It’s been a busy weekend for most of the NBA franchises. A lot of money was spent with hopes that it will help teams reach higher goals. Some scenarios played out and we weren’t depriver of some surprises either.
For some, the first weekend has not only represented strengthening their squads, but also an intention to send a message to the rest of the league that they are going to compete next year.
Those who held hope that the championship team of the Golden State Warriors will at least be chipped by the free agency will be disappointed to learn that the Dubs are still going to be a team to beat, even though this distinction will cost them significantly more money.
Golden State resigns everyone
The unusual situation the Warriors have found themselves in, with 10 free agents, needed their front office to be among the most active ones during the first week and they’ve shed all doubts with signing their superstar Stephen Curry to the largest contract in the history of the NBA ($201 million over 5 years) within hours of the moratorium start.
Contracts to Livingston, West and Iguodala followed, so they are bringing pretty much the entire roster back, with only the possible divergence at the center position. They still have to see if they are going to extend their marriage with Pachulia and/or McGee, or if they could bring Bogut on a veteran’s minimum, all before re-signing Kevin Durant to close the bank. They are going to pay heavy penalties for reassembling such a roster, with a projected penalty of about $65 million.
Millsap joins Denver
Paul Millsap is probably the best NBA player who wasn’t chased by the contending teams, but despite his age and stock, he’s still a tremendous player to sign. For Denver, this means that they’ll change mostly one dimensional Gallinari with a forward who relishes in playing between the two forward positions, creating headaches to those who try to match him up with either small forward or a slow big.
I like the move from the timing perspective as well. With Jokic a rising star and plenty of young motoring the Nuggets push for the NBA playoffs, a crafty, rugged veteran is a great addition. Of course, this makes Faried incumbent, a fact that several teams will cheer on, so the Nuggets might still have some strong moves to make.
Wilson Chandler is a capable player to start, but if the Nuggets could pack him and Faried for a true star (with the help of some young assets), Denver could emerge as a true contender. With Malik Monk in the picture with the Charlotte Hornets, they could be willing to part with Nick Batum, but there are even better possibilities for the Nuggets in the market.
Philly gets Redick and Amir Johnson
Colangelo indeed stayed true to his word and offered only one year contracts, but still managed to get J.J. Redick to sign, which is a mild surprise. With Chris Paul leaving the Clippers and Griffin staying, Redick probably felt overlooked, as he should be. With all the stars in the Lob City, it was his movement that created most of the Clippers half-court offense and the Sixers will surely regret not offering him a three year deal. It’s a terrific addition that has the power to propel the Sixers to the NBA playoffs instantly. Amir Johnson will be joining Redick and the rest of the Sixers in Philly, but he’s just an insurance in case the bigs get scythed with injuries.
Toronto bring NBA stars back, Tucker leaves for Houston
The Raptors were in an unenviable position with the start of the free agency, with an equal opportunity to blow things up and to return with mostly the same roster by paying the tax. They’ve opted to stay relevant, and it’s hard to blame them. Toronto isn’t very appealing location to play in, so the continuous success means more to the Raptors than the average NBA franchise.
Bringing back Lowry and Ibaka guarantees that they’ll remain a playoff team in the weakened Eastern Conference, and while they utilized Tucker in the main defender role, it produced mixed results, so it’s not a major loss that he had signed with the Rockets. Both Lowry and Ibaka are entering periods of accelerated decline, so they are probably overpaid to stay, but my main issue is that Ibaka and Valanciunas are such a bad fit together – perhaps Ujiri would consider trading the Lithuanian big man.
Minnesota adding veterans
Once they’ve traded for Jimmy Butler, the Wolves placed themselves as a big free agency player, so it’s not unusual that they were very active to start off the weekend. The approach to it is another thing. First they traded away Ricky Rubio for next to nothing, to create space to sign Jeff Teague, free agent point guard who is worse defensively and is marginally better shooter than Rubio. He doesn’t possess enough of a three point threat to stretch the defenses, much like the Spaniard, who was loved and respected by teammates and the fans. Rubio’s poor shooting was a thorn in Wolves offense, so the switch could work out eventually, but as much as Butler is a good player, his range is also limited, and Wiggins is not much of an outside shooter either.
To further highlight their growing flaw, Thibodeau signs another ex-player of his, Taj Gibson. I love Gibson’s old-school play and defense, but he won’t get them any spacing offensively, and the Wolves already have a classic PF in Dieng. Whomever they put to start, the lack of outside threat will hurt them bad. They will improve their defense, but if that was the idea, they could have just kept Rubio in the first place.
Pelicans extend Holiday
From bad, to worse. Sure, Holiday seemingly held all the good cards in these negotiations, as if he had left New Orleans, the Pelicans would have to fill the starting point guard position with around $12 million of cap space. It’s much below the market value for established starters, so the Pels probably felt that they’ll only be able to sign a replacement level player and sold the house to re-sign Holiday.
So instead of giving an opportunity to a reserve (like Patty Mills for instance) to show more than he’s paid for, they opted to give 5-year $126 million (up to 150) contract to a player they know (or should know) isn’t any better than a replacement level point guard in the NBA. This deal will haunt them in the next decade – Cousins will require a hefty raise next year, so they’ll tie their own hands pretty soon, and it’s a matter of time Anthony Davis will realize that there are teams in the NBA who actually know what they are doing. After losing Chris Paul to the inability to build a decent roster, the Pelicans are very much in danger of losing another team icon in the next year, and it’s unlikely they would be able to recover from such a loss quickly.
