The Free Agency of the NBA begins: George, Durant, Paul remaining with the teams



[ad_1]

Kevin Durant remains in place for the moment. Just like Paul George and Chris Paul.

Meanwhile, LeBron James' next move remains uncertain.

Durant decided to sign a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the deal does not may become official before the end of the off-season moratorium on Friday. The agreement comes with a player option for 2019-20, so Durant can – and will likely – become a free agent again next summer.

Here is the idea that the stars would wait for James to decide his future before deciding on theirs.

Things happened in a very different way.

Durant, Paul and George all knew what they were going to do even before the NBA moratorium – and the beginning of the free agency – was officially launched at 12:01 pm EDT Sunday. There were many others, and by the time the moratorium lasted two hours, nearly 700 million dollars of agreements were concluded, based on figures confirmed to AP by people involved in the different decisions.

Durant's move is a multi-level victory for the two defending NBA champions, the Warriors. Not only do they manage to retain the NBA Finals MVP 2017 and 2018, but they also enjoy some financial flexibility.

Durant will be paid about $ 30.5 million this coming season, about $ 5 million less than what he could have ordered if the transaction was structured differently. These savings will give Golden State options for other moves this summer, as the Warriors seek to strengthen their bench for a race to what could be a fourth title in five years.

They might need a boost, because the Western Conference is going to be reloaded.

George took the stage at a party in Oklahoma City on Saturday night and announced that he would stay with the Thunder, a move that could have been unexpected a year ago when it was traded by the Indiana Pacers – presumably because of the belief that he was already focused on joining his hometown Los Angeles Lakers in the free agency.

This movement does not occur.

Not now, anyway, and unless an exchange of at least three years in what will be considered a mbadive victory for the Thunder and the general manager Sam Presti. George has accepted a four-year deal that will be worth about $ 135 million, although he may withdraw from last season, according to a person familiar with the terms.

"I'm here to stay," George told the crowd at the party.

In Houston, Paul said the same thing to Rocket fans.

"UNFINISHED BUSINESS", Paul wrote on Twitter just when the schedule shifted to July 1 in the East, meaning that the frenzy of the free agency of the NBA was officially open for the # 39; summer.

His meaning was clear. The Rockets were tantalizing near a trip to the NBA Finals this spring, and Paul is coming back to overcome this bump.

Houston took Golden State to seven games in the Western Conference finals in May. Paul missed the last two games of this series with one injury, and the Rockets wereted big runs in both games – and then had to watch the Warriors sweep Cleveland for the NBA title.

Paul averaged 18.6 points and 7.9 badists last season with the Rockets, who went from 65 to 17, led by Paul and James Harden, NBA MVP. ESPN reported that it is signing a four-year contract that will be worth $ 160 million.

Meanwhile, James created a Saturday frenzy without saying a word.

James spent the week on vacation in Anguilla, and jumped aboard a private Gulfstream jet in the morning to fly to Los Angeles. When he arrived around noon – after his flight plan was followed online – the reporters and at least one new helicopter were waiting for the star of Cleveland Cavaliers, who decided to become an unrestricted free agent and not to participate in 35.6 millions of dollars. this coming season.

The Lakers have long been mentioned as a prime destination for James, and they have more salary cap space this summer than any NBA team. But going to LA on Saturday does not necessarily give a clue to his team for next season because James has homes in Southern California.

But if James is going to be the next superstar to follow in the legacy that Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Shaquille O. Neal, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson have built for the Lakers, it's already pretty obvious that everyone in the NBA will be thrilled by the development.

"The Lakers are FOREVER to be the team of Kobe and Magic …. Process that," Philadelphia star Joel Embiid wrote on Twitter.

Philadelphia was one of the teams often mentioned as a club that would sue James this summer, and this may still be the case.

With Durant, George and Paul outside the board of directors, James is the biggest name left to decide on his intentions as a free agency. His agent Rich Paul was scheduled to meet Chief Cavaliers General Koby Altman by telephone early Sunday, and there is no indication when James will announce his plans for next season and beyond.

For Dallas, perseverance paid off. The Mavs finally get DeAndre Jordan.

Jordan agreed to sign with Dallas three years ago, then changed his mind and social media went beyond anything that happened next. Former teammate Blake Griffin and coach Doc Rivers were part of a contingent who went home and stayed with him until the case was official.

But he quickly accepted this time a $ 24.1 million contract over a year and will eventually become part of the Mavericks.

Denver added to the huge spending night in the West when he urged Will Barton to engage in a four-year contract that could be worth more than $ 50 million. 39, he does not withdraw a year earlier, and this move happens on the verge of the Nuggets get great talent Nikola Jokic stay in what will be a five-year business worth nearly 150 million dollars .

[ad_2]
Source link