NBA Free Agents 2015: Latest Rumors Following 2015 NBA Draft
The NBA rumor mill now stands alone.
With the 2015 NBA draft in the books, it's time for rumors to take the spotlight, with free agents being the main order of business. With Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and others as the headline acts, fans of the Association are in for quite an entertaining summer.
Expect things to pick up a notch with rookies in their new homes. Now front offices can throw every possible resource into a different kind of recruiting, and free agents can now see how the new-look league stands.
Below, let's take a look at some of the freshest rumblings from the mill to keep up with what will soon be an avalanche of information.
David West's Plans
One of the biggest (and quietest) surprises of the offseason?
David West's choice to opt out of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, which sent him out on the open market, where he was last seen rejecting the formation of a Big Three (of sorts) with the Boston Celtics in favor of the up-and-coming Pacers.
This time has a different feel to it.
Now 34 years old, it's safe to presume West wants to win now. Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star spoke with sources on the matter:
"West made up his mind Tuesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. With the tread of 12 seasons in the league on his body, West will not command the same salary that would've been waiting for him next season with the Pacers. The choice appears to be more about finding a new fit. West did not want to simply "stay for the money," a source revealed.
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Translation: West doesn't view the Pacers as serious contenders over the course of the next few seasons, so he's willing to sacrifice serious money to make a move and chase a ring.
Once on the market, West will be a hot commodity. He seemed to struggle in the scoring department last year at an average of 11.7 points per game but still posted 6.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks.
As a veteran rock who can act as a missing piece, West won't be on the market long. The "where" and "how" of his future make up one of the offseason's most interesting storylines.
LaMarcus Aldridge Done with Blazers?
It seems Aldridge won't don the familiar red and black of the Portland Trail Blazers again.
Before recent events and revelations, many figured the team still had a chance to retain its star player, who just averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on a 22.85 player efficiency rating, according to ESPN.com.
However, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported Thursday that a potential re-up with Portland went up in flames just a day or so ago:
"The sources listed several reasons Aldridge is expected to leave the Blazers, for whom he has played since entering the league in 2006. They said that he doesn't believe the Blazers can attract top free agents to improve the team, that he feels somewhat underappreciated by the organization and that he simply is looking for a new environment to live in.
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As if to confirm the news, Portland then swung a deal with Brooklyn during the draft for promising big man Mason Plumlee. Stein followed up with his analysis on the events surrounding the franchise:
It seems the Blazers are already over the breakup and charging ahead with a reloading plan to remain relevant in the Western Conference.
The question now centers on Aldridge's future. Texas teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks figure to be in play, as do major franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers.
Where he ends up in the end might depend on surprise teams and other big names.
Rockets Playing Spoilers?
Most teams in the Association want a piece of Aldridge or Love, the latter of whom didn't shock many when he opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It's easy to presume Love might re-up with Cleveland, but then again, it was easy to figure the same for Aldridge with Portland.
Now sprinkle in surprise teams. One emerging contender for one of the star players? The Houston Rockets, according to Stein:
It's a wow-worthy bombshell dropped in a casual manner, to say the least. Houston, remember, already features James Harden and Dwight Howard, as well as a solid supporting cast with names such as Trevor Ariza.
Adding Aldridge or Love to the mix would be tough, of course. The team just drafted Sam Dekker, would need to figure out what to do with Terrence Jones and would perhaps have to kiss depth pieces such as Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels goodbye.
Still, it seems another Big Three could pop up, this time on an already dangerous team. It will take one of Aldridge or Love to make things work, but the former figures to be comfortable in the locale, and the latter seems to want a chance at a title, so it isn't unfathomable.
It's easy to see why it would work. Aldridge or Love would complement Howard well and would leave teams struggling to play defense, especially with Harden on the outside. Should one of the players want it to happen, look for the Rockets to do everything they can to make it work.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
