NBA Free Agency Preview: Irving, Walker Top Interesting Class Of Guards

75756A5E-120A-4932-810C-2FD980DB785E

The time has finally come. The much-anticipated 2019 offseason is officially here. This summer will feature the most talented group of free agents the NBA has seen in recent years, and where they end up signing could cause a ripple effect that would change the entire landscape of the NBA for years to come.

Teams can officially begin talking with free agents on June 30 at 6 p.m. In the days leading up to the start of free agency, I will be breaking down the top guards, forwards and centers who are set to hit the market, and the chances that they end up with the Knicks or Nets. First up, we have the guards.

The Knicks could use an influx of talent at just about every position following their 17-65 campaign. With that said, New York does have a couple of intriguing young guards who could become building blocks for the franchise with the right development. Dennis Smith Jr. was acquired from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and while he isn’t coming off the greatest season, the 21-year-old has shown a lot of promise in his first two NBA seasons. Allonzo Trier was a pleasant surprise last season after signing as an undrafted free agent, while Damyean Dotson and John Jenkins showed some potential coming off the bench. The futures of Emmanuel Mudiay (restricted free agent) and Frank Ntilikina remain murky at best.

Anyway you look at it, the Nets appear to be in great shape at the guard positions heading into the offseason. Spencer Dinwiddie was a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year before missing a chunk of the season with a thumb injury, and after signing a contract extension during the season, he is set to return and lead Brooklyn’s second unit. Caris LeVert was on his way to a breakout campaign before a gruesome foot injury caused him to miss half the season, but he returned to put on a strong performance during the team’s first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia. Joe Harris led the league in 3-point shooting, continuing his rise as the poster boy for Brooklyn’s player development program. D’Angelo Russell was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, but we will get to his future with the team later.

KYRIE IRVING, PG23.8 ppg, 6.9 apg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 stl, 48.7 FG%, 40.1 3P%, 55.7 eFG%

Don’t let Boston’s disappointing season fool you -- Irving is one of the top talents at the point guard position in the entire NBA. The 27-year-old has been an All-Star in six of his eight NBA seasons while putting up some impressive numbers along the way. Irving’s leadership has been brought into question due to the issues surrounding the Celtics this past season. Some wonder if the 6-foot-3 point guard can be the No. 1 option on a team contending for a championship, but Irving’s ability to score should speak for itself. Irving is the top point guard on the market and will command a max deal wherever he signs.

Possible Knicks Interest: The Knicks would love nothing more than to ink Irving to a max contract, as signing the point guard could also bring Kevin Durant into the fold. While reports indicate New York still has a chance at him, most signs point toward Irving joining the Nets this summer.
Possible Nets Interest: Irving signing with Brooklyn seems to be the closest thing we have to a “done deal” at this point of the offseason. Irving would be the biggest free-agent signing the franchise has ever had and would provide an immediate boost to the Nets’ frontcourt. As long as Irving buys into the culture general manager Sean Marks has built over the last few years, this pairing should be a great fit for both sides.
KEMBA WALKER, PG25.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, 4.4 rpg, 1.2 stl, 43.4 FG%, 35.6 3P%, 51.1 eFG%
Walker picked the perfect time to have the best season of his eight-year career. The 6-foot-1 point guard averaged over 25 points per game, leading him to his first All-NBA selection (third team). The All-NBA selection was a nice honor for Walker, but more importantly, it made him eligible for a supermax contract this offseason. If he chooses to return to Charlotte, the 29-year-old could sign a massive five-year, $221 million deal. Talk about a nice payday. While returning to the Hornets seems the most likely outcome for Walker, he may decide to take his talents elsewhere, which could bode well for one of the local teams.

Kemba WalkerDavid Richard/USA TODAY Images

Possible Knicks Interest: With Irving likely heading to Brooklyn, the Knicks will certainly attempt to pry Walker away from Charlotte. New York’s chances of landing the star point guard aren’t great, as the Hornets remain the favorites to re-sign Walker, while the Lakers appear to be prioritizing him in free agency. But I wouldn’t rule the Knicks out completely, as the Bronx native could decide to sign with his hometown team.

Possible Nets Interest: With Irving likely on board, the Nets won’t be going after Walker.
KLAY THOMPSON, SG21.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.1 stl, 46.7 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 55.3 eFG%

Thompson’s stellar season came to a very disappointing end, as a torn ACL suffered in Game 6 of the NBA Finals will keep the sharpshooter on the sidelines for a significant portion of the 2019-20 season. However, the injury will not affect Thompson’s free agency, as the 29-year-old will still likely receive a max contract. The 6-foot-7 guard has already established himself as one of the best shooters of all-time, but after being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team this season, Thompson has also proven to be one of the game’s best two-way players. Unfortunately for all interested teams, Thompson is most likely staying with the Warriors for the next few years.

