A lot, and I mean A LOT, has happened since my last piece covering the first 40 hours of free agency in the NBA. It seems like everybody and their brother has shifted teams and with all the happenings over the last several weeks, it's easy to get lost in the free agent frenzy. But have no fear as now I'll try to get you up to speed on every off-season occurrence that has taken place ever since the initial 40 hours of free agency.
Grizzlies bring back Tony Allen for 4 years, 20 million.
Very smart move by the Griz. The Darrelle Revis of the NBA, Allen was obviously a huge part of their defensive identity last year and, as arguably the best one-on-one defender in the league, it is impossible to overstate his importance to a Memphis squad looking to steady themselves under new head coach Dave Joerger. He is definitely well-deserving of the 5 million a year he will be getting and while his offensive game leaves something to be desired, his complementary role as a lockdown defender will play a significant role in the Grizzlies' attempt to build on their moderate success last year.
T-Wolves nab Kevin Martin for 4 years, 28 million
Well the James Harden deal can officially be labeled as a failure for the Oklahoma City Thunder as SG Kevin Martin agreed to terms with the Minnesota Timberwolves. We saw last year that Martin, though he performed admirably on several occasions, is not particularly well-equipped for a 6th man role and now with the Wolves, he can slide right back into the starting 2 position where he thrived with Sacramento and Houston. This also fills a gaping hole for Minnesota as last year, they often went with makeshift shooting guards who are really point guards in their starting lineups in the forms of Alexey Shved, Luke Ridnour, etc. After a couple of subpar seasons, it's easy to forget that Kevin Martin can score the basketball with the best of them, which is of incredible importance for a T-Wolves team desperate for help on the wing. It's a great outcome for both sides. And as for the Thunder, it remains to be seen who will assume the role of 6th man from what is now an extremely weak bench (though Reggie Jackson did turn some heads with a 35 point performance in the NBA Summer League).
Spurs retain Manu Ginobili for 2 years, 14 million
Looks like Manu will be postponing retirement at least for a little while longer. After one of the ghastliest NBA Finals performances in recent memory (a stretch that, except for a brilliant time-machine performance in Game 5, was eerily similar to James Harden's subpar performance in last year's NBA Finals), Ginobili will look to erase that image with another crusade in San Antonio. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Ginobili is washed up and while he's probably in for another year of barely scratching double digits in points off the bench, his veteran presence and his still somewhat present knack for getting to the hoop, hitting threes, and delivering pinpoint passes will be key for a Spurs squad that was one epic collapse away from winning it all as they look to hold off Father Time for at least another year. I do think however that Manu is a bit past the point in his career where he can still command 7 million a year so the Spurs were a little generous there.
Knicks keep Pablo Prigioni for 3 years, 6 million
After rumblings that he might return to Europe, Pablo Prigioni is back with New York. He's a very viable backup point guard whose role will increase slightly in the wake of Jason Kidd's retirement. It's a signing that not going to get anyone excited as Prigioni's ceiling is 5 and 5 per game, but, as Raymond Felton insurance, it's a smart signing nonetheless. The Knicks better hope Prigioni doesn't tail off because they devoted a significant portion of their mini mid-level exception to bring him back.
Kyle Korver stays with the Hawks for 4 years, 24 million
The Ashton Kutcher look-alike will see a nice pay increase that is definitely well-deserved. Always known as a three-point sniper, Korver took things to a whole other level last year as he shot a shade under 46 percent from downtown and averaged 2.6 threes a game. After receiving interest from Brooklyn and Milwaukee this offseason, he elected to return to Atlanta where he will have a chance to build on his production in a situation where it looks like he'll be getting a lot more minutes.
Knicks bring back JR Smith for 4 years, 24.7 million
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is coming back to the Big Apple. Despite one of the worst playoff performances in NBA history, Smith returns to a Knicks team where he'll still push for 30+ minutes and play a key role with both the first and second units. With the addition of Andrea Bargnani, there may be fewer opportunities for Smith but with J-Kidd out of the picture, he can still replicate what he had last year as the Knicks seek to make the leap from playoff pushover to legitimate contender.
Al Jefferson gets 3 years, 41 million from the Bobcats who in turn amnesty Tyrus Thomas
Michael Jordan may have just made the first smart move of his general managing career. Al Jefferson, one of the league's most underrated players, agreed to a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats. What a signing for the Cats. I'm surprised more teams didn't express interest in Jefferson this offseason. Probably because everyone was caught up in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes. Well, lost in the mix was Al Jefferson, who routinely put up 19-9 in a crowded Utah frontcourt where he had to compete for opportunities with Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. Now, he arrives in Charlotte to bolster a frontcourt that was without question the worst in the NBA (Byron Mullens and Bismack Biyombo anyone? How about Brendan Haywood?). I wouldn't be surprised if he returned to his 23-11 days with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Bobcats team where he immediately becomes the #1 option and the face of the franchise. He's entering his age 28 campaign and is about to embark on the prime of his career. Plus, nearly 14 million a year? That's just icing on the cake. Look for Jefferson to put up big numbers with the Cats and, while he's certainly not going to win anything with them, it's an important first step for the laughingstock that is the Bobcats. And they get to trash the decrepit Tyrus Thomas who was supposed to make nearly 10 million this year. A man that never has and probably never will live up to his potential, it's been a long time coming for the disappointing Thomas. This counts as a big win for Michael Jordan and the Bobcats.
