This upcoming Free Agency is set to be one of the most exciting of the past decade, with players of the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins reportedly up for grabs, as well as some young standouts probably changing teams as well.
Every player’s career has to come to a point where they’re going to have to choose between getting paid a lot of money or have the chance to compete for an NBA Championship, but sometimes, they actually get the chance to do both.
With some teams clearly being way more talented than others as well as having a solid project, besides also having some big money to offer top-notch talents this summer, we’re set to let you know about the top 5 franchises any great player should definitely consider signing within a couple of months.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are definitely going to have a lot of money available this summer and they’re set to be quite aggressive in a trade pursuing Kawhi Leonard as well as trying to sign both Paul George and LeBron James in order to go back to their old dominant self and end their Championship drought.
Even though it seems unlikely that they land all of those top-tier two-way players, the Lakers have an outstanding young core in Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, as well as some solid role players. Add a huge paycheck and such a big market and winning culture, and you have yourself a very attractive destination.
4. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have always found a way to stay relevant and even rebuild without the need to tank, and coach Brad Stevens have proven to be a great basketball mind, a defensive guru and a master of making adjustments, being able to lead his team to the Playoffs even without 3 of the best players on his roster.
Boston is perhaps the biggest franchise in NBA history due to all of what they’ve done since day one, and you know they’re always pointing towards Championship contention. Also, getting back Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for next season is going to be a major plus, and something most stars should consider when wondering where to play next season, although they may not have that much money to offer.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are everybody’s favorite team right now, and their process finally looks kind of completed with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid already exceeding all expectations, while Markelle Fultz was able to make a comeback and players of the likes of Robert Covington and Dario Saric really round up a very competitive and talented squad in both ends of the hardwood.
This team is looking like a dynasty in the making, and they definitely have the kind of cap space to make a huge push for any top-tier free agents during the summer. A young core, diehard fans, a lot of history, a terrific coach, cap space and two future MVP candidates are a lot of reasons why anybody would be thrilled to play for the Sixers.
2. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets have been the best team in the NBA all season long and it’s pretty safe to assume that the James Harden and Chris Paul backcourt experiment was a major success, so, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it and play alongside the best point guard of our generation and one perennial MVP candidate?
Mike D’Antoni has truly succeeded to establish his philosophy on this team and they’re looking like they’re going to be Championship contenders for a very long time. With all of their great 3 and D players surrounding Harden and Cling Capela locking down the paint, the Rockets are one of the most attractive destinations to look up to this summer.
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1. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors may not have much cap space left to offer a huge paycheck to any superstar, but they’re definitely the easiest path to the NBA Finals on a yearly basis as one of the most stacked teams in the league with 3 of the best shooters in the history of the game, an outstanding coach, a lot of depth and a historically good defense.
Golden State has been the most dominant team of the past 3 years or so and they’re unlikely to slow down any time soon, so if they manage to find a way to make players like Durant take a slight pay cut in order to land even more talent, we could be looking to an NBA 2K kind of team this upcoming summer.
However, they can always trade Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and even Klay Thompson or Draymond Green, to make enough space on the salary cap for the players like LeBron James or Paul George.
