Top 13 FA of 2030 Offseason & Possible Landing Spots
Sept 26, 2024 17:38:33 GMT
naterade, SpikeLee14, and 2 more like this
Post by zheld32 on Sept 26, 2024 17:38:33 GMT
Had some time today and did some research. Hope you enjoy the top 13 FA of the upcoming offseason and my picks for where they might go and why. I put them in order base don rankings of who I think are the best available so feel free to debate. Of note Duren would have been on here but he was extended for a year so is not a FA this upcoming year.
1. Xaivian Lee - Current Team: Magic
PG 27 6'3'' 185 B A- C B+ C- C
The ultimate gunner. Given his scoring averages, he averages 33/5/5 with 2.5 steals a game on ridiculous percentages. Still only 27, he is one of the best players in the league. He has not averaged below 25/5/5 since his rookie year and will be in his prime throughout his next 5-year contract. He has been on an amazing contract, and unfortunately for the Magic, they probably cannot afford to keep him under the hard cap. They will probably try, but filling out a team with 3 50+ million players will be hard.
Best Fit: Magic- I believe the Magic need to find a way to keep him to keep their dynasty alive. It's a close call between him and Chet, but I think he is probably their most important player. It will be tough to build a roster, but they can find a way to do it.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Pacers- This one makes a lot of sense to me. They will have the cap room, and Lee is still young, and they currently have only one player (Roger Mason Jr) averaging more than 13ppg. With a high lotto pick coming this year to go with their young bigs, including Villalta, who will be coming next year, Lee would be perfect for them. He would probably average 40ppg on this team, but he is exactly what they need.
2. Jared McCain - Current Team: Pelicans
PG 26 6'3'' 197 B+ A C+ B+ C B
Currently averaging 31/7 with 2 SPG, McCain is one of the best young players in the league. He has averaged 23ppg or more since the moment he walked into the league, and at 26, a 5 or 6-year max would take him through his prime. The Pelicans have cap space and I don't see him leaving, although he may be trade bait with their current roster makeup.
Best fit: Miami Heat- Holy crap, the Heat need scoring. They are averaging 82ppg, lol. I know he does not fit their timeline, but he will still be amazing when all their international players come over, and he will average 40 ppg on this team. I think he could be a good signing for them and players like this don't come along very often.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Pelicans- The Pelicans have the cap space to keep him and use him to fill out their roster as a trade chip if they want to keep Avery and need a bigger SG. That being said, he is a homegrown player who is one of the best in the league, and I don't see him letting him leave, especially given their cap situation.
3. AJ Dybantsa - Current Team: Nets
SF 22 6'9'' 217 B A- B+ B+ C B
Currently averaging 19/5/4, he doesn't seem like a top free agent, but he is only 22, has good size, and is shooting 50/85/45 splits. He is one of the top young players in the league and will probably only get better throughout the length of his contract. Coming into a rookie max, he won't be prohibitively expensive. I could see him easily being a 25ppg scorer as a 6'9 SF in the future and he would fit nicely into any young core in the league.
Best Fit: Celtics- If they keep Aspirilla and manage to shed a little salary, they can sign Dybantsa. Having a young starting lineup of Stockton Sarunas (soon to be camped by Booker), Dybantsa Boozer Aspirlla would be one of the best young starting lineups I have ever seen in FBB.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Nets- Net can offer him a 6-year max and currently sit at a record of 11-5. The extra money combined with his 94 play-for-winner makes me think the Nets will probably keep him, but everyone in the league with cap space should be maxing this stud
4. Keiner Asprillla - Current Team: Celtics
C 22 7'1'' 242 B C C+ A- A- B
Keiner finally broke out this year averaging 21/13 on 50% shooting. Considering he had never averaged more than 16ppg and was shooting FORTY PERCENT! As a 7'1 C, this is an amazing development for the Celtics. Still only 22, it remains to be seen whether he will stick around for the incoming Sarunas dynasty. He is vital to the Celtics' future, and I expect them to do everything they can to retain him.
