WHEN the NBA free agency period unfolds on July 1 (6 a.m. PH time), as many as 10 teams will own over S20 million in salary cap space.
The New York Knicks, who finished with the NBA’s worst regular record during the 2018-19 season at 17-65, own the largest salary cap space among the 30 league teams. They have around $72.5 million to spend on free agents.
Next are the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets.
If the LA Lakers are able to convince the New Orleans Pelicans to push the Anthony Davis trade from July 6 to July 30, they will have a cap space of $32.5 million to shell out a maximum contract to another top-tier free agent.
Without unrestricted free agents Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, Boston will have a cap space of $25.8 million to sign free agents from other teams. Without also restricted free agent Terry Rozier, the Celtics’ cap room balloons to $34 million.
New Orleans will have a cap space of $31 million and Indiana has close to $31 million. Dallas has created about $31.3 million in cap room.
Among the topnotch players available on the open market include unrestricted free agents such as reigning Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green of the newly-minted NBA titlist Toronto Raptors, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets, Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers, Harrison Barnes of the Dallas Mavericks, DeAndre Jordan of the New York Knicks, Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jonas Valanciunas of the Memphis Grizzlies, Rudy Gay of the San Antonio Spurs, Julius Randle of the New Orleans Pelicans, Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic, Carmelo Anthony of the Houston Rockets and Ricky Rubio of the Utah Jazz and restricted free agents (old teams can match within two days any offer sheet received by their player and retain his services), Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas), Kelly Oubre Jr. (Phoenix), Isaiah Thomas of the Denver Nuggets, D’Angelo Russell (Brooklyn) and Terry Rozier (Boston).
The NBA’s team salary cap for the 2019-20 season is projected to be $109 million, up from $101.9 million this past campaign.
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Basketball never stops.
Three NBA-sanctioned summer leagues are set to start in the first week of July.
There are summer leagues in Salt Lake City in Utah and Sacramento starting July 2 Manila Time. Both are four-team competitions.
The third summer league – and most prestigious of them all – is the MGM Resorts Summer League in Las Vegas where all 30 NBA teams are taking part along with the national teams of Croatia and China, host of the 32-team FIBA World Cup starting August 31.
Play starts on July 6 with New Orleans, led by No.1 overall NBA draftee Zion Williamson, taking on the New York Knicks featuring No.3 pick RJ Barrett from Canada in a matchup between former teammates at Duke University at the UNLV campus.
Each team is assured of at least five games with eight team qualifying for the knockout-style playoffs — quarterfinals on July 14, semifinals on July 15 and finals on July 16.
Portland is the defending champion in the Las Vegas Summer League, having beaten the LA Lakers in last year’s finals. The Lakers won the event in 2017 behind tournament MVP Lonzo Ball, then entering his rookie season. Ball is headed to New Orleans along with veterans Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart and three first-round draft choices (including the No. 4 pick – forward De’Andre Hunter of reigning NCAA titlist Virginia – in this year’s draft – that will eventually be conveyed to Atlanta following another trade between the Pelicans and Hawks) as part of the monumental deal that will send All- Star forward Anthony Davis to Tinseltown on July 6 or July 30 (the date is dependent on how much salary-cap relief that both NO and LA are angling).