LeBron James is (finally) off the board, but there are other big names out there. So where do things stand with the other top free agents still available around the NBA?
Let's break down where things are with the top seven free agents — and the biggest names — still on the board.
1) Jalen Duren (restricted)
Detroit and restricted free agent Jalen Duren have made modest progress (at best) toward a deal and, according to all reports as well as league sources, the sides remain well apart on a new contract for the All-NBA center. There also is little urgency to get a deal done soon, something ESPN’s Shams Charania spoke about on NBA Today (hat tip Hoopshype).
"It seems both sides are dug in on their positioning. The Pistons have a level, a threshold that they have for Jalen Duren. Jalen Duren clearly wants more than that. And so they are, I mean technically there's not really a level of urgency quite yet. We're still late July. We haven't even hit August yet. This will go into August, well into August potentially. Would not surprise anyone involved in these negotiations if it does even go till September. The deadline is really media day. So we'll see when Jalen Duren and his reps and the Pistons can find some common ground here."
Duren, while eligible for a 30% of the cap max, reportedly is seeking a contract at least at the 25% max – the same five-year, $251 million deal that Victor Wembanyama just signed. However, rather than a contract that is slightly above a $50 million-a-year average, the Pistons reportedly started with an offer more in the mid-$30 million-a-year range (five years, $180 million ballpark). Duren's only leverage is the threat of playing for the $9.5 million qualifying offer and becoming a free agent next offseason.
When we were talking about Duren's extension in the middle of last regular season, he looked like a lock for the max, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game while playing elite defense in the paint. However, after a rough playoffs where he averaged 10.2 points per game and disappeared for stretches, how much was on the table shrank. Still, expect the sides to find a deal.
2 and 3) James Harden and Draymond Green
We're combining these two future Hall of Famers because they are in the same situation: Both opted out of their current deals to give their teams more flexibility to chase LeBron James and other free agents. Both are going to re-sign with their teams on deals that are a little less next season than the money they opted out of, but with the security of more money over multiple years. The only question is the final numbers, but Shams Charania reported at ESPN to expect both deals to get done within a week.
Cleveland is currently about $35.5 million below the second apron with 13 roster spots filled. They can sign Harden to the rest of that, but they are trying to use their nearly $8 million in mid-level exception to lure Jonathan Kuminga to Cleveland, which would cut into what Harden gets paid next season.
4) Jonathan Kuminga
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers are the two primary suitors for the 23-year-old free agent wing, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
The challenge is how to make it work financially for either team. Kuminga initially wanted a contract in the ballpark of the $23.4 million team option the Hawks did not pick up for him. However, based on reports, now his goal appears to have dropped below $20 million a season (but more than the $15 million mid-level exception).
That large a salary with the Lakers or Cavaliers could only happen via a sign-and-trade, which gets complex. The Lakers reportedly have offered a sign-and-trade involving Jarred Vanderbilt and draft assets, but he makes $12.4 million next season, well below what Kuminga wants to make, and any sign-and-trade has to be for at least three years (if Kuminga is taking less than he wants, he will want a short deal so he can get back on the market). The Lakers reportedly offered two years, $10 million, but Kuminga believes he's worth more.
Cleveland is even more complex because not only are they offering roughly the same thing financially — they could sign-and-trade Max Strus at $16 million or Dennis Schroder at $14.7 million — but they are a team flirting with the second apron and still must pay Harden. They are not going much higher.
One other part of this: Atlanta has 17 players on the books and is $4.9 million below the luxury tax line without Kuminga on the books. Which means, whatever players they take back in a sign-and-trade puts them into the tax and will give them 18 players on the roster, necessitating more trades to get back below the number. Atlanta is only doing that if it thinks the draft compensation is worth it.
5) DeMar DeRozan
Three teams that got mentioned in the LeBron James sweepstakes but missed out — Miami, Denver and Cleveland — are the teams expressing interest in DeRozan, ESPN’s Charania said on NBA Today.
DeRozan had been linked to the Heat before, and Miami has about $8 million of its mid-level exception remaining, but Miami is reportedly prioritizing Klay Thompson if (when?) he gets bought out in Dallas. Cleveland also has more than a minimum contract to offer, but they are also talking to Atlanta about a Kuminga sign-and-trade. Denver is currently the only team in the league over the second apron and can only offer a minimum contract.
DeRozan, 36, can still get a bucket and averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists per game in Sacramento last season.
6) Peyton Watson (restricted)
Watson's situation is a lot like Jalen Duren's, hung up in restricted free agency with the two sides far apart on a number, although unlike Detroit, Denver will at least entertain the idea of a sign-and-trade (the Bucks, Hawks and Clippers are reportedly interested).
Denver's offer to Watson has to be described as low-ball. This is from the well-connected and respected Tony Jones at The Athletic.
The Nuggets have offered Watson, a restricted free agent, $70 million over five seasons, according to league sources who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal is not final... The Nuggets' payroll is in the second apron because they decided to match Oklahoma City's offer sheet for Jones. Denver is attempting to move a contract or two to get back under the second apron and clear enough money to retain Watson, the league sources said.
That is a $14 million-a-year average, below even the mid-level exception. This comes one year after the Nuggets gave Christian Braun five years, $125 million — then Watson essentially took over Braun's role on the Nuggets last season and outplayed him. Watson wants a number in the ballpark of Braun, and the Nuggets need his athleticism and two-way play.
Just from an outside perspective, it's far more likely Watson would accept and play for his $6.5 million qualifying offer and become a free agent next season than it is Duren would do that. That said, like Duren, there is not real pressure here to get a deal done right now and this could drag out up closer to the start of Nuggets training camp.
7) Bennedict Mathurin (restricted)
Another, much less discussed restricted free agent, Mathurin's rights belong to the LA Clippers (he came over in the Ivica Zubac trade last season).
The Clippers want to re-sign Mathurin, who averaged 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the 26 games he played for them last season after the trade. The problem is everything with the Clippers — including the Kawhi Leonard trade — appears to be on hold while the league office and its hired law firm finish up the Aspiration investigation around Leonard.
While the Clippers are standing still, the New Orleans Pelicans and another unnamed team "have shown interest" in Mathurin, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line. This would almost have to be a sign-and-trade with New Orleans because it can't offer more than the $6 million taxpayer midlevel exception right now (unless it makes other moves to shed salary first).
Mathurin could play for his $8.8 million qualifying offer, but it sounds like one way or another — with the Clippers or someone else — his payday is coming. Just not all that quickly. Again, like with Duren and Watson, until we get close to the start of training camp, there is no real pressure to do a deal.
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