Best Fit: Suns- Sorry naterade , but it's true. As much as Dybantsa would make the Celtics a crazy good young lineup, Aspirilla would do the same for the Suns. They would have a lineup of Cassell Gill Proffit Baba Aspirilla, who are all 22 and younger. The Suns have the cap room to be a player on multiple levels in free agency, and we will see if what they do.
Likely/Alternative fit: Celtics- No reason for Celtics not to bring him back as part of a young core of Stockton Sarunas and Boozer. They are building something in Boston, and he is a key part of their future. They have a small window where they can resign him and have potential cap space to sign one more star-level guy, and I am sure they will do everything they can to maximize it.
5. Tajh Ariza - Current Team: Nuggets
SF 22 6'9'' 208 B B+ B- A- C B
In my opinion, one of the more underrated players in the league is Ariza, who is averaging 20/6 at only 22 years of age on good shooting splits for a rebuilding Nuggets team. With a whole host of young guys, including Shawn Bradley, he has been their most promising young player to date and one of the best young players in the league. I am sure he will have multiple max offers this offseason.
Best Fit: Sixers- This would be a great move for the Sixers. They can swap out Barnes for Ariza, and all they would need would be a PF to have a lineup that could compete with anyone. He would inject some much-needed youth into this team and would help offset some of Maxey's costs, with Ariza only being eligible for a max rookie deal. This would be an interesting play for the Sixers here.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Nuggets- Given the young pieces the Nuggets have and that Ariza is only 22, I doubt they let him leave in free agency, and I can't see them not making every effort to resign him. That said, they need to make other moves around him as well, but I think he stays in Denver.
6. Bilal Coulibaly - Current Team: Wizards
SF 26 6'7'' 195 B+ A- C- A- C C
Currently only averaging 17/5, but this guy has been a 22-25ppg scorer the past few years and is only 26. He has been an all-star so he can mentor and would be a good fit on several teams as a scorer and defender. I think he is an interesting inflection point for the rest of the summer free agency for the reasons listed below.
Best fit: Wizards- I am picking the Wizards for both here for different reasons. You can see the risky play under likely fit, but I am not sure that is worth it for a team like the Wizards, and they know they can win with Coulibaly, so I am going to say they will most likely keep him unless he asks for an absurd deal.
Likely fit: Wizards- I doubt a perennial contender with Cooper Flagg on their team would take a risk like this. Still, an interesting inflection point is if the Wizards decide to go for it and get off guys like Jabari and Killian Hayes. They would have enough money to offer a max deal to a guy like Dybantsa Aspirilla or Tahj Ariza and would still have cap room afterward to fill out their roster. It would be a risky play, but it would be an interesting one.
7. Scoot Henderson - Current Team: Knicks
PG 26 6'3'' 205 A- B+ B+ B- C- C
Ah, the old blow-up in training camp as a 26-year-old right before your free agency year trick. Nice work, Scoot. You probably got a nice payday here. The real truth, however, is that although he is having a career year, Scoot has been good for a while. He has career averages of 20/8/5 with good percentages. He's still only 26 and could be a good piece for a rebuilding team, as he probably will be good for the entirety of a 5-year deal.
Best Fit: Milwaukee Bucks- The Bucks should be in win-now mode with a core of Sarr Wilt and Mitch Richmond. Scoot would be a great scoring PG while Richmond continues to develop. If they can get him on a reasonable contract, they may be able to sign a PF or large SF (Keegan Murray) and compete sooner rather than later.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Minnesota Timberwolves- I still think the Bucks may get him, but just for the sake of argument, the Wolves will have some cap space and should be in the market for a PG. They have a good core, and one can argue that they are a PG away from being a perennial playoff team. I would love to see them go after him here.
8. Keegan Murray - Current Team: Kings
SF 30 6'8'' 215 B- A D+ B- C+ C
I'm not sure what to make of Murray. He has more 19ppg years than anything else, but this year, he is averaging 25/8 and shooting 50% from 3, and 2 years ago, he averaged 29/8 on 50/45/87%. At his best, he may be one of the top 5 players in the league, but he Is not always at his best. Kings have done a great job managing their cap with all their stars, and they always seem to know when to move on from a guy, but Keegan is key to what they do. They don't really have a mechanism to replace him, so we will see what happens.
