Wesley Matthews will seek a new contract in the range of $15 million annually despite suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in early March, Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports recently reported. Amick said Matthews' recovery from his injury was going well, and the shooting guard is ahead of schedule in his rehab, ESPN's Marc Stein said on Monday night
NBA free agent rumors 2015: Wesley Matthews ahead of schedule in rehab
Matthews is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab from an Achilles injury and is looking for a nice payday.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Stein added that the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors have shown interest in Matthews, who averaged a tick under 16 points and shot 39 percent from three last season before getting hurt. The 28-year-old has been a remarkably consistent three-point shooter over the course of his career, never shooting under 38 percent.
The Mavericks and Raptors are both set to have a good amount of cap space, and a healthy Matthews would be a nice addition to either of those teams. However, teams should be wary of giving too much money to a player coming off an Achilles tear, as that’s a tough injury to come back from. He could very well be ahead of schedule, but suitors also have to be wary that this “ahead of schedule” report is just a ploy from his agent.
Hawks in the mix for Ellis
The Atlanta Hawks have previously been mentioned as a possible destination for Monta Ellis, and those rumblings are getting louder:
Hearing that the Hawks are expected to be in the mix for Monta Ellis.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 30, 2015 This would be an interesting fit for Atlanta. The Hawks could use a shot creator, but Ellis isn’t a good outside shooter and would be a “square peg in a round hole” in Mike Budenholzer’s offense, according to Peachtree Hoops’ Brad Rowland.
Additionally, Atlanta has to figure things out with Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll in free agency. Millsap seems like a lock to return, but Carroll may price himself out of the Hawks' range, because they only have his early Bird rights and can't go over the cap to re-sign him. In that case, perhaps the leftover money could be used to pursue Ellis.
Kobe recruiting Jordan
The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to get in on numerous free agents, with DeAndre Jordan as one of the top targets. The Lakers will get a meeting with the highly sought after big man, and Kobe Bryant has already given Jordan a call to let him know about the team's interest, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
While the Lakers could use a rim protector like Jordan to anchor what's been a porous defense over the last few years, he looks like a long shot. LaMarcus Aldridge is the more likely acquisition at this point, with one report even saying that Aldridge is leaning toward Los Angeles, despite all the chatter about the San Antonio Spurs.
Gasol only meeting with Grizzlies
Stein reported late Monday night that Marc Gasol is meeting with his Memphis Grizzlies in Spain and has no other meetings planned. Gasol has never given any indication of leaving, and this reinforces that. Expect the Spaniard and the Grizzlies to reach an agreement on a new deal quickly.
Green willing to take less than max?
Draymond Green is set to meet with the Golden State Warriors right at the start of free agency, and if all goes well, the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up will agree to a new deal before meeting any other teams. Most have figured that Green will get a max from the Warriors, but Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group says the versatile forward may be willing to take less than a max to help keep a bit more flexibility moving forward.
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