Two of next summer's biggest free-agents-to-be changed hands a week ago, with Dwight Howard heading to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum shipped to Philadelphia. Even Andre Iguodala, also a part of the deal, could become a free agent in 2013 if he decides to exercise his early termination option in search of a long-term contract.
Along with Chris Paul, these players figure to be the top potential unrestricted free agents for 2013, since many of the other big names in the class, such as James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Ty Lawson, and Tyreke Evans, will be restricted. We've heard that Paul and Howard are open to remaining long-term with their respective Los Angeles clubs, and, before even playing a single game, Bynum and Iguodala have already talked about sticking with their new teams.
As I outlined when I crunched the numbers on potential new deals for Bynum, Paul, and Howard, there's major incentive for superstar free agents to re-sign with their current clubs to maximize their earnings, so there's a reasonable chance all four players eventually re-up with their current teams. Especially considering the new restrictions on sign-and-trade deals next summer — taxpaying teams like the Nets, Lakers, and Knicks will be unable to acquire free agents via sign-and-trade.
Still, while all four players appear likely to stay put at this point, plenty could go wrong in the next 10+ months, which leads to today's poll question: Which of these four potential free agents do you think is most likely to change teams next summer?
What about J.Smooth ?
Good point — he’d probably round out the top 5 unrestricted free agents. In this case, I was trying to focus on top guys who had been in the news lately, rather than considering EVERYONE who could hit the market.
— Luke