Predicting 2017 NBA Free Agency's Most Shameless Ring-Chasers
Promise an NBA free agent a lucrative payday, and you win over his bank account. Promise him the opportunity to compete for a championship, and you spare your own.
Every year, certain free agents forego larger paydays and more prominent roles for the right to play on a championship contender. David West, most recently, has made a resume out of it, jumping from the San Antonio Spurs to the eventual-champion Golden State Warriors in as many seasons. Whatever team LeBron James plays for typically depends on the hardware-hungry to fill out its supporting cast. The dynastic Warriors are in the same boat.
Identifying these championship-chasers isn't difficult. In most cases, you're looking for players in their mid-to-late 30s who have made a lot of money and don't own any bling for their fingers.
Extenuating circumstances deliver the occasional anomaly—someone so close to his prime he should still be chasing checks. There will be one of those blips here.
Overall, though, we're after veterans in good-to-great situations who are more likely to suss out better ones even if it comes at the noticeable expense of their wallet.
Notable Exclusions: Players to Monitor
1 of 6
Tony Allen
Age: 35
Years Experience: 13
Career Earnings (through 2016-17): $39,227,037
Tony Allen doesn't need to chase a ring when he already has one, courtesy of his contributions for the 2007-08 Boston Celtics. Someone on the wrong end of 35 can always get the urge to go Larry O'Brien Trophy-hunting, and Allen's broken jumper won't do him any favors in meetings. But he's still a top-notch defender; he's received an All-Defensive Team bid in six of the past seven years.
And get this: He's never made more than $5.2 million per season. His career earnings entering 2017-18 are less than what Stephen Curry will earn in the third year of his (inevitable) next contract with the Warriors. Contenders will pounce if able to add Allen on a beggar's dime, but he should still be in this game for the money.
Reuniting with the Celtics is the feel-good smart move if he's not. They'll need bodies if they successfully bring in Paul George and Gordon Hayward, a coup that could cost Marcus Smart. Even if Smart stays, the annoyance levels of an Allen-Smart defensive duo is off the charts—collectively crappy jump shooting be darned.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Boston Celtics
Age: 33
Years Experience: 14
Career Earnings: $205,757,655
Carmelo Anthony is not a free agent. And in all likelihood, he won't become one before next summer (early-termination option). But the subject of a buyout has been broached, and while sources told The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski the New York Knicks prefer to trade him, a stale market could sway them to change course.
In the event that happens, Anthony shouldn't get cute. Playing with Chris Paul on the Houston Rockets would be fun, but it's the Cleveland Cavaliers who have LeBron James.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Cleveland Cavaliers
Age: 35
Years Experience: 14
Career Earnings: $179,521,666
Dwyane Wade, like Anthony, isn't a free agent. But he opted into the final year and $23.8 million of his contract before the Chicago Bulls hit reset with the Jimmy Butler trade. A buyout is on the table by default—even if management is playing hardball.
Vice President of basketball operations John Paxson told reporters the Bulls won't consider buying out Wade unless it's "advantageous" to them. Is he looking for Wade to shave $20 million off the top? Is he just temporarily punishing him for opting in at all? We don't know.
At any rate, with a youth movement in the works, the Bulls may wind up having a change of heart. And if Wade reaches the open market, he should follow Anthony's hypothetical lead and sign with Cleveland even if it means getting paid in male rompers instead of actual cash.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Cleveland Cavaliers
Age: 33
Years Experience: 12
Career Earnings: $141,098,402
Why yes, Deron Williams has earned more than $140 million for his career. And yes, that number is artificially deflated by the Brooklyn Nets paying him $5.5 million per year through 2019-20.
Williams played the part of midseason ring-chaser when he caught on to the Cavaliers after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks. He'll likely target a similar landing spot again. But it's not clear whether he has a market outside the bargain-bin deals he'll field from contenders. He was fine in Cleveland, but he disappeared during the NBA Finals and doesn't offer anything on the defensive end.
Either way, if he's targeting another comfy gig, the Rockets should be it—if only so we can point out he went from being Paul's rival in 2011 to his backup by 2017.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Houston Rockets
Vince Carter
2 of 6
Age: 40
Years Experience: 19
Career Earnings: $173,927,444
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, 37.8 percent shooting from three
Find another superstar who has transitioned into role-player duty as seamlessly as Vince Carter. Go ahead. I'll be here, waiting for you to return from your brain-rack empty-handed.
