Only a few teams have real room to maneuver.
With NBA free agency approaching Sunday evening, fans may be wondering which teams are in line to take the biggest jump this offseason.
However, considering the new apron rules, the small number of teams with cap space and the even smaller amount of star free agents, the list of teams capable of making massive improvements this period is short. If it isn’t a trade like the New York Knicks made for Mikal Bridges, don’t expect to see championship odds shift much.
Listed below are the few teams that can make a splash, along with their current title odds at BetMGM and potential free agents they may want to target.
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Orlando’s odds are quite long for a team that just had the East’s fifth-best record and should improve from within just based on how young the team is. But if that isn’t enough, the Magic also have a projected $49 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That flexibility combined with how much room these odds have to improve is why Orlando gets the top spot.
The Magic are on the short list of teams expected to meet with Paul George, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. He would fill a need as another scorer on a team that thrived defensively last season. However, even a player like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Klay Thompson could give Orlando some much-needed shooting.
ESPN Sources: Paul George is planning to take free agent meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic beginning late Sunday night and Monday on the West Coast. pic.twitter.com/8MMStVjTGk
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2024
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At +1200 odds, Philadelphia already has the fourth-best title odds of Eastern Conference teams, and that’s with a roster where only Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (restricted FA) are certain to return. It’s a solid foundation on which to build, and the Sixers have a projected $55 million to spend. So, they’ll definitely be in pursuit of a third star.
Also on the list of teams scheduled to meet with Paul George, Philadelphia’s odds wouldn’t shorten much more than where they are now, but they could certainly crack the top-three ahead of Milwaukee at +1100. Some backup options to PG-13 could include DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson.
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Technically, the Spurs have the most room to improve their odds, as they’re only 100-1 to win next year’s NBA title. Realistically, San Antonio isn’t likely to make a splash big enough to move those odds much. If the Spurs wanted to, though, they are below the cap and have an ability to clear more space.
I think the likely scenario here is they pursue some cheap shooters to space the floor around Victor Wembanyama and maybe a veteran point guard like Tyus Jones or Monte Morris to also make life easier for the franchise cornerstone.
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When you enter free agency with the league’s third-best title odds, there isn’t really much upward movement to be expected from the Thunder. That said, they do have over $30 million to work with, so they have to be mentioned here.
What the Thunder need may be a matter of opinion, but if they want to add some size, a player like Isaiah Hartenstein or Jonas Valanciunas could make sense as a short-term investment.
