NBA Rumors: Latest Free-Agent Buzz on Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo and More
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still celebrating their title, but the NBA offseason continues to zoom by, with teams now pursuing top free agents around the league.
This summer is likely to be a busy one, as a number of high-profile players are on the open market ready to chase a championship, the best contract offer or simply a good fit. We won't ever know exactly what leads these free agents to make their decisions, but those choices are starting to come into view.
Here is a look at the latest possibilities for some of the bigger names available this offseason.
Rajon Rondo
Although he didn't make many headlines while playing with the Sacramento Kings, Rajon Rondo looked like his old self this season. He led the NBA with 11.7 assists per game while adding 11.9 points per game himself.
The point guard is also slowly improving his outside shooting, which has been his biggest area of weakness throughout his career. He set a new personal best with 36.5 percent shooting from three-point range, well above the 28.9 percent mark for his career.
Still, the most important number was 72 games played, the most since the 2009-10 season. If he can stay healthy and remain an elite passer, he should have a lot of suitors on the open market.
Marc Spears of The Undefeated noted the possibilities for Rondo:
If his choices are indeed narrowed to the Kings and the Brooklyn Nets, he can expect a lot of losses next season either way. However, there does at least appear to be mutual interest with Brooklyn, per Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:
Both the Kings and Nets are desperate for a point guard, so playing time shouldn't be an issue. With both teams expected to be in contention for the lottery and the money probably similar, any decision will likely just come down to wherever Rondo feels most comfortable.
Jamal Crawford
Although Jamal Crawford is getting up there in age, he still has a lot of value as a pure scorer under any circumstances.
The three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year has averaged 16.2 points per game during the last four years with the Los Angeles Clippers, getting baskets at every level while also being one of the top free-throw shooters in basketball.
With Los Angeles still intending to challenge for a title, it's no wonder the team wants Crawford back next season. However, there are apparently a number of other organizations considering the guard in free agency, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register:
"Crawford, who does have a meeting scheduled with the Clippers, is also drawing interest from a number of teams in search of a scoring guard. Crawford is expected to receive interest from the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets in addition to the Clippers.
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While this appears to be a wide range of options, the player admitted he isn't just limiting himself to the top teams in the NBA.
"It doesn’t have to be a team that’s a contender. I don’t want to go to a team that’s only won a few amount of games, but it doesn’t have to be a contender," Crawford told Woike. "At the end of the day, only one team wins. You want to put yourself in the best position to try and win."
The obvious willingness to come off the bench has to be appealing for teams who are already set at shooting guard, like the Heat or Raptors (assuming they re-sign their All-Stars). It isn't often you find a player of Crawford's caliber who won't mind being relegated to a smaller role.
Still, a team like the Knicks, who are already stockpiling veteran talent in an effort to get back to the playoffs, could make the most sense.
Virtually every team in the NBA has "interest" in signing Kevin Durant, the seven-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion. The question is where Durant wants to go next season and beyond.
Just like recruiting a high school player to college, the first step in signing the superstar is actually setting up a meeting. ESPN's Chris Broussard reported the exclusive list of organizations that have gotten this far:
"Kevin Durant and his representatives have added free-agency meetings with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers. ... The three additions join previously reported plans for face-to-face talks with the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant is also considering meeting with the New York Knicks but has no plans to talk to his hometown Washington Wizards, the source said.
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Other teams will try to stay in the race—like the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks—but there is a clear difference between the first six and the rest of the field. Those already with meetings are all legitimate contenders if they add Durant.
The Celtics, Heat, Clippers, Warriors, Spurs and Thunder all won at least 48 games last season. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors won more without being in real consideration. All of them would easily find a way to fit a player of Durant's caliber to the lineup without changing too much.
Golden State and San Antonio are arguably the two most terrifying options for the rest of the league, considering how dominant they were during the past regular season. Adding someone who can score 30 points per game would simply be a nightmare for opposing teams and would immediately make that squad a favorite to win the 2016-17 NBA title.
As for the Celtics, Heat and Clippers, Durant is the type of player needed to elevate the teams from good to great. Then again, he might not be ready to give up on his dream of carrying the Thunder to a championship.
Front offices will be willing to give Durant whatever he wants to come to their teams, so it will simply come down to the player himself. Whatever he chooses, it will likely change the landscape of the league going forward.
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