NBA free agency is here, and there has been a flurry of moves in the first week. With the cap rising, players are landing lucrative deals, especially compared to previous seasons. Despite many of the big-names agreeing to deals, like Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade, there are still several quality players left on the market. Today also marks the first day players can officially sign contracts with their teams. Here are the latest NBA rumors and news you need to know.
Festus Ezeli And Portland?
The Trail Blazers failed to land their top targets in the front court (Hassan Whiteside, Pau Gasol, Al Horford), but they are still searching for help.
Blazers meeting with Warriors free agent center Festus Ezeli today in Portland, sources said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 7, 2016
Ezeli expects to get a deal done with the Blazers.
"They have something good brewing here," Ezeli told CSN. "I bought a one-way ticket. We are going to figure it out.’"
There are concerns about Ezeli's knees, as he's had multiple surgeries in the past few years. Still, he's just 26 years old and showed promise with the Warriors last year.
Could Celtics Lose Jared Sullinger?
The Celtics added center Al Horford, but they could be in danger of losing Jared Sullinger. He's a restricted free agent, but ESPN reports the Celtics could be hesitant to match a larger offer for Sullinger. Boston likes having cap flexibility and they could lose that by matching a large deal. The Celtics extended Sullinger a $3.3 million qualifying offer. He'd surely get more on the open market if he were an unrestricted free agent. Sullinger was the best rebounder on a team that struggled in that department.
MUST READ: The Inside Story Of Jay Z’s Free Agency Pitch To LeBron
Hawks Still Looking To Make Moves?
The Atlanta Hawks have already pulled off several moves this offseason, including trading PG Jeff Teague and signing C Dwight Howard. However, they might not be done yet according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Hawks are being very active in trying to improve the team, according to a person familiar with the situation. Even with a roster that currently stands at 15-plus under contract, the Hawks are looking to add another front-line player and a point guard in the coming days or weeks.
One player mentioned is Kris Humphries, who the Hawks added late last year. It's a thin point guard market, but the Hawks could be able to find a veteran to backup Dennis Schroder.
Plumlee Leaving?
Several teams are still in the market for big man help, and Bucks RFA Miles Plumlee is drawing interest.
Milwaukee C Miles Plumlee one of the top RFA bigs. Several teams looking to create room to make offers for 27-year-old.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 7, 2016
Plumlee has averaged 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his NBA career. He's not really a starting center, but can be a quality backup.
Latest Signings
With so many players agreeing to contracts, we're changing this from a running list of all the moves to only the most recent ones. This list does not include players who have officially signed previously reported deals.
Dewayne Dedmon - 2 years, $6 million with Spurs (Source)
Boban Marjanovic - 3 years, $21 million with Pistons (Source) (Spurs can match, likely won't)
Leandro Barbosa - 2 years, $8 million with Suns (Source)
Richard Jefferson - 2 years, $5 million with Cavs (Source)