NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Larry Sanders, Extension Candidates
NBA teams have been focused on prepping for the upcoming season over the past few weeks, so the league's rumor mill hasn't exactly been replete with juicy gossip.
However, a couple pieces of information have trickled down into the news cycle in recent days, with fourth-year extension candidates at the forefront of the conversation.
Without wasting any more time, here's a rundown of the latest rumblings from across the Association.
Barnes, Drummond on Extension Radar
The NBA recently extended the deadline for fourth-year extension candidates to Nov. 2, and according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, two prominent youngsters have emerged as front-runners to ink new deals:
"Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes, according to league sources, are the players best positioned to secure a lucrative extension this month as the revised deadline approaches and negotiations in both cases continue. Drummond could potentially land a five-year deal worth around $120 million if he earns Designated Player status from the Pistons.
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Drummond should be a no-brainer for the Detroit Pistons. While the team itself hasn't drawn rave reviews since Drummond was brought aboard prior to the 2012-13 season, few players have put together resumes like he has through three seasons.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Drummond is one of three players to average 13 points and 13 rebounds in a season at 21 years old or younger, and he's done it each of the past two years. The only other players to accomplish that feat are Shaquille O'Neal (twice) and Moses Malone (once). And remember, Drummond did that while sharing the frontcourt with Greg Monroe and Josh Smith for stretches.
Now he's slated for a bigger role in the offense with Monroe in Milwaukee and Smith long gone.
"He’ll have to play through some situations that he didn’t have to play through for his first few years in the league, so I think that’ll be good for him," Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said, per NBA.com's Keith Langlois. "And hopefully he grows into a more consistent guy that you can count on from night to night."
Barnes is also a logical extension candidate, but he shouldn't get compensated in the same range as Drummond. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Barnes turned down a four-year, $64 million offer from the Golden State Warriors in late September.
That deal would have pegged Barnes' average annual salary at $16 million, which would have made him the team's second-highest-paid player for the 2016-17 season behind Klay Thompson, per BasketballInsiders.com.
It would behoove Golden State to lock Barnes up before the salary cap skyrockets next summer, but if the swingman doesn't get an offer that meets his lofty financial requirements, he may have to bet on himself and try to prove he's worth a massive raise by piecing together a stellar 2015-16 season.
Larry Sanders Drawing Interest?
Larry Sanders hasn't appeared in an NBA game since the Milwaukee Bucks waived him in February, but one undisclosed team in desperate need of big men is reportedly interested in the shot-blocker, per the Journal Times' Gery Woelfel:
ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon was quick to follow up with a look at Sanders' availability from the Dallas Mavericks' point of view:
It would admittedly be a surprise to see Sanders return to the floor soon. At the time of his departure from the Bucks, Sanders was reportedly dealing with "personal issues," per Stein.
Sanders explained exactly why he left the game in a personal video for The Players' Tribune:
Sanders was undeniably one of the league's most imposing rim protectors during a breakout 2012-13 season, but basketball should take a back seat as he seeks to sort out more pressing problems in his personal life.
