It has been just a little over a week since the conclusion of the 2015 NBA Draft, and the free agency market is already in full throttle. Even though the league-wide free agency moratorium won’t be lifted until July 9 to make any and all transactions official, several deals have already been set in stone and even the rumors on roster movements are still swirling around.
Keep up to date with the latest developments of the NBA’s offseason with our free agency recap below. And it’s not just the players that have been active this offseason; check out our coverage of the NBA’s Coaching Carousel as well.
[sc:NBAArticles ]2015 NBA Free Agency Recap
On the Move
It’s still early in the offseason, and yet a handful of role players have already decided to take their talents to a new squad next season. One notable player that’s on the move is former NBA champion and Finals MVP Paul Pierce, who will be joining the L.A. Clippers.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Pierce will likely play out the rest of his 17-year career in front of his hometown. He grew up in Inglewood, just a little over 12 miles outside of L.A.
“The Truth” also has a great chance at another NBA ring as he will have the benefit of playing alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Clippers are currently priced at +,1200 to win next year’s NBA title, but the addition of Pierce could easily change that soon enough.
Another former NBA champion is on the move in Tyson Chandler, who’s heading to Phoenix to be the veteran voice in the Suns’ youthful locker room. The former Defensive Player of the Year will also look to provide a much needed defensive presence in the paint for the Suns.
Meanwhile, journeyman DeMarre Carroll will join the Toronto Raptors. This will be Carroll’s sixth NBA team in as many years that he’s played in the league. Carroll took advantage of his breakout year playing forward for the Atlanta Hawks, and was mostly credited for giving LeBron James quite a fit with his stellar defense during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Staying Put
The teams that are constantly in the hunt come the postseason wasted no time by agreeing to lock down their key free agents. The Chicago Bulls, for one, dismissed all the rumors surrounding Jimmy Butler’s departure by committing to a five-year, $90 million deal. The defensive-minded Bulls were a much better offensive team with Butler on the floor, as he averaged 20 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor last season.
Another superstar who was expected to be with a new team was Kevin Love. The big man from UCLA was highly considered to become play for his hometown as a Laker after a seemingly tumultuous relationship with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. But alas, Love decided to stay with Cleveland, the big +275 favorite to win the Larry O’Brien trophy this season.
Love further stated that he has “unfinished business” with the Cavs as they fell two games short in this year’s Finals from becoming NBA Champions with Love injured.
Other notable playoff contenders also clamped down on their franchises’ cornerstones and were quick to the punch at keeping their core lineup from last season intact. The San Antonio Spurs will retain the services of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green on the wings. The Spurs have been in a lot of the offseason’s rumors (more on that later) as they slowly prepare for life after the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili era.
The New Orleans Pelicans, as expected, zeroed in on their franchise player Anthony Davis, and so did the Portland Trailblazers with Damian Lillard as both signed max deals. The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, Miami Heat’s Goran Dragic and Atlanta Hawks’ Paul Millsap round out the field of noteworthy players that are all but guaranteed to stay with their respective teams.
Up in the Air
Now this is where things get interesting. There are still a lot of highly-talented free agents available in the market, but a pair of frontcourt enforcers is all abuzz right now given how shallow the pool of exceptional big men is in the NBA.
On top of the pecking order and still caught in the rumor mill is four-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, who is being wooed by six different teams. Recent reports have indicated that Aldridge is not considering the Lakers as one of his options anymore, which leaves San Antonio as the frontrunner for his services. The Spurs are making all the right moves to land Aldridge, who will look to take over for Tim Duncan when the “Big Fundamental” decides to retire.
The thought of having Leonard, Green and Aldridge as the new core of the Spurs has got to be frightening for the rest of the league. They’ve already shipped their current center — Tiago Splitter — to make cap and roster room for their next franchise’s post. Surely, when Aldridge’s deal with San Antonio pulls through, you’ll be glad you placed your stakes on the Spurs while they were still priced at +1,200 to win the title this coming season.
The other big man looking to get a groundbreaking deal is DeAndre Jordan. The 26-year old is aiming for a greater role in offense, but will likely not get that opportunity with the Clippers (even though Los Angeles is willing to offer him a max contract) for as long as the Clips’ offense still runs first and foremost through Paul and Griffin.
Recent reports have cited that the Dallas Mavericks “set the bar high” for the rest of Jordan’s suitors after a four-hour meeting on Tuesday night. That could spell doom for the Lakers, Knicks and Clippers, who are still in active pursuit of Jordan.
There are plenty of free agents left with immense skill sets that are still up for grabs. Some of them are more inclined to stay where they are (LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol), and some are still being eagerly courted by other teams (Wesley Matthews, Greg Monroe, Monta Ellis). Keep a tab on all the latest happenings here as we provide updates on the maddening whirlwind that is the NBA offseason.
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