<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Next years free agency class is insane. LeBron, Melo, Wade, Bosh, Paul George, Dirk, Duncan, Kemba, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson & more.</p>— NBA Legion (@MySportsLegion) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsLegion/statuses/358755785020411904">July 21, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
i have a feeling lakers will get Lebron and Klay (his father was a Laker and still works for Lakers).
Pacers will match any offer to George and there's zero chance Kemba, Kyrie or Thompson get their options declined.
Lebron going to Cleveland and Lebron going to LA are two rumors that makes zero sense. He will be back in Miami, he has won championships there and respects Pat Riley too much to leave.
Klay is a restricted FA. Lakers have virtually no shot at him unless they throw him a maxed out contract with i doubt they do.
George won't even be a free agent, most likely. He's already close to an extension with the Pacers. And Kyrie Irving won't be a free agent because he's still got 2 years on his rookie contract. What the heck is 'mysportslegion' anyway?
Dirk, Melo and possibly Bosh are the only guys on that list I can see leaving their teams. Dirk and Melo could try to abandon their respective sinking ships. With Bosh, the Heat may well just opt not to resign him if they're too far over the cap. They may well have already traded him before that time comes. And even in those cases - does Dirk decide to end his career in Dallas for nostalgic reasons? Does Melo decide it's more important to retire a Knick so he can have his jersey hanging from the rafters there? I think this is largely a whole lot of hoopla over nothing. There may be some big trades and some free agent defections by then, but as of right now, it's too soon to have much of an idea who those people will be.
LeBron - really is only going to resign with Miami or return to Cleveland Melo - will opt out, highest profile UFA reasonably available Wade - won't opt out, will play out the rest of his deal, never gonna get paid like that again Bosh - see Wade Paul George - RFA, will sign a long term extension or IND will match Dirk - over the hill Duncan - over the hill Kemba - overrated Kyrie Irving - see Paul George Klay Thompson - see Paul George and Kryie Irving So basically, next year's class is LeBron for either MIA or CLE and Melo for everyone else to dream about.
most will resign and/or have their options picked up. melo won't leave new york..he's there for the long haul. bosh already said he wont leave miami. not much of a free agency class...there will be some drama with lebron going back to cleveland..but in the end he will re-up with miami.
I think it will be a pretty weak free agency in reality. I don't expect any of those guys to leave their teams. And actually now that i double checked, Kyrie, Kemba and Thompson are all 2015 free agents (OP should probably unfollow this source, hehe).
Bosh or a 1-2 yr deal for Dirk will possibly be Houston's big free agent targets if they don't do anything at the deadline.
A lot of big names, but how many are really leaving? My riveting thoughts! Not really. Spoiler Avery Bradley(R) - Will re-sign with Boston Paul Pierce - Depending on how the year goes, re-sign in Brooklyn or ....? Luol Deng - Probably re-signs Dirk Nowitzki - Re-signs with Dallas Greg Monroe(R) - Re-signs with Detroit unless Detroit does something stupid.(Trades him?) Andrew Bogut - Re-signs in Golden State(or...?) Paul George(R) - Re-signs with Indiana Danny Granger - Seems like the odd man out in Indiana (either traded or they let him walk.) Kobe Bryant - Re-signs with LA. Pau Gasol - Likely re-signs with LA. Zach Randolph(P) - Memphis Chris Bosh(ETO) - ??? LeBron James(ETO) - Not ruling anything out. Dwyane Wade(ETO) - Seems likely to either re-sign or opt back in with Miami but I won't rule out leaving if LeBron leaves. Larry Sanders(R) - Re-signs with Milwaukee(unless Milwaukee does something stupid?) Carmelo Anthony(ETO) - He'll opt out and I could very well see him leaving. At least more likely than LeBron. While he wanted to be in New York, they're capped out and haven't (aren't) improved. Amar'e Stoudemire - Hard to see him opting out of $23 million. (And going back to Carmelo, if Amar'e opts in, along with Chandler's contract, and say Carmelo was to re-sign, that's their team, that's their cap space. Although, Chandler and Amar'e would be expiring that year.) Evan Turner(R) - Could see him re-signing with but Hinkie, who knows. Eric Bledsoe(R) - He'll be staying in Phoenix and he'll get paid this year or next. Marcin Gortat - He gone. DeMarcus Cousins(R) - Seems likely to re-sign although... Tim Duncan(P) - Re-signs with SA. Rudy Gay(P) - Could stay or go. Derrick Favors(R) - Re-signs with Utah. Gordon Hayward(R) - Re-signs with Utah. John Wall(R) - Re-signs with Washington
I think Wade will opt out so he can get one more long-term deal before he's completely broken down physically, even if it's at a reduced annual rate.
Please...in the name of comedy...Melo and Kobe on the same roster. Please make it happen Kupcheck...I would love you forever.
*Correct me if I'm wrong* The NBA COULD possibly renew its TV contracts after next season, for the 2015 season and probably for 2016. That can be a higher salary cap and lux tax figure. Some teams like Miami could still retain its "Big 3" instead of letting Wade or Bosh walk. Some teams and the Brooklyn owner can still spend like drunken sailors. So if TV contracts are renewed early, there might not be as much player movement. OR, there can be LOTS of player movement (Thats before salaries start to expand with it. And there can be a new CBA for the 2018 season but thats still a ways away)
(As I'll keep saying) Lebron is trying to PASS Kobe. I don't think Lebron is gonna help Kobe get more rings, and make Kobe's legacy uncatchable in front of his own. Lebron did tease about maybe going back to Cleveland. But the only way that happens is a whole string of events, that somehow Wade and Bosh decide to leave Lebron in Miami by himself with a lesser team (unlikely especially Wade), that Miami would not draw in enough replacement talent (unlikely), and that Lebron would join Cleveland cuz he likes whats going on over there (Irving / Bynum / Bennett, outside chance they surprise but still doubt it).
If that's the case, then the CBA will have only made market parity even harder. As the small market teams can't afford Big 3s, but the bigger ones still can. Back on point, the 2014 class is overrated, just like the 2011 class. Lebron: Will probably stay with Miami. Wade: Ditto. Plus, he'll be 33. Compound that with his injury history. Bosh: Will either stay with Miami, or will be traded before hand, and re-sign there. Paul George: Indiana will probably max extend. Dirk: Of all of them, Dirk is the most likely to stay. Cuban's got deep pockets, and Dirk's the face of the franchise (and Cuban's favorite player). Kemba, Irving, Thompson: I believe these guys all have team options, if not I'd be surprised if they didn't take extensions. When was the last time a decent rookie didn't get extended by his rookie team?
