The Milwaukee Bucks may be hesitant to give Brandon Jennings the contract he seeks, but it's becoming less likely the team simply lets him walk for nothing. After reportedly discussing a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks last week, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times says the team may be warming up to the idea of giving Jennings a deal worth $12 million annually.
Considering that the market for ball-dominating guards is expensive as usual, retaining Jennings may ultimately be the easiest thing for the Bucks to do, even after exploring the possibility of acquiring Jeff Teague from Atlanta in the aforementioned deal. Brew Hoop wonders if both guards could benefit from the change of scenery, but it's unclear how serious those talks are. As Milwaukee weighs all its options regarding its star player, here's the latest from around the league.
Bynum to meet with Mavs, Cavs and Hawks
The recruiting of free agent center Andrew Bynum began in earnest Monday as he met face-to-face with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first of three meetings scheduled for this week. The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks will also get to make their respective pitches to Bynum, ESPN's Marc Stein reports, as the market for his services finally seems to be heating up with Dwight Howard out of the picture. Without many other teams boasting cap space, these appear to be the three primary suitors for Bynum at the moment, though the Mavericks are really the only one with a major opening in the middle.
Kings interested in Ellis
The Sacramento Kings can't afford Monta Ellis right now, but Stein says the team is looking to clear payroll to offer the guard a lucrative contract. After the 27-year-old opted out of the remaining $11 million owed to him by the Milwaukee Bucks, it's likely the Kings will need much more than the current $6 million they have in cap space. By dealing players like Chuck Hayes and Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento could come much closer to offering Ellis the kind of contract he's looking to get. With that said, Tom Ziller of Sactown Royality says, "I am not a fan of Ellis in any form, no matter how else the Kings roster changes," so expect some serious backlash from fans if a deal goes through.
Kaman signs with Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers signed a former All-Star to replace Dwight Howard on Monday, but it's probably not what fans had in mind. The club reportedly agreed to a one-year, $3.183 million contract with free agent Chris Kaman, giving the team an adequate stopgap but certainly not the kind of post presence Los Angeles has become accustomed to having. By giving Kaman their whole taxpayer mid-level exception, the Lakers don't have much more room to add pieces this offseason without shedding salary.
Timberwolves extend formal offer to Pekovic
The Minnesota Timberwolves have always been expected to retain restricted free agent center Nikola Pekovic, but the team didn't offer him a formal contract until recently. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune says the offer, which is worth roughly $48 million over four years, was extended to Pekovic on Friday, with a decision from the big man's camp expected sometime this week.
If Pekovic ultimately decides to sign an offer sheet elsewhere, the Timberwolves will have the right to match, making it likely the two sides figure something out unless he decides to simply accept the qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next year.
Clippers talking with Jamison
The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Antawn Jamisonhave discussed a one-year deal that would give the veteran another shot at winning his first title, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The folks at Clips Nation absolutely hate the idea, going so far as asking the club to "not put a giant blemish on" its offseason by signing Jamison. Fortunately for the crew at Clips Nation, it appears as if the team has enough talented players on the roster to minimize whatever impact Jamison might have.
More from SB Nation:
• Howard picks Rockets | Prada: How Morey got his man
• Ziller: Lakers need a miracle
• Josh Smith signs with Detroit | Iguodala to Golden State