NBA Free Agency 2018: July 1 roundup

NBA free agency is officially open for business, and Day 1 was plenty busy. If you missed it, here are some of the big deals that were reportedly agreed to early Sunday morning:

* George verbally commits to Thunder
* Reports: James, Cavs spoke at 12:01 a.m. ET
* Jordan, Mavs reportedly agree to deal
* Reports: Durant to re-sign with Warriors
* Reports: Paul, Rockets reach four-year deal
* And much more ...

As the next day of NBA free agency continues, keep up on all the latest news and reports from around the league ...

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Nuggets reportedly want meeting with James

Bleacher Report's Howard Beck shares his viewpoint on LeBron James and more.

Will Barton and Nikola Jokic -- two incumbent standout players on the Denver Nuggets -- reportedly got their respective paydays yesterday. Now, it seems, the Nuggets are wanting a crack at reeling in an even bigger fish this summer.

While Denver doesn't have much cap room left after those deals, it hasn't stopped them from trying to secure a meeting with LeBron James, too, writes Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports:

The Denver Nuggets are aggressively pursuing a meeting with star free-agent forward LeBron James, a league source told Yahoo Sports, hoping to convince James that Denver’s talent makes the Nuggets an ideal short-term fit.
Denver has been in contact with James’ agent, Rich Paul, and has doggedly tried to position the team as James’ best option, the source said. Paul George’s decision to re-sign with Oklahoma City has taken a potential James teammate in Los Angeles off the board, and thus far the Lakers’ talks with San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard have gained no traction.
The Nuggets were busy on Sunday, agreeing to terms with Nikola Jokic on a five-year, $147 million deal and with Will Barton on a four-year, $53 million contract. Denver doesn’t have the cap space to sign James, but the Nuggets have several sizable expiring contracts that could be off-loaded to teams that want to clear cap space for the summer of 2019.
The Nuggets are eager for an opportunity to sell James on a frontcourt pairing with Jokic, a 23-year-old franchise center and one of the NBA’s best passing big men. A Jokic-James pairing would instantly make Denver one of the best playmaking teams in the league.

Paul reportedly talked with the Cavs' general manager, Koby Altman, at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday -- the moment free agency opened across the NBA.

-- 7:26 a.m.

Report: Pelicans, Lakers talk to Cousins early on

Which team might would provide the best fit for DeMarcus Cousins?

Former All-Star center DeAndre Jordan is reportedly already off the free-agent market. But there's still another big free-agent center to be had -- and he has no shortage of suitors.

DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans got attention as free agency opened last night, fielding calls from both his incumbent team as well as the Los Angeles Lakers. ESPN's Marc J. Spears reports face-to-face meetings between Cousins and both teams could happen sometime today:

New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins received phone calls from the Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers on the first day of NBA free agency on Sunday, a source told ESPN's The Undefeated.
Cousins, a four-time All-Star, could meet with the Pelicans and Lakers on Sunday, but it is uncertain if such meetings would take place in person or over the phone. Cousins is currently in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.
A first-time unrestricted free agent, Cousins might be a stronger target for the LeBron James-seeking Lakers after free-agent guard Paul George decided to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
...
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Cousins could be re-signed by the Pelicans to a two-year deal. The Lakers, however, are a team that Cousins expressed interest in being traded to during his latter years with the Sacramento Kings.
A source close to Cousins said it might be time for him to play on a big-market stage after playing in Sacramento and New Orleans.

Cousins averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds in 48 games, during which New Orleans went 27-21. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in late January, but the Pelicans still managed to advance to the Western Conference semifinals behind the play of All-Star big man Anthony Davis and two-way guard Jrue Holiday.

-- 7:12 a.m.

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Report: Stauskas, Blazers reach deal

Guard Nik Stauskas, who shot a career-best 40.4 percent on 3-pointers last season, is apparently headed back to the Western Conference.

According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Stauskas has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Last season, the Blazers saw their 3-point shooting take a significant downturn in the playoffs -- making just 33.1 percent of their attempts (second-worst in the playoffs) after ranking 11th in that category (36.6 percent) during the season.

Here's more from Freeman on the deal with Stauskas:

The Blazers on Saturday agreed to a 1-year deal with unrestricted free agent Nik Stauskas, according to agent Mark Bartelstein, adding the 6-foot-6 former lottery pick to a bench that will look significantly different next season.
Stauskas, who was drafted with the No. 8 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, has averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 rebounds during a four-year NBA career that has also included stops in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
He last played for the Nets, who acquired him in a multi-player deal before the 2018 trade deadline but elected not to tender him a qualifying offer after the season.
Stauskas' best season came with the 76ers in 2016-17, when he averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists -- all career-highs -- while shooting 37 percent from three-point range. He played in 80 games, including 27 starts, that season.

-- 6:55 a.m.

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