Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, teams can start to plan for the offseason, where there will be no shortage of storylines -- despite a shortage of cap space around the league.
The 2022 free-agent class is average at best, thanks to many star players signing extensions in recent years. Additionally, there is a lack of spending power among teams, with only a handful projected to have significant space under the cap. Despite that, there are two All-Star guards who will draw significant attention this summer: Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.
Lillard is not a free agent, but his future is anything but certain as the Portland Trail Blazers undergo a roster transformation.
The decision for Beal centers around his $36.4 million player option.
He can decline the option and sign a five-year $246 million contract to remain with the Washington Wizards or opt in and ask to be traded to a team that does not have cap space. He would then be eligible to sign a four-year, $200 million extension with his new team six months after the trade.
But before any of that can happen, there is still the matter of contenders looking to make one final boost for 2022 via players who get bought out by March 1.