2015 NBA Free Agency: Rumors and Predictions for Buzzworthy Players
There’s nothing quite like NBA free agency.
Even without a LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to sweeten the pot this summer—technically, James is a free agent, but it would be the heel turn of the century if he were to leave Cleveland after just one year—teams will be chomping at the bit to sign some of the big names on the market.
With an expected jump in the salary cap after next season, teams will be looking to sign stars to help them compete this year before the massive shakeup in 2016.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at the most recent rumors surrounding some of the top stars on the market this summer.
Goran Dragic
The 2014-15 Miami Heat will always be a story of what could have been.
After acquiring Goran Dragic at the trade deadline, the Heat were poised to fight their way into the playoffs and provide a stiff first-round challenge for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. But mere days after the trade, it was announced that Chris Bosh was out for the season with blood clots.
This left questions as to the future of Dragic with the team, as the point guard is poised to enter free agency this summer. But as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Sunday, the Heat are the favorites to bring back the Slovenian star:
"Heat guard Goran Dragic, an impending free agent, feels strongly that the Heat must play faster and has been assured that’s a key part of the Pat Riley/Erik Spoelstra master plan, according to an associate.
We’re told Dragic very much likes Spoelstra and Riley and nothing to this point has changed regarding the Heat’s status as front-runners to keep him. The Lakers, Knicks, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Sacramento are all expected to have interest.
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A faster pace will benefit Dragic’s style of play and allow him much more control over the offense than he had in his first few months with the team.
With an aging Dwyane Wade and Bosh’s long-term health in question, Dragic could be the future of Miami and will likely re-sign this offseason.
Prediction: Dragic returns to the Miami Heat
When the Wizards acquired Paul Pierce last offseason, they did so in the hopes that the veteran would be able to bring a new level of experience in big games to a team on the rise and provide big shots in clutch moments.
Despite bowing out of the playoffs in the second round, Pierce did the job that was asked of him, even if the final result was occasionally off the mark:
But even after a relatively successful season in Washington, it sounds like Pierce’s future could lie elsewhere.
NBA.com and TNT’s David Aldridge wrote on Monday that the Los Angeles Clippers could pursue Pierce if he decides to opt out of his contract with the Wizards: "Maybe Paul Pierce will walk away from the second year of his deal ($5.5 million) in Washington in order to finish his career in his hometown, playing for his old Celtics coach (Doc Rivers) and his former teammate-turned-Clippers assistant Sam Cassell for less money."
Aldridge would elaborate on the possibility, saying that people around the NBA expect Pierce to return to his hometown of Los Angeles: "The Wizards could stand pat if Pierce decides to return to D.C. next season rather than opt out of his deal, but many around the league believe Pierce will do just that and finish his career back home in Los Angeles with the Clippers."
The move would make sense for Pierce, who has a lot of ties to the current Clippers brass as well as to Los Angeles. It also would provide him a better chance to win an NBA title than he has in Washington as the forward’s career nears its finale.
Washington would love to keep him, as the team played best in the postseason with Pierce on the floor in a small-ball lineup, but for now it sounds like the future Hall of Famer will depart for the City of Angels.
Prediction: Pierce rejoins Doc Rivers as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers
Tristan Thompson
Despite losing Kevin Love early in the first round of the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers have not lost a step in large part because of the play of Tristan Thompson.
The former No. 4 overall draft pick saw his scoring, rebounds and minutes take a slight dip from his second and third seasons in the league because of the addition to Love, but in his first playoffs Thompson is stepping his game back up.
Although he is still averaging just 8.9 points even without Love, his 3.9 offensive rebounds per game have made him a fan favorite whom Cleveland will look to hold on to in free agency this summer:
As Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported Monday, the Cavaliers are going to do what they can to bring the forward back next season but won’t be without competition from the rest of the league: "They will make every effort to bring him back, but league sources have stated that teams are already quietly expressing interest in the soon to be free agent."
Most of the buzz in Cleveland this year will be surrounding the Love situation and his potential return to the team, but if the playoffs are any indication, Thompson is just as (if not more) important to the team’s long-term success.
Even though it will cost them, Cleveland should be considered the favorite to re-sign Thompson this summer. Factoring in his play in his first four years in the league, not to mention LeBron James’ vocal endorsement, as reported by Haynes, it would be a surprise to see another team swoop in unless it's with an outrageous offer.
Prediction: Thompson returns to Cleveland, but for a hefty price
