10 players most likely to sign max deals in 2021
The landscape of the 2021 free agency class has shifted dramatically since 2019. Many of the top players that were expected to become free agents have signed long-term extensions with their current teams. Such players include LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Paul George, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and CJ McCollum.
Right now, 10 teams are projected to be able to generate at least $20 million in cap space. With names such as Antentokounmpo and Gobert recently coming off the board, there aren’t many players worthy of a maximum contract. Because of this, it’s possible that we see several of these cap space teams take on big money via trades or by re-signing their free agents if there aren’t any players they’re interested in. The lack of talent available could lead to a big payday for the top players who are entering free agency.
Here are the top free agents and extension-eligible players from the 2018 draft class who could potentially get a maximum contract.