NBA free agency has officially arrived. On June 30 the negotiating window opens up and teams around the league can negotiate with any free agent; to this point they were only able to negotiate with upcoming free agents on their own rosters. The CBA states no contracts can be signed until July 6, but despite that, the coming hours and days are when the biggest deals are hammered out. This is when the biggest dominoes topple even if pens cannot be put to paper until Sunday. The free-agent class as a whole isn’t too impactful as far as star-caliber talent goes. But there are pieces that could make a huge difference next year should they land in the correct spot.
More broadly speaking, there are a handful of organizations entering free agency that do not have a complete team by any stretch of the imagination. This isn’t a big deal, of course. There are still many months before next season starts, plenty of time for maneuvering via the free agency period and trades. But due to their glaring nature, the holes those teams must fill could dictate how free agency goes. If those needs are pressing enough, an organization will move heaven and earth to address them—and especially if that organization feels it’s close to contention.
