Odds by Jackson McNally, Evens by Brandon Garland
1) Orlando Magic – Kyle Korver, SG/Tony Allen, SG. With a plethora of young talent at the 3, 4, and 5, the Magic could look to add a veteran backcourt presence. With the highly likely chance the Magic draft a guard with their top pick (guaranteed top 3), it would be good to add a veteran or mentor. That’s why I feel they should pursue swingman Kyle Korver or lockdown defender Tony Allen. Both of these players bring certain things to the table that would be great additions for the Magic. For Korver, 2 years and $7 million per year would be a likely contract, and Tony Allen could see 3 years and $9 million.
2) Charlotte Bobcats – Paul Millsap, PF. The Charlotte Bobcats, by all means, seem likely to pick C Nerlens Noel in the draft, assuming that he is available. That said, Bismack Biyombo has improved this season, but he may be better suited coming off the bench at the 5. A perfect fit for Charlotte is 6’8 Paul Millsap. He can score (which anyone who watched the Cats this year knows that they need), rebound (which has proven to be difficult for all besides Biyombo), and shoot the mid-range jump shot (which will open the floor for guys like Kemba). Millsap put up 14.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and a solid block per contest, with a very nice 19.89 PER. He is 28 which isn’t young, but it isn’t old either. A solid deal for both sides would look something like 4 years, $60 million.
3) Cleveland Cavaliers – DJ Augustin, PG. It’s a known fact across the league that the Cavs have a superstar in the making in Kyrie Irving. What they don’t have is someone who is capable of coming off the bench as his back-up. I think a cheap fix would be former Bobcats and current pacers PG DJ Augustin. He brings quickness, plus the ability to run the offense and knock down 3 point shots. This would certainly help Kyrie in the long run. DJ can look at 3 years, $8 million.
4) Phoenix Suns – OJ Mayo, SG. Phoenix has many, many problems. But one of these problems is at the 2 guard, and this problem was nearly resolved last summer by Eric Gordon, a shooting guard who truly isn’t much better than Mayo. Dragic seems to be a lone bright spot for the Suns, and taking some heat off of their point guard would certainly help. A knockdown 3 point shooter who can also drive to the bucket, Mayo would fit this role nicely. He had 15.3 PPG and shot the three at a great clip of 41%. A 4 year, $45 million dollar deal should fit.
5) New Orleans Pelicans – Kevin Martin, SG. Along with their crazy new name, this rebuilding franchise will also need a SG to replace Eric Gordon who has recently fallen out of favor. They are going to need someone who can stretch the floor and knock down shots. They are not a very deep team and are very young so consistency is definitely a factor. I feel like current OKC SG Kevin Martin is the pick here and fills all of those requirements. A good KMart deal would be 2 years, $13 million.
6) Sacramento Kings – Andre Iguodala, SF/SG. Tyreke Evans has not worked out very well for the Kings, and John Salmons is no longer an NBA starter. There are two holes now in the Kings lineup, both of which can be partially filled by Andre Iguodala. The swingman put up 13 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 5.3 RPG, with a PER of 15.27, making Iggy a good choice for Sacramento this off-season.
7) Detroit Pistons – Corey Brewer, SG/Chase Budinger, SF/SG. This is an improving team that is looking to solidify positions with young talent. The likes of Brandon Knight, Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe all look to have bright futures in the NBA. One position that the Pistons have not secured is the SF. The only player on the books for next year is seldom used rookie Khris Middleton. I feel like a glue guy in Corey Brewer or Chase Budinger could help this team in the short term and allow them to build up the position through the draft. Brewer should look for 2 years, $3 million per year and Budinger could see the same with a 3 year deal.
8) Washington Wizards – Nikola Pekovic, C. The Wiz have created a solid backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal, but their frontcourt could still use a bit of work. The Montenegro native has had a very productive second year, with 16 and 9 per game, shooting 52% and a total of 20.26 PER. This being said, Minnesota is likely to match most offers made to Pek, so perhaps a more realistic option is JJ Hickson. Pekovic should see around 4 years, $40 million.
9) Minnesota Timberwolves – Gerald Henderson, SG/Tyreke Evans, SG/Monta Ellis, SG. A team looking to build on its foundation, the T-Wolves are strong at many positions. They took a chance on Brandon Roy which blew up in their face as he got hurt again. They should certainly go after a top tier shooting guard in this FA class. I see RFA Gerald Henderson of the Bobcats as a good fit, but I also see the Bobcats matching a deal proposed to him. Alternate options would be Kings 2 guard Tyreke Evans or Monta Ellis. If it’s Hendo, he’ll see around 4 years, $7.5 million per. The other two could see the same length, but around $10 million a year.
10) Portland Trail Blazers – Tyler Hansbrough, PF/Chase Budinger, SF/Nick Young, SG. Portland is a good team as its starting 5 goes, but its backups are weak, very weak. Each of these three players listed above are certainly not NBA stars, but each are very solid second line players. Tyler should look for 3 years, $10 million, Budinger can expect nearly the same, and Nick Young will grab 3 years, $14 million.
11) Philadelphia 76ers – Al Jefferson, C/Emeka Okafor, C. After shooting themselves in the foot with the Andrew Bynum trade (see Worst Contracts in NBA), the Sixers are looking to improve and get into the weak Eastern Conference playoff race next year. They could go all out in a effort to get Jazz big man Al Jefferson or could look for a veteran stopgap in Emeka Okafor. Once again, this all assuming Andrew Bynum takes his talents elsewhere. The veteran Okafor will get 2 years, $8 million.
12) Toronto Raptors – JJ Hickson, PF. The Raptors actually have a very decent squad of young talent, but they could use an upgrade at the 4. Hickson provides this, and the current Trail Blazer is a solid NBA PF. The 4th year man averaged a double-double this season with 12.7 and 10.4 and a PER of 19.71. The former member of the Wolfpack should bring in 4 years, 20 million dollars total.
13) Dallas Mavericks – Andrew Bynum, C. Sad to see a team go .500 and still be mentioned on The Lottery Mafia. The Mavericks are running out of time with Dirk Nowitzki as he is close to retirement. Don’t be surprised to see Owner Mark Cuban empty his pockets and go for an All-Star caliber player in the hopes of one more championship run. I see them strongly pursuing Andrew Bynum. They just might have the players to keep this extremely talented head-case under wraps and make him a very productive player. Bynum will be close to a max deal, with around 4 years/$56 million total.
14) Utah Jazz – Rodney Stuckey, SG. The Jazz are likely to lose one of their top 2 bigs in Jefferson and/or Millsap this offseason, but both Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter seem poised to step up. This being said, the frontcourt shouldn’t be much of an issue for Utah, whereas the 2 guard has been and likely will be. Though Rodney Stuckey had an off season, he could very well rebound in the next season. Look for a 4 year, 30 million dollar deal.
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