Will He Stay or Will He Go: A Top Free Agent Speculative Analysis

[IamQuailman]

We are entering into one of the more stacked free agencies in recent seasons and have some intriguing names out there. With a lot of cap money ready to be thrown around, there could be quite a bit of environment changes for players. But who? This article will take a speculative look at some of the top (blue potential) players who will be staying put and those vagabonds on the move.

DebtPool
These are players that played on the Grizzlies and Rockets and have absolutely no way of returning home. Their books are redder than Deadpool's costume, and these players won't be taking a vet min (in theory).

Jimmy Butler: You have to be blind if you didn't C this coming. With the tax debt of a small nation to repay, the Grizzlies can't afford to bring back their overachieving star guard. Real question is: who is going to pay this man? Someone will. *looks a Nick*

Kawhi Leonard: Another Grizzly Bear free from the throngs of VanMemphis. Once projected top-10 player in the league, Leonard came into TC with an overinflated ego once summer, and never recovered. He still performs on the court, and can bring you scoring and some defense. But he sadly will not live up to his draft hype. That said, in a league devoid of good 3s, I think GMs know that and will be still craving a chance to send him an offer.

Spencer Hawes: After a short-stint in VanMemphis, Spencer Hawes is ready to prove he still has what it takes to be a quality starting center in this league. Not the most athletic (although strong AF), Hawes is very skilled and can effectively put up points and boards for whichever team picks him. I can't imagine a big money deal, but there are a lot of teams needing a center and Hawes could get some interest considering there's no chance he goes back to the Grizzlies unless... he takes a min (see below)

Sean Kilpatrick: Sean Kilpatrick took a min to play with the Grizz last season, but that was because the team was poised to make a run and he felt he was the missing cog. I don't foresee that happening again. And Spencer (only 29 years old) can put the ball in the hoop. He posted a career best 20.5 PER last season, and scored 8ppg in 14 minutes(!). Expect a lot of teams needing some guard depth to give him a look. Great MLE candidate.

Thaddeus Young: The on-again, off-again Rocket Thaddeus Young is back in the "off-again" stage of his Houston relationship. The long, defensively-sound forward have a unique skillset that many competing GMs crave. He will be targeted early and often, with Houston being no threat to retaining him.


Tank Life
These players played for teams who have decided to commit to the tank. They each aired their episodes of The Decision and have decided to take their talents "Anywhere But Here".

Kyle Lowry: The missing Warriors GM has returned from his sabbatical in Tibet where he went to find himself. Upon his return, Kyle Lowry greeted him with a smile and a hug, but BowtotheBill23 looked at him with a face as cold as ice. "Who are you?" With that, Lowry decided that Oakland maybe wasn't the best place for him. The Warriors are about to be a trainwreck, and Kyle knows that he wants to be anywhere but there.

Rudy Gay: South Beach had a lot of swag going into last off-season. They had Greg Oden, Chris Paul, and Rudy Gay as their big 3, and things looked pretty great as the Miami insta-retool commenced.... until training camp. Paul came in shorter and fatter than ever before, and Gay was just wasn't feeling it. He thought a change of scenery was right for him after his time in New York, but Miami just wasn't his scene. Turns out he liked cold winters after all. Sources close to Gay say that no money on earth could persuade him to come back to the Heat. And to be honest, the Heat are okay with that... ping pong balls baby!

Isaiah Thomas: Isaiah is coming off yet another disappointing season in Oklahoma City, and with the GM openly saying that he plays to rebuild, no one expects to give them a serious look. Some close to Thomas have hinted at the idea that Oklahoma City is willing to help facilitate a sign-and-trade to give Isaiah the best value he can get, but no official comment from the Thunder front office has been made. With the cap space more abundant than we've seen in a while, Isaiah is looking to cash in on some fat stacks of cash taller than him... which doesn't rule out a vet min, I guess.

Nikola Vucevic: Possibly one of the top 2 FA targets out there right now. As just mentioned, Oklahoma City has no desire to bring Vucevic back. Rumor has it, Nikola refused to waive his no-trade clause at trade deadline, and prevented the Thunder from cashing in on his production. The hate between the two is so deep that I would be willing to bet my car (hey darth) that he will be in another jersey come end of UFA.

Cava-leary
So many top UFAs were Cavs last season (not to mention his birthday was yesterday... happy birthday!), I gave them their own category! LHamilton has some tough choices ahead.

Lebron James: The King of Believeland didn't get the title he wanted to get after making his off-season homecoming claims. Lebron has unfinished business in the CLE, and my personal belief is that he will be there at least one more season to make another run. He knows his window is closing and will be willing to take less in order to win a 'ship.

Kemba Walker: While Lebron was the King, I like to think that Kemba was the Hand to the King. And you know how the saying goes... "The King shits, and the Hand wipes the ass"... wait no not that one. This one... "The King cooks, and the Hand dishes it out". Yes, that one. The Hand to the King was integral in getting the ball to all the various weapons on the team, and facilitating that offense. He pushed the pace and was probably the biggest pick-up of their off-season last year. Without a contingency plan in place, I don't see the Cavs letting Kemba go anywhere. Money talks.

