Kevin Durant has finally won a ring, but there is going to be better gossip within the next coming weeks. The NBA free agency period begins July 1st, and even though we are just days away from the 2016-2017 season ending, it is never too early to start thinking about who is going where.
Can The Warriors keep their core group together? Can Lebron James bring a superstar to help him win another championship? Can another team potentially rise to the ranks of the east or west to dethrone these top two teams who have dominated the league the last three years?
These players are by far the most interesting NBA free agents that every fan should be thinking about.
1. Stephen Curry.
Curry is going to be an unrestricted free agent and has the right to command a contract of 200 million dollars, or more. The Warriors can offer Curry a super-max deal, which was a new provision in the collective bargaining agreement to allow teams to resign their star players. As of now the Warriors are the only team that can offer Curry more than 200 million dollars. He would be the first player to do so in history. The likelihood of Curry remaining with the Warriors is that the team can offer Curry 80 million dollars more than any other team.
Curry is interesting not for that fact that he can make this money, can he command this much?
The Warriors proved they have a dynasty in the making with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant. If Curry accepts this max deal, can the Warriors keep Durant, and essential bench pieces in Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Ian Clark?
2. Kevin Durant
This leads us to Durant who is the wild card in this potential dynasty in the making.
Durant could sign for 200 million dollars too, but then that would force Curry to possibly take a pay cut, which would be a blow to their superstar they drafted back in 2009.
The most likely scenario to keeping the Warriors dynasty is if Durant takes a pay cut, so that the Warriors can still afford Iguodala and Livingston. If Durant does not take a pay cut, the Warriors will likely lose two crucial bench pieces, and will have to overpay Clark to stay; thus, filling out the roster with veteran minimum contracts.
3. Pau Gasol
Gasol is 37-years old, and well past his prime years when he was playing for the Lakers, but he has something still to give to a NBA team. Gasol played for the Spurs this past season as a bench player, and put up averages of 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds a game.
Gasol will only want to play for a contender. With rumblings that the Spurs want to make a Chris Paul chase, that would mean Gasol would potentially be an odd man out. Gasol does not have a track record for taking pay cuts, but David West could show Gasol some pointers. The big man took a pay cut, and played on a veterans minimum contract, and secured his first NBA championship ring.
4. The Clippers starting rotation
Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and JJ Reddick are all on the market this offseason.
The Clippers have a decision to make on keeping these three players, or blowing up their roster. The Clippers have not made it past the first round of the playoffs with this core.
The Spurs are going to try and lure Paul to the Spurs to pair up with superstar Kawhi Leonard and big man Lamarcus Aldridge. Griffin has never played past 70 games in a season, but will be overpaid most likely by the Clippers. Reddick has the opportunity to make a lot of money by the 76ers.
The real question for all these players will be is staying with the Clippers the best option? Paul is 32 years old, and you know that after seeing what Durant did to win his first ring, Paul has to be considering every option at this point.
5. Prized veteran commodities
Rudy Gay has spent the last three and a half years playing for the lowly Sacramento Kings, and is 30 years old with little post-season experience. Gay will follow the money, but he could really help a playoff team that lacks a swingman like Gay.
Zach Randolph turned 36 years old, but still averaged 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds in a reserve role for the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis will have the same dilemma as the Clippers on if they should retain Randolph or not, but Randolph could be another player that could help a playoff contender.
Nene, Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, and Thabo Sefolosha are others that could benefit teams, and who are also ringless.
