This year’s NBA playoffs have been one of the most exciting and competitive playoffs in years. The untouchable Golden State Warriors look more beatable than ever before, and the Eastern Conference hasn’t been this competitive in a long time.
However, in these playoffs, there’s a huge elephant in the room that could affect the NBA for years to come.
The elephant in question is the NBA free agency. Major teams that are currently in the playoffs will look a lot different depending on some of the NBA’s top superstar decisions.
The Golden State Warriors have two key players that could walk away from the team this offseason: Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Many believe that Durant will leave the Warriors for the New York Knicks. Some believe that Thompson will stay with the Warriors.
If the Warriors could, they would keep both Durant and Thompson — but the team is unable to pay the maximum contract for the two of them.
According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, several of Durant’s former and current teammates believe that the Warriors’ forward will sign with the Knicks this summer.
“It’s easier to find street parking in Manhattan than it is to find an NBA executive, player or coach who doesn’t think Durant is going to sign with the Knicks in July,” Begley said.
Some of Durant’s former teammates think it will happen, per ESPN sources. Several of his current teammates have supposedly told friends that they think it’s going to happen — but opposing agents believe it’s a fait accompli.
“Just a matter of putting pen to paper,” is how one agent in the 2019 Free Agent Class put it.
Another pending free agent is current Boston Celtics player Kyrie Irving. He’s in the same situation as Durant, wherein many believe he could go to New York. However, which team he’d be traded to is up for debate — Irving could either go to the Brooklyn Nets or to the Knicks.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley covered the projected ideal landing spots for Irving: the top two teams ended up being the Nets and Knicks.
Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors is another superstar that will be a free agent this summer. The Raptors received Leonard in a trade in the hopes of him liking the team and the environment, so he could end up re-signing with the team in the future.
However, even before the trade, there have been talks and rumors about him going to Los Angeles, either to the Lakers or Clippers. One person that may have heard about this is LeBron James.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported that James visited with Leonard during the Sixers-Raptors playoff series in Philadelphia, essentially in an attempt to recruit him. James reportedly has also been quietly trying to convince Leonard to play for the Lakers.
The last dominos that could affect the future of the NBA are Philadelphia Sixers players Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. Unlike the Warriors, the Sixers can afford to pay both of their top free agents leaving, but the decision depends on if the two are willing to stay with the team. Many believe Harris is a lock to stay in Philadelphia.
There are mixed thoughts about where Butler will go. Some think he will stay in Philadelphia. Others think he’ll go somewhere else like New York City or Los Angeles.
It seems like the majority of national sports media wants every free agent on the market to either go to New York or Los Angeles. However, not every single agent can go to those teams.
It’s possible that the biggest factor that determines where these free agents go is playoff success. If the teams they are currently on are winning and making a deep run in the playoffs, it can possibly put a light bulb in their heads, making them realize that they could continue these wins in the future.
Regardless, the 2019 NBA free agency will probably go down as a historic moment in NBA history.