Open thread: Former Cavs, J.R. Smith, David Nwaba factor prominently as free agency kicks off

Free agency in the NBA is set to start at 6 pm ET tonight, and a host of the NBA’s biggest names are on the market. The last two Finals MVP’s, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, could very well switch teams. The Finals MVP before them, LeBron James, would love nothing more than to add either one of them to the team he jumped to last season. And the player who made the game winning shot in the Finals in 2016, Kyrie Irving, is set to move to a new team himself.

So it figures to be wild. I think I read yesterday that about 40% of the league is set to be a free agent. The Cavs though, are not in on the craziness. Only two of their players are in line to be free agents: David Nwaba, who will be unrestricted after the team agreed not to make him go through restricted free agency, and J.R. Smith, who is owed $4.4 million and will be waived - if not by the Cavs, then by a team he’s traded to in the next couple weeks.

Do the Cavs have any shot at Nwaba on a multi-year deal? Can they get an asset back for J.R. Smith? If the Clippers need to clear out space to be able to sign multiple max contract free agents, perhaps Smith’s contract can serve a purpose. If they’re able to add long term assets, keep Nwaba (one of the few guys that is even interested in defending on the roster last season), and stay out of the luxury tax, Koby Altman will deserve serious kudos. I suppose it’ll be worth keeping an eye out for a possible Kevin Love trade too.

Either way, we’ll discuss all the craziness here.