Opinion
When it comes to this year’s NBA free agency list, there’s only a few genuine superstars entering unrestricted territory but there’s many more who could do with a change of scenery.
And for a few fading stars, this could represent their last chance to play a significant part in a championship run.
James Harden is the biggest name on the list of free agents and amid talk that he will return to Houston to reclaim his “basketball freedom”, it might not be the worst result for Philadelphia if “The Beard” is shorn from their roster.
The Sixers could potentially fashion a sign and trade so they at least recoup some assets from the Rockets, who are projected to have around $60 million to splash as they try to make a playoff return after three years in the doldrums after Harden huffed and puffed his way out of Houston.
Joel Embiid with James Harden. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
He’s only 33 but he’s already showing signs of slowing down and after yet another post-season disappearing act, Philadelphia under new coach Nick Nurse should be looking to give Tyrese Maxey the main ball-handling duties and be in the market for a more reliable star to pair with MVP Joel Embiid.
Reliable? Did somebody say Kyrie Irving. Ummm, no. He is the antithesis of reliable. On the court – he’s one of the most talented athletes in the NBA but when it comes to the business of being the cornerstone of a successful team, you only need to talk to fans of Boston, Brooklyn and now Dallas to know he’s all about himself.
In the latest bizarre storyline involving Irving, his camp is reportedly trying to get LeBron James to reunite with him by working out a trade deal so The King would leave the Lakers to become a Maverick.
That trade ain’t gonna happen for all the oil in Texas or all the movie stars in LA.
Irving could sign anywhere but he knows the most lucrative offer will be from Dallas, who can’t afford to let him walk for nothing after trading a bunch of assets mid-season to free him from the bonds of Brooklyn.
The Lakers would have to take on a huge luxury tax bill if they pay Irving what he thinks he’s worth.
And they already need to come up with a few extra zeroes when free agency begins at the end of the month to keep Austin Reaves after his breakout season on a bargain basement deal.
One player the Lakers definitely won’t be pursuing is Russell Westbrook. After his mid-season trade to the Clippers, the veteran guard showed he can still cut it as an NBA starter but he’s not going to command anywhere near the $46 million he was paid in the final year of his recently expired contract.
Time is running out for the former MVP to get a championship ring – whether he returns to the Clippers or gets a start elsewhere, he needs to accept a secondary role or he will yet again chalk up individual stats while his teammates stand around watching and the losses pile up.
Khris Middleton and Draymond Green are very interesting prospects on the free agency carousel.
Middleton was hampered by injuries this season at Milwaukee and after their first-round flame-out to eventual finalists Miami, there’s a chance the Bucks don’t strike a deal with the former All-Star.
Middleton has the option of taking up a player option for next season at a few bucks (not the Milwaukee kind) over $40m or trying to ink a longer-term deal.
The Bucks are still very much in a championship window with Giannis Antetokounmpo only 28 and Jrue Holiday still an elite two-way guard so it wouldn’t surprise if they cough up even more money to keep Middleton around.
He has until by June 21 to indicate whether he will take up his option but he can also add as many as four more years on an extension, earning potentially as much as $220m if the Bucks think he’s worth the maximum (he’s a valuable player but definitely not worth that much).
Draymond Green steps over Domantas Sabonis. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Green is extremely valuable to the Warriors when it comes to defensive presence, basketball IQ and his on-court chemistry with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
But he is definitely starting to show the wear and tear of being an under-sized centre for 11 straight seasons with plenty of gruelling post-season runs.
And there’s also the small matter of the fact that the ageing firebrand punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face during pre-season practice, an incident which coach Steve Kerr conceded after their second-round finals exit played a role in them not being a championship team this time around.
With their president of basketball operations Bob Myers moving on recently, Green could be the next key plank of their championship dynasty to leave the Bay.
The Mavericks have been touted as a potential landing spot for Green – on the floor he’s exactly what they need as their defence is diabolical but if he’s combining with Irving and Luka Doncic, that would be the most combustible trios in NBA history that would surely go up in flames at some point.
Among the other big names who are testing their market value, there are a few who are effective at certain skills but have glaring weaknesses like Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Vucevic, Fred VanVleet and D’Angelo Russell.
Damian Lillard drives to the net against OG. Anunoby. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Of the players under contract who should force some sort of trade while they can, Portland’s Damian Lillard remains at the top of that list, as he’s done for several seasons.
His loyalty to the Trail Blazers has not been rewarded by the front office giving him a worthy supporting cast but he’s turning 33 next month and coming off a career-best year as far as points per game (32.2). If he doesn’t see a significant uptick in the roster around him before the season tips in October, nobody would blame him if he said get me outta here.
Bradley Beal is the poor man’s Lillard – he’s been stuck in Washington (mostly by his own choosing) and is signed until the end of 2026-27 on a five-year $250m mega deal. Plus he has a no-trade clause.
The Wizards are overhauling their front office and based on the evidence of their underwhelming returns with Beal, Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma as their not so big three, it’s time for a clean-out in the capital to cash in on their best asset while he’s still relatively young at 29.
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