NBA Free Agent Predictions 2015 Part 1: Unrestricted Free Agents

With the NBA season coming to a close, the focus now shifts toward free agency and the draft and since we have already covered the draft, I’ll be focusing on the top free agents this summer. The first part of this will cover the unrestricted free agents on the market this offseason.

Marc Gasol

Prior to this past season, there was a lot of speculation on where Marc Gasol would end up come summer 2015. The Memphis center is perhaps the best in the entire league. A defensive ace and a very smart and skilled offensive player, just about any team in the league would covet Gasol. However, I don’t think he goes anywhere. Reports have come out throughout the season and now after the season that he wishes to stay with the Grizzlies and I absolutely think he will.

Destination: Memphis Grizzlies

Lamarcus Aldridge

The speculation around Trail Blazers power forward Lamarcus Aldridge has in many ways opposed Gasol’s. Aldridge was thought to be returning to the Blazers because they seemed to be on the rise. That changed after their season where they lost in six games to Gasol’s Grizzlies. Many people think the offensive star will return to his home state of Texas and join either the Spurs or the Mavericks and I happen to be one of those people. I think he’ll go to the Spurs and become the backup of Tim Duncan, taking over for him after Duncan retires after this upcoming season. They have the cap room, two other stars in Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, a fantastic coach in Gregg Popovich, and a winning pedigree. It just makes too much sense.

Destination: San Antonio Spurs

DeAndre Jordan

See what I mean when I say it’s a deep free agent big man class? We’re just now getting to Deandre Jordan. The athletic Clippers center would seemingly be dumb to sign anywhere else, but back in LA. However, since the Clippers were bounced before the conference finals for the fourth consecutive year, reports have come out that Jordan and superstar point guard Chris Paul had friction and issues during the season. I still think he returns to the Clippers. They recently traded for Lance Stephenson, showing they’re going all in on this season and I don’t know if they would have done this if they didn’t have a pretty good idea that Jordan would be re-signing.

Destination: Los Angeles Clippers

Tim Duncan

The only question for him this offseason was if he would retire and he has said he won’t. There’ no chance he leaves San Antonio.

Destination: San Antonio Spurs

Paul Millsap

Yet another front court player, Millsap is different from the rest of these guys. When healthy, he’s the most versatile. While he’s mostly a 4, he can play a little bit of three and knock down long twos and some threes. He is also a good defender in the right system. I think his best option is running back in Atlanta again and hope they can stay healthy and make the Finals.

Destination: Atlanta Hawks

Greg Monroe

This was a guy I wanted in New Orleans until this past season when I realized how bad of a fit he would be down here. He is a good player, though, and what he struggles with defensively, he more than makes up for it offensively. He’s got post moves, a jumper, and he pass out of the post. I would like to see him stay in Detroit with Andre Drummond, but I don’t think Stan Van Gundy wants to pay him what he wants. I think a team like Phoenix could though who need a big man.

Destination: Phoenix Suns

Rajon Rondo

Now we get to perhaps the most interesting second tier free agent on here. He’s not going back to Dallas after how that ended. Rumors have said how he’d want to go to the Lakers and I have to say, this makes a ton of sense. He doesn’t like to shoot and he can pass as much as he wants to Kobe, Julius Randle, and most likely Jahlil Okafor. This is a perfect Rajon Rondo team.

Destination: Los Angeles Lakers

Tyson Chandler

I could see Chandler signing a one year deal to get an even bigger one next offseason because I think he only has a couple good years left. Ultimately, I think he stays in Dallas as they try to save that sinking ship.

Destination: Dallas Mavericks

Josh Smith

Unleash the Josh Smith! The inconsistent power forward was actually pretty decent with the Rockets in the second half of the season and was one of the biggest reasons Houston came back from a 3-1 deficit to the Clippers in the playoffs. They can’t really do much else this offseason with limited cap room, so why not bring him back? Oh yeah, because he’s Josh Smith. Well that’s a risk they’re going to have to keep taking.

Destination: Houston Rockets

DeMarre Carroll

Damn I wish the Pelicans had cap space this offseason. I would make a run at this guy. He was Atlanta’s best player in the conference finals. Granted, pretty much the rest of their starters were hurt, but still. He completed the dominant Atlanta Hawks starting five that we saw this regular season and he’s going to get a lot of big time offers this summer. Like I stated previously, I think Atlanta tries to run it back again and they’ll do all they can to re-sign him.

Destination: Atlanta Hawks

Other unrestricted free agent predictions:

Robin Lopez: New York Knicks

Wes Matthews: Portland Trail Blazers

Louis Williams: Los Angeles Lakers

Danny Green: San Antonio Spurs

Omer Asik: New Orleans Pelicans