NBA Free Agency 2016: Rumors and Predictions for Top Players Left on Market
The free-agent market has thinned considerably for NBA teams looking to bolster their rosters, and many of the players remaining seem most likely to return to their current spots.
Nonetheless, below we'll break down some of the biggest names remaining available and predict where they'll land before the 2016-17 season.
LeBron James and J.R. Smith
There is little reason to believe that LeBron James and J.R. Smith won't return to Cleveland. After all, James already told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon he'll return to the team in 2016-17, and Smith has seemingly found a niche with the organization.
But the fact that James has yet to sign surely has some fans in Cleveland starting to worry. And according to a report from
Team officials have reached out to the camp of James for an answer to no avail, sources say. However, there are some officials within the organization who don't view the situation as a concern."
As for Smith, Haynes said "he's also still out on the market, but he is also expected to re-sign with the club."
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via ESPN Cleveland) added:
It's important to note that James and Smith share an agent, Rich Paul, so they seem likely to remain a package deal next season. And a return to Cleveland for both players is just common sense.
After all, where would James and Smith go? Which team would offer James a better chance at winning an NBA title than Cleveland, which still has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love? Who else can offer a better group of stars to counter the Golden State Warriors' superteam? And where is Smith going to find a better locker room or a place he has more support?
So, yes, they'll both be back—James assuredly, Smith nearly guaranteed. The fact that they haven't re-signed yet is a bit of a mystery, though James has been cryptic in the past. Quite simply, James isn't about to go back on his word to Cleveland and suffer another Decision-esque public relations disaster.
Dion Waiters
The most exciting player left on the market with a reasonable chance of leaving his current organization is restricted free agent Dion Waiters. And he's generating interest around the league.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, "the Nets have maintained interest in the [Oklahoma City] Thunder’s Waiters, but after losing out on both Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson when Portland and Miami matched two contracts worth a combined $125 million, that interest has intensified."
Lewis added:
"With the free-agent market for shooting guards essentially depleted, a number of teams have being eyeing the 6'4" Waiters, including his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. League personnel believe Oklahoma City would match two-year offers for the career 12.8 ppg scorer, meaning it could take a sizable four-year deal to convince the Thunder to let him go.
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Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated also reported that Waiters has "been tied to the [Sacramento] Kings."
Waiters, 24, averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.6 minutes per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. In the right system, Waiters is a capable scorer and offers the same type of streaky shooting and scoring that Smith does, albeit at a younger age.
Given Kevin Durant's departure to Golden State, the Thunder have plenty of money lying around, so they'll almost assuredly match any offer a team sends Waiters' way. Someone like the Nets or Sixers will probably sign him to a big offer sheet, but expect the Thunder to bring him back.
Maurice Harkless
Maurice Harkless hasn't posted huge numbers in his NBA career, but he's an intriguing player because he plays solid defense and is versatile enough to play either forward position, even if his natural role is at the 3.
For that reason, he's generating interest from teams, as Jason Quick of CSN Northwest reported:
Two days later, Quick added more details to the Harkless situation:
There are certainly some benefits to signing the qualifying offer, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders noted:
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the more promising young teams in the NBA and solidified their roster this offseason by signing Evan Turner, Festus Ezeli and retaining Crabbe. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are the stars in the backcourt, while the Blazers are loaded at forward and center with quality depth.
Crabbe and Turner give the team options at both shooting guard and small forward, so Harkless could find it tough to earn major minutes with the team next year, though his defense may aid him in that regard. At this point, it seems likely he'll return and look for time at small forward behind Turner, giving him the opportunity to earn a big paycheck next summer.
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