NBA free agency is now underway as teams can begin negotiating deals with free-agent players. These agreements may become official on July 6. Between Friday and July 6, all agreements can be agreed, but are not binding agreements between team and player. They will become official when the agreement is signed on or after July 6.
A handful of teams have significant cap space, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, while many others must juggle to keep their current players when the new collective bargaining agreement takes effect Saturday.
Some of the best players to watch during free agency: James Harden and Fred VanVleet. Other players could shake up in the offseason, such as Damian Lillard’s status with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Follow Yahoo Sports for the latest NBA free agency news.
Kyrie Irving agrees to re-sign with Dallas Mavericks
Eight-time NBA All-Star point guard and one-time champion Kyrie Irving is returning to the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $126 million contract, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Mavericks traded Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round draft pick and two second-round picks for Irving in February, following the 31-year-old’s latest trade request.
Irving averaged 27 points (51/39/95 shooting split), six assists and five rebounds over 20 games in Dallas, despite suffering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot at the end of last season. In their 27 games following Irving’s debut, the Mavericks went 9-18, falling from sixth in the Western Conference to 11th and out of the playoff picture for the first time since superstar teammate Luka Dončić’s 2019 rookie season. Read more about Irving’s deal.
One-time NBA All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis has agreed to a two-year, $60 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
Jerami Grant has reportedly agreed to a $160 million deal to return to the Trail Blazers
Forward Jerami Grant has agreed to a five-year, $160 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Grant, 29, spent the past season with Portland after being traded from the Detroit Pistons last offseason. He had a solid 2022-23 season, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the Trail Blazers. Read more about Grant’s extension.
Bruce Brown, fresh off an NBA title with the Nuggets, reportedly agrees to a $45 million deal. with the Pacers
Bruce Brown, a key contributor to the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship team, reportedly agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Indiana Pacers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The agreement comes afterwards Brown declined his $6.8 million player option earlier this month. Brown enjoyed a breakout season in Denver after initially signing a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Nuggets last season. He averaged 11.5 points per game in 28.5 minutes per game last season. Brown also added 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season. Read more about Brown’s deal.
Four-time NBA champion and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a four-year, $100 million contract, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Green will have a player option on the fourth year.
The 33-year-old veteran averaged 8.5 points (53/31/71 shooting splits), 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 31.5 minutes over 73 games for the Warriors this past season, earning his eighth on an All-Defensive list. Read more about Green’s expansion.
Kyle Kuzma returns to Wizards at $102M
Kyle Kuzma returns to Washington Wizards, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Kuzma, after declining a player option with the Washington Wizards and entering free agency, agreed to rejoin the team on a four-year, $102 million deal, his agent told Wojnarowski.
Although the Wizards struggled and missed the playoffs both seasons Kuzma was there, he is coming off the best season of his career. Kuzma averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game. game, shot nearly 45% from the field and added 7.2 rebounds and a career-best 3.7 assists per game. match. Read more about Kuzma’s expansion.
Nets deal Joe Harris to Pistons to clear cap space
The Brooklyn Nets are trying to get some salary settlement flexibility before NBA free agency officially opens. The team took a big step in that direction Friday dealt Joe Harris to the Detroit Pistons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Nets also send two second-round picks to Detroit in the deal. Harris has $19.9 million remaining on his contract, which expires after the 2023-24 NBA season. The move gives the Nets more cap space, allowing the team to potentially add more impact players in the offseason.
James Harden is reportedly picking up player options to facilitate a trade from the Sixers
One-time NBA MVP James Harden has picked up $35.6 million in player options with the 76ers in anticipation of working with the team on a trade out of Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Harden, who turns 34 in August, averaged 21 points, a league-leading 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Sixers last season, making his 10th straight All-Star appearance. A strained tendon in his right foot and a sore left Achilles cost him 24 regular-season games and a possible All-NBA appearance — a growing trend in his career. Soft tissue injuries also sidelined Harden his previous two seasons, and he hasn’t made an All-NBA roster since joining the Houston Rockets in 2020. Read more about Harden’s options.