NHL Draft Tracker: A look at all of the picks

As each pick gets made, we’ll update our NHL Draft Tracker. It’s your source to find out every pick. In years past, free agency was the most dramatic period for the NBA. 2019 saw Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leave their respective situations in free agency and set up what would become some of the most dramatic and “what if” years the league has seen.  Lately, the massive face-lifts around the league concerning player movement have come via trade, with more superstars choosing to force their hand than ever before.  In 2022, the biggest move was Jalen Brunson heading from the Dallas Mavericks to the New York Knicks. At first, it was considered a blatant overpay rife with tampering, but looking back on it now, it may have been one of the savviest moves we’ve seen from a front office not known for actually landing their guy.  All this to say that though this year’s crop of free agents might not be the most impressive, the decisions made in the next few weeks can drastically shift the narrative for organizations come next season. Even if some of the names aren’t as impressive as those we normally associate with free agency, many teams will look vastly different following this period.  With the NBA’s free agency set to open up on June 30th at 6 p.m., here are Sportsnet’s top 12 free agents that could be on the move this summer.  1. Kyrie Irving, 31 years old, G – Unrestricted free agent Last season, through all the drama, Irving still managed to average 27.0 points (on .494/.379/.905 shooting splits), 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists.  He’s eligible for a five-year $272-million max from the Mavericks but is unlikely to re-sign at that figure considering how tumultuous his runs with the Boston Celtics and Nets have been.  Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported on Thursday that Irving is set to meet with the Phoenix Suns once free agency opens up on Friday. How they’ll pay him is anyone’s guess considering their cap situation.  He’s also been rumoured to potentially want to reunite with LeBron James, whether that be in Dallas or Los Angeles is still up for debate, however, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Irving is likely to re-sign for the Mavericks. 2. James Harden, 33 years old, G – Player option (accepted, will work towards trade) Though not technically a free agent, he has decided to opt-in to his player option worth $35.8 million but will work with the 76ers towards a trade.  Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers have both been in touch with the 76ers about Harden. He’s also been linked to Houston, potentially indicating a desire to play out his days in his favourite city without necessarily wanting to contend for a ring. The 33-year-old is still supremely talented but showcased some patented playoff inconsistency this past season, dropping 40+ points and then following it up with horrifically inefficient performances including a nine-point Game 7 against the Celtics. 3. Fred VanVleet, 29 years old, G – Unrestricted free agent VanVleet, unsurprisingly, declined his player option worth $22.8 million for next season in hopes that he can secure more money on a long-term deal either from Toronto or elsewhere. The classic “bet on yourself” move. Though he didn’t enjoy one of his most productive years in scoring efficiency – his field goal percentage of 39.3 was good for third-worst in the NBA among qualified players – he took a step forward as a playmaker, increasing his assists per game while decreasing his turnovers. Sportsnet’s very own Michael Grange reported that the Houston Rockets may tempt VanVleet with a two-year, $80 million contract to join a team with no state tax, and an offer that the Raptors can’t match. Should he take a two-year deal, he’ll be eligible for another extension once the NBA’s new TV deal kicks in, likely increasing the amount he’ll be able to sign for at that point. 4. Jerami Grant, 29 years old, F – Unrestricted free agent According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Damian Lillard’s “dream scenario” is for Portland to re-sign Grant and make a run at Draymond Green (more on him later) to run it back one more time.  Last season Grant averaged 20.5 points a game while shooting a career-high 40 per cent from deep. He’s also a solid defender, averaging 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals per game while possessing a massive seven-foot-two wingspan. He’s eligible for a four-year, $115-million extension this offseason and has garnered looks from Portland, Indiana or potentially a return to Detroit. 5. Khris Middleton, 31 years old, F – Unrestricted free agent Middleton missed the entirety of the 2022 playoffs with an injury and didn’t return until December this year due to off-season wrist surgery. Once he returned, he was in and out of the lineup, reportedly re-injuring his knee in mid-December then sitting out back-to-backs from January until the end of the year. Hampered, he struggled in the regular season, averaging 15.1 points on 43 per cent from the field and 31 per cent from deep, all lows over the last five seasons. However, he looked much more like himself in the playoffs against the Miami Heat, scoring 23.8 points on .465/.406/.867 splits while grabbing 6.4 rebounds and dishing out 6.2 assists. 