AROUND the NBA: Pat Bev Suspended 4 Games Next Season| PHX Fires Vogel, Hires Bud

[DanSchwartzgan]

Harden back to Philly, eh?

If you follow the rumors, the top of Free Agency is probably:

Harden - Phily
Irving - Dallas
Middleton - Bucks
Draymond - GSW
FVV - Houston
Grant - (Depends on Dame)
Lopez - (Houston or Bucks)
Cam Johnson - Brooklyn matches
Reeves - Lakers Match
Vuc - (Hard to call.  What is Chicago's plan here)
Poeltl - Toronto
Kuzma - Kings
Barnes - Indy
Brooks - Houston
G. Williams - (Boston can't afford)
Brown - (Loyalty to Denver or take the $50mm and run?)

I've marked in RED those who seem to be most up in the air.  Grant would require a trade with Portland (which doesn't happen unless Dame leaves).  I don't think Dallas is a leading candidate for Lopez.  That leaves Vuc, G. Williams and Brown.  All control their destiny.  G-Will and Brown probably can't get top dollar from their own teams.  Does anyone have any idea what Chicago is doing.  They could run it back or could do a full-on Wiz v2.0 with LaVine being the Beal in this version.

I know others have posted this, but Vuc is an interesting option.  He's a vastly different center from Lively or Holmes.  You could start him for now and count on Maxi and Green to be the primary defenders in the first five.  But, eventually, he could be a bench big who carries some scoring load as he finishes this contract and Lively moves to the starting five.  

Just my read of the tea leaves as of now.