NBA Free Agency Primer: The Main Characters of the Offseason!

The Zach Lowe Show

The Zach Lowe Show dives into the NBA's upcoming free agency period, spotlighting major storylines like Kawhi Leonard's potential trade, Jaylen Brown's future with the Celtics, and key team moves by the Knicks, Hornets, and Pistons. Michael Pina from The Ringer breaks down the top offseason characters and transactions.

Key takeaways

• Kawhi Leonard's trade speculation centers on the Raptors, with uncertain terms.
• Jaylen Brown's future is uncertain amid Celtics' cap constraints and trade rumors.
• The Hornets' trades of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges signal a major roster overhaul.

Transcript preview

Coming up on the Zach Lowe show, NBA Free Agency officially kicks off in about 35 hours or something like that. Michael Pina from the Ringer.com is here to get into all of the biggest stories. Who are the main characters of NBA Free Agency slash the transaction period that is really already underway? Kauai Leonard, will he be traded by the time this podcast drops? Jhelan Brown, what about it? him. LeBron James, huh? What team's he gonna be on? Related, what are the warriors gonna do? The nuggets, the pistons, we get into just the very broad strokes, main characters, and some news that's already happened with the Knicks, the Thunder, James Harden, Fred Van Vlete, all of that stuff and a bit on the Charlotte Hornets making two big trades. We did Lamello last week. Over the weekend it was Miles Bridges to Phoenix with some stuff coming back to Charlotte, including a juicy Phoenix 2033, unpretensive. We get into all that. set up for free agency with Michael Pina. That's all coming up on this edition of the Zach Lowe Show. I'm ready I've been ready I've really never stopped being ready things just keep happening and from Janus until now it's been a whirlwind we're gonna get into the main characters of the next week in the NBA and it's gonna be a week it's gonna be fast and furious like it always is before we get to that some news that I don't think is all that surprising but if I want to hear if you have any takes on any of these things okay we have Isaiah heartenstein three years 75 million with the thunder there about a slight cut on his annual salary for some security. Like that deal, it's a good deal. I think it's indicative that yes, he is essential to our attack against Victor Wymbanama and the young guys that we have may not be ready yet. The Knicks re-signed Diawara, three years 15 and Jose Alvarado about the same. I like both. It brings into question Mitchell Robinson and Langer's question Mitchell Robinson and I have a lot of interest around the league. And just. this morning, Fred Van Vlee, opts in to $25 million, now an expiring contract with the Houston Rockets after a lost season last season when the rockets really missed them. And James Harden, not surprisingly, ops out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and according to Schamstranya, they are, as we all have been saying, discussing a new multi-year deal that I'm going to guess is probably three years, 80, 90s, 100, something in that range. or should we just move on? You know, I think the next situation is interesting just in terms of the deals that they got done were smart. The fact that they are so hamstrung with regards to the second apron somewhat curiously is really interesting to me and we'll see like you said with Shamit with Mitchell Robinson if they'll be able to retain one both. Neither who knows, that's something to keep an eye on for sure. The Hartenstein deal real quick. I'm glad that's he's staying because losing him would be kind of borderline catastrophic for the Oklahoma City Thunder. I think he's so integral to how they play and defeating the San Antonio Spurs next year. He's a huge part of that. So it's good to see him get locked up there. Yeah, I mean, look, the off season is not even close to over, but I was asked a bunch of times in the last week or so by NBA people. You know, if you had to pick one team right now, if when you go to Las Vegas to bet on who's going to win the championship next year right now, right now, right now, right now, home of the city. I wouldn't feel great about it but they would be my pick but obviously there's a lot to be done. I misspoke on Mohammed D. Awara it's two years 10 not three years 15. I think that's a good bet for the Knicks. Alvarado is a no-brainer gives them a little Duce McBride insurance he's an unrestricted free agent after next season. I like all the things the Knicks have done. I get the hesitancy with the second apron. It really is restrictive. with this team is Brunson's deal will, Brunson will sign his new big deal eventually and other guys are essential. It's not like you can just ditch Josh Hart or McHale Bridges or something. And then your pick gets moved down and all that, but you know what? It's a special team, who knows how much money the Nick's just made. Mitchell Robinson in a Wembanyama world is that archetype of player is essential. So let's run it back, I say it's not my money though. Okay, Michael Pina, are you ready. off season in no particular order. Are you ready to go? Let's do it. Main character number one and I'm accelerating him to the top of the list. Kauai Leonard, the centerpiece of one of the most audacious, crippling, risky, whatever mega transactions in MBA history that continues to this day to cost the clippers in the last draft and the aspiration scandal is still ongoing and all of that. There is interest and there is interest. specifically from the Toronto Raptors. These talks are very real. They are real enough that I would not surprise me at all if Kauai Leonard is traded to the Raptors like shortly after this podcast is released. It also would not surprise me at all if it takes a couple of days or if it never happens because my read is the Clippers are asked. There's a gap between what the Clippers want to move on from Kauai Leonard and sort of honestly begin a rebuild and what the Torontorano Raptors are willing to give up. They're not. They're not going to give up. They're not going to give up. They're not going to give up. They're not going to go call on berry boils. They're not going to give up the swain didn't know who did they just draft I can't remember the guy they just drafted in the first one not giving him up. So it's just like do you want Brandon Ingram plus Grady Dick plus a lightly protected first round pick that conveys now if so I think there's a deal if not I think there's further negotiations this is super interesting because I just