12 Predictions for 12 Top Free Agents – PAGE2SPORTS (press release) (blog)
Updated: June 30, 2016
(Photo: Sporting News)
Happy NBA Free Agency, everyone! Other than the beginning of the playoffs and the NBA Finals, July 1 marks the start of the most exciting days of the NBA season. It can certainly be difficult to contain oneself with all the talk of max contracts, restricted free agents, and endless speculation of where the top players will sign. Free agency is nearly impossible to predict accurately, so armed with my basketball knowledge, I will attempt to predict the destinations of 12 of the top free agents.
Kevin Durant: The most important free agent on the market since LeBron James in 2010, Durant already has his suitors angling to impress the three-time scoring champion. As the league’s purest and most lethal scoring threat, he will make whomever he signs with an instant championship contender.
Prediction: Durant signs a two-year extension to stay in Oklahoma City with a player option in the second year. Don’t count out San Antonio, though. After the Thunder, the Spurs will make the strongest push to sign Durant.
LeBron James: Literally and metaphorically, James is the king of Cleveland right now. In bringing a title to his hometown team, James may have just sewn up spending the rest of his career with the Cavaliers. Now, it is just a matter for the future Hall of Famer to become the NBA’s first $200 million man.
Prediction: James opts out of his contract but just as a means to negotiate a higher salary given the increase in the cap. Expect him to do this for the remainder of his career.
Andre Drummond: As the league’s best rebounder, an outstanding post player and a great blocker, Drummond is well on his way to becoming a dominant big man. With that in mind, it is absolutely imperative that the Pistons lock him up for the foreseeable future.
Prediction: Expect him to test the market and see what other teams offer him, but Detroit will nonetheless match any deal.
Mike Conley: Conley is by far the best defensive point guard in the NBA, a quality sure to make him an attractive possibility for many teams. He may be coming off an Achilles injury, but the hope is that the injury is firmly behind him. If so, Conley will be an instant benefit for many.
Prediction: Conley signs a max contract to stay in Memphis, but don’t sleep on point guard-desperate teams like Dallas or Chicago.
Hassan Whiteside: if you are a GM and want to construct a dominant defensive team, Whiteside is ideal player to fit that mold. He is an absolute force in the interior as one of the best blockers in recent NBA history. There are questions about his attitude but his talent will ultimately win out over those concerns.
Prediction: Whiteside signs a max contract with the Lakers. There is a chance he stays in Miami or signs with Dallas, Houston or the Wizards, but he seems to want the LA spotlight.
Al Horford: Horford may not get the media attention of other top-flight big men, but he definitely is one of the most complete players available in free agency. He’s got a solid post game, he’s an efficient shooter from midrange and he’s a calm, experienced presence in the locker room. Teams can go no wrong in signing him.
Prediction: A marquee free agent breaks a long-standing trend of marquee free agents not signing in Boston as Horford signs a max contract with the Celtics.
Pau Gasol: At age 35, his days as a starter are likely coming to a close, but Gasol will still be a major contributor to a championship team. He is likely still a double-double machine and an effective option in pick-and-roll situations.
Prediction: Pau takes a slightly smaller contract to sign with San Antonio for a few more cracks at one final NBA title before finally retiring after three seasons with the Spurs.
Bradley Beal: Beal is still just 23 and yet to fully enter his prime, but he is on his way to becoming an elite, high-volume score with an effective three-point shooting stroke. He is the perfect complement to any team with either an elite point guard or inside player.
Prediction: Beal stays on in Washington, signing a max contract in order to reconstruct the Wizards as a Eastern Conference contender in tandem with John Wall.
Dwight Howard: He certainly is Not the dominant force in the paint he once was in Orlando, but we still averaged a double-double last season in Houston. There are still plenty of questions about his work ethic and focus, but he will still be in demand for some team out there.
Prediction: Howard signs a max contract with the Mavericks in hopes of regaining his form as one of the league’s top centers.
Dwayne Wade: Like Howard, Wade is clearly not the player he once was. Still, he’s got a lot of star power and the ability to contribute to a contender.
Prediction: Wade has spent his entire career in Miami, so expect his loyalty to win out as he re-signs with the Heat. Don’t count out the possibility of Wade reuniting with LeBron in Cleveland, though.
Nicholas Batum: Batum might be the most underrated name in free agency. There is now a huge demand for wing players that can play elite defense and shoot well from behind the arc. Batum is one of the best 3-and-D players on the market the summer, and will surely have many suitors.
Prediction: With the Warriors likely wanting to move away from Harrison Barnes, expect Golden State to make a strong push for Batum with the Frenchman returning the favor. This is also a smart contingency plan in the event they do not land the prize of Kevin Durant.
Harrison Barnes: Barnes’ rather awful performance in the NBA Finals will most certainly hurt just stock in free agency, but with max contracts and it up to everyone nowadays, he will still sign a max contract somewhere. He’s still a young player with lots of room to grow, so expect a team in need of a wing to swoop in.
Prediction: Though the demand for him as clearly minimized after his NBA Finals performance
Dan is a journalist and sportswriter based in Chicago. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, he follows all Chicago sports. Dan is a passionate yet cautiously optimistic fan of the Bulls, Bears, Cubs and Blackhawks. When not in Chicago, Dan is a journalism student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You can follow him on Twitter @danescalona77.
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