NBA Free Agents 2015: Rumors and Predictions for Top Unsigned Players

Free agency in the NBA can be deemed a lot of different things, but boring is not one of them.  

A lot of the more dramatic, and entertaining, stories have come and gone—I’m looking at you, DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge—but while teams aren’t likely to find their franchise player at this point in the process, there are still plenty of valuable pieces left on the market.

Whatever a team’s needs, a signing this late in free agency can be just as vital to a potential title run as one on July 1, and the franchises left needing help will be looking for a few diamonds in the rough for next season.

Here are predictions and rumors involving some of the top players still available in NBA free agency.

Kevin Seraphin drawing interest from all around the NBA

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The summer might have started off with a number of high-profile big men hitting free agency, but after nearly two weeks the market has dried up considerably, leaving a number of teams pining for the love of a small group of players.

Big man Kevin Seraphin remains one of the hottest names on the open market, with teams always looking to add depth to the 4 or 5 positions, and his positional flexibility has drawn interest from a number of teams in the league.

Per Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears, Seraphin is being looked at as an option for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, although he would carry very different roles for each team:

If the Lakers or Wizards are successful in their pursuit of Seraphin, he would likely play a similar role to what he did with Washington last year. Averaging 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game backing up Marcin Gortat, the center would find himself in the same situation if he rejoins the Wizards, or he could come off the bench behind Roy Hibbert in Los Angeles.

If the Mavericks end up winning the signature of the big Frenchman, it won’t fully ease the pain of losing DeAndre Jordan to the Clippers, but it will go a long way toward covering the wound:

A career bench player, Seraphin could be launched into a much more prominent role in Dallas, where the team will be desperate to compete as Dirk Nowitzki approaches the end of his career. How the big man handles that kind of pressure, though, remains to be seen.

Prediction: Kevin Seraphin to the Dallas Mavericks

Kings and Clippers interested in Josh Smith

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

While most of the free agents who have found themselves on any end-of-season list in the NBA have long since been signed, there is still one player left on the market who has received recognition for being one of the league’s best.

Josh Smith, a former All-Defensive Second Team player, had a bit of a down year last season relative to the standards he has set, but he still averaged 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game:

It is that level of production that has the Los Angeles Clippers—who have made a fair deal of noise already this offseason—interested in acquiring Smith, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein:

While the Clippers are rightfully intrigued by Smith, it is the Kings—who are interested in signing the forward, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee—that pose the better option in terms of pure entertainment.

Smith, Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl on the same sideline? Count me in:

No one would say the Kings have the best situation heading into the upcoming season in terms of behind-the-scenes harmony, what with Cousins and Karl apparently not seeing eye to eye on many things. And Smith isn’t exactly known for his diplomacy in the locker room.

But in spite of what could be a toxic situation off the court, the Kings front office is committed to helping the team compete and build a future around Cousins. With some of the moves they have made this offseason, it is clear Sacramento is keying up for a playoff push this year, and Smith could be the final piece of the puzzle.

The Clippers will make a push for Smith, but even with their desire to add depth to a squad that so desperately needed it last season, between the tough cap situation in Los Angeles and the determination of the Kings, the forward looks likely to land in Sacramento.

Prediction: Josh Smith to the Sacramento Kings