Minnesota Sports Forum

I think most would agree that the elite free agents this summer are the following 8: Kyrie Irving, Jason Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Kemba Walker and Al Horford, although Butler, Kemba, Tobias and Al aren't on quite the same level as the others in my view. Where these top 8 end up will play a huge role in determining where the free agents in the next tier go. I see that next tier starting with D'Angelo Russell and including Harrison Barnes among others.

The question for the Board is this - where will each of the 8 elite free agents end up? Here are my predictions:

Jason Thompson: Stays with the Warriors
Kyrie Irving: Brooklyn Nets.
Kevin Durant: Stays with Warriors or ends up with the Nets
Butler: Stays with the Sixers or ends up with the Clippers
Harris: Stays with the Sixers
Kawhi Leonard: Toronto or Clippers. I still can't figure out which one.
Kemba Walker: Stays in Charlotte
Al Horford: Dallas or Clippers

So what might this mean for the Wolves? Hard to say. Depending on exactly what happens with the elite 8, I could see Russell getting a max offer from the Lakers, Clippers, or Suns.

At a minimum it means the Knicks will have nearly $60 million in cap space to spend but no elite free agents to spend it on. If they want, then could sign most or the next tier of free agents, although they don't need a PG so I don't see the pursuing Russell unless the trade Dennis Smith Jr.

Unless the Lakers can restructure their deal with the Pelicans, they can't sign any of the 8 elite free agents unless one of them takes significantly less money to sign there. I just don't see that happening. And even if they had the cap room, I don't see any of the elite free agents wanting to play with LeBron and be part of the Lakers drama. But I can definitely see Russell signing there since the Lakers have enough to offer him a max. It's already been reported that Russell has expressed an interest in signing with the Lakers. It could be posturing, but I think Russell has the Diva in him to want to be on the Hollywood stage. And he's too immature to fully appreciate how difficult it would be to play with LeBron. The Lakers need a PG. They don't have the money to sign Kyrie and reports about Kyrie signing the the Nets are too widespread to dismiss as the usual speculation. I would think that Kemba would be the Lakers's second choice, but I've read a number of reports that Kemba wouldn't want to play and live in LA. He'll make substantially more money re-signing with Charlotte. He's an east coach guy, so if he leaves Charlotte I'd bet on him going home to NY before he'd sign with the Lakers. Obviously, his best chance for a ring would be the Lakers, but again, the Lakers don't have the cap room to give him the full 4-year max teams like the Knicks and Suns can give him.

If the Clippers don't get Kawhi, I see them making a major push for Butler and possibly to bring back Tobias. I could also see them extending an offer to Russell.

The Suns don't figure to be in the running for any of the elite 8. But it's been reported that the Suns might have an interest in Russell and we've all read that Russell and Booker are good friends. The weather there is nice and Russell would be the undisputed leader of that team, which might prove very appealing to Russell's ego.

I still see a path for the Wolves to get Russell. But it's far more complicated and uncertain than the path for Russell to end up with the Lakers, Clippers or Suns -- all teams that can sign him outright without having to give up assets in a salary dump or negotiate a 3-way sign-and-trade deal.

Read somewhere that butler and Harris dont get along. Hence why i think Harris mentioned that he had interest in Minnesota, to throw sonne shade at Jimmy.

Houston appears to be going after Jimmy as well.

crazy-canuck wrote:Read somewhere that butler and Harris dont get along. Hence why i think Harris mentioned that he had interest in Minnesota, to throw sonne shade at Jimmy.

Houston appears to be going after Jimmy as well.

I don't see any realistic path for Houston to get Jimmy.

Lip I think the Warriors are gonna have to let Durant go to offer Jason Thompson a max contract lure him back from the Sichuan Blue Whales.

After listening to a couple podcasts including Zach Lowe with Bobby Marks...they talked about the Nets and who is the other guy joining Kyrie there. They didn't have it figured out and they were like...Kyrie better not be a solo act here.

lipoli390 wrote:

crazy-canuck wrote:Read somewhere that butler and Harris dont get along. Hence why i think Harris mentioned that he had interest in Minnesota, to throw sonne shade at Jimmy.

Houston appears to be going after Jimmy as well.

I don't see any realistic path for Houston to get Jimmy.

You mean like us going after dlo?

I think Butler wore out his stay in Phili - I am rooting for him to sign in NJ - I would love to see that thing turn into a nightmare pretty fast with Kyrie.

I think the lakers and the Knicks are both going to strike out on any big name. Everyone saw how LBJ handled his team last year - why would you want to play with a guy like that - considering his magic wore off and he missed the playoffs and his entire team literally could not stand him.

There must be something with the NY ownership team that is turning off all the big name guys - year after year they clear space and no one wants to go there - all the way back to the Carmelo days and he was just cashing checks.

Lip. It's summertime. Go outside for a while...

BizarroJerry wrote:Lip. It's summertime. Go outside for a while...

Heh. Lip is testing all his ideas here before he stalks Rosas in Vegas.

Seriously though, I really hope Rosas engages passionate season ticketholders like Lip in the same way Flip did. My guess is Thibs had no time for that stuff, which is a shame. Or if he did take time, it was because he was propped up against his will by the PR folks.

Speaking of Thibs, does anyone think he's in some dark room somewhere right now watching film and randomly screaming out things like "ICE!", "GO GET 'EM!", "JESUS CHRIST!".

apollotsg wrote:I think Butler wore out his stay in Phili - I am rooting for him to sign in NJ - I would love to see that thing turn into a nightmare pretty fast with Kyrie.

I think the lakers and the Knicks are both going to strike out on any big name. Everyone saw how LBJ handled his team last year - why would you want to play with a guy like that - considering his magic wore off and he missed the playoffs and his entire team literally could not stand him.

There must be something with the NY ownership team that is turning off all the big name guys - year after year they clear space and no one wants to go there - all the way back to the Carmelo days and he was just cashing checks.

This current Knicks front office I think has been more willing to actually build with young players so if they don't get their guys they still have a path toward something...you know kinda like a normal NBA team. They did prioritize DeAndre Jordon last year and kept him on the roster ahead of FA but there were lots of opportunities to go full in on higher level players and they resisted. I don't think the top it's are as interested just because it's a young team without pieces that are ready to win yet. We will see if they resist giving out bad contracts like they have in the past or if they keep building. I'm not suggesting they have done awesome but they have shown some restraint which is...in Knicks-like. lol

As for the ownership...yeah it is a joke. They just got fined for banning some NY media from an event. Dolan doesn't help their case that's for sure.

I think it's time for a break when you call a guy Jason who's name is Klay...;)