How Luka Doncic is Evolving as the Leader of the Mavs Jan 18, 2021 Isaac Harris
It was a somber day in early December when the table was set to say goodbye to a legend. It would be J.J. Barea’s final day as a player for the Dallas Mavericks.
Donnie Nelson spoke to the media and offered his bittersweet remarks about Barea’s career. J.J. took questions as it was an emotional day for everyone. In Rick Carlisle’s interview, I wanted to ask him one question.
Obviously, the day was all about Barea’s success story and career in Dallas. But at the same time, I also wondered about the young Mavericks team Barea was departing in the middle of training camp. A team that is made up of 15 players under the age of 30. With Barea’s departure, it left just James Johnson and Boban Marjanovic as the only over-30 players. On top of that, Barea was a franchise legend and beloved by everyone. He was a leader.
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Well, the glitz and glam of 2021 NBA free agency sure de-escalated quickly.
Initially expected to include stars galore, the upcoming pool of available players is far less tantalizing after Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, De Aaron Fox, Paul George, Rudy Gobert, Jonathan Isaac, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum signed extensions, among others. Jrue Holiday (player option but extension-eligible) may soon join the off-the-market ranks as well.
Never fear, though. Plenty of worthwhile players are still scheduled to become free agents. And with intriguing talent comes a reason for teams to dig up more cap space.
This year s market is already slated to be richer than this past offseason s barren wasteland. A bunch of teams are tracking toward either near-max space or projected to be comfortably above mid-level-exception money.
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Which teams are the most likely to win the 2021 NBA championship? (Phantom Designs/Def Pen Sports)
In an NBA with far more parity than it has had in recent years, numerous teams have a shot at securing the 2021 NBA championship. With all that has transpired over the course of the past five years (i.e, the Golden State Warriors‘ dynasty), this is the most balanced league we’ve seen recently. This has resulted in widespread optimism for the upper-echelon teams potentially vying for a championship.
This season, numerous suitors will try to supplant the vast contending pool in order to encapsulate the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy. With no clear front-runners, in a peculiar year, let’s take a look at the top 10 teams that will contend for the illustrious 2021 NBA championship.