Notable free agents 2023 featuring James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and more
The 2023 NBA free agency officially starts on July 6. The negotiations between the team and players can commence on June 30, 2023.
With several teams looking to make adjustments to position themselves as contenders, let's look at the notable free agents for the upcoming free agency.
James Harden
James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers guard, is a leading free agent on the market in 2023. Harden has a player option on his contract with the 76ers and is allegedly expected to turn it down.
The 76ers have had some success since trading for Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. However, they failed to make a deep playoff run. They were defeated by the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series in the conference semifinals.
Harden turns 34 years old in August and although he isn't the player he once was, he can still be an All-star level player on any given night. That said, it is not yet clear what direction the 76ers will take and if they will offer Harden a max contract.
Given this situation, if Harden does indeed opt to become a free agent, he will draw interest from a lot of teams. The most prominent interest thus far has been in a reunion with the Houston Rockets who have a good support cast and enough cap room to offer Harden an attractive deal.
Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving makes the 2023 free agency exciting. Irving will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. After being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Irving had a decent year despite the Mavericks missing out on the playoffs.
Irving averaged 27.0 points and 6.0 assists on 51% shooting for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are interested in bringing him back, however, it is unknown as to what Kyrie Irving wants to do.
There are a lot of teams who would be potentially interested in singing Irving despite his unpredictable personality. A prominent team in the running could be the LA Lakers with their point guard position open. Irving might have a mutual interest to reunite with LeBron James. Irving was seen sitting courtside during the LA Lakers' playoffs.
Kyrie is courtside for Game 6 of the Lakers - Grizzlies 👁
https://t.co/p9Z6qQISVW
Whether Irving was trying to put himself on the radar or simply there to watch the game is something only he can answer. One thing remains clear though, Irving will be a notable free agent in 2023 summer.
Draymond Green
Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors forward, has a player option for $27.5 million next season. This might be the highest salary that Green can earn and going elsewhere might mean opting for lesser money. That said, Draymond could still opt out and seek a long-term deal with other teams while he is still playing fairly well.
Draymond has been a big part of the Warriors dynasty alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. He is often referred as to being the glue or the heart of this Big Three. However, Draymond has had issues with his teammates as of late. His year started with a fight with Jordan Poole that broke the internet. It consisted of Green punching Poole in a practice.
To make things worse, the Warriors faced an early exit in Round 2 of the playoffs against the Lakers. This was the first Warriors loss in a series before the NBA Finals in the Steve Kerr era and created uncertainty regarding their ability to win again. However, Kerr was quick to point out that without Green, the Warriors are not a contender:
"Look, if Draymond is not back, we're not a championship contender. I absolutely want him back."
Chances are that Green would stay with the Warriors for at least one more season. But, this is not a given. If Green does opt to be a free agent, he could garner a lot of interest from other teams.
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is a top 75 all-time NBA player and it is no doubt that he will be a notable free agent in the upcoming summer. Westbrook ended his season with the LA Clippers who were knocked out of the playoffs in Round 1 by the Phoenix Suns.
Westbrook will be an unrestricted free agent and will draw attention from other teams despite the bad rep he gained with the LA Lakers. Westbrook was able to clean his reputation in his run with the Clippers.
There are reports that the Clippers want to bring Russell Westbrook back. Ty Lue, Clippers coach, has praised him on several occasions. Westbrook also spoke highly of the Clippers in the final press conference after their season ended.
However, if other contenders want to sign him, Westbrook will probably hear them out and could be lured in for a chance to win an NBA championship.
Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma
The Washington Wizards finished their NBA 2022-23 regular season with a 35-47 record. The Wizards know that they need changes and might be entering a whole new era with their new front-office changes. They have brought in former LA Clippers executive Michael Winger as their new president. Winger is expected to turn out the franchise and revive them. It is unclear so far what direction the Wizards will take.
If the Wizards decide to rebuild, both Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma who have player options could potentially become free agents. Both Porzingis and Kuzma are 27 years old and are coming off individually successful NBA seasons averaging 23.3 and 21.2 points, respectively. The young pair could draw a lot of attention from other teams if they become free agents.