Best fit: Kings- I am willing to bet that he is probably more important to the Kings than any other team out there. Personally, I would be very scared of him based on his career variability, so I think the Kings and what he knows is probably what's best for him.
Likely/Alternative fit: Again, I will pick the Kings. I don't see another team spending the money it would take to get him at 30 years old, and given that the Kings can't replace him, I don't see him leaving Sacramento this offseason.
9. Mark Williams - Current Team: Hornets
C 28 7'1'' 240 B- C- D+ B A- D
Mark Williams has always been one of the best rebounders in the league, and he has never averaged less than 11 rebounds per game in his entire eight-year career. However, even for him, 15rpg is a rull 2rpg higher than his career-best season. He won't give you much scoring, but if you have a good scoring PF, he can anchor your defense. He should be in high demand in free agency this year and is a winning type of player. He also may be available, as I don't see the Hornets resisting him with Ware signed and being up against the hard cap.
Best Fit: Pelicans- They currently have one player averaging double-digit rebounding, and he is averaging 10.1. So how about a 28-year-old Center who is averaging 15rpg. If they can keep McCain and sign Williams, they will have a good core in their mid-20s, with Avery Johnson signing one of the league's best contracts. I could see McCain being available to trade for a bigger SG if that was the case, but how about a lineup that features AJ-Mccain-Cody-Mark Williams? There would be a force in the east with cap room to spare.
Likely/Alternative fit: Oklahoma City Thunder- This one would take some eye squinting, but hear me out. They have Trey Alexander at PG and Shaden at SG, but Korie Corbett looks like he could take over at SG. Would they deal Mobley and Sharpe for a SF and cap space and make a run at Mark Williams to play C as a rebounding machine next to the undersized DJ Burns? They already have a ton of picks and are well set up for the future, so this would be an exciting move.
10. Kobe Bufkin - Current Team: Sixers
SG 28 6'4'' 195 B+ A- C A- C- C
Currently averaging 22ppg, the retarded mamba is still only 28. Given the state of the SG position in the league and the fact that Booker is signed for another year, my guess is that his revolving mentor tour will probably stop with the Celtics for a while, and Kobe will have a good market. I will be interested to see what he gets as he is not a superstar name, but he has averaged 22ppg or better for the past 5 seasons.
Best fit: Houston Rockets- You may be saying why would the Rockets sign him given their young team and timeline, but there are so few good sgs in this league that I think when one hits the market if you have cap room, you should sign them. He can also help with scoring until the Rockets can get some more young players, and he should still be good by the time they are ready.
Likely/Alternate fit: Lakers- SpikeLee14 is a smart GM, and even though he doesn't exactly fit the timeline for all the reasons given above about the dearth of SG's in this league, I can see him making a run at him. Given that the Sixers have JJJ, I also think Kobe is one of the more likely players to move.
11. Scottie Barnes.. - Current Team: Sixers
SF 29 6'7'' 225 B A- C+ A- C+ D
Scottie is averaging 23/8/4 and has been a solid 2-way small forward for years now. He isn't the oldest free agent on the market, but at 29, a 5-year or 6-year deal would be pushing it. The Sixers have done an excellent job managing their cap, and they have done an amazing job in free agency. They signed Olbrich and JJJ to amazing under-market deals, and I could see them taking their chances in free agency with the opportunity to sign 2 star players.
Best Fit: Sixers- Given that they are 14-3, I doubt the Sixers will want to change anything substantial, but it depends on what he asks for. They have been judicious with their cap, and much like the 76ers in the real NBA, this is a big summer for them that can set them up to compete for a long time.
Likely/Alternate fit: Pacers- I have the Pacers listed a couple of times here, and although he is a little old for their timeline, he would fit their mold of needing a scorer while also leaning on defense. The Pacers have to come away from free agency with someone who can score, so I would assume they will be in on every player.
