NBA free agency has reached the point where almost everything seems to be waiting on one name.
The market has gone quiet over the last couple of days, but the biggest pieces still haven’t moved. And according to Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, a handful of the top remaining free agents may be holding off until LeBron James decides where he’s going next.
James is the center of it all. He is no longer returning to the Lakers, but he still hasn’t said where he’ll land. The Cavaliers, Heat, 76ers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Nuggets are the teams most often connected to him, and Cleveland is widely seen as the team to beat.
That uncertainty appears to be affecting other decisions, too. James Harden is expected to stay in Cleveland, with the question now more about timing than destination. Multiple reports have said Harden and the Cavs have already talked through the framework of a new multiyear deal, and the thinking around the league is that the final timing could hinge on what happens with James.
Draymond Green is in a similar spot. The expectation is that he remains with the Warriors, but his next contract could take a different shape if Golden State ends up landing James. Like Harden, Green may simply be waiting for the summer’s biggest move to play out.
Jonathan Kuminga is another name to watch. The Lakers are still trying to make a run at him, though clearing enough money to do it remains difficult. The Cavs, Kings and Bucks have also been tied to the 23-year-old forward, and a return to Atlanta has not been ruled out.
DeMar DeRozan is also expected to draw interest, but plenty around the league see him as the fallback option for teams that miss out on James.
For now, the market remains unusually still. That could change fast once LeBron makes his call.
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A recent podcast pushed Cleveland into the center of the DeRozan chatter, with the fit tied not just to basketball but to the wider sweep of the leagues summer movement. The Cavaliers have their own priorities to manage, yet any serious run at DeRozan would have to be weighed against bigger-picture plans and the possibility that other marquee names could shape the market in ways that affect what Cleveland can realistically do next. [Read more 🡒]