“Pre-agency” in the NBA is wrapping up with the hot stove going at full burn.
Will “He Stay?” How do the injuries to KD and Klay affect their market? Is Kemba really going to leave Charlotte when there’s a potential super max on the table there for him?
We’ll find out the answers to all of these questions and more when the NBA’s best season gets going this Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
While we wait, though, here’s a look at the NBA’s top 10 unrestricted free agents or player-option-eligible players heading into free agency with some of the newest rumours and reports surrounding their potential futures.
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1. Kawhi Leonard
Age on June 30: 28
Position: Forward
2018-19 salary: $23.1 million
Career accomplishments: Three-time NBA all-star (2016, 2017, 2019). Three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection (2015–17). Two-time NBA champion (2014, 2019). Two-time NBA Finals MVP (2014, 2019). Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016). Two-time All-NBA First Team selection (2016, 2017).
The latest: After a 2019 post-season run for the ages that fittingly ended with a Finals MVP award, Leonard is the best player in the world right now. As such, he is not only the best available unrestricted free agent on the market, he’s also been seeing his market expand over the past days and weeks.
Originally thought to just be a two-horse race between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers, It now looks like Leonard is also planning on meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers, while entertaining the idea of what the Philadelphia 76ers have to say as well as, perhaps, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets – who might be looking to pair up Leonard with Jimmy Butler.
Most prevalently to the Raptors, though, is the report that Leonard will grant Toronto the right to the final – and potentially most lasting – meeting with him.
2. Kevin Durant
Age on June 30: 30
Position: Forward
2018-19 salary: $30 million
Career accomplishments: 10-time NBA all-star (2010–19). Six-time All-NBA First Team selection (2010–14, 2018). Four-time NBA scoring champ (2010–12, 2014). Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018). Two-time NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018). Two-time Olympic gold medallist (2012, 2016). 2014 NBA MVP.
The latest: Despite the awful Achilles injury that will almost assuredly keep him sidelined for all of next season and may affect him for the rest of his career, Durant is still deservedly the second-best free agent out there, and is just as in-demand as Leonard, with proof being the fact he declined his $31.5-million player option to become a free agent.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant’s list of suitors looks very similar to Leonard’s with the Knicks, Nets and Clippers all believed to be “considerations” in addition to the possibility of re-signing with the Golden State Warriors.
3. Kyrie Irving
Age on June 30: 27
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $20.1 million
Career accomplishments: Six-time NBA all-star (2013–15, 2017–19). 2015 All-NBA Third Team selection. 2016 NBA champion. 2016 Olympic gold medallist.
The latest: For all extents and purposes, the Irving era is over in Boston.
Though Irving has yet to officially decline his player option (as he’s expected to do to become an unrestricted free agent) and hasn’t indicated whether he’d like to leave the Celtics, a source told The Boston Globe that even if Irving wanted to return “it is unclear whether the Celtics would want him back regardless.”
And really, if reports are to be believed, Irving has no desire to return to Beantown as it would appear he has his sights set on joining the Nets.
Irving is, without question, ultra-talented but after seemingly wearing out his welcome in Boston by apparently causing friction in and out of the locker room, you’d think that might scare off teams. That isn’t the case with the Nets, who are reportedly looking to sign Irving to a four-year, $141-million max deal.
And now that the Lakers have opened up enough cap space, it looks like they’ll also be making a push for Irving, reuniting him with LeBron James, the man he requested a trade away from while with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Only in the NBA, right?
4. Jimmy Butler
Age on June 30: 29
Position: Guard/Forward
2018-19 salary: $20.4 million
Career accomplishments: Four-time NBA all-star (2015–18). Four-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection (2014–16, 2018). Two-time All-NBA Third Team selection (2017, 2018). 2016 Olympic gold medallist.
The latest: While the juicy idea of Butler teaming up with Leonard somewhere in New York is the Butler rumour most in Toronto are focusing on, the real heat in Butler’s free agency is coming from his hometown of Houston.
Though the Philadelphia 76ers are saying they can definitely re-sign Butler, it would appear they’re talking to the Rockets, who seem to be in a dogged pursuit to land Butler in a sign-and-trade deal and look to be shopping Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker and their combined $32.7-million in salaries for next season to clear up enough space to bring in Butler – whose wages for next season alone will be about $32.7 million.
5. Kemba Walker
Age on June 30: 29
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $12 million
Career accomplishments: Three-time NBA all-star (2017-19). 2019 All-NBA Third Team selection. 2011 NCAA National Champion.
The latest: It was going to be a relatively simple free agency for Walker where all signs were pointing to him re-signing with the Hornets without much fuss.
And then Walker was selected to the 2019 All-NBA Third Team to suddenly make him eligible for a five-year super-max contract with Charlotte worth about $221 million.
This instantly put the Hornets in a pickle as they likely wanted to bring back their best player, but given the fact they were already struggling to build around Walker when he was only costing them $12 million per season, the chances they’d be able to do it when he’s costing Charlotte over $44 million per season seems all but impossible.
