Deadspin fixes NBA free agency, Part V: Centers

Centers. You can’t live without these guys, even though some teams try their hardest to. They damn near all need a three-point shot if they’re not an ideal rim-runner to have on the floor.

We mistreat them, undervalue them, and force them to play differently from what many of them were taught growing up. The game is getting faster, the bigs are getting smaller, but, in most cases, you still need a good enough one if you’re going to compete at the highest level. They may not post-up the way that they used to, nor has their value increased over the years, but as much as you try to eliminate them from existence, you can’t overstate the importance of their presence. You just need to find the right one.

What you want from a center is the ability to play them in the playoffs, and usually, you only could if they’re viable defensively. Nerlens Noel was that for the Knicks, and sure, Mitchell Robinson suffered a late-season foot fracture, but even beforehand, he was as impactful defensively as you would’ve wanted.

Noel led the entire NBA in defensive box plus-minus (3.5), was second in defensive rating (101.2) and block percentage (8.7), and was third in defensive win shares (3.6) and blocks (141). Noel did all this while averaging 24.2 minutes per contest, starting in 41 of the 64 games he played. He was also playable in the postseason, logging 18.4 minutes per contest, though he wasn’t as impactful as he was in regular season. In fairness, what Knick was? The Atlanta Hawks outplayed all of them. Still, at 27, Noel is expected to have an active market, and according to SNY, is being sought after by the Nets, Kings, Raptors, Mavericks, and Hornets.

Who should try their hardest: The Hornets. Play-In bound Charlotte was one of last season’s pleasant surprises, thanks largely to the entry of Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, combined with near All-Star worthy campaigns from Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. Between Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller, they could never quite nail down the starting center position next to PJ Washington, and Noel would be perfect.

Who probably will call, but shouldn’t: The Kings. Sure, it actually makes sense for Sacramento, given they may lose their starting center in this same free agency period. More on him in a bit. But if Noel wants to be on a playoff team for the fourth straight time in his career, of the teams reportedly interested, Sac-Town might not be the move in a difficult Western Conference. He could play the same role on better teams, as in the other four listed above, and even the Knicks if they wanted to keep him, which could depend on how they deal with Mitchell Robinson this summer.

Very few NBA players have seen their value drop like Andre Drummond over the past two or three seasons. He was a walking 15 and 15 until he was randomly traded by the Detroit Pistons to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2020 for John Henson, Brandon Knight, and a 2023 second-round draft pick. Inexplicably, the Cavaliers kept him before buying him out this past season, where he then joined the Los Angeles Lakers for a disappointing stretch of basketball. Drummond averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 21 starts in just 24.8 minutes per contest. He started all five playoff games but saw his playing time reduced to 21.0 minutes per contest, where he averaged 9.0 points and 11.0 rebounds. He’s been diminished by observers for putting up empty numbers throughout his career, and given his showing with the Lakers, it’ll be difficult for an NBA front office to talk themselves into anything otherwise. He’d like to return to L.A., but he won’t sign for the veteran minimum, which in his case will be a little over $2 million.

Who should try their hardest: The Celtics. Look, Drummond is going somewhere. Some team will talk themselves into signing him even if he may not even be a starter in an ideal world. The Celtics need size and rebounding, and Drummond won’t be an expensive option to add. It didn’t quite work with the Lakers, although Drummond himself isn’t solely to blame, but in Boston, it’s worth a shot to address a need. It would also be low risk in theory, so you can cut bait in December if it doesn’t work out. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Nets sniff around here either.

Who probably will call, but shouldn’t: The Hornets. Some threw that idea around during the season, but you’d want a different kind of big next to their starters, particularly one with a defensive focus, like the aforementioned Noel, for example.

Serge Ibaka’s season ended prematurely due to back surgery, and he has a $9.7 million player option, so this is conditional. In the event he opts out for presumably one more healthy contract, the soon-to-be 32-year-old big man might ink a deal similar to the mid-level two-year, $19 million deal last summer, which included the currently looming player option. Ibaka was limited to 41 games (39 starts) this past season, but the NBA Champion center recorded 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds on 23.3 minutes per contest while shooting 51 / 34 / 81 on the season. He also recorded 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes, way up from the 1.1 in his previous season. He’s a 12-year-vet who’ll likely wind up on a contender once again, including the team he may decide to leave.

