NBA: 8 Teams Likely to Sign J.J. Hickson

In a somewhat surprising move, the Kings have reportedly bought out the contract of power forward J.J. Hickson, according to Yahoo's Sam Amick.

Sacramento had previously acquired Hickson from Cleveland in exchange for small forward Omri Casspi.

When the deal went down, people were astounded because it seemed as though the Kings were making out like bandits. But now, it appears that the Cavaliers are actually the true winners, as Casspi has started 34 games for the Cavaliers this season, while averaging 7.1 points per game.

Hickson, on the other hand, was thought to come in to Sacramento and form a great frontcourt with Chuck Hayes, Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins. But it didn't happen, as Hickson started just nine games for the Kings, while playing in a little over 18 minutes per night. Along the way, Hickson has averaged just 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

His numbers were considerably down, as he was one of the best up-and-coming players last year while averaging 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest for the lowly Cavs.

But now, Hickson is a free agent and is free to sign anywhere.

There will likely be a number of suitors, as Hickson is just in his third year in the NBA. He's also just 23 years old, so there is still a lot of time for him to fully develop into the player everyone had been hoping for. Hickson has an amazing amount of talent and will likely find a new home quickly.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have long coveted Hickson and now they finally have a great opportunity of acquiring him.

Boston is currently looking for front-court depth as they currently sit at 23-21, good enough for seventh-place in the Eastern Conference. Currently, they have Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Jermaine O'Neal, Greg Stiemsma, JaJuan Johnson and Chris Wilcox in the froncourt, so there is some need there.

Hickson, although his game is quite similar to Bass', would likely come in and receive quality playing time in Boston. With the forward added to the team, Hickson could help lead the Celtics to the playoffs, even though there's a strong possibility it could be a low seed.

But regardless, Hickson would be a spectacular addition to the aging Celtics, as he not only adds frontcourt depth, but he would also become a member of the team's future.

As we all know, the Celtics are one of the oldest teams in the NBA. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal can't play forever and the team has to plan for their future at some point.

Currently, Rajon Rondo, Bass and the injured Jeff Green seem to be the only real proven parts of the team's future, so the addition of Hickson would become quite valuable. JaJuan Johnson, E'Twuan Moore, Stiemsma and Avery Bradley are very young, but they are unproven and it is uncertain if they will ever become intricate parts in a team's success.

But the Celtics need a player like Hickson, even though Hickson really doesn't need them. He wouldn't start for the Celtics, but he could receive quality minutes behind Garnett and share time with Bass.

It is very likely that Hickson will get picked up by the Celtics, but only time will tell.

Golden State Warriors

If this were to happen, Hickson wouldn't have to move very far.

The Warriors recently made a blockbuster trade in which they sent Monta Ellis, prospect Ekpe Udoh and former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson, who they turned around and dealt to San Antonio for Richard Jefferson.

Giving up Udoh and Brown hurt the Warriors' frontcourt. Not only that, but the player they acquired for them is considered injury-prone and there is always the possibility that he could get injured again before the season concludes.

That leaves the Dubs considerably thin in the frontcourt as it currently consists of Bogut, the overpaid Andris Biedrins, David Lee and the seldom-used, yet young Jeremy Tyler.

There's no way that the team would be able to play Lee and Bogut for at least 40 minutes every single night. They need to acquire someone or some players that can help alleviate pressure and time off of the dynamic duo.

That's where Hickson would come in.

There's no doubt that Lee would start ahead of Hickson. If this scenario were to play out, Hickson would likely be relegated to a backup role for the foreseeable future unless Lee were to mightily struggle or get injured.

But a combination of Bogut, Lee and Hickson could get the Warriors back on track, especially with Stephen Curry (if he can stay healthy), rookie Klay Thompson, sharpshooters Dorell Wright and Brandon Rush and veteran Richard Jefferson.

Hickson could be the key to success for the 'Dubs.

Miami Heat

Although it's highly unlikely, it could happen especially if Hickson wants to collect a championship ring. There's no doubt that he'd likely have to take a small pay cut in order to join the Heat, but it's a distinct possibility.

