Instead of continuing the Brandon Jennings era, the Milwaukee Bucks may be gearing to move in a new direction. ESPN's Marc Stein reports the club is preparing an offer sheet for restricted free agent Jeff Teague, who would presumably replace Jennings in the Bucks' backcourt should the two sides reach an agreement.
NBA free agent rumors roundup: Bucks chasing Jeff Teague, rim protectors coming off the market
As the market thins out, the Bucks are hoping to make a splash by acquiring point guard Jeff Teague.
Joe Robbins
At this point, it's unclear how serious the situation is for a number of reasons. We still don't know whether the Bucks have actually reached out to Teague with an offer sheet, and beyond that, the Atlanta Hawks may plan to match any offer heading his way. In that case, any time used on Teague would be wasted from Milwaukee's perspective.
However, with the Hawks seemingly passive in their attempts to retain Teague, the point guard may feel compelled to sign an offer sheet with another team. If Atlanta’s lack of interest in a long-term deal for Teague is really serious, we’ll find out in the days after he agrees to terms elsewhere.
One possible scenario still in play, as Stein previously reported, would see the Hawks and Bucks use a sign-and-trade to swap Jennings and Teague. Considering neither team seems thrilled with its current point guard, a change of scenery for both players could ultimately be the most satisfactory outcome. As the two sides try to figure out what to do going forward, here’s the latest from around the league.
Wolves, Brewer near three-year deal
The Minnesota Timberwolves are close to bringing back small forward Corey Brewer on a three-year, $15 million contract, ESPN's Marc Stein reports. Should the deal go through, the Timberwolves will get an athletic perimeter defender who can help to shore up some of team's issues on the wings. With Andrei Kirilenko on his way out of town and rookie Shabazz Muhammad boasting an offense-oriented game, Brewer's defensive ability will be a welcomed addition. Additionally, his ability to run the floor and finish in transition looks like a nice fit with point guard Ricky Rubio, who could use some help on the fast break. However, the folks at Canis Hoopus don't sound too happy about the move.
Bogdanovic-to-Brooklyn is dead
Unable to agree to terms on a buyout with Bojan Bogdanovic's Turkish team, the Brooklyn Nets have decided to move on from the forward. First reported by NetsDaily and later confirmed by other sources, it looks like the club will go in a new direction with its mini-mid-level exception, which the team had previously agreed to use on Bogdanovic. With a buyout valued at $2 million, Bogdanovic needed to reach an agreement with Fenerbahce of Istanbul to leave for the NBA, but it appears the two sides were unable to do so. Instead, Bogdanovic will likely finish off his contract with Fenerbahce next season before fielding offers from the Nets and other European teams next summer. NetsDaily adds that Kirilenko could be a target, though he's likely to be too expensive.
Birdman, Stiemsma off the board
A pair of big-bodied, rim-protecting centers got plucked off the free agent market Wednesday as Chris Andersen and Greg Stiemsma agreed to new deals. Birdman will be sticking in Miami, where he agreed to a one-year, $1.7 million, though he'll end up making more than $6 million this year as a result of the amnesty clause. That post explains in more detail how Andersen's payout for 2013-14 works. Stiemsma also got a one-year deal, though he's moving from Minnesota to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he'll join an impressive young frontcourt featuring Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith.
Monta Ellis changes agents
Possibly unhappy with how his free agency has gone thus far, former Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis decided to change agents this week. With longtime representative Jeff Fried on his way out, ESPN's Chris Broussard reports Ellis will hire Dan Fegan to finish off his a new contract before next season. With the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks still pursuing Ellis, arguably the top remaining free agent available, it's clear the 27-year-old doesn't want to screw up this situation. After passing up an $11 million salary, as well as a two-year contract extension, from the Bucks, settling for significantly less would be a mildly embarrassing situation for the guard.
Lakers retain Robert Sacre
The Los Angeles Lakers need bodies to fill out their roster for next season, so they've brought back a familiar face in Robert Sacre, the team announced Wednesday. The 60th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Sacre appeared in 32 games for L.A. last season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds. Mostly ineffective, particularly on offense, during his first NBA go-around, the Lakers likely won't ask him to be more than an emergency back-up should big men like Chris Kaman and Pau Gasol get hit by injuries. As Silver Screen and Roll notes, the Lakers made Sacre a qualifying offer earlier this offseason, so the restricted free agent may have simply accepted that one-year offer from the team.
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