Starting 5, July 1: NBA free agency is officially open

Last week, a whole new generation of stars hit the NBA.

This week? Free agency is about to give the league a whole new look.

THE LINEUP 🏀

What’s inside today’s edition?

Free Agency 101: Answering frequently asked questions regarding free agency

10 Key Free Agents: The top 10 players available, according to Steve Aschburner

Free Agents By Skill Type: See which players can fill specific team needs

Coaching Carousel: Introducing the NBA’s newest head coaches

Free Agency In Photos: A look back at some of the most memorable free agent signings

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Two W rookies produced fireworks on July eve…

Sunday in the WNBA saw the New York Liberty win their fourth straight – 81-75 over Atlanta – to improve to a league-best 16-3 as the season nears its midpoint.

Angel Reese (10 pts, 16 reb) broke the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles in a single season with her 10th straight in Chicago’s 70-62 loss to Minnesota
Caitlin Clark (15 pts, 12 ast, 9 reb) nearly notched her first career triple-double as Indy rallied past Phoenix, 88-82. Clark is third in the W in assists (6.9 per game) and tied for first in totals 3s made (56)

Key Dates: With the California Classic starting Saturday, tap for what’s coming this summer

1. FREE AGENCY 101

Welcome to the NBA’s annual offseason frenzy.

The league’s free agent negotiation window — allowing teams to negotiate with free agents — opened yesterday at 6 ET, commencing a week of deals and decisions that will reshape the NBA landscape.

Stars like LeBron James, Paul George, Klay Thompson and James Harden are all eligible to test the market, but before we examine who’s available, one must first understand the dynamics of free agency. So, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions below.

What is the timeline of free agency?

On June 18, the day after the last game of the Finals, teams were allowed to begin negotiations with upcoming free agents on their roster
On Sunday, June 30, teams were allowed to begin negotiations with all other upcoming free agents, starting at 6 p.m. ET
Next Saturday, July 6, teams may begin signing free agents to contracts, starting at 12:01 p.m. ET

What’s the difference between a restricted free agent and an unrestricted free agent?

Restricted Free Agents can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. If the original team matches, the player has to return to that team
Unrestricted Free Agents, in short, are free to sign with any team, including their previous club. Once they sign, they are a part of that team

What’s a player option and how does it differ from a team option?

A player option grants a player the power to decide whether to opt into his current contract for another year or become an unrestricted free agent
For example, if a player has a three-year contract with a fourth-year player option, that means if he exercises the option, his contract extends through the fourth season
If he chooses not to exercise the option, he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the third season, beginning on July 1
A team option follows the same guidelines, except the team chooses to exercise the option rather than the player
Saturday, June 29, was the last day for a player or team option to be exercised
Player & Team Option Decisions: See which player and team options were exercised before Saturday’s deadline

2. STEVE ASCHBURNER’S TOP 10 FREE AGENTS

There’s no shortage of star power in this year’s free agent class, and while familiar names like LeBron, PG, Klay and Harden lead the charge, a pool of rising talent rounds out the group.

Here’s a look at the top 10 of Steve Aschburner’s 15 key free agents, along with each player’s current status.

1. Paul George (F, LAC) | Player Option ➡️ Unrestricted | 22.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.5 apg in 2023-24
2. LeBron James (F, LAL) | Player Option ➡️ Unrestricted | 25.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 8.3 apg in 2023-24
3. Tyrese Maxey (G, PHI) | Restricted | 25.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.2 apg in 2023-24
4. OG Anunoby (F-G, NYK) | Player Option ➡️ Unrestricted | 14.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg in 2023-24
5. Isaiah Hartenstein (C-F, NYK) | Unrestricted | 7.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.5 apg in 2023-24

6. DeMar DeRozan (G-F, CHI) | Unrestricted | 24.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 apg in 2023-24
7. James Harden (G, LAC) | Unrestricted | 16.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 8.5 apg in 2023-24
8. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (G, DEN) | Player Option ➡️ Unrestricted | 10.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.4 apg in 2023-24
9. Klay Thompson (G, GSW) | Unrestricted | 17.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg in 2023-24
10. Tobias Harris (F, PHI) | Unrestricted | 17.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.1 apg in 2023-24

Free Agent Tracker: See every 2024 free agent and the latest news & reports here

3. FREE AGENTS BY SKILL TYPE

With teams trying to fill specific needs in free agency, John Schuhmann broke down the field to give his top six free agents by skill type.

