Biggest Remaining Flight Risks on the 2015 NBA Free-Agency Market
Believe it or not, there are still players to sign and money to spend in 2015 NBA free agency.
A flurry of activity since the market opened Wednesday morning has pulled big names off the board and put bigger deals in their pockets. With teams racing to lock in contract rates before the salary cap explodes next summer, the competition has been fierce and the compensation astronomical.
The free-agent crop is a lot lighter than it was just days ago, but it's far from being picked clean. A few top-shelf talents remain, and a number of potential helpers are waiting for the right situation to surface.
Even with their futures currently unsettled, some of these players will start next season where they ended this past one. Teams always have the option to match any offer their restricted free agents sign, so the notable ones who haven't committed to a new pact—Tobias Harris, Tristan Thompson, Enes Kanter and Reggie Jackson—still seem likely to return.
But the six players listed here could be on the verge of finding greener pastures. All of them are flight risks, though not for the same reasons. Some simply seem ready for a change. Others no longer seem to fit their old team's plans.
No matter the motivation, each could soon have a new NBA home.
David West, PF
1 of 6
Age: 34
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 16.0 PER
David West delivered one of this summer's first stunners. Despite having just completed one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, he declined a $12.6 million player option that would have kept him with the Indiana Pacers.
"At this point in my career, I just want to win," West told WTHR's Bob Kravitz. "I'm just not sure the Pacers are in title contention right now."
There were other reasons for West to think about life outside the Circle City, but that was the driving force in his decision.
He's been linked to several ready-made contenders since. One source told USA Today's Sam Amick that West "has serious interest" in the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. ESPN.com's Marc Stein heard from his sources that West is likely to land with the Spurs or the Washington Wizards.
Last season was the first since 2010-11 that West didn't participate in the postseason. A healthy Paul George should help the Pacers rejoin the playoff party, but West wants to compete for a championship—not a low-level playoff spot.
Father Time has started catching up with him, and his days of being a focal point are likely behind him. But as a steady, experienced locker room presence and a capable complementary contributor, he offers enough value to make his ring-chasing dream a reality.
Rodney Stuckey, SG
2 of 6
Age: 29
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 16.0 PER
After seven up-and-down seasons with the Detroit Pistons to start his career, Rodney Stuckey found some stability with the Pacers in 2014-15. Unfortunately, he had to take a one-year, veteran's-minimum contract to find it.
The market should be more generous this time around. This past season, he posted personal-best shooting percentages from the field (44.0) and the outside (39.0). And his per-36-minute marks in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (4.8) both checked in ahead of his career averages (16.7 and 3.8, respectively).
As impressive as the numbers were, his approach was apparently even better.
"(Stuckey) was as professional as anyone I've ever been around," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird said, per Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. "... He comes to play. He plays hurt. He's a good player and that's the kind of guys I want on my team."
If Stuckey has a big fan in the Pacers front office, what makes him a flight risk? Well, he's a scoring guard with an inconsistent three-point shot. And Indiana reportedly agreed to a four-year, $44 million deal with a similar type of player (who packs a heavier scoring punch) in Monta Ellis, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein.
Stuckey shouldn't have trouble finding a new spot to take his talents.
There is reportedly "mutual interest" between him and the Houston Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, and Stuckey is on the Wizards' radar, per CSN Washington's J. Michael. Stuckey is also getting interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, a source told Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes, but he might find more money elsewhere.
Kosta Koufos, C
3 of 6
Age: 26
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 5.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, 14.2 PER
When the Golden State Warriors went small to capture the NBA title, it was tempting to think size no longer mattered in today's league. Then, free agency hit and big bodies started scoring major deals all across the basketball world.
Skilled bigs will always have a place in this game, and that label fits Kosta Koufos better than his numbers would suggest.
The 7-footer spent the past two seasons providing insurance behind Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph with the Memphis Grizzlies. Once you realize that Koufos posted those stats in only 16.6 minutes per game, they start to look significantly better. In terms of per-36-minute production, he has provided a nightly double-double (12.7 points, 11.0 rebounds) over the course of his career.
As the number of free-agent post players dwindle, Koufos will move up the list of consolation prizes for clubs that have yet to fill their interior voids. He has 139 career starts under his belt, so he's capable of handling a much bigger role than Memphis could give him.
"This guy is a starting-caliber center who's been forced to play a bit role behind one of the best frontcourts in basketball," ESPN Insider Amin Elhassan wrote. "Because his per-game numbers aren't eye-popping, he'll likely get a modest deal, but he's my pick for best value [in free agency]."
