2015 NBA Free Agents: Best Fits for the Top 20 in This Year's Class
Consider for a moment the absurdity of the following statement: The 2015 edition of NBA free agency could be even wilder than the breathlessly anticipated free-for-all we saw in 2014.
Back then, huge names such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade headlined a list that deserved the hype it got. Those two will likely dive right back into the free-agent pool this summer, thanks to player options.
And they won't be alone.
A veritable who's who of NBA superstars will jump in after them via unrestricted and restricted free agency, not to mention a few more with the chance to opt out of their current deals.
We're not ranking these potential free agents, other than to say the guys featured here are within a loose top 20. Apologies to the likes of Reggie Jackson, Brook Lopez and David West, who failed to make the cut.
The goal here isn't to predict where each potential free agent will end up. Instead, we'll suggest the destination that suits team and player best—as determined by fit alongside current personnel and coaches, organizational needs and, of course, matches fans would most like to see from an entertainment perspective.
The insanity won't start until July, but if free agency ends up being as crazy as we suspect, it's probably a good idea to get an early handle on who should go where.
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Unrestricted
1 of 20
Best Fit: Dallas Mavericks
At grave risk of incurring the wrath of Portland Trail Blazers fans everywhere, the Dallas Mavericks—a team in need of a younger superstar who is also well-versed in getting the most out of jump-shooting bigs—are the best landing spot for LaMarcus Aldridge.
Of course, Aldridge has done nothing but make assurances he's staying in Rip City, which makes discussing his fit elsewhere something of an empty exercise.
"I want to be the best Blazer—ever," Aldridge said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. "If I stay the rest of my career, I should be able to catch Clyde by then. I should be able to leave a mark on a big-time franchise that is going to be seen forever. And I will be able to say I played here my whole career. This city has embraced me and grown with me. I have so much history, it just makes sense to stay."
Yeah, LMA isn't going anywhere. But if he were to move on, Dallas, his hometown, would be his best move.
Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, Restricted
2 of 20
Best Fit: Washington Wizards
As will be the case with most restricted free agents on this list, Jimmy Butler's fate is in the hands of his current team, the Chicago Bulls. They can match whatever offer sheet he signs, and you'd have to imagine they'd gladly pony up max money to keep their blossoming two-way star.
That doesn't mean the Bulls are the optimal destination for him, though.
What about the Washington Wizards?
Paul Pierce currently occupies their small forward spot, but he's 37 and simply can't provide the big-minute production the Wiz need from their wings on both ends. Butler is no stranger to big minutes, and he'd provide serious relief for John Wall, who desperately needs a secondary scorer who can create his own offense.
Butler has no trouble getting to the foul line, and he could take a ton of pressure off Wall. Not only that, but he'd offer insurance for Bradley Beal, whose ongoing foot issues may be cause for long-term concern.
Though he's vital to the Bulls and likely to stay put, Butler and the Wizards are a terrific match. And if the Wiz really want to make a run at Kevin Durant in 2016, having a superstar defender on board to handle tough wing matchups might be enticing.
Just saying.
Tyson Chandler, C, Unrestricted
3 of 20
Best Fit: Los Angeles Clippers
Consider this insurance for DeAndre Jordan's possible departure as well as a mutually beneficial reunion of Tyson Chandler and former lob partner Chris Paul.
Remember, Chandler and CP3 teamed up to lead the New Orleans Hornets to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the West in 2007-08. That feels like ancient history, but Paul is still a fringe MVP candidate, and Chandler can still defend with the best of them.
We know Doc Rivers loves his vets (he also loves Jordan, which makes it hard to imagine the Clips letting him go), so Chandler feels like a good option here.
Not only that, but the Clippers seem like a team that needs to dial down the whining and constant gamesmanship in favor of old-school grit. Chandler is all about his business, and his toughness is of a quieter sort. He'd be a good influence on Blake Griffin, and maybe even Paul.
