2022 NBA Free Agency Preview
It’s not long now before NBA Free Agency is upon us once again and while this years crop of Unrestricted free Agents isn’t a who’s who of the top players in the league, once we throw in a few Restricted Free Agents, Player Option candidates, and a few star trade rumours things get a little more interesting.
UFAs
Franchises looking to rebuild won’t find many corner stone pieces here this year. Instead, we have on offer a suite of able starters and strong role players many of whom will resign with their existing clubs. However, some UFAs who will be looking for a new home include:
Zach LaVine – Probably the biggest difference maker on offer this offseason, Chicago will try to retain him but several teams will be in the hunt. Dallas, Miami, Lakers, are just some of the teams linked to LaVine’s pending free agency.
Jusuf Nurkic – One of the better big men available this offseason, Portland has to decide if they’re keeping him or freeing up the cap space to make a big splash with Zach LaVine.
Montrezl Harrell – Once an intriguing piece, now more of a steady role player, Harrell is likely looking for a new home this offseason.
Andre Drummond – Does his best work in the regular season but has seriously disappointed in the playoffs when he is needed most.
RFAs
Bearing in mind that no RFA jumped ship last offseason, let’s have a look at a few who could be on the move during this free agency.
Deandre Ayton – Suns not likely to match really lucrative offers. For some reason, the Suns Management group doesn’t seem to love Deandre. They like him okay, but not enough to ever commit when they’ve had their chance. Is there something they know that we don’t?
Mo Bamba – Getting crowded out in Orlando who may not match offers. Almost guaranteed to be on the move.
Miles Bridges – After the infamous photo of Bridges with a purple drink and a joint, who knows what teams are likely to go out there with a big offer. What thing you can be sure of is Michael Jordan isn’t offering him any super max now. I wonder how many millions of dollars that picture cost him?
Collin Sexton – It’s complicated. The Cavs would like to keep Sexton who has performed admirably in the past, but they don’t really want to spend the money he might get. In the end, they’ll probably keep him for now and if nothing else will have a valuable trade chip.
Player Options
James Harden – Tubby Harden didn’t have the impact either Brooklyn or Philadelphia hoped for and with his drop off in performance and being 33 years old in the next season don’t bode well for Harden cutting a new deal that makes sense against his current $47.4 million player option. Bet on him to take the option and look for a new home new year.
Kyrie Irving – Whenever I think of Kyrie Irving I think of Charles Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but in this instance it would be: he was the best of players, he was the worst of players. Magnificently talented but hung up on his own intellectual fallibility, if Kyrie could actually imagine himself as a ‘basketball player’ who is actually only a ‘part’ of a ‘team’, he would rival the GOAT candidates because of his talent. Unfortunately, like a giant Redwood tree bored through to make room for a road, Kyrie has a giant mental blind spot that continues to trip him up. Having played only 103 games for Brooklyn over the past 3 seasons, it would appear that as currently constituted, Kyrie is simply incapable of making a positive impact on any NBA team. He is a locker room scourge, famously alienating the entire Boston Celtic locker room with his antics before turning his entire tenure to date with Brooklyn into a farce. He currently holds a player option for $36. 9 million dollars and it is rumoured that he is looking for a new, larger contract. Brooklyn has said that they are not interested in resigning Kyrie to a long term deal but they don’t want to alienate Kyrie’s best buddy, Kevin Durant. Probably the best soap opera in the NBA right now, Brooklyn and the Nets could look very different come October.
John Wall – Does anyone even remember when John Wall was a factor? Sporting a $47.4 million dollar player option which he has already said he is going to pick up, mainly because he is unlikely to make another $47 million dollars ever again in the NBA after this season. Wall has only played 40 games in the last 3 seasons and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that at 32 years of age next season, he’s not going to be improving.
Russell Westbrook – No way Russ is giving up $47.1 million dollars. It is unfortunate that Russ is his own biggest obstacle. Like many NBA players before him, Russ doesn’t yet grasp that his best days are behind him and that he needs to learn how to play within a system now if he is to contribute to the team. Instead, Russ continues to see every suggestion as a slight against him and no coach will ever be able to get through and make him understand. Russ, it’s not about you anymore, it’s about the team. Do what the coach tells you to do and do it to your best ability. Practise isn’t a dirty work either.
Bradley Beal – Youngest and most likely of the group to secure a new, max contract, someone is going to over pay for him and it will most likely be Washington. One of those guys whose name will always bring more money than their ability, Beal will find a comfortable home with a club willing to pay him a max deal.
Star Trades
With Utah in chaos after falling hard out the playoffs early again this year, it seems like the organization has come to the decision that as constructed, this team isn’t going to win a championship. Word on the street is that they are eager to get rid of Rudy Gobert although Donovan Mitchell was beside himself when the coach quit. At this point it would seem that either of these stars could be on the move and that could have titanic ripples through the Association.