The free-agency wheels are still turning—but at a molasses-like pace. Thursday's "biggest" agreements included those between international sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff and the Dallas Mavericks (per Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania), and Nik Stauskas and the Portland Trail Blazers (per an NBA.com release), but those aren't headline-grabbers. Fortunately, plenty of intriguing names are still scattered throughout the open market, led by these five from our original big board:
1. Clint Capela, C, Restricted
Age: 24
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.9 blocks
2017-18 Advanced Metrics: 24.5 PER, 2.14 RPM, 124.08 TPA
One of the league's most talented roll men as well as an emerging defender capable of impacting the proceedings like a full-fledged star, Clint Capela is a virtual lock to return to the Houston Rockets. He's a restricted free agent, so the Rockets could just exercise their rights of first refusal and bring him back if he somehow convinced another organization to hand him a max offer sheet in this money-starved environment.
Or he could go a different route. As he's been unable to parlay his talents and youth into an offer at this early stage of free agency, that might be an emerging possibility.
"From what I understand, [Capela's] initial meeting with the Rockets didn't go as he was expecting it to. There's not a big long-term offer, I hear, that he's comfortable signing right now," ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne revealed, per Blazers Edge's Sagar Trika. She also indicated he could settle for the qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
2. Marcus Smart, PG, Restricted
Age: 24
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
2017-18 Advanced Metrics: 10.8 PER, 0.96 RPM, minus-16.14 TPA
All is quiet on this front. No true rumors have emerged linking Marcus Smart to any other organizations.
However, Smart is losing leverage every day. Precious little money is available for restricted free agents this year, and it's unlikely he'll be able to parlay his defensive talent and relentless hustle into anything more than the mid-level exception from another front office. A cheap reunion with Beantown is likely still in the cards, which would allow head coach Brad Stevens to continue maximizing Smart's unique talents.
That said, some cracks are emerging between interested parties. Per Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, the two sides haven't spoken since the start of free agency, and some quotes from an anonymous source are rather damning:
"He would have thought there would have been some kind of three- to four-year deal from them to show they're interested. But the qualifying offer is the only one he has received, and there's been no talk since free agency opened. He's most disappointed that there has been no reaching out from their end.
"He's just hurt and frustrated that Danny [Ainge] hasn't reached out. That's the most discouraging part of this whole thing. The last contact was a few days before free agency started."
Stay tuned.
3. Isaiah Thomas, PG, Unrestricted
Age: 29
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks
2017-18 Advanced Metrics: 12.6 PER, minus-4.32 RPM, minus-91.9 TPA
"Isaiah Thomas and the Orlando Magic are negotiating a possible deal, according to league sources. Nothing has been agreed to yet, but it seems both sides want to get this done," Alex Kennedy reported for HoopsHype.
So long as the price doesn't escalate (and it likely won't rise any higher than the mid-level exception), that's an agreement that could make sense for both sides. Orlando, as evidenced by its placement on our earlier list of whiffers, desperately needs a point guard. Thomas could use a home that will let him start and take control of an offense.
But Kennedy's report came two days ago, and we haven't heard anything since. Could this be nothing more than smoke and mirrors for a player whose stock plunged throughout the 2017-18 campaign?
4. Jabari Parker, PF, Restricted
Age: 23
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks
2017-18 Advanced Metrics: 17.1 PER, minus-2.88 RPM, minus-26.83 TPA
As Bleacher Report's Dan Favale wrote in a free-agency roundup earlier this week, "Aaron Gordon received a four-year, $84 million contract from the Magic. Julius Randle is getting two years and $18 million from the New Orleans Pelicans. Where does this leave Jabari Parker, a fellow restricted free-agent power forward? Good luck figuring that out."
No reports have emerged to help us find the answer.
Perhaps the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls or Sacramento Kings are waiting for money to continue drying up before signing him to an exorbitant offer sheet. No one else should have the combination of cap space and interest necessary to make a play for him. Failing that, he could sign an extended contract that would reunite him with the Milwaukee Bucks or just accept the qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
The possibilities might be limited, but at least he still has options.
5. Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, Restricted
Age: 24
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks
2017-18 Advanced Metrics: 15.9 PER, 3.12 RPM, 156.6 TPA
Though the San Antonio Spurs haven't yet figured out how to maximize Kyle Anderson's talents and glued him to the bench in important playoff situations because of his shooting struggles, he remains an intriguing forward who can play multiple positions and excel defensively. For whatever reason, it remains unfathomable to picture this slow-footed 24-year-old wearing any other threads.
Maybe that's why we're not hearing anything that links him with other organizations...or the Spurs, for that matter.
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats courtesy of Basketball Reference, NBA.com, NBA Math or ESPN.com. News of agreed-upon deals via NBA.com's free-agent tracker unless otherwise noted.
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