NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Andre Iguodala, Possible Carmelo Trade and More
We're officially on the eve of 2017 NBA free agency. Beginning on Saturday, June 1, free agents will be able to make verbal agreements with NBA teams. On Thursday, June 6, free-agent deals can become official.
A week from now, rosters around the Association are going to look quite a bit different than they do now. There are some quality free agents—like Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward and Jrue Holiday, to name a few—set to hit the open market.
In addition to a robust free-agent market, we're likely to see some notable trades unfold in the next several days. We've already seen a few take place, but the trade market is only likely to heat up further as new rosters continue to take shape.
Let's examine some of the latest offseason buzz as the NBA dives into free agency.
Jazz, Timberwolves Interested in Iguodala
The Golden State Warriors proved they're the most dominant team in the NBA right now by knocking off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in just five games in the Finals. However, the Warriors face the possibility of seeing their talented roster dismantled in free agency as standout players like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala are all slated to hit the open market.
The good news for the Warriors is that both Curry and Durant appear poised to return. Iguodala, on the other hand, has a murkier future.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports believes Iguodala could command up to $20 million a year with another team on the open market—and recently listed teams like the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves as ones that could be interested in him.
Chris Haynes of ESPN.com also believes the Jazz and Timberwolves are teams that are interested in adding Iguodala:
"The Timberwolves recently acquired All-Star wingman Jimmy Butler to jump-start their acceleration, and if they're able to procure Iguodala, head coach Tom Thibodeau would have a roster equipped for a deep playoff run.
[...]Should Utah lose All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, who is expected to decline his player option and garner serious attention from the Boston Celtics, Iguodala is believed to be its top priority to fill that void, sources maintain."
Should Utah lose All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, who is expected to decline his player option and garner serious attention from the Boston Celtics, Iguodala is believed to be its top priority to fill that void, sources maintain."
Adding Iguodala makes perfect sense for teams like the Jazz and the Timberwolves because they play in the same conference as the Warriors. A team in the Western Conference would essentially be double-dipping by adding Iguodala and taking him away from Golden State.
Carmelo May Not Get Buyout
Even with Phil Jackson out of the New York Knicks organization, there's still little certainty about the future of Carmelo Anthony. The veteran forward would prefer to stay in New York but would be willing to accept a buyout, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com:
However, the Knicks don't appear likely to buy out Anthony and would prefer to trade him and the more than $54 million remaining on his contract, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski:
The problem with this plan is that Anthony possesses a no-trade clause in his contract. He'll have to sign off on any deal the Knicks want to do. One team Anthony might be willing to accept a trade to is the Houston Rockets.
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN reported on Thursday that Anthony would accept a trade to Houston. There he could form a new Western Conference superteam alongside James Harden and the recently acquired Chris Paul.
Smith also reported that Anthony would accept a buyout in order to remain in the Eastern Conference and join the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, as we've already noted, a buyout seems incredibly unlikely at this point.
Rockets Believe They'll Get Anthony or George
The Rockets have an interest in adding Anthony, and they also have an interest in trading for Indiana Pacers forward Paul George. While George has only one year left on his contract, he's considered one of the most talented players on the trade block.
According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Rockets believe that they can land either George or Anthony this offseason:
George would be a better fit for the Rockets in their arms race against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. He's younger than Anthony and is more valuable on the defensive end of the court.
The Cavaliers showed in this year's Finals that offense isn't enough to beat Golden State. The reason Cleveland only managed one win against the Warriors was a lack of bench depth and a lack of high-quality defense.
Again, though, George may only be around for one season, so his addition would put the Rockets squarely in win-now mode. Anthony, on the other hand, would give the team options this year and next.
Of course, the Rockets would likely have to sell Anthony on playing a reduced role—possibly even one off the bench. Harden is a player who always wants the ball in his hands, and it's going to be tough enough for him and Paul to coexist offensively.
Anthony possesses a similar mindset, so accepting the part of role player may be difficult. Unfortunately for Anthony, he'll probably be looking at that prospect if he ends up in Houston or in Cleveland.
