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The NBA has joined the NFL in becoming one of two American professional sports leagues with 365-day news cycles. There’s a chance that a story from either league can dominate the day’s sports news regardless of whether or not they are in-season.
That’s usually the case for the NBA every year in early July when free agency kicks in. The LeBron James “Decision” dominated conversation for months in 2010, while the DeAndre Jordan-Dallas Mavericks drama in 2015 was one of the more bizarre American professional sports moments of the decade.
It will be interesting to see how the NBA landscape changes once again this July. Here’s a look at three recent rumors involving big names alongside analysis as to whether they can come to fruition.
Hassan Whiteside
According to Basketball Reference, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside averaged just 15.4 minutes per game during his team’s five-game playoff series with the Philadelphia 76ers. James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk got much of the playing time down low as the Heat played small for much of the round.
Whiteside also saw decreased playing time in the regular season, which led to him expressing his frustration after he played just 20 minutes in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on March 31.
Per a May 4 report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, “there is strong support among numerous people inside the Heat to trade Hassan Whiteside, and the question this offseason becomes this: To what measures will Pat Riley go to dump the two years and $52 million left on his contract.”
The 28-year-old averaged 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds in just 25.3 minutes per game this season, and he ranked fifth among all centers in defensive real plus-minus, per ESPN. The issue for Whiteside is that small ball is a popular tactic for many NBA teams: For example, the Golden State Warriors just started 6’7″ Draymond Green at center against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, and it worked en route to a 118-92 blowout.
Whiteside isn’t a three-point threat, and he isn’t as capable of guarding big men on the perimeter as others. Therefore, the Heat may have trouble finding a trade partner. On the flip side, competent 7-foot centers aren’t a dime a dozen, and numerous teams could use more help down low.
Ultimately, it’s tough to project Whiteside’s future landing spot, but the guess here is that he stays in Miami until the 2019 trade deadline at minimum.
LeBron James
LeBron James had no shortage of suitors when he became a free agent in 2010. One of them was the New York Knicks, who finally emerged from salary-cap hell and had the resources to sign the superstar.
However, James chose to join close friend Dwyane Wade in Miami, where he won two NBA titles. The Knicks have advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs just once since 2000 and have not been in the postseason since 2013.
New York made what looks like an excellent hire on paper to change its fortunes, however, as it signed former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale to a contract.
That pick-up stoked a James-Knicks rumor, per Marc Berman of The New York Post: “But after Thursday’s hiring of former Memphis head coach and Heat assistant David Fizdale, the Knicks are prepared to open salary-cap space this summer in the unlikely event they get an inkling LeBron James has some interest in coming to the Garden this summer, according to an NBA source.”
The key word there is “unlikely.” The clubhouse leaders for James’ services in 2018-19 would seem to be Cleveland, where he has called home for 11 of his 15 NBA seasons, and Los Angeles, where he has a home. For what it’s worth, Shaquille O’Nealhas predicted on The Big Podcast with Shaq (h/t NESN) that James and free-agent forward Paul George will be Lakers next year.
As noted by Keith P Smith of RealGM, the Lakers have cap space to sign James and George to max deals, and that could be enticing enough to head to L.A. to play alongside its young talent.
New York may have Fizdale, but its roster has tons of question marks, so it’s not the best place for any free agent to play from a pure competitive standpoint. Knicks fans shouldn’t hold their breath hoping the King comes to Madison Square Garden.
Kawhi Leonard
The saga between superstar Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs is perhaps the most bizarre story in what has been an overly dramatic NBA season. Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com dropped a detailed piece regarding the issues surrounding the two sides, and this part may foretell Leonard’s NBA future:
“Multiple league sources also told ESPN that the Spurs have grown worried that Leonard’s group has an ulterior motive to fray the relationship and get Leonard traded to a larger market such as Los Angeles (Leonard’s hometown) or New York or Philadelphia (Leonard’s uncle lives in New Jersey).”
Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum also offered his take on his podcast (h/t Fansided, via Christian Rivas of Silver Screen & Roll), saying that he thinks Leonard will end up in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers have two first-round draft picks that could be enticing. However, as of now, those selections are 12th and 13th in the draft. The Clips could see one (or even both) of those picks move up into the top three, but their chances are remote, per Tankathon.
In the event that occurs, a Clips-Spurs trade seems more plausible. If it doesn’t, it’s hard seeing the Clips having the assets to make a deal with San Antonio.
A deal with the Lakers doesn’t seem likely. L.A. showed promise at the end of the year with its young core, and if it adds a veteran or two via max deals in free agency, it should be an instant postseason contender for the foreseeable future. Therefore, Los Angeles’ best bet is to keep its team intact.
The Spurs-Leonard saga has been hard to read for the entire year, with many more questions than answers. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to where he ends up.
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