• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

22-23 Offseason GM Thread!

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
If the Warriors get cheap with OPJ this summer, I like him as a target.
 

opening tip​

Kyrie Irving has a decision to make Wednesday when he can either opt in or decline his player option. (John Micnchillo/AP)

Kyrie Irving has a decision to make Wednesday when he can either opt in or decline his player option. (John Micnchillo/AP)
Ben Golliver By Ben Golliver
with Jeremy Gottlieb
Email

NBA free agency preview: Big money, big drama, big markets.

This year’s NBA draft was a small-market affair: Once the dust settled on trades, only two of the 14 lottery picks — Houston’s Jabari Smith and Washington’s Johnny Davis — landed in the league’s top 10 television markets. By contrast, the upcoming free agency period, which officially opens Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern time, will be dominated by big-market intrigue.
The drama begins in New York, where the Brooklyn Nets need to sort through complex negotiations with Kyrie Irving at the risk of upsetting Kevin Durant, and the Knicks appear to have cap space burning a hole in their pockets. Meanwhile, all-star guards James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) and Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) are all due lucrative new deals.
Out West, the Golden State Warriors will incur another massive luxury tax bill as they try to keep together their title-winning roster, while the Dallas Mavericks, their Western Conference finals opponent, will be fending off interested suitors for breakout guard Jalen Brunson. In Los Angeles, the Lakers are desperate for a reset after a humiliating 33-win season, while the deep-pocketed Clippers are bound to be aggressive with Kawhi Leonard finally set to return from a knee injury this fall.
Keep in mind: Cap space is tight around the league and the pool of unrestricted free agents is light on superstars, so pulling off a major shake-up will require some serious front-office creativity. Before the rumors heat up this week, here’s what’s at stake for five of the NBA’s heaviest hitters.
Brooklyn Nets: A disastrous first-round exit following months of uncertainty around Irving has placed the Nets on center stage. The 30-year-old guard made it sound in April like his return would be a formality, but a different picture has emerged in recent weeks.
Irving is accustomed to receiving as much money as his teams are legally allowed to pay him, and he’s eligible for a five-year contract worth nearly $250 million. Understandably, Brooklyn’s ownership and front office are hesitant to make such a long-term commitment given Irving’s injury history, spotty availability and vaccine-related absences. Last week, reports emerged that Irving was weighing his alternatives, including the Lakers, but he will probably find that he’s not as coveted by other contenders as he might think.
The Nets face the most pressure of any team in the league: If they can’t reach a deal with Irving, Durant would be left with a shell of the aspiring superteam he thought he had formed last year with Harden and Irving. Would such a sharp change in fortune lead Durant to request a trade?
On top of those fundamental challenges, the Nets have a ton of notable contributors who can hit free agency, including Patty Mills, Bruce Brown, Goran Dragic, Nic Claxton and veteran big men Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. Even if Irving and Durant recommit, Brooklyn is going to have its hands full filling out a roster capable of contending.
New York Knicks: It doesn’t exactly take a code breaker to decipher New York’s intentions. Knicks executives showed up courtside at Mavericks playoff games in April, and then hired Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach in early June. During the draft, New York traded its lottery pick and dumped Kemba Walker’s salary in a trade to increase its spending power in pursuit of the Dallas guard and other targets.
Brunson, 25, would plug in nicely as New York’s starting point guard, and he is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists. Yet Brunson’s strong showing in the playoffs — he averaged 21.6 points per game and poured in 41 points in a first-round win over the Utah Jazz — will make Dallas highly motivated to keep him. How high, exactly, are the Knicks willing to go to get their man?
Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook proved to be an awful fit during his first year with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, yet the Lakers have given every indication they expect him back for the final year of a contract that will pay him $47.1 million. First-time coach Darvin Ham, who was hired in May, went so far as to call Westbrook “one of the best players our league has ever seen,” adding that the 33-year-old guard “still has a ton left in the tank.”
Regardless, the Lakers must seriously explore all options to trade Westbrook, who posted a career-low Player Efficiency Rating last year. If they can’t find a suitable deal, the Lakers will find themselves with a top-heavy cap sheet and huge holes at the wing positions. Cycling through veteran-minimum stopgaps didn’t work last year, and they are bound to be a less-desirable destination for free agents after cratering to 11th in the West.
It’s also worth noting that James, 37, is eligible for an extension this summer. In February, the four-time MVP flirted with the possibility of returning to Cleveland and teaming up with his teenage son, Bronny, down the road. Whether James agrees to the two-year, nearly $100 million extension will shed significant light on whether he plans to retire with the Lakers or seek greener pastures in July 2023.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Warriors hadn’t even held their championship parade before the Clippers had emerged as a popular pick to unseat them in 2022-23. On paper, there’s a lot to like with a veteran roster headlined by Leonard and Paul George plus a supporting cast loaded with shooters and switchable defenders. The Boston Celtics’ wings and frontcourt athletes gave the Warriors trouble in the Finals, and the Clippers, if healthy, would present similar challenges.
Importantly, Steve Ballmer is the rare owner willing to try to keep up with the Warriors in a spending arms race. The billionaire former Microsoft executive took on major salary at the trade deadline, and he will surely be eager to retain forward Nicolas Batum, the Clippers’ top free agent. Another intriguing option is John Wall, who was shut down by the Rockets last season but could reach a buyout agreement on an expiring contract that will pay him $47.4 million. If Houston finally cuts Wall free, he would have the chance to chase a title and play real minutes in the Clippers’ backcourt.
Golden State Warriors: Shortly after winning his fourth title in eight years, Warriors Coach Steve Kerr told a San Francisco radio station that he thought Golden State would “be even better next year.” That’s not exactly a hot take: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson barely played together during the 2021-22 regular season; 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman never saw the court due to his lengthy injury rehabilitation; and promising rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody will have another year to mature.
Before the Warriors can repeat as champions, though, they will need to sort through a long list of free agents, including starting center Kevon Looney, backcourt defensive specialist Gary Payton II and veteran wings Otto Porter and Andre Iguodala. Looney, 26, should be the highest priority, as his interior defense and rebounding proved vital throughout their title run.
To keep the band together, Golden State could wind up exceeding $425 million in payroll, luxury taxes and repeater taxes in 2022-23, according to a CBSSports.com estimate. To put that unprecedented level of spending into context, the NBA’s salary cap was $112.4 million last season. There’s no need to shed tears for owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, as Forbes pegged the Warriors’ franchise value at $5.6 billion last October, second-most in the NBA behind the Knicks.​

