Many Top 2018 Free Agents Could Re-Enter Market In 2019

Most of the top NBA free agents in a given offseason will prioritize longer-term offers over shorter ones, preferring to secure the biggest payday possible when given the chance to do so. In some ways, this offseason was no exception — besides Kevin Durant, who opted for another one-plus-one deal, the top six players on our list of 2018’s best free agents all signed long-term contracts that will run through at least the 2020/21 season.

However, beyond those top few players, there simply weren’t many long-term commitments out there this summer. Many of the free agents on our top-50 list signed shorter-term contracts that will allow them to re-enter the free agent market a year from now.

A variety of factors contributed to these shorter deals. For one, not many teams around the league had cap room available this summer. Without major money attached, there’s little incentive for players to accept those longer-term contract offers — in many cases, they’d be better off going year to year rather than locking themselves into a below-market multiyear deal.

Additionally, both players and teams are looking ahead to the summer of 2019. More NBA clubs expect to have cap room available next year, with the cap projected to rise by a greater amount than it has in either of the last two years — plus, more bad contracts from the summer of 2016 will be coming off the books. That extra cap flexibility will, in turn, present more opportunities for players to get paid.

Of course, with so many players now projected to reach free agency in 2019, there still probably won’t be enough money to go around and make everyone happy. Nonetheless, the fact that so many free agents agreed to one-year deal (or two-year deals with options) this offseason signals that agents expect a more player-friendly market a year from now.

The full list of players from our top 50 free agents of 2018 list who will have the opportunity to reach free agency again in 2019 is below, along with their status for next summer — “UFA” denotes that a player will be an unrestricted free agent, while “PO” designates a player option, and so on.

By our count, up to 31 players from this year’s top 50 could become free agents again in 2019. By comparison, 12 of the 50 players from our 2017 list reached free agency again within a year.

Here’s the list:

2. Kevin Durant, Warriors (PO)
7. DeMarcus Cousins, Warriors (UFA)
8. Julius Randle, Pelicans (PO)
10. DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks (UFA)
11. Jabari Parker, Bulls (TO)
13. Tyreke Evans, Pacers (UFA)
15. Trevor Ariza, Suns (UFA)
17. J.J. Redick, Sixers (UFA)
19. Rajon Rondo, Lakers (UFA)
20. Derrick Favors, Jazz (non-guaranteed)
21. Isaiah Thomas, Nuggets (UFA)
22. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers (UFA)
23. Rodney Hood (TBD)
    • Hood remains unsigned and could still get a guaranteed multiyear deal.
24. Avery Bradley, Clippers (partial guarantee)
26. Brook Lopez, Bucks (UFA)
28. Rudy Gay, Spurs (UFA)
29. Wayne Ellington, Heat (UFA)
32. Nerlens Noel, Thunder (PO)
34. Kyle O’Quinn, Pacers (UFA)
35. Dwyane Wade (TBD)
    • Wade remains unsigned and could still get a guaranteed multiyear deal.
36. Mario Hezonja, Knicks (UFA)
38. Elfrid Payton, Pelicans (UFA)
39. Luc Mbah a Moute, Clippers (UFA)
41. Aron Baynes, Celtics (PO)
42. David Nwaba, Cavaliers (TBD)
    • Terms of Nwaba’s agreement with the Cavaliers aren’t yet known — it could be a guaranteed multiyear deal.
43. Anthony Tolliver, Timberwolves (UFA)
44. Tony Parker, Hornets (non-guaranteed)
46. Ed Davis, Nets (UFA)
47. Amir Johnson, Sixers (UFA)
48. Michael Beasley, Lakers (UFA)
49. Jeff Green, Wizards (UFA)

Note: Players who were waived in July, such as Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony, weren’t on our top-50 list. However, many of them have since signed one-year contracts or two-year deals with options and could be free agents in 2019 as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.