The expectation around the NBA remains to be that free agents Al Horford, Nicolas Batum and Mike Conley will all receive five-year max contracts from the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively, after free agency opens Friday. The corresponding expectation, of course, is that if each of them do receive those offers, they’ll all remain with their current franchises.

The tricky part would be if any of them don’t get a max offer, and what would happen after that. All three would have several suitors if they chose to hit the open market.

Horford and Batum seem likely to get them at this point, and given the tenor of things in Memphis, it would be surprising if the Grizzlies didn’t follow suit with Conley – particularly after a video was released Monday to begin the courting process, starring Justin Timberlake and Conley’s teammates.

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