NBA free agency begins at midnight on the East Coast. If history is any guide, deals will start flying around early in the morning. It'll begin not with a top free agent, but an Arron Afflalo or a Kosta Koufos or a Corey Brewer. To prime the pump and get you thinking about what magic might come, we took the top 50 free agents according to our comprehensive rankings and predicted what contracts they would sign with whom.
Be warned: this is almost certainly completely wrong, the math almost assuredly does not add up and half of these contracts may not even be legal under salary cap rules. If you can ignore all of that, enjoy!
1. LeBron James: He will sign a two-year deal with a player option in Year 2 with the Cavaliers.
2. Kawhi Leonard: Max contract with the Spurs. (Update: Leonard signed a five-year, $90 million deal with San Antonio)
3. Marc Gasol: Max contract with the Grizzlies.
4. LaMarcus Aldridge: 4-year near-max with the Spurs.
5. Kevin Love: 5-year max with the Cavaliers.
6. Draymond Green: 5-year just under the max with the Warriors.
7. Jimmy Butler: 3-year max offer sheet with the Lakers, matched by the Bulls.
8. DeAndre Jordan: 4-year max with the Mavericks. Your time to shine, Ekpe Udoh!
9. Brook Lopez: 5-year max with the Nets. (Gulp.) (Update: Lopez signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Nets)
10. Tim Duncan: Like $3.50 or so with the Spurs.
11. Dwyane Wade: 5 years, $82 million with the Heat.
12. Brandon Knight: 5 years, $70 million with the Suns. (Thanks, early media reports!)
13. Goran Dragic: 5 years, $80 million with the Heat. (Update: Dragic has agreed to a five-year, $90 million with the Heat)
14. Danny Green: 4 years, $48 million with Your Sacramento Kings! (Wishful thinking.) (4 years, $48 million with the Blazers.)
15. Roy Hibbert: He opted in.
16. Greg Monroe: 2 years, $30 million with the Knicks.
17. Tristan Thompson: 5 years, $55 million with the Cavaliers.
18. Timofey Mozgov: The team picked up his option.
19. Paul Millsap: 2 years, $38 million with the Rockets.
20. Khris Middleton: 4 years, $40 million with the Bucks. (Update: Middleton is nearing a five-year, $70 million deal with the Bucks)
21. Robin Lopez: 2 years, $18 million with the Lakers.
22. DeMarre Carroll: 4 years, $40 million with the Hawks.
23. Thaddeus Young: 4 years, $44 million with the Nets.
24. Wesley Matthews: 4 years, $52 million with the Mavericks, last year only $2 million guaranteed.
25. Eric Gordon: He opted in.
26. Al Jefferson: He opted in.
27. Tobias Harris: 4 years, $40 million with the Celtics.
28. Reggie Jackson: 4 years, $42 million with the Pistons.
29. Monta Ellis: 3 years, $33 million with the Kings. Yeah, I know. (Update: Ellis is nearly a four-year, $32 million deal the Pacers)
30. Jae Crowder: 4 years, $28 million with the Celtics.
31. Lou Williams: 3 years, $30 million with the Mavericks. No, I don't know how they are affording all of these players. I'm bad at math, OK?
32. Tyson Chandler: 2-year mini mid-level with the Clippers.
33. Rodney Stuckey: 3-year mid-level with Hawks, team option after Year 2.
34. Ed Davis: 2 years, $18 million with Celtics.
35. Iman Shumpert: 4 years, $36 million with Cavaliers.
36. Luol Deng: He opted in.
37. Jared Dudley: 3-year mid-level with Raptors.
38. Kosta Koufos: 2 years, $15 million with Grizzlies.
39. Arron Afflalo: 4 years, $44 million with Knicks.
40. Patrick Beverley: 4-year mid-level with Bulls.
41. David West: 2 years, $12 million with Knicks.
42. Paul Pierce: 2 years, $10 million with Lakers (!) with player option for Year 2.
43. Brandan Wright: 1 year, $5 million or something with Mavericks.
44. Jeff Green: He opted in.
45. Corey Brewer: 4-year full mid-level with Kings. Ugh.
46. Al-Farouq Aminu: 2-year mid-level with Pelicans.
47. Omer Asik: 4 years, $40 million with Pelicans.
48. Josh Smith: 2 years, $15 million with Rockets.
49. Amir Johnson: 3 years, $30 million with Pacers.
50. Enes Kanter: 4 years, $40 million with Thunder.
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