The NBA season ended with the Celtics hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy on Monday night.
The offseason was already in full swing by the wee hours Tuesday morning.
Now that the playing is over — with the Celtics earning a record-setting 18th championship — here comes the planning, plotting and preparing.
That will include everything from free agents getting signed, rookies getting drafted, coaches getting hired, players getting traded and even league television contracts getting done. And, in a convoluted web, almost all of those will be interrelated in some way, shape or form.
They say money never sleeps, but neither does the NBA.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led Boston to a Game 5 victory Monday night. But almost before the confetti was cleaned up, a tweak in the collective bargaining agreement let teams start talking with their own free agents at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
While free agency doesn’t start until June 30, that exclusive window during which deals can be discussed and agreed to — albeit not officially announced — will give teams an edge in retaining their own.
LeBron James, Paul George and Klay Thompson can all be free agents and stay or leave as they choose. James will factor in his son, Bronny, about to enter the NBA as a rookie. Thompson may not get his desired deal in Golden State and has been linked with Orlando. There are plenty of other free agents, such as the Nets’ Nic Claxton and the Knicks’ OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.
There isn’t a windfall of cap space, but there will be buyers. Philadelphia can create $65 million to spend, and could go hunting for a star to put with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (George?).
Of course, Boston’s balanced win also could be the nail in the coffin of the Big 3 model, and see teams build differently. Whatever the case, Oklahoma City is also flush with cash ($35 million or so).
There are also stars eligible for extensions, which could prompt more movement. Tatum can ink a deal worth a record $315 million to stay in Boston. Donovan Mitchell could refuse another extension from Cleveland, which could force the Cavaliers to move him. Expect the Nets to be at the front of the queue if that happens.
Even if Cleveland manages to extend Mitchell, backcourt mate Darius Garland may well seek a trade to a situation where he would have more responsibility. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram are among the other standouts who could find themselves dealt, or at least on the market this summer.
Of course, both James’ Lakers and Mitchell’s Cavs are in search of new head coaches. Each star will have an outsized say in the process.
After two-time defending NCAA champ Dan Hurley rejected the Lakers, ESPN analyst JJ Redick is the reported front-runner after this weekend’s interview, according to the LA Times. James Borrego is Cleveland’s “apparent leader,” according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Amidst all that — after teams’ exclusive negotiating window starts, but before free agency in earnest — will come the NBA draft. With the first round next Wednesday at Barclays Center and the second the next night in Manhattan, there isn’t a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama, but somebody will go No. 1. It is likely between Frenchmen Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.
And the most mind-bending payday of all won’t be to any free agent, but to the league itself. The NBA has been negotiating a new media rights package, or, actually, packages. The deals with ABC, ESPN and Turner Sports are expiring after next season, and the league has been negotiating with NBC, ESPN and Amazon. The numbers reportedly could hit 11 years and more than $70 billion.
“It is incredibly complex,” Adam Silver said this month. “Media deals, it’s been a long process. It’s ongoing, and we hope to wrap it up in the relative near term, and then we will turn to expansion.”
