2022 NBA Free Agency: Predictions for Top Stars Expected to Hit the Market
The pool of potential 2022 NBA free agents isn't light on talent.
The question, though, is whether any of these elites are interested in a change of scenery.
The answer, of course, will only be revealed with time, but a certain amount of tea-leaf reading and future projecting allows us to make early, educated guesses about where some of the best in this free-agent class will wind up.
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
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James Harden could have removed himself from this discussion had he picked up his $47.4 million player option for next season, per Spotrac. According to the Beard, that was actually his intention, but he missed the deadline to do it in-season.
"Everything happened so fast," Harden told reporters. "I just wanted to get here and take my time and most importantly focus on the end game and that's to win a championship."
There are more colorful conspiracy theories regarding what may have happened, but if we can take Harden at his word, there may be nothing to see here.
He worked his way to Philadelphia, where he has an MVP-caliber co-star in Joel Embiid and an executive he shares a deep history with in Sixers president Daryl Morey. It would be difficult for Harden to sniff out a better basketball situation, which makes it tough to see him leaving nearly $50 million on the table just to try finding one.
Prediction: Harden will pick up his player option to stay in Philadelphia next season.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
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The simplest path for Bradley Beal's free-agency journey is the one leading him directly to a five-year, $246 million max deal with the Wizards.
Even he has acknowledged as much, telling reporters, "It's fair," to say he's leaning toward re-signing with Washington.
And yet, it still seems fair to question the fit for both sides. The Wizards have yet to show Beal they can build anything remotely resembling a title contender around him. And if Washington can't compete for a title, why would it want to commit a quarter-billion dollars to a soon-to-be 29-year-old?
At the very least, there are basketball reasons for Beal to look elsewhere, and if he does, the Miami Heat "are seen as a legitimate suitor," per The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Heat have both the championship-caliber supporting cast Beal lacks and the trade chips to send back to the District in a sign-and-trade. This could prove the best path forward for both Beal and the Wizards.
Prediction: Beal joins Miami in a sign-and-trade.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
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There may have been times in which it was fair to debate Zach LaVine's worth on the open market. He has quieted those talks with one net-shredding season after another.
He recently booked his second consecutive All-Star season and is in the middle of a four-year run of averaging better than 23 points on 45-plus percent shooting, plus four assists per outing. Those are elite, max-contract-worthy numbers, and he knows it.
"I think I stack up with everybody at that level," LaVine told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill. "We'll let the chips fall. Is the [max] the goal? I don't know if it's the goal, but I should be getting what I deserve."
The Bulls have no reasons to disagree. They have worked to construct a contender around him, and they should be ready to commit to him as their face of the franchise going forward.
Prediction: LaVine signs five-year max with Chicago.
