Arizona Wildcats NBA Free Agent Tracker: Jefferson, Hill, Frye proving they have staying power

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Richard Jefferson

Richard Jefferson wants to continue chasing that ever elusive goal of an NBA title but his time is running out.

The 13-year NBA veteran, whose Arizona Wildcats’ career ended when they lost to Duke in the 2001 NCAA championship, enters the free-agent market tonight at midnight hoping to get a look from perennial playoff contenders such as Miami and San Antonio (one of his former teams). If he comes across no takers that are in the upper-echelon of the league, he is content with returning to Utah if the Jazz welcome him back.

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“I don’t know what the future holds,’’ Jefferson told the Deseret News. “I really enjoyed my time here — the fans here have been amazing. Obviously if I was going to continue in a rebuilding process, this would probably be my No. 1 choice.”

Jefferson played in all 82 games and started 78 of them, averaging 10.9 points a game in 2013-14. It was the first time in six years Jefferson played the entire regular-season schedule. His starts were more than the previous two seasons combined (45) with San Antonio and Golden State.

“When you get to be almost 34 years old, you do want to play in the playoffs,” Jefferson told the Deseret News. “If that opportunity doesn’t present itself, then being here in Utah with a great group of guys and a quality coaching staff and the amazing fans … that would be something that would be high on my list.’’

Four other former Wildcats, including rookie Grant Jerrett of Oklahoma City, are free agents. Two of them (Jordan Hill and Channing Frye) are similar to Jefferson because they are coming off successful seasons in which they showed they continue to belong in the league.

ARIZONA PLAYERS WHO ARE FREE AGENTS
UFA-Unrestricted free agent. RFA-Restricted free agent.
*Player Option. **Team Option.
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Jerryd Bayless

Here is a brief synopsis of what might happen to each according to various reports:

Jerryd Bayless, combo guard — Bayless, who preceded Jerrett and Aaron Gordon as a one-and-done player at Arizona, may go into his seventh season in the NBA in 2014-15 with his sixth team. Chicago and Miami may pursue Bayless because of their need to bolster the guard positions.

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Bayless wrote a blog at his Web site in May that detailed his respect for the city of Boston and the Celtics’ organization.

“I can’t speak highly enough about Boston,” Bayless wrote. “It’s a great city, a place I could definitely see myself calling home. The support you get from everybody in Boston is second to none.

“The fans are unbelievable. We didn’t have the most successful year, but every game was still sold out. That loyalty really stuck out to me.”

Channing Frye

Channing Frye, forward — His former teammate at Arizona, Andre Iguodala, wants Frye to make Golden State a Wildcat reunion destination. Steve Kerr, the Warriors’ coach, would like it as well especially if his team is unable to land Kevin Love.

While Phoenix’s general manager in 2009, Kerr brought Frye back to his hometown to fit in with coach Alvin Gentry’s fast-paced, high-scoring offense. Gentry as of last week was finalizing a contract with the Warriors to become the associate head coach under Kerr.

Frye and Iguodala, teammates at Arizona from 2002-04, also have the same agent (Rob Pelinka).

Frye, 31, could still re-sign with Phoenix but the Suns look to be undergoing a youth movement (they did not trade any of their three first-round picks last week). After missing the entire 2012-13 season for treatment of an enlarged heart, Frye started all 82 games in 2013-14, averaging 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Frye would have made $6.8 million next season had he not opted out.

He might also get interest from the Lakers, Miami and Portland, among others.

Jordan Hill, power forward-center — Reports out of Los Angeles indicated Hill is likely gone. The Los Angeles Times reported today that “Jordan Hill, Wesley Johnson and MarShon Brooks aren’t expected back, and Chris Kaman will have to take a pay cut from the $3 million he made last season.”

Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski indicated in a Tweet that Houston and Dallas are potential suitors for Hill, who posted career-best averages in scoring (9.7 points) and rebounds (7.4) a game in 2013-14. He was acquired from the Rockets in a 2012 trade.

Grant Jerrett

Grant Jerrett, power forward — Oklahoma City was shrewd in how it did not sign Jerrett after drafting him last year, thereby avoiding the responsibility of paying him approximately $500,000 in 2013-14. The Thunder’s Developmental League team drafted Jerrett instead and secured his rights. In the last month of the season, the Thunder finally signed Jerrett and he received a prorated amount of only about $29,000.

The question now with Jerrett being a restricted free agent, will Oklahoma City continue to be shrewd with him or show him that they want him by re-signing him?

Jerrett likely will return to the Thunder because they drafted him for his future promise. But you never know. Oklahoma City drafted Michigan’s Mitch McGary, who might challenge Jerrett for one of the last 15 roster spots.

As this plays out, you get the feeling Jerrett lost all of his bargaining power by leaving much too early from Arizona. Can he turn that around or might he wind up in Europe in 2014-15?

ARIZONA PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT
Thru-Signed through. PO-Player option. TO-Team option (through).
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.