Looking at Possible Pistons Free Agent Targets

The NBA free agency period is less than 48 hours away, so as you might have gathered from the title of this post, we're going to be looking at a number free agents who will be available when 12:10am Eastern Standard Time hits on July 1st. This is not a comprehensive list (as there are over 120 free agents) but is instead a list of big-name and small-name players who would actually make sense as potential Pistons targets in my eyes. We'll be tackling them by breaking down whether or not they're actually realistic targets and why/why not.

A quick primer if you're not 100% solid on the intricacies of NBA free agency, with definitions directly from the NBA's website:

- An unrestricted free agent (UFA) is free to sign with any team, though some unrestricted free agents have options on their existing contracts that, if exercised, may impact their choices.

- A restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player's original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. The original team is said to have the "right of first refusal."

- A team option grants the original team the right to keep a player for another year.

- A player option grants the player the power to decide whether to stay for another year or become a completely unrestricted free agent.

(In either case, if the option is refused, the player is completely unrestricted, free to sign with any team.)

Now let's break down those free agents, shall we?


"SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN HELL" TARGETS

LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers (Player Option): LeBron has the power to opt out opted out of his current contract with the Cavaliers, and while there's a sliver of a chance that he could bolt for another team if he doesn't like how Cleveland's offseason goes, the odds are very much against it. The plan is for LeBron to re-sign with the Cavs on another two-year contract with a player option for the second year (exactly like he signed last year) but for more money. That way he retains the ability to hit free agency again when the salary cap spikes in 2016-17. Even if he were to leave Cleveland again it won't be for Detroit.

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Portland Trail Blazers (UFA): ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that it's "a 99.9% chance" that Aldridge leaves. If he does ultimately leave Portland, the common belief is Aldridge wants to return to his home state of Texas. All three Texas-based NBA franchises would very much love to have him, too. He could be the heir to Tim Duncan in San Antonio, or the heir to Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, or he could be the piece that maybe pushes Houston (who just missed out on signing Chris Bosh last year) over the top in the West. 

San Antonio sounds like the leading contender for his services, but the Lakers are apparently moving up the list as free agency nears. Aldridge lives in the Los Angeles area in the offseason and they'd be able to offer him a lot of money, but Aldridge also sounds like he wants to win a title. If he wants to win and get paid he'll go to San Antonio. There's also a good chance Aldridge will seek a one-and-one deal similar to LeBron so he can hit free agency again in 2016-17 in order to maximize his earnings potential. Bottom line: Detroit's nowhere near this conversation.

Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies (UFA): Gasol will have some suitors like the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks but it's very unlikely he leaves. Gasol grew up in Memphis while his older brother Pau was playing for the Grizzlies; and while Marc was drafted by the Lakers, he was traded to Memphis before ever playing an NBA game, so he's techincally played his whole NBA career in Memphis. Oh, he's also Memphis' prime target, and they can offer him more money than any other team, so don't expect him to go anywhere.

Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs (RFA): There is absolutely no way that San Antonio doesn't match any offer sheet Leonard may sign. It wouldn't shock me if San Antonio just straight up offered him a monster extension anyway. Either way, Leonard will be a Spur next season.

Draymond Green, SF/PF, Golden State Warriors (RFA): See Leonard, Kawhi; especially after winning a title. Golden State is looking for a trade partner to take David Lee and his albatross of a contract so they can offer Green max money, regardless. Even though Green has expressed interest in the past about playing for the Detroit, and recent reports say Green is going to be taking some face-to-face meetings with potential suitors including the Pistons, it all goes back to Golden State matching any offer he gets. If Green ever becomes a Piston it'll most likely be in a few years when he's an UFA.

2015 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The 2015 NBA Draft is one from tonight, and as we get closer to the actual draft the rumors and rumblings around the league are continuing to swirl and… rumble, I guess. Regardless, I've read enough that I've made a few changes in my first update. Again, because I only really care about who the Detroit Pistons can and will be drafting with the 8th overall selection, I've only mocked the first eight picks.

Prefacing again that I have no first-hand knowledge of who will be drafting whom. What I've done is scoured the interwebs and read about as many mock drafts as I could by people who have done them and done them well for a long time, as well as read up on the rumors and rumblings from around the league by people in the know, and then included my own intuition to make my final picks. This is not scientific by any means.

I will make one more update a week from today on the day of the draft, so there may be some changes to come.

I should also note that I have not mocked any trades that have not yet been made. I hate it when other mock drafts do this, so I refuse to do it myself. So without further ado, here are some Keck Thoughts on the NBA Draft.

KECK THOUGHTS NBA Mock Draft 2.0


1.) MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Karl-Anthony Towns, C/PF, Kentucky 

The rumblings that Flip Saunders prefers Jahlil Okafor are slowly dying, but aren’t quite dead yet. I still think common sense will prevail and Saunders will take the post player that better fits alongside the talent Minnesota already has, and that’s Towns. (Previous pick: Karl-Anthony Towns)

2.) LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke 

The Lakers are apparently debating between 3 players: Okafor, D’Angelo Russell and Kristaps Porzingis. Russell and Porzingis have perked their ears after impressive workout showing, and while both would fill needs for the Lakers, I think Okafor is still the best option because he’s the most pro-ready post player to come out of college in a long time. (Previous pick: Jahlil Okafor)