The NBA free agent market has JaVale McGee still available and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, NY Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets could be potential landing spots, but reports have LA and the Mavs as the front runners in the chase to sign the oft-injured big man.
McGee was a productive player when healthy, but he has not been able to stay on the court over the past two years. According to Basketball Insiders, Alex Kennedy reports that McGee is "focused" on "getting healthy" and that sources say "several teams have shown interest" in the center. Kennedy writes that the Lakers and Mavericks "seem like frontrunners" to get a deal done. Both teams need help up front and the Lakers could be a better option after the Mavs already signed Samuel Dalembert.
Earlier in the offseason Marc Stein at ESPN reported that the Mavericks were interested in McGee, but in an "exploratory" capacity. The Mavericks made a trade for Zaza Pachulia and signed Dalembert after losing DeAndre Jordan and they may not bring in McGee after making those moves. Clearly the team still has some interest, but the Lakers may fit better for McGee at this point. McGee only played in 23 games last season, but he was productive and averaged five points and three rebounds per game in 11 minutes per contest.
McGee only played in five games in the previous season and while he was in Denver he had his best season, putting up 11 points and eight rebounds per game. McGee has had leg injury issues the past two years, but the Lakers want more front court depth behind Roy Hibbert and Robert Sacre. The team is reportedly not bringing in Robert Upshaw for the season and the Lakers could also look at Chris Andersen as a trade option.
Pachulia was acquired by the Mavericks from the Bucks and he comes in after averaging eight points and nearly seven rebounds per game last season. With Dalembert and Pachulia on the roster already, the Mavs may not push as hard to sign another center right now and that could open up the Lakers as an option. The Bulls and Knicks both want some more front court depth and Chicago needs it, as they just have Joakim Noah as a true center on the roster.
The Lakers added Roy Hibbert this summer and while they see him rebounding back to where he was a couple years ago, it's no sure thing he will be consistent after a tough season in Indiana. McGee is not the remedy to that since he has questions about staying healthy, but having him on the roster could give some solid depth and the Lakers are also fairly stacked at forward coming into camp. McGee has to prove he can get healthy and stay healthy before a team really commits, but after looking okay in his time with the Sixers and Nuggets last season while on the court, he could get a deal soon.
Check here for more on the Lakers and Mavs interest in McGee.
