<
>
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+

2016 free-agent Big Board 1.0: LeBron and Durant lead a top-heavy class

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are both looking at big contracts next summer with the new TV money kicking in. David Richard/USA TODAY Sports

Well, that escalated quickly!

Free agency 2015 went by in the blink of an eye, with most of the non-minimum-salary free agents getting snatched off the board within the first 72 hours. It ran in stark contrast to 2014, when the entire market sat and waited to see what LeBron James did.

The way things are panning out, 2016 might go by even more quickly. No fewer than 15 teams are expected to have at least $20 million in cap space, as the first year of inflated salary caps fueled by the new television deal revenues takes effect. The list of desirable free agents is considerably thinner than years past, and an abundance of cash, combined with a shortage of talent, means free agency will get only crazier.