NBA Free Agents 2015: Top Rumors and Predictions Before NBA Draft
While NBA free agency feels like a back-burner topic as we prepare for Thursday's draft, that's a falsehood. Less than a week after Adam Silver steps up to the podium in Brooklyn, teams will be meeting with free agents and trying to lock them down a year before the new TV deal sends prices skyrocketing.
The top names on the market have already been identified and covered. But the last time we took a look at the free-agency landscape was in the final hours before rumor season started. While a vast majority of things floating around the NBA stratosphere are nonsense, they have to be considered for the kernels of truth.
Dwyane Wade isn't signing with the Cavaliers, but his dad wearing a Cavs shirt makes it all worthwhile coverage. Wesley Matthews isn't getting $15 million per season, but him telling Comcast's Jabari Young that it's not an "unreasonable" number is quite the nugget.
With only a week to go before things start getting figured out, let's take a look around the league at the rumors that are making headlines.
Reggie Jackson Return Not a Sure Thing in Detroit?
The Pistons acquired Reggie Jackson with designs on keeping him. Jackson mostly played well in his 27-game sample, averaging 17.6 points and 9.2 assists while getting to run his own show. All indications were good coming out of Detroit despite an acrimonious exit from Oklahoma City that had players all but throwing a party when he left.
With the Pistons holding Jackson's rights as a restricted free agent, they have all the power. They could even look to depress the market by making it clear they plan to match any contract offer given to Jackson in free agency. The overwhelming likelihood remains Jackson will stay with Detroit long-term.
That said, Stan Van Gundy appears to have his fingers crossed that a backup plan presents itself Thursday. Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported the Pistons could allow Jackson to walk if Emmanuel Mudiay drops to No. 8.
Mudiay was considered a top-five lock for most of the process but may wind up in a free-fall if the Knicks pass on him with the fourth pick. The Magic took Elfrid Payton, who played well as a rookie, last season. The Kings have Darren Collison and are the Kings, so who in the hell knows what they'd do? Denver has been desperately shopping Ty Lawson for months, but it might not want to further depress his market by taking a guard. It's at least theoretically possible that Mudiay will be there at No. 8.
If the Pistons wind up taking a point guard, Jackson might wind up back in Detroit, anyway. Van Gundy could merely match a Jackson offer sheet to keep him as an asset, even if they aren't "100 percent sold" on the enigmatic guard.
Kings Trying to Carve Out Cap Space for Rondo?
As someone with no vested rooting interest in the Kings franchise, this summer is off to a gloriously hilarious start. Vivek Ranadive has succumbed to the worst, most impatient impulses of a new owner and seems to have decision after decision blow up in his face.
He saw his former coach (Mike Malone) link back up with his former general manager (Pete D'Alessandro) in Denver despite leaked reports painting a picture of discord between the two men. He's seen his handpicked head coach (George Karl) do nothing but alienate his franchise star (DeMarcus Cousins) to the point of no return, per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Karl's been on the job all of four months. Ranadive has also watched Nik Stauskas play basketball, which has to be a frustrating experience for someone who strong-armed that pick into fruition.
I know what you're thinking. This franchise cannot possibly get any more dysfunctional, can it? Well, surely you have not been paying attention to the Kings. The latest piece of crazy, brought to you during the close of Wojnarowski's Cousins column:
"Sacramento is motivated to find a way to create more salary-cap space with possible deals, something that the Kings will need to pursue Dallas Mavericks free-agent point guard Rajon Rondo, league sources said. The Kings and Rondo have a mutual interest, with Rondo intrigued with the idea of a potential one-year deal in Sacramento that could help to rebuild his league-wide value, sources said.
"
Keep in mind one of the ways Sacramento hopes to gain cap space is by trading Rudy Gay. Yes, the same Rudy Gay the team signed to a reasonable three-year contract extension less than a year ago. Yes, the same Rudy Gay who was one of the Kings', like, four NBA players last season.
The powers that be think it is a good idea to pair Karl and Cousins, who appear to despise one another, with Rondo, a player who has butted heads with every head coach he's ever had. I mean, I'm sure Kings fans are happy their team stayed in Sacramento. That new arena looks plenty dope. But we're about two weeks from fans starting a Kickstarter to bring the Maloofs back.
Yeesh.
No Meeting Between D-Wade and Heat Scheduled
The impasse between Wade and the Heat is both perplexing and entirely understandable. Both parties sold the "Heat Lifer" narrative as hard as they could last summer. Either it was a reaction to LeBron James' sudden departure and they lived to regret it or both sides are just posturing, but something appears amiss in their relationship.
B/R's Ethan Skolnick reported the Heat's initial extension offer was under $10 million per season. That's an insanely low number, bordering on insulting—especially after accounting for the impending cap rise. Wade is a near-lock to miss 20 games per season at this point, but the 60 or so he plays are still pretty good.
Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported Monday the two sides were planning a meeting to work through their differences. By Tuesday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel had refuted that report. There is no meeting. There will be no face-to-face between now and June 29, when Wade will almost certainly opt out of his 2015-16 option.
While we could pretend that this is interesting, the Heat and Wade need each other too much for this to wind up in divorce. Pat Riley is all-in on constructing a veteran roster that competes for Eastern Conference titles now. He's going to offer Goran Dragic a massive contract, and losing Wade is a setback this aging roster can ill afford.
Miami can offer Wade the most money, short and long term. Sticking with the Heat Lifer narrative gives Wade options that stretch even beyond his playing career. Perhaps no organization in basketball is better to its former players. Leave with a sour taste in everyone's mouths, and that could all vanish.
Plus, if the disagreement is about money, Wade's options are limited. What, is he really going to go to the Lakers and team with Kobe or play out the string in Phil Jackson's seemingly doomed New York project? That sounds like a nightmare, even if it's a well-paid one.
Around the League
- Sam Amick of USA Today reports Wesley Matthews wants a deal that averages $15 million per season. That's...a lot for a dude who's coming back from an Achilles rupture.
- Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation reported the Lakers are planning to pursue Dragic or Rondo this summer. Doesn't come as much of a surprise, but still a bit strange considering how supposedly in love they are with Jordan Clarkson.
- Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported Iman Shumpert could command up to $8 million per season in free agency. Sounds about right. If Jodie Meeks can pull that number, it's about the minimum for Shumpert.
- Aris Barkas of EuroHoops.net reported Kosta Kufos is a "hot" name in Orlando. The Bucks, Kings and Celtics are also in the mix. Kufos should be one of the best value signings this summer, as he's typically been effective on a per-minute basis but has never got an extended opportunity.
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