The free agent market for 2015 wasn’t nearly as deep as it was expected to be looking compared to the coming years of 2016 and 2017 seasons, but with Kevin Love opting to become a UFA along with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, there were enough big names out there for teams to make a real splash. Some teams whiffed and some did well. Here are the best four signings in free agency.
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
4 Years, $80 Million
The story of how the Spurs were able to acquire Aldridge as a free agent are absolutely fascinating as he opted to sign a four-year deal with the team only after Tim Duncan took a pay cut and sat in on meetings to convince him that San Antonio was the place where he has the best opportunity to win an NBA title. Aldridge will be 30 years old by the time next season starts, so a four-year deal is the perfect term for him as the Spurs hope he can carry them in to the next phase as a franchise player. A core that features Aldridge, Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Danny Green undoubtedly deserves to be considered an NBA championship favorite and San Antonio deserves all of the credit in the world for locking up Aldridge.
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DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
4 Years, $80 Million
The Clippers would have been devastated if their star big man left for a conference rival in the Dallas Mavericks, so when news broke that Jordan had changed his mind at the last minute and decided he wanted to return to Los Angeles, it was an absolute shock to the basketball world and a huge break for Doc Rivers and company.
Don’t forget: the Clippers looked like they had got the final pieces to the puzzle with Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson, but losing a huge cog like Jordan would have been a step back. Instead, they brought him back for the next four years and that means that the Clippers have a core that features Jordan, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick locked in for at least the next two years. That’ll give them two solid opportunities to make a run.
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
5 Years, $110 Million
The Cavaliers had gone all-in on the opportunity to contend for an NBA title with Love as one of their core big three along with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. If they had lost their star power forward/center in free agency, it would have been a devastating blow for a franchise that has suffered more than their fair share of those over the years. Cleveland was able to bring back Love despite mutual interest between he and the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, and shortly after locking up Love they announced a new two-year deal with LeBron. The Cavaliers traded a pair of first-round picks in Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett in the deal that brought Love to Cleveland from Minnesota, so losing him after just one year would have been absolutely devastating. Even though Love wasn’t a great fit in his first season in Cleveland, it’s possible the chemistry will work better in Year Two and beyond. Regardless, the team is so close to a title that they had to keep him.
Goran Dragic, Miami Heat
5 Years, $90 Million
It’s absolutely amazing how Miami Heat president Pat Riley continues to find ways to reload his roster with exceptional talent. That is certainly the case with what he has done with Dragic as his new franchise point guard. Riley took a chance when he traded for Dragic last season and once again that gamble paid off as he managed to lock him to a five-year deal at under $20 million per season. It’s pricy but that’s simply the going rate. Dragic has the potential to be an elite point guard surrounded by plenty of talent in Miami and with Dwyane Wade nearing the end of his career, Dragic and Bosh will be the core of the future. Riley gave us another example of his vision by trading for and locking up another star guard for the next five seasons.
