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This off-season we saw some of the biggest names in the NBA get traded. The decision of Kevin Durant in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors has changed the balance of power and the whole dynamic of the league.
All teams are trying to stack themselves with star players. In some cases, free agents have chosen to team up and other cases teams have traded for stars while already stacked rosters.
Kyrie Irving and Gordan Hayward joined forces in Boston along with a young crew, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony join last season's MVP Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma, Jimmy Butler taking his talents to the West by joining the young and talented duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and many others.
We can expect 2018 offseason to be as exciting as 2017 as many stars will become free agents next summer. Let's take a look at the top 10 prospects for the free agency market in 2018 :
#10 Aaron Gordon
Aaron Gordon will definitely be the dark horse amongst the free agents in 2018. Everybody knows that he is an amazing athlete and an amazing dunker with his performance in the 2016 NBA dunk contest. But during the regular season, it seemed like that's all he could do with nothing more to offer. He was comparable to what Blake Griffin was in the early days of his career.
But this season, we have seen a new side of Gordon as he has improved almost all aspects of his game. He has improved his points per game average from 12.7 to 18.4 points per game. The significant improvement has been in his shooting percentages. He has developed a three-pointer and has started shooting from beyond the arc consistently, more importantly, he's doing it efficiently.
For the season, he is shooting a remarkable 41.9 percent from beyond the arc (last season he shot 28.8 percent) and 49.0 percent from the field (45.4% last season). He has had two 40 plus point games this season.
Aaron Gordon could develop into a valuable starter in any team and therefore could be a steal this summer.
#9 Avery Bradley
Avery Bradley is a great all-around guard and one of the most fierce one-on-one on-ball defenders. In an era where guards are dominating the game, Bradley is a valuable commodity to have on your side. He is no star, but he makes all the players around him better. He is smart, low maintenance player who doesn't come at a very high price.
After joining the Detroit Pistons, Bradley is averaging 15.6 points per game with a field goal percentage of 43.2% and 39.6% percent from three-point range. Detroit Pistons wouldn't have traded for him if they wanted to let go of him after just one season, and with the early success of the Pistons, it looks highly unlikely that he would be traded, but if he is available this summer, it would be no surprise if he receives offers from multiple teams.
#8 Trevor Ariza
The 32-year-old Trevor Ariza signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Rockets in the summer of 2014, and he’s been a solid, dependable starter for Houston since then. He’s averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 34 minutes per game this season and shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range and 43.4 percent from the field.
Although Ariza’s efficiency and effectiveness have declined a bit, the 13-year vet remains tailor-made for the current style of play in the league.
It’s no guarantee that Ariza will be back with the Rockets next season, as they have other, more high-profile free agents to re-sign. Chris Paul will be eligible for a five-year max deal in excess of $200 million, and the team has expressed a strong desire to re-sign restricted free agent center Clint Capela as well.
Even though Houston would undoubtedly like to bring him back at the right price, Ariza could be a financial casualty and could be traded. With his age becoming a factor now, this summer could be Ariza's last chance at a big payday. It would not be a surprise if another contending team didn't come calling if Daryl Morey decides to look elsewhere next summer.
#7 DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre "The Giant" Jordan is a top-notch rim protector and rebounder. Jordan is very limited on the offensive end of the floor and understands those curbs in his game. Therefore he has been one of the leagues' best pick and roll finishers at the rim which leads to him scoring most of his points on lobs or off offensive rebounds thus making his scoring very efficient.
But it has been Chris Paul who has been giving him those points on a silver platter with his insane passing vision. The question remains what value will Jordan hold when CP3 is not the one giving him those lobs.
The biggest problem’s in Jordan might be his shooting from the free throw line. He remains a liability in the last few minutes of the game.
Even after all the problems, Jordan is still 29 years old and can still be beneficial to teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers or any team that lack a legitimate center and a rim protector. He could be a valuable asset if you want to defeat a team like the Warriors who sometimes lack size and have problems against teams who play physical in the paint and on the glass.
#6 Chris Paul
Chris Paul, at age 32, is still one of the greatest floor generals who will ever find in the NBA but to go along with it, he is also an efficient shooter, and a quality defender.
Paul who had the option of getting a max. contract if he signed with the Clippers, decided to try his luck in Houston as he joined forces with the All-Star James Harden. After leaving so much money on the table, it will be a shock if Paul decides to move to a new team again this summer.