Carter can still ball. This isn't up for debate. And he's the perfect finishing touch. Almost half of his total looks came off spot-up threes alone, on which he shot better than 40 percent, and he can still run a half-decent pick-and-roll.
His defense at the wing slots for a 40-year-old defies time. The Memphis Grizzlies didn't need to stash him. They matched him up with opposing 2s and 3s. He won't shut down all-world scorers in their prime, but he can be a net plus against bench units and some starters. He saved a little over 31 points on the less glamorous end this past season, according to NBA Math—about as many as Nicolas Batum.
What remains to be seen is whether Carter will join the ring-chasing bandwagon and latch onto a contender. He's sending mixed messages on that front.
"I'm open for it," he said on ESPN's The Jump when asked about joining Golden State (h/t SLAM). "I want to win when I play. I want to do somewhat what Kevin Durant did. I want to do for my team. I want to go out there and play and provide and show that I can still play this game."
"Ring-chasing is not my thing," he told SI.com. "I'm not going to call a team and—I don't want to use the word beg—and see if I could play for their team just to be on their team."
Dude, Vince. Buddy, who I've never met. Pal, who doesn't know me. Ring-chasing doesn't have to be like that. The Warriors could lose Ian Clark, Andre Iguodala and/or Shaun Livingston. The Spurs might say farewell to Manu Ginobili (retirement) or Jonathon Simmons (restricted). The Cavaliers' perimeter defense is mostly poor.
There are superpowers with minutes to spare, Vince. So shop around. You've earned it.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Golden State Warriors
Kyle Korver
3 of 6
Age: 36
Years Experience: 14
Career Earnings: $62,147,455
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 45.1 percent shooting from three
Yes, Kyle Korver counts. His Bird rights belong to an NBA Finals participant, but he joined Cleveland midseason. Plus, he may have to accept a pay cut to stay.
The Cavaliers will have around $128 million committed to next season's books if they guarantee the contracts of Kay Felder and Edy Tavares. That puts them $9 million above the forecasted $119 million luxury-tax line before factoring in exceptions or a new deal for Kover—dangerous territory when they're set to pay the repeater tax.
"For every dollar [owner Dan] Gilbert spends above the $128 million he's already committed to for next season, he's going pay roughly $3.88 in taxes—until the payroll hits $139 million," per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon. "Every dollar above $139 million will cost Gilbert $4.75 in taxes (which increases by 50 cents every $5 million)."
Whatever Gilbert may have told LeBron James upon his return in 2014 about money not being an issue no longer applies. Pocket shyness could become a real issue, and Korver will have his share of suitors.
Though he's cooled off since his scorching-hot campaigns in 2013-14 and 2014-15, he still buried 45.1 percent of his threebies last season. His release remains lightning-quick, and he'll run through brick walls to find daylight off the ball. The results aren't always there, but he hustles his derriere off on defense.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals crunch-time miss aside, Korver is someone you want taking big shots. Faux contenders with cap space (Celtics) and aggressive upstarts (Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers) might come calling with eight-figure offers Cleveland won't in good conscience match.
Korver has made enough and played long enough for this not to matter. After getting a taste of the NBA Finals, he's liable to prolong proximity to a championship over money—good news for the Cavaliers unless the Spurs or Warriors get involved.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: San Antonio Spurs
Nene
4 of 6
Age: 34
Years Experience: 15
Career Earnings: $125,646,529
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, 61.7 percent shooting
Monitoring Nene's minutes throughout the regular season paid huge dividends for the Rockets. He dominated in doses and spent much of the postseason outplaying the younger, sprier Clint Capela.
Then came the worst: He was lost for the rest of the year after tearing a muscle in his left thigh during Game 4 of the second round. It was an unfitting end to an otherwise sensational campaign—one that accentuated the brevity behind his remaining shelf life while underscoring all he can do in a short-burst, ring-chaser role.
Nene traded in long twos and back-to-the-basket sets for more Houston-friendly rim-running. He averaged more screen assists than anyone on the Rockets despite playing under 20 minutes per game and shot 65.2 percent out of the pick-and-roll—the fourth-best mark among 58 players to burn through at least 100 of those possessions.
