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It's boon times for the NBA. TV revenues are through the roof, the sport boasts some of the most recognizable names in the world, owners are spending billions of dollars to acquire teams and the league has arguably never been more popular. Business is good.
And now the league’s 30 clubs are about to reap some of those financial rewards, with the league’s salary cap projected to jump from $70 million to around $94 million (dh 345 million).
Luckily for them, this year’s free agent crop is one of the best in years, with Kevin Durant the biggest available prize since LeBron James in 2010.
Kevin Jeffers goes through 13 of the top available players and predicts where they'll sign. And yes, technically James is a free agent again after declining his player option for next year, but that was a mere formality to extract a more lucrative deal, and there's absolutely no way he's leaving Cleveland again. Maybe. Probably. Anyway, we left him out.
Players can begin signing contracts on July 7, following a week-long moratorium during which teams and players can officially meet.
Kevin Durant
• Potential suitors: Oklahoma City, Golden State, San Antonio, Miami, Boston, L.A. Clippers, New York, Atlanta
• One of the three best players in the world, Durant is about to get paid. In fact, he could maximise his earnings by taking the LeBron route and signing a one year-plus-player-option deal that would make sure he remains his team’s highest-paid player throughout his career.
However, Durant is just two seasons removed from a devastating foot injury, and could opt to cash in a maximum five-year deal now to ensure financial security. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team that can provide him all five years, unless they agree to a sign-and-trade with another team.
Incidentally, the only two teams with a real shot to poach him from the Thunder are his two biggest rivals in the West, Golden State and San Antonio. Joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the Bay Area could be devastating for the rest of the league, but Durant honestly has just as good a chance of winning a title with the Thunder.
The smart money is on Durant giving it at least one more year with OKC, who just fortified their depth by trading Serge Ibaka to Orlando for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and highly regarded draft pick Domantas Sabonis. With Russell Westbrook a free agent after next season, we might get to do this all over again soon.
• Prediction: Two-year max deal with Oklahoma City with a player option
Al Horford
• Potential suitors: Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, L.A. Lakers, Washington, Houston, Detroit, Orlando
• Horford has spent his entire 9-year career with Atlanta and has helped them to the play-offs every single one of those years. He’s one of the only big men in the league who can stretch the floor from either the 4 or 5 while also providing stout defence. He’s never been a strong rebounder, but has a set of skills few others in the NBA can boast.
If you consider Durant likely to stay, Horford might be the best player that’s actually available, and he’ll have half the league knocking on his door from the second the new league year begins.
Atlanta owns his Bird Rights, meaning they can offer him an extra year (thus more money) than other teams, but he might be looking to join a more proven championship contender, which the Hawks have proven just short of becoming.
If he leaves, I imagine it’d be to join the Warriors should they whiff on Durant. Boston is also a possibility, but his situation in Atlanta is better than it would be with the Celtics, and I see him staying.
• Prediction: Five-year deal with Atlanta
Dwyane Wade
• Potential suitors: Miami, Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers
• It’s highly unlikely Wade leaves his home for 13 years. He’s the face of the franchise and the greatest player in team history with three championship rings.
But it took a while for the team to settle on a one-year, $20 million deal last season, and they’ll have to pony up big-time again to keep him. If their offer displeases him or if the team fails to improve its roster around him, he could take a smaller deal to join his buddy LeBron in Cleveland, or one of the other big-market teams that have the money he’s looking for.
Still, he’s the mascot and isn’t leaving Miami. Probably.
• Prediction: One-year, $22 million from Miami
Hassan Whiteside
• Potential suitors: Miami, Dallas, L.A. Lakers, Portland
• He’s an intriguing and productive player, and the rare player set to cash in as an unrestricted free agent after only two seasons in the league. So someone might pay him max money based on a much shorter CV than usual.
Miami has the money to keep him, but the Heat haven’t expressed an overt willingness to tie up their cap space with the centre. And as the Heat push hard for Durant and other big names, they might lose Whiteside to a more eager suitor.
The Lakers, desperate to sign someone/anyone, will push Whiteside hard on being the centre of its next inevitable dynasty, but a another team in the West makes more sense – Dallas. The Mavericks infamously lost out on DeAndre Jordan last year and are always the bridesmaids in free agency. That changes if they pair Whiteside with another big signing.
• Prediction: Max deal with Dallas
DeMar Derozan
• Potential suitors: Toronto, L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks
• The limited, but talented, shooting guard probably stays with the franchise that has turned him into one of the best scorers in the league. The backcourt of Derozan and Kyle Lowry are the battery that keeps the Raptors running. In fact, they’re the only team he’s scheduled an interview with. This deal gets done before the Lakers or Knicks even get a chance.