Spurs sign Marco Belinelli to 2 years, 6 million.
Shooting is what the Spurs want. And shooting is what the Spurs get with Marco Belinelli, who has quietly established himself as one of the best (albeit, one of the most overlooked) 3 point shooters in the league. An absolute sniper who can spot up and let it fly or launch it in transition, Belinelli will help lead the second unit for the Western Conference champs and will serve as Ginobili insurance. Now a Spurs team that already boasts three-point threats like Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner, and more just got all the more terrifying from deep.
Cavaliers reel in Earl Clark for 2 years, 9 million
Clarksanity has decided to take his talents to Cleveland and will be reunited with Coach Mike Brown, who was his coach last year for all of five games. After making only 1.2 million last year, Clark gets a nice raise. However, the forward position is a tad crowded for a combo forward like Clark to jump right into for the Cavaliers. The Cavs already have Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao to play the 4 and CJ Miles and Alonzo Gee to play the 3. Not to mention #1 draft pick Anthony Bennett whose role is fairly uncertain as of yet. That being said, Clark, who showed glimpses of absolute brilliance last year and the ability to do just about everything on the court, is a solid signing for the Cavs. Clark's defense and timely ability to do whatever is asked of him, whether it be spreading the floor and hitting some 3s or crashing the glass on both ends of the court will help him carve out a major role on a Cleveland team looking to return to relevance for the first time since LeBron James' departure.
3 team trade: Pelicans trade for Tyreke Evans, send Greivis Vasquez to the Kings, and Robin Lopez to the Blazers
One of the biggest trades of the offseason saw the New Orleans Pelicans land former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans. Evans, who was unhappy with the Sacramento Kings, is a great fit for the Pelicans. Standing 6'6" but with great ball-handling skills and a knack for scoring, Evans can play PG, SG, or SF and be a do-it-all kind of guy for the 'Cans. Problem is he thrives with the ball in his hands so he might have to come off the bench. This might not be a bad thing however because a second unit starring Tyreke and Ryan Anderson, wreaking havoc while Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Anthony Davis are resting, would be pretty scary. The price for Evans was Vasquez, who came out of nowhere to lead the league in total assists last year. Vasquez became expendable however when NOLA traded for Jrue Holiday on draft night. Now he goes to a Sacramento team where, though he will be in a timeshare at PG with Isaiah Thomas, his size, decision-making, and ability to read a D and make a pinpoint pass will be welcomed. New Orleans also gave up decent at best center Robin Lopez who will slide into the starting center role for the Blazers who lost JJ Hickson to free agency and are not quite ready yet to throw the likes of Meyers Leonard and newly acquired Thomas Robinson to the wolves. Jason Smith will replace Lopez as the Pelicans' starter, which frankly isn't that big of a downgrade for New Orleans.
Josh McRoberts re-ups with the Bobcats for 2 years, 6 million
Not a flashy signing by any stretch of the imagination but McBob is a good fit with the Bobcats where he usurped the position of PF from Byron Mullens and performed well enough last year. It remains to be seen if he will start over promising rookie Cody Zeller (one can only hope that the presence of McRoberts doesn't stunt Zeller's growth) but there is no way he comes close to replicating last year's numbers as Al Jefferson has come into town to command the ball in the post. 2 years, 4 million might have been a little more in his wheelhouse, but it's not the worst management decision that Michael Jordan has ever made.
Warriors acquire Andre Iguodala, trading Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, and Brandon Rush to the Jazz who in turn trade Randy Foye to the Nuggets
Another huge offseason trade saw AI 2.0 make his way to Golden State. This is a great trade for the Dubs, a solid one for the Jazz, and a poor one for the Nuggets. Golden State's defense was questionable at times last year (D is definitely not the focus of the Splash Bros, David Lee hasn't played defense since his days at Florida, and it's a miracle that what's left of Andrew Bogut can even make it to the other side of the court) so adding a lockdown perimeter defender like Iguodala who can defend multiple positions will definitely benefit the Warriors both in the short-term and the long-term (it's a 4 year, 48 million deal which makes sense for both sides). Iguodala is also freakishly athletic, gets to the rim with ease, and isn't afraid of crunch-time. While his jump shot is a bit suspect, the jump-shooting abilities of Curry, Thompson, and Lee will be able to mask this weakness. It was also a solid trade for the Jazz who get three expiring contracts that will clear up a ton of cap room to go along with the cap room they achieved by allowing Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson to walk (granted, Utah isn't really a premier free agent destination for free agents but at least the cap room is there). For this year, Jefferson, Biedrins, and Rush will provide veteran depth, experience, and mentoring for an all of a sudden ridiculously young Jazz team that will run its offense through the likes of Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. They were even able to squeeze out some future draft picks and cash out of it. I don't like this deal for the Nuggets. Iguodala was one of their two best players last year and though he was already intent on signing with the Warriors, they could have gotten a bit more out of this sign and trade. All they have to show for it is the sweet-shooting but expendable Randy Foye to crowd up the wing positions where they already have Evan Fournier, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari when he returns, etc. and a rather obsolete trade exception. While all its foes in the Western Conference got stronger over the offseason, Denver got considerably weaker and might just miss the playoffs all together this year.
