Several teams are courting unrestricted free agent Corey Maggette. Orlando, Boston, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Utah have all expressed an interest in signing the athletic wing, but only Philly has enough cap space to offer more than the mid-level exception, which starts around $5.5 million. If Elton Brand decides to re-sign with the Clippers, the word is that the team has to renounce their rights to Maggette, which would seem to make a sign-and-trade complicated if not impossible.
Will Maggette end up signing for the mid-level? If so, he would have his pick of contenders and whoever gets him will be scoring a great deal. Maggette is one of the best slashers in the league and gets to the line better than any other guard or forward in the league averaging more than 25 minutes per game. His FTA/FGA ratio (0.686) is second best among all players averaging at least that many minutes. (Dwight Howard is first with a ratio of 0.913, but that’s because he can’t shoot it from the line.)
Of those teams listed, I think Maggette would be a great fit with the Spurs, the Magic and the Jazz. Those three teams lack wings that can penetrate and finish. The Celtics are the dark horse. I don’t know how many minutes Maggette will see with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen already on the wings, but the C’s are probably Maggette’s best shot at a ring.
But the Sixers could potentially offer the most money if they fail in their bid to steal Josh Smith from the Hawks. However, Maggette’s skill set is quite similar to Andre Iguodala’s, so it’s not clear how the two would fit together, especially with rising star Thaddeus Young on the roster.