Possible Knicks Interest: New York would love the chance to sign Thompson, but it would come as a total shock if the guard doesn’t re-sign with Golden State.
Possible Nets Interest: Again, Thompson isn’t leaving the Warriors.
JIMMY BUTLER, SG18.7 ppg, 4.0 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 stl, 46.2 FG%, 34.7 3P%, 49.9 eFG%

Jimmy ButlerDan Hamilton/USA TODAY

Similar to Irving, Butler doesn’t have the best reputation as a player. No one can deny his skills, as the four-time All-Star has developed into a tremendous two-way player. However, the 29-year-old undoubtedly comes with some baggage, evidenced by his tumultuous tenure with the Timberwolves that came to a head when Butler ripped into his Minnesota teammates, coaches and front-office staff during his first scrimmage of the season. As good as he is on offense, the 6-foot-8 shooting guard brings a grittiness to the defensive end of the court that is unmatched by almost every player in the NBA, being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in four of the last five seasons. Attitude issues aside, Butler remains one of the most talented two-way players in the league.

Possible Knicks Interest: Things can change between now and June 30, but as of today, the Knicks reportedly will not pursue the second tier of free agents if they miss out on Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. New York certainly has a chance at landing Durant, but without him or Leonard, it appears as if the Knicks won’t go after a player like Butler on a max deal.
Possible Nets Interest: The Nets have their eyes set on two of free agency’s biggest prizes, Durant and Leonard. But if they swing and miss on the top two wings, Butler would be an interesting piece to add along with Irving. The Nets could go several different routes this offseason, but Butler will likely be near the top of Sean Marks’ list.
D'ANGELO RUSSELL, PG (RFA)21.1 ppg, 7.0 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.2 stl, 43.4 FG%, 36.9 3P%, 51.2 eFG%

Oh, how things have changed for the former No. 2 overall pick over the last two seasons. After being discarded by then-Lakers president Magic Johnson and shipped to Brooklyn, Russell has rejuvenated his career with the Nets. The 6-foot-5 point guard was named to his first All-Star team this past season and almost single-handedly carried Brooklyn into the playoffs after LeVert and Dinwiddie both missed significant amounts of time with injuries. As much as Brooklyn would love to continue developing the 23-year-old guard, Russell seems to be on his way out due to the likely addition of Kyrie Irving. If the Nets accomplish their goal of landing the dream pair of Irving and Durant, they would have to renounce Russell’s rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. If this happens, Russell will have a robust market.

Possible Knicks Interest: While there has been no reported interest in Russell from the Knicks, the pairing makes a ton of sense. Russell loves playing in New York, and the Knicks could do a lot worse than investing in a 23-year-old budding star. If the point guard hits the open market and the Knicks miss out on the big fish, Rusell could (and should) become one of New York’s top targets.
Possible Nets Interest: While there is significant mutual interest in a reunion between Russell and the Nets, the likely addition of Irving should lead to Russell’s departure from Brooklyn. There is a small chance that Marks could do a 180 and decide to give the Irving-Russell pair a shot, but more likely than not, if the Nets land the top point guard in free agency, it will come at the cost of the 23-year-old Russell.
MALCOLM BROGON, PG (RFA)15.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 4.5 rpg, 0.7 stl, 50.5 FG%, 42.6 3P%, 57.5 eFG%

Malcolm BrogdonKyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

Brogdon has put together an impressive start to his career after being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft, but the 2018-19 season was easily his best to date. The 26-year-old combo guard put up phenomenal shooting numbers, including a league-best 92.8% from the free-throw line. Brogdon enters the offseason with a career shooting percentage of 40.8 from the 3-point line, and the 6-foot-5 guard is just entering his prime years. The talented guard is a restricted free agent, and Milwaukee has indicated that they would be willing to match any offer sheet Brogdon signs. It will be tough to pry him away from the Bucks, but if any team is able to do it, they will be acquiring the services of a vastly underrated player able to play both point and shooting guard.

Possible Knicks Interest: Brogdon would be the perfect guard for the Knicks to come away with this offseason if they miss out on the top free agents. It would take a very high offer sheet for the Bucks to think twice about matching, and with the most cap space in the NBA, New York might be just the team to offer it. 
Possible Nets Interest: If the Nets somehow don’t close the deal with Irving, then they will immediately turn and re-sign their own restricted free agent in D’Angelo Russell. As good as the versatile Brogdon would look next to his college teammate Joe Harris, he isn’t ending up in Brooklyn.Matt Citak is a web producer for WFAN. Check him out on Twitter at @MatthewCitak.