Top 6 Playmakers: These players present a combination of scoring and facilitating that will be highly sought after this summer.

The list includes two former Kia MVPs (Harden in 2018 and Westbrook in 2017 – the last two American-born players to win MVP) and two more All-Stars (Maxey in 2024, Russell in 2019)

Unrestricted: James Harden (Clippers), Tyus Jones (Washington Wizards)
Restricted: Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Immanuel Quickley (Raptors)
Player Option: D’Angelo Russell (Lakers), Russell Westbrook (Clippers)

Top 6 Defenders: These players excel at defending on the ball or protecting the basket, and in some cases, both of those impactful defensive abilities.

The list includes three players that appeared in the past two NBA Finals – Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the 2023 Nuggets and Derrick Jones Jr. with the 2024 Mavericks.

Unrestricted: Kyle Anderson (Timberwolves), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Nuggets), Isaiah Hartenstein (Knicks), Derrick Jones Jr. (Mavericks), Royce O’Neale (Suns)
Team Option: Bruce Brown (Raptors)

Top 6 Shooters: With NBA teams averaging 35.1 3-point attempts per game (second only to 2021-22 at 35.2), having reliable outside shooters has never been more important.

The list includes a Splash Brother (Thompson), the player with the most 3s made over the past five seasons (Hield), and the player with the highest 3-point percentage over the past four years (Kennard) and more.

Unrestricted: Malik Beasley (Bucks), Buddy Hield (76ers), De’Anthony Melton (76ers), Klay Thompson (Warriors)
Player Option: Eric Gordon (Suns)
Team Option: Luke Kennard (Grizzlies)

4. CATCH UP ON COACHING CHANGES

Seven teams entered the 2024 offseason looking for a new head coach, and six jobs are already officially taken — with reports that the 7th will be filled soon.

Brooklyn Nets | Jordi Fernandez | Joins the Nets after spending the last two seasons as associate head coach of the Kings, in which he helped lead the team to consecutive Playoff appearances

🗣️ Fernandez: “We will see results right away because like I said before, this industry is about getting results and getting better.”

Charlotte Hornets | Charles Lee | Helped the Celtics win the 2024 title as an assistant on Joe Mazzulla’s staff. Prior to last season, he served on Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta and Milwaukee

🗣️ Lee: “The Hornets have a talented young core of players and I’m excited about our future and what we can build here.”

Cleveland Cavaliers | Kenny Atkinson | Joins the Cavs after spending the past three seasons as an assistant in Golden State. He was head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-20, going 118-190

🗣️ Atkinson: “I’ve seen firsthand and had to prepare for this group as an opposing coach, and the task was not easy. I’m so excited to now be on this side of the ledger to help continue moving this team forward.”

Los Angeles Lakers | JJ Redick | A 15-year NBA veteran, Redick served as an ESPN analyst for three years after retiring as a player in 2021

🗣️ Redick: “This job was about the Lakers … I’ve gotten to do some amazing stuff in my life — this might be the best.”

Phoenix Suns | Mike Budenholzer | The two-time NBA Coach of the Year has a decade of head coaching experience in Atlanta and Milwaukee, amassing a 474-317 record and winning the 2021 title with the Bucks

🗣️ Budenholzer: “I’m grateful to have a talented roster of players who are ready to compete and play a style of basketball that will bring out the best in all of them.”

Washington Wizards | Brian Keefe (removed interim tag) | After 14 years as an assistant coach around the league, Keefe was elevated to interim head coach of the Wizards on Jan. 25, replacing Wes Unseld Jr.