM David Griffin maxing out Love and giving $13 million annually to Thompson, who threatens a double-double every night and more than adequately replaced Love in the rotation during the latter stages of the playoffs. Griffin could allow another team to set the market or simply play a little hardball, which would make Thompson unrestricted in 2016. That might be a mistake, too, given that Thompson and LeBron James share the same agent, Rich Paul. JULY 1 UPDATE: Safe to say he made the right move turning down that $52 million extension offer in October. The Cavaliers and Thompson reportedy agreed to a five-year, $80 million deal. JULY 2 UPDATE: Thompson and the Cavs “are still apart” on contract talks, Brian Windhorst tweeted. But it’s almost certain he’ll return to Cleveland. JULY 5 UPDATE: Agent Rich Paul, who also represents LeBron James, wants the Thompson deal done before any talks on James can begin. JULY 6 UPDATE: Dialogue is ongoing, but getting nowhere, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports.
6. Josh Smith, F, Rockets (Unrestricted): After being made the scapegoat – unfairly or not – in both Atlanta and Detroit, you get the sense that he has found some peace in Houston alongside former AAU teammate Dwight Howard, even if their series against Golden State did not exactly go as planned. Don’t forget that the Pistons are paying him over $5 million in each of the next five seasons, which makes taking less money for a smaller role with a contender much more palatable. If he stays with the Rockets, his salary should be directly commensurate with Houston’s playoff success this postseason. If logic flies out the window the way it did when he signed with Detroit, anything is possible. JULY 3 UPDATE: The Kings reportedly began discussions with Smith, according to Jake Fischer. That report was later said to be false. JULY 6 UPDATE: Crickets. JULY 8 UPDATE: He is on the radar for the Clippers, but their pursuit of him is secondary to their goal of trying to get DeAndre Jordan to change his mind. JULY 9 UPDATE: The Mavericks are in play for Josh Smith now that DeAndre Jordan officially signed with the Clippers, a league source tells our Mike Scotto. UPDATE II: Mark Spears of Yahoo Sports says the Kings remain interested.
7. J.R. Smith, G, Cavaliers (Unrestricted): When we first published this summer’s rankings, we wrote this: “He would be crazy to opt out, given his $6.4 million number for next season, the Cavs’ preoccupation with retaining Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, and the fact that the light bulb is never really going to come on.” So much for expecting Smith to do the sane thing. While a half-season alongside LeBron James seemed to calm him down a bit, his two-game playoff suspension proved that he is a cheetah who isn’t changing his spots. He’s had his moments in the playoffs, especially in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta, but he is the epitome of a faulty faucet — nobody runs more hot and cold. He would have been much better off minding his P’s and Q’s for another season and hitting a fertile market next summer. JULY 2 UPDATE: With Iman Shumpert getting $40 million for four years, how high will Dan Gilbert allow his luxury tax bill to climb? That will be a factor in whether Smith stays or goes. JULY 7 UPDATE: Despite adding Mo Williams, the Cavaliers are intent on keeping Smith and Matthew Dellavedova, ESPN reports.
8. Jordan Hill, F-C, Lakers (Unrestricted): Someone had to score and rebound for the Lakers. Hill did his share with career highs of 12.0 points and 7.9 boards in 26.8 minutes, primarily as a starter. While that is not his long-term role, he could play into his mid-30s as a team’s fourth big. The Lakers declined the $9 million option on Hill for the 2015-16 season to create more cap room. Turning Hill loose would allow GM Mitch Kupchak to possibly make a run at two top-tier free agents, although not both at max salaries. JULY 3 UPDATE: A fallback guy for Lakers and Mavs if they lose out on Aldridge/Jordan. JULY 6 UPDATE: May need to be renounced, or included in a sign-and-trade, in order to open the cap room to bring in Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert.
