When the Seattle Sonics won the rights to the 2nd overall pick and the probable rights to Kevin Durant, I immediately thought of the tough matchups that he would create playing alongside Rashard Lewis. So much for that. Lewis voided the final two years of his contract with the team and will enter free agency.
“I think it was pretty simple at this point. He’s an elite player. He’ll be the top free agent in the NBA this summer. I think it will be extremely crazy July 1st. I really feel like he fits everywhere. I would imagine that everybody is going to be coming after him,” Dutt said.
Because he’s played for a now-horrendous franchise, Lewis is one of those guys that has constantly flown under the radar. He averaged a career high 22.4 points last year and by declaring for free agency, he’s looking to cash in on that season. I’m just a bit unsure about what teams will have the cap room to sign Lewis. A sign and trade would have made sense with a team like Portland. But with Lewis now an unrestricted free agent, that’s out the window.
Because every team in the NBA wants a versatile scorer like Lewis, expect the bidding war over his services to be intense. How about Orlando? Lewis already has the backing of coaching candidate Bob Hill, who sent an email to Orlando to endorse himself and Lewis. Throw Lewis into an improving team with beast Dwight Howard and you have a pretty good team on your hands.
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This move was inevitable, given the following:
1. Lewis can earn a huge contract at the peak of his career. He could stay with the Sonics, but who knows what could happen in the next two years?
2. Lewis can go to just about any team and be the #1 or #2 guy. In Seattle, he’s got to share shots and the spotlight with Ray Allen and either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. The #2 draft pick would give the Sonics a chance to win soon, but most players want to take care of themselves first and their teams second. I assume Lewis is no different.
3. Perhaps most significantly, Seattle is a franchise in a state of flux. Who wants to stay on a sinking ship? There’s a good chance the Sonics will be moving to Oklahoma City soon, and I really can’t blame Lewis for not wanting to go with them.