Top NBA free agents for the summer of 2016

Fresh off of delivering the city of Cleveland its first NBA championship, LeBron James will have a decision to make in the coming days. Will King James opt out of his contract to become a free agent and leave Cleveland once again? With the salary cap rising nearly 30 percent, you can expect James to opt out and renegotiate a new one with Cleveland management. Whether or not James chooses to listen to other offers remains to be seen.

With LeBron James expected to stay in Cleveland, Kevin Durant finds himself as the true prize of free agency. The 2014 NBA MVP is an unrestricted free agent, and although the sentiment to stay in Oklahoma City is strong, KD will meet with other teams and listen to offers. The Warriors, Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Wizards and Spurs are all among the teams interested in signing the future Hall of Fame small forward.

Given his status as a restricted free agent, it will be difficult for any team to pry Andre Drummond away from Detroit. Still, expect a few teams to try, and with good reason. The Pistons center is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.2 points and an NBA-leading 14.8 rebounds a night. Drummond is in store for a major pay raise this summer.

Although the general consensus seems to be that shooting guard DeMar DeRozan will stay in Toronto, it would hardly be shocking if the Los Angeles native chose to return home, signing with either the Lakers or Clippers. More likely than not, however, the Raptors will offer DeRozan a max contract to stay in Toronto, he’ll sign and that will be that.

Mike Conley has been one of the NBA’s more underappreciated point guards for some time. But now, the former Grizzlies star will have his chance to be wooed by other teams and will almost certainly be offered a max deal. The 28-year-old Conley is the best point guard out on the open market.

Another underappreciated player, Al Horford has been the Atlanta Hawks' most consistent player since he was drafted by the team in 2008. A four-time All-Star, Horford is a highly skilled low-post player who can score, defend and rebound. The big man even added the three-point shot to his arsenal this past season, shooting 34.4 percent from downtown. The Lakers, Magic and Hawks will all be in discussions with the 30-year-old center.

Yes, Dwyane Wade is an unrestricted free agent, but hell will likely freeze over before the greatest player in Heat history chooses to leave Miami. Then again, Cleveland did just win an NBA title, so anything is possible.

Although his relationship with coach Erik Spoelstra has hardly been amicable, shot-blocking extraordinaire Hassan Whiteside reportedly wants to re-sign with the Miami Heat. Whiteside, who led the NBA with 3.7 blocked shots per game, is a gifted, albeit hardheaded, player. While Miami is the favorite as of right now to sign him, if the Lakers or Celtics were to swoop in offering a max deal (something both teams are considering), the 27-year-old center could play else where next season.

Now that Dirk Nowiztki has opted out of the final year of his contract, the 2016 NBA summer just got more interesting. Fresh off of a bitter Finals loss, the Golden State Warriors are reportedly keen on signing the 13-time All-Star, but would Dirk really ever choose to leave the Dallas Mavericks just to make one more championship run? We’ll find out in the coming weeks.

Despite the fact that he will be 36 by the time the 2016-17 NBA season rolls around, Pau Gasol has proved he still has plenty left in his tank. The Spanish-born player is coming off of another All-Star season with the Chicago Bulls and almost certainly wants make one more run at an NBA title. Gasol will have no shortage of suitors this offseason, but the Spurs are his most likely destination at the moment.

After not getting too much of a chance to shine in Portland, small forward Nicolas Batum had a career year this past season with the Charlotte Hornets. The French-born player can do a little bit of everything on the court and at 27 is in the prime of his career. The Hornets will do their best to retain Batum, but the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics will all be in hot pursuit.

The 2015-16 NBA season was a campaign that center Joakim Noah would like to forget. The 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Noah had by far his worst season as a pro, averaging career lows in points and shooting percentage. Having played his entire career in Chicago, Noah may be looking for a change of scenery. There have been some rumors swirling that Noah may look to reunite with his former coach Tom Thibodeau, who is now the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Given the fact that Bradley Beal is a restricted free agent, it would seem unlikely that he’ll leave Washington this summer. Still, if a team were to offer Beal a max contract, the Wizards would have to carefully consider if keeping the young shooting guard is worth it. Beal, 22, could be an All-Star one day, but the sharpshooter has never been able to stay healthy for an extended period of time in his short career.

Although injuries hampered his 2015-16 season, Chandler Parsons will still be a hot commodity this summer. The small forward is a quality spot-up three-point shooter and can also create his own offense off the dribble. The Mavericks are expected to retain Parsons, but the Heat and Nets reportedly are intrigued.

