Sunday’s beginning of NBA free agency is thankfully almost here.
But it means only a handful of the league’s teams can sign one of the big names on the market thanks to the salary cap.
That got us thinking: Which of the 30 franchises are the most desirable to names like Kevin Durant, Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and others? This is our answer, a ranking of every team based on desirability.
The method is extremely unscientific, a combination of the ability to contend, location and the amount of cap space, because, well, if you can’t pay for a free agent, you’re not desirable.
Away we go, from last to first:
30. Washington Wizards
They’ve got so much money tied up in John Wall, who’s recovering from a ruptured Achilles, and in Bradley Beal, who could be traded. So, yeah, they have to be at the bottom of this list because a tear-it-down-and-rebuild might be in their future.
29. Charlotte Hornets
Sounds like Kemba Walker could leave, leaving a roster with so many 2020 expiring deals. Talk to me in a year.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Similar to the team above, they’ve got a lot of money coming off the books next summer. But at least they have some promising young players in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.
27. Miami Heat
Another team looking forward to some money coming off the books down the road. For now, this team will continue to be mediocre enough to make the playoffs or just miss them.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
There’s some talent here, but until the T-Wolves figure out how to get out from under some expensive contracts (Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng), they’re stuck and not a desirable spot.
25. Memphis Grizzlies
Higher than you’d think! But if you were a free agent and the Griz wanted to make a splash now (I’d bet they don’t), wouldn’t you want to play with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?
24. Detroit Pistons
They just seem like a mess, don’t they? Aside from Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, I just don’t see much attracting a free agent even if they had money to spend.
23. Utah Jazz
They just traded for Mike Conley, so they’re set for 2019-20.
22. San Antonio Spurs
They’d be much higher if they had cap room, but they don’t have much.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder
They’re in complete cap and luxury tax hell. So they’re stuck, albeit with two of the best players in the NBA.
20. Houston Rockets
Yes, really. They have no room to work with and there are multiple articles about their franchise being a mess. I guess if Jimmy Butler really does want to play there, the allure of a ring outweighs all that. They’re still staying in this spot.
19. Portland Trail Blazers
No cap space, but I’d totally want to live in Portland and play with Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic if I was an NBA player.
18. Golden State Warriors
Not much cap room and the priority seems to be Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant first. But maybe someone is willing to take a small salary to play with Steph Curry et al.
17. Toronto Raptors
Respect to the defending champs, but even if Kawhi Leonard leaves, they’re in cap trouble.
16. Atlanta Hawks
They’re still in rebuild mode — and that’s going super well after a successful draft — so they probably won’t be spending on a long-term free agent. But in a couple of years, they’ll move up this list.
15. Phoenix Suns
Calling all point guards! Devin Booker needs you and he’s a really good guard. Deandre Ayton looked good in Year 1. They’re not higher because the Suns are a franchise constantly in flux.
14. Chicago Bulls
Maybe they should be higher because Chicago is an awesome city. It’s also because their rebuild appears to be going well with Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, Otto Porter Jr., Coby White and Zach LaVine.
13. Orlando Magic
If Nikola Vucevic re-signs, they don’t have room. But playing in Florida (no income tax!) with Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is mildly intriguing.
12. Sacramento Kings
This young upstart crew (De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley and Bogdon Bogdanovic) already looks good. If they don’t re-sign Harrison Barnes and Willie Cauley-Stein, they’d be an underrated destination.
11. Indiana Pacers
They’re going to be better than they were in 2018-19 once Victor Oladipo heals and new acquisition T.J. Warren gets into the lineup. I love them as a team for players looking to compete right away.
10. Denver Nuggets
Why so low for the West’s No. 2 seed last season? Because we don’t know if they’re letting Paul Millsap go or keeping him as they contend. If they create room, they shoot up this list.
9. New Orleans Pelicans
Zion! Zo! Jrue! Brandon Ingram! And NEW ORLEANS! Who wouldn’t want to join that combination?
8. New York Knicks
Good: You get to live in NYC. Bad: The Knicks are young, inexperienced and somewhat still rebuilding even if they get two studs to sign. Worse: The franchise history might scare away some people.
7. Boston Celtics
Last season was a step back, but this is still a team that can contend with Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. You could see why Walker is reportedly interested.
6. Dallas Mavericks
You get to team up with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis (assuming he stays) and pay no income tax. Sounds golden to me.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
It all depends on whether they keep Jimmy Butler and/or Tobias Harris, as well as re-sign J.J. Redick. But if you’re a free agent, you definitely want to play with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons
4. Milwaukee Bucks
They’re a bit of a wild card — they have room but they have free agents of their own (Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Brook Lopez and Nikola Mirotic) that the team might want to spend on first. So I’ll put them here for now in case they lose some of those players and need to recruit for last year’s best regular-season NBA team.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
The players left on the roster and the possibility of two max-level stars is super intriguing.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
I want to put them lower because who knows how they’ll support a possible third star behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis — the depth on this team is going to be dicey if they give all their cap space to one other big name. But for prospective free agents, they’ll get to contend in the West, play with Bron and live in L.A.
1. Brooklyn Nets
Combine the cap space, supporting cast and locale and you’ve got the best spot this summer.
