NBA Free Agency 2016: Rumors and Predictions for Larry Sanders, Beno Udrih, More
Larry Sanders and Beno Udrih aren't Kevin Durant, but they make the 2016 NBA free-agent market important all the same.
This is the time of year teams can build serious contenders. Whether it's a team missing critical depth or going so far as to somehow fill a starting role, teams can buy for mostly on the cheap and get quality returns.
Remember, teams don't win titles without a Richard Jefferson or the odd performance here and there from a Channing Frye. It doesn't make it easier to predict which free agents could play such a role next year, but it does stress the importance of depth.
Depth in mind, here's a look at the latest rumors off the market.
Devyn Marble
The Orlando Magic have undergone a rather odd rebuild this offseason, somewhat steering away from the long-term approach of the past few years and instead adding guys like Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo.
It wouldn't come as much of a shock to see the Magic keep with this theme and let loose Devyn Marble before his contract goes guaranteed Friday.
According to the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins, the Magic will do so to free a spot: "The Orlando Magic will waive swingman Devyn Marble before his salary for the upcoming season becomes guaranteed, a league source told the Orlando Sentinel."
If he hits the market, Marble is an interesting prospect many teams will consider. He doesn't offer much on the offensive end of the court yet, having averaged just 2.2 points on 30.4 percent shooting and 22.2 percent from deep, but he is 23 years old and has never appeared in more than 28 games in a season.
Marble is known for his defense, as the team helped to showcase during the NBA Summer League:
It's a skill set plenty of teams won't mind adding and seeing if a coaching staff can groom Marble on the offensive end.
Given this, it wouldn't be a shock to see Marble go somewhere with an established guard such as the Houston Rockets. More likely, though, is a team stuck in a traditional rebuild and needing depth at the position comes calling, such as the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers perhaps ready to move on from the Nick Young show, the team could find Jordan Clarkson a good running mate in Marble.
Prediction: Marble signs with the Lakers.
Larry Sanders
Each offseason, fans get to hear about players who want to make a comeback.
Given someone such as the aforementioned Jefferson's longevity in the league and getting a ring, not to mention the veterans lining up to play with the Golden State Warriors, it only makes sense.
Sanders might be one of the next players to get in line with the Warriors. He went close to viral (for those who agree more than 900 retweets counts as viral) for hinting at such a thing last week:
This apparently had some merit because ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss revealed the Warriors had looked into the move: "Larry Sanders, who is currently retired, might have hinted at joining Golden State on social media, but that marriage does not appear to be in the cards. The Warriors looked into Sanders as a possible signing, but decided against it."
Golden State is an interesting possibility, but Sanders isn't a major need there with Zaza Pachulia on the roster and the coaches preferring a small lineup, anyway.
Still, don't expect the Sanders fires to die. He's a known commodity as wanting back in the league and a quality defensive enforcer, a guy who over five seasons averaged 1.8 blocks and 5.8 rebounds per game.
It sounds like the 27-year-old center is ring hunting, which slots him quite well with the Cavaliers, who could use a minimum to reinforce the spot behind Tristan Thompson.
Prediction: Sanders signs with the Cavaliers.
Beno Udrih
As the Warriors have shown over the past few years, this is a guard-first league right now where the lineups continue to shrink in height and quality play isn't easy to find.
Hence the market beginning to fire up for Udrih.
He's 34 years old, but Udrih offers plenty to would-be contenders. He entered the league in 2004 and has managed quality averages of 8.5 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 34.9 percent from deep.
Udrih bounced around with the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies last year. According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the former might have an interest in bringing him back.
"Miami remains in conversations with point guard Beno Udrih, according to his agent," Jackson wrote. "The Heat has left open the possibility of his return at the minimum, but he hasn’t decided what to do."
Miami has money to blow and roster spots to fill. The stats now departed with Dwyane Wade won't get filled by Tyler Johnson on his own, who had the Heat match an offer put in by the Brooklyn Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Udrih won't do much in that endeavor, either, but he's wanted in Miami and would function as a critical backup to Goran Dragic. It's a win-win for both sides.
Prediction: Udrih signs with the Heat.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
