NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Josh Smith, Kevin Seraphin and More
With LeBron James finally agreeing to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard, every big-ticket free agent has a home for the upcoming NBA season. Now, it's time for needy franchises to complete their rosters with bargain veterans.
Sure, the remaining signings may not be as exciting or sexy as the max deals that were doled out over the past week, but they still hold plenty of significance. Adding depth is essential to a team's success in the NBA. Depth allows a squad to remain afloat while its stars catch a breather or, in a gloomier scenario, to pick up the slack following an unfortunate injury.
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Several viable players who will be strong assets off the bench are still in play on the open market, and teams have begun to swarm around them in hopes of securing their services. Here's a look at some rumors surrounding a few of those veterans from trusted sources around the Web.
Josh Smith played mostly as a starter over his 11-year NBA career but spent most of his time on the Houston Rockets bench during the 2014-15 season. His role lessened, but he still produced solid numbers, averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor.
The veteran forward has received interest early in free agency, and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweeted a rumor regarding one team that appears to have a solid shot at landing him:
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee added the team's interest is "very strong." The Sacramento Kings have made some interesting signings during the free-agency period, and they could make another, as Rajon Rondo will likely have an impact on Smith's ultimate decision.
The Kings may have only won 29 games last season, but with a retooled roster featuring several high-profile players, they could be a team to keep an eye on in the near future.
Kevin Seraphin
By now, everyone knows the story of how DeAndre Jordan spurned the Dallas Mavericks and opted to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, Mark Cuban's squad has been scrambling to find help in the center department. Dallas did strike a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for Zaza Pachulia, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, but the team doesn't appear to be done.
According to a tweet from Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops, the Mavericks—and several other teams—are also interested in former Washington Wizards center Kevin Seraphin:
Seraphin has been a quality backup for the Wizards during his five-year career. He's coming off a strong season in which he averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. At just 25 years of age, the 6'10" center is still developing and has plenty of quality years left in the tank.
Donald Sloan
Donald Sloan has been all over the place during his four-year career. Over that span, he bounced around between four different teams, including three during his first NBA season, and spent the last two years with the Indiana Pacers. Well, it appears he'll be on the move once again.
According to a tweet from Shams Charania of RealGM, three teams are interested in acquiring Sloan's services as a backup point guard:
Sloan is coming off his most productive NBA season after making 21 starts in 53 appearances with the Pacers. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor in 20.9 minutes per game.
The interest from both the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls is intriguing considering both teams are pretty much set in the backcourt. However, it's a different story with the Mavericks, as they are still looking for a player or two after losing both Monta Ellis and Rondo during the free-agency period.
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