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NBA Free Agency: Plausible Moves With Extreme Ramifications

By Maxwell Ogden

May 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) prepares to take the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors in game two of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
May 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) prepares to take the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors in game two of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2016 period of free agency will be one of the most lucrative and influential in NBA history. What realistic outcomes could shake the Association at its core?

May 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) prepares to take the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors in game two of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
May 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) prepares to take the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors in game two of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

The contracts handed out in 2016 are going to make the overpaid of yesteryear the underpaid of today. The salary cap has skyrocketed to $94 million, thus creating the potential for NBA players to make more money than anyone before them.

Beyond the financial implications, however, is the opportunity for teams with newfound cap space to make a powerful splash in free agency.

Under the previous salary cap, teams with established stars didn’t have enough available capital to pursue a high-profile free agent. The rising salary cap has enabled even the most star-studded of teams to make a run at star-caliber talent.

Even the biggest of big names could be on the move, and even the most financially distraught organizations could take action.

In some instances, it’s a genuine superstar who could either leave his current team or return to an improved roster. In others, it’s a borderline star who can shake up the NBA by making the move to a more attractive destination.

In a vast number of ways, the rising salary cap will forever alter the future of the NBA.

Next: A Reunion Out West