IT’S A FREE AGENT CLASS FOR THE AGES
Leonard, Durant, Irving lead huge cast of available players looking for NBA home
The NBA’s off-season is the best in sports and no other league’s break comes anywhere close.
This year’s edition should be extra wacky because nearly 40 per cent of the world’s best basketball players are free agents. Not only that, the calibre of available talent might be the highest ever. Three of the greatest playoff performers to ever play — Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving — can test the market along with quite a few No. 2 or No. 3 options.
In 2016, the salary cap shot up because of a huge new U.S. television deal. A lot of mistakes were made by executives who spent cash just for the sake of doing so. This time around, some of those deals have mercifully expired. Many more have not. Still, as many as nine teams are projected to be able to offer a max contract or close to it and the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets can likely offer two players the max to play in the Big Apple.
The rumour mill is in overdrive with players said to be lining up meetings with clubs, waiting to be pitched on new or existing horizons.
The Los Angeles Lakers, in the midst of an embarrassing run of six straight years without a playoff appearance, have paired Anthony Davis with LeBron James and found a way to open up room for another elite player. The rival Los Angeles Clippers have been taking aim at Leonard and others all year. The Nets are reportedly confident Irving, who grew up in New Jersey, will be joining them, while his former team, the Boston Celtics, could replace the perennial all-star with Kemba Walker, but could also lose big man Al Horford.
Philadelphia’s free agents include starters Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick. Milwaukee, the league’s best team in the regular season, has to find a way to keep all-star forward Khris Middleton, guard Malcolm Brogdon, who might have been the team’s second-best player against Toronto, and starting centre Brook Lopez.
The Raptors expect to get the final meeting with Leonard, who led the team to the title. Danny Green is also a free agent, but Toronto has his Bird rights, meaning a luxury tax bill could be the biggest obstacle to bringing him back.
With Marc Gasol opting in to the final year of his contract, Toronto would not have cap space to make a splash even if both Leonard and Green went elsewhere. But next summer would be a different story.
Per Sportrac, Durant (Golden State) or Walker (Charlotte) could get deals worth up to $221 million by staying with their current teams (for five years) versus $164 and $140 million, respectively, by leaving (for four years).
Leonard, Butler, Irving, Klay Thompson and others would leave as much as $50 million on the table by choosing a new team. Leonard could have signed for $221 million had he stayed with San Antonio.
All of the fun will officially kick off at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, six hours earlier than in previous years. The moratorium period prevents any contracts from officially being signed until noon ET on July 6.
WHO ARE THE TOP PRIZES?
Durant, Warriors (Nets the
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favourites. Was linked to Knicks for months)
Leonard, Raptors (Toronto and
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the Los Angeles teams angling for the Klaw)
Irving, Celtics (Nets the favou
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rites)
Walker, Hornets (Celtics, Hor
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nets, Dallas Mavericks believed to be in the mix)
Thompson, Warriors (reports
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have him likely staying on a max deal)
Butler, Sixers (Houston Rockets
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trying to get in the mix)
Harris, Sixers (Philadelphia gave
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up a lot to acquire him during the season)
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
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(coming off first all-star appearance)
Horford, Celtics (expected to
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leave Boston)
Middleton, Bucks (a priority for
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Milwaukee)
Redick, Sixers (a potential sec
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ond guy in Brooklyn, where he lives)
D’Angelo Russell, Nets (restrict
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ed; unclear and could depend on Irving’s decision)
Brogdon, Bucks (also restricted. ■
Bucks could be vulnerable to big offer sheet)
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE?
Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks (restricted); Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana Pacers; Julius Randle, New Orleans Pelicans; DeMarcus Cousins, Warriors; Lopez, Bucks; Terry Rozier, Celtics (restricted); Derrick Rose, Minnesota Timberwolves; DeAndre Jordan, Knicks; Ricky Rubio, Utah Jazz; Thaddeus Young, Pacers; Green, Raptors; Darren Collison, Pacers; Patrick Beverley, Clippers; Marcus Morris, Celtics; Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings (restricted); Cory Joseph, Pacers
WHO HAS THE CASH?
Brooklyn Nets
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New York Knicks
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Philadelphia 76ers (only if they
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renounce top three FAs)
Los Angeles Clippers
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Dallas Mavericks
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Los Angeles Lakers
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Sacramento Kings
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Indiana Pacers
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Boston Celtics
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New Orleans Pelicans
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Phoenix Suns
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LEARNING FROM HISTORY?
NBA executives and owners would be wise to be a bit smarter with their spending than they were back in 2016 when some horrific deals were handed out. Here’s a sampling:
Timofey Mozgov — four years,
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$64 million by Lakers. Played 54 games for them before being traded. Rarely plays these days.
Joakim Noah — four years, $72
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million by Knicks. Bought out after 53 games and will be on New York’s books until 2022.
Luol Deng — four years, $72 mil
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lion by Lakers. Bought out after 57 games.
Miles Plumlee — four years, $52
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million by Bucks. Traded after 32 games, now with Hawks.
Chandler Parsons — four years,
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$94 million by Memphis Grizzlies. Has only played 95 games over three years due to knee issues.
Ryan Anderson — four years, $80
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million by Rockets. Contributed