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Real Madrid's Croatian forward #11 Mario Hezonjais a new name in NBA free agency rumors

Usually, by the time July 21 comes around, the world of NBA free agency rumors has come to a halt. Not so this year. We have LeBron James to thank for that, and no matter how eager commissioner Adam Silver is to get on with the business of making the league’s schedule, don’t believe for a second that he is not loving this. NFL training camps start in just days, and the MLB trade deadline is two weeks away. But the NBA is still front-and-center in the sports world.

It’s not a bad thing for the league to be dominating July talk. Agent Rich Paul has sent a message that James won’t be rushed. That’s not a bad thing for the NBA, to still be grabbing headlines a month after the Finals ended.

As far as where James goes, it’s futile to guess. The prediction markets have, in the last few weeks, strongly favored the Heat, Cavaliers and Warriors, only to have the odds swing wildly one way and then the other. Around the NBA, GMs and players have no clue what James will decide to do. It’d be foolish for anyone to pretend they know.

If James is an attention hound, then at least, he is good at it.

NBA Free Agency Rumors: Much Still to Be Decided

The problems are mounting for one of the big names still in NBA free agency rumors, Jonathan Kuminga. While the Lakers do still have an interest, the fact is that the Hawks seem to have lost interest in putting together a sign-and-trade for Kuminga, which would leave him in pretty dire straits with his next contract. The Lakers were willing to give Kuminga two years and $20 million with an option, but Kuminga turned that down.

If the Hawks don’t play ball  on a sign-and-trade, the best Kuminga is likely to do is a one-year deal on a taxpayer midlevel exception–a bit more than $6 million–with the hope of going back into free agency next year.

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The impending return of Mario Hezonja is something of a late-breaking injection of fun into a mostly dried-up free-agent market. Chema de Lucas in Spain is reporting that Hezonja has told his team in Spain he is not returning, and is coming to the NBA. Hezonja was a bust draft pick of the Magic (No. 5 overall in 2015) and has not played in the NBA since he averaged 4.8 points in the 2019-20 season for the Blazers. He is 31 now and has been starring with Real Madrid in Spain’s top league for four years. Hezonja can shoot, and wings are at a premium, and there is interest in Hezonja on a veteran minimum deal.

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If the Heat miss on LeBron James, there is a presumption that DeMar DeRozan would be their No. 2 option. But don’t bank on that. While Miami is wiling to bring in as many productive veterans as it can, the team is also focused on bringing in a point guard, either in free agency or in another trade. Would they gamble on Russell Westbrook? That is said to still be on the table.

Still on the Board

1. LeBron James. The smart money is still on the Cavaliers are the likely option, but the Warriors, Sixers and Heat are in the mix, with Denver and Minnesota the dark horses. It does seem that if James wanted to be back in Cleveland for the third time, it would not be that hard a decision to make. Reports keep indicating he will head to the East but … this is probably a time to not trust the reports.
2. James Harden. Harden opted out of his $42 million contract, but will re-sign with Cleveland. For how much … well that is the question. The Cavs are about $33 million below the second apron, and could sign James for $6 million, giving Harden the remainder, a contract starting around $27 million. They have at least two roster spots to fill.
3. Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga’s situation has gotten more complicated and he’s gone from seeking a $20-$25 million contract to probably looking at $6 million in a NTPMLE deal. Not a good look for his agent.
4. DeMar DeRozan. The Kings let him walk and DeRozan is weighing where he could land next. A return to Toronto would be a nice story, but unlikely. He could be Door No. 2 for whichever team misses on LeBron James and is a viable alternative for just about every contender in the East.
5. Draymond Green. Green opted out of his $28 million deal for next season, but will be back with the Warriors. He is part of the team’s push to sign LeBron James, and will adjust his salary accordingly. Chatter that Green would leave the Warriors if they don’t land James has died off completely, and there wasn’t much to it to begin with.
6. Bruce Brown. A LeBron saga victim here. When James signs, it will free up decisions on players like Peyton Watson in Denver and Jonathan Kuminga in L.A. or Cleveland. Brown is behind those guys in the pecking order. Still only 29, Brown can shoot 3s (38.5%), play defense and is a solid locker-room leader. The Nuggets would like him back.
7. Nick Richards. Hard to believe Richards remains unsigned, given the market for big men, even backups. But he is expected to be signed soon.
8. Russell Westbrook. He’s a minimum guy despite averaging 15.2 points last season. He’ll take what he can get, but a spot with the Heat would be the best answer for him.
9. Ochai Agbaji.  A former lottery pick, he never was able to establish an NBA role and he is 26 years old now so perhaps it’s too late. But he still feels worthy of a gamble by someone.
10. Gary Payton II. A potential return to the Warriors is being held up by the James situation. Payton played 73 games for the Warriors, and that kind of durability must count for something. But he is not a shooter and his athleticism is fading at age 33.

    

    GettyDraymond Green #23 (R) of the Golden State Warriors

11. Gabe Vincent. If not Westbrook, the Heat could look for a return engagement with Vincent, who has dropped off significantly since leaving Miami. He could have trouble finding a spot if even old friend Erik Spoelstra and the Heat pass on bringing Vincent back.
12. Jeremy Sochan. The decline and fall of Sochan, the No. 9 pick in the 2022 draft, remains bizarre. He was dumped by the Spurs last season, and the Knicks were eager to sign him … and then never really played him. He is 6-foot-8 and only 23, so he may be worthy of another chance in NBA free agency.
13. Cam Thomas. Thomas has talent, but has pretty famously been unwilling to rein in that talent to fit in with a team. For a 24-year-old who has had a full season averaging 22.5 points to not be able to get an NBA job is remarkable. Hard to find who is going to gamble on him, though.
14. Bradley Beal. He has been connected to the Heat and the Warriors, mostly because he is aging and has physically broken down, and folks just assume that’s what Miami and Golden State wants. They don’t, necessarily, but he could latch on somewhere with a non-guaranteed deal.
15. Victor Oladipo. Good guy whose career was torpedoed by injuries. Dances. Sings like an angel. C’mon, someone give him a break.
16. Doug McDermott. McDermott never lived up to his billing as a lottery pick, but he is a stretch-4 who has made 41.0% of his 3s in his career.
17. Nicolas Batum. A contract with Tony Parker’s team in Paris awaits Batum, but he is still checking the NBA market before he departs.
18. Mario Hezonja. The former draft bust is coming back to the NBA after a solid four years in Spain.
19. Brandon Williams. Williams can’t shoot, and that’s an obvious impediment. He made just 23.2% of his 3-pointers last season with the Mavs. He’s also not much of a defensive player, but he’s effective in getting into the paint and is not a bad third-PG option.
20. Kevin Love. Despite playing only 60 games in the past two seasons, Love is still a valued veteran in a locker room who can, in a pinch, knock down some shots for a team.

NBA Free Agency Rumors: Big-Time Restricted Targets

1. Jalen Duren, Pistons. Duren might not be happy with the state of negotiations, but that is par for the course with restricted NBA free agency rumors. No player is ever happy. He is still the Pistons’ player to lose, though he continues to hold out hope for a sign-and-trade.
2. Peyton Watson, Nuggets. Watson has been linked to the Clippers as well as the Nuggets and Hawks, and ultimately, he might wind up in LA on a sign-and-trade. But if the Nuggets make a separate trade to clear space, they could choose to keep him in place, which is their preferred path.
3. Bennedict Mathurin, Clippers. Shooting struggles after his trade to the Clippers could complicate restricted free agency, which is always complicated enough as is. But L.A. wants to keep him in place.