Who should try their hardest: The Nets. Kevin Durant tried to make it happen already, and it’s worth another shot, perhaps as an official / unofficial swap with Blake Griffin? The Nets need size on the interior who can space the floor and defend. Ibaka will likely be limited in minutes and will be load managed to a degree, but he’ll fit a necessary role on a title favorite because of all he could still provide.

Who probably will call, but shouldn’t: Any bad team. Non-playoff rosters, don’t come here. Throw your cap space somewhere else.

Richaun Holmes is really among the NBA’s more underrated big men at the moment, but his forthcoming contract could dictate otherwise based on reports surfacing from around the league. The 27-year-old center is right in the prime of his career, coming off the two best seasons of his NBA tenure, and they were with the Sacramento Kings, so a bunch of you might’ve missed it. Since the start of the 2019-20 NBA season, Holmes has played in 105 games, including 99 starts. Across those, he’s averaged 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 64 percent from the field and 79 percent on free throws. The 6-foot-10 Bowling Green alum will be coveted by “several teams,” according to HoopsHype. That list is expected to include the previously mentioned Hornets, as well as his own team in Sacramento. The Kings have Holmes’ Early Bird Rights, meaning they could extend him for a maximum of four years and $47 million starting at $10.5 million in year one, but it would be surprising to see Holmes return to the Kings for that.

Who should try their hardest: The Mavericks. Another team who is expected to pursue Holmes is down in Dallas. He’s the perfect complimentary big man to play with Luka Dončić, and even Kristaps Porziņģis if he isn’t traded, and the Mavericks will have money for it. While it’s anticipated Dončić will get his max extension before the deadline later this year, the dollars won’t actually kick in until the beginning of 2022-23, so the Mavericks could go big money spending this summer. They need a big who could do all that Holmes does, and Holmes plays with the ferocity of someone yearning to be on a legitimately good team. He’s also kind of hinted at that.

Who probably will call, but shouldn’t: No one, in particular, but should he want to stay with the Kings? Sure, they’ll want to keep him, and rightfully, but Holmes should want a change of scenery if he could help it. Barring a tremendous off-season, the Kings still aren’t a shoo-in for the Play-In, and the organization hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006 — Holmes was in middle school. If he really does want to play in the playoffs, banking on Sacramento is a tough call as they’re in this habitual in-between phase. If he stays, it undoubtedly makes them a better team, though.

The Fro is one of this year’s top restricted free agents who should garner a lot of interest. The Cavs want to keep him, the Raptors and Hornets are among those who’d like to poach him, and he’s in line for a massive four-year deal worth around $100 million, give or take. He’s there for the rebounds, defensive presence, blocks, and finishing around the rim. He also might develop a three-pointer. He had been working on the shot for years in Brooklyn, and even hit 6-for-19 in 50 games with the Cavs last season. Allen averaged 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in 51 games (40 starts) with Cleveland last year while also shooting 61 percent from the floor. For his career, he’s consistently around 15 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks per 36 minutes.

Who should try their hardest: The Cavaliers. Now that they’ve drafted Evan Mobley, we have clarity on what their team could look like. It also opens the door for the Allen extension, who is the perfect center to build your team with next to scorers. All those other teams interested should try prying him away, though. The 23-year-old Texan has a path to 15 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks per game one day, which is a borderline All-Star on a winning team. And, yes, Mobley and Allen could absolutely play together, potentially very well, in fact.

Who probably will call, but shouldn’t: The Knicks, conditionally. In the same Bobby Marks article linked earlier, New York was also mentioned as a landing spot for Allen. They currently have Mitchell Robinson, and it wouldn’t make sense to have both, so if the move is to deal Robinson and commit to Allen, sure, that could make sense. Otherwise, no, you don’t need both.

Kanter and Drummond have gotten a lot of comparisons for the “empty stats” and lack of defensive viability, but more so for Kanter, because he hasn’t made two All-Star teams. He’s a walking 10-and-10-plus wherever he goes, and one of the best rebounding mercenaries you could find. He’s hella imperfect, but if you can get around that, maybe he’s worth adding to your roster. We all need teammates whose nipples get hard when thinking about the playoffs.