Offseason Beat: NBA Free Agency: Southeast
Hey everyone, welcome to the third installment of Rotoworld’s division-by-division 2016 NBA free agency preview. Free agency is less than 24 hours away and the Rotoworld crew has been working around the clock to get you prepared. I’ll be previewing the Southeast Division in this article which includes the Magic, Heat, Hornets, Wizards and Hawks, but be sure to check out the previews for the Pacific Division and Northwest Division by clicking on the links below.
Pacific Division (Ethan Norof)
Northwest Division (Ryan Knaus)
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Miami Heat
Free Agents: Dwyane Wade (unrestricted), Hassan Whiteside (unrestricted), Luol Deng (unrestricted), Joe Johnson (unrestricted), Tyler Johnson (restricted), Amare Stoudemire (unrestricted), Udonis Haslem (unrestricted), Gerald Green (unrestricted), Dorell Wright (unrestricted).
Team Needs: Heat fans have reason to be nervous this summer with several key players hitting free agency, and there are still so many unanswered questions about the health of Chris Bosh. Re-signing Dwayne Wade and Hassan Whiteside will likely be Miami’s top priorities in free agency, but only after they take a shot at luring Kevin Durant to South Beach. Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson give the Heat solid depth at both guard spots, and Justise Winslow should be ready to take on a much larger role at both SF and PF next season. Adding some frontcourt depth behind Bosh will be crucial this summer, but they will also have to find a way to upgrade their bench because Gerald Green and Amare Stoudemire clearly aren’t the answer.
FA Outlook: The Heat have secured a meeting with Durant, but it’s still a long shot that he even leaves OKC. There have been some reports that Wade might leave Miami, but it’s likely just a negotiation ploy by his agent to increase his value. I just don’t see Wade leaving. Whiteside is generating a ton of interest from teams such as the Lakers and Mavericks, so it will likely take a max offer to keep him in Miami. If the Heat are forced to move on from Whiteside and Durant turns down the Heat, expect Miami to give Al Horford and maybe even Dwight Howard a look. As for Luol Deng and Joe Johnson, they might be a little too pricey for the Heat to bring back, but Richardson and Winslow should be ready to fill the void anyways. That being said, Johnson might be willing to take a discount to stay in South Beach.
Charlotte Hornets
Free Agents: Nicolas Batum (unrestricted), Al Jefferson (unrestricted), Marvin Williams (unrestricted), Courtney Lee (unrestricted), Jeremy Lin (unrestricted), Tyler Hansbrough (unrestricted), Jorge Gutierrez (unrestricted), Troy Daniels (restricted).
Team Needs: The Hornets made a lot of strides last season and won their first playoff game since 2002, but with five key players in Batum, Lee, Lin, Williams and Jefferson heading into free agency, this Charlotte team could look a lot different next season. Adding some backcourt depth behind Kemba Walker would be ideal, but their biggest need this offseason is a rim protector. The Hornets will have a healthy Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back on their roster next season and Frank Kaminsky might be ready for more minutes, but this team should probably start looking to rebuild if Batum leaves.
FA Outlook: Batum is Charlotte’s top priority and it isn’t close, but even with a max contract offer, re-signing him may be difficult with other teams such as the Warriors and Wizards rumored to be interested in his signature. Williams and Lin will probably be next in line for Charlotte, but both of those players should draw considerable interest from around the NBA as well. Courtney Lee thrived in Charlotte after a mid-season trade with the Grizzlies, but the Hornets’ questionable decision to trade for Marco Belinelli might signal the end of Lee’s career in Charlotte. As for Jefferson, the big man has too many durability concerns and the Hornets need a long-term answer at the center position.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, Charlotte hasn’t been able to recruit many big free agents in the past, so this team could take a huge step backwards next season unless they’re able to re-sign Batum and a combination of Lin, Williams and Lee.
Atlanta Hawks
Free Agents: Al Horford (unrestricted), Kent Bazemore (unrestricted), Kris Humphries (unrestricted), Kirk Hinrich (unrestricted).
Team Needs: Regardless of how you feel about the Jeff Teague trade, the Hawks have decided to move forward with Dennis Schroder as their starting point guard. They obviously need a backup behind Schroder now, so a guy like D.J. Augustin or Ish Smith would make sense. The Hawks should be fine at small forward even if Kent Bazemore leaves after drafting Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry, but they could certainly add another shooting guard in free agency since Kyle Korver has just one year left on his deal. Paul Millsap will return as the starting PF and has two more years left on his deal, so the Hawks’ main focus should be to either re-sign Al Horford or quickly find a replacement at center.
FA Outlook: The Hawks insist that re-signing Bazemore will still be a priority after drafting two small forwards in the first round, but that may be difficult since he is said to be demanding a contract of around $16 million per year. Al Horford is obviously their No. 1 priority, but it’s clear that it’s going to take a maximum contract to keep him with several teams such as the Warriors, Celtics, Lakers, Rockets, Magic, Wizards, Thunder and Pistons all said to be interested in the big man. If Horford ultimately leaves, Dwight Howard could be an option for the Hawks and it’s worth noting that D-12 already has a meeting lined up with Atlanta.
Washington Wizards
Free Agents: Bradley Beal (restricted), Jared Dudley (unrestricted), Alan Anderson (unrestricted), J.J. Hickson (unrestricted), Nene (unrestricted), Ramon Sessions (unrestricted), Garrett Temple (unrestricted), Marcus Thornton (unrestricted).
Team Needs: The Wizards were one of the most disappointing teams in the East last season, but maybe things will start to turn around with a new head coach in Scott Brooks. John Wall is coming off a couple knee surgeries, but he will be back for the start of the season along with the rest of the Wizards’ starting lineup, assuming Bradley Beal is re-signed as a restricted free agent. Sessions, Dudley and Nene could all leave Washington this summer, so the Wizards will have to upgrade their bench this summer. Don’t be surprised if Kelly Oubre takes on a larger role next season as well.
FA Outlook: While Beal does have some major durability concerns, he’s still only 23 years old and is a great fit next to Wall. It may take a max offer to keep him, but the Wizards might as well pay him since they have no shot of luring Kevin Durant to Washington. They have a couple of nice small forwards in Porter and Oubre, but adding another solid big behind Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat will be their next priority after re-signing Beal. Al Horford and Joakim Noah have both been linked to Washington, but I don’t see a deal happening for either player with Marcin Gortat still under contract.
Orlando Magic
Free Agents: Evan Fournier (restricted), Brandon Jennings (unrestricted), Andrew Nicholson (unrestricted), Jason Smith (unrestricted), Dewayne Dedmon (restricted).
Team Needs: I didn’t like the Magic’s decision to trade Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis for Serge Ibaka, but they do finally have a rim protector to complement Nikola Vucevic. The Magic need to add some depth at point guard and center this offseason, and they could certainly add another shooter since floor spacing was an issue last season. Orlando will also have a ton of cap space to work with, so expect them to go after at least one high-profile free agent.
FA Outlook: With Oladipo moving on to OKC, it’s basically a lock that the Magic will re-sign Fournier. They will also need a veteran PG to mentor Elfrid Payton, but don’t expect to see Brandon Jennings back in Orlando. Dedmon looked great last season when Vucevic went down with an injury, so I’d expect the Magic to bring him back if he’s not too expensive. The Magic are desperate to get into the postseason, so don’t be surprised to see them go after a guy like Chandler Parsons or Al Horford. They’ve also been linked to Jamal Crawford, and while that would be an awesome signing, I’d expect the Sixth Man of the Year to sign with a contender.