Protecting the rim isn't Nene's calling card, but he's a cold and calculating post-up deterrent. Slot him next to a power forward who doesn't blow so many rotations, and Nene has something to offer as a more stationary paint protector. He's an understated distributor to boot. He drops quick extra passes and is averaging 3.5 assists per 100 possessions for his career—a solid 10th among the 43 active bigs who have cleared 10,000 career minutes.
Re-signing with the Rockets would qualify as ring-chasing at this point. They turned a collection of role players into Chris Paul just before free agency, according to Wojnarowski, and should again be one of the three or four best squads in the league.
But the Rockets are bound to focus their remaining flexibility on other areas. If they bring back Nene, it won't be for much more than the room exception ($2.9 million) they used to get him in the first place. He can get more money elsewhere, but at 34, retirement is knocking. And if he's going to take less no matter what, he'll be closer to a title with Golden State or San Antonio—both of which may lose one or more rotation bigs to other suitors.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: San Antonio Spurs
Zach Randolph
5 of 6
Age: 35
Years Experience: 16
Career Earnings: $175,124,765
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 44.9 percent shooting
Zaza Pachulia, David West and, yes, JaVale McGee have paved the way for Zach Randolph to join the Warriors.
"Think other vets won't follow suit?" The Vertical's Chris Mannix wrote. "The Warriors are the closest thing to an automatic championship ring. Take Zach Randolph. He's 35. He's played 16 seasons. He's made $174 [$175] million doing it. Might Randolph, reinvented as a sixth man in Memphis, be interested in taking a pay cut to come off Golden State's bench?"
Let's call this a definite possibility.
Bruising bigs who don't wall off the rim with an impenetrable seal are not ideal fits for the Warriors' run-and-fun system. But they can make it work when he's a willing passer, screen-setter and general go-getter.
Take Pachulia. Opponents converted 56.6 percent of their shots against him at the basket. Only three of the other 60 players to contest at least five such looks per game fared worse. Golden State was still an absolute monster with him on the floor, outscoring opponents by 15.8 points per 100 possessions.
Randolph can take on that role. He's a comparable passer to Pachulia and more likely to get the Warriors a bucket in the post if they need it. The Grizzlies even explored his three-point stroke. It didn't go well; he went 21-of-94 from deep (22.3 percent). But the mere volume offsets what he won't do as an above-the-rim pick-and-roll finisher.
With Marc Gasol entrenched at the 5, JaMychal Green entering restricted free agency and rookie Ivan Rabb now lurking, the Grizzlies and Randolph have reached a mutual fork in the road. They'll struggle to avoid the luxury tax if he doesn't take a discount but can't reward generosity with a championship chase. Golden State can.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Golden State Warriors
Thabo Sefolosha
6 of 6
Age: 33
Years Experience: 11
Career Earnings: $34,375,228
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 7.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 44.1 percent shooting
Say hello to our lone reach.
Thabo Sefolosha isn't swimming in green like the other ring-chasing candidates. And at 33, he's the youngest of the bunch. He may care more about playing time and compensation regardless of where it's coming from—particularly after he failed to crack the playoff rotation for a mediocre Atlanta Hawks team.
Fairly sizable offers may await him once free agency gets underway for his defense alone. He can still tackle the toughest perimeter cover for protracted stretches and has the strength to line up with some power forward assignments.
Groin injuries limited Sefolosha's availability last season but not his feistiness. He held opponents to sub-40 percent clips in one-on-one situations and shot gaps when closing out on spot-up snipers. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Andre Roberson were the only wings to add more value on the less glamorous end, according to NBA Math.
Shaky three-point shooting derails Sefolosha's value a little bit. He hasn't posted a league-average success rate from long range since 2012-13 when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He's going to hijack more possessions than a typical spot-up specialist, and his reliability when he does fire off the catch isn't high. Think along the lines of Iman Shumpert, except he's not an overrated defender.
It's these offensive struggles that make Sefolosha so likely to ride the coattails of a juggernaut. He needs to be in a specific situation—on a team that generates enough wide-open threes to use him but also won't have to bench his defense for a lack of offense.
Joining the Rockets as their Corey Brewer-but-better reserve feels like the best outcome to Sefolosha's free agency. Other teams will be peddling more than the biannual exception ($3.9 million) or part of the midlevel exception ($8.4 million), but there's not another one that can sling Houston's mix of playing time and championship hopes.
Best Ring-Chasing Fit: Houston Rockets
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Career earnings via Basketball-Reference. Other salary information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
