That's basically Batum in a nutshell—smart enough to see all on the basketball court, skilled enough to capitalize on what he sees. He has 17 seasons under his belt, and his teams have been at least 2.1 points better per 100 possessions with him than without in all but five of them.

Which deals will impact the title race? Which will leave teams in regret by Christmas? Our NBA insiders make their picks.

There aren’t many sports where signing a single player has the potential to dramatically improve a team’s fortunes quite like basketball, and there are a ton of instances where NBA franchises have turned things after landing a big name in free agency.

Several agreed-upon transactions are becoming official. Meanwhile, the Clippers, Heat and Jazz completed a deal involving Norman Powell and John Collins, while Bradley Beal appears likely to exit Phoenix.

Bradley Beal's time with the Phoenix Suns may be coming to an end soon, but he will have opportunities elsewhere. According to Marc Stein, Beal expects the Suns to buy him out and is "actively exploring" his options in free agency.

Amid free agency, Bradley Beal could make a decision that impacts Chris Paul's free agency ahead of his last season.

Point guard Chris Paul is one of the most intriguing NBA free agents this cycle. While he's now 40 years old, he's a future Hall of Famer that played all 82 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs and can clearly still contribute for a contender.

With the NBA offseason underway, this is your one-stop shop for following all the rumors and drama that makes this league so unpredictable.

Paul is still available in NBA free agency. He has been linked to a few different teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks. There is