NBA Rumors: Early Offseason Trade and Free-Agent Chatter Following NBA Finals
Now that there's no basketball to watch, everyone will have to settle for talking about it.
The Golden State Warriors capped off a captivating NBA season Tuesday night, securing their first title since 1975 with a six-game triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rather than discussing lineup construction and slick Stephen Curry jumpers, the focus shifts from the court to the front office.
Nearly every team faces a free-agent conundrum or three this offseason. Before the window officially opens on July 1, the draft presents another opportunity for squads to wheel and deal. Expect the hot stove to warm up with the offseason underway.
Mason Plumlee
Remember when Mason Plumlee represented the Brooklyn Nets' most valuable asset? Following a strong sophomore season, he looked like their only real future contributor, entering the All-Star break with 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Then, a revived Brook Lopez pushed him out of the rotation, as the top bigs struggled to coexist on the court.
While Lopez will likely decline his player option and enter free agency, the Nets are looking to retain him and trade the younger talent, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
Last month, Bondy relayed general manager Billy King's desire to bring back Lopez, which would leave Plumlee in an uncomfortable predicament.
"I'll say it again, we want him back, I want him back, Lionel (Hollins) wants him back, ownership wants him back," King said in May. "We've all said it. There shouldn't be any more doubts about it."
Things are going to get drastically worse in Brooklyn, a franchise littered with overpaid veterans and few future draft picks. Plumlee is its top young piece, which is as much an indictment of the sinking franchise as it is an endorsement of the 25-year-old center.
But at least he's an affordable contributor in his 20s, a rarity for the Nets. As a result of the ill-advised Joe Johnson trade, the Atlanta Hawks will swap pick No. 29 with the Nets' No. 15 choice. Even if Brooklyn moves back into that range, it won't find someone much better than Plumlee in a class hardly celebrated for depth.
The Nets likely won't climb enough in Round 1 to justify forfeiting him. At this point, his peak trade value would stem from greasing the wheels for someone to take Johnson or Deron Williams off their hands.
Jimmy Butler
With the league salary cap expected to skyrocket for the 2016-17 season, this summer's top free agents must decide between cementing long-term security and biding their time with temporary deals.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Jimmy Butler plans to pursue the first path:
"Chicago Bulls restricted free-agent guard Jimmy Butler has plans to pursue shorter-term offer sheets this summer, resisting the Bulls’ initial plans to offer him a five-year, maximum contract extension, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
As the NBA’s salary cap is set to dramatically rise beginning with the 2016-17 season, Butler has become far less interested in locking himself into the five-year, $90 million-plus deal the Bulls are expected to present him on July 1, league sources said.
"
Butler was voted Most Improved Player after tallying a career-high 20.0 points per contest, and his emergence as a two-way star will earn him whatever deal he wants. Although Derrick Rose is marketed as the face of the franchise, the 25-year-old shooting guard far surpassed the former MVP. In fact, only five players recorded higher win shares than the restricted free agent:
| 1 | James Harden | 16.4 |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | 16.1 |
| 3 | Chris Paul | 15.7 |
| 4 | Anthony Davis | 14.0 |
| 5 | DeAndre Jordan | 12.8 |
| 6 | Jimmy Butler | 11.2 |
| 7 | Russell Westbrook | 10.6 |
| 8 | Damian Lillard | 10.6 |
Wojnarowski also reported Butler's interest in signing an offer sheet with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have ample cap space to pair his all-around prowess with returning alpha dog Kobe Bryant. Chicago, however, will likely match any offer sheet its young star signs, whether it's the five-year max or a one-year placeholder.
DeMarre Carroll
While DeMarre Carroll won't sniff a max deal, he made a substantial amount of money. As a huge part of the Atlanta Hawks' 60 regular-season wins, the small forward posted the league's fourth-highest true shooting percentage while guiding the Hawks to a plus-13 net rating when on the court.
Per ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz, the Hawks are expecting a lavish asking price they might prove reluctant to meet:
"Sources say the Hawks are bracing themselves for an asking price of 4 years and $50 million—and given the postseason Carroll put together and the interest around the league, possibly even more. If the price tag is much higher than that, there's good reason to believe the flexibility-minded Hawks could bow out, though their strong preference is to retain Carroll, who has been an essential cog in their two-way success.
"
They'll have competition, with the New York Post's Marc Berman linking Carroll to the New York Knicks in May. Not only would he do the dirty work defensively, but he'd also allow Carmelo Anthony to optimize his offensive output at power forward. While the Knicks have the money, they might want to preserve their cap flexibility for next summer.
That dilemma could prevent the unrestricted free agent from earning a massive payday, but a four-year, $50 million arrangement might become a bargain when prices inflate next offseason. Both Carroll and the Hawks benefit from extending their relationship, and nobody on their books makes enough to hinder them from spending on the Junkyard Dog.
