The 2018-2019 season isn’t even close to starting, but it’s always important to keep an eye on next year’s free agents. You might become attached to them in the following months, they help your team reach the playoffs, maybe even the Finals, but before you know it, the 2019 Free Agency has arrived. At that point they’ll have a choice, become city favorites or move on to the next team.

Kevin Durant – Player Option

Durant opted out of his contract this season, but he immediately signed a better deal with the Warriors, and that means he once again got a player option in 2019.  The last few years, it seems like Durant wants his options to be open after every season, after playing for the same team for the first nine years of his career. The question is if he’s still interested in remaining with the Warriors after next season (and probably another title), or that he’s ready to try his chances somewhere else. If Golden State tries to give him another contract, they’ll definitely will have to pay him the max, which means they will have to cut lose some other important players.

Kyrie Irving – Player Option

Irving has won one championship, and was voted an All-Star 5 times, therefore it’s not hard to forget that he’s only 26 years old and that Boston is only his second team in the league. Though he seems content with his role with the Celtics, Irving is one of the best point guards in the league, so he’ll probably get a lot of offers. If Irving chooses to opt out of contract, he’ll get to go into free agency for the first time in his career.

Kawhi Leonard – Player Option

Leonard has gotten a second chance with the Toronto Raptors, and that means he has another opportunity to prove his worth in the NBA. This might not be an easy thing to do, as he sat out the entire season. But, he got really good numbers before his injury, so there’s a big chance he’ll do the same up north. Leonard will have a player option in 2019, so he can decide whether he’ll stay in Toronto for at least one more year, or that another city is calling his name.

Klay Thompson – Unrestricted Free Agent

Thompson has definitely been an important part of the Warriors over the last few years, but he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. There is almost no chance that the Warriors will want to lose him to another team, but they’ll only have two options.

Thompson could take a pay cut which would ensure that the team wouldn’t have to pay a lot of tax, but if Thompson is set on getting a max deal we’ll have to wait and see whether the Warriors are willing to give him that. It will probably also depend on Durant’s next career step.

Kristaps Porzingis – Restricted Free Agent

Before his ACL injury, Porzingis was definitely the best player on the Knicks’ team, but he was only the 7^th best paid player on the team. As Porzingis is set to become a restricted free agent in 2019, the Knicks will have two options. They can offer him the rookie extension sometime before the free agency starts, which would be a five year $157 million deal, or they can wait till free agency and try to match each deal he is offered.

It’s a difficult decision for the Knicks, as he is currently still rehabbing from his ACL injury, but Porzingis was also already on his way to becoming the cornerstone of the franchise. Last, it’s not entirely up to them, as Porzingis’ agent has already stated in the past that Porzingis cares more about winning than money. This would mean that if the Knicks don’t improve, he’ll probably will at least look for another team.