NBA: How the playoffs and draft lottery have affected free agency
By Mack Biester
Taking a closer look at how the NBA Playoffs and Draft Lottery results will affect this summer’s free agency period
In the midst of the Conference Finals and with the NBA Draft Lottery now in the books, let’s check in with how those events have and will affect this coming June’s mass talent migration in the NBA – i.e. free agency.
DeMarcus Cousins
Though his stock seemed to take a dive early in the Golden State Warriors’ title run, reports are now suggesting that Cousins is eyeing a return as soon as this Western Conference Finals. I wrote in length about potential landing spots for Boogie this offseason, though you’d have to think that if he’s able to prove not only his health but his postseason mettle in these next few weeks, he may still end up signing that big deal he’s been chasing for the better part of two years now.
The longer the Warriors stay in the playoff picture (spoiler alert: you’ll see them well into June), the better that bodes for DeMarcus. If he does garner the max, expect it to be as a compliment on the Clippers or Mavs, or as the centerpiece for a Brooklyn team still shell-shocked by Joel Embiid.