The Grizzlies appear to have already moved on, agreeing to a three-year, $18 million deal with backup big man Brandan Wright, sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. But Koufos should find his next employer soon, once a few more (literally) big fish in front of him make their decisions.
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Lou Williams, SG
4 of 6
Age: 28
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 15.5 points, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 19.9 PER
The Toronto Raptors saw Lou Williams at his instant-offense best.
The 6'2" spark plug captured Sixth Man of the Year honors during his first season north of the border. He averaged a career-high 15.5 points in only 25.2 minutes per game.
As a threat from both long range and at the rim, Williams kept opposing defenses on their heels. He helped the Raptors have the league's fifth-best scoring bench (38.7 points per game, via HoopsStats.com) and third-highest offensive efficiency rating (108.1 points per 100 possessions).
But Williams could do nothing about the Raptors' biggest weakness: their 23rd-ranked defense. Fixing that end of the floor is clearly a priority for Toronto, which reportedly agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract with three-and-D wing DeMarre Carroll, sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Raptors could conceivably keep Williams around, but there may not be enough touches left for him in this offense. Toronto has enough backcourt scoring that it should avoid entering a bidding war for a player who doesn't bring much else to the table.
And Williams could get pricey. The Sacramento Kings are reportedly giving him a look, league sources told SI.com's Jake Fischer. There is also "mutual interest" between Williams and the Miami Heat, a source told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but it would require a sign-and-trade with Toronto to get him to South Beach.
Analytics aren't crazy about volume scorers, but Williams' ability to put up points in bunches should still attract suitors searching for second-team offense.
DeAndre Jordan, C
5 of 6
Age: 26
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 21.0 PER
[Update: According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Jordan came to terms on a four-year, $80 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks.]
The Los Angeles Clippers have seemingly found a role that maximizes the freakish physical tools of pogo-stick center DeAndre Jordan.
The 6'11" big man anchors the defense, cleans the glass and devours point-blank scoring chances. He doesn't often step outside of his lane, but he has made history in it. In 2014-15, he became the first player since Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain to pace the league in rebounds and field-goal percentage for two consecutive seasons.
With prolific passers at point guard (Chris Paul) and power forward (Blake Griffin), the Clippers let Jordan feast on lobs. Since his offensive range extends only as far as he can dunk the basketball, it seems like the ideal setup to work around his offensive limitations.
But that puts a cap on his production and prevents him from being more than a third option. And a desire for more statistics and stature could lead to his exit from L.A.
"Jordan wants a bigger role in the offense and is tired of being a third wheel behind Chris Paul and Blake Griffin with the team," sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
That doesn't mean Jordan's days with the Clippers are finished. But he is reportedly "truly 50/50" and "torn" on his choice to stay in L.A. or join the Dallas Mavericks, sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jordan has a good thing going with the Clippers, who have won at least 56 games each of the past three seasons. But the Mavs might be able to give him more touches, and they could bring the Houston native back to Texas (which doesn't have a state income tax).
This race looks too close to call.
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF
6 of 6
Age: 29
2014-15 Notable Numbers: 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.0 blocks 22.8 PER
[Update: According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal on Saturday.]
LaMarcus Aldridge turns 30 later this month. So forgive him for soaking up every second of this free-agency process, because there's a fairly good chance he'll never be courted like this again.
Aldridge's recruiting process has been active to say the least. ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne summed up the crowded field pretty well: "Spurs, Suns are leaders. Portland trying for a Hail Mary. Mavs trying...Lakers flailing. Knicks in the green room."
Because that dance card obviously isn't full enough, Aldridge has also visited with the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors, per USA Today's Sam Amick. The New York Knicks were also scheduled to chat with him, but that visit was cancelled "once it became clear NY wanted Aldridge to play center, something he is adamant against doing," a source told NBA.com's David Aldridge.
The latest update comes as no surprise—the big guy needs to breathe. Aldridge doesn't have any visits "currently planned," sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Aldridge is "likely to take a couple days to digest it all."
Aldridge has suitors from every level on the NBA ladder, so he'll have to decide what matters most. If immediate contention is his goal, it won't be easy to resist the siren song of the San Antonio Spurs. But the Phoenix Suns have some intriguing pieces as well.
The Portland Trail Blazers can give him a longer, richer contract than anyone. The Dallas Mavericks can offer a chance to play in his hometown.
Different motivations will pull Aldridge in different directions. It could take some time to sort everything out. Considering this could be the last major move of his career, he owes it to himself to stay patient and make the decision he's most comfortable with.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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