As such, out came the wolves, smelling blood and looking at a prime opportunity to add a talented point guard who would likely best feature as a team’s second- or third-best player. The list of teams included the Lakers, Knicks and even the Dallas Mavericks.
Now, however, it would appear that the Celtics have become the “front-runners” to land Walker, a move that would, essentially, replace one all-star level scoring point guard (Irving) with another (Walker).
And though seemingly a strange fit given Walker’s New York roots, because of his time with the University of Connecticut from 2008-2011 (where he won a national championship with the Huskies in 2011), Walker is a well-known figure in the New England area.
6. Klay Thompson
Age on June 30: 29
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $18.9 million
Career accomplishments: Five-time NBA all-star (2015–19). Three-time NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018). Two-time All-NBA Third Team selection. (2015, 2016). 2016 Olympic gold medallist.
The latest: Had it not been for the awful ACL injury Thompson suffered in the Finals he’d be much higher on this list (probably pushing for No. 3), however the reality is that this injury, and the time he’ll miss because of it, has to knock him down a few pegs no matter how great a shooter and defender he is.
And if you think Thompson’s in a similar boat as Durant, you’re sorely mistaken as – no knock on Thompson – Durant is simply in another realm of player.
Specifically in regards to Thompson’s free agency, the most likely scenario, reportedly, is that he remains with the Warriors, coming back on a five-year, $190-million max contract.
With that said, Thompson’s still expected to test the waters, with the Clippers and Lakers as destinations he’d reportedly be willing to listen to should the Dubs fail to offer him the max deal he’s seeking.
7. Khris Middleton
Age on June 30: 27
Position: Guard/Forward
2018-19 salary: $13 million
Career accomplishments: 2019 NBA all-star. Former second-round pick turned all-star calibre player.
The latest: There’s not much to Middleton’s free agency other than the fact that he obviously declined his $13-million player option for next season as he’s no longer just a solid role player.
Middleton’s expected to seek a five-year, max-contract deal to remain with the Bucks, a contract that could be worth as much as $190 million.
Coming off an all-star year that saw him become the de facto No. 2 option on the Bucks to league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton’s in a position of rare leverage for himself as a former second-round pick, and should look to maximize this summer for himself as much as possible.
8. Tobias Harris
Age on June 30: 26
Position: Forward
2018-19 salary: $14.8 million
Career accomplishments: Two-time Player of the Week selection (Nov. 13, 2017, Nov. 26, 2018). 2018 October/November Western Conference Player of the Month.
The latest: It was a tale of two seasons for Harris this past season.
While with the 76ers (coming over in a trade just one day before the NBA trade deadline), Harris played well, but not outstanding. He ended up dropping to fourth on Philly’s loaded pecking order behind Butler, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
However, in 55 games with the Clippers, Harris was playing like an all-star, averaging 20.9 points and shooting 49.6 per cent from the field, including 43.4 per cent from deep – all better numbers than he put up with Philly.
It looked like the Clippers were a very good landing spot for Harris, who excelled with them since he came over in a mid-season trade in 2018 as part of the Blake Griffin blockbuster with the Detroit Pistons.
As such, Harris has been connected again to the Clippers, provided they strike out on Leonard.
An underrated player for his entire career, this has the makings of a big summer for Harris as he also reportedly has interest from the likes of Nets, Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.
9. Nikola Vucevic
Age on June 30: 28
Position: Centre
2018-19 salary: $12.7 million
Career accomplishments: 2019 NBA all-star. Taken 16th overall by the 76ers in 2011 to become the highest drafted Montenegrin player ever.
The latest: After enjoying a career year that saw him named an all-star for the first time in his career, Vucevic is in line for a hefty pay raise and is seeking a starting salary of about $25 million – not quite max money but still a sizable increase.
If this is what Vucevic’s asking for (or even higher) then Orlando should meet him right there – and reportedly have strong interest to do just that. Despite falling to the Raptors in five games, the Magic look to be like a team on the rise with good young pieces who all fit nicely with Vucevic, their best player.
There’s no need yet to try to break up a promising-looking future – that is if Vucevic wants to remain in the Magic Kingdom, that is.
10. Al Horford
Age on June 30: 33
Position: Centre
2018-19 salary: $28.9 million
Career accomplishments: Five-time NBA all-star (2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018). Two-time NCAA national champion (2006, 2007). 2011 All-NBA Third Team selection. 2018 NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.
The latest: In one of the biggest surprises of pre-agency, Horford declined his $30.1-million player option with the Celtics and will enter the free market because he reportedly has a four-year offer worth to be about $112 million waiting for him.
If this is true, then Horford’s definitely making the right call because he’ll be making $28 million per season for the next four seasons as opposed to the $30 million next season and possibly scraping the bottom of the veteran minimum barrel afterwards.
At 33 years old, while still a defensive stud, high-character guy in the locker room and threatening-enough offensive player (with range from deep) Horford’s effectiveness is bound to be on the decline sooner than later. So if he can find this last big-money payday, then all the power to him.