NBA Free Agents 2016: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Kevin Durant, Top Names
NBA free agency has been as wild as advertised, yet the market still boasts major names such as Kevin Durant.
The summer of Durant continues in full swing Sunday, with plenty of teams still in the mix and one unlucky franchise out of the race. Centers seem all but dried up, but it's easy to forget that Pau Gasol has yet to put ink on paper.
As for recent major deals, the Boston Celtics seemed to finally hit the jackpot by inking Al Horford to a deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Horford later seemed to confirm it on social media.
Which team wins next and reshapes the league in interesting ways? Let's look at the rumors market to predict the biggest dominoes left.
The Jamal Crawford Sweepstakes
One can only look at some of the contracts dished out so far and raise eyebrows at the cash Jamal Crawford is about to get wherever he signs.
A three-time Sixth Man of the Year, Crawford is 36 years old, yet he doesn't show any sign of slowing down. Last year he averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34 percent from deep.
It's no shock, then, to hear a lot of teams are interested in his services, according to ESPN.com's Arash Markazi:
Quite an intriguing set of names, no?
The Miami Heat seem like a solid contender when one remembers Dwyane Wade is taking offers from other teams, according to Wojnarowski. On the other end of the spectrum but still in the same state, the rebuilding Orlando Magic wouldn't mind more rotational scoring alongside Jodie Meeks, who the team recently acquired from the Detroit Pistons.
Chances are Crawford wants to end his career by competing for titles, though, so signing with the Golden State Warriors or re-upping with the Los Angeles Clippers makes the most sense.
The Clippers may make this decision for Crawford, though, after bringing back Austin Rivers on a three-year deal Saturday, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.
That leaves Golden State. Other teams will throw money Crawford's way, but playing with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson while chasing a ring is too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Prediction: Crawford signs with the Warriors.
Pau Gasol Watch
Forget about Gasol already?
The NBA hasn't. Wojnarowski noted the Portland Trail Blazers want him. The Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski reported the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the hunt as well.
Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is a revelation from ESPN's Marc Stein:
That's a team feeling threatened, folks.
The Toronto Raptors had to sit around and watch the Celtics, Atlanta Hawks—winners of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, per Shams Charania of The Vertical—and others improve, throwing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference up in the air.
Adding Gasol would give the Raptors a twin-towers look with Jonas Valanciunas. More importantly, Gasol could mentor the 24-year-old center while also providing injury insurance after the 2011 first-round pick suited up for only 60 games last year.
Another team to consider? The San Antonio Spurs, who were interested before the gates opened, according to Wojnarowski on The Vertical Podcast with Chris Mannix (via Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin): "I’m told that Pau Gasol is a real priority for [the Spurs]. They tried to get him before he signed with Chicago."
That's the perfect fit for Gasol. Toronto might offer the veteran a chance to chase rings but possibly at the expense of playing time. Not in San Antonio, where Gasol would even surpass a returning Tim Duncan for all the starter minutes.
Prediction: Gasol signs with the Spurs.
Kevin Durant's Decision
Believe it or not, it seems little has changed with Durant.
This isn't shocking for anyone who knows his personality. Going into this whole frenzy, Durant still seemed like a humble superstar who was taking meetings to hit the "due diligence" qualifier. He'd be insane not to. If there was any mischief to it, he's using the meetings as a buffer to next year when he opts out alongside Russell Westbrook.
But this is about right now. The Clippers seemed like an interesting fit for Durant, but he's already informed the organization he won't play for them, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
In other words, kill off anything mischievous about this ordeal. If Durant were that type of person, he would have strung the Clippers along another day or so while quality free agents signed elsewhere, helping a Western Conference team he perhaps decides to (re-)sign with.
Boston also seems like a great idea with Horford on board. The Celtics have the cash. But again, cut through the hype to see the details—if Horford wanted to play with Durant, he just as easily could have joined the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While predictable, that's the moral of the story here. Durant isn't going anywhere, which CBSSports.com's Ken Berger seemed to confirm after talking to high-ranking members of the Association.
"For what it's worth, a person with connections to Horford told CBS Sports on Saturday night that rival executives assembled in Orlando for Summer League still believe that the most likely scenario for Durant is staying in Oklahoma City," Berger wrote.
It's been said an awful lot, but it doesn't make sense for Durant to ditch the team that came one game shy of the Finals and looks better already with Victor Oladipo on board. Meanwhile, the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers could be weaker next season if they lose players.
For now, at least, Durant sticks. But get ready for this to go down again this time next year.
Prediction: Durant re-signs with the Thunder.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
