The NBA offseason is rolling right along, and now that the 2019 NBA Draft is over, it's time to turn our full attention to the star of the summer. That's right, it's time for free agency.
This year, there's a bit of a change in the timing, as things will get started on Sunday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. That's a slight change from years past, where the action officially started at midnight on July 1. Now that it's a big event, the league moved the schedule so free agency would start in primetime instead of after many people have already gone to sleep.
With huge stars like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving hitting free agency, and a number of teams with plenty of money to spend, this figures to be a fascinating summer.
Ahead of the official start of free agency, here's a look at the needs and potential fits for every team in Western Conference. Click here for the Eastern Conference teams.
Dallas Mavericks
Needs: Point guard, wing depth, frontcourt help
Potential fits: Kemba Walker, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis
The Mavericks will once again be on the hunt for a big-name free agent, and that's on top of re-signing Kristaps Porzingis, which seems like a given. They've often failed in their summer pursuits, however. Is this the year that changes?
Denver Nuggets
Needs: Paul Millsap, back-up point guard, frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Paul Millsap, Shelvin Mack, Trevor Ariza
The biggest decision the Nuggets will have to make this season is regarding Paul Millsap. Whether they pick up his player option or renegotiate a longer term deal, it seems like he'll return. Aside from that their core is locked up, and any other moves will be around the margins.
Golden State Warriors
Needs: Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, all-around depth
Potential fits: Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Rudy Gay, Justin Holiday, Pat Connaughton, Kevon Looney
The Warriors' first order of business is trying to secure the signature of their two injured stars, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. The latter seems more likely, but regardless they'll have a big task filling out the rest of the roster, because their lack of depth was exposed in the Finals.
Houston Rockets
Needs: Shooting, versatile wings, frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Danuel House, Gerald Green, Reggie Bullock, Derrick Jones Jr.
The Rockets are in for a fascinating summer, but they won't be doing much in free agency. They have no cap space, and ownership has made it clear they want to cut costs where possible. It's going to be tough for Daryl Morey to find the shooting and versatility he wants.
Los Angeles Clippers
Needs: A star free agent or two
Potential fits: Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Al Horford
The Clippers appear to be going all-in this summer in the hunt for multiple big-name free agents, and who can blame them? They've built a fun, hard-working team and have the framework in place to quickly jump into contention if they can get a star. Stealing Kawhi Leonard away from the Raptors would be a coup.
Los Angeles Lakers
Needs: An entire backcourt, shooting, wing and frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Kemba Walker, D'Angelo Russell, JJ Redick, Kawhi Leonard, De'Andre Jordan
The Lakers are in a bizarre spot, as they have two of the best players in the league, but hardly anyone else on the roster. Plus, because of the timing of the Anthony Davis trade, it's not clear just how much cap space they'll have. Regardless, they have a big summer ahead of them in trying to build a complete team.
Memphis Grizzlies
Needs: Backup point guard, wing scoring, center
Potential fits: Delon Wright, Dillon Brooks, Jonas Valanciunas, Jordan Bell
The Grizzlies flipped the switch to full-on rebuild mode by trading Mike Conley, and followed it up with a great draft. They won't be making any big moves this summer, but will have some interesting decisions to make in regards to some of their current players like Jonas Valanciunas and Delon Wright.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Needs: Point guard, shooting, frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Tyus Jones, Wayne Ellington, Noah Vonleh, Ed Davis
There's been some buzz about the Wolves adding D'Angelo Russell, but that would have to be in a sign-and-trade considering their cap situation. Outside of that, the Wolves will be bargain hunting to try and add depth to their established core.
New Orleans Pelicans
Needs: Shooting, wing depth, stretch bigs
Potential fits: Rodney Hood, Pat Connaughton, Dewayne Dedmon, Trey Lyles
David Griffin has done an impressive job retooling the Pelicans roster in the past few weeks with the Anthony Davis trade and the draft. They'll have some money to spend, too, but it's hard to see them making any big moves considering where their team is at rebuild wise.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Needs: Shooting, wing and frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Nik Stauskas, Damyean Dotson, Greg Monroe
The Thunder are capped out, and according to reports are looking to shed money this summer, so they won't be busy in free agency. Any shooting or wing help they can find for cheap would be quite welcome.
Phoenix Suns
Needs: Point guard, wing depth, veteran leadership
Potential fits: D'Angelo Russell, Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., Jamal Crawford
Trying to predict what the Suns are going to do can be a futile exercise, but it definitely seems like they'll be after a point guard. Other than that, it will be interesting to see what happens with Kelly Oubre Jr., who is a restricted free agent this summer.
Portland Trail Blazers
Needs: Back-up point guard, shooting, frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Shabazz Napier, Reggie Bullock, Daniel Theis, Joakim Noah
The Trail Blazers are capped out, and their core is in place, so they won't be adding any big names this summer. Bringing back Al-Farouq Aminu will probably be their biggest move if they decide to do so. Otherwise they'll be working around the margins to add depth.
Sacramento Kings
Needs: Backcourt and wing depth, defense, center
Potential fits: Tomas Satoransky, Harrison Barnes, Marcus Morris, Brook Lopez
The Kings exceeded expectations last season and appear to be on the right path. They'll have plenty of money to spend this summer, but with no need to rush, and the big-name free agents expected to go elsewhere, their best course of action may be maintaining their flexibility and giving their young core another season to grow.
San Antonio Spurs
Needs: Wing scoring and depth, shooting, frontcourt depth
Potential fits: Rudy Gay, Jeff Green, Justin Anderson, Jarell Martin, Trey Lyles
This summer figures to be a lot smoother for the Spurs after last year's chaos. There's no disgruntled superstar to trade, and they don't have any cap space, so they'll be working to add some depth where they can.
Utah Jazz
Needs: Playmaking, shooting, all-around depth
Potential fits: Troy Daniels, Royce O'Neal, Derrick Favors, Richaun Holmes
The Jazz already made their big move of the summer by trading for Mike Conley, so they won't be very active in the free agent market. Their biggest question is whether or not they'll bring back Derrick Favors, but regardless they'll need to add some frontcourt depth.