Believe it or not, the Heat need some kind of help. They need solid contributors outside of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They can't do it all themselves and as long as they believe they can, they're not going to win a championship.

Although there isn't much cap space to deal with, the Heat have to surround those three players with contributors. Shane Battier has been a great addition and Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole have done well at point guard. Udonis Haslem has been alright and Mike Miller just hasn't been able to stay healthy.

The addition of Hickson could vastly help them in that department.

Although he and Haslem play the same position, there is a possibility that one of them can play at the center position. Or, it is entirely possible for the Heat to take Joel Anthony out of the starting lineup, plug Bosh in at center and then have Hickson or Haslem start at power forward.

There are multiple other scenarios that could play out, but the Heat need to do something with Hickson.

Hickson would be a great addition and he'd be reunited with his former teammate, LeBron James, even though it was just one year. Adding Hickson to the team would help them exceedingly, as it gives them a young player that could learn the game better from someone like Bosh.

If possible, the Heat need to reach out to Hickson and try to sign him to a deal. He could become an intricate part in the team's hopes of winning the championship.

Los Angeles Lakers

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in Los Angeles. Everyone seems to want to play for the Lakers and every free agent seems to be pursued by the Lakers at some point, even if it's Gilbert Arenas or Rasheed Wallace.

So anything is possible.

The Lakers surprised a good number of people when they held on to Pau Gasol at the trade deadline, but they still need some frontcourt depth. Of course, they already have Andrew Bynum, who started in the All-Star Game this season.

Other than Gasol and Bynum, there is not much. The team acquired the young Jordan Hill at the deadline in exchange for point guard Derek Fisher, who was recently bought out by the Rockets. There's also Troy Murphy, who used to be a double-double threat on a night-to-night basis, but he now is relegated to a back-up role. Currently, he plays about 18 minutes per game, while averaging 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.

There's also Josh McRoberts, who was thought to come in and be a key contributor. He's been everything but that, as he plays about 12 minutes per contest, while averaging 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Needless to say, they need some help for Gasol and Bynum. Hickson could become that man.

If he were to sign with the Lakers, he'd likely become one of the first players off of the bench. More so, he'd definitely be coming off of the bench ahead of McRoberts, Murphy and likely Hill.

But there's no doubt that Hickson would be a great addition to the Lakers, especially since they're in the middle of a solid season in which they have a decent opportunity at winning the championship. Hickson could become a key component to their success for the rest of their season.

Portland Trail Blazers

As a Blazers fan, I'd love to see this happen but after watching what they did at the trade deadline, I deem this scenario to be one of the most unlikely.

The Blazers seemingly gave away Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby for one of the biggest busts of recent memory, Hasheem Thabeet, point guard Jonny Flynn and the expiring contracts of Shawne Williams and Mehmet Okur. To make room for those players, they severed ties with centers Greg Oden and Chris Johnson.

So with those roster moves taking place, the Blazers' frontcourt now consists of up-and-coming star LaMarcus Aldridge, Kurt Thomas, the recently-signed Joel Przybilla and the injured Okur.

Needless to say, they need help in the frontcourt. But there is a strong possibility that they keep their current roster intact, which makes it seem like they've given up on the current season.

The addition of Hickson would be great, without a doubt.

If this were to happen, there is a good chance that Aldridge could be lined up at center with Hickson lining up at power forward. Although it seems highly unlikely, it could happen. The Blazers need to add someone young to the frontcourt with LaMarcus Aldridge, whether it be a natural power forward or center. It really doesn't matter because the Blazers simply just need somebody.

Unfortunately, the Blazers would need to cut somebody if this scenario were to happen, even though it appears they are already buying out Shawne Williams' contract.

But there is no doubt that the Blazers need someone like Hickson. The Blazers would also have the capabilities of offering a better deal than a team like the Lakers, Heat or Celtics. It all depends on what Hickson wants to do.

