The free agent chase for JaVale McGee may be winding down and the Boston Celtics appear to be the front runners, as McGee is expected to sign a two year deal with the team and this comes as the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, Clippers and Miami Heat were all reportedly interested in signing the waived center.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Jeff Goodman reports that McGee is close to a deal with the Celtics that will be for two years. McGee was traded to the Sixers from the Nuggets and quickly worked out a buyout with the team. McGee was cleared on waivers and was eligible to sign with a playoff team and he opted to go with the Celtics. There were a number of teams in contending positions looking at McGee, but he opted for this deal, likely because it was for two years.
McGee is just 27 years old and while he has dealt with injuries in the past, but he could be a low risk option for the Celtics. The team just traded for Isaiah Thomas and they are expecting to be major factors in free agency over the summer. Pro Basketball Talk reports that the team will chased big names, including Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and Jimmy Butler. McGee could be a key cog for the team as they continue rebuilding into next year. This season McGee is averaging four points per game and nearly three rebounds in 23 appearances.
ESPN.com reported that the Warriors are interested in McGee for their playoff run, while the Heat, Mavericks and Bulls have emerged as landing spots. The playoffs are still a couple months away, but with injuries piling up for some teams around the league, McGee could be a hot target. The Mavericks were the first team to have reported interest and it comes after they already signed Amar'e Stoudemire after he was waived by the Knicks.
The 27 year old had interest from the Mavericks at the trade deadline and they looked at signing him this week as they make a playoff push. The Clippers have been dealing with an injury to Blake Griffin and could have looked at McGee for some depth, while the Rockets have been playing without Dwight Howard for weeks as he recovers from a knee injury. The Bulls just hit a spell of injuries with Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, while the Miami Heat were mentioned as an option as they try and make it into the postseason in the east.