NBA Rumors: Best Non-Kawhi Free Agents Seeking Contracts After Stints With Warriors, Raptors

Kawhi Leonard is the lone superstar that is still a free agent. When he finally picks a destination, the top players available could quickly sign contracts.

The two best players left on the market, aside from Leonard, also played in the 2019 NBA Finals. DeMarcus Cousins is seeking a new contract after spending one season with the Golden State Warriors. Danny Green helped the Toronto Raptors win their first-ever championship, but he could be headed elsewhere.

There’s at least a chance that both free agents will return to their former teams. That appeared to be highly unlikely when the summer began.

A few months removed from suffering a ruptured Achilles, Cousins settled for the $5.3 million mid-level exception with Golden State. He was expected to leave for a much more lucrative contract elsewhere in the 2019 offseason. Cousins is only eligible to receive a 20 percent raise with the Warriors, and he made four straight All-Star teams from 2015-2018 when he was healthy.

A deal that will pay Cousins more than what Golden State can offer him, however, doesn’t appear to be out there for the big man. He suffered a quad injury in the first round of the playoffs and was unplayable at times when he returned in the finals.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested on “SportsCenter” that Cousins might not even be able to land a mid-level exception this offseason.

There had been speculation that the New York Knicks might use some of their salary cap space to sign Cousins if they missed out on Kevin Durant, but the Knicks spent their money elsewhere. The Los Angeles Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers can afford to pay Cousins a raise if they lose in the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes. It would be surprising to see either team give the veteran a lucrative salary.

Maybe Cousins will return to Golden State on another low-salary deal. He could pick up some of the minutes that had previously gone to Durant, but Cousins might prefer to play with a team where he’d get more touches on offense.

Green was a perfect fit in Toronto, where he didn’t have to do much more than hit open threes and play good defense. He’s made it clear that he’d like to return to the Raptors and defend their title if Leonard stays north of the border.

If Leonard leaves Toronto, Green could be on his way out, as well. He is reportedly waiting on Leonard’s decision, which might not come until the end of the week.

Both ESPN and The New York Times have reported that the Dallas Mavericks are targeting Green. Harrison Sanford, who hosts “Inside The Green Room” with the shooting guard, has noted that Dallas is in a strong position to sign Green.

According to Sanford, the Mavericks, Raptors and Lakers are all realistic possibilities for Green. If the Lakers fail to sign Leonard, you can be sure that Green will be their No.1 target in free agency.

The Lakers will have $32 million to spend under the salary cap in the event that Leonard signs a max contract with another team. With most of the top free agents off the board, Green’s skill set could put him in line for a nice payday with the Lakers.

Green made $10 million last season.