Orlando Magic

Now that we know Dwight Howard will be in Orlando for the foreseeable future, the front office needs to start adding pieces around him to make him happy.

And now that the deadline has passed, there's no doubt that someone like Hickson could be extremely beneficial to Howard staying. Hickson hasn't really proven himself in the NBA, but he is considered to be a player that has a significant amount of potential. There is a good possibility that he could become great and if it comes cheap, the Magic need to roll the dice.

The Magic's current starting power forward, Ryan Anderson, is not a prototypical starter. He's a quality player, but he's not the type of player the Magic need to line up beside Howard. They need someone like Hickson, who is a typical power forward.

Unfortunately, the Magic also have Glen "Big Baby" Davis at power forward, but like Anderson, he's not an everyday starter at power forward.

Hickson has the capabilities of becoming a great player someday. Although he hasn't reached his ceiling yet, the Magic should take a chance on him because of that aspect alone.

Hickson could also help alleviate pressure off of Howard, even though Anderson has done a great job this year.

Personally, I like the scenario of Hickson joining the Magic. With the addition of Hickson, they'd have a considerable amount of depth, as they already have Howard, Anderson and Davis. There's also Justin Harper and Daniel Orton, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done on those two players before they can become role players.

With Anderson and Hickson splitting time at power forward, the Magic could go deep in the playoffs and give teams trouble in the postseason.

Philadelphia 76ers

It's one of the most unlikeliest, but it could happen.

Elton Brand, the team's night-to-night starter, is currently averaging 10.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. And by the way, those numbers really aren't worth the roughly $17 million he's being paid this season, but that is neither here or there.

Outside of Brand, their frontcourt is considerably thin.

The Sixers' starting center, Spencer Hawes, has been injured throughout the season and has played in just sixteen games this season. However, he's played well in those games, while averaging 10.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest.

Besides Brand and Hawes, there's Lavoy Allen, who has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Sixers. There's also the aging and seldom-used Tony Battie and Nikola Vucevic, their first-round pick last year.

The team also has Thaddeus Young, who can play both small forward and power forward. However, he's more of a small forward than a power forward, which somewhat stunts his growth as an NBA player. Regardless, he's still done well this season, averaging 13.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Anyway, the Sixers need some frontcourt help, even though they're currently fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers will likely be a playoff team this season and if they want to make some noise in the playoffs, they need to do something with their frontcourt.

That's where Hickson comes in. If it were to happen, Hickson would likely serve as Brand's back-up. However, this would let Young switch back to his better-suited position, while the under-sized Allen can log in some time at center and power forward.

With such a young corps, the Sixers seem to be set for the foreseeable future. Hickson can only add more hope to that future if he were to move to Philadelphia.

San Antonio Spurs

Let's face it, Tim Duncan can't play forever. And he won't.

Gregg Popovich and the Spurs need to think of their future now, as Duncan is nearing retirement. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are getting older as well, so they need to think of something.

Luckily, the Spurs already have the under-sized DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter, so that's a step in the right direction. Hickson could become just another piece that could keep the Spurs contenders once their version of the "Big Three" retires.

Blair has started 43 games at power forward this season and is currently averaging 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in about 21 minutes per game. Splitter, who can play both power forward and center, plays in about twenty minutes per contest and is currently averaging 9.2 points and five rebounds per game.

There's a good chance that, if this scenario played out, Hickson would come in and start for the Spurs. That, or he would receive a big role in the team's offensive plans off of the bench.

I firmly believe that Hickson could put up better numbers than Blair, even though he'd likely receive more minutes in the process. He's a good talent that could help alleviate pressure off of their main frontcourt members.

With a young corps that already features Blair, Splitter, James Anderson (even though he has said he wants out), Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph, the Spurs seem to have their future planned out. And Hickson could also be a part of those plans, as well he should be.

Hickson could thrive in Popovich's system and become a great player. There's no doubt that Popovich is one of the best head coaches in the game, if not the best, and Hickson would be able to learn a lot from an experienced coach such as "Pops". A Hickson-to-San Antonio signing could work out extremely well for both sides.