• Prediction: Stays in Toronto on five-year max deal
Marvin Williams
• Potential suitors: Charlotte, Cleveland, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Indiana, Miami, Orlando
• Look, I’m as shocked as anyone that he put up 7.8 win shares last year. But the veteran, former No 2-overall pick is about to cash in as a proven 3-and-D wing who can defend either the 3 or 4, a highly coveted set of skills.
He’ll have no shortage of suitors, and could get nine figures from a middling team desperate to add veteran shooting and defence – quite a turnaround for the former Hawks player who has long been considered a bust.
The better teams are going to want to sign him to a bargain but likely won’t be able to because of the amount of money available from so many teams. He’d be a great addition a title-ready team like Cleveland, but the allure of big money will probably lead him to a mediocre team. This is one of the tougher ones to forecast because of the sheer amount of similar options, but I’ll pick the option I’d like to see happen: Indiana. They have the money and he fits a need, and Williams would complete a revamped frontcourt with Paul George and newly acquired Thad Young, in addition to new point guard Jeff Teague, it’d be the Pacers’ best offence in years.
• Prediction: Four-year deal with Indiana
Andre Drummond
• Potential suitors: Detroit, Dallas, New York
• One of the league’s best true centres, the restricted free agent isn’t going anywhere. He’s perfect for Stan Van Gundy’s system, and the Pistons will match any offer.
• Prediction: Stays with Detroit
Mike Conley
• Potential suitors: Memphis, New York, Dallas, Houston
• Injuries have slowed down the long-time Grizzlies point guard, and the winning core he’s helped form with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph appears to be in its twilight. But it’d still be an upset if he left Memphis.
If he does, it’d have to be to a contender. The Dallas Mavericks have long coveted a point guard of his calibre, and are reportedly confident they can sign both Conley and Whiteside to give Dirk Nowitzki one last ride on a title-worthy team.
I think he jumps ship and joins Mark Cuban, Whiteside and the Mavs.
• Prediction: Four-year deal with Dallas
Dwight Howard
• Potential suitors: Atlanta, New York, Brooklyn, Boston
• The reports of him meeting with Atlanta are puzzling, because his limited range doesn’t fit at all with the Hawks’ culture. But he’s long been linked to his hometown team, and could wind up there if he swallows his pride, accepts a bench role and less money.
I don’t think he does that. He’ll do the splashy thing and try to rebuild his star in New York with Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, though I could also see Boston settling and giving him a lot of money should they fail to find someone else to take it.
• Prediction: Four-year deal with the Knicks
Nicolas Batum
• Potential suitors: Charlotte,
• A young 3-and-D wing, Batum will cash in off a breakout season in Charlotte. The Hornets aren’t likely to add any big names, so they’ll have the money to keep him, and would be smart to make him their top priority.
• Prediction: Max deal with Charlotte
Bismack Biyombo
• Potential suitors: Toronto, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Miami, L.A. Lakers, Denver
• The big man played so well for the Raptors in the play-offs that he might have priced himself out of their range. He could be a consolation prize for a team that misses out on Horford or Whiteside, but he’s younger and might provide more value if he takes less than the max.
He’s expressed an interest in staying in Toronto, though with Derozan likely staying it’ll take clearing out some cap space to do so. Coming off their most successful season ever, it’s not hard to imagine the Raptors keeping last season’s core together and hoping for a next step that’ll likely never come.
• Prediction: Stays in Toronto
Harrison Barnes
• Potential suitors: Golden State, Philadelphia
• Barnes was awful in the Finals, and right before his chance to cash in. He’s not the sure bet to sign a max deal that he previously was, but with so many teams with money to spare, he’ll likely still get it.
Look for Philadelphia to offer it to him right away. Since he’s restricted, Golden State will have a chance to match. If they miss out on Durant and Horford, they’ll likely do that (even if they don’t want to) and keep their championship core together. They could also pull off a sign-and-trade with the 76ers for one of their superfluous young bigs, in what might be a best-case scenario for both teams.
• Prediction: Golden State grits teeth, matches max offer sheet from Philadelphia to keep him
Pau Gasol
• Potential suitors: Golden State, San Antonio, Memphis, Houston, Boston, Washington, Portland, Atlanta
• It doesn’t look like the Hall of Fame-bound Spaniard is ready to retire as the Chicago Bulls start to rebuild without him. He already has two championships, so winning might not be the only thing he seeks as he looks to cash one last NBA paycheck.
That said, I think he signs up with the league’s winningest winner in San Antonio, where he’ll either replace a retiring Tim Duncan or give the Spurs some offensive punch off the bench that they lacked in the play-offs.
• Prediction: One-year deal with Golden State
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
AIDA%20RETURNS
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A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Company%20Profile
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Persuasion
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarrie%20Cracknell%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDakota%20Johnson%2C%20Cosmo%20Jarvis%2C%20Richard%20E%20Grant%2C%20Henry%20Golding%20and%20Nikki%20Amuka-Bird%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
More on Coronavirus in France
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
Company%20profile
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.