The NBA is now in its annual offseason with the start of July, meaning that players get a couple months of respite and the opportunity to set new deals as free agents before the start of the next regular season in October. And so, basketball fans might be so inclined to watch out for their favorite players and teams as to what exchanges will take place.
This year’s free agent class is promising to be one of the deepest yet with its results potentially bringing some of the biggest game changers in the NBA. For those wishing to keep track of which name will be transferred to which team, a comprehensive tracker for the class is provided by CBS Sports .
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, two of the biggest names in the game right now, have apparently chosen to stay with the Golden State Warriors. However, the agreement is only through confirmation by the two parties right now because of the required moratorium period; deals can only become official on the morning of Friday, July 7.
Another big name, and reportedly one of the most watched out for in this year’s free agent class, is Gordon Hayward who has chosen to switch over to the Boston Celtics. The information is substantiated by the L.A. Times , confirming that Hayward will leave his position as a Utah Jazz forward and finally transfer to another team after seven seasons with them.
Hayward, who reached All-Star status the previous season, shared his sentiments online stating that he wanted people to hear the news directly from himself. He admitted that making the decision was incredibly hard for him, explaining that he wanted to make sure he made the right choice.
Other free agency news come from Bleacher Report , with their list including more details of the made deals. It turns out that Durant’s and Curry’s deals to stay with the Warriors will be for two years for $53 million and five years for $201 million respectively. Hayward’s deal with the Celtics will run for four years, with his salary sitting at $128 million.
Other deals will have Ricky Rubio transferring over to Utah from Minnesota, Paul George leaving the Pacers for the OKC, and Serge Ibaka staying with the Toronto Raptors, with more deals likely being made before any official confirmation comes this Friday.
[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]