The New Orleans Pelicans will be the first team to meet with Sacramento Kings restricted free agent Tyreke Evans when free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. ET Monday, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
NBA free agent rumors: Pelicans to meet with Tyreke Evans, according to report
New Orleans can likely clear enough cap space to sign Evans outright to an offer sheet, although Sacramento can match any offer.
The Pelicans have already been busy this offseason, having traded No. 6 pick Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for point guard Jrue Holiday. Now New Orleans reportedly has set its sights on the talented Evans, who could be on his way out of Sacramento with the Kings selecting Ben McLemore with the No. 7 pick in the draft.
The Pelicans currently have roughly $6 million in cap room if all of their free agents are renounced, so they almost certainly don't have the space to sign Evans outright to an offer sheet at this point in time. However, moves can be made to increase that cap room. There are numerous unguaranteed deals on the payroll, with Robin Lopez's $5.2 million contract being the largest.
There's also the possibility of moving Eric Gordon to free up cap space, although perhaps the Pelicans would like to keep Gordon and play three-guard lineups with Holiday, Gordon and Evans. And if for whatever reason there's not enough cap space cleared to sign Evans outright, a sign-and-trade can always be pursued. It also must be noted that the Kings can match any offer for Evans.
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