The best of #NBATwitter and R/NBA​


 
Right now, I envision a lineup that’s similar to the one that ended last year’s season

Garland / Sexton
LeVert / Agbaji
Markkanen / Okoro
E. Mobley / Love
Allen / Diop or I. Mobley (?)

I like the idea of Sexton taking on Rubio’s role and coming off the bench as a sixth man. To me, it appears the biggest need is a big wing. The likely options are either trading Okoro for one or using the MLE on a free agent. So, my questions for those who know more than me:

- What would a realistic return for Okoro (or a package centered around Okoro) look like?
- What are realistic free agent options for big wing? Any chance one of them could start?
 
That just feels stupid for all kinds of reasons. Let yourself have a chance to get something for him, or at least match an offer.

They’re probably looking to make a big move and are freeing up cap space. My guess based on their current roster is they give Ayton a max offer.
 
They’re probably looking to make a big move and are freeing up cap space. My guess based on their current roster is they give Ayton a max offer.

They are the current favorites to sign Isaiah Hartenstein. So they are basically letting Bamba walk to replace him with Hartenstein.
 
Time to fold the tents up until the trading deadline! There’s no moves to be made at this point.
 
Well Browns signed Watson ;)

Two completely different situations. I won't comment on Watson. But Bridges seems fucked right now. I don't see a team touching him until this dies down. Even reports of Hornets withdrawing their QO on him. Some team may sign him but I doubt they will soon. I'm guessing he misses at least a season or two before someone picks him up.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top