Best Team for the 8 Marquee NBA Free Agents this Summer: Midseason Edition
By Bobby Burack
The 2019 NBA free agent class is star-studded. As we hit the midseason mark, here is where the top eight free agents should go this summer:
Khris Middleton: Bucks
Herein lies the most underrated free agent of this class. Khris Middleton fits on every roster as one of the most effective two-way players in basketball. The Lakers should be aggressive in Middleton talks but staying put is the best option for him. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton are in position to keep the Bucks near the top of the East for the next five years. Middleton will have a hard time finding another situation that is this rewarding as a second option.
DeMarcus Cousins: Nets
One of two things will happen. Some team is going to overpay and expect DeMarcus Cousins to take over the franchise or he settles for less and becomes a vital piece to a team that matters. For Boogie’s sake, Sacramento all over again would be a disaster. That brings us to the Nets. The Nets have been one of the best stories in the NBA this season, and have positive momentum coming their way. With Cousins in the mix, the Nets would be in the process of building a formidable team.
Kemba Walker: Hornets
Kemba Walker has earned the supermax he is going to be offered from the Hornets. Going elsewhere in a situation he has to share the ball would quickly change the narrative surrounding his game. Walker needs the ball in his hands and would be greatly diminished playing next to another ball-dominant player.
Be wise this summer, Walker. Same for you, teams with cap space.
Kawhi Leonard: Clippers
This one is and has been a no-brainer. Kawhi Leonard has been long linked to the Clippers. The Clippers are set up for a big-game hunt and having Leonard in place is going to be terrible news for the rest of the NBA. Regardless if it happens this summer, the chances are the Clippers will have an easier time pairing Leonard with another superstar than the Lakers with LeBron James.
Jimmy Butler: Knicks
The 76ers, Nets, and Clippers are all going to be options for Jimmy Butler come July, and the Lakers if he wanted it, but the Knicks are the best route. Unlike the next four players on this list, Butler is not a number one option on a championship team. But he is tailor-made to be a Scottie Pippen to someone. If we are talking best-case scenario, it is Butler assisting Durant or Davis in bringing the magic of the Garden back.
If the Knicks come up snake eyes, Butler should look to team up with Leonard or Irving somewhere.
Kyrie Irving: Clippers
For some odd reason, the Celtics play better when Irving is out. In addition, he has not looked happy in Boston since he said he was so happy there he wasn’t going to leave. Irving’s phone call to LeBron is mindboggling because the whole reason he was traded was due to wanting to be the guy. My read on Irving: He is best suited playing with a star that isn’t a major alpha-personality who overshadows him. This is where you insert Irving with Kawhi Leonard (not the star of a LeBron or Durant) on the Clippers. Together they become a threat in the West and one of the best dynamic duos in the NBA. And most importantly, it would be Kyrie Irving’s team.
Klay Thompson: Celtics
If Irving leaves Boston – like mentioned above – they will be a team full young talent but absent of a star. Klay Thompson has always been a star, but it is not noticed being just a piece in Golden State. This Celtics situation is made for Thompson. He would become Batman on a team that is set up to compete for championships. The Warriors can’t replace what Thompson does for them, and what he does is exactly what the Irving-less Celtics would need.
It is unlikely Thompson leaves, but becoming a Celtic is his best option.
Kevin Durant: Knicks
Kevin Durant’s legacy right now reads something like: Great player who took the easy route and ruined the NBA. That will all change if he goes to New York and brings the Knicks back into the discussion amongst the NBA’s best. The constant rumors of this pairing, concludes me with he wants this, as well. Durant is going to need help. If that happens, whether it is Butler, Irving, Leonard a trade for Davis, or even a player in tier two, this decision won’t be all that complicated.