2021 NBA Free Agency Predictions

As the title indicates, I will be predicting the landing destinations for the top 10 upcoming NBA free agents, according to NBC Sports. These predictions are based on past rumors, salary cap situations, and just my current feel on all of the situations within the NBA. Of course, it will be difficult to correctly predict more than a few players, but it is fun to speculate. Let's dive in!

1. Kawhi Leonard (player option) - Los Angeles Clippers

It can be fun to predict drama during the NBA offseason, but I think it is very likely that Kawhi Leonard stays with the Los Angeles Clippers. What reasons are there to leave? He is on championship contending team, he is paid a lot, and he gets to reside in Los Angeles. If the Clippers lose to the Jazz in round two of the playoffs, then it might make his decision slightly more difficult, but I don't foresee many scenarios where he leaves. He may decline his player option with the Clippers, but that would probably be to secure a new deal. In case he does leave Los Angeles, my wild card landing spot is the Miami Heat.

Picture Attribution - "Leonard hits milestone in Clippers win over Bulls" by MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ is licensed under CC BY 4.0. (https://irandaily.ir/News/279362.html)

2. Chris Paul (player option) - Phoenix Suns:

Like Kawhi Leonard, I just don't see Chris Paul leaving an organization that can provide him with everything he needs - a title hope, money, and a nice city to reside in. Chris Paul elevated the Suns to the number two seed and a playoff run that is still looking excellent, so why would he abandon his best spot to secure his first ring? The combination of Devin Booker and Chris Paul has looked even stronger than expected, which is sort of a surprise given how high everyone's praise for those two players already was. Also similar to Kawhi, don't be surprised if Chris Paul opts out of his current contract to land a new deal. My wildcard landing spot for Chris Paul is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Picture Attribution - Tim Shelby from Arlington, VA, US (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chris_Paul2012_(cropped).jpg), „Chris Paul2012 (cropped)“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

3. DeMar DeRozan - Miami Heat:

The first player to find a new team to play for on this list is DeMar DeRozan. To me, it wouldn't make much sense for DeMar DeRozan to want to resign with the Spurs, and it doesn't much much sense for the Spurs to want to resign DeMar. It is apparent that the Spurs will not be a title contender anytime soon barring surprising acquisitions, so it would make much more sense for the team to move on and rebuild around their young talent rather than staying in a repeating cycle of mediocrity with DeMar DeRozan. The Miami Heat were one of the rumored trade destinations for DeRozan prior to the trade deadline, so it would only make sense for them to pursue him in free agency. The Heat would be unable to offer DeRozan something close to a max contract, but they can stay still pay him well and give him an immediate chance to compete for a title.

Picture Attribution - All-Pro Reels (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DeMar_DeRozan_Spurs_(cropped).jpg), „DeMar DeRozan Spurs (cropped)“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

4. Kyle Lowry - Los Angeles Lakers:

Of all the players on this list, I think Kyle Lowry is the safest bet to place on leaving his current team and finding a new home. Kyle Lowry has been the face of the Raptors for some years now, so it will be difficult for most fans to see him go, although I am sure they are understanding. The Raptors are not contenders right now, and Kyle Lowry isn't getting any younger. Many people thought that he would be shipped during the trade deadline, but it ultimately never happened. Of all the possible landing spots that Kyle Lowry could go to, I think the Los Angeles Lakers is the easiest and most logical destination to predict. With Dennis Schröder set to become a free agent who is seeking a lot of money, it wouldn't make much sense for the Lakers to resign him with how poor he played down the stretch. Kyle Lowry was a player who many thought would land on the Lakers in the form of a trade last season, and it makes complete sense why some would think them. The Lakers can afford to pay him a solid contract, and it isn't often that players don't want to play next to LeBron James.

