Eight hottest NBA free agency rumors

NBA Free agency is off and running with several big-name players signing deals. Among them were Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry agreeing to max contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, respectively.

But what about the other big-name free agents still available on the market? Where will they end up when it’s all said and done?

Here are eight of the hottest free agency rumors out there.

Paul Millsap

The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as front-runners to sign Millsap, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports. The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns are also in the mix. Millsap, 32, is an unrestricted free agent after opting out of his contract with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season, and was named an All-Star for the fourth year in a row.

Gordon Hayward

The Miami Heat are meeting with Hayward on Saturday, and are currently seen as the favorites to sign him, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports. The Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz are also scheduled to meet with the 2016-17 All-Star. Hayward, 27, averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists with the Jazz last season, and ranked fifth among small forwards in Player Efficiency Rating, ahead of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, per ESPN.com.

Otto Porter Jr.

Porter, a restricted free agent, has max offers from other teams, and will take visits this weekend, David Aldridge of TNT and NBA.com reports. However, the Washington Wizards have vowed to match any offer for the 24-year-old. Porter averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.6 percent from the field, including 43.4 percent from 3-point range last season with the Wizards.

Rudy Gay

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Gay is hosting meetings with interested suitors this weekend. The Oklahoma City Thunder are interested, as well as the Warriors. In an appearance on SportsCenter Saturday, Wojnarowski said Gay is the Warriors’ alternative option if Andre Iguodala leaves in free agency. Gay, who is coming off a torn Achilles last season, averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 30 games for the Sacramento Kings.

Kyle Lowry

The Toronto Raptors are confident they will be able to keep Lowry, Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet reports. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also in the running for the three-time All-Star, who is reportedly being recruited by Jimmy Butler. Lowry set career-highs in 3-point percentage (41 percent) and points per game (22.4) last season with the Raptors.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Detroit Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy has said that keeping Caldwell-Pope is a priority in free agency, but the Nets are expected to make a lucrative contract offer to the 24-year-old shooting guard, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports. Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season with the Pistons, and was the team’s best defender on the floor. With a league-leading $21.9 million in cap space, the Nets should be able to make a significant push for Caldwell-Pope.

Danilo Gallinari

Gallinari, who declined his player option for the 2017-18 season with the Denver Nuggets, is reportedly on the Clippers’ radar, ESPN’s Wojnarowski said during an appearance on The Jump (h/t Michael Gallagher of Rotoworld). However, Gallinari isn’t expected to come cheap. Sean Deveney of Sporting News reports the Italian forward is seeking a “Chandler Parsons-type contract” in the range of four years for $94 million. Gallinari led the Nuggets in scoring last season with 18.2 points per game.

George Hill

With Utah acquiring Ricky Rubio in a trade from Minnesota on Friday, the chances of Hill re-signing with the Jazz are slim, but several other teams are reportedly interested in the veteran point guard. New York is a strong possibility, with ESPN’s Ian Begley reporting that Hill is the Knicks’ “top target” in free agency. San Antonio and Denver have also expressed interest, per The Salt Lake Tribune‘s Tony Jones. Hill was limited to 49 games last season due to injuries, but he performed admirably with averages of 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists with the Jazz.