Luol Deng, SF, Player Option
4 of 20
Best Fit: Memphis Grizzlies
You know all those things people think Jeff Green does, such as defend, stretch the floor and run the court?
Luol Deng actually does them. And he scores efficiently, which is something Green has never done.
Green will be a free agent this summer as well, and the Grizz can do better than bringing him back. Since coming to Memphis midseason, Green has hit 40.0 percent of his shots and just 32.1 percent of his threes. Not only that, but the Grizzlies have been better on both ends with Green on the bench, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Deng, who has a player option, could do a ton of good in Memphis. He's tough, which they like down there, and he's been remarkably efficient this year. Still only 29, it's clear Deng has lots left in the tank.
The Grizzlies need a small forward who can get the job done at both ends and who, critically, fits the grit-and-grind culture that defines the team. Deng needs a destination that appreciates what he does.
Memphis is it.
Goran Dragic, PG, Player Option
5 of 20
Best Fit: New Orleans Pelicans
Keep in mind that disagreeing with this fit means you're standing in the way of Anthony Davis and Goran Dragic playing together.
If you're comfortable obstructing the union of the NBA's brightest young star and an ultra-crafty, high-efficiency point guard, go right ahead and shout about how Dragic should just stay in Miami. Just know you're ruining what could be a fantastic pairing that would provide endless highlights and a whole lot of wins.
New Orleans needs to get the ball out of Tyreke Evans' hands when it matters, mainly because Evans' hands are often the ones that prevent Davis' hands from affecting games down the stretch. Yes, Jrue Holiday is under contract with the Pelicans, too. But he hasn't proven himself to be a) much more than a league-average lead guard, or b) durable enough to stay on the floor in the past two years.
Dragic is exciting, provides a legitimate second star alongside Davis and could help jazz up head coach Monty Williams' vanilla attack.
If we all get together and wish hard enough (and the Pelicans offer max money), this dream could come true.
Tim Duncan, PF/C; Manu Ginobili, SG; Danny Green, SG; Unrestricted
6 of 20
Best Fit: San Antonio Spurs
Stay.
Stay, stay, stay. Then stay some more.
Nobody should be rooting for the San Antonio Spurs to move on. This is the kind of run that deserves to survive until it absolutely can't anymore. If Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili retire, that's fine. Well, it's not fine; it's impossibly sad—the end of an era of joyous, beautifully played basketball.
But there's just no way to argue that Duncan or Ginobili fit better someplace else.
Danny Green won't be in the first paragraph of the Spurs' eventual obituary, but he can't expect to find a better destination than San Antonio either. Remember, Green washed out of the NBA entirely before resurrecting his career with the Spurs. He needs the space, ball movement and open looks San Antonio's system provides to be effective.
This is a blanket rule: Never suggest the Spurs break up. It's not cool.
Monta Ellis, SG, Player Option
7 of 20
Best Fit: Indiana Pacers
Monta Ellis can stick with the Dallas Mavericks by opting in to the final year of his contract this summer. He can also stay by opting out and signing a new extension.
Considering the way he's performed in Dallas over the past two seasons, it'd be hard to fault Ellis for taking either of those routes. At the same time, the Mavs might opt to retain Rajon Rondo, who we now know hasn't been great for Ellis' game.
That's why the Indiana Pacers should be an option—a great one, actually.
Indy needs an aggressive, shoot-first weapon in the backcourt. George Hill is big enough to handle defensive matchups against either guard spot, and Ellis' presence as a pick-and-roll orchestrator down the stretch would spare Paul George from the ball-handling duties he's never been great at.
The Pacers will have money to spend unless they retain both West and Roy Hibbert, and spending that cash on Ellis makes a ton of sense.
It's understandable if you're skeptical of sending Ellis back to the Midwest after seeing how badly his time in Milwaukee went. But the Pacers are a move or two away from contention once George is healthy. Adding Ellis this summer could be good for them.
