Duke in the NBA: Free agency tracker

With the NBA moving the start of free agency to a primetime slot, the world will be watching as some of basketball's biggest stars shape the future of the league. This offseason will also decide the fate of many former Duke standouts, and the Blue Zone keeps you caught up on all news concerning former Blue Devils as free agency begins:

Kyrie Irving 

Despite giving his word to Celtics fans before the season started, Irving will not be returning to Boston for a third season after declining his player option set for $21.3 million. It's been reported that the former No. 1 overall pick has agreed to a four-year max deal worth $142 million with the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has a player option on the final season.

Irving moves on to his third team in his career, returning to play near his hometown of West Orange, N.J., and hoping to attract another star free agent to join him in Brooklyn. The six time All-Star was named to the All-NBA second team this season after averaging 23.8 points and 6.9 assists per game and taking the Celtics to the second round of the playoffs.

Quinn Cook

J.J. Redick

After spending the last two seasons in Philadelphia on one year contracts, Redick will join the big cast of Blue Devils in New Orleans and join the Pelicans on a two year deal worth $26 million. The former collegiate National Player of the Year averaged 18.1 points per game on 39.7 percent from beyond the arc last season with the 76ers.

Rodney Hood

After a stellar postseason that saw Hood emerge as a dynamic scoring threat, the former Blue Devil will return to the Portland Trail Blazers on a two year deal worth $16 million. The former first round pick averaged 11.2 points per game in his first year with Portland, and helped the Trail Blazers stave off elimination in the Western Conference semifinals with a 25 point performance in Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets.

 

Jabari Parker

After a season that saw Parker split time between Chicago and Washington, the former No. 2 overall pick will get a fresh start with the Atlanta Hawks, singing a two year deal worth $13 million. Parker was traded to the Wizards after just 39 games with his hometown Bulls, but established himself as a reliable scorer with 15.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game off the bench.

The Hawks will mark the fourth team that Parker has played for in his career, but the forward is just 24 years old and can still score the ball at a high level. In Atlanta, Parker will get an opportunity to mentor two rookie wings in De'Andre Hunter and former Blue Devil Cam Reddish.

Lance Thomas

The New York Knicks announced Saturday that they requested waivers on the former Duke national champion. Thomas was set to make $7.2 million on the final year of his contact, a price that New York wasn't willing to give to their longest tenured player.

The Knicks reportedly still have interest in bringing the eight year NBA veteran back on a smaller contract, looking to keep his leadership and defensive skills.

Jahlil Okafor

The New Orleans Pelicans picked up Okafor's team option for $1.7 million, meaning the big man will join other former Blue Devils Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Frank Jackson in the Big Easy.

Okafor received a fresh start in New Orleans last season and averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, starting 24 games with former Pelican Anthony Davis sidelined with an injury.

Tyus Jones

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski announced earlier this week that the Minnesota Timberwolves would extend a qualifying offer to Jones, making him a restricted free agent. The Apple Valley native started a career high 23 games last season and set an NBA single season record with a 6.96 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Update: Jones has agreed to an offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies for three years at $28 million. Since he is a restricted free agent, the Timberwolves can choose to match the offer and keep him in Minnesota, or the former National champion will team back up with former classmate Grayson Allen in the FedExForum.

Update: The Timberwolves have decided not to match Jones' contract with Memphis, meaning he will officially become a member of the Grizzlies. Jones will likely assume a backup role to Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft.

Amile Jefferson

The Orlando Magic announced earlier this week that they would make Jefferson a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer to the 6-foot-9 forward. The former 2015 National Champion played in Orlando on a two-way contract last season and appeared in 12 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in those contests.

Seth Curry

Former Duke guard Seth Curry signed with the Dallas Mavericks Monday afternoon, with Wojnarowski reporting the two sides agreed to a four year, $32 million deal. Curry played with the Mavericks in 2016-17, setting still-standing career-highs with 12.8 points per game and 48.1 percent shooting from the field while also adding a 42.5 percent mark from downtown. The former All-American sat out the entire 2017-18 campaign due to a leg injury before dropping 7.9 points per contest on 45.6 percent shooting from the field and a career-high 45 percent from downtown this past year in Portland.

Austin Rivers

Curry's former teammate, Austin Rivers, will return to Houston next season, re-signing for two more years. The deal includes a player option for the second year, according to Wojnarowski. Rivers enjoyed a breakout season with the Clippers in 2017-18, averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game, but dropped down to 8.1 points per contest while splitting time between the Rockets and Washington Wizards this past season. Rivers first signed with Houston last December after the Wizards traded him to the Suns, who subsequently waived the former top-ten draft pick.