5 Surprising Moves We Could See in 2024 NBA Free Agency
Sometimes, the basketball gods tip their hands and reveal which NBA moves will happen long before they make the official transaction log.
But the fun, internet-breaking ones arrive with little (if any) indication beforehand.
True surprises don't happen frequently, but that's what makes them so jaw-dropping when they actually do. Let's veer away from this summer's straightforward storylines, then, and examine five potential free-agency moves that could happen despite not being the most likely outcomes.
DeMar DeRozan Takes Discounted Deal to Join Lakers
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For reasons perhaps known only to the parties involved, it feels likelier than not that DeMar DeRozan's will wind up re-signing with the Chicago Bulls in free agency. He wants to stay, they want him back, and the "belief" around the league is that they will figure out a way to extend this partnership, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
But what if he decides the Bulls, who last won a playoff series in 2015, won't have the kind of success he wants to enjoy during his twilight years? What if, on the heels of back-to-back lottery appearances, they decide that committing major money to a 34-year-old non-shooter actually isn't the soundest strategy? There are ways that this could go awry.
And there are reasons to wonder whether the native of Compton, California, would wind up joining his hometown Los Angeles Lakers if they do.
The Lakers are reportedly in the market for a third star, steady support scoring and additional shot-creation. DeRozan checks every box as a six-time All-Star who was one of only 15 players to average at least 24 points and five assists in each of the past two seasons. While he wouldn't help with their shooting shortage, he could help enhance the shooters they have (or add) by setting them up on drive-and-kicks or pulling defensive attention away from them.
The Lakers may not have more than the taxpayer's mid-level exception to offer DeRozan, but maybe that's enough for him to go championship-chasing in his hometown alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Pistons Pry Klay Thompson Out of Golden State
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Klay Thompson has spent the entirety of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors and helped fuel their rise as a dynasty. All things being equal—or even in the same ballpark—one would think that the other Splash Brother would want to keep playing in the Bay Area.
All things might not be equal, though. The Warriors have talked about needing change and trimming their payroll. Re-signing Thompson would be a strange way of pursuing either objective, meaning there's a well-beyond-non-zero chance that he has already played his last game as a Warrior.
If he does go elsewhere, the 34-year-old would presumably want to land with a team built to win right now. So, how on earth could the Detroit Pistons enter the conversation?
Well, if Thompson wants to get paid—and, like anyone else, it sounds like he does—there aren't many teams with both money to spend and win-now talent. The Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic are just about it, and all three could prioritize someone other than him.
Meanwhile, the Pistons have plenty to spend, but they could have trouble attracting the top players on the free-agent market. They've been stacking a staggering (and league-leading) number of losses over the past five seasons.
So, maybe the Pistons will show Thompson the most attention—and, more importantly, the most money—in free agency. They need shooting in the worst kind of way, could use more scoring help to take heat off of Cade Cunningham and might see Thompson's pedigree and championship experience as key ingredients to help fuel an overdue culture change.
Jazz Nab OG Anunoby Out of New York
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When the New York Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby in late December, it felt like they were pot-committed to re-signing him in free agency this summer. That sentiment only strengthened once the two-way swingman made a big impact in the Big Apple, where the Knicks went 20-3 when he played in the regular season and won his minutes by 22.6 points per 100 possessions.
His free-agency fate may not be sealed just yet, though. While this could be a leverage play, Anunoby "could reach unrestricted free agency and consider deals from other franchises in addition to New York," per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
If Anunoby doesn't have a new deal in hand as the market opens, just about anyone might flock to the 26-year-old who pairs all-caps ELITE defense with jack-of-all-trades versatility on offense. Any team with money to spend should give him a long look, but the Utah Jazz might be the most aggressive.
Sure, they're coming off back-to-back lottery trips, but they don't want to stay down for long. Their best player, Lauri Markkanen, is right in the heart of his prime at 27 years old, and they reportedly "fully intend to build around him," per The Athletic's Tony Jones. Adding an impact player on the same timeline with an easily integrated skill set would be one way to do so.
The Jazz would still need more pieces to compete in the loaded Western Conference, but Markkanen and Anunoby would be a solid start. The roster could take almost any shape from there.
If the Jazz max out a few developmental projects and cash in their trade chips when the right star becomes available, they could conceivably pave a path to contention while Markkanen and Anunoby are still at their peaks.
Magic Push the Pedal with Paul George
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If Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers can't reach agreement on a new contract—which would go against the prevailing sentiment across the Association—all win-now shoppers will immediately take notice. He is arguably as easy of a fit as you'll find among players with multiple All-Star nods on their resume.
The Philadelphia 76ers consider George their "plan A" in free agency, per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, and their sales pitch wouldn't be easily ignored. George could walk into a contending-caliber Big Three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, filling a critical role but not an overbearing one.
The Orlando Magic may be a seemingly distant—but not hopeless—third place in this hypothetical race. They could have max-money and then some to spend, and their young, ascending roster just snagged the East's No. 5 seed with a 47-win record. And they are looking to make a splash, with NBA insider Marc Stein recently labeling them a team to monitor for some of the top players on the market.
They also have nagging needs for just about everything George brings to the offensive end. Weigh his numbers from this season—notably, spent alongside higher-profile teammates than he'd have in Orlando—against the Magic's, and he would've shared the scoring lead with Paolo Banchero (22.6), paced the team in made threes (3.3 with a 41.3 percent splash rate) and ranked third in assists (3.5).
George is a fit by every measure other than perhaps timeline, as he's more than a decade older than Orlando's best players, Banchero and Franz Wagner. The Magic might not care about that if they believe their roster is ready to take flight and George is the best option to assist with the launch.
LeBron James Signs with the Sixers
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If someone simulated this offseason 100 times, most would feature LeBron James staying with the Los Angeles Lakers. He chose this destination, handpicked Anthony Davis as his co-star and, as a student of the game, he can fully appreciate the historical significance of the organization.
But most is not all, meaning there are scenarios in which James could seek out a scenery change. And if he doesn't re-up with the Lakers, he might not find a more favorable situation than the Philadelphia 76ers, whom ESPN's Brian Windhorst previously dubbed a "threat"—though not a "serious threat"—to lure James out of Los Angeles.
Beyond simply giving James a chance to rejoin the Eastern Conference and escape the wild West, the Sixers have two legitimate co-stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They also basically have a blank-slate roster around their stars, meaning the supporting cast could be tailor-made to the trio's strengths.
If James bases his decision solely on basketball, Philly should have a real chance. Yes, he won a title in L.A., but that was now five seasons ago with a dramatically different roster. This group just got the healthiest season yet from the James-Davis duo and still couldn't manage better than a solid-but-not-spectacular .573 winning percentage and first-round exit.
Meanwhile, the Sixers managed the same .573 mark even though Embiid missed more than half of the season. And given the gargantuan growth in Maxey's game to this point, who knows how much higher he can climb.
The Sixers' star power is sensational, and this flexibility is seldom seen in a heavyweight title contender. Philly can plot multiple paths to James, and any one of them might put him on a championship track.
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