12. Cade Cunningham - Current Team: Nuggets
PG 29 6'6'' 220 B- A- A- C C- B
Cade has fallen off a little bit but is still a great player. He is averaging 20/9/5 after a couple of years of 24ppg. His best years may be behind him, but with 100 greed and 99 play-for-winner, his free agency will be interesting. I don't see a reason for the Nuggets to keep him, and I think he will be one of the most likely free agents to move.
Best fit: San Antonio Spurs- Spurs will have cap room this summer and have a good young core. Yes, I know they already have Nate Robinson, but at 5'9, I am not sure he is a long-term solution at pg. Enter 6'6 Cade Cunningham. They would have a SL of Cunningham-Arenas-Spree-Tiller-Peat with Nate Rob and Ancient off the bench. Scoring 20/9/5, they would have a great young core and could make a run at the Western Conference.
Likely/Alternative fit: Milwaukee Bucks- As I said above, the Bucks should be in win-now mode, and Cunningham is still a great player. Given that I think he is one of the more likely players to move, I would anticipate they will be in play for him. He would look good in a core of Wilt Sarr and Mitch Richmond, and his size would be fun as if they keep Edey, they could start a lineup of 6'6, 6'5, 6'7, 7'4, 7'3, which I would love just for at least one sim.
13. Jalen Brunson - Current Team: Grizzlies
PG 34 6'2'' 190 C+ A B- C+ D+ D
The oldest star player in free agency is currently averaging 26/7/5. I would be wary of giving him more than a 2-3 year deal, but he has been incredibly consistent in his career, averaging 23-26ppg 6-9apg and 4-6rpb LITERALLY every single year of his career. Before the Grizz extended Duren a year, I would have said maybe he would go somewhere else, but I think they keep him because they can't replace him.
Best Fit: Grizzlies- Given his age, I don't see many teams going after him. Given the cap situation of the Grizzlies and not having cap room for anyone else, he is probably more valuable to them than anyone else. I don't see them losing him here.
Likely/Alternative fit: Grizz- I really don't think they lose him here. They can use him as a trade chip even if they don't keep him long-term and decide to rebuild. MAR is their future PG, and I was a fan of him coming out of the draft so I could see him being involved in a sign and trade, but I don't think Grizz lose him for nothing.
1. Xaivian Lee - Current Team: Magic
PG 27 6'3'' 185 B A- C B+ C- C
The ultimate gunner. Given his scoring averages, he averages 33/5/5 with 2.5 steals a game on ridiculous percentages. Still only 27, he is one of the best players in the league. He has not averaged below 25/5/5 since his rookie year and will be in his prime throughout his next 5-year contract. He has been on an amazing contract, and unfortunately for the Magic, they probably cannot afford to keep him under the hard cap. They will probably try, but filling out a team with 3 50+ million players will be hard.
Best Fit: Magic- I believe the Magic need to find a way to keep him to keep their dynasty alive. It's a close call between him and Chet, but I think he is probably their most important player. It will be tough to build a roster, but they can find a way to do it.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Pacers- This one makes a lot of sense to me. They will have the cap room, and Lee is still young, and they currently have only one player (Roger Mason Jr) averaging more than 13ppg. With a high lotto pick coming this year to go with their young bigs, including Villalta, who will be coming next year, Lee would be perfect for them. He would probably average 40ppg on this team, but he is exactly what they need.
2. Jared McCain - Current Team: Pelicans
PG 26 6'3'' 197 B+ A C+ B+ C B
Currently averaging 31/7 with 2 SPG, McCain is one of the best young players in the league. He has averaged 23ppg or more since the moment he walked into the league, and at 26, a 5 or 6-year max would take him through his prime. The Pelicans have cap space and I don't see him leaving, although he may be trade bait with their current roster makeup.
Best fit: Miami Heat- Holy crap, the Heat need scoring. They are averaging 82ppg, lol. I know he does not fit their timeline, but he will still be amazing when all their international players come over, and he will average 40 ppg on this team. I think he could be a good signing for them and players like this don't come along very often.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Pelicans- The Pelicans have the cap space to keep him and use him to fill out their roster as a trade chip if they want to keep Avery and need a bigger SG. That being said, he is a homegrown player who is one of the best in the league, and I don't see him letting him leave, especially given their cap situation.
