The summer of 2018 didn’t involve a ton of huge surprises in free agency, but the 2019 NBA offseason is already shaping up to be a more dramatic and eventful free agent period. As Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details, there should be more teams with the ability to sign maximum-salary free agents next July, as well as more intriguing veterans available to sign those deals.
Taking an early look at the best players projected to be on the market in 2019, Deveney ranks Kevin Durant as the No. 1 UFA-to-be, followed by Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Al Horford, and Kemba Walker. DeMarcus Cousins, Khris Middleton, and Tobias Harris round out Deveney’s top 10, which could be even more star-studded if some potential restricted free agents pass on extensions this offseason.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Asked by Yahoo Finance (video link) whether he expects to coach in the NBA again, Jason Kidd replied, “One day.” The former Nets and Bucks head coach, a San Francisco native, said he’d be interested in coaching in the Bay Area at some point at any level, joking that he’d be ready to take over when Steve Kerr moves on as head coach of the Warriors.
- A handful of ESPN.com writers weighed in on the best and worst moves of the 2018 offseason, debated whether or not the Lakers will make the playoffs, and made bold predictions for the 2018/19 season.
- After the NBA announced earlier this week that it has agreed to a deal making MGM Resorts its “gaming partner” for sports betting purposes, ESPN’s David Purdum broke down what exactly that means, explaining what’s in it for the NBA and for MGM.
- In an interesting piece for Forbes.com, Jeff Siegel outlines why the new restricted free agency system for players on two-way contracts puts those players in a tough spot.
Jason Kidd needs to pay his coaching dues. He is a poop disturber every where he goes as coach. He was not prepared for his first job….insecure…wants to control everything. Would love to hear from his former assistants.
I think J-Kidd is a very good coach, but the problem is that you have to choose very carefully your first job, which he didn’t, because if you don’t do well, then everybody will say he was a great player, but is not a good coach, & after just one person says that, it is impossible to change peoples opinions, hence why the first job is always the most important of them all, he didn’t take the time to think & value if it was, so now people say he is not good, but I do think he is better than many other clowns in the league that are no use, but keep getting jobs, even after being fired. Would be good to see him one day coach GSW, as he never got to play there.
Just like with everything you say, couldn’t disagree more. Case and point: Brad Stevens. First job in the NBA, crap team – great job coaching them and with a couple of good young kids now he’s in contention. Same with Brown in Philly. Walton in LA. Kidd is not a good coach. He’s a self-centered individual, demonstrated by his relationship with his wife, the Nets organization, and most recently the Bucks. He feels entitled because of his NBA career, but he’s on the other side of the fence now and it doesn’t translate into instant success like I’m sure he believes it should.
Glad to know bud. But all you said had nothing to know with what I said. No one of the guys you mentioned are legends of the game as players, Walton played a very modest career the other 2 never played in the NBA. That is what I was meaning for great players the first job is the only one that really matters to get right, doesn’t need to be a winning situation neither, but one were you know you can only do better. Look for example guys like Bird or specially Magic, to me there is no doubt that they would have been great coaches, but as I said Magic got a lose lose situation with the Lakers, everybody said he was a great player but he ain’t got it as a coach, which is not true, but once you get the rep you cannot do anything to change it, probably because you don’t get many more chances if any, hence why this guys have to take their time to make sure they go to a team that in whichever situation is they can only do better, maybe finish off a rebuilt to start competing, or making a jump from a playoff team to a contender, whatever…
Kids is a bum. Wack-a-doo lineups, poor substitutions, bad clock management, especially poor character (sodagate) and a massive big head who dodged blame. Milwaukee doesn’t miss you for one second and the Nets didn’t know any better. Good luck in Europe ya bum.
It’s all good except for the Good Luck part