NBA Free Agents 2017: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Top Scorers
On the eve of the NBA's 2017 free agency period, the stories, reports and tweets are churning the rumor mill into overdrive.
That's especially true of this class' top offensive weapons.
Players like Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin, both 20-point-per-game scorers, are generating plenty of interest, often from the same teams.
Will they return to the teams that drafted them and hope they continue to build their legacies there? Or, will the lure of Boston, Miami or elsewhere prove too strong to overcome?
Where Will Gordon Hayward Land?
Technically, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are the best free agents on the market this summer. Since it's a fairly safe assumption neither will leave one of the most talented teams ever assembled, Hayward has become the de facto No. 1.
If you take Durant and Curry out of the mix, Hayward tops the free agency list for both HoopsHype and CBS Sports. Same with Sports Illustrated if you ignore Chris Paul, who's no longer a free agent after opting in to the last year of his contract before being traded to the Houston Rockets.
So, it should come as no surprise that storied franchises like the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are in pursuit of Hayward, who plans to meet with both, per ESPN's Marc Stein:
The case for Boston is obvious. Hayward has a relationship with Brad Stevens that dates back to before their time together at Butler University. The Celtics have a rich history. And Hayward would be able to play in the significantly weaker Eastern Conference.
Miami has the proven track record of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, no state income tax and the beaches. Oh, the beaches.
But, of course, there's also Utah, an afterthought for much of the media covering Hayward's free agency.
The Jazz are fresh off a 51-31 campaign led by Hayward. He's the obvious alpha on that team (at least on offense). The system suits him and helped make him an All-Star.
And perhaps most importantly, there's Rudy Gobert, who is the best player on any of the three teams, according to Basketball Reference's Box Plus-Minus and Win Shares, as well as ESPN's Real Plus-Minus.
In fact, the only player in the NBA who had more Win Shares than Gobert last season was James Harden. And he did that while averaging fewer than eight shots per game. His Usage Percentage was just over half of Isaiah Thomas', per Basketball Reference.
As Utah play-by-play announcer David Locke wrote, "There is not a single player on either roster who the Jazz would trade for Rudy Gobert."
And yet, this race still feels too close to call. Utah may make the most immediate sense, but sometimes the heart just wants a change. Or in this case, possibly a reunion.
Prediction: Hayward joins Stevens in Boston.
Blake Griffin to the Desert?
There's an argument to be made that the Chris Paul trade might actually make Blake Griffin more likely to re-sign with the Clippers.
Now, it's unquestionably his team. He can handle the ball even more. And he can continue to enjoy the perks of living in Hollywood.
But without CP3, it'd be hard for Griffin to talk himself into thinking L.A. is a legitimate competitor for much beyond a low seed in the playoffs.
And he'll reportedly hear pitches from other teams, per Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
Sure, Phoenix is no closer to contention than the Clippers, but it has more in the form of up-and-coming talent with Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss and more.
And as with L.A., Griffin would be the man on the Suns, as well as the next in line in a tradition of power forwards that includes Amar'e Stoudemire and Charles Barkley.
Would any of that be enough to leave a five-year max from the Clippers on the table, though?
Griffin has a long list of injuries to his name, and he's closing in on 30. The security of one last max-length, max-money deal might be too much to pass up.
If Jerry West and the rest of the front office is willing to pony up, it'd be tough to pass.
Prediction: Griffin stays in L.A.
Before suffering a torn Achilles in January, Rudy Gay was quietly having a solid campaign for the Sacramento Kings.
Only Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George matched or exceeded all of Gay's averages in points, rebounds, assists and steals, per Basketball Reference.
Even as he returns from one of basketball's most devastating injuries, that kind of scoring and versatility will be intriguing for a few teams this summer.
And that includes the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski:
Westbrook handled the huge load he carried last season fairly well. He must've, considering he won the MVP. But he could certainly use some help on the offensive end.
The torn Achilles may slow Gay down a bit, but as a stretch or mobile 4, he could still be pretty tough to defend. And he'd get plenty of open jumpers off kickouts from Westbrook's drives.
Prediction: Gay joins the MVP in OKC.