"The Mavs could realistically go up to roughly $14 million for Monta, but four years, $48 million would be a very reasonable offer," wrote Bryan Gutierrez of MavsOutsider.com via ESPN.com. "If that's not good enough, the shooting guard position is one of the easier ones to replace, in theory. They'll just have to move on if that is the case."
If Indy makes a big offer, its easier path to the Finals and glaring need for a scoring guard could be very enticing to Ellis as well.
Marc Gasol, C, Unrestricted
8 of 20
Best Fit: San Antonio Spurs
All signs point to Marc Gasol sticking around in Memphis on a new max contract.
The Grizzlies can give him a fifth year and more money, which has proven dispositive in a lot of situations like Gasol's. Not only that, but the Spaniard basically grew up in Memphis. Toss in the chemistry he's built with the core there, and a Gasol exit seems even more implausible.
Also this: "I live day to day but I don't see myself anywhere else," he told Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal last June. "Only time will time. But I don't see a reason to change right now. Why would I change right now?"
Then again, Gasol has been more open-minded lately (or at least cagier when it comes to preserving his negotiating leverage), per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
"I won’t say no to anything right now," Gasol said. "If it’s presented to me, I’ll think about it. If not, I won’t."
That's a whole lot of preamble for this: Gasol should sign with the Spurs.
Why? For starters, there's a good chance Duncan retires after this year. Plus, there's the small matter of Gasol's unselfishness, two-way brilliance and non-American-ness fitting perfectly in San Antonio and its rotation of international players.
This is a match everyone should be rooting for. The Spurs, for their part, may have been preparing for it, too. They didn't extend Kawhi Leonard last summer, which will give them even more cap space this year.
If Gasol decides to leave the only NBA team he's ever played for, San Antonio is a no-brainer.
Draymond Green, PF, Restricted
9 of 20
Best Fit: Golden State Warriors
Draymond Green's defense will follow him anywhere, but he can't expect to get the never-ending cascade of open looks he enjoys playing with Stephen Curry on another team.
Keeping Green may require the Warriors to dip into the luxury tax if they can't move David Lee or Andre Iguodala ahead of time. If someone else—the Detroit Pistons from Green's native Michigan, for example—were to throw a ton of money at the defensive superstar, Golden State has long contended it would match.
Green is rapidly becoming a local hero with the Warriors, and though his effort and effectiveness would make him popular anywhere, it's hard to envision a scenario where his gifts would be more appreciated than they are now.
With the Warriors increasingly featuring Green as a center in ridiculously effective small lineups, his role only figures to get bigger.
Winning, an easy life on offense, love from the fans and, possibly, max cash?
Green's got everything he needs with the Warriors.
Roy Hibbert, C, Player Option
10 of 20
Best Fit: Boston Celtics
Still an elite rim-protector, Roy Hibbert could opt in, see what Indiana has in 2015-16 and put off the next big decision in his career for another season.
But what if the Boston Celtics were willing to pay him a ton of money to anchor their interior?
The C's are quietly building a defensive monster with Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley in the backcourt. Adding Hibbert, who holds opponents to 42.2 percent shooting at the rim, according to SportVu via NBA.com, could immediately vault Boston into elite territory on that end.
Brad Stevens' team has been trotting out smaller centers all season, so maybe the Celtics just prefer spacing and mobility from their bigs. If they're interested in making a serious move in their rebuild, though, embracing a defensive identity with Hibbert could accomplish that.
Toss in a couple of shooters, and the Hibbert-Bradley-Smart core could do some real damage in the East.
LeBron James, SF, Player Option
11 of 20
Best Fit: Cleveland Cavaliers
As if LeBron James even has a choice.
Every team in the league would happily max out James this summer if given the chance, but LBJ's grand return to Cleveland was, according to him, about so much more than basketball. He raised the stakes of this thing.
He can't leave now.
