HANGING AROUND
Wade stays with Miami; Trail Blazers keep Lillard
Dwyane Wade accepted a $20 million, one-year deal on Thursday to stay with the Miami Heat next season, ending his latest foray into free agency and wrapping up a weekslong saga in which he reportedly was seriously considering leaving for the first time.
In other moves around the NBA, Damian Lillard agreed to a new maximum contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday and Monta Ellis reportedly agreed to terms with the Pacers on a four-year deal worth $44 million. Lillard agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth more than $120 million, a source said.
Ellis averaged 18.9 points and 4.1 assists in his second season with Dallas last year.
For Wade, a pair of conversations, first with Heat CEO Nick Arison and then with managing general partner Micky Arison, reminded Wade of what he meant to the team and from there it was a matter of just making the numbers work.
“Sitting down with Nick, sitting down with Micky and having conversations with them that I’ve never had, that was big for me,” Wade told The Associated Press. “I’ve never had a business conversation with one of them. ... They got to show me how much they really wanted me to be here, how important it was for them that I continue to wear one jersey.”
Without those conversations, Wade said, “I don’t think we would be at this point.”
Wade cannot sign his new deal until July 9.
Goran Dragic committed to a five-year deal with Miami on Wednesday. Heat President Pat Riley was to meet late Thursday with free agent forward LaMarcus Aldridge in Los Angeles.
“We’re going to be better. I know that,” Wade said. “Knock on wood, you stay healthy, I think we’re a good team. I like our chances.” Elsewhere:
One of the most coveted big men on the free agent market, Greg Monroe, agreed to terms Thursday with the Milwaukee Bucks on a three-year deal worth $50 million, his agent, David Falk, said.
The deal gives the 25-yearold Monroe a chance to become a free agent again after two years. Last season in Detroit, Monroe averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Tim Duncan is returning to San Antonio for a 19th season.
Duncan told the San Antonio Express-News that “I’ll be on the court next year.” Duncan averaged 13.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks and earned third-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defense honors.
Duncan turned 39 in April
and accompanied the Spurs on a recruiting trip to Los Angeles for Aldridge on Wednesday.
The Phoenix Suns traded Marcus Morris, Danny Granger and Reggie Bullock to the Detroit Pistons for a draft pick. The move is likely a bid to clear salary space to sign Aldridge.
The Suns met with Aldridge on Wednesday after signing former Dallas Mavericks forward Tyson Chandler and re-signing guard Brandon Knight. Chandler, Knight and guard Eric Bledsoe were among a contingent from the Suns that made a pitch to Aldridge, who is weighing several teams. Aldridge, a fourtime NBA All-Star with the Trail Blazers, started with a list of about a half-dozen teams.
Moving on after learning they’ll lose Paul Pierce as a free agent, the Washington Wizards agreed to acquire forward Jared Dudley from the Milwaukee Bucks for a second-round draft pick.
Earlier this week, Dudley decided to exercise his player option for a $4.25 million contract with Milwaukee next season, rather than become a free agent. The veteran forward averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds and made 38.5 percent of his 3-point attempts in 72 games last season, his first with the Bucks.
Dudley gives the Wizards a player to help fill the void at the stretch-4 spot, because Pierce opted out of his contract with Washington and agreed to a $10 million, threeyear free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Shane Larkin is staying in New York, but he’s changing teams. And Thomas Robinson is going to be a member of the Nets.
The Nets agreed to terms with Larkin on Thursday, according to a league source. The deal for the former Knick reportedly is for two years and valued at $3 million. Robinson reportedly signed a two-year deal with a player option for the second.
Ed Davis is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Davis, a former Grizzly, agreed to a three-year, $20 million deal with the Blazers on Thursday, agent David Bauman said. Davis averaged 8.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in just over 23 minutes per game with the Lakers.
Arron Afflalo is about to team up with Carmelo Anthony again.
A source says Afflalo has accepted a two-year, $16 million offer from the New York Knicks. A shooting guard, Afflalo spent parts of two seasons as Anthony’s teammate in Denver. Afflalo also has spent time with Detroit, Orlando and Portland, averaging 11.4 points per game in eight NBA seasons.
The New Orleans Pelicans and center Omer Asik have agreed on a five-year contract worth a minimum of $44 million and rising to $58 million if incentives and benchmarks are met, a source says.
The 7-foot Asik, who turns 29 on Saturday, started 76 games and averaged 7.3 points and 9.8 rebounds this season, his first with New Orleans following a trade from Houston.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be out about six weeks.
Mozgov, who will turn 29 in mid-July, averaged a career-high 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 45 regularseason starts.