6. Brook Lopez, 35 years old, C – Unrestricted free agent Having a 35-year-old this high on a list for the top free agents is both a testament to the lack of depth in this year’s class and Lopez’s abilities and highly sought-after skill set in the modern NBA.  Lopez has completely transformed his game since his time on the Nets. He shot a strong 37 per cent from long range last year while leading the league in total blocks at 193, good for 2.5 a game. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.  7. Miles Bridges, 25 years old, F – Restricted free agent It’s impossible to bring up Bridges without first mentioning the domestic violence incident involving the mother of his children that forced him to sit out last season. He’ll face three years probation, no jail time and will be suspended for the first 10 games of the season, with the NBA considering 20 games having already been served when he sat out last year.  In the 2021-2022 season, Bridges had a breakout year, averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists as the high-speed transition tandem of he and LaMelo Ball brought the Hornets their first winning season since 2015-2016.  The Hornets have submitted a qualifying offer for Bridges and since he’s a restricted free agent, whatever deal he’s offered can be matched by Charlotte to retain his services. 8. Cameron Johnson, 27 years old, F – Restricted free agent In his first season as an everyday starter, Johnson excelled as a high-level role-player, capable of defending the 2-4 spots and knocking down threes at a solid rate. His 127 offensive rating in Phoenix was the highest on the team while he was there last season. Johnson can fit any team in need of a solid three-and-D player with room to grow into something more under the right roof.  Joining the Nets as part of the deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, the Nets hold the right to match any offer that is given to him in free agency. However, Brooklyn is projected to be only $10 million away from the tax line and could choose to not match should the offer from a team be big enough.  9. Kyle Kuzma, 27 years old, F – Unrestricted free agent Kyle Kuzma has decided to decline his $13-million player option and will test the waters of free agency for the first time in his career.  He originally joined the Wizards as part of the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Lakers and has since blossomed into a fine player able to excel in a bigger role. He has averaged 19.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, all strong improvements from his numbers on the Lakers.  The Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets have reportedly been the two teams most interested in the wing’s services according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. 10. Draymond Green, 33 years old, F – Unrestricted free agent Draymond Green also chose to decline his player option worth $27.5-million for next season in hopes that he can secure a longer-term deal either with Golden State, the team he has spent his whole career with, or elsewhere, with numerous teams in the Western Conference reportedly lining up to insure about his services.  A key veteran presence through the Warriors’ dynastic run over the past decade, Green has established himself as one of the smartest players on both ends, capable of being a quarterback on offence or a linebacker on defence. His impact could be the final piece for a young team like the Sacramento Kings or he could bring his championship pedigree to a team like the Portland Trail Blazers to help push Damian Lillard over the finish line.  11. Jakob Poeltl, 27 years old, C – Unrestricted free agent The Toronto Raptors put themselves into a conundrum when they traded for Poeltl at the deadline, adding yet another soon-to-be free agent to their core while forking over a first-round pick in 2024. If the Raptors want to retain the services they paid for, they may have to cough up more than market value to avoid a sunk cost here.  That’s not to say that Poeltl isn’t worth it though. The Austrian big man improved the Raptors’ rim protection and gave the team a needed threat in the pick-and-roll, an action they found a ton of success with late in the year.  When Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic signed his deal for three-years, $60 million, it may have set the precedent with what Poeltl could command on the market.  12. Austin Reaves, 25 years old, G – Restricted free agent Following his incredible run as the third option for the Lakers in the postseason, Reaves is set for a serious payday. Whether that be with the Lakers or not is still up in the air, however, Los Angeles has the ability to match whatever offer he may receive.  Reaves became more than just a feel-good story this season with the Lakers, averaging 13.0 points a game on .529/.398/.864 shooting splits and showing a serious affinity for being able to draw fouls. He took another step in the playoffs, scoring 16.9 a game while hitting 44 per cent of his threes and proving to be one of the most reliable players alongside their big two.  The Lakers recently declined Malik Beasley’s team option for $16.5 million and waived Mo Bamba to alleviate his $10.3 million cap hit. Whether they use the extra space they created to pay Reaves or bring LeBron James another superstar is yet to be decided. One thing is clear though, Reaves took a page from the Fred VanVleet story and could become the latest undrafted success story in the NBA. 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