NBA free agency: Five lingering questions, including Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga issue, Lakers’ missing center

The free agency officially started on Monday evening, but in a few hours, many of the biggest movements had already been carried out. At this point, most lists are starting to take shape and, unless a surprise, we have an idea of ​​what most teams do wide.

Of course, “most” is not “everything”. Even if the offers fly, there are some teams with serious questions that persist. So let’s take a look at some of them. Do they have great movements to come? Do we know what they are trying to accomplish? And is there still enough talent to go around for these teams?

Let’s start with the evidence.

1. What is the Lakers plan?

If LeBron James was Concerned about the state of the Lakers Sunday, Monday could not have done much to help. Dorian Finney-Smith, the key acquisition of the wings of last season which sparked the reversal of the team’s mid-season, agreed to join the Houston Rockets for a four-year contract. Replace it? The young wing Jake Laravia, a high -level development swing, but certainly not a proven player.

The center has been a gaping hole for Lakers since they treated Anthony Davis, but the Big-Man market exploded on Monday. Clint Capela, Brook Lopez and Luke Kornet have all agreed to sign new offers at prices that Lakers do not correspond. At this point, it is probably Deandre Ayton or Bust for Lakers in the center.

We do not know where their safeguard comes from. About 8 million dollars remain in their intermediate level exception which will likely go in a center (hopefully Ayton), and they have a biannual exception of $ 5.1 million to launch another free agent – but these are not exactly important resources. The ways to significant improvement thanks to the free agency decrease.

Lakers, from all accounts, favor Luka Dončić’s calendar. They have an eye on the maximum space in 2027, while James will probably be withdrawn. They will be apparently pointed to the exchange of future recovery capital, because they hope to be put in place to add a star in the near future. None of this seems quite attractive for a 40 -year -old legendary.

For the moment, there does not seem to be a momentum towards a trade. James has a clause without exchange, he could therefore control the process if they were to follow this path. But if James hopes to compete for a championship this season, it is difficult to believe that it will happen with the Lakers according to the off -season they have.

2. Who plays in the center for the Celtics?

The Celtics entered this offseason before shaking the second apron. They did it, but that does not mean that they maintained a viable list in a row. Right now, it is really unclear that will play in the center of Boston next season.

They had apparently hoped to lose more money in order to potentially keep Luke Kornet or Al Horford. So far, they have not managed to do so, and Kornet has obtained a four -year contract in San Antonio. The $ 10 million a year, he will obtain the Boston price range, and although the requests for the horford is not clear, it attracts the interests of all the competitors with money to spend.

Let’s say Horford leaves. Neemias Queta gave them decent minutes last year, but he is certainly not a starter. Xavier Tillman played real minutes in Memphis, but he was relegated to the bench in Boston. Luka Garza, whom they added on Monday, played less than 1,000 minutes in four seasons. The Celtics are not in Ou-Bust Championship mode next season with Jayson Tatum injured, but if they planned tank, they would have moved Derrick White or Jaylen Brown now. They seem to want to be reasonably competitive, which will mean finding a starting center somewhere.

3. How will Denver use his new capsuchon flexibility?

The explanation at the surface of the Denver’s decision to exchange Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson was that Johnson is a better and more reliable player at this stage than wearing. It is true in itself. Johnson is a better creator and does not come with the same level of concern of injuries that we carry, whose back is frightening as long -term investment.

But the real motivation for the agreement was financial. Denver saves around $ 17 million in the trade, which opens up all kinds of other list construction avenues for nuggets. More specifically, they will probably use the intermediate level exception of $ 14.1 million to sign one or two free agents, and they could also acquire a player via a sign and exchange or potentially use the commercial exception of $ 16.8 million that the agreement has created to land another veteran.

Denver’s departure range has always been good. Johnson should have no trouble slipping to wear. But now, Nuggets have the resources to really rebuild the bench for the first time in years. They started with a good minimum addition of Bruce Brown, a 2023 champion for them, and there is much more work to do.

4. How ready the Pacers are ready to get?

In the burst of abrimations that came on Saturday and Sunday, it was somewhat surprising not to see Myles Turner Re-Up with the Pacers relatively quickly. Naz Reid obtained five years and 125 million dollars from Minnesota Timberwolves, and they probably order similar figures. Turner is the longest stimulator. They know what they have in him. So what’s going on here?

If there is a gap between the two parties, it probably relates to the pay of Indiana. The Pacers would have been willing to pay the luxury tax for the first time in 20 years to keep Turner, but this report came during the NBA final. Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear could have changed things. Pacers can no longer count on a race in the playoffs to generate important door income. Maybe they have reconsidered their budget for next season.

If so, it creates all kinds of questions. Is Turner GetTable in a sign and an exchange? If this is the case, several teams would surely be interested. There are simply not many great men like him who can both protect the basket and make 3 points. More likely, the Pacers hope to leave another actor to repel the tax while keeping Turner. Could someone fly, say, always McConnell? What about Obi Toppin or Bennedict Mathurin? The Pacers made the final for a reason. They have a lot of good players and all are paid appropriately. If they plan to lower the tax, someone of value will become available.

It was a slow start for the free agency for Golden State, which is quite surprising given the resources at its disposal. The Warriors have access with the full intermediate level if they wish. They also have some of their own free agents to get a sign, although they lost Kevon Looney in New Orleans. First of all, however, they need an idea of ​​what they are going to do with Jonathan Kuminga.

The old choice n ° 7 is a limited free agent. There is no ceiling space so that it connects unless Brooklyn decides that it is interested, so if it is going to be paid, it will have to be by the Warriors or by a sign and an exchange. The Warriors would probably be impatient to participate. Kuminga is a chip they could use to add an important part, and taking into account the adjusted concerns with him next to Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, they are probably happy to break anyway.

Miami would have been interested in the past. It is even worth registered with Indiana on Turner’s front. The Warriors really need a center that can shoot with Butler and Green in place, and Deandre Ayton – which Indiana tried to sign to replace Turner in 2022 – is available for Pacers to slip potentially to replace Turner this time.

The signs are complicated from a CAP point of view. They create a hard cap of the first APRON and are difficult to execute from a perspective of salary correspondence due to an archaic rule called compensation for the basic year. Conceiving one that makes sense takes time. It was always unlikely that Golden State was able to do so on the first evening of the free agency. But this is the story to watch for the Warriors at the moment. If they take a big step, Kuminga will probably be involved.