For the past four months, there have been rumors that point guard Marcelo Huertas was looking to play in the NBA this season after starring in Europe and for the Brazil National Team the past several year. Now it may be a reality.
Sportando reported that Huertas, 32, has officially left FC Barcelona after four seasons with the club on August 12. Huertas, who also turned down an offer from Galatasary of the Turkish Basketball League, reportedly has eyes just for the NBA though he has yet to receive an offer.
Marcelinho Huertas just thinks about NBA. His agent Alex Saratsis @OctagonBsktball keeps negotiating with some franchises.
— Gerard Darnes (@Gerard_Darnes) July 30, 2015
It is believed that Galatasary may come back with a more attractive offer to try to convince the 6-foot-3 guard to head to Istanbul.
Huertas appeared in 62 games last year with Barcelona, averaging 7.7 points along with 4.5 assists in 22 minutes of action. He also shot 44.2% from the floor and 34.8% from beyond the arc.
This is not the first Huertas has expressed interest in the NBA but he had been basically handcuffed with his previous long-term contracts that contained significant NBA buyouts according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports .
So, if he is able to secure a deal, what does Huertas bring to a NBA team?
Leadership and playmaking are the two areas of his game that stand out.
“If you look at NBA rosters, there are unbelievable starting point guards, but maybe not as many guys who can come off the bench able to run the team, score the ball – as well as being able to be a leader for young players,” Huertas told Wojnarowski earlier this year. “Those are things I know I’ll be able to bring with me.”
Huertas possesses excellent court vision and solid handles which allows him to thrive in pick-n-roll situations. One cause for concern, however, may be his lack of precision from beyond the arc. Huertas is a career 35.4% three-point shooter but he has not made more than 38% of his attempts from beyond the arc the past three season — the international three-point line is shorter than the NBA’s.
While most teams are filling up their training camps rosters, there are still plenty of teams that could use a veteran backup guard. The Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs immediately come to mind. The Cavs, who are still looking to add a few more pieces, have Kyrie Irving, Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova at point guard. But their depth chart at shooting guard only includes Iman Shumpert and Joe Harris. Irving and Dellavedova also have the ability to play at the shooting guard position.
The Spurs don’t have the roster flexibility as the Cavs but Huertas would fit nicely alongside Tony Parker, Patty Mills, Danny Green or Manu Ginobili.
Other places Huertas could possibly land include Golden State, Houston, New York, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans, Washington and Utah.
(photo by Christian Peterson/Getty Images)