9. Amar’e Stoudemire, F-C, Mavericks (Unrestricted): His days as a starter or even a 30-minute player in this league are over. But you could see the bounce in his step return after arriving in Dallas. Maybe Stoudemire was just happy to get out of New York, where he did more good than title-hungry Knicks fans gave him credit for. Or maybe it was because the Mavericks reduced his minutes by 33 percent and brought him off the bench, where his scoring savvy obliterated opposing reserves and his limited lateral movement wasn’t as much of a liability. With a similar role moving forward, there’s no reason to believe he cannot be an effective backup big for three or four more years at the mid-level exception. JULY 2 UPDATE: Stoudemire has received interest from the Rockets, Mavericks, Clippers and Suns, ESPN reports. JULY 4 UPDATE: Interest coming from Lakers, who missed out on Jordan and Aldridge. JULY 5 UPDATE: Stoudemire will meet with the Clippers today, Yahoo reports. JULY 9 UPDATE: One of many players being linked to the Mavericks after the DeAndre Jordan debacle.
10. Jeremy Lin, G, Lakers (Unrestricted): Lin has never returned to the “Linsanity” hype that made him a cultural icon towards the end of his tenure with the Knicks. Lin spent the season as a part-time starter for the Lakers and spent quality time in coach Byron Scott’s doghouse. Lin is considered a borderline starting point guard by many around the league. JULY 6 UPDATE: Lin remains “likely” to wind up in Dallas, per ESPN. A sign-and-trade could be done for the Mavericks to acquire Lin. JULY 7 UPDATE: With Barea in the fold, the Mavs seem like less of an option. JULY 8 UPDATE: Lin announced via Facebook and Instagram that he’s joining the Charlotte Hornets. Yahoo reports Lin and the Hornets agreed to a two-year, $4+ million deal.
11. Carlos Boozer, F, Lakers (Unrestricted): At this point in his career, his starting days are behind him. Boozer’s most effective role would be a scoring big man off the bench used in pick-and-roll sets with the ability to stretch the defense from 18-feet out. The biggest knock on Boozer is his inability to provide much rim protection. JULY 6 UPDATE: Boozer has received interest from the Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks and Raptors. JULY 7 UPDATE: With the Spurs adding David West, Boozer’s chances of landing with San Antonio decreased.
12. Aaron Brooks, G, Bulls (Unrestricted): Most casual NBA fans don’t know Brooks averaged 19.6 points per game and 5.3 assists in his only season as a full-time starter with the Rockets in his third season. Since then, Brooks has become one of the league’s top scoring point guards off the bench with the ability to start in the event of an injury. Brooks served well as Derrick Rose’s insurance policy last season. JULY 6 UPDATE: Interest in Brooks has been quiet to this point, but with the dearth of talent available on the free agent market, expect that to change. JULY 7 UPDATE: Brooks and the Bulls have agreed to a one-year deal, ESPN reports.
13. Matthew Dellavedova, G, Cavaliers (Restricted): LeBron James described him as basically the most feisty player on the team, which is quite an endorsement. He showed his value — and David Griffin’s skill in assembling a roster full of quality, capable backups — by filling in for Kyrie Irving at the end of the second round vs. Chicago, during the conference finals against Atlanta, and in Games 2-6 of the Finals. He is smart, and defends like a puppy nipping at your ankles and is fearless. JULY 3 UPDATE: Dellavedova and the Cavaliers are progressing on a multi-year contract in the $3-5 million range, RealGM reports.
14. Mirza Teletovic, F, Nets (Restricted): Teletovic has made it clear his desire is to return to Brooklyn. He is a sniper from beyond the arc as a stretch forward. His season was cut short by blood clots in his lungs while averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game. JULY 1 UPDATE: Teletovic has drawn a lot of interest from European teams, the New York Post reports. JULY 7 UPDATE: Stretch fours are trending in the league. Expect interest in Teletovic to pick up.
15. Andre Miller, G, Kings (Unrestricted): Miller is like that old man in the park, he’s not flashy, but you want him on your team because he gets the job done. He was reunited with his former coach George Karl in Sacramento, one of his biggest supporters over the years. Miller is a proven playoff veteran who averaged 14 points per game during the 2013 playoffs with the Nuggets under Karl. JULY 7 UPDATE: At 39, Miller would like to continue his NBA career, Bleacher Report says.
The Next Five: Norris Cole, Pelicans (Restricted); Alan Anderson, Nets (Unrestricted); K.J. McDaniels, Rockets (Restricted); Luis Scola, Pacers (Unrestricted); Gerald Green, Suns (Unrestricted).
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Michael Scotto is an NBA columnist for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeAScotto.