2017 NBA Free Agents: Predictions for Gordon Hayward and More Top Stars
NBA draft hype and trade rumors collide this time of year and have a way of overshadowing free agency.
But only for so long. Yes, the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring the No. 1 pick from the Boston Celtics, according to TNT's David Aldridge, deserves headlines. So too does the idea teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics will gun for Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill.
These fresh narratives can only hog the spotlight for so long, though. After all, this free-agent class boasts Chris Paul, Gordon Hayward and Stephen Curry, not to mention the possibility of someone like Kevin Durant.
And that doesn't even touch on incredible secondary free agents like George Hill, Kyle Lowry, Dion Waiters and Paul Millsap, to name a few.
Below, let's take a look at details surrounding a few of the market's biggest names.
Stephen Curry
It'd be remiss to write a free-agency column and not talk about Curry.
Let's get this out of the way in a hurry—Curry isn't leaving the Golden State Warriors.
Rest assured most NBA front offices already believe this and won't waste their time on it. Curry is 29 years old headed toward a big max contract in the neighborhood of $200 million over five seasons. He's competing for titles each year alongside Durant and in a great locale.
So no, he doesn't want to stop a run at a dynasty now. He's even responded well to the idea of a pay cut if it means keeping the team together, according to Anthony Slater of the Mercury News:
"As we go into talks and this whole process—which is obviously new for me—I will approach it as getting the most as I can as an individual, as a player, something I've been working for a very long time. In the context of keeping the team together, if there are decisions that need to be made, we’ll talk about it for sure."
Maybe the Warriors need Curry to take a cut, maybe not. Either way, he'll stick with the budding dynasty.
Prediction: Curry re-signs with the Warriors
Chris Paul
The knee-jerk reaction concerning Paul's trip to market (essentially a guarantee on an early-termination option) is likely quite similar to Curry's situation—there's zero chance he leaves the Los Angeles Clippers, right?
Maybe.
One has to wonder what the 32-year-old Paul thinks about another long-term commitment to the Clippers after years of struggling and misfortune when it matters most.
And as the old saying somewhat goes, where there is smoke, there just might be fire. According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, who spoke with a league executive, Paul will speak with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.
Rumblings linking the star point guard to the San Antonio Spurs aren't exactly new either, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype recently noted:
The Clippers have every right to be nervous. Houston wouldn't mind adding Paul despite James Harden just playing the best ball of his career at the 1. The Denver Nuggets are another rising team in the Western Conference thanks to Nikola Jokic.
Then there's San Antonio. Paul just seems like a perfect fit for the culture there, and his executing Gregg Popovich's system next to Kawhi Leonard sounds unfair.
At the end of the day, though, Paul doesn't figure to sacrifice the five-year deal worth somewhere around $200 million the Clippers can offer him. The grass might be greener elsewhere, but that's before teams clear roster space and cash to fit him into the picture.
Prediction: Paul re-signs with the Clippers
Kyle Lowry
Does Lowry flee the Toronto Raptors and Eastern Conference?
Heading to the Western Conference doesn't seem like the best idea for the 31-year-old point guard, but it's not like his Raptors stood a legitimate threat to take down LeBron anyway.
Out West, teams like the upcoming Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans need help at the 1, as do the Spurs.
This point thirst seems to reinforce an idea floated by Stein recently:
He doesn't necessarily need to leave the conference either. Rumors gathered by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggested a mutual interest between the 76ers and the Philly native, a door likely shut after the aforementioned trade moved the team up in a position to grab Markelle Fultz. Other teams such as the New York Knicks are on the hunt for help.
Still, this is another case of a player not necessarily being able to find a better situation. If Lowry wants to get paid and keep competing, sticking with the Raptors might be his best bet.
It's clear, too, the Raptors will put on a full-court press to do so. The first salvo was a meeting at the NBA Finals with Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and head coach Dwane Casey, per Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.
Fans can expect a similar approach throughout the summer. If the 76ers hadn't traded up, this would be a different discussion.
Prediction: Lowry re-signs with the Raptors
Gordon Hayward
A few years back, suggesting Hayward would be the headline act of free agency over names such as Curry, Paul and others would get somebody laughed out of a building.
Not so much now.
Hayward has emerged as one of the league's best forwards coming off a season in which he averaged 21.9 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the floor and 39.8 percent from deep.
All of 27 years old, Hayward offers even more upside to current contenders and rebuilders alike. The natural consensus seems to be Hayward going to the Boston Celtics, where he'd be a natural fit at forward for a team needing an explosive complement to Isaiah Thomas.
But a team like the Miami Heat might want to swoop in as well, as Stein noted:
This only gets worse for the Jazz—they're unable to offer him the giant max that others in this article will receive if they stick with current teams because he didn't make an All-NBA team. We can argue the merits of such a silly honor deciding the fates of entire franchises at a different time, but it paints a bleak picture for the Jazz.
Hayward did some great things alongside Hill and Rudy Gobert in Utah despite the depth of the conference. But now he has a shot at playing with college head coach Brad Stevens in Boston or hitting the beach in Miami.
The latter has the locale and prestige Hayward might covet. Miami is already heading in the right direction while rebuilding around Hassan Whiteside; plus, Pat Riley is a borderline madman of a basketball mind who can construct contenders in a hurry. Money being equal, Hayward might choose the easier conference and great locale while crossing his fingers that LeBron can only remain in power so much longer.
Prediction: Hayward signs with the Heat
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
