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2016 NBA Free Agency: 1 move every team needs to make to be contenders

By Daniel Rowell

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2016 NBA FREE AGENCY

The start of the 2016-17 NBA Season is upon us as of July 1 and with just a six-day moratorium before deals can be signed, teams have to move fast to bring in big changes for their franchises.

Last year saw the speculated signing of DeAndre Jordan to Dallas before a counter attack and team sleepover saved the Clippers roster. This year, the top free agents include two league MVPs, and a whole class of all-star level talent for their pay day. The highest cap ever, $94 million, means more money than ever is the disposal of NBA front offices. If we’ve learned one thing in the past year as Golden State set a 73-win regular season record and Cleveland came back from a 3-1 Finals deficit to win the Championship, it’s that anything is possible.

And so, on the eve of the NBA’s 2016-17 season, let’s walk through the one move that each of the 30 teams can make to contend for the playoffs. Yes, even you, Sixers.

A few notes:

  • No, this isn’t a slideshow where I tell 30 teams to sign Kevin Durant, although that’s a great idea.
  • All 30 moves are speculative and fun. The NBA is fun. Remember when Paul Pierce tweeted a jpeg of an emoji last summer? So when I suggest the Nets try and sign Mike Conley Jr. (yes, I know, I do)… just roll with it.
  • For the sake of variety I’ve limited each free agent move to just one team/signing, with the exception of Kevin Durant, who I mentioned twice.
  • I have a mid-level edamame salad understanding of the collective bargaining agreement, so I apologize in advance for cap holds I overlooked.
  • Life comes at you fast, and free agency comes at you faster. So some of these ‘this team could…’ are quickly turning into shoulds, but the idea/need is still the same. So if, for example, a player like Jeremy Lin confirms he is headed to Brooklyn while I had suggested the Magic take a try at signing him, then just go next down the list for affordable veteran point guards. Also, as we learned with DeAndre Jordan last year, nothing is set until the ink drys on July 6.

Next: Atlanta Hawks

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