Kentucky in the NBA: Previewing Our Free Agents
By Alex Weber
Players in the NBA are swapping teams at a breakneck pace nowadays, so where do the former Kentucky guys sit amidst all the drama?
Under commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA has evolved into a year-round juggernaut, generating storylines nonstop and demanding the attention of even casual fans on a daily basis–kinda like Kentucky basketball for our rabid fans. The moment Kawhi Leonard hoisted the Finals MVP trophy and the Toronto Raptors claimed Canada’s first professional basketball title, rumors swirled regarding the series’ two brightest stars–Leonard and the severely injured Kevin Durant. The immediate switch in concern from the actual Finals games and the impending free agency was swift and serves as a microcosm for where the League sits as an entertainment spectrum in 2019. The games have been relegated in importance compared to the rampant summer player movement–playoff basketball games are getting less coverage than LeBron’s Space Jam budget!
Free Agency’s enhanced pomp and frill puts the power in the hands of the players when summer rolls around and, as has been demonstrated over and over again, unpredictability rules, even with the players who flat out suck (think Chandler Parsons making 24 million per year). In 2019, the narratives border on absolute insanity. I saw somewhere where a Knicks fan broke down the colors of Kevin Durant’s fishing pole–spoiler, it was orange. Multiple superstars will wear different uniforms next season and chaos will erupt in just a matter of days.
But before the Free Agency hurricane sweeps across the nation, let’s check in on which former Kentucky players saw their contracts expire without extension. Here are BBNBA’s 2019 Free Agency class and a few short thoughts from me:
(Here’s the list I put them in if you just wanna hop around to your favorite guys)
Rajon Rondo, Demarcus Cousins, Enes Kanter, Darius Miller, Jodie Meeks