I think you’re right—everyone assumed this was going to be a dry year, and then teams went out and threw big money at guys who aren’t major impact types. That could also be the result of teams with cap space feeling like they have to use it even though the FA crop is weaker. I do think you’ll see some bargains be had now that the cap space teams have mostly blown their spending load, but it’s tough to say what that means for Ramon. By definition RFAs always come at a discount to UFAs, but it’s always a function of supply and demand. If there are some teams with cap space or full MLEs around that need a good PG, one of them could make a run for Ramon if all the UFA targets are off the board. Kidd’s gone, Bibby’s gone. Miller’s still available and it sounds like a S/T might be the most reasonable outcome there.

Sessions taking the QO, while I would guess it’s unlikely, would probably have as much to do with Jennings being around as an attempt to get big dollars next summer. He and his agent might be nervous about being here longer term since Jennings is presumably not here to be a backup over the longer term. And the Bucks probably don’t want to commit to a five year deal or whatever given their history with those kind of moves.

Still, Sessions hasn’t made any money thus far in his career and I’m sure he’d like to lock in a better paycheck. What if he takes the QO and tears his ACL? A couple years for $3 million each could make a lot of sense for both sides.

I think you’re right that the draft certainly plays a part in driving down demand for Sessions. Teams like Minnesota, Philly, Golden State, and Atlanta all picked up young PGs that would diminish interest in Sessions.

But overall I don’t think fans necessarily overrated general interest in Ramon (maybe a bit) so much as they don’t really factor in the RFA dynamics. Most teams in the NBA would probably pay him $3 to 4 million per season, no doubt. But at that price you’d expect the Bucks to match. So you’d end up going through negotiations, signing the offer sheet, and then having part of your MLE tied up for up to a week while the offer sheet hangs in the wind (see the Gortat situation in Orlando/Dallas). If there’s anyone else you’re interested in, they could be gone by then.

With unrestricted free agents you don’t have to deal with any of that—just reach an agreement and it’s over. With RFAs, it’s not worth trying to sign the guy unless you think there’s a high probability the other team won’t match, which is why no one really goes after RFAs.

At the end of the day all it takes is one team, so there’s still a distinct possibility a team that could use a PG which comes up empty in free agency throws an offer sheet at him and sees what happens. Aside from New York and Portland, I’m not sure who else would be the obvious candidats, and both of those teams could be using their MLE/cap space elsewhere.

It doesn’t seem like the teams are obvious trade partners to me, though the Hawks probably wouldn’t be looking for that much in return. He’s not going to start ahead of JJ/Marvin, so no sense in them giving him big long-term dollars. Then again, that’s also why the Bucks might want to think twice about him. He’s a good role player, but he is what he is.