Harrison Barnes will be one of the most fascinating names to watch this offseason. The Warriors forward appeared destined to be offered a contract in excess of $20 million per year this offseason from multiple teams, but a dismal performance in the NBA Finals has put such a lofty contract in doubt. Still, Barnes is just 24, is a great three-point shooter and has never truly had chance to showcase the talents that made him the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Expect some team to overpay Barnes and for the Warriors to be unable to retain his services.

A classic stretch four, Ryan Anderson will likely leave the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason. Anderson, who averaged 17 points per game this past season coming off the Pels' bench, is probably looking for a gig as a starter once again. The Rockets, Wizards, Kings and Pistons all reportedly want to afford the 28-year-old that chance.

Although he just revitalized his career in Sacramento, the Kings are expected let Rajon Rondo walk this offseason. Considering the former All-Star point guard is coming off of a season in which he led the NBA in assists, the 30-year-old should have no shortage of teams after him. The Nets are reportedly in pursuit of Rondo.

Small forward Kent Bazemore is about to receive his first monster NBA contract. The Hawks swingman developed nicely into your prototypical “three and D” player in Atlanta and had a few shining moments during the playoffs. Undrafted out of Old Dominion, Bazemore could stay with the Hawks, but with Atlanta seemingly on the verge of a rebuild, it would seem more likely that he will find a new city to play in next season.

At 31, Al Jefferson isn’t quite the low-post presence he used to be, but the center can still score and rebound at a high rate. The Warriors have been rumored to be interested in Jefferson, but a return to the Charlotte Hornets seems most likely at this point in time.

The seventh overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, most NBA fans had written off Bismack Biyombo as a bust coming into the 2015-16 NBA season. Biyombo then proceeded to play like an absolute stud in the playoffs for the Raptors, averaging 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25 minutes of action per game for Toronto. Biyombo’s postseason play has almost certainly earned him a ton of money. From which team that money comes remains to be seen.

Although his prime years are behind him, on most nights Luol Deng is still a darn good NBA forward. Yes, his scoring numbers are down, but Deng is still one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA and that will earn him a nice new contract this offseason. The Heat is interested in retaining Deng, but similar to his former teammate Joakim Noah, the Timberwolves seem like a logical option.

It’s probably unfair to classify Tim Duncan as a free agent, because either one of two things will happen this offseason for the Spurs legend. Either Duncan will retire, or he will choose to come back to San Antonio for one more season. Regardless of what Duncan decides to do, his legacy as one of NBA’s greatest players is set.

The Lakers are expected to match any offer sheet guard Jordan Clarkson signs as a restricted free agent, but a lot can change in a short period of time during the NBA free agency frenzy of July. If the Lakers are able to acquire a player like Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan or another superstar, the 24-year-old Clarkson could be had.

How the mighty have fallen. Just three seasons ago, Dwight Howard was easily the best center in the NBA and a player who had Hall of Fame potential. Flash-forward to 2016, and it seems no one wants anything to do with D-12. A bad back and poor attitude have turned Howard into damaged goods. He will certainly not be back with the Rockets next season, but as to where he finally lands, that’s impossible to predict at this point.

Stuck behind Andrew Bogut on the Warriors' depth chart, center Festus Ezeli has never had too much of a chance to shine in Golden State. However, Ezeli has shown flashes that can be a quality starting center in the NBA, and at just 26, he is yet to enter his prime years. If he leaves Golden State, he is expected to follow former Golden State assistant coach Luke Walton to Los Angeles, where Walton is the new head coach of the Purple and Gold.

Although he hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that come with being the second overall pick in an NBA Draft, swingman Evan Turner has developed into well-rounded basketball player. Turner can score one-on-one, is a good passer and can play some defense as well. He’s never going to light the world on fire, but if the Celtics don’t re-sign him, plenty of other teams would be happy to acquire the 27-year-old.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith can now add the words “NBA champion” to his résumé. Who would have ever though that would happen? On talent and athletic ability alone, few players in the NBA can match Smith, but the one-on-one type of game he likes to play on offense just doesn’t jive with what professional basketball has become. Still, Smith is a capable three-point shooter and has the ability to score in bunches. If the Cavs don’t re-sign Smith, the Warriors reportedly have interest in signing the most entertaining headache in the league.