NBA Free Agents 2012: Latest Buzz on Nash, Garnett, Lin and More
As the end of this strike-shortened NBA season gets nearer, there are big decisions several teams have to make regarding free agency.
Veteran point guards are hitting the market and are likely to find new homes, while other grizzled vets contemplate the dilemma of a short contract versus retirement. General managers must decide whether to make a push for a coveted free agent or re-sign their own young players.
Here's a look at the latest free-agent developments in the NBA.
Steve Nash
Though the Suns are reportedly gearing up to offer Nash a two-year, $20 million deal to stay in Phoenix, Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire is making a hard push to bring him to New York.
According to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola and Kevin Armstrong, Stoudemire said, "Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve. I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year."
Another source tells the Daily News that Nash hasn't ruled out any teams yet, but he's also made it clear that he wants to win now, which means playing for a contender is at the top of his list of requirements. That could rule out the Suns—but it doesn't rule out the Knicks, who were the No. 7 seed in the East this year and were hampered in the postseason by significant injuries.
Two more possible suitors for Nash are the Heat, who definitely fit the "contender" requirement, and the Trail Blazers, who have a ways to go before becoming competitive but are close to the Vancouver Whitecaps, the MLS team Nash co-owns, according to the Daily News.
The Celtics still have plenty of playing to do after eliminating Atlanta in Game 6 on Thursday night, but with 36-year-old Garnett about to hit the market, they also have a major contractual decision to make in the near future.
According to the Worcester Telegram's Bill Doyle, Boston knows it doesn't have the cap space to re-sign Garnett and also pursue a big-name free agent, so it will be either one of the other. Garnett currently makes $21 million and is unlikely to take a pay cut.
Ray Allen, who struggled with injuries toward the end of the season but managed to return for Game 2 of the postseason, is also unlikely to take a pay cut to remain in Boston. He currently makes $10 million per year.
Ainge told Doyle:
"They have to make their decisions. We need to know where they stand, what they want to do. … They know we like them. I know they love Boston, they love playing for Doc [Rivers], but I don't know anything beyond that.
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Jeremy Lin
Lin's future with the Knicks could depend on their success pursuing Nash. The fan base in New York fell in love with Lin during his improbable run of success this season, but he's coming off knee surgery and it's unclear whether he has truly earned the starting job—for good—in the eyes of head coach Mike Woodson.
On Thursday, Woodson said that Lin will "absolutely" be back with the Knicks next season, but his role is still up in the air. Woodson added that "only time will tell" whether Lin will start, and "there's still room for growth. He's still gotta learn the NBA game and what it's about and playing at a high level."
Lin is a restricted free agent, and it's likely the Knicks will be exercising their $5 million mid-level exception to keep him around, according to SportsWorldReport.com's Louis Bell.
Jason Kidd
Though it's unclear where the Mavericks' point guard is going to end up next season, he's sure spent a lot of time talking about one of his former teams.
Kidd, who won an NBA title in Dallas last season and helped the Nets reach the NBA Finals twice in the last 10 years, told ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan that he believes New Jersey will make a big splash in free agency this summer as it prepares to make its move to Brooklyn.
Kidd told Caplan that first, he will hear what Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has to say, but one way or another, he will make a decision very shortly after free agency officially begins on July 1. He would like to sign a two-year deal and mentioned an interest in becoming a backup to Nets point guard Deron Williams, who is also a free agent.
He told Caplan that backing up Williams "would not be a bad situation [because] I know I wouldn't have to play 30 minutes" a game.
According to Caplan, however, Kidd also told teammate Dirk Nowitzki that he would like to help him win again next season. For Kidd, his future likely depends on which team is willing to offer him the security of a two-year deal, and could even hinge on which team lands Williams.
Steve Novak
Another player the Knicks hope to retain is Steve Novak, who could be due for a sizeable raise after earning the league minimum in 2012-13.
Following New York's Game 5 loss to Miami, Novak told Bell his preference is to stay with the Knicks: "I can't think back to a more fun year I've had playing basketball when you have so much fun playing in a place that's where you want to be. And for me, that's definitely New York."
In nearly 19 minutes per game this season, Novak averaged 8.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