3. AJ Dybantsa - Current Team: Nets
SF 22 6'9'' 217 B A- B+ B+ C B
Currently averaging 19/5/4, he doesn't seem like a top free agent, but he is only 22, has good size, and is shooting 50/85/45 splits. He is one of the top young players in the league and will probably only get better throughout the length of his contract. Coming into a rookie max, he won't be prohibitively expensive. I could see him easily being a 25ppg scorer as a 6'9 SF in the future and he would fit nicely into any young core in the league.
Best Fit: Celtics- If they keep Aspirilla and manage to shed a little salary, they can sign Dybantsa. Having a young starting lineup of Stockton Sarunas (soon to be camped by Booker), Dybantsa Boozer Aspirlla would be one of the best young starting lineups I have ever seen in FBB.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Nets- Net can offer him a 6-year max and currently sit at a record of 11-5. The extra money combined with his 94 play-for-winner makes me think the Nets will probably keep him, but everyone in the league with cap space should be maxing this stud
4. Keiner Asprillla - Current Team: Celtics
C 22 7'1'' 242 B C C+ A- A- B
Keiner finally broke out this year averaging 21/13 on 50% shooting. Considering he had never averaged more than 16ppg and was shooting FORTY PERCENT! As a 7'1 C, this is an amazing development for the Celtics. Still only 22, it remains to be seen whether he will stick around for the incoming Sarunas dynasty. He is vital to the Celtics' future, and I expect them to do everything they can to retain him.
Best Fit: Suns- Sorry naterade , but it's true. As much as Dybantsa would make the Celtics a crazy good young lineup, Aspirilla would do the same for the Suns. They would have a lineup of Cassell Gill Proffit Baba Aspirilla, who are all 22 and younger. The Suns have the cap room to be a player on multiple levels in free agency, and we will see if what they do.
Likely/Alternative fit: Celtics- No reason for Celtics not to bring him back as part of a young core of Stockton Sarunas and Boozer. They are building something in Boston, and he is a key part of their future. They have a small window where they can resign him and have potential cap space to sign one more star-level guy, and I am sure they will do everything they can to maximize it.
5. Tajh Ariza - Current Team: Nuggets
SF 22 6'9'' 208 B B+ B- A- C B
In my opinion, one of the more underrated players in the league is Ariza, who is averaging 20/6 at only 22 years of age on good shooting splits for a rebuilding Nuggets team. With a whole host of young guys, including Shawn Bradley, he has been their most promising young player to date and one of the best young players in the league. I am sure he will have multiple max offers this offseason.
Best Fit: Sixers- This would be a great move for the Sixers. They can swap out Barnes for Ariza, and all they would need would be a PF to have a lineup that could compete with anyone. He would inject some much-needed youth into this team and would help offset some of Maxey's costs, with Ariza only being eligible for a max rookie deal. This would be an interesting play for the Sixers here.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Nuggets- Given the young pieces the Nuggets have and that Ariza is only 22, I doubt they let him leave in free agency, and I can't see them not making every effort to resign him. That said, they need to make other moves around him as well, but I think he stays in Denver.
6. Bilal Coulibaly - Current Team: Wizards
SF 26 6'7'' 195 B+ A- C- A- C C
Currently only averaging 17/5, but this guy has been a 22-25ppg scorer the past few years and is only 26. He has been an all-star so he can mentor and would be a good fit on several teams as a scorer and defender. I think he is an interesting inflection point for the rest of the summer free agency for the reasons listed below.
Best fit: Wizards- I am picking the Wizards for both here for different reasons. You can see the risky play under likely fit, but I am not sure that is worth it for a team like the Wizards, and they know they can win with Coulibaly, so I am going to say they will most likely keep him unless he asks for an absurd deal.
