What to Watch For in NBA Free Agency

(photo credit: sportingnews.com)

The NBA free agency period will begin on July 1, and there are some many intriguing storylines heading into the first day of July. There are many players on the open market that could change the complexion of many franchises. A lot of teams will be looking to build their teams for next season, while some teams will be looking to start the rebuilding process. We’ve got so many storylines heading into free agency, and here are some of the top things to watch out for heading into the month of July.

1) Where will Kevin Durant sign in free agency?

Durant is the biggest name on the free agent market, as pretty much every team in the NBA is targeting the superstar small forward. Right now, it seems the favorite for to land Durant is the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is the team he’s played on his whole career.

The Thunder already have star point guard Russell Westbrook, and they have a solid young core which contains Andre Roberson and Steven Adams. They also have a great head coach in Billy Donovan, who was an upgrade over former head coach Scott Brooks. The Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are also teams that Durant could potentially play on.

2) What do the Boston Celtics have in store after a disappointing draft?

After the Boston Celtics had an underwhelming draft, we can all expect Danny Ainge to make a shocking move in free agency. Boston has the cap space to sign players like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Hassan Whiteside. Boston is also going to meet with Dwight Howard, so it seems like the Celtics will be swinging for the fences during the free agency period.


3) Will Hassan Whiteside leave the Miami Heat?

Whiteside is looking for a big pay day, and while the Heat really want to keep him, they might not think he is worth a max contract. Whiteside also wants to be the best player on a team, and he isn't that guy on the Heat. Whiteside seems to be interested in the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, if he decides to leave South Beach. If he leaves Miami, then the Heat will no doubt make a run for Kevin Durant. 

4) Will the Golden State Warriors add more to their lethal core?

After just missing out on a second championship ring, Warriors owner Joe Lacob said that he’ll be very aggressive this offseason. Golden State is one of the front runners to potentially land Kevin Durant if he leaves Oklahoma City. According to the Mercury News, Golden State is also interested in adding future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki in free agency. The Warriors had the best regular season in NBA history last year, and they are looking to add to a core that includes three All-Stars, one of them being back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry. Whether its via trade or in free agency, Lacob will be very aggressive in trying to add to his team.