Maybe after a few years and a championship or two, sure. But just one season after riding in to save the Rust Belt? No way.
Besides, the Cavs have been playing brilliantly of late.
LeBron must and should stay in Cleveland. End of story.
Let's move on.
Al Jefferson, PF/C, Player Option
12 of 20
Best Fit: Los Angeles Lakers
Hear me out.
Lakers head coach Byron Scott has taken some curious positions on NBA offense this year. Who could forget his marginalization of the three-point shot in October? Lately, he's been lukewarm on the pick-and-roll.
That doesn't leave much in the way of scoring options, but we haven't yet heard Scott throw shade at the post-up.
Al Jefferson can post up. Well.
Can't you just see Jefferson in purple and gold, enjoying a new multiyear deal after opting out of his final season with the Charlotte Hornets, getting 20-odd shots per game from the left block? It's an old-school coach's offensive dream.
Dump it in to the big man and watch him work.
Jefferson is 30, and this may be his last chance to sign a hefty deal. The Lakers may be desperate enough for talent to do some overpaying. And if Big Al manages to bridge the gap between this era and whatever the Lakers' next one holds, all the better.
DeAndre Jordan, C, Unrestricted
13 of 20
Best Fit: Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are into long, rangy defenders, right?
With Larry Sanders no longer in Milwaukee's future plans, there's a need for an impactful rim-protector in the middle. Jordan's reputation as a stopper is a little overblown, thanks largely to highlight blocks and Doc Rivers' persistent trumpeting of his virtues.
But just because Jordan isn't really a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, (the Clips defend better with him on the bench, per NBA.com) that doesn't mean he's without value—especially to a team built on defense such as the Bucks.
Milwaukee is trotting out Zaza Pachulia at center these days, using John Henson (who can play, but isn't the space-eater Jordan is) in relief.
Just imagine Jordan holding down a back line behind the length of Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That sounds fun.
Brandon Knight, PG, Restricted
14 of 20
Best Fit: Detroit Pistons
The Pistons already had one shot at making Brandon Knight their point guard of the future, and they dealt him to the Bucks as part of a sign-and-trade exchange for Brandon Jennings in 2013. For the record, Detroit gave up Khris Middleton in the bargain as well, which makes the decision look even worse in hindsight.
Knight blossomed with the Bucks, and after being traded again (this time to the Phoenix Suns at this year's deadline), he's primed to hit restricted free agency.
Detroit, as ever, needs to improve its spacing, and Knight can flat out stripe it from distance. He's hitting 39.7 percent of his triples on the season, and he's on pace to top his career high in total assists.
If the alternatives include matching a big offer for Reggie Jackson or gambling on Jennings' health going forward, a second go-round with Knight starts to look even better.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, Restricted
15 of 20
Best Fit: San Antonio Spurs
We are not, I repeat, not going to sanction the demolition of the Spurs.
Maybe there was some trepidation when Leonard and San Antonio failed to reach an agreement on an extension this past year, but worry not. The Spurs just wanted to preserve as much flexibility as possible.
They'll bring Leonard back for certain.
Good thing, too, because there's no better place for Kawhi to ply his trade.
And if you expect him to take another step forward next year, moving officially into position as San Antonio's alpha dog, his familiarity and comfort with the system will only help.
If you think about it, there's no better place than San Antonio for just about any free agent who wants to win and win the right way. That's just especially true of Leonard.
Kevin Love, PF, Player Option
16 of 20
Best Fit: Phoenix Suns
Kevin Love can shout all he wants about not being a stretch 4, but NBA teams are always going to look at his perimeter shooting ability as his biggest asset.
Assuming Love opts out of his deal, he could find a terrific home in Phoenix.
Leaving Cleveland might sound crazy. As long as James is there, the Cavs will contend for titles. But it's not as though Love has seemed especially happy in his time there.
