The 2022 NBA free agency period got started not with a signing, but with Kevin Durant’s stunning request to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets. With Kyrie Irving also expected to follow him out the door, that drama and intrigue has stolen the show the last few days. It’s perhaps fitting, then, that the first few days of free agency have been highlighted with blockbuster trades, including the Minnesota Timberwolves acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks adding Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics getting Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers.
But for all the movement via trades, there’s still been plenty of movement in the actual free-agent market. Among the notable deals were Jalen Brunson joining the New York Knicks, John Wall to the Los Angeles Clippers and Otto Porter Jr. heading north of the border to the Toronto Raptors.
Furthermore, the likes of Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) and Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) have agreed to max deals to return to their teams, while Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) have agreed to max extensions. At this point, there aren’t too many big names left on the market. One deal that does still have to be sorted out, however, is James Harden’s return to the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s meeting with the team in the Hamptons over the holiday weekend in order to figure out what will likely be a shorter-term deal.
More on free agency: Top available players | FA Tracker | Winners and losers
Follow below for all the latest deals, updates and more as NBA free agency continues into the weekend.