5. Mike Conley - Utah Jazz:

Given the recent success of the Jazz, I think it will be in the best interests of both sides for Mike Conley to resign with the team. Conley recently suffered an injury in the playoffs, and the severity of it is unknown, which is a monumental setback to both Conley and the Jazz. There are scenarios where Mike Conley doesn't resign with the Jazz, but I think it is much more likely that he does when you look at the level of his play as of late, and the success of the team. Although having one of the best rosters in the league, the Jazz still rank around the middle of the league in projected cap, so they have the money to make it work. My wild card landing spot for Mike Conley is the Dallas Mavericks.

6. John Collins (restricted) - Charlotte Hornets:

John Collins and the Atlanta Hawks were unable to come to terms on a contract extension during the season, which makes me think that they will pursue a sign-and-trade, or let him hit the market. As reports say, John Collins turned down a massive $90 million contract in hopes of reaching a deal on a max extension worth $125 million over the course of four years. I am not sure if any team will be willing to pay that much for Collins, but I think that the Charlotte Hornets will be more willing to get close to that number. They have already shown that they are not afraid of spending the big bucks as they have both Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier on massive deals. With Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo set to hit the market, John Collins would be a perfect fit for the young and explosive culture the Hornets have built.

7. Lonzo Ball (restricted) - Chicago Bulls:

Lonzo Ball was another player who was one of the top trade deadline targets during the last season. Although Lonzo Ball will enter the offseason as a restricted free agent, I think that he will end on another roster prior to next season, regardless of how that happens. The Bulls have reportedly shown a lot of interest in Lonzo Ball, and I think it would make sense for Lonzo to have a similar interest in them. The Bulls point guard situation is not the brightest with Coby White's play being shaky through his first two seasons, but the rest of the roster is relatively good. You never know what will happen with Lonzo Ball, but I like this landing spot.

8. Dennis Schröder - New York Knicks:

The New York Knicks are linked to top free agents every season, but are never able to land them. Instead, they always settle for the second-tier of available players, and Dennis Schröder fits that just perfectly. There is no problem with that, I just wouldn't be as optimistic as Knicks fan usually are to land any star player who shows a slight sign of wanting a new home (Damian Lillard for example). Based on the contract that Dennis Schröder turned down with the Lakers, it seems like he will be demanding a big pay day, and the Knicks can provide him that as they have the most projected cap in the league. Although Derrick Rose was incredible down the stretch, the Knicks have searched for their starting point guard for some time, and land him in this scenario.

9. Richaun Holmes - Sacramento Kings:

Richaun Holmes has seen a career-takeoff and has been one of the bright spots for the Sacramento Kings in the last couple of seasons. Provided that, I think it is probable that the Kings will pursue a new contract with Holmes, and I would imagine that they are willing to provide him a contract that will fit his market value. There is always the case that Holmes may be interested in joining a better team, but there aren't many situations I can see where a contender will be willing to pay him the big dollars. The wild card landing spot I have for Richaun Holmes is the Washington Wizards.

10. Jarrett Allen (restricted) - Cleveland Cavaliers:

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Jarrett Allen in trade just this season, so I think it is unlikely that they let one of their young core pieces walk with no compensation. At 23 years old, Jarrett Allen fits in with the timeline of the other young pieces on the team in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, so it makes sense to secure him for the years to come in a long-term contract. The Cleveland Cavaliers are still many players away from being a threat, but they could be a playoff caliber team given some time. My wild card landing spot for Jarrett Allen is the Toronto Raptors.

Bonus Predictions:

11. Spencer Dinwiddie (player option) - Boston Celtics

12. Norman Powell (player option) - Portland Trail Blazers

13. Evan Fournier - Golden State Warriors

14. Devonte' Graham (restricted) - Indiana Pacers

15. Kelly Oubre Jr. - New York Knicks

16. Tim Hardaway Jr. - Dallas Mavericks

17. Gary Trent Jr. - Toronto Raptors

18. Lauri Markkanen - Chicago Bulls

19. Victor Oladipo - Miami Heat

20. Duncan Robinson - Miami Heat

Crazy trade prediction:

Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Kemba Walker to the Mavericks:

This isn't much of a prediction, but rather just a fun scenario that makes some sense. There have been rumored problems with both players in their current situations, and both are overpaid, so why not swap them?