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- The NBA offseason is set to be one of the wildest we’ve seen in years.
- Superstars will be hitting the market, with teams from across the league hoping to make a deal and chase a title.
- Below we break down 17 teams as they head into free agency, and the biggest question facing each of them as the offseason begins in full.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
It didn’t take long for the NBA offseason to begin, with the Los Angeles Lakers pulling off a blockbuster deal to bring Anthony Davis to Los Angeles just days after the Raptors won the title.
But the superstar shakeup is far from over, as a slew of talented players is set to hit the market this summer, either to re-sign new deals with their current teams or to bring on the challenge of a fresh start somewhere new.
Free agency officially begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. On the eve of what could be the wildest summer of free agency in recent memory, we break down 17 teams hoping to make a splash, and break down the biggest question facing each of them.
Was a championship enough to keep Kawhi Leonard in Toronto?
Matt Slocum/AP
The Toronto Raptors one-year gamble on Kawhi Leonard paid off in the best way imaginable, with the team bringing home its first championship in franchise history after dominating their way through the East in the regular season.
But even with Toronto now being title town, the question remains — will Leonard stay with the team?
Leonard has long been rumored to want to get back to his hometown of Los Angeles, and the Clippers are an extremely appealing destination given their cap space and current roster. But Leonard just reached the pinnacle of the sport with the Raptors, and Toronto is well-positioned to make another run at the title should he decide to stay.
Leonard could decide to take a one-year contract with Toronto and see how things shake out elsewhere in the league if he feels pulled back to the team and the chance to defend the title.
Whatever Leonard decides, it will have huge ramifications on the Raptors’ next move.
Will the Lakers form a new "Big 3" with the help of another superstar?
Jae C. Hong/AP
The Lakers already landed one of the biggest prizes of the NBA offseason in trading for Anthony Davis, who will join LeBron James in Los Angeles with the hopes of ending the franchise’s six-year postseason drought and making a run at a championship.
While Davis and James are certainly two pieces of a championship-caliber team, the Lakers could still use one more star to be considered a real powerhouse.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks reported that the team is scrambling to free up enough space to take on another max salary, which would put the team in play to land the likes of Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, or any number of other superstars looking to land a big contract this offseason.
Adding a third superstar might hamstring the Lakers cap space for the foreseeable future, but with a triumvirate of Davis, James, and another All-Star caliber player, chances are there would be plenty of veterans and up-and-comers willing to take a slight pay cut for a shot at the title.
Who will the 76ers decide to pay?
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The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in this season, trading for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris although both players were on the final year of their contracts and due to get paid this offseason.
The plan almost worked, with the Sixers needing just one of four bounces on a Kawhi Leonard Game 7 buzzer beater to fall the other way to put them in position for a potential championship.
Now the team has to decide who they want to pay to make another run at the title.
Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris are both expected to garner interest in the range of a max deal, and sharpshooter J.J. Redick will likely be looking for a contract that offers a bit more security than the one-year rentals that have kept him in Philadelphia the past two seasons.
The Sixers could pay all three, though it would take a willingness to go over the cap and some serious accounting gymnastics to pull it off.
For now, team owner and managing partner Josh Harris has made clear he wishes to keep the team together, saying "We’ve said it repeatedly, and we’ll keep saying it: We’ll continue to do what it takes to bring a championship to Philly, including spending into the luxury tax."
Whether or not that attitude holds when it comes time to pay the bills remains to be seen.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Every pick from the first round of the 2019 NBA draft — and how it compared to expert predictions
- A wild scenario where Kevin Durant re-signs with the Warriors for an extra $57 million, then gets traded to the Knicks later is reportedly in play
- The Knicks’ plans for a huge summer appear to be in danger of falling apart
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Tyler Lauletta)