Free Agency Frenzy: Best Landing Spots for Notable Free Agents

June 30, 2022

"Thunder" Dan Palyo discusses where some of the top remaining NBA free agents could land and how it could impact their fantasy value.

Now that the NBA Draft is in the books, we can shift our focus to free agency as teams look to fill gaps on their rosters. Tomorrow is when it all begins and this NBA free agency period should be an interesting one, as there have already been some trades and moves made in the last few weeks that are going to shake up the competitive balance in both conferences.

In this piece, I will examine which free agents are most likely to sign where and what implications that could have for fantasy basketball (or even for real-life basketball). Some signings will be a bigger deal than others, and some of the biggest impacts may end up even being players deciding to re-sign with their current team instead of going elsewhere.

However you slice it, I am just glad we are talking about the NBA again! Before you know it, October will be here and we will be preparing you for your drafts with our RotoBaller Premium Draft Kit and I will be scouring Twitter looking for information about which players are going to get minutes in preseason games for DFS purposes!

What We Already Know

Here's a quick recap of some of the recent developments over the last few days leading up to the free agency period that officially starts tomorrow.

• Kyrie Irving will be back in Brooklyn. As usual, drama surrounded Kyrie for a few weeks and there was speculation he could be moved in a sign-and-trade deal, but he ended up opting into the final year of his contract and for now it appears that he and Kevin Durant are going to give it one more shot together with the Nets.
• John Wall was bought out by the Rockets and it's been reported that he will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. He didn't play a single minute in Houston over the last two seasons but could be healthy and ready to make an impact this year for the Clippers.
• Dejounte Murray was traded to the Hawks in a move that surprised me but has to excite Atlanta fans (and really bum out Spurs fans at the same time). Atlanta looks like a contender now.
• Russell Westbrook exercised his player option and will be back with the Lakers. He has a lot of work to do to rebuild his reputation after a terrible year in 2021 as the Lakers and Westy both fell far short of expectations.
• Ivica Zubac is coming back to the Clippers on a three-year extension. He's always produced with minutes and had career highs in points, boards, and blocks last year.
• The Knicks sent Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to Detroit for picks. Detroit picks up some nice role players while the Knicks cleared some cap space.
• The Wizards acquired Monte Morris and Will Barton from Denver in exchange for KCP and Ish Smith. This one was a headscratcher, I am not sure why Denver did this deal if I am being honest.

The "A-List"

Likely to re-sign with their current team:

Bradley Beal, SG - Washington Wizards

Zach LaVine, SG - Chicago Bulls

James Harden, PG - Philadelphia 76ers

The general consensus is that we see these stars stay where they are. The Wizards love Beal and he's said that he'd like to stay with Washington. We have yet to see Beal play with Porzingis yet, and the Wizards just landed Will Barton and Monte Morris in a trade with Denver. I think Beal will want to stick around and see if they finally have a core group of players around him that will allow them to contend in the East.

The Bulls faded down the stretch, but they'd be foolish to let LaVine get away. They're much more likely to sign him to a big deal and continue to build around him, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic as their big three.

Harden spent only half a season in Philly and their first trip to the playoffs ended in disappointment. But he's expected to stick around at least one more year, make a bunch of money, and see if Philly can get him and Joel Embiid some more help.

Heading Elsewhere?

Deandre Ayton, C - Phoenix Suns

Ayton was rumored to Detroit but that was before the Pistons acquired a rookie big man (Jalen Duran) on draft night. Ayton could still stick in Phoenix, but the market for a young big man with his skill set is substantial and he's going to get paid - either by Phoenix or someone else. Wherever he lands, Ayton should continue to be a great fantasy target in the early rounds with his very 9-cat-friendly game.

Miles Bridges, SF - Charlotte Hornets

I had to go back and rewrite this section as Bridges was just arrested and is likely going to be charged with felony assault. He was one of the most talked-about names in terms of impact wing players and many thought he might head to Detroit, but now his future is very much up in the air.

Jusuf Nurkic, C - Portland Trail Blazers

I am a huge Nurk fan and it was a shame he got shut down early. Depending on what sources you consult, I've seen everything from him being a lock to come back to Portland to others saying he's most definitely leaving. He's an elite big man in terms of being well-rounded and we've seen him really improve his outside shooting and passing over the last few years to go with his rebounding and blocks. If he stays in Portland with Damian Lillard, the refurbished Blazers could be a playoff team and Nurk could have a huge year.

The "B-List"

Likely to re-sign with their current team:

Anfernee Simons, PG - Portland Trail Blazers

After a huge breakout year in which he filled in for Damian Lillard and the Blazers sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans, Simons is expected to come back to Portland to be the new Robin to Lillard's Batman.

Mitchell Robinson, C - New York Knicks

Mitch-Rob is one of the best defensive centers in the league and is coming off his best season as a pro. New York is expected to re-sign him, and they would be wise to do so

Kevon Looney, C - Golden State Warriors

Looney is an underrated player in real life and fantasy, and the word right now is that the Warriors are making every effort to keep him around.

Collin Sexton, SG - Cleveland Cavaliers

This is less of a sure thing than some of the others on this list, but Sexton has some incentive to stick in Cleveland if he wants to win as the Cavs showed last season they are a franchise on the rise. If he ends up taking a deal elsewhere, it would likely be better for his fantasy value, especially if Cleveland does bring Ricky Rubio back as a free agent. Darius Garland is the man in Cleveland and Sexton would be either playing off the bench or playing off the ball if he comes back to the Cavs.

Heading Elsewhere?

Jalen Brunson, PG - Dallas Mavericks

I couldn't bring myself to put him on the "A-list" even though Brunson is about to make a lot of money. He was outstanding for Dallas down the stretch in the playoffs and thrived as a combo guard whether he was starting or coming off the bench. Just about everyone expects him to sign with the Knicks, who have cleared cap room and who badly need a guard who can score to complement RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. He should flourish in New York as far as fantasy goes, but most feel like New York is about to overpay for his services.

Malik Monk, SG - Los Angeles Lakers

Reports are that Monk and the Lakers both want to renew their pact, but I am sure Monk is going to get offers to go elsewhere, too, after he had a big year for L.A. He was thrust into a bigger role with the Lakers' stars missing so much time. He can score the ball and is an excellent marksman from downtown, so the market for his services is there. I'd love to see him go elsewhere and have a bigger role, but he's certainly going to be a fantasy asset even if he stays in L.A.

Bobby Portis, PF - Milwaukee Bucks

I know Bucks fans really want to see Portis back and Milwaukee is set to offer him a pretty large contract. It will come down to whether or not Bobby values playing for a contender more than money, because I am sure he's going to get some solid offers elsewhere, too. Portis played well as a starter or a reserve and his game is incredibly fantasy-friendly for a big man.

Mo Bamba, C - Orlando Magic

Bamba is most definitely leaving Orlando and is one of the most interesting guys on this list as I still don't think we've seen what he can really do in a full season as a starter. The Magic yanked his minutes around last year and he had to compete for touches and boards with Wendell Carter Jr. If he lands on a team where he can get 30 minutes and some decent usage, he could finally realize that top-25 potential as a fantasy player than many have been waiting on.

Otto Porter Jr., SF - Golden State Warriors

Porter really rebuilt his reputation as a bench player in Golden State last year and should be a sought-after commodity with his versatile game. He's come a long way from the days when he was a young player who couldn't defend or shoot and he'd be a nice addition for a contender. His fantasy potential would rest on his role with his new team, but he has the type of well-rounded game that bodes well for 9-cat leagues.

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