Let's get right into this! Free Agency starts on Sunday, everyone has cap space, and I am pumped!
He showed signs of greatness during part of the regular season when he returned and he played well in half of his Finals games; but he also showed how long of a way he still has to go on his road to recovery. A team who jumps on him now could grab him for a discount like the Warriors. If you’re a bad team who struggles to score, he could be your guy who puts up 20 points a night and makes you relevant for a year.
Best fits: Warriors/Hornets (if Kemba leaves)/Mavericks/Knicks
He’s a good shooter who has great size for a wing and plays solid defense. He knows his role on offense and he even has the potential to step into a bigger role with a contender. He will be cheaper than other free agents will be a great addition for a franchise looking to fill out their starting five.
Best fits: Kings/Pacers/Mavericks/Bulls/Pacers/Lakers
Despite his massive player option last season, he opted out in order to re-work a deal (likely with the Kings) in order to be the big 3-4 defender that they need who can also stretch the floor on offense. He allowed the Kings to play Bagley at the 5 until his got hurt last season and he will fit in well with any team who wants a solid defender.
Best fits: Kings/Celtics/Pacers
He has been under the radar his entire career and most casual NBA fans probably hadn’t heard of him until this postseason when the Magic played the Raptors in Round 1. He was the life and soul of the Magic last season and he’s a great big man who can rebound and score in the post. He also is a big body who can drop on defense which can prevent finishes to the rim. He shot a career high from 3 last season as well (36%).
Best fits: Celtics/Magic/Kings/Mavericks
Although he’s 33 years old and looking for a 3-4-year deal with his next team, he is one of the smartest players on both sides of the ball and is a willing passer. He is a veteran who can help guide a current contender in the playoffs and he can help a young core make the playoffs for the first time. He’d be higher on my list, but the last two years of his deal could be tough to swallow since he’s looking for deals north of $20 million per year. He has also been the Embiid stopper every time the 76ers played the Celtics so he’s a valuable asset if you’re an Eastern Conference contender and you need to go through the Sixers in the playoffs.
Best fits: Pelicans/Mavericks/Hawks/Kings/Celtics
Before being traded to Philly last season, averaged 20 points per game for the Clippers. He’s a lights out shooter from deep and his size allows him to switch between small-forward and power-forward on both sides of the ball. His contract offers this offseason will be in the $20-25 million range which isn’t as expensive as the top 5 free agents but is still pricey for a guy who won’t be the first option on a championship team. He’s a second-tier free agent for every team who strikes out on their first option.
Best fit: Clippers/76ers/Knicks/Bulls/Nets/whoever strikes out on their first option
He’s important for a lot of the same reasons as Khris Middleton, who’s coming up later. Brogdon was critical in the Bucks’ regular season success this season and his ability to defend plus shoot the three with accuracy (40% last season), makes him a coveted player by just about every team this offseason. The Bucks better be prepared to pay about $20 million per year for him because that is what it will take to keep him.
Best fit: Bucks/Nets/Knicks/Suns/Bulls/Lakers/Pacers/76ers/Celtics…like I said, every team
He had a career year last year in just about every category as he helped lead the Nets to their first playoff berth in four years. Now he is entering the prime of his career while he is playing the best basketball of his career! His ball handling and shooting can help any team win more basketball games.
Best fits: Lakers/Nets/Bulls/Suns/Pacers/Celtics
I mentioned him before, and he is slightly more valuable than Brogdon in my opinion. He was Milwaukee’s second leading scorer last season and he carried the offense when Giannis wasn’t on the floor. He also has a good post-up game and can create shots when the offense stops moving. He is irreplaceable for the Bucks and if I’m an Eastern Conference rival I try to steal him away at any cost.
Best fits: Bucks/Celtics/Lakers/Bulls
He’s the best All-Star that no one pays attention to. He put up more than 25 points per game last season while being the only viable option on offense for a middling Charlotte team. He scores incredibly well and is very durable for his size. He will thrive and excel in a situation where he isn’t the only player who can score on offense. I believe his best basketball is yet to come.
Best fit: Celtics/Lakers/Knicks/Nets
He’s one of the best shooters of all time, but he’s coming off of an ACL tear in the Finals, so he’ll miss the first half of next season (at least). Many players have come back from these types of injuries now, so I’m not worried about his ability to return to his All-Star form. I’d pay him whatever max money he wants.
Best fit: all 32 teams.
Kyrie matters so much because he fits into the Kevin Durant puzzle in both Brooklyn and New York – basically he'll sign with any New York team Durant decides to sign with. If Kyrie and Durant both come to your team then you’re an instant contender. If only Kyrie comes then you could end up being the Celtics 2.0 (see all of Celtics’ Twitter from last season). Like I said, he fits into the Kevin Durant puzzle.
Best fit: Nets (with Durant)/Knicks (with Durant)/Lakers
Just about every team with cap space needs a wing defender who can create his own shot, initiate the offense, and take over in the clutch. Jimmy Butler fits all of these needs and he basically fulfills multiple teams’ Wishlist. Because of that, he’ the third overall free agent – you can probably guess the top two.
Best fits: Celtics/Lakers/Clippers/76ers/Knicks
He’s a 2x Finals MVP and NBA Champion for two different teams. He was the best player in the world during the NBA Playoffs and he is the best defender we’ve seen this century. However, he’s basically narrowed his two choices down to LA and Toronto. There are rumors that he’ll meet with Philly but that hasn’t been confirmed yet so I’m operating under the assumption those rumors aren’t true.
Best fits: Clippers/Lakers/76ers/Raptors
If you want to flip 1 and 2, you’ll have no complaints from me. The reason Durant is above both Butler and Kawhi for me is because of how much of free agency will depend on where Durant goes. If Durant goes to Brooklyn or New York, then so will Kyrie – that basically changes the trajectory of two different franchises. If he stays with the Warriors then they have to be considered title favorites again in two years. We also don’t know what he’ll look like post-Achilles tear. Will he be even 80% of the player he was before? Will the same teams give him the same amount of money he was bound to make before the NBA Finals? Only one way to find out – stay locked to our phones and Twitter until we get a decision!
With all of that done, all that's left is to wait and see what happens! Be sure to stay tuned for my team previews as well as reactions to major signings and trades that inevitably happen as well.