Matt Barnes re-signs with the Clippers for 3 years, 11 million
Barnes, the defensive virtuoso took less money to re-sign with the Clippers than he would have made elsewhere. It's always great to see a player whose priority is winning rather than money. Barnes, who had a Renaissance year of sorts last year, will return to a Clippers team that did a great job this offseason plugging in holes in their lineup with shooters, bench depth, and lockdown defenders like Barnes. He will see a similar role down the stretch and should be a vital piece for the Clips with timely 3s to go along with his defensive prowess.
OJ Mayo heads to the Bucks for 3 years, 24 million
While the Bucks would have been better off giving Mayo somewhere around the range of 6-7 million a year, he'll provide scoring punch, decent defending, competent playmaking and not much else for the thin Bucks. It's an alright fit on both ends as Mayo truly shines when he is the #1 option on offense (like he did last year when Dirk Nowitzki was injured). He has a chance to do that in Milwaukee but with the Bucks possibly going into full-tank mode after too many years in NBA limbo (too bad to make noise in the playoffs but too good to garner a high pick in the draft lottery), it might not matter either way.
Jose Calderon agrees to 4 years, 29 million with Dallas
Despite another somewhat pricy deal (Calderon will be 35 when his deal expires), this is a nice signing. Point guard was a mess for the Mavericks last year as Darren Collison (who isn't a legitimate starting PG in the NBA) fell out of Rick Carlisle's favor, forcing the Mavs to roll with fossil Mike James at the 1. Now, they have fine stability at PG with Calderon on board. Calderon, a pass-first point guard, will make plays left and right with his flawless court vision and elite knack for delivering pinpoint passes. He will also be able to spread the floor with his ability to knock down a three here and there and he never turns the ball over. Only problem is his defense which has been always been subpar at best even by Spanish national team standards. However, this really won't be anything new since the Mavericks have been one of the poorest defensive teams in the league for the last decade with the one outlier being 2011 (and yet they still let Tyson Chandler walk! Unreal.) Solid signing for Mark Cuban and the Mavs.
Paul Millsap gets 2 year, 19 million from the Hawks
This might be one of the best dollar for dollar deals of the offseason, especially considering that Millsap's former frontcourt mate Al Jefferson got 3 years, 41 million. Needless to say, it is a fantastic signing for Atlanta as Millsap is one of the more underrated PFs in the league and on only two years and 9.5 million a year, it helps the Hawks maintain much needed financial flexibility. Under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, an assistant for many years under Gregg Popovich, I expect big things for Millsap. He can crash the boards on both ends, hit a midrange J or burn you with his quick post moves, and he has got fast, active hands on defense. The Hawks have got to be pleased that he fell into their laps at such a discount.
Dwight Howard gets a 4 year, 87.6 million max deal from the Rockets.
