Latest Wesley Matthews free agency rumors

Wesley Matthews is one of the most sought after guards of 2015 free agency. His 3-and-D play style and borderline insane work ethic make him a great fit for many teams. Ideally, he will re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers in July, but he will reportedly explore his options in determining the best place for him. With the uncertain future of teammate and free agent lynchpin LaMarcus Aldridge, is that place still Portland?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. ESPN analyst Jalen Rose believes that Matthews will move on. As far as good situations go, it’s hard to beat the Chicago Bulls.

In theory, the Bulls could sign Matthews to a fair contract and still keep the majority of the team intact. All of their heavy hitters are already on the books for the 2015-16 season, but they still have a small amount of cap space. Signing Matthews would place them above the cap ($67.1M) but below the tax apron ($80.8M), leaving them with only the mid-level exception ($5.5M in this case) to sign other free agents. They can split the MLE ($23.3M over four seasons) between multiple players as long as it does not take them above the apron. They also possess the 22nd pick in this year’s draft.

From a team standpoint, it would probably mean pushing Jimmy Butler to the small forward position and letting Mike Dunleavy Jr. walk. The Bulls would be more than willing to do that if it meant signing Matthews. Since the cap is anticipated to spike like never before after next season, even signing Matthews for a substantial sum would not handcuff their future plans. This move makes a lot of sense for both parties; especially if Portland drops out of the contending picture based on Aldridge’s decision.

The Bulls are not the only team Matthews’ name has been attached to this week. Even non-contenders could have a shot with him. Most notably, the Sacramento Kings.

Continue to hear that the Kings are very intrigued by Wes Matthews. Don't know what's there, but chatter keeps surfacing. Keep an eye out.
— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) June 2, 2015

Carmichael Dave of CBS Sacramento reports that the Kings are rumored to be “very intrigued” by Matthews. This makes sense for a team that is well under cap and looking to add an X-factor to a roster that has not met its on-paper potential. Both Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins are under contract for at least two more seasons, so adding Matthews would give them a scary triumvirate for years to come. That post presence would be unreal, but acquiring Matthews would likely mean putting the development of Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas on the backburner.

Wesley Matthews free agency speculation video via Grantland

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