Duke Basketball Alum Now One of Best Remaining NBA Free Agents
The first few days of NBA free agency were busy. But several solid talents remain up for grabs. That list includes former four-year Duke basketball big man Mason Plumlee, now an unrestricted free agent with 10 years of experience in the league.
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Plumlee began last season as a starter for the Charlotte Hornets. And he was on track to post career-high averages with his 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Then a February trade sent the 6-foot-11, 250-pound center to the Los Angeles Clippers. They employed him as the primary backup in the post for 23 regular-season games and in the five outings of their first-round playoff series loss to the Phoenix Suns.
According to CBS Sports' James Herbert, who named Plumlee among the top remaining free agents on Sunday, the Clippers shouldn't discount what the savvy veteran provides:
"The 33-year-old reserve is coming off a season in which he showed he can be a serviceable starter or one of the league's best backup bigs. The Clippers would be smart to re-sign him, and though they didn't use him as a high-post hub as often as Charlotte did, his ability to facilitate from that spot diversified the offense."
Herbert added that the front office "has been in touch with Plumlee."
So news could soon pop up of the Clippers agreeing to a deal, albeit probably not of the long-term variety, to keep Mason Plumlee, the only Duke basketball product who finished last season in Los Angeles.
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Or he could end up elsewhere. One notable team still needing a backup center for next season is the Golden State Warriors.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for daily Duke basketball news.