NBA Free Agency 2016: Kent Bazemore returns to Hawks
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Another top player is off the market in free agency. After a wild first day of free agency that saw several players finding new home and getting a whole lot of cash, the deals were just getting started at night.
One player that people were waiting to see sign a deal was Atlanta Hawks Kent Bazemore. With the Hawks signing Dwight Howard and still in the Al Horford chase, people weren’t sure if they would bring him back.
Well according to Brian Windhorst, they’re doing just that.
Hawks have reached a deal with Kent Bazemore, 4 years/70 millions according to sources
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016
While Bazemore is getting paid big time, it appears that he took less money than what the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets were offering, according to David Aldridge.
Kent Bazemore takes four years, $70M, turning down four/$72M from Houston and the Lakers, to go back to the Hawks, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 2, 2016
Naturally, this would make most people assume that the Hawks are out on Al Horford, with most of their cap space now being gone. But according to Windhorst, they are still in on making trades to bring back Horford if they can.
Hawks have been involved in trade talks today in an effort to open additional cap space to re-sign Al Horford if needed, sources say.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016
To make max room for Horford, it might mean having to move a Paul Millsap or someone else with a large enough contract to create enough space. They do however hold his rights and can go over the cap to sign him.
It seems like a pipe dream, but free agency has been crazy enough as is.
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