The Suns had Channing Frye in 2013-14, and they've used the Morris twins as floor-stretching bigs this season. Pace and space are critical elements of Phoenix's attack, and Love could thrive as a No. 1 scoring option ahead of Eric Bledsoe.
Center Alex Len profiles as a defender, and he wouldn't take touches away down low if Love wants to get a few more looks on the block.
And after spending all of his NBA career in Minneapolis and Cleveland, the Phoenix sunshine probably sounds pretty good.
Paul Millsap, PF, Unrestricted
17 of 20
Best Fit: Minnesota Timberwolves
There's a lot to like about the Timberwolves. There'd be a lot more if Paul Millsap were starting at power forward, where there's a glaring need for scoring.
The Wolves have a strong young core in Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng. Adding Millsap to that mix would up the toughness quotient, help space the floor and bring some veteran experience.
From Millsap's perspective, it'd be tough to beat what he's got with the Atlanta Hawks right now. But if the Hawks aren't willing to come way up from the current $9.5 million they're paying him, you could understand his willingness to look around a little.
Greg Monroe, PF/C, Unrestricted
18 of 20
Best Fit: New York Knicks
Greg Monroe took the unusual step of accepting a qualifying offer in restricted free agency last summer, essentially gambling on his own health and production with an unrestricted payoff at the end if things went right.
They went right. And now he's primed to cash in from the highest bidder.
The Knicks need just about everything, but the reason Monroe is so intriguing is his potential fit as a triangle-offense big man. He can score on the block and pass from the elbows, which are pretty much necessities in Phil Jackson's pet scheme.
Defensively, Monroe won't wow anyone. But the Knicks just finished watching Amar'e Stoudemire play D at the 4 for a few years, so they'll happily take Moose's efforts on that end.
There are a number of frontcourt talents on the market, but the Knicks need a player who'll fit their system and is young enough to provide real hope for the future. Monroe, 24, could be that player.
Rajon Rondo, PG, Unrestricted
19 of 20
Best Fit: Sacramento Kings
Putting a point guard who can't shoot on a team that is hitting just 33 percent of its triples sounds like a bad idea. But the Kings need someone to orchestrate George Karl's fast-paced offense, and this summer might provide an opportunity to buy low on a guy who might be capable of doing just that.
Rajon Rondo hasn't impressed in Dallas, and he's a poor fit there, per Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com:
"Rondo's strength lies in his ability to create shots for everyone, something that runs contrary to what Dallas' offense is about (system creating shots). As a scorer, he's a liability as a poor perimeter shooter, and his historically bad free throw shooting (at 31 percent, he's officially the worst free throw shooter in the NBA not named Joey Dorsey) has made him a tentative driver to the basket, as he has become wary of drawing fouls and getting to the line (career low FTA rate of 0.091).
"
The Kings won't operate in nearly so structured an environment under Karl, which could allow Rondo to thrive as a playmaker again.
If he gets to be himself, it could mean good things for DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore and the rest of Sacramento's younger pieces.
And, you know, it would also quiet the growing chorus that Rondo's days as a good NBA player are over, which he'd probably appreciate.
Dwyane Wade, SG, Player Option
20 of 20
Best Fit: Miami Heat
You didn't really think a suggestion that Dwyane Wade, Mr. South Beach, should change locales was coming, did you?
It's not just that Wade is as beloved an athlete as Miami has ever seen, although that's a factor. The real reason Wade needs to stick where he's at is the Heat aren't all that far away from returning to contention.
And nobody knows better than Wade that Miami is a whole lot of fun when it's contending.
If Goran Dragic sticks around, Chris Bosh fully recovers from his scary diagnosis of blood clots in his lungs and Hassan Whiteside matures enough to stay on the floor, this team is scary.
The Heat have always done a good job of hauling in free agents, and we should expect them to attract a few more useful pieces this summer. With a Wade-Dragic-Bosh-Whiteside core, Deng on the wing and some rotation tweaks, watch out.
