With LeBron Staying, Eyes Turn to Deep Pool of Impact Role Players

The NBA free agency season, though relatively lacking in star talent, is about to begin—once again reshaping the league’s profile and balance of power—with a pair of major developments leading off the period. 

Quickly following last week’s draft that included the expected No. 1 pick of Cooper Flagg by the Mavericks and plenty of movement after that, the league’s free agency period will begin in earnest Monday at 6 p.m. ET when teams can begin negotiating deals with all eligible players. Contracts cannot become official until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, but between now and then, there will be numerous reports of anticipated player movement. 

Already, teams have been able to negotiate with free agents on their own rosters, and there have been some notable initial signings among that pool of players, such as the Rockets re-signing team captain Fred VanVleet to a two-year, $50 million extension and the Timberwolves nearing a three-year pact worth as much as $100 million to keep Julius Randle.

Similarly, Clippers star James Harden declined a player option for next season worth more than $36 million, but he is working on a new, two-year pact with the team worth $81.5 million. 

The free-agent market could have been radically altered if Lakers superstar LeBron James declined to pick up his player option for next season at $52.6 million. But the 40-year-old did opt in on Sunday, as was widely expected, and will again lead a Lakers team that will be majority owned by Mark Walter in a deal valuing the team at $10 billion. James will enter a record-setting 23rd NBA season, with the timing of his eventual retirement still uncertain. 

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” James’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.”

The rest of the NBA free agent pool is led by names such as the Pacers’ Myles Turner, Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., and Pistons guard Malik Beasley. The free agency market for Beasley, however, could be considerably altered as the U.S. District Attorney’s office is reportedly investigating him for gambling-related allegations involving NBA games. Such claims, if proven, could lead to his lifetime expulsion from the league, as was the case with former Raptor Jontay Porter, with Beasley a far more impactful player on the court than Porter was.

Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN, “An investigation is not a charge. Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”

While generally bereft of major stars, the free agent class is full of role and bench players who can often make or break a team’s championship hopes. While the league champion Thunder were led by superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the regular season and NBA Finals MVP, the team gained critical contributions throughout a deep roster in its run to the title.

The free-agency activity will unfold as the NBA’s salary cap will rise to $154.6 million for the coming season, up from $140.6 million, representing the largest possible percentage increase allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.