was never sure the clippers would reach this point with kow kow kow kow kow kowai when they would themselves in the mirror and say, it's time. It's time. They've indicated that they've been very honest about their place in the league. Like they never, I don't think, seriously entertained trading the number five pick. They realized what a gift this was to them, having given up so much to get Kaway lender. What a rare chance to get a blue chip prospect and they get Keptwagler. But I still, I just assumed they'll ride it out forever with Kauai and here we are. What do you think of this? What do you think of this? What do you think of this? What do you think of this? I don't think the Dallas rumors are real that could change but I don't think that's real I don't know if there's any other team but Toronto is definitely interested in pairing Scotty Barnes and Kauai Leonard and really kind of going for it in the east where a lot of teams are kind of going for it. I this is an interesting one for a lot of reasons it took me by surprise the fact that the clippers you know shams reported that the clippers made no long-term commitment to him this off season, so the extension talks are stalled and that's surprising to me a little bit given everything that they've said and hinted at and signaled for months. The thing about this to me, like if I was the clippers, I don't, this package, Ingram, Dick, a pick, whatever. I'm just making that up, I'm not sure. Maybe you squeeze a second pick, but I don't, I don't think like it's going to be, I, you know, I don't, could it be Barrett instead of Ingram I'm not sure how much that changes your life if you're the clippers even if you maybe prefer Barrett like it's not it's not gonna be the any of the blue chip guys and it's not gonna be like four first and three swaps like that's not happening right i think well first of all if something were like that were to happen and he were to just end up on the raptors i'll just say that scottie barge i'll just next season. But I think like fundamentally for me if Leonard is truly on the market the clippers don't want him they don't want to extend him. I don't see why another team wouldn't do what Toronto did in 2019 and take a one-year flyer with the caveat here that Leonard doesn't have the same amount of leverage that he once did, you know, like he in 2019 obviously the risk was that he was everyone knew he was going to go to Los Angeles. Well that's off the table now. many teams would even be willing to give him the extension that he covets. So I think that the market should be a little broader, maybe I'm misreading something here, but I feel like even though he has, I've seen the Raptors, I've seen the Spurs as another team that he would reportedly be interested in signing an extension with. I just think like the market there should be a little, a little wider and more teams should be interested in getting Leonard if they want the one year fly. and then kind of we'll see what happens. Give me a team. Well, I know we're gonna talk about this later so I don't want to step on it too much but the Boston Celtics. Your problem for my problem? Yeah, I mean if the Celtics we were I don't we're gonna talk about this a little bit but if the Celtics are gone home about trading Jaylin Brown I would want a player who would make me a better team on paper or a better player than Jaylin Brown I think Kawlion I think Kawlena is a better player I think he would in 2007, so that's interesting to me and then they could also save some money or they could get another player in like I say a Jackson or Chris Dunn maybe. So that's like an interesting one but I there's just other teams out there like the other teams that we're gonna probably be talking about in a few minutes so that's kind of just what do you think about that just like opening up the negotiation if you're the clippers and you're seriously not wanting which is kind of a groundswell throughout the league I feel like. Well it's interesting because like obviously the idea that he would extend with Toronto reportedly is giving the raptors some leverage. Like to your point like Kowai is 35 and has a fairly long and well documented injury history. I'm not sure I mind depending on the price just getting him and saying we'll figure it out later. The Celtics that was on my list of like so who's going to trade for jailing brown? main character. I just think I could see the two teams arguing over who and how much should send draft compensation right who should who should compensate the other and how much that one gets a little complicated his age is a little complicated look there's a ticking clock on this thing with Toronto like Toronto is gonna move on to other business just like other teams are gonna move on like there will be jail and brown potential trades that fall apart because teams move on to other business so you know we'll see I mean the funniest one would be to the clippers with one of their first round picks at the Sixers zone in exchange for a Kauai Leonard. That would be the funniest one. And by the way, the clippers don't control their pick for the next three drafts even though the Oklahoma City nightmare trade is over for them. And that factors into it too. And I think they still want to be somewhat relevant, right? They don't want to bottom out even though the relegation zone is not going to affect them since they don't control their pick. So that's why I got like Ingram. I think that's why I think that's why Toronto would when healthy last year was one of the eight best players in the NBA at worst probably when healthy like the last 55 games of the season he was that good you put him with Toronto I've already had a couple people from Eastern conference contenders text me like we would really not like that to happen like that team gets pretty scary pretty fast so yeah I just think it's interesting we'll see what happens I don't really buy the Dallas stuff I don't really buy the San Antonio one either like I don't really really know how that's working and what the prices and all that. David Visell would have to be involved I think or I don't know that's just that's too much I think it's too messy. It ended worse with San Antonio than it did with Toronto by like orders of magnitude between Kauai and the team and I just feel like you just made the finals like I don't that just feels like a bridge too far. I'm trying to think if there's anything else we need to hit on this. Nope that's it. you could build Denver deals you could do all sorts of things. Okay, main character number two. Jhelan Brown. We're here with Jhelan