The Rockets are the best team in the NBA right now with a record of 18-4, and that is with Paul having played only 8 games this season. The Rockets’ roster is deep, and with the Thunder still struggling, Rockets are the favorites for an upset against the Warriors.
Regardless of how Paul and Harden complement each other and help each other amplify each other's strength for the rest of the season and the Playoffs, he should command for the max when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
#5 Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas is a dynamite scorer and a persistent competitor. We all know that he can score the ball as he averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from three and 47 percent from the field that put him in the contention for the MVP last year. His 4th quarter heroics last season gained him a lot of popularity. But his season ended prematurely after a hip injury during the Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Isaiah is a pretty good finisher at the rim for his size and therefore uses that to attract attention towards him to become a playmaker. But because of his size, he is a big liability on the other end of the floor and usually ends up getting posted up by bigger guards and forwards for easier baskets.
With Isaiah still set to make his debut for the Cavaliers, all will depend on his fitness level and what version of himself will he be after suffering from a pretty big injury as this one.
#4 DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins is one of the best if not the best big man in the league. After the trade to the New Orleans Pelicans from the Sacramento Kings, Cousins has only improved this season in every sector of his game and is playing some of the best basketball of his career.
By joining forces with the competent and proficient Anthony Davis, the two have formed a big man duo that hasn't been seen in the league in a very long time. There were some early struggles for the Pelicans last season after Cousins joined the team, nonetheless, the two have found a way to play with each while both impacting the game in their own way.
But, with the increase in competition in the Western Conference, the two stars need support around them. The Pelicans are although in the playoff picture as they are currently at the 8th seed, but they most probably won’t be able to go through to the second round.
As the two stars have built up some chemistry, it is unlikely that Cousins would be traded so soon. But looking at the current scenario, it is true that the Pelicans don’t have much to offer and need some supporting cast as soon as possible and teams might just have to a chance to attain the services of Cousins if they have something enticing to offer.
#3 Paul George
Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the league and has been for some years now. He is long, athletic, versatile, skilled, a great on-ball and help defender, all in all, a complete package.
After joining the Thunder, George has stepped up his defense and that has led to OKC being amongst the top 5 teams in defensive efficiency. But, with a collaboration of such talent on a single roster, the Thunder haven't been able to find the correct formula that has worked for them till now. Apart from the blowout win against the reigning champs Golden State Warriors, the OKC have struggled surprisingly on the offensive end of the floor.
It's still a long way to go and to call off OKC with the talent level that they have in that roster, but if these tussles follow them into the Playoffs, it will surely become interesting what George decides to do this summer. With his all-around capabilities, Paul George is an asset to have on any team and could be the second biggest price this summer.
#2 Kevin Durant
The 2017 NBA Finals MVP, Kevin Durant declined his 2017-18 player option to become a free agent for the sole purpose of allowing the Warriors to retain the Bird rights to Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Given that he could have secured a max of $34 million per year, it was this gesture that helped the organization produce the finances necessary to get those deals done and therefore recruit and retain talent.
The 2014 MVP has made it clear with this gesture that he wants the core team to be together and that he in it for the long haul with the Dubs.
Durant has adjusted smoothly into the Warriors system and had a great debut season as he won his first championship ring. With a two time MVP and 2 other All-Stars playing alongside him, the Warriors are undoubtedly the best team in the league right now and are on the verge of becoming a dynasty.
Durant has the best chance of adding more championships to his resume by continuing to play with them. It could get interesting if the Warriors lost in the Conference Finals but still highly unlikely that he would not re-sign with the Warriors.
He has a player option for the 2018-19 season worth 26.2 million dollars and he will most likely pick it up unless the team needs him to take a discount for the second consecutive summer.
#1 LeBron James
LeBron James is still the best player in the world, even at the age of 32. In his 15th year in the league, he might be having one of the best seasons of his career. LeBron is in the third year of his contract with the Cavaliers and has the option of signing with a new team this summer.
LeBron and Company have improved in the past two weeks and are bound to become better after the return of the All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas. A lot still depends on his fitness and the way he fits into the Cavs system. Still, most probably they will end up winning the East, but they just don't have the roster to beat the 4 headed monster that is the Golden State Warriors.
The 4-time MVP at this stage of his career is hunting for rings, and in this era of Warriors, LeBron might just have to find a new team to give him the best possible chance to win a ring.
For the rest of the league, it is pretty simple. If you get LeBron, you are a championship contender straight away, and that is why The King will be the biggest price this coming off-season.
