NBA Free Agency Rumors: Carlos Boozer Is On Several Teams’ Radar, Including New York Knicks And San Antonio Spurs
With most of the major players of the 2015 NBA free agency period already snapped up, general managers are looking for veterans willing to come to their teams on the “cheap.”
One such player that is garnering a lot of attention on the bargain assumption is Carlos Boozer. Boozer, 33, has made eight playoff appearances in 13 NBA seasons. The six-foot-nine power forward may finally get his chance to play on a championship caliber team, as the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, and the Toronto Raptors have expressed interest in the veteran as well as the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.
In a more recent update on Boozer’s free agency status, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops is reporting that the New York Knicks are also interested in Boozer.
Boozer spent last season with the dreadful Los Angeles Lakers. He appeared in 71 games, making 26 starts, and averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 49.9 percent from the field.
Boozer is not close to the player he was a few seasons ago, when he averaged 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Chicago Bulls during the 2012-13 season. Boozer averages 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds for his career.
With Boozer being on the decline, why are so many teams interested in him? The reason being is that he is still seen as a valuable player off the bench due to his pick-n-pop and rebounding ability. However, he won’t provide much on the defensive end.
The rest of the article will look at the viability of Boozer joining one of the teams listed above.
San Antonio: The Spurs need depth at the center position and with all the veterans that the Spurs have, Boozer is an ideal choice to fill one of the team’s few roster spots left. However, San Antonio just re-signed Matt Bonner and have seven-foot-three rookie Boban Marjanovic, as the Inquisitr previously reported, on the roster to back up Tim Duncan. The Spurs also could sign second-round draft pick Cady Lalanne, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.0 minutes of action during Las Vegas summer league.
Dallas: The Mavericks have several spots to fill, and their only “bigs” currently on the roster are Zaza Pachulia, Dirk Nowitzki, Charlie Villaneuva, and Dwight Powell. Dallas is also reportedly interested in Kevin Seraphin and Tyus Thomas, who is attempting a comeback.
Los Angeles Clippers: Despite the fact that the Clips just re-signed DeAndre Jordan and signed Josh Smith, they still have room for Boozer if he wants to give the team a deal like Smith. Cole Aldrich and Blake Griffin are the Clippers only other interior players.
New Orleans: The Pelicans have spent a lot of money this offseason, securing Anthony Davis and Omer Asik for the future, but they still need to round out their roster. New Orleans has plenty of interior players, but teams could always use another contributor off the bench. Along with Davis and Asik, Dante Cunningham and Alexis Ajinca are post players currently on New Orleans’ roster. What the Pelicans really need is depth at the small forward position.
Toronto Raptors: The Raptors don’t seem to be a fit anymore as they are currently at their roster threshold. Toronto has improved their team immensely this offseason with the signings of DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, Luis Scola, and Bismack Biyombo.
New York Knicks: The Knicks would be a good landing place for Boozer if he is interested in seeing a lot of playing time. New York has upgraded its roster but is not a championship caliber team. The Knicks are also talking about bringing in summer sensation Maurice Ndour to training camp. Ndour, an undrafted free agent out of Ohio University, averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 caroms a game in Las Vegas.
[Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]
