NBA free agency got started in earnest on Sunday night
• 2 min read
NBA free agency has begun in earnest. The offseason technically got underway two weeks ago after the Boston Celtics downed the Dallas Mavericks to win the 2024 NBA Finals. Free agents, though, had not yet been allowed to negotiate with teams other than the one they finished last season. That changed Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET. NBA free agency is underway, and players can negotiate deals with anyone in the league. Deals can be agreed to, but contracts can’t be signed until the moratorium ends (on July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET).
We had major free agency news overnight from Sunday into Monday as it was reported Paul George is heading to the 76ers. Philly landed the nine-time All-Star with a four-year, $212M contract after the Clippers reportedly refused to offer George a fourth year. George now will team up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Speaking of Maxey, the 76ers signed him to a $204M max extension shortly after the George deal. Maxey was a restricted free agent this summer.
The Thunder made a free agency splash on Monday morning, prying center Isaiah Hartenstein from the Knicks with a three-year deal worth $87 million.
There are some other big names to keep an eye on. LeBron James is a free agent, though the superstar is widely expected to agree to a new deal with the Lakers, who just drafted his son, Bronny, with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The biggest question with LeBron is what kind of deal he will get. James is reportedly open to taking a pay cut so the Lakers can use those savings elsewhere.
One target for the Lakers? That would be Klay Thompson, who is expected to leave the Warriors after 13 seasons and four championships. The veteran sharpshooter could be a nice fit alongside James and Anthony Davis and he has connections to the franchise, as his father played for L.A. and works as a broadcaster for the team.
The Magic, meanwhile, made a notable move by landing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Part of the Nuggets’ 2023 championship team, KCP is heading to Orlando on a three-year, $66M deal.
The top 30 free agents of the 2024 NBA offseason are ranked below. As players begin to agree to terms with teams, we will update this tracker with all available information regarding the terms of each deal.
(Note: These rankings did not include Chris Paul, who was waived by the Warriors before agreeing to a deal with the Spurs).
