The Philadelphia 76ers have released their recently acquired center, JaVale McGee, in a player-friendly move that will include McGee getting all of the money owed to him this season, but next as season as well.
Now that McGee is officially on the free-agent market – along with being eligible for the 2015 NBA Playoffs because he was released before the Mar. 1st deadline – there are already several teams reportedly chomping at the bit to add McGee for the rest of this season and maybe next season as well.
There are a lot of teams where adding a big like McGee would make sense, mostly playoff contenders, but listed below are five teams I think make the most sense not only for the team but for McGee as well.
Atlanta Hawks:
The Hawks elected to play it cool at the NBA Trade Deadline this year, which was fine, they are comfortably in first place in the Eastern Conference Standings at 47-12, so you really can’t fault them for not taking the chance on messing up the team’s brilliant chemistry with somebody like Gary Neal of the Minnesota Timberwolves (who played under head coach Mike Budenholzer when he was an assistant in San Antonio). With all that said, the team isn’t perfect and rather than adding another guard like Neal into the mix, adding a big so the team could relegate struggling center Pero Antic to the bench wouldn’t have been a bad idea. (Antic is roughly 1-for-∞ in from deep this year).
Antic’s struggles haven’t had a direct effect on the Hawks’ win-loss record this season, but teams get smarter, and better, come playoff time so if his struggles linger into April and May teams just elect to double-down on Al Horford and/or Paul Millsap and take their chances with Antic spotting up from deep. That could swing a game, or two, depending on the matchup, so would adding a wildcard like McGee be worth taking the gamble on? I think so.
McGee hasn’t played significant minutes since his 2012-13 Denver campaign that included a stat line of 18 points, 9.6 boards (four of those being offensive) and 3.9 blocks per 36 minutes. Sure, McGee doesn’t give you the spacing Antic theoretically provides with his 3-point shot, along with McGee not playing significant minutes since this time, but if Antic isn’t hitting one or two 3s every twelve or so minutes than why not take a chance on McGee for 12 minutes a night as the backup big?
I’ll take McGee’s rebounding and shot-blocking ability for a quarter a night come playoff time over whatever it is that Antic is currently bringing to the table nine times out of ten (There’s also that chance that Antic will turn his shooting around come playoff time, I suppose).
Portland Trail Blazers:
The Blazers are frustratingly close to real, plausible contention in the Western Conference: They have one of the best mixtures of young and veteran talent in the NBA; they have one of the best owner-GM-coach cores in the NBA in Paul Allen, Neil Olshey and Terry Stotts; they have the veteran “guy” in LaMarcus Aldridge and the young “guy” in Damian Lillard; they even have one of the largest-contention windows in the NBA because of how their roster is so beautifully constructed.
of the Indiana Pacers during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 1, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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If the Blazers do have a glaring weakness, though, it’s at the backup big spot. Meyers Leonard, has improved, sure, but after trading away Thomas Robinson in a package that netted them veteran-wing depth in the form of Arron Afflalo, Rip City could use a boost in the big-man department (Aldridge is the lone, true power forward left on the roster).
McGee is a wildcard, but a wildcard worth looking closely at when your other options are Chris Kaman and Leonard.
San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs have become a model of consistency in the NBA, but if the playoffs started today the team would be the seventh seed in the Western Conference, which would pit them against the Memphis Grizzlies, or, in other words, a very-likely first-round exit for the defending NBA champions.
To avoid that spot, the Spurs need help inside. Tiago Splitter has started just 18 games for the Spurs this season with Aron Baynes and Matt Bonner also getting spot starts through the revolving door that is the Spurs starting-center position. Quite simply, they could use McGee’s help not only to act as a fail-safe key if Splitter can’t stay healthy, but coach Popovich having the option of throwing McGee out there for Baynes’ and/or Bonner’s minutes could be huge come playoff time (have you gotten tired of this phrase yet? No? Ok good).
If Boris Diaw can have a career renaissance in San Antonio, why can’t McGee?
Dallas Mavericks:
The Mavs are no strangers to the big-man-who-just-got-bought-out market after signing former New York Knick Amar’e Stoudemire to try and replace what former Mav Brandan Wright gave the team before he was dealt to the Boston Celtics in the deal for Rajon Rondo. It was previously reported, too, that Dallas was interested in bringing Jermaine O’Neal out of semi-retirement to have a healthy mix of back-up bigs between him and Amar’e, but that didn’t happen.
Mavs’ head coach Rick Carlisle has worked his magic with talented, wildcard-like players before, most recently with Monta Ellis. Carlisle and the Mavs like their veterans and at 27 years old, it’s fair to put McGee in the “veteran” category at this stage of his career (I mean, he’s already showing interest in mentoring younger teammates).
DENVER, CO – APRIL 30: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors passes the ball against the defense of JaVale McGee #34 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 30, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
A Dirk-Tyson-Amar’e-McGee frontcourt rotation would certainly give Carlisle a nice variety of veteran bigs with very different skill sets.
Houston Rockets:
Dwight Howard isn’t getting any younger (Howard hasn’t played 82 games since the 2009-10 season), Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey loves accumulating assets and the Rockets starting Joey Dorsey in Howard’s absence at the five; Houston might have the best pitch for McGee not only this season, but going forward, too.
McGee would fit right in with the Rockets’ love of long-armed, high-upside wings and bigs. It’d also, theoretically, relieve some pressure from Howard as he continues to deal with knee and back problems.
The Rockets can offer McGee a starting job on a pseudo-contender in the West, at least temporarily, a system that should mesh nicely with McGee’s skillset and an opportunity to turn some other NBA executives heads as he tries to get one more big contract before he hits his 30s.
