After Kevin Durant agreed to patch up with the Nets, it opens the door for teams to sign fringe free agents
Kevin Durant’s situation put things on hold for a substantial part of the NBA. Patrick Beverley made it clear that he didn’t appreciate the public manner in which the trade demand went down, putting blame on both Durant and the Nets. Beverley pointed out that plenty of players were impacted by the stalemate as the Nets listened to lowball offers for Durant.
With so many teams inquiring about Durant, plenty were waiting to see what the outcome of the trade would be before they made any moves.
Keeping flexible in the event a trade materialized was important for teams that had any amount of interest in the star player, and other teams that didn’t inquire may have been waiting for ripple effects to decide what final moves to make.
Now that Durant and the Nets have patched things up and agreed to move forward together, teams can put the finishing touches on their roster, which means teams with holes will look to free agency to find players to add.
Here are the players most likely to be signed next now that teams will have a green light to make some moves.
Next NBA free agents to be signed: Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas was waiting with bated breath for the Durant situation to finalize in one way or another. Just after the press release from the Nets, Thomas Tweeted:
Thomas played for the Lakers, Mavericks, and Hornets last year, sticking the longest in Charlotte. In 17 games with the Hornets, 8.3 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.9 minutes per game.
Thomas, who is a two-time All-Star, has played 11 seasons in the NBA and clearly believes he has some gas in the tank to give.
As recently as a month ago, the Hornets were considering bringing Thomas back into the fold. He’d be a decent fit in Charlotte. Though Thomas is not the guard he once was, he wouldn’t have to be in Charlotte since they have a young star in LaMelo Ball who dazzles with his facilitation skills. Thomas could provide some insurance to the bench in the backcourt.