Iman Shumpert: Coming off his bargain of a contract, Shumpert is looking for a pay day. With not much external cap space to spare, will the Cavs be willing to pay the man or will they walk for fear of the tax? I have a feeling someone will fall in love with his skillset and give him an offer he can't refuse... and my heart and head say that GM won't be LHamilton.

Evan Turner: With Al-Farouq under contract for at least another season and a glut of forwards already on the roster, Evan Turner could be the odd-man out, contract-wise. He's got a great skill set and the size to play a few positions. He will be a hot commodity amongst teams, and without bird rights, I'm not sure the Cavs can bring him home without a max.

Married With Children
These players have settled down in their respective communities and have absolutely no desire of leaving, whether for comfort of being with an organization that loves them or the promise of the desirable SUPER MAX. Rumor has it many of these players have already bought burial plots in their respective towns... not for themselves, but for their team's cap flexibility. #ded

Tobias Harris: The Pacers are one of the most loyal organizations in the league. They love their star players and pay them accordingly (except Deron last year... I was sad to see that!). Tobias has been a stud for them, but maybe not a star. That said, he's 27 and glowly with talent. They will take care of him.

Kenneth Faried: Portland brought Faried in last year to clean up the glass, and he did just that. With their back court set and being over the cap, it is imperative to bring Faried home. Anything less could be detrimental to the short-term success of the franchise. ... ... .. No pressure though.

Klay Thompson: After shipping out Lavar, no sign ever signed so brightly in the sky (other than Eat at Joe's) than the sign saying "FRYE THE TAX, KLAY SUPERMAX". Darth has made it evident that he gives 0 fcuks about racking up a massive tax bill after giving a combined $157,786,356 to Gary Perez and Phil Milburn. Klay know's he's wanted, and Klay knows he's about to turn 30. It's pay day and Chad's writing some blank checks.

Magic 8-Ball Says "Cannot Predict Now"
These are some players with question marks over their heads for various reasons. A lot of factors could impact their decisions to return, whether it's GM-related, cap-related, or player preference.

Enes Kanter: Possibly the top center in this draft class at the age of 27, he will be one of the more highly coveted pieces out there. Teams have been mailing in their max offers since the official end of moratorium (via text, email, twitter, carrier pigeons named Robbie, etc.). GM Ballsohard has also made it known that he is more than willing to participate in a sign-and-trade if someone was interested. However, after missing out on the MLE, this makes me wonder if Kanter is less obtainable than before. That said, this will be an interesting one to watch play out.

Deron Williams: Last season's free agency shocker, Deron is back on the open market. Teams now know he's available, and with Wig being ever so deep in the tax already, it looks like Deron could be one of the hot PG options out on the open market. Even at the age of 35, he's top tier (night and day better than Chris Paul or Rajan Rondo... so much unlike IRL). But in the past, Wig has never shied away from the scary tax man (maybe because he is the tax man?!?!) and has been known to get value on all players he can. Could this play out to a S&T?

Greg Oden: NOLa has been wanting to jump back in the competition pool. With Haynes so raw, he could afford to bring back Oden if the price is right to help him develop and grow. A great MLE candidate to come back. But other teams are hot for big men right now, and Oden is about as big as you can get. It'll be interesting to watch his valuation in the open market.

Josh Smith: Another player who is still playing fantastic basketball despite his age. However, even with the greats, age catches up to you. The Mavericks were able to get some wonderful play from him last season, and I can only imagine they would like to bring him back for more. That said, as his age increases his production and athleticism will only continue to decline. Will he bring back the same amount of production next season? Time will tell... but will there be a team in dire need of a forward that values him more than fearthebrow did on his team last year?

Kyrie Irving: The TOP prospect in this off-season's free agency. He will undoubtedly get a supermax from the Bobcats. But with the newly implemented Percentage Raises... do players value 7.5% that much more than 5%? Will Kyrie want to be a Free Agent again at 32 or would he rather another shot at a contract at 31? Will there be any better situation out there than the culture of winning that Darth is attempting to buy/put together in Charlotte? This will be the most fun prospect to keep an eye on all off-season.

[Darth Vegito]

Try harder Douglas. Klay a lock but Kyrie "cannot predict now"....Bye Becky.
Article 3.2/10

[IamQuailman]

Try harder Douglas. Klay a lock but Kyrie "cannot predict now"....Bye Becky.
Article 3.2/10

I'm just being realistic bro. Kyrie gonna get more maxes than Klay on age alone.. that's all I'm going off of

[Conroy]

Kyrie gonna ditch the teal for greener pastures.

[NOLa.]

[WigNosy]

phpBB [video]

[false9]

This list of 75 things could be its own article

[Conroy]

Who’s gonna do points for articles within the articles??

[ballsohard]

Try harder Douglas. Klay a lock but Kyrie "cannot predict now"....Bye Becky.
Article 3.2/10

Weird coincidence , bc that’s less than this article will earn

[ballsohard]

5 Points have been awarded for this year’s media entries\


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