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There is a massive list of big-name free agents who will be on the market at the conclusion of the 2018/2019 season like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler.
Free agency is the most exciting part of the NBA offseason, especially when there are big names on the market, who we know are interested in potentially making some changes. Free agency became much more prominent after LeBron James made his world stopping decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and team up in the Miami Heat with the all-time great shooting guard Dwayne Wade and one of the league's best power forwards at the time, Chris Bosh, back in 2010.
Since then, many other All-Star players have not only explored free agency but ultimately changed their situation and joined other teams. Some of these names include Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, and Gordon Hayward.
The increasing trend of players taking advantage of free agency has vastly evened the balance of power between player and owner in favor of the player. Players have never had the influence that they have in today's NBA.
There have been many rumors with regards to potential trades that may happen and destinations that these free agents want to go.
However, here is a list of the five best free agent moves that could happen which would be the best for the NBA as a whole. Overall if these five moves were to occur in 2019 Free Agency, we might be looking at the ultimate dethroning of the Warriors, and the most exciting NBA season in recent history.
5. Kevin Durant resigns with the Golden State Warriors
This may come as a surprise but Kevin Durant resigning with the Golden State Warriors would actually be very good for the NBA. Since 2016, when Kevin Durant made his move to Golden State, the entire NBA universe was sent into hysteria and they were the new team to beat.
Since then, in the offseasons that followed, the entire narrative has been about teams loading up weapons to attempt to dethrone the 3-time champions. Many teams have fallen, however, and not been able to cope with the stacked team with 2-time Finals MVP Durant as their go-to guy.
Some moves include Chris Paul going to Houston and until his hamstring injury, it was looking very likely that a dethronement would occur. Also, the trades that sent Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to join Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Obviously, this didn't work out as well but at the time George and Anthony were traded, OKC was seen as a contender in the west and had the potential to knock off Golden State.
Finally, Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics was seen as a move designed to meet Golden State in the Finals. Due to this move, combined with coaching wizard, Brad Stevens, Boston had the belief they could beat the unbeatable.
With all these moves made and moves that still can be made in the future, if Durant were to leave Golden State on his own accord, probably as a 3-time champion and 3-time finals MVP the end result would be nothing short of an anticlimax.
With the narrative for the last two years being "who can beat this offensive juggernaut?" the NBA needs them to be dethroned. Having their unquestioned best player and Finals MVP leave on his own accord as a champion would not suffice.
4. Kristaps Porzingis resigns with the New York Knicks
Something is brewing in New York. There is a growing feeling that the years of dysfunction and embarrassment the once amazing basketball city of New York has dealt with is coming to an end.
Porzingis at the conclusion of the 2018/2019 season will be a restricted free agent meaning he could leave New York if he so desires. It is imperative that he resigns. Porzingis is the new face of the Knicks and has become synonymous with the turn around of the franchise. He is also a tough and gritty basketball player and is a throwback to the Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley era of New York basketball.
He has done a fantastic job of getting the tough and highly critical New York fan base on his side. The faces on fans when he went down with his injury told the story of what he has come to mean to New York Knicks fans. If Porzingis were to leave, it would be catastrophic for their rebuild and would surely deter a number of big free agents who have expressed interest in playing in The Garden.
It would essentially put them back into a rebuilding stage and potentially the horrible adjectives that had been associated with New York basketball may come flooding back.
3. Klay Thompson signs with the Los Angeles Lakers
Despite the number of amazing talents that could potentially team up with LeBron in LA next year, Klay Thompson is the one who would be the ultimate game-changer if he were to put on the purple and gold in 2019.
Thompson is one of the most underrated two-way guards in the NBA today. On a nightly basis, he is put in charge of standing in front of the best guards in the NBA like James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, and John Wall.
Lets not also forget he is one half of the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history and is capable of catching fire like no player we have ever seen before, besides his co-splash brother, Stephen Curry.
He has scored 60 points in three quarters in the 2016/2017 season and even more impressively, 37 points in a single quarter in the 2014/2015 season.
It safe to say with his NBA All-Defensive caliber skills and his ability to shoot the basketball, and probably the best catch and shoot 3-point shooter in the league, he would be the perfect fit to go alongside LeBron James and also Lonzo Ball who both have an amazing ability to find the open man. His role has been diminished in Golden State since Durant's arrival and it is time the NBA remembers the impact that Klay Thompson can have on a team.
2 & 1. Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler sign with the New York Knicks
If both these players were to end up in New York for the 2019/2020 season, we may be looking at the most exciting season in recent memory. Here are a few reasons why these two signing with New York would be the best free agent move of 2019:
They would be teaming up with a highly formidable big man in Porzingis.
This is very dependent on how Porzingis looks after coming back from injury but if these three were to join together, there would be an offensive wizard in Kyrie Irving running the point, one of the best up and coming big men in the league and one of the best two-way wing players in the league in Jimmy Butler on the same team.
Along with improving guard Frank Ntilikina and promising small forward rookie Kevin Knox. This would be a huge force in the east to be reckoned with.
Secondly, who would the other contenders in the Eastern Conference be? Philadelphia, Boston, and maybe Toronto depending on what Kawhi Leonard does this offseason.
Boston, Philadelphia and New York are the biggest Basketball markets in the East. Boston would still be a contender after losing Kyrie since Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown would have more experience, Gordon Hayward will still be there and assuming he comes back well after his injury is still an all-star caliber player.
Brad Stevens is still also a coaching genius who got the Celtics to a game 7 in the Conference Finals without Kyrie or Hayward. Philadelphia obviously has amazing prospects and dominant big man and amazing point guard Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will only get better.
If these three teams were at the top of the east, the season would be an absolute spectacle. the league has a number of factors that needed to come to fruition.
Los Angeles and Philadelphia, two of the leagues most decorated franchises have been brought back into relevance. Golden State has cemented themselves as the first legitimate dynasty since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers era and Boston is back within title contention.
If New York were to become the next big franchise in the NBA with something to prove, this would be the icing on the cake. There would also be an amazing narrative in the Eastern Conference with the excitement of seeing these teams go at it in the regular season and what that would mean for the playoffs.
Not to mention, all these teams would have a viable chance at beating Golden State who has their own tricky road to the finals in the West. The NBA needs New York to become a relevant franchise once again.
This amazing city is absolutely fanatic about its basketball and many players have said Madison Square Garden is the best Basketball venue in the world. If the Garden was full with fans who had playoffs in their minds and title contention, it would be one of the greatest shows in sports.
Guess the Lakers players!
