Duke Players Hit NBA Free Agency

The NBA free agency period is set to begin at 12:01am ET Sunday, and some former Duke Blue Devils could be on the move. While no moves can be made official until 12:00pm ET on July 6th, teams are free to negotiate with players and players can accept qualifying offers, sign offer sheets if they’re a restricted free agent, or have their two-way contracts converted to a standard contract.

So, which former Blue Devils are free agents?

• JJ Redick, Philadelphia 76ers (Unrestricted): Redick had one of his best seasons last year for the Sixers. He was their 2nd leading scorer, their best shooter, and a veteran presence on a young team that moved the needle in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers are one of the teams with a shot at the LeBron James sweepstakes, so a lot of Redick’s future may depend on whether the Sixers are successful in luring LeBron to the City of Brotherly Love. There’s probably not a scenario where LeBron and Redick both can sign with Philly without unloading one of their younger pieces, so Redick may be in wait-and-see mode initially.
• Seth Curry, Dallas Mavericks (Unrestricted): Seth Curry missed the entire season due to a stress fracture in his leg, but had been performing well for the Mavericks before the injury. He still has a terrific shot and that could be useful somewhere, but it all depends on whether he’s recovered. Expect him to leave the Mavericks for another team that needs a shooter at a lower cost.
• Rodney Hood, Cleveland Cavaliers (Restricted): Hood had his best year last season for the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s athletic and can be a 3-and-D wing with consistency. Cleveland seems to be very high on him, so it’s likely he remains in The Land.
• Jahlil Okafor, Brooklyn Nets (Unrestricted): Big Jah may find there aren’t many suitors, if any, for his services next season. He has to be much better at protecting the rim, defending, and being an imposing inside presence on the offensive end. It’s unknown where he ends up, but he’s probably not going to have more than a bench role next season if he’s in the NBA.
• Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks (Restricted): Jabari finally returned to the Bucks this past season from a torn ACL, but while he showed glimpses of the talent that he clearly has, he wasn’t very consistent. That could be partly due to him not fully trusting his body and his retooled knee, but he has the talent to be a formidable bench player next season and spot starter. Will he be Milwaukee? They can match any offer, but if a team values his ability to run the court and still provide a presence on the wing, he could get an offer the Bucks aren’t willing to match.
• Amile Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves (Restricted): Amile Jefferson didn’t play a minute for the Timberwolves last season, but he played well enough for their G-League affiliate Iowa Wolves to have his two-way contract converted to a standard contract at the end of the season. He was on the T-Wolves playoff roster but did not play. There should be a market for Jefferson’s skill set. He’s a big man that is a great rebounder, can protect the rim, and knows where to be on the court. Hopefully the T-Wolves decide to give him another contract because he fits in well with what they are trying to do.
• Marshall Plumlee, Milwaukee Bucks (Restricted Two-Way): Marshall Plumlee spent most of the season with the Wisconsin Herd of teh G-League on a two-way contract with the Bucks. He did appear in 8 games last season for Milwaukee, but it’s hard to say where he will end up. He is a restricted two-way free agent, which means that for the Bucks to keep his rights, all they need to do is offer him another two-way deal. That may be his best option at this point, as it’s hard to determine whether another team would offer him a full standard NBA contract.

The free agency period may be dominated by names like LeBron James, Paul George, and even Kawhi Leonard, but it will be interested to see what uniforms The Brotherhood will be wearing next season.