BS Meter on Latest NBA Free Agency Rumors
Big names have already been scooped off the NBA free-agent pile for big dollars since July 1, but there are plenty of stars still waiting to decide their destinations for 2018-19, and Twitter is buzzing about every single one of them.
When assessing these guys, we try to keep rumors and speculation separate. A rumor means that someone close to the player or organization has told a reporter something to indicate interest at least one way.
Speculation is a writer pondering what might happen and is absent any actual communication with the team or a player's camp.
Rumors aren't always credible. An agent might be trying to up the price of his player, or a team might be trying to improve its position in a trade. So even with rumors, there is a certain amount of B.S. But here, we have a B.S. meter to indicate just how much smoke is being blown. We ranked the rumors for the top players still available on a scale of 1 to 10 (with a 1 being true and a 10 being total B.S.).
They are listed here in order of least to most likely to happen.
Jabari Parker to the 76ers?
1 of 5
Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times posted this on his personal blog:
"Another NBA official speculated the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a ton of cap space, could come into play for [Jabari] Parker, especially if they fail in their bid to land a coveted superstar like [LeBron] James, [Paul] George or Kawhi Leonard. And that could indeed be the case, as many NBA officials are convinced James, George and Leonard will be playing for the Lakers next season."
Well, we know the George part is false, the James part is correct and we don't have an answer on Leonard yet. But does Parker to the Sixers make sense?
There are two reasons to suggest maybe not. First, the Sixers would much prefer a two-way player at the 3 than Parker, whose minus-1.70 Defensive Real Plus-Minus ranked 79th out of 84 power forwards last year, according to ESPN.
Second, according to Larry Coon's CBA Faq, all restricted free-agent offers must be for at least two years, and the Sixers would probably prefer to keep that space open for next year.
The Sixers would be better served going after someone like Wayne Ellington, whom they could probably get for one year at a cheaper price and with a better fit.
B.S. Meter: 9/10
Tyreke Evans to Warriors
2 of 5
Tyreke Evans is coming off his best year since he won Rookie of the Year back in 2009-10. Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, he averaged 19.4 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 52 games. He also had a career-high 56.1 true shooting percentage, according to Basketball Reference.
Multiple teams are interested in him, including the Golden State Warriors, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
"Heard buzz about this tonight, and it makes good sense. And oh by the way, Tyreke’s former agent (Warriors GM Bob Myers) and former trainer (scout Lamont Peterson) work for the Warriors," he reported.
There are a few things to wade through here. The Warriors already announced that they were signing DeMarcus Cousins, a move so wild that no one saw it coming. They used their taxpayer MLE on Boogie, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo.
All they could offer is the minimum, but maybe they can persuade him to take that for a chance (and by chance, I mean near guarantee) at a ring. They are literally the only team that can offer that.
It's not like the Warriors need to get better, but this is one way that could happen, and the connections sure don't seem to hurt.
B.S. Meter: 6/10
Zach LaVine to Stay in Chicago on the Cheap?
3 of 5
Zach LaVine is one-third of the Jimmy Butler trade from last season.
While the other two-thirds, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, proved themselves last year, LaVine faltered in returning from his torn ACL. Nevertheless, he has such explosiveness and offensive potential that he's still going to command some kind of offer. The question is: How much?
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported the Bulls' offer wasn't for all that much:
"If [Lavine wants] a bigger payday than the parameters the Bulls presented to [his] representatives as free agency opened, [he'll] have to sign an offer sheet somewhere."
The money is rapidly drying up around the league, so there's a good chance no one is going to give LaVine a big offer, just to have the Bulls match anything reasonable. And no one has enough unreasonable money to throw at him.
While nothing is being reported, this could be a case of an unrestricted free agent playing for the qualifying offer. LaVine would have a chance to prove himself over the course of a year, and the Bulls would know what they're paying for next summer if they wanted to give him a larger deal.
Either way, LaVine is not likely to get the money he's looking for this season.
B.S. Meter: 3/10
Marcus Smart Stays in Boston
4 of 5
Marcus Smart has gotten little chatter. You'd think someone would make an offer, but no one has to our knowledge.
Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe might have some insight there:
"Marcus Smart’s free agency could linger for a while as he waits for a big-money offer," he tweeted. "But have been hearing that he absolutely remains the Cs' top priority of the offseason."
The problem isn't Smart, it's that teams are too intelligent to waste their time on an RFA who everyone knows is going to be matched. The Kings, Bulls or Hawks could, in theory, decide to extend him a large offer that is too rich for the Celtics' blood, but they haven't shown interest.
Realistically, as a defensive specialist, he's not worth unlimited coin. So he's going to stay a Celtic.
B.S. Meter: 2/10
Clint Capela to Stay in Houston?
5 of 5
It's looking increasingly likely that the Houston Rockets are going to keep their starting center.
Since Clint Capela is a restricted free agent, his 2018-19 destination has never really been in doubt. But that fact could actually work against the big man.
The Dallas Mavericks were alleged to have an interest in him, per Peter Dawson of the Star-Telegram, as were the Lakers, who met with him before their spending spree, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. However, both teams have now spent their way out of his price range.
There are only a couple of teams left—the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls—who have the money to offer him, and neither is looking for a big man right now, so it wouldn't make sense.
Ergo, there just aren't as many buyers, which could drive his asking price down. Not only is Capela almost certain to stay in Houston, he might even stay there at a discount.
B.S. Meter: 1/10
