Even the biggest and the best in the NBA will be waiting nervously for July 1.
That's the date NBA free agency opens, pushing some of the biggest names in the sport onto the open market.
Even the Golden State Warriors may not be safe. Several members of the NBA Championship-winning team are going to be able to sign for other teams, including three key parts of the core in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala.
Curry is entitled to a league-maximum contract from the Warriors under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, so he's almost certainly going nowhere. Durant, meanwhile, is reportedly exercising his player option and hitting free agency in the hope that the Warriors can free up cap space to sign Iguodala. He will make less money so the Warriors can make another run at a Championship.
In Los Angeles, conjecture surrounds the fate of the Clippers' two marquee names, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Paul, one of the league's premier point guards, has emerged as a serious target for the Houston Rockets according to ESPN. James Harden, who needs help around him, wants the 32-year-old perennial All-Star in Texas.
Griffin, meanwhile, is reportedly drawing interest from the Denver Nuggets, as is another big-name free agent in Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics could be busy. Yahoo Sports claims the Celtics will make a play for the Utah Jazz' soon to be free agent Gordon Hayward. The 27-year-old will attract lots of interest but the Celtics are appealing as one of few dominant teams in the weaker conference. Boston looks to be in "win now" mode and will focus on a trade for Paul George once, or if, it can strike a deal with Hayward.
The Celtics are in a nice, if tricky, position coming up to the deadline with a lot to potentially gain. For many other teams it's a nervous time as they wait to see whether their star players want to re-sign. For neutral observers, it's the next best thing to actual games.
Uncommon Knowledge
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