Rashard Lewis: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Free-Agent Forward
Veteran free-agent forward Rashard Lewis is reportedly keen to continue his NBA career for a 17th season after sitting out all of 2014-15 with a knee injury.
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Report: Lewis Eyeing Return Next Season
Monday, June 29
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports has heard from Lewis' agents, Tony Dutt and Colin Bryant, that their client is readying for an NBA comeback. Spears added more context to the news:
Lewis failed his physical with the Dallas Mavericks prior to last season, when it was determined he needed surgery on his right knee. The Mavs voided his contract once he was declared unfit to play.
But a return to Dallas may be feasible for Lewis. According to Mike Fisher of Fox Sports, Lewis and the Mavs have remained in touch since Dallas cast him away, so the two parties may ultimately unite again on the open market.
Lewis will turn 36 in August and will have to prove he is in good enough basketball shape to still contribute at the NBA level after a full season away. If his game is in decent form, he could be a decent role player.
In his speculation on the situation, NBA.com's Conrad Kaczmarek pondered whether Lewis would be the next ex-Miami Heat teammate to join LeBron James in Cleveland:
The modern NBA game skews toward the perimeter. Lewis is a prototypical stretch 4 who can play the 3 with excellent three-point shooting ability, converting from beyond the arc at a 38.6 percent clip for his career. The question is whether he's still quick enough with the knee issue to create separation and quality shots.
Since his prior contract was only for the veteran minimum, any interested teams wouldn't have to fork over much cash at all to take a flier on Lewis. Expectations should be tempered should he make a real comeback, though.
Lewis' most recent two-year stint with the Heat saw him record just 15.3 minutes on average, per Basketball-Reference.com. That's quite a departure from his career average of 32 bolstered by years in Seattle, Orlando and Washington, when he was a steady starter.
Based on the diminished role Lewis had in Miami and the uphill climb he faces just to make a modest impact, his NBA future seems rather dubious at the moment.
