NBA Rumors: Latest on Potential Ty Lawson Trade and Free-Agent Rumblings

You probably aren't watching your Twitter feed like a hawk anymore, but the NBA offseason has kept on trucking along at a slow, steady pace.

The market for quality free agents has dried up considerably, especially after Josh Smith's signing with the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday, per RealGM's Shams Charania. Teams looking for significant acquisitions will now have to turn their attention to the trade block, where more talented players are waiting.  

We'll look at the news surrounding one of those talents on the trade block, as well as some fringe free agents who could end up helping new teams.

Ty Lawson

The Denver Nuggets would love to trade Ty Lawson, but with his persistent off-court antics, the 27-year-old point guard's market value is extremely low. It's gotten to the point the Denver Nuggets are now considering waiving him, per NBC New York's Mitch Lawrence:

The consequences of waiving Lawson's guaranteed contract are serious for Denver. Per NBC Sports' Dan Feldman, the team would end up paying him $25.6 million over either the next two, four or five years (depending on its use of the stretch provision) despite not receiving the talented floor general's on-court services.

It's definitely a reflection of the situation's seriousness that the Nuggets are even considering this option.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Denver will probably end up finding a cheap buyer for Lawson, but if it doesn't, expect the team to keep him for at least part of next season so he can rebuild some of his trade value. It wouldn't be worth it to lose all of that money to make sure a talented, albeit troubled point guard is off the team.

K.J. McDaniels

Buzz on restricted free agent K.J. McDaniels has been quiet this summer, but that wouldn't have been the case had he stayed with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Before the trade deadline, the rookie swingman averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game in Philly. Despite being the 32nd overall pick in 2014, he showed off remarkable potential with his athleticism.

Following a transfer to the contending Houston Rockets, the 22-year-old played only a total of 33 minutes.

Even though the Rockets glued McDaniels to the bench last season, they still want to re-sign him:

The mid-level exception (MLE) is the most expensive offer sheet an opposing team can submit for him in 2015-16, per CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie. That seems like a solid value for a player of McDaniels' caliber and potential, especially considering older athletic, defensive-minded wings like Al-Farouq Aminu (four years, $30 million) and Iman Shumpert (four years, $40 million) got more money with arguably less upside.

However, the money can only be worth it if Houston plays McDaniels more than 33 minutes per season. Look for the Rockets to find a larger role for the young wing next season, if they retain him.

Matthew Dellavedova

How much money does the Cleveland Cavaliers' Matthew Dellavedova deserve in free agency this summer?

Considering how much hype he got during the NBA Finals after defending the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry pretty well, you'll probably get a wide variety of answers. Some might say defense is half of the game and peg Delly as an $8 million-$10 million talent annually. Others might point to his atrocious offensive skill set and call him nothing more than a league-minimum talent.

The answer, like usual, is somewhere between the two extreme views.

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

The Cavaliers have spent their money liberally this summer to bring back their Eastern Conference champion squad, plus add veteran point guard Mo Williams, so the financial struggles are certainly real in Cleveland.

According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Dellavedova wants a multiyear deal worth approximately $4 million annually, which is around what he is worth in this market. However, as Mannix also noted, the Cavs would prefer a cheaper deal. They're pinching pennies now as they try to keep their luxury-tax bill as low as possible.

Which side will compromise? We will see. And if the Cavs and Delly can't come to an agreement, it will be interesting to see which other squads show interest in the 24-year-old point guard.