Carlos Boozer (ETO) / Paul Millsap (Restricted): Word out of Utah is that the Jazz are willing to pay the luxury tax to keep
Millsap, though trusting the word of an NBA owner is like trusting, well, the word of Carlos Boozer, who's publicly stated that he will opt-out of the final year of his contract. As a starter, Millsap put up 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, establishing himself as an ideal throwback, bruising power forward who dominates in the paint. Unfortunately, he's likely played himself out of the Kings' budget and could receive offers upwards of $10 million per season. Boozer, meanwhile, is coming off yet another injury-plagued year, and would demand Elton Brand money on the open market (five years, ~$80 million). That sure worked out well for Philly. Thanks, but no thanks.
David Lee (Restricted): Another product of Mike D'Antoni's system, Lee's coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game, although his defense has been a tad sketchy. And by sketchy, I mean non-existent. As a New Yorker who's been subjected to some terrible Knicks games over the last few years, I'm not ashamed to say that I've developed a bit of a man crush on "Da White Howard." Despite the Knicks' financial considerations that could keep them from matching an offer sheet, Lee would almost certainly cost more than the mid-level exception. How does Ike Diogu and Kenny Thomas sound, Isiah? Whoops, old habits die hard.
Lamar Odom: Odom's been reliable year-in and year-out, and has quietly had a terrific season as a sixth man on a Finals-bound Laker team. And yet he also has a history of fading in crunch-time, and is responsible for one of the dumbest plays I've ever seen on the basketball court. Go ahead and watch, I'll wait. Besides, the Kings just rid themselves of one high performer when they traded Brad Miller, so I'll, um, pass.
Charlie Villanueva (Restricted): Charlie V might be the most readily available restricted free agent because the Bucks are dangerously close to the luxury tax threshold. Villanueva can score inside and out and actually posted one of the highest rebounding rates at his position. However, he's also wildly inconsistent, has trouble defending bigger forwards, and has demonstrated an alarming lack of maturity and commitment, even under a defensive-minded coach like Scott Skiles. He famously raised a few eyebrows by caring more about his Twitter followers than a team in the midst of a playoff run.
Article comments
1 - ebooker
Jordan Hill Manny-style dreadlock wigs will be all the rage in Sactown come this Fall..
2 - doktakra
I was going to respond with a Ricky Rubio quip, and then I noticed he was born in 1990. Sigh...has it already come to that? Man, I'm old.