NBA AM: 2017 Free Agency One-Year Rentals

The term one-year rental in NBA circles typically means that a team acquires a player in the final year of their contract – typically via trade. The trade could be made to bolster the acquiring team’s title hopes, provide an opportunity for the team to secure a long-term commitment or it could just merely be a salary dump.

For example, look at the situations in Houston and Oklahoma City heading into next season. The Rockets acquired Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers with the hopes that pairing him with All-Star guard James Harden would be their final piece toward title contention. Paul is entering the final year of his current deal and could leave next summer via free agency if things get out of hand. The Thunder acquired George from the Indiana Pacers despite rumblings that the forward is interested in heading to Los Angeles in next year’s free agency. Both of these instances represent the one-year rental and the risk franchises are willing to take on the acquiring an All-Star level talent.

While that is the typical use of the term, we head into next season with numerous players that could potentially be on one-year rentals after opting for short-term deals in this year’s free agency

Rudy Gay, Forward, San Antonio Spurs

Gay declined his player option in Sacramento in order to test free agency. The veteran reportedly agreed to a two-year, $17 million dollar deal with San Antonio earlier this month. The deal contains a player option for year two which gives the veteran the flexibility to opt out next summer in the event he has a strong campaign with the Spurs, despite being on the wrong side of 30 and coming off an Achilles tear.

For the Spurs, taking the risk on Gay is understandable. When All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard went down with an ankle injury in the playoffs, none of the remaining Spurs on the roster could take on the offensive workload in his absence and San Antonio was bounced by the Golden State Warriors. This is an opportunity where both sides could come out winners in the deal. The Spurs get a certified scorer in their system, while Gay gets to perform on a title contending team in order to boost his stock next summer as well.

J.J. Redick, Guard, Philadelphia 76ers

Redick wanted out of Los Angeles in a bad way, so it was no shocker when he decided to sign elsewhere in free agency this summer. The 76ers were looking for veteran guard talent to surround their promising core of young wings and big men. Redick signed a huge one-year, $23 million deal to take on that role and if there’s a strong fit and good chemistry, there’s no reason to believe Philadelphia would not offer a multi-year deal next summer. The 76ers, on the other hand, get a proven double-digit scorer and experienced veteran with playoff experience that addresses an immediate need.

Aron Baynes, Center, Boston Celtics

Baynes reportedly agreed on a one year, $4.3 million dollar contract with the Celtics.

Boston has plenty of future draft picks, promising young talent and just signed one of the better free agents of the offseason in Gordon Hayward. The Celtics, though, had to give up a lot in the process in order to get Hayward in Celtics green. Gone are front court players such as Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller, which is interesting considering that the team already had troubles on the interior with rebounding throughout last season. Baynes will add some muscle behind starting center Al Horford in the rotation and it could be the perfect one-year rental for Boston as they’ll look to address their front court needs throughout the season and into next summer.

Jeff Green, Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

If there’s one thing the NBA finals this past season taught us, it’s that the Cavaliers desperately need wing talent that can defend either forward position. Green could be a perfect fit for the Cavaliers. The veteran forward has an established track record of being a double-digit scorer since entering the league and while not being an elite defender by any stretch, does possess the size to be a nuisance defensively.

The Cavaliers relied heavily on the older legs of veteran Richard Jefferson in the Finals this past season and while he is coming back to the fold for one more year, the addition of Green presumably takes some of his workload away and in turn gives head coach Tyronn Lue another option to play with LeBron James in the front court.

Tyreke Evans, Guard, Memphis Grizzlies

The former Rookie of the Year agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal this summer and for a player of his versatility in this market that may be a bargain for Memphis.

But Evans does come with injury risk and that could be the reason for the one-year flyer. If the veteran has a strong year and can remain relatively healthy, Memphis might be in the position next summer to offer him a longer-term deal. Either way, Evans expects to step into a decent-sized role in the nightly rotation for head coach David Fizdale.

Nick Young, Guard, Golden State Warriors

If there’s one thing Young can do, it’s score the ball. Young possesses range easily out to the three-point range and a solid offensive skill-set. For Young to join the Warriors, it almost seems criminal for a team loaded with guys that can score. Young’s shot selection and defensive intensity have been called into question in the past, however, his role in Golden state will be clearly defined and this could be an opportunity for him to boost his market value for next summer in free agency. There were multiple reports of the guard having multi-year deals on the table earlier this month before deciding to sign a one-year contract with the Warriors.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

Caldwell-Pope’s name on this list is a bit shocking, as most expected the guard to have a max or near max deal on the table this summer. However, the Detroit Pistons opted to go in a completely different direction. The team acquired Avery Bradley from Boston via trade, agreed to terms with guard Langston Galloway on a multi-year deal and drafted guard Luke Kennard out of Duke University.

This left Caldwell-Pope in no man’s land as free agency money around the league started to dry up. Caldwell-Pope did eventually rebound, though, securing the largest annual salary on this list and an opportunity to be one of the team’s top offensive options this season. Of course, Caldwell-Pope will be seeking a multi-year deal next year in free agency and going the one-year rental route might be his best option for securing his long-term payday.

Have any other one year free agency rental examples not appearing on this list? Leave your comments below.