Who’s Left in NBA Free Agency?
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The NBA free agency period is coming to a close, but there are still some big names on the market. Who’s left and where will they land?
Big Names that have signed
It’s been a wild off-season in the NBA with a lot of big names changing teams. Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets, and Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors. These are just a few of the big names that have already signed new contracts.
Kyrie Irving- Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving committed to play for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, joining Kevin Durant in a blockbuster move as two stars decided to team up with the Nets rather than the crosstown-rival Knicks.
Irving announced his decision on Instagram, choosing the Nets over the Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.
“I’m coming home,” Irving said. “I’m excited to join KD and DeAndre Jordan in bringing championship basketball back to Brooklyn.”
The Nets also agreed to deals with free agent forwards Wilson Chandler and Theo Pinson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Kemba Walker- Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have reached an agreement with All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Celtics and Walker are finalizing a four-year, $141 million maximum contract, league sources told ESPN.
Walker, 29, is one of the most significant free agents remaining on the board. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Charlotte Hornets and was an All-Star for the third time last season, averaging 25.6 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 43.4% from 3-point range.
Al Horford- Philadelphia 76ers
Al Horford has agreed to a four-year, $109 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, agent Jason Glushon told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Horford, who met with Sixers officials in Atlanta on Sunday morning, will add a significant frontcourt piece to a Sixers team that reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.
The 33-year-old center averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game last season for the Boston Celtics. He shot 36.1 percent from 3-point range, his highest percentage since the 2014-15 season.
Big Names that have not signed
The NBA free agency has been one of the most eventful in recent memory. Superstars have shifted teams, role players have found new homes and franchises have been altered for years to come. While most of the big names have found new homes, there are still a few that have yet to sign.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is a 26-year-old small forward who spent his first seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Star, and was the 2014 Finals MVP. Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in July 2018.
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler is a 6’8″, 27-year-old shooting guard/small forward who most recently played for the Chicago Bulls. He was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in Tomball, a suburb northwest of the city. Butler played one year of college basketball at Tyler Junior College before transferring to Marquette University. He was drafted 30th overall by the Bulls in the 2011 NBA draft.
Butler has been named an NBA All-Star three times (2015, 2016, 2017) and has been named to the All-NBA Defensive Teams four times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). He was also a member of the United States national team that won gold at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Butler became a free agent on July 1st, 2019 after he declined to exercise his player option with the Bulls for the 2019-2020 season.
DeMarcus Cousins
It’s been a slow start to NBA free agency, with many of the big names already off the board. But there are still a few notable players left on the market, including DeMarcus Cousins, who was recently released by the Houston Rockets.
Cousins is a four-time All-Star and was named an All-NBA player three times, but he has been beset by injuries in recent years. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2018 and tore his quadriceps muscle in 2019, causing him to miss significant time. As a result, his value on the open market has declined, and he has yet to find a team willing to take a chance on him.
Cousins is just 28 years old and despite his injury history, he is still one of the best centers in the league when healthy. If he can prove that he is past his injuries, he should have no problem finding a new team. But for now, he remains one of the biggest names left in NBA free agency.
Notable signings
So far, the biggest names to sign are Leonard with the Clippers, Durant with the Nets, and Irving with the Nets. Obviously, those signings will have the most impact on the league this upcoming season. However, there are still many big names left on the market.
Tobias Harris- Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris has agreed to a five-year, $180 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining Jimmy Butler and Josh Richardson in a new-look Sixers starting lineup.
The 26-year-old forward was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, and he ultimately chose to stay in Philadelphia after being acquired by the 76ers at the trade deadline last season.
Harris gives the 76ers a versatile scoring threat who can play both small forward and power forward, and he should be a good fit alongside Butler and Richardson in the starting lineup.
In 63 games for the Sixers last season, Harris averaged 20.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range.
Khris Middleton- Milwaukee Bucks
Khris Middleton is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted 39th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2012 NBA draft. After two years with Detroit, he was traded to Milwaukee in 2013. Middleton has averaged over 20 points per game in four of his seven seasons with Milwaukee, and was named an NBA All-Star in 2019.
Nikola Vucevic- Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal with center Nikola Vucevic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Vucevic, 28, was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market this offseason and he ultimately decided to stay put in Orlando. He’s coming off a career year in which he averaged 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.
With Vucevic in the fold, the Magic are expected to be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference next season.
Notable players that have been traded
It’s been an eventful NBA offseason with plenty of player movement. Several big names have been traded, including Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George. Some notable free agents remain, however, including Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, and Kawhi Leonard. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest names that are still available.
Anthony Davis- Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade Anthony Davis to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the No. 4 overall selection in this year’s draft, league sources told ESPN.
The Pelicans will send Davis to the Lakers for Ball, Ingram, Hart and three first-round picks — the No. 4 overall selection in this year’s draft and future first-rounders in 2021 (unprotected) and 2024 ( unprotected), league sources told ESPN.
The teams had been working on the parameters of a deal for several weeks and with both sides motivated to complete a trade before Thursday’s NBA draft, a Davis trade could be completed as soon as Wednesday night, league sources said.
Mike Conley- Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have agreed to trade Mike Conley to the Memphis Grizzlies for Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver and Jae Crowder, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2019
The Grizzlies have traded Mike Conley to the Jazz, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2019
D’Angelo Russell- Golden State Warriors
D’Angelo Russell was traded to the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2019. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2016. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017, and he was named an NBA All-Star in 2019.
