NBA Free Agents 2015: Predictions for Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol and More
While much of the NBA world is fixated on the NBA Finals and the upcoming draft on June 25, an intriguing free-agency period is only a few weeks away.
The 2015 NBA free-agent class includes a large number of big names. Among them are Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rajon Rondo.
All three of those players have been in the headlines recently as July 1 draws closer, and each player has been connected to an array of different teams he could play for next season.
Rondo, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 8.9 points, 7.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, but a tumultuous end to his stint with the Dallas Mavericks has the point guard likely playing elsewhere in 2015-16.
Numerous teams will be in the running for Rondo. Thus far, the Miami Heat could become interested, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been rumored as a potential landing spot, according to the Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser. Apparently, you can count the Sacramento Kings in the mix too.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the Kings are “a dark horse” to land Rondo in free agency given the team's desire to win and friendship with Rudy Gay.
"A darkhorse location for Rajon Rondo in free agency is Sacramento, where the Kings are entering a pivotal year in their franchise and could use a bona fide point guard. Darren Collison, coming off hip surgery, is the team's scheduled starter for next season. Rondo, who didn’t appear interested in going to the Kings a few years ago, could use the club as a springboard to perhaps a larger contract if he signs a one-year deal. Rondo is also close friends with Kings forward Rudy Gay.
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Darren Collison has thrived as a backup point guard for the majority of his career, most recently as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. He could easily fall back into that role if Rondo came to town.
Coming off surgery, there inevitably will be concerns. Adding Rondo provides Sacramento with an insurance policy and some extra time so that it doesn't have to rush Collison back to the court too soon.
Teams interested in Rondo may be concerned about how his time in Dallas came to an end, although others may still see him as the point guard who delivered during the postseason as a member of the Boston Celtics.
As Lieser noted, Miami will try to re-sign Goran Dragic, whom it acquired near the trade deadline of last season. Rondo is probably a Plan B. The Lakers are in need of a point guard upgrade, but there's been little smoke behind that fire so far this spring.
Prediction: Rondo could have to settle for a short-term deal—perhaps maybe only a year—and Sacramento makes a ton of sense. Teams will be concerned about how his time in Dallas came to an end, but there's an obvious talent factor as well.
If Rondo teamed up with Gay and DeMarcus Cousins with the Kings, the team is immediately more competitive. That will bode well for Rondo's chances of earning a bigger deal next offseason.
With a House for Sale, Signs Point to Aldridge Leaving Portland
Aldridge putting his home up for sale has Portland Trail Blazers fans nervous about their team's chances of keeping the All-Star power forward.
The impending free agent averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season as Portland again could not advance past the first round of the playoffs. Those postseason collapses do not bode well for the Blazers' chances of re-signing Aldridge.
OregonLive.com columnist John Canzano speculated that Aldridge is likely to leave next month in free agency—not because of the "For Sale" sign, but because of the Trail Blazers' inability to improve in the playoffs for nearly a decade.
"Stop looking for small signs and hints. Instead, consider that the biggest factor isn't a "For Sale" sign but the sobering realization that the power forward has been in Portland nine years and advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs only once. That's where the speculation begins and ends and it's why I think he's unlikely to be back next season.
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Aldridge will draw interest from nearly every NBA team that can afford to add him to its frontcourt. The San Antonio Spurs are one team that has already showed interest, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Celtics and Mavericks have also been linked to the power forward, according to CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely (via MassLive.com's Jay King).
If it's playoff success he's after, then the Spurs are ultimately the most logical landing spot of the three playoff teams of 2014-15 mentioned above. The Celtics just sneaked into the postseason in a weak Eastern Conference, and the Houston Rockets easily eliminated Dallas in the first round. However, the Mavericks—like San Antonio—are in Aldridge's home state, so that could be a point in their favor.
San Antonio usually doesn’t make a big splash in free agency, but the team could be pondering its post-Tim Duncan plans.
Prediction: It's possible that the media will float nearly every NBA team as a potential destination for Aldridge over the next month until he signs his new deal. From what we've gathered about why Aldridge could leave Portland, a chance for a ring is his ultimate goal.
That should reduce the field from 30 down to a few main contenders, including San Antonio and Dallas. The Spurs make a whole lot of sense in terms of fit and designing a roster for the post-Duncan era. The Spurs could be transitioning from a nucleus of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Duncan to a tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Aldridge. Consider the Spurs the front-runner at this time.
Gasol Likely To Stay Put in Memphis?
Of all the big-time free agents to hit the market this offseason, Gasol is seemingly the most likely to stay put exactly where he is.
Last month, Stein reported Gasol is very fond of the city of Memphis and the Grizzlies organization he has been a part of for the majority of his career. According to Stein, the Grizzlies appear to be the favorites to retain Gasol this summer:
"Most rival teams favor Memphis to ultimately win the Gasol sweepstakes because A) Gasol's ties to the city are legitimately deep and B) he's the unquestioned starting center on the NBA's "I Just Want To Win" team. Which is another way of saying that few league observers can picture him leaving when there isn't an obvious landing spot that immediately positions Gasol to do more winning than he's currently doing with the Grizz -- unless Tim Duncan retires to create a gaping hole in the San Antonio frontcourt.
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Like Aldridge, Gasol will be courted by nearly all 30 NBA teams. That should come as no surprise for arguably the league's best center, who averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last year.
In a recent interview on the Catalan radio station RAC1, Gasol addressed his future but offered a "vague" response of his outlook entering free agency. Here's what Gasol said, per EuroHoops.net's Aris Barkas:
"The reality for me at the moment is Memphis. I got there when I was 16 and I'm 30 years old. It's important for me, personally and in sports terms. I'm in front of an important decision for the upcoming 4 or 5 years. I'll take it quietly, without drama. There are many things to evaluate: personal goals, the ring... The city isn't so important like it was in Pau's case...
I have a simple life: at home, the arena, the supermarket. Memphis is quiet. In Fort Yukon, Alaska, I would also be happy.
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Considering Stein's report and Gasol's loyal nature, the Grizzlies have an edge over other teams like the New York Knicks and Spurs, among others. Even Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace believes it's true.
Prediction: All signs point to Gasol staying exactly where is, and the soon-to-be free-agent center has offered no reason to think otherwise. Based on his history with the team, the success he has sustained in Memphis and his general personality, Gasol is best suited to remain in Memphis.
The Spurs seemingly have more interest in Aldridge than they do in Gasol, while the Lakers and Knicks will likely be out of the running given the larger media markets. There's no reason to believe Memphis won't re-sign Gasol.
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