What hasn't been said about this signing? After endless months of speculation, indecision, excessive media coverage, and conflicting reports left and right, the summer's biggest free agent prize decided to take his talents to Houston and join the Rockets. While the stench of the latest Dwightmare still lingers and leaves a foul aftertaste, the important thing is that it is all over. Despite the Lakers embarrassing themselves and getting down on their hands and knees to beg Dwight Howard to stay (Sidenote: I found this particularly appalling. A franchise with as storied a history as the Los Angeles Lakers degrading themselves to the extent that they would plead with an immature crybaby like Howard to please stay with our team is completely and utterly disgraceful. I actually gained a lot of respect for a man that I usually hate, Kobe Bryant, when I heard reports that in the Lakers' pitch to Howard, Bryant was adamant that Howard needed the Lakers as much as they needed him and that he would teach Howard how to win. And in the least surprising sports story of 2013, Howard found the pitch to be a complete turnoff. Yep, that's Dwight Howard all right.), Howard spurned them. Think about it. This has never happened before. That a premier free agent had a deal on the table from the Los Angeles Lakers (and an enticing one at that seeing that the offer was for more money and the chance to be the undisputed face of the franchise further down the road) and looked at the deal and decided "You know what. I think I'm better off elsewhere." It's unprecedented! Los Angeles has always been THE destination for free agents to flock to and it will be interesting to see how the franchise responds after now experiencing what it's like to dine on the other side of the table. As for Howard and the Rockets, on paper this is an incredible signing. Dwight has been the most dominant center in the game for a while now and his ability to anchor a defense and be your go to guy on offense is staggering. He and James Harden will former an absolutely devastating inside-outside attack and Howard's presence gives the Rockets a chance to make some serious noise come playoff time. Plus, he'll be studying under the two greatest post players who ever played the game in Coach Kevin McHale and Hakeem Olajuwon, who the Rockets hired as an assistant. But read between the lines a little bit and you'll realize that this signing isn't all flowers and bunnies. Dwight Howard has the worst attitude in the NBA. He's a coach-killer, a cancer for team chemistry, a crybaby, an immature prima donna, a guy who wants to reap all the benefits of fame and the limelight but doesn't want any of the pressure that goes along with it, and overall, a LOSER. That's why he took the easy way out and joined the Rockets. Houston is a football town, the media is much more forgiving than the brutal Los Angeles media, and he will play second fiddle to James Harden. If he had a winning attitude, he would have toughened up and tried to win the right way with the Lakers. I am going out on a limb and saying that Houston doesn't win anything with Howard in a Rockets uni. I can imagine him clashing with the likes of Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik in the locker room, single-handedly turning the Rockets into the worst free throw shooting team in the NBA, and once it all starts going south after a first round exit or two, that he calls for the firing of McHale and GM Daryl Morey, then gets what he wants and still demands a trade, all while somehow managing to make the Rockets less watchable than the Houston Astros (yeah, I went there). His presence also stunts the development of Asik who had blossomed into a legitimate NBA center last year (Asik has already gone out and stated that he doesn't want to play with Howard and I don't blame him). And if you really think about it, Dwight Howard's never been really the same since the lockout. I don't know if it's mental, because he's been playing hurt, or whatever but the Dwight Howard who won multiple DPOYs and terrorized opponents on both ends of the court making 25-16 appear like just another day at the office seems like a thing of the past. He's not the best center in the NBA anymore, that title belongs to Marc Gasol. And I don't really think it's enough for the Rockets to be able to make it out of the packed Western Conference. They still have to reckon with the Spurs, the Thunder who will have a healthy Russell Westbrook, the Clippers who reloaded with Doc Rivers and a potent bench and shooters, the Grizzlies, and the Warriors who bolstered the D with the Iguodala signing. Plus, don't sleep on the new look Pelicans and the T-Wolves who will have a healthy Love and Rubio together for a full season for the first time. It's a flashy signing, can't deny that, and Dwight is still one of the most feared centers the game has seen in a while, but the combination of his awful attitude, the fact that the Western Conference is stacked, AND the fact that Howard can opt out after his third year makes the notion of the Rockets being a realistic title contender to be rather ridiculous. Houston, we (likely) have a problem.
Dorell Wright heads to Portland, gets 2 years, 6 million from the Blazers
Portland's bench was atrocious last season. When your second unit is being led by Victor Claver, Sasha Pavlovic, Joel Freeland, and company, you know things are going bad. Wright is a solid, smart signing and coupled with the drafting of former Lehigh star CJ McCollum, it's good to see that the Blazers front office is addressing their most glaring weakness: the bench. While he probably won't put up anything near the mirage-like performance that he produced with Golden State 3 years ago, the Miami Heat alumni Wright can light it up from 3 point land and he rebounds modestly well for his size and position. Still only 27 years old, he's got a chance to be a real asset for this team next year.
Josh Smith gets 4 years, 56 million from the Pistons
Smoove is an enigma. At times he seems like the most overrated player in the NBA. No jump shot, poor shot selection, little to no ball handling skills, is in the Rajon Rondo/Dwight Howard tier of free throw shooters. But over time, it seems that people have been calling him overrated so often that he becomes a little underrated. He's a freakish athlete, is an absolute terror on the glass, gets to the rim often, and sends back shots almost as if he were the lovechild of Tree Rollins and Mark Eaton. That's why I don't really know what to make of this. The 14 million a year is pretty brutal for the Pistons financial situation. But crazy as it sounds, it's almost as if he's worth it. Me and Josh Smith have a love-hate relationship (I owned him in fantasy basketball a couple years back, frustrated me to the point that I sold him for 75 cents on the dollar for a Rudy Gay package then watched in disgust as he unleashed hell over the second half of the 2011-2012 season) but this signing has its merits. A frontcourt of Smoove, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond. That's gonna sure be fun to watch. Lob City 0.5 if you will. Plus, the offense just might run through Smith now so, it will be interesting to see how he responds to the change in scenery. This Detroit team has some sleeper potential.
