NBA FREE AGENCY PRIMER
The NBA league year begins at 5 p.m. Sunday. Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams starting at that time, though players can't officially sign until July 6. Here are a few things to watch for in the coming days:
Where will Kawhi Leonard end up? The biggest prize in a huge crop of top free agents is Leonard, who led the Raptors to their first NBA title earlier this month. Will he stay in Toronto or bolt for another team — with the Clippers being mentioned as the most likely outside destination?
Are the Nets up to something big? It's a good bet Kyrie Irving will leave Boston and join Brooklyn. There's also a chance that Kevin Durant — who tore his Achilles in the NBA Finals and opted out of his Golden State contract — could wind up with the Nets as well.
If the Nets sign Irving, what happens with D'Angelo Russell? The restricted free-agent guard figures to have several suitors, and the Timberwolves are one of them.
And the rest of the market? Several teams have been saving up salary cap space for this offseason. Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris are among other top names with big decisions to make. And for teams that miss out on top targets, will they overspend on second-tier options and end up regretting it?
