The NBA’s free agency class of 2016 is loaded
Now that the heralded free agency class of 2014 is all signed (with the exception of Detroit Pistons’ big man Greg Monroe and Phoenix Suns’ guard Eric Bledsoe), many will shift their focus to the next few years of free agency.
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Although the free agency class of 2015 could feature excellent players like Cleveland Cavaliers’ power forward Kevin Love, Portland Trail Blazers’ power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Memphis Grizzlies’ center Marc Gasol, all of those players are expected to re-sign. Plus, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders points out, the 2016 class is absolutely loaded.
"2016… Kevin Durant… Mike Conley… Lance Stephenson (part 2)… DeMar DeRozan… Chandler Parsons (part 2)… Al Horford… Joakim Noah… Dwight Howard…far and away a great class, and we may be in the first year of the new TV deal, which could swell the cap to $75-80 million, meaning a lot of teams could have cap space too."
Obviously, Durant is the biggest prize and DeRozan, Parsons, Horford, Noah and Howard are fantastic players, but there are several other key free agents including Brooklyn Nets’ point guard Deron Williams, Portland Trail Blazers’ swingman Nicolas Batum, Brooklyn Nets’ guard Joe Johnson, Golden State Warriors’ power forward David Lee, and New Orleans Pelicans’ power forward Ryan Anderson can also become free agents.
Plenty of teams will be using the next two years to maneuver their way under the cap, much like they did in 2010 and 2014.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.