Likely fit: Wizards- I doubt a perennial contender with Cooper Flagg on their team would take a risk like this. Still, an interesting inflection point is if the Wizards decide to go for it and get off guys like Jabari and Killian Hayes. They would have enough money to offer a max deal to a guy like Dybantsa Aspirilla or Tahj Ariza and would still have cap room afterward to fill out their roster. It would be a risky play, but it would be an interesting one.
7. Scoot Henderson - Current Team: Knicks
PG 26 6'3'' 205 A- B+ B+ B- C- C
Ah, the old blow-up in training camp as a 26-year-old right before your free agency year trick. Nice work, Scoot. You probably got a nice payday here. The real truth, however, is that although he is having a career year, Scoot has been good for a while. He has career averages of 20/8/5 with good percentages. He's still only 26 and could be a good piece for a rebuilding team, as he probably will be good for the entirety of a 5-year deal.
Best Fit: Milwaukee Bucks- The Bucks should be in win-now mode with a core of Sarr Wilt and Mitch Richmond. Scoot would be a great scoring PG while Richmond continues to develop. If they can get him on a reasonable contract, they may be able to sign a PF or large SF (Keegan Murray) and compete sooner rather than later.
Likely/Alternative Fit: Minnesota Timberwolves- I still think the Bucks may get him, but just for the sake of argument, the Wolves will have some cap space and should be in the market for a PG. They have a good core, and one can argue that they are a PG away from being a perennial playoff team. I would love to see them go after him here.
8. Keegan Murray - Current Team: Kings
SF 30 6'8'' 215 B- A D+ B- C+ C
I'm not sure what to make of Murray. He has more 19ppg years than anything else, but this year, he is averaging 25/8 and shooting 50% from 3, and 2 years ago, he averaged 29/8 on 50/45/87%. At his best, he may be one of the top 5 players in the league, but he Is not always at his best. Kings have done a great job managing their cap with all their stars, and they always seem to know when to move on from a guy, but Keegan is key to what they do. They don't really have a mechanism to replace him, so we will see what happens.
Best fit: Kings- I am willing to bet that he is probably more important to the Kings than any other team out there. Personally, I would be very scared of him based on his career variability, so I think the Kings and what he knows is probably what's best for him.
Likely/Alternative fit: Again, I will pick the Kings. I don't see another team spending the money it would take to get him at 30 years old, and given that the Kings can't replace him, I don't see him leaving Sacramento this offseason.
9. Mark Williams - Current Team: Hornets
C 28 7'1'' 240 B- C- D+ B A- D
Mark Williams has always been one of the best rebounders in the league, and he has never averaged less than 11 rebounds per game in his entire eight-year career. However, even for him, 15rpg is a rull 2rpg higher than his career-best season. He won't give you much scoring, but if you have a good scoring PF, he can anchor your defense. He should be in high demand in free agency this year and is a winning type of player. He also may be available, as I don't see the Hornets resisting him with Ware signed and being up against the hard cap.
Best Fit: Pelicans- They currently have one player averaging double-digit rebounding, and he is averaging 10.1. So how about a 28-year-old Center who is averaging 15rpg. If they can keep McCain and sign Williams, they will have a good core in their mid-20s, with Avery Johnson signing one of the league's best contracts. I could see McCain being available to trade for a bigger SG if that was the case, but how about a lineup that features AJ-Mccain-Cody-Mark Williams? There would be a force in the east with cap room to spare.
Likely/Alternative fit: Oklahoma City Thunder- This one would take some eye squinting, but hear me out. They have Trey Alexander at PG and Shaden at SG, but Korie Corbett looks like he could take over at SG. Would they deal Mobley and Sharpe for a SF and cap space and make a run at Mark Williams to play C as a rebounding machine next to the undersized DJ Burns? They already have a ton of picks and are well set up for the future, so this would be an exciting move.
10. Kobe Bufkin - Current Team: Sixers
SG 28 6'4'' 195 B+ A- C A- C- C
Currently averaging 22ppg, the retarded mamba is still only 28. Given the state of the SG position in the league and the fact that Booker is signed for another year, my guess is that his revolving mentor tour will probably stop with the Celtics for a while, and Kobe will have a good market. I will be interested to see what he gets as he is not a superstar name, but he has averaged 22ppg or better for the past 5 seasons.
