The 2024 NBA Finals continue on Monday night with a critical Game 5, where the Dallas Mavericks will look to keep their season alive against the Boston Celtics. The other 28 teams in the league are paying attention to this championship series, but not for the reason that many would think. Nobody around the league really cares who wins the championship, other than maybe the Los Angeles Lakers, given their rivalry with the Celtics. However, everyone cares when this series ends because it directly impacts NBA free agency and when players such as Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Maxey, Klay Thompson, and others will be able to negotiate new deals with their teams.

In previous seasons, teams were prohibited from negotiating new deals with free agents, regardless of whether they were their players, until the end of the NBA calendar year on June 30. However, for the first time, teams will be able to start negotiating new deals with their own free agents as soon as the NBA Finals conclude, which could be on Monday night. This means several of the league's top pending free agents may already have contract proposals from their current teams before the free agency window even opens.

As far as how this rule change impacts NBA free agency as a whole, ESPN's Brian Windhorst discussed what this means and why the potential conclusion of the NBA Finals on Monday night will directly result in deals being announced on Tuesday.

“As soon as the Finals end; This is a new rule this year: As soon as the Finals is over, teams can negotiate with their own free agents. So if the [NBA] Finals ends tonight, we will start seeing contracts I believe as early as tomorrow,” Windhorst stated on Monday while appearing on ESPN radio. “Pascal Siakam — Here comes your max baby! Tyrese Maxey — Bam, tomorrow! None of this, ‘We negotiate on July 1.'”

So, if the NBA Finals do end on Monday night and the Celtics become champions for the 18th time in team history, all of the attention could suddenly shift from them hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy into the air to Maxey, Siakam, and other huge names around the league signing lucrative contract offers.

Tyrese Maxey, Pascal Siakam to avoid NBA free agency

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) reacts to a foul and made basket in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like a given that new contracts will be negotiated and agreed upon around the league even before free agency begins. Not only will this provide more clarity and certainty as to what teams will be able to do once the actual free agency window opens, but it will also provide an opportunity for teams to lock in their current talents.

That is why Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Maxey won't be going anywhere and why they won't even have the opportunity to speak with other teams in free agency. Once the NBA Finals end, as Windhorst alluded to, Siakam and Maxey will be among the first to see new deals coming their way.

When the Pacers traded for Siakam, they did so with the mindset of keeping him long term. That is why he is going to likely get a max-level contract of around $240 million over a five-year span. In Maxey's case, he will be getting a five-year extension off of his rookie contract worth upwards of $205 million.

Because the negotiation window begins for teams and their current free agents once the NBA Finals ends, the league could also be prepared to cross other stars off as being “available” on the open market.

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors could negotiate a new deal before other teams get a chance to speak with the future Hall of Famer. Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers could finally come to terms on a new contract after being unable to find common ground. DeMar DeRozan could re-sign with the Chicago Bulls, OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein with the New York Knicks, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the Denver Nuggets.

By the time the actual free agency window opens on June 30 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, many of the top names could already have verbal agreements with their current teams. However, it is important to note that even though these deals can be negotiated between players and their current teams once the NBA Finals conclude, all of these contracts and agreements can't be finalized until after July 6.

Players who aren't going to be free agents this offseason but become eligible to sign a contract extension will also be able to come to terms on a new contract with their current teams. This means Donovan Mitchell could agree to a new long-term deal to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The normal drama of NBA free agency may no longer exist, as teams may have close to two weeks to negotiate new contracts with their current players before the actual free agency period begins.