Carl Landry spurns Golden State, signs 4 year, 26 million deal with Kings
Landry is back in Sacto but he comes at a hefty price. A role player at best, he did his offseason stock a lot of good by performing quite well in GSW's surprise playoff run. And he has David Lee to thank for that. If Lee hadn't gone down in a heap, Landry wouldn't have had the chance to showcase himself in the hopes of getting a big contract in the offseason, and he probably would have remained in Golden State for the midlevel exception. But as it turned out, Lee's hip flexor went Natalie Imbruglia (you are my new favorite person if you get that reference), the team called on Landry, and he proved that he was good for 11-6 a night with good percentages in limited minutes. I really like the direction the new Kings management is moving in but I kind of question this signing. Seems they got a little infatuated with Landry's postseason performance and now he's on the books for over 6 million a year at least until the next Leap Year. It's a steep price to pay for a guy whose a true tertiary option on offense (and that's putting it generously) in the hopes that he replicates the 18-7 season he put up for the Kings in 09-10. Yeah, he's got a nice midrange J and crashes the offensive glass well but I think this signing comes back to haunt the Kings in the future.
Omri Casspi and Rockets agree on 2 years, 2.6 million
While it might make not make sense to take a chance on a player who has gotten progressively worse over his 4 NBA seasons, I don't mind the Rockets rolling the dice on a 3 point shooter for the economical price of 1.3 million a year. Even though this is a guy whose career highlight to this point has been participating in the All Star Weekend HORSE competition back in 2010 (an event that I for one think they should bring back as an All Star Weekend mainstay), fact of the matter is that Dwight Howard and James Harden are going to command a lot of double teams meaning that shooters like Casspi will get a lot of open looks. If Kevin McHale can utilize him properly and call for a lot of off-ball screens to free him up, I can see Casspi posting similar numbers to those he put up in Sacramento a couple years back. His decent rebounding skills and his ability to finish off of the fast break will help too.
Jarrett Jack signs a 4 year, 25 million deal with the Cavs
Jack, who was one of the top 6th men in the league last year along with Jamal Crawford and JR Smith, lands with the Cavs who finally get a legitimate backup for Kyrie Irving. It's a great signing to bolster a Cleveland bench that was relatively weak last year but that is shaping up to be pretty formidable next year with Tyler Zeller, a (hopefully) healthy Anderson Varejao, #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett (depending on who lands the starting PF gig between him and Tristan Thompson), and now Jack. With the signing of Jack, Dan Gilbert gets an elite backup point guard who can get to the rim, hit a J, facilitate an offense, and provide strong on the ball defense. Though he struggled at times last year with inconsistency and turnovers (particularly in the Denver series where he coughed up the rock every time the Nuggets trapped him with a double team), he will provide a much needed punch off the bench and will serves as Uncle Drew insurance for when Kyrie inevitably suffers another minor injury and misses a game or two. It's a bit of a head-scratcher that Jack ditched the Warriors, who offered more money and a more talented roster, but all in all, it's a good situation for Jack, who will see a similar role to what he saw last year with the Dubs, to land in.
Darren Collison signs a 2 year deal with the Clippers, gets part of the MLE
Darren Collison shouldn't be a starting point guard in the NBA. I touched on it earlier, but it's very true. He's never reached 6 assists per game in any of his 4 years in the Association and his jump shot leaves a little something to a lot of something to be desired. With his diminutive 6 foot nothing, 175 pound frame (which for the record is 5 pounds lighter than Nate Robinson and 20 pounds lighter than Ty Lawson; in essence, he has the same build as JJ Barea), he gets bullied by bigger point guards on the defensive side of the ball which is a pretty big problem considering he doesn't try that hard on defense in the first place. NBA teams recognized this and not surprisingly Collison, who was in Coach Rick Carlisle's doghouse for most of last year, didn't attract much interest on the free agent market. So he was forced to settle for 2 years and part of the midlevel exception to backup Chris Paul on a Clipper team scrambling for PG depth off the bench after shipping Eric Bledsoe to Phoenix. Now all that being said, I think this is a perfect situation on both sides. Collison is far from a useless NBA player and in a low-pressure setting where the burden of running an offense every night won't fall on his shoulders, he should be very effective. While CP3 is getting his rest, Collison will blow past slower second unit guards and find his way to nice buckets and a competent level of off the bench playmaking. A hometown product, Collison will definitely be happy here and he may even get the chance to contribute to run at the championship. Economical, smart, and an ideal role for Collison to be in, it's another great move for the very successful 2013 Clippers offseason.
Zaza Pachulia heads to Milwaukee for 3 years, 15.6 million
An energy big man who allows for numerous second chance opportunities, Pachulia will be able to inject some life into what's shaping up to be a pretty bland Milwaukee lineup. With a decent array of back to the basket moves and respectable, tenacious defense, Pachulia appears slated to be a fine understudy for the Larry Sanders Show. While Zaza is coming off a partially torn Achilles, it's decent depth signing for the Bucks despite Pachulia's ghastly shot blocking numbers (career average of 0.4 BPG).
