NBA Trades and Free Agency News Tracker for 2016-17 Season: Wade Could've Been With Knicks, Celtics Likely to Trade for Okafor
The Summer League has just ended, with the Chicago Bulls winning the championship thanks to a Denzel Valentine buzzer beater at overtime. NBA die-hard fans have kept up with this small pre-season tournament, as much as they have followed their favorite teams and players in NBA Free Agency.
This season's free agency has changed the NBA landscape so much, thanks to the increased salary cap; teams are giving away money like it's nothing. Here's a look at the latest free agency updates.
1. Wade Could've been with the Knicks
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Frank Isola, writer for the NY Daily News, tweeted that Carmelo Anthony said the New York Knicks could've signed Dwyane Wade but the timing wasn't right.
Dwyane Wade left Miami Heat because he was angered by the franchise's offer. He began talking with other teams, including the Knicks and the Bulls.
On July 3, the New York Knicks signed Courtney Lee. This made getting Dwyane Wade impractical. Wade signed with the Chicago Bulls, his hometown, on July 6.
Anthony is presuming that if the Knicks waited for a bit longer before signing Lee, and signing Jennings the day after that, then Wade could've signed with the Knicks instead of the Bulls.
However, one can also argue that Wade really wanted to go to the Bulls in the first place. Wade said he is "excited to go back to the place I've always envisioned playing basketball. Being a kid, growing up, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls was the team for us."
2. Celtics Trade for Jahlil Okafor in the Cards
It's more likely for the Boston Celtics to trade for Jahlil Okafor than Blake Griffin or Russell Westbrook.
Boston Celtics needs a player who can make an immediate big impact. In an interview with CSNNE.com, an NBA scout said that between two of Philadelphia 76ers' bigs: Okafor and Noel, Okafor is the more replaceable of the two, since Noel "has the ability to run the floor and protect the rim."
Okafor is a scorer, and will definitely help Boston, although some experts are critical about Okafor being good enough to make a really huge difference. Okafor also had issues off the court.
Danny Ainge is surely ready to engage in a block-buster trade that no one sees coming.
3. Alonzo Gee returns to Pelicans
Shams Charania, writer for The Vertical on Yahoo, tweeted "Free Agent Alonzo Gee is finalizing a one-year deal with New Orleans."
Gee averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game last season.
Many fans see Gee's return as unsurprising, especially since he and Anthony Davis are very close friends. Also, Gee's biggest contribution last season is his defense; he was the second best player in his team in terms of defensive rating.
4. Other NBA Free Agency and Trade Updates
Jordan Hill signs a 2-year $8 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Marc Gasol is still recovering from a right foot injury he sustained last season, which led him to play only 30 games. The Spurs has a new assistant general manager in former executive of the Detroit Pistons Brian Wright.
