Trader_Joe wrote:http://hoopshype.com/2015/07/19/the-great-big-myth-of-free-agency-2016/There is the potential for 24 out of 30 teams looking to have an estimated $825 million in cap space. Many fans are wide-eyed by the idea of their favorite team having “lots of cap space” for the summer of 2016. After all, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are free agents next year.
Yet when you look closer… Beyond these two All-Stars, what is the talent level available? Will there be enough true talent for teams to spend at least $81 million?
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If you think you can land a restricted free agent, think again. The summer of 2015 proved one more time that restricted free agents are hard to get. Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard agreed to terms on the first day with Chicago and San Antonio. The next prized restricted free agent, Draymond Green, agreed to terms the following day with Golden State.
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So who has the advantage going into next summer?
Teams that spent money either retaining their own free agents or landing a key player this past summer already have an edge going into 2016.
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The free agent class of 2016 may end up being known as the summer of inflation. What no one is really talking about yet but should be is the class of the summer of 2017. That’s when the free agent class really overflows with talent. Stephen Curry, Chris Paul (PO), Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin (PO), Hayward (PO), Serge Ibaka, Rudy Gay (PO), Paul Millsap (PO) and Monroe (PO) just to name a few.
There will be much more talent to go around with a free agent class that is full of young stars with tremendous upsides. But can teams find a way to navigate the unpredictable waters of the much-hyped summer of 2016 to get the real treasure?
Bobby Marks was the Nets’ assistant general manager from 2010 to 2015. You can follow him on Twitter @bobbymarks42.
I've been saying this for weeks. Unless you have delusions of getting Durant and Lebron on the same team, who cares about the 2016 FA pool?