JJ Hickson agrees to 3 years, 15 million with Denver
JJ Hickson put up some nice numbers last year, averaging a double-double on the year as a whole. Still only 24 years old, he played the center position last year even though he's a nautral power forward, yet still put up fine counting stats (13 points, 10 and a half boards, nearly 57% shooting despite not even reaching the 30 MPG mark). There is no way that he should be making less money than the aforementioned Pachulia, but that's the way it is. Denver got a bargain deal and Hickson will bring high-upside big man play to complement a young Denver team looking for a fresh start under new rookie head coach Brian Shaw. While I'm still hoping that Shaw completely unleashes the post duo of the Manimal, Kenneth Faried, and Javale McGee down the stretch next year, Hickson is a good safety net in case that experiment goes haywire as he's about as fine of 5 million a year big man as you're ever going to find.
Carlos Delfino heads for a second tour of duty with Milwaukee to the tune of 3 years, 10 million
In the wake of Mike Dunleavy's departure, Milwaukee went out and brought back the Argentinian Delfino to replace some of the 3 point shooting that left along with Dunleavy. On a weak Milwaukee team, Delfino might find himself the third or even second option on offense which might be good for his production. He shouldn't see too much of a numbers increase from last year though partially because he was the beneficiary of a fast-paced Rockets team. Now with a discombobulated Milwaukee team trying to pick up the pieces under new coach Larry Drew, Delfino should be locked in as the starting SF for a Bucks squad that was probably better off giving him somewhere in the Dorell Wright range of 2 years, 6 million.
Chris Kaman agrees to one year with the Lakers for the full mini-MLE
After striking out swinging in the ill-fated quest to re-sign Dwight Howard, the Lakers were forced to settle for the immortal Chris Kaman, a signing that got all of zero people in Laker Nation excited. This whole episode is eerily similar to one involving another underachieving LA team, my beloved Angels. After a one season rental on stud RHP Zack Greinke, the Angels failed to re-sign him in the offseason (Greinke decided to sign with the crosstown rival Dodgers to be the #2 pitcher behind Clayton Kershaw) and had to sign the uninspiring Joe Blanton to fill out his spot in the rotation. Likewise, the Lakers had a one season rental on Dwight Howard, failed to re-sign him in the offseason (Howard decided to sign with the Houston Rockets to be the #2 option behind James Harden) and the Lakers had to sign the uninspiring Chris Kaman to fill out his spot in the lineup. If we are to continue this analogy, Blanton has been absolutely atrocious for the Angels this season, sporting a 2-12 record with a 5.66 ERA before being demoted to the bullpen by an Angels team whose season, as much as it pains me to say this, is in the toilet. Greinke meanwhile has sported a nice 9-3 record with a solid 3.40 ERA for the first place Dodgers. So is that a bad omen for the Kaman and the Lakers? And more importantly, does this mean Dwight Howard gets charged by Joakim Noah and misses time with a broken collarbone? Only time will tell. But baseball analogies aside, Kaman still has a bit left in the tank and after he misses his customary 30 games a season with a strained whatever, he might be able to contribute to a Lakers team with low expectations. In his heyday, he was a fine post scorer with the ability to score with both hands so even though he's long washed up, the talent is still there. Despite the fact that he has a woefully low FG% for a big man and doesn't have the word "defense" as a part of his vocabulary, at one year for the mini mid-level? Why not? Laker fans just better hope that Kaman doesn't start at center because that will mean that Pau Gasol will have to slide to the 4 and we all know how that worked out last year. But then again, Mike D'Antoni seems to be in love with the idea of Gasol standing out on the perimeter and doing his best impression of Andrea Bargnani, so you never know
Greg Stiemsma takes his talents to New Orleans, signs for one year, 2.7 million with the Pelicans
Signing a center on the cheap was a priority for the Pelicans, especially once they sent Robin Lopez to Portland, and that's what they got with Stiemsma. It remains to be seen if Stiemsma will win the starting center position away from Jason Smith (I'm projecting a timeshare of some sort unless Monty Williams elects to go small with the Unibrow at center and Ryan Anderson as the stretch 4). The downside with Stiemsma is that his ceiling is rather low since he's a one-trick pony. But he performs the hell out of that one-trick as he's a shot-blocking machine. Toss in some decent rebounding, the fact that he's hitting the prime age 27/28 plateau, and the old adage "You can't teach height" and it's safe to say that the Pelicans got some really good value.
Ryan Hollins re-signs with the Clippers for 1 year, 1.19 million
The journeyman Hollins will give it another go with Lob City next year. Expect similar perhaps slightly better numbers from Hollins this year given that he has a chance to get solid frontcourt minutes now that (SPOILER ALERT!) Ronny Turiaf is in Minnesota (a signing that I'll get to later). The UCLA product is even familiar with the style of new head coach Doc Rivers from their time together in Boston so that's a bonus. And that 1.19 million contract has got to be music to Donald Sterling's ears.
