NBA free agency 2023: What to know, when it begins, rumors, trades
When NBA free agency opens Friday at 6 p.m. ET, a flurry of activity will ensue.
But a few trends that will define offseason moves have emerged. Some of the big moves happened before free agency began, several players will end up returning to the same team and teams are intent on saving salary cap space for next offseason.
Teams like Boston (trading for Kristaps Porzingis), Phoenix (trading for Bradley Beal) and Memphis (acquiring Marcus Smart) didn’t wait for free agency and didn’t have the financial means to get those kind of players in free agency so they resorted to trades.
Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic and Minnesota’s Naz Reid signed extensions avoiding free agency and Gary Trent Jr. exercised his $18.5 million option to remain with Toronto.
Here’s what you need to know headed into free agency:
Which teams have considerable salary cap space?
When does free agency begin?
NBA free agency kicks off on Friday, June 30, at 6 p.m. EST. Teams can immediately negotiate and reach deals with players.
July 1-6 is considered a negotiation period called the Free Agency Moratorium. As a result, contracts cannot be officially signed until 12:01 a.m. EST on July 6. Any deals before that day are considered agreements between the player and team.
Who are the top free agents?
Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Draymond Green headline the list of 2023 NBA free agents. All three players are expected to re-sign with their respective teams, but anything can happen in this era of the NBA.
Important names can be on the move from title contenders. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are free agents for the Milwaukee Bucks. The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets will have a decision to make on free agent Bruce Brown, who played a key role in their title run. Here are all the top free agents in this class.
What is an unrestricted free agent?
The most common free agent is an unrestricted one. Simply put, an unrestricted free agent can sign with any team they wish. Once that contract is officially signed, the player is part of the new team.
What is a restricted free agent?
This is where it gets a little complicated. A restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team has the chance to retain the player by matching the offer.
For example, if restricted free agent Austin Reaves is offered a contract by the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers have the right to match the offer and retain Reaves. The NBA says the original team has the “right of first refusal.”
Restricted free agents exist in these situations: following the fourth year of a rookie contract for former first-round picks; veteran free agents who have three seasons or less of experience; and a player coming off a two-way contract who previously spent at least 15 days on an NBA roster the prior season. (A two-way contract allows a player to suit up for an NBA team or its G League affiliate).
What we’re hearing about free agency
Fred VanVleet will get paid. The Rockets are willing to offer a two-year deal in the neighborhood of $80 million, and while the Raptors have interest in retaining the All-Star caliber guard, the Raptors are closer to a deal in the three-year, $90 million range as they weigh other financial obligations, present and future. …
The Rockets are willing to spend money as they try to expedite their rebuild under first-year coach Ime Udoka. They also have interest in Brook Lopez, but as veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein reported, it looks like Lopez will re-sign with Milwaukee, which wants to bring back Khris Middleton. …
The Magic are an interesting team to watch. They have solid young players in 2022-23 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and 2021-22 All-Rookie performer Franz Wagner, and they had a strong 2023 draft, selecting Anthony Black No. 6 and Jett Howard No. 11. The Magic were in the play-in hunt until late in the season and were close to a .500 team the second half of the season. Don’t be surprised if they spend some money on a short-term deal to preserve salary cap space beyond 2023-24. …
Green plans to keep an open mind in free agency as Golden State would like him back. Figuring out salary and length of contract are the main issues. Three or four years at $25 million per season could get that deal done between Green and Golden State. Outside of the Warriors, Sacramento and Detroit are expected to have interest. New Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who like Green played basketball at Michigan State, would love to add Green, but that would require a significant sign-and-trade. ...
Watch for Phoenix center Deandre Ayton’s name to come up in trade scenarios, too. …
The night Denver won the title, key reserve Brown said money wasn’t the only thing. However, he declined the final season of his deal to become a free agent this summer, and he will have interest including some from the Lakers, who lost to the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. …
It’s out there to some degree, but the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George pairing could be coming to an end as the Clippers explore trade possibilities. …
Dallas would like to add another All-Star type player alongside Luka Doncic and Irving, who is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks.
What are the biggest free agent contracts in NBA history?
There are two distinctive categories when looking at the biggest contracts in NBA history: free agent deals and super max extensions. Players are eligible for super max extensions if they play seven years and are named to an All-NBA team either the previous season or both years before their seventh season.
Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic signed a five-year, $276 million super max extension last offseason, the richest in NBA history. Jokic signed the deal with one year remaining on his previous five-year, $147 million contract, therefore, it is an extension rather than a contract he signed as a free agent.
In a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets, Kevin Durant had to sign a four-year, $164 million contract with the Warriors to make the trade work. Durant made $41 million per year on that deal, the most per year on a contract signed by a free agent.
76ers forward Tobias Harris signed a five-year, $180 million contract in 2019, the largest annual deal as a free agent.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency 2023: What to know, when it begins, rumors, trades
