The importance of superstar players to NBA teams has made the league’s free agency period one of the most important times of the year. There is no doubt that winners and losers can be determined in July. When LeBron James left the Miami Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was absolutely no doubt who was the winner, who was the loser in that deal, which team would be contending for a title and which team would be scrounging parts together.
LeBron will return to the Cavaliers for another shot at a title next year but another major free agent move in particular could make that goal a little tougher to reach. Here is a look at this year’s four biggest winners of the NBA free agency period.
San Antonio Spurs
At a time when LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are demanding to be paid max money, it is an incredible advantage for a team like the Spurs to have their best player take a significant pay cut in order to free up cap space for the team to reload for another championship run. Duncan played an integral role in the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge not just because he took the pay cut but because he was part of the process and convincing Aldridge that he was the man that he wanted to pass the torch to as the future of the franchise.
San Antonio agreed to deals with Duncan and Aldridge, re-signed Danny Green at a decent price and brought back Manu Ginobili. A roster that includes Duncan, Aldridge, Parker, Green and Kawhi Leonard will be tough to stop. After an early playoff exit a year ago, it appears as though the Spurs are NBA championship contenders once again.
Cleveland Cavaliers
There was never talk about LeBron James leaving town this summer but the reality is that with LeBron, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson all free agents, there was a very real chance their dreams of challenging for another NBA title could blow up in their face.
Instead, the Cavaliers will bring back all four players (still waiting on Thompson) and still have a chance to add to their roster either by signing a key veteran or trading for additional depth later on. Cleveland came within two wins of an NBA title this year before running out of gas due to injuries, but they are back as an even bigger favorite to win the Eastern Conference next season after taking care of their business during the free agency period.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors will hear a lot about how San Antonio and Cleveland were the biggest winners in this year’s free agency period. They can respond by pointing to their championship rings and the fact that they were able to bring back the only major free agent they stood to lose: Draymond Green. Green signed a five-year $85-million deal with Golden State that will ensure that he will return next season as part of a core group that includes the league MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodola. At least for now, it’s clear that the Warriors are ready to defend their NBA championship as legitimate contenders to repeat.
Dallas Mavericks
After missing out on Dwight Howard a couple of years ago, it would have been no surprise if Mavericks fans didn’t even buy into the idea that they could land DeAndre Jordan as an unrestricted free agent but Dallas went all-in and managed to pry him away from a fellow Western Conference contender. Jordan isn’t an elite NBA big man but the Mavericks are convinced he can be. He is capable of dominating the paint at both ends of the floor and he appears to be a perfect fit for the Mavericks’ offense where he will slide in next to Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Wesley Matthews and whoever else Dallas is able to bring in between now and the start of the NBA season. The Mavericks have to be thrilled about locking up Jordan and Matthews, and that’s earned them the final spot on this list ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.