Jermaine O'Neal signs with GSW for 1 year, 2 million
JO had been washed up for years. In terms of NBA lifespan, he was a flatline. And he had been a flatline for many years now spawning many jokes along the lines of "The Celtics signed Jermaine O'Neal's corpse to a 2 year deal" from sportswriters across the country. He's "only" 34 but he has 18 NBA seasons under his belt. 18!!! He was a running gag for many years now and his poor durability that legitimately made it seem like he was slowly decomposing certainly didn't help him. But then last year, with the Phoenix Suns, something happened. Maybe the Suns' training staff is composed of a bunch of miracle workers. Maybe Jermaine called up Ray Lewis and got some of that deer antler spray. Maybe he messaged Tony Bosch on Facebook and Bosch set him up with the Bartolo Colon treatment. Whatever happened, something did, and O'Neal showed signs of life last year. In a way that we haven't seen since he punched Charlie Haddad 9 years ago. He miraculously was putting up per 36s of 16-10 and he looked like a new man. How it happened I don't know but it was good enough for O'Neal to lace em up for a 19th season and somehow get a contract from a contender. Joke about him and Andrew Bogut being voted "Center tandem most likely to pop a hammy during the National Anthem" if you must but if we get the Phoenix Jermaine O'Neal, he might be able to contribute to a high-expectation Warriors team. I never thought I'd be saying that in 2009, much less in 2013. Jermaine O'Neal ladies and gentlemen!
Toney Douglas signs for 1 year, 1.6 million with the Warriors
A poor man's Avery Bradley, Toney Douglas is known for destructive one-on-one defense, the ability to hit a 3 occassionally, and not much else. Mark Jackson's squad was scurrying to fill out their bench after losing two key reserves from last year's playoff run in Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. While Toney Douglas may not be the replacement that they had in mind, the combination of this Douglas signing along with the Andre Iguodala trade means we are going to see a much improved Warriors team defensively speaking next year. It's a quality under the radar signing and 1 year, 1.6 million might even be selling Douglas a little short so well done Bob Myers.
Chris Copeland joins the Pacers for 2 years, 6 million
Copeland's stat line as a rookie last year was pretty pedestrian. It doesn't really take a special player to score 9 points a game, grab 2 rebounds, log an assist every other contest, and shoot less than 50% from the field. Any forward in the NBA should be able to do that. But look into what Copeland did filling in when Carmelo Anthony was hurt last year: 16 ppg, a pair of 3s a game, and slightly under 4 boards a game in what amounted to significantly less than starter's minutes. That alone was enough to attract a lot of attention for Copeland on the market, and the Pacers won the battle for his services. He knows how to put the ball in the basket and a defensive-minded team like Indiana will help Copeland iron out the major deficiencies in his defensive game. Don't be fooled by the fact that he's only a second year. He's 29 years old right now, the result of spending some time developing his game in Europe, and he's a nice point in his professional career where he's well-seasoned but still has room for improvement. Savvy signing for Indiana who, in signing Copeland, immediately improved on an awful bench last year that was headlined by the likes of Sam Young and Ian Mahinmi.
Tyler Hansbrough heads north, agrees with Raptors on 2 years, part of MLE
Hansbrough, the North Carolina legend, will depart from a serious contender in the Indiana Pacers (who were one LeBron layup away from finishing off the Heat in 6), and head to a Toronto team doing some soul-searching after the hiring of reigning Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri and the Andrea Bargnani trade. Do they fool themselves into thinking that they can contend for a playoff spot? Or do they tank and try to make the perfect match by landing Canadian Andrew Wiggins? Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that Psycho T will provide this team with interior toughness and at the very least, will not allow any easy opposing layups. It's a pretty welcome change to have tenacity in the post after years of Andrea Bargnani. Hansbrough projects to come off the bench behind Amir Johnson and should be an OK role player for the Raptors despite a rather lackluster offensive game outside of a good midrange jumper.
Chris Andersen re-signs with the Heat for 1 year, 1.7 million
The Birdman will flap his wings once again for another run at a championship with the Miami Heat. This one was a no-brainer on both sides as Andersen, signed mid-season last year to a minimum deal, proved to be a vital piece to the 2012-2013 Miami Heat championship team. His hustle, energy, studly post-defense, shot-blocking, and efforts on the offensive glass were a huge part of the team's identity and there was no way Pat Riley was going to let him walk. His offensive game is pretty limited to putbacks and standing in the "Birdman Box" in the low-post for an easy layup/dunk when his defender ditches him to help on a driving LeBron, but he more than makes up for that on the defensive side of things. 1 year with an attached player option for a second year makes sense considering Birdman is already 35 and he will prove to be a deadly weapon off the bench once again with Miami.