Best fit: Houston Rockets- You may be saying why would the Rockets sign him given their young team and timeline, but there are so few good sgs in this league that I think when one hits the market if you have cap room, you should sign them. He can also help with scoring until the Rockets can get some more young players, and he should still be good by the time they are ready.
Likely/Alternate fit: Lakers- SpikeLee14 is a smart GM, and even though he doesn't exactly fit the timeline for all the reasons given above about the dearth of SG's in this league, I can see him making a run at him. Given that the Sixers have JJJ, I also think Kobe is one of the more likely players to move.
11. Scottie Barnes.. - Current Team: Sixers
SF 29 6'7'' 225 B A- C+ A- C+ D
Scottie is averaging 23/8/4 and has been a solid 2-way small forward for years now. He isn't the oldest free agent on the market, but at 29, a 5-year or 6-year deal would be pushing it. The Sixers have done an excellent job managing their cap, and they have done an amazing job in free agency. They signed Olbrich and JJJ to amazing under-market deals, and I could see them taking their chances in free agency with the opportunity to sign 2 star players.
Best Fit: Sixers- Given that they are 14-3, I doubt the Sixers will want to change anything substantial, but it depends on what he asks for. They have been judicious with their cap, and much like the 76ers in the real NBA, this is a big summer for them that can set them up to compete for a long time.
Likely/Alternate fit: Pacers- I have the Pacers listed a couple of times here, and although he is a little old for their timeline, he would fit their mold of needing a scorer while also leaning on defense. The Pacers have to come away from free agency with someone who can score, so I would assume they will be in on every player.
12. Cade Cunningham - Current Team: Nuggets
PG 29 6'6'' 220 B- A- A- C C- B
Cade has fallen off a little bit but is still a great player. He is averaging 20/9/5 after a couple of years of 24ppg. His best years may be behind him, but with 100 greed and 99 play-for-winner, his free agency will be interesting. I don't see a reason for the Nuggets to keep him, and I think he will be one of the most likely free agents to move.
Best fit: San Antonio Spurs- Spurs will have cap room this summer and have a good young core. Yes, I know they already have Nate Robinson, but at 5'9, I am not sure he is a long-term solution at pg. Enter 6'6 Cade Cunningham. They would have a SL of Cunningham-Arenas-Spree-Tiller-Peat with Nate Rob and Ancient off the bench. Scoring 20/9/5, they would have a great young core and could make a run at the Western Conference.
Likely/Alternative fit: Milwaukee Bucks- As I said above, the Bucks should be in win-now mode, and Cunningham is still a great player. Given that I think he is one of the more likely players to move, I would anticipate they will be in play for him. He would look good in a core of Wilt Sarr and Mitch Richmond, and his size would be fun as if they keep Edey, they could start a lineup of 6'6, 6'5, 6'7, 7'4, 7'3, which I would love just for at least one sim.
13. Jalen Brunson - Current Team: Grizzlies
PG 34 6'2'' 190 C+ A B- C+ D+ D
The oldest star player in free agency is currently averaging 26/7/5. I would be wary of giving him more than a 2-3 year deal, but he has been incredibly consistent in his career, averaging 23-26ppg 6-9apg and 4-6rpb LITERALLY every single year of his career. Before the Grizz extended Duren a year, I would have said maybe he would go somewhere else, but I think they keep him because they can't replace him.
Best Fit: Grizzlies- Given his age, I don't see many teams going after him. Given the cap situation of the Grizzlies and not having cap room for anyone else, he is probably more valuable to them than anyone else. I don't see them losing him here.
Likely/Alternative fit: Grizz- I really don't think they lose him here. They can use him as a trade chip even if they don't keep him long-term and decide to rebuild. MAR is their future PG, and I was a fan of him coming out of the draft so I could see him being involved in a sign and trade, but I don't think Grizz lose him for nothing.
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