New Orleans Pelicans: Possible Landing Spots for Derrick Favors
New Orleans Pelicans: Could Derrick Favors land in Miami or Charlotte?
Miami Heat
Possible Cap Space: $26.5 million
Biggest Needs: Point Guard
The Miami Heat will be one of the most interesting teams this offseason, as they will likely have cap space, but may choose to spend it on their own free agents and wait for the more celebrated free agent group of 2021.
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This is the luxury you have when your team is a top free agent destination. Pat Riley knows he’ll have a shot at the top guys next season, so may just choose to run it back with this good (and old) Heat team and see what happens.
Meyers Leonard will probably find greener pastures in the offseason, but Miami still has young all star Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk as bigs. Favors could be a nice fit alongside either one, but would be an expensive bench player for the Heat.
This might not appeal to Favors either, who is probably looking for a guaranteed role or a big pay day. He’s not going to take less money for a diminished role, so the Heat will not be in play unless they make a trade.
Charlotte Hornets
Possible Cap Space: $28 million
Biggest Needs: Shooting Guard
Congratulations Hornets, after this season you will no longer be paying Bismack Biyombo $17 million a year! A year after that, no more paying Nick Batum $27 million or Cody freaking Zeller $15.4 million!
The Hornets have some of the worst contracts in the NBA, but can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. They have some young talent in Devonte’ Graham, P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges, so for the first time in 800 years there is hope in Charlotte.
Charlotte could definitely use help in the paint, as Zeller simply is not a starting calibre big man, though he is being paid as one.
Favors makes some sense, as they could use a defender and rebounder, some toughness and he fits well with their core both in age and on the floor. They’d have to find a taker for Zeller which might be tough given his salary and production.
It would be a very Charlotte-like move to blow money on Favors when they are right on the cusp of real salary cap freedom. It’s moves like this that have kept Charlotte perpetually fighting for the 9th seed.
But if they want to upgrade their center position and defense and feel like they have a shot at making the playoffs next season, they could give Derrick Favors a sack of money.
Hopefully Charlotte has learned from the aforementioned deals, but it’s unlikely, so they are in play for Favors.