The NBA free agency is not what it used to be, especially for franchise players. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and possibly Dame Lillard have realized that it’s more practical to secure an extension through Bird Rights and request a trade later on to maximize their contracts.
As a result, we won’t see another franchise player changing teams for a fourth year in a row. While most top free agents will likely re-sign with their current teams, there are still some available game-changers out there.
James Harden is one of them. There have been rumors of him reuniting with the Rockets, but that doesn’t seem likely. Our sense is that he’ll stay with the Sixers and aim for another championship alongside Joel Embiid. Fred VanVleet is a tough one to predict.
While the Raptors are in a good position to retain their point guard, several other teams, such as the Rockets, Magic, Suns, Sixers, Bulls, and Timberwolves, could be sign-and-trade candidates.
Khris Middleton, who recently turned down a $40.4 million player option, is likely to return to Milwaukee. The Bucks can’t afford to let him walk with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the centerpiece. Draymond Green has seen better days, but his legendary status at the Warriors is hard to overlook. While it’s smart to bet on him returning, the Sacramento Kings could potentially swoop in. Kyrie Irving is unpredictable, but the Mavericks are eager to keep him. Other than that, it’s anyone’s guess where he’ll end up.
The Blazers would love to re-sign Jerami Grant on a large multi-year deal, but whether they’ll be able to keep him depends on whether they decide to keep Damian Lillard. If they trade Lillard and enter a rebuild, signing Grant would not make sense. Nikola Vucevic is probably staying with the Bulls for another 3 years. However, if Zach LaVine is traded, those plans could change. Kyle Kuzma will likely not return to the Wizards and is looking for a significant payout. Many teams, including the Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, Cavs, Pistons, and Rockets, could be interested in him. Jordan Clarkson, who turned down an extension from the Jazz last season, is seeking a multi-year deal worth $20 million annually. He has been linked to the Lakers and other teams.
The last free agent on our list is Bruce Brown, who was one of the steals of last year’s free agency and would like to re-sign with the Nuggets. However, the champions are capped out and don’t own his Bird Rights, so a return seems unlikely. While the upcoming free agency might not be as star-studded as the one we saw in 2019, there are still many exciting players to watch out for. Who knows who’ll end up where when the negotiation period begins on June 30?