With the opening of the NBA’s free agency at 6pm ET on Thursday, some big names are coming to market – Deandre Ayton, Bradley Beale and Zack Lavigne, to name a few.
But there is one problem: few teams have room for covers. After the Detroit Pistons took over some contracts from the New York Knicks, only the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic – neither of them is a team in the playoffs that wants to add a big ticket. The Knicks also have room for lids now, but all reports indicate they will use it in a push to sign Jalen Brunson.
Fortunately, this off-season will still be far from stupid, because even if the free agency is not as chaotic as we expect in the NBA, the trading market is hot with some star players.
Let’s look at some of the candidates:
Rudy Robert
Age: 30 Team: Utah Jazz Position: Central Contract: 4 years left with an average of $ 42.4 million
Statistics for 2021-22: 15.6 PPG 14.7 REB 2.1 BLK .713 FG%
He is a three-time defender of the year and frankly this number may be higher. Gobert makes almost everyone think twice about attacking the edge when on the floor. Jazz has had a lot of success with it as its defensive anchor, but that hasn’t exactly been a playoff success, and Gobert-Donovan Mitchell may have made it to Utah.
Latest: Jake Fisher of the Bleacher Report reports that the Toronto Raptors continue to “monitor the availability of several elite centers, including Gobert.” Independent NBA insider Mark Stein also called the Chicago Bulls the closest thing possible to a destination last week. There is no doubt that many teams are calling, but the Jazz are not particularly close to a deal, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Kyrie Irving
Age: 30 Team: Brooklyn Nets Position: Point guard
Statistics for 2021-22: 27.4 PPG 5.8 APG 4.4 REB .469 / .418 / .915
After Irving joined in, the scenario of him cutting his salary by $ 30 million to sign with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers is dead. But it can still change, especially if Brooklyn has a feeling it won’t stay after this season.
Latest: Brian Windhorst of ESPN says high-ranking sources in the league do not believe that this saga is over and that the Lakers and Irving still have a mutual interest.
John Collins
Age: 24 Team: Atlanta Hawks Position: Strong Forward Contract: Four years left on average $ 25.5 million
Statistics for 2021-22: 16.2 PPG 7.8 REB .526 / .364 / .793
The Hawks seem determined to keep going as they continue to update their roster, but Collins is still young, very athletic and has scored over 15 points per game in his last four seasons as he shoots the ball well from depth.
Latest: All signs continue to point to a John Collins deal in the “near future”, despite the fact that he was not involved in the Dejounte Murray deal, according to Sam Amick and Chris Kirchner of The Athletic. The striker has previously been linked with the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings.
Malcolm Brogdon
Age: 29 Team: Indiana Pacers Position: Pointgard Contract: Remains one year at $ 22.6 million
Statistics for 2021-22: 19.1 PPG 5.9 APG 5.1 REB .448 / .312 / .856
The Pacers are recovering and Tyris Halliburton is the point of the future, reducing the need for Brogden. Given the team’s direction, it may not make sense for Brogden – who is yet to win a ring of his age – to sign again. So instead of waiting until the deadline, the Pacers are looking to win now. Brogden can be a starting point for a contender.
The latest: Brogden was expected to be changed before the NBA draft, and although that didn’t happen, it should be distributed “sooner or later,” according to NBA insider Mark Stein.
Miles Turner
Age: 26 Team: Indiana Pacers Position: Center Contract: $ 18 million left for one year
Statistics for 2021-22: 12.6 PPG 7.1 REB 2.8 BLK .509 / .333 / .752
Adhering to Pacers, Turner has been talked about in the trade for years and it’s hard to believe he’s only 26. However, he doesn’t necessarily fit in Indiana’s recovery window and will soon be a free agent. He showed a lot of promise at the beginning of his career and did not respond exactly to the noise, but he is still perhaps the best blocker in the NBA and someone who can stretch the floor of the five as a semi-reliable shooter. There is a lot to like.
The latest: Pacers GM Chad Buchanan said Tuesday: “We don’t actively shop Miles Turner … We listen to other teams contact us.” Accept what you want. Fisher recently announced that he has the potential to sign and exchange Deandre Ayton with Turner, and that one of the “elite centers” the Raptors are watching is Turner.
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