There’s a “strong possibility” that Kris Humphries will return to the Brooklyn Nets, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Kris Humphries is a strong possibility to return to the Nets, according to a source.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) July 2, 2016
Humphries, an unrestricted free agent, has bounced around the league since the Nets traded him in the 2013 deal that brought Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the borough. Most recently, he was an extra in February’s Markieff Morris-to-Washington trade, then cut by Phoenix, and picked up by the Atlanta Hawks in time for the playoffs.
The often-maligned power forward is, for whatever reason, a polarizing figure for fans despite spending five years with the franchise between New Jersey and Brooklyn, from 2009-2013. Although his playing time has dropped drastically since the Nets traded him, he could be a cheap, reliable option off the bench. Chris McCullough, the presumed starter after the trade of Thaddeus Young last week, has played in just 24 total games in his career and, without Thomas Robinson, the Nets would have a certain need for Humphries’ return.
Sources: Hawks, Nets, T'Wolves, Spurs and Hornets among 8-10 teams to contact free agent Kris Humphries. He'll decide once market clears.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
Earlier today, Shams Charania of The Vertical got the ball rolling by reporting that 8-10 teams were interested in Humphries’ services and a return to an older franchise may be too much to resist. In Humphries’ best season with the Nets, 2011-2012, he averaged 13.8 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks over 35 minutes per game. But, in a rotation with Paul Millsap and Al Horford, he only managed to get on the court for 15 minutes a game, gobbling up 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in that time.
In order for the Nets to continue pursuing their main targets — Kent Bazemore, Allen Crabbe, and others — bringing back Humphries may be a familiar, low-cost option in 2016-2017.
