NBA free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET on Friday when teams can begin negotiating deals with free agent players. Those deals could become official on July 6. Between Friday and the 6th of July, all deals can be agreed upon but are not binding agreements between the team and the player. It becomes official once the deal is signed on or after July 6.
A handful of teams have plenty of space, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, while several others are having some maneuvering to keep their existing players as a new collective bargaining agreement goes into effect on Saturday.
Some of the best players to watch during free agency: James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Chris Middleton, Draymond Green and Fred VanVleet. Other players can change the season, like Damian Lillard’s situation with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Some moves are already being made with qualification offers extended, along with contract extensions and news of player/team options. Follow Yahoo Sports for the latest free NBA news.
It is said that James Harden picks a player’s option in order to facilitate the trade from the Sixers
James Harden, one-time NBA MVP, earned $35.6 million from a player option with the 76ers pending team work in a deal out of Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Harden, who turns 34 in August, averaged 21 points, league-highs of 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Sixers this past season, making his 10th consecutive All-Star appearance. A tendon in his right foot and left Achilles tendon cost him 24 games during the regular season and a possible NBA appearance—a growing trend in his career. Soft tissue injuries also sidelined Harden the previous two seasons, and he hasn’t made the All-NBA roster since being on the Houston Rockets in 2020. Read more about Harden Options.