Andrew Bynum agrees to 2 years, 24 million with the Cavaliers
Andrew Bynum: the ultimate risk/reward player. When he's healthy, he's one of the top 3 centers in the league. Equipped with a deadly low-post game coupled with a punishing frame and the ability to anchor a defense, he's a rare talent in an NBA where true centers are a dying breed. Sure he might play an entire game without giving a damn and he might hoist up a 3 point brick from time to time, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better center in the league than Bynum not named Dwight Howard or Marc Gasol. But when his knees act up, it all goes to hell. Between his affection for Lucky Strike Lanes and his never ending arsenal of repulsive hairdos (it's like in the span of a few months he went from the
Talking Book-era Stevie Wonder 'do to the Harvey Dent post-
Dark Knight explosion look then switched things up and went Ray Dorset from Mungo Jerry before finally settling for the Phil Spector court afro look. This guy.), Bynum was an absolute nightmare last year for Philadelphia, failing to appear in a single game and frustrating management to the point that they were already publicly labeling the trade as a failure and referring to Bynum as figure of the past BEFORE he even became a free agent. To make things even worse, all Philly has to do is look at who they traded away for Bynum: the versatile swingman Andre Iguodala who was once the face of their franchise and the young center Nikola Vucevic who has blossommed into a double-double machine with Orlando. So that trade was an absolute failure, it made GM Frank DiLeo look like Isiah Thomas (I think it goes without saying that DiLeo is now out of a job), and it's something that the entire city of Philadelphia would like to forget ever happened. Now what does this mean for the Cavaliers? Well for what it's worth, for as high of a risk player as Bynum is, it's amazing how low risk this deal really is. The 2 years, 24 million is misleading because this is really a pair of 1 year, 12 million deals with a team option for the second year and only 6 million guaranteed. That is a perfect deal for a player with as much uncertainty as Bynum, yet one who has already proven he is an elite center in the NBA (he has won two championships after all). Cleveland can cut him loose after this season if his knees fall apart again. But if the unthinkable happens and he stays healthy, they reap the benefits, pick up the Year 2 team option, and perhaps talk with Bynum about signing there long-term. This is an exciting Cavs team now with a young core of Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennett, and now Bynum who can put up 20-10 a night when he wants to. Plus, if Bynum's degenerative knee condition acts up, they have the depth in the post with Bennett, Thompson, Anderson Varejao, and Tyler Zeller to survive it, unlike the Sixers who were forced to rely on Spencer Hawes and (GASP!) Kwame Brown in Bynum's absence. It's a roll of the dice yes, but under those smart terms, it's just another addition to what has been a GREAT offseason for the Cavaliers, a welcome change after they completely botched last June's draft.
Corey Brewer picks Minnesota, signs on for 3 years, 15 million
After a free agency period that already saw the Wolves land Kevin Martin and re-sign Chase Budinger, they strengthened the wing even further by signing Corey Brewer to 3 years, 15 million. Brewer's NBA career thus far has been somewhat disappointing. Expectations were high for him coming out of Florida, but he largely failed to deliver, especially considering how his former Gators teammates Al Horford and Joakim Noah have both gone on to have All-Star careers. He showed some glimmers of hope last year coming off the bench for the Nuggets, showing an almost Vinnie Johnson-like ability at times to put up points in a hurry. Showcasing a remarkable durability in playing all 82 games (impressive considering he's four seasons removed from a torn ACL), Brewer was a fine role player/scorer for Denver. Now he returns to the Wolves where he began his career and it's pretty fair that he got a similar deal to what they gave Budinger. Playing with Ricky Rubio now means that he's got a chance to surpass what he put up last year and even if he'll still likely be coming off the bench, he's showed a fine ability to co-exist with both the first and second units.
DJ Augustin agrees with Raptors to 1 year, 1.26 million
The forgotten half of the dynamic duo that led the 06-07 Longhorns, DJ Augustin had a horrendous year last year. While it was a welcome sight that he was able to stay healthy, he averaged career lows across the board and served as a nightly reminder that the Pacers bench last year was weasel spit. Failing to make plays and chucking up ill-advised shots game after game, it's not a surprise that the Pacers chose to move on from him. He'll head to Toronto next year where he'll be backing up the brittle Kyle Lowry. It's a pretty low pressure situation considering the Raptors are going nowhere next year and we'll see if the little guy, still only 25 years of age, can make last year's disaster a distant memory.
Monta Ellis signs on with the Mavericks for 3 years, 30 million
I've got mixed feelings on this one. I've always viewed Monta Ellis as one of the most overrated players in the NBA, a guy who only scores as much as he does because he takes so many shots, most of them bad ones. He usually doesn't care about defense and he's extremely turnover prone. But considering how the Mavericks struck out with pretty much every other free agent this offseason, Monta is an OK consolation prize. Entering his age 27 campaign, he'll bring athleticism and innovative ways to put the ball in the basket to the table. The Mavericks will have a healthy Dirk Nowitzki for a full season this year, but there's been a lot of talk that Dirk and Monta will be scoring options 1A and 1B, something that I can envision. Monta Ellis has played with Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings pretty much his entire career so his scoring output should increase exponentially now that he's playing with a pass-first point guard in Jose Calderon. He'll need to improve on his sub-33% career 3 point percentage but expect him to put up numbers close to what he put up in the tail end of his tenure in Golden State by doing the exact same things that he did then: shoot often, shoot a lot, and put points on the board at a high rate.
Heat amnesty Mike Miller who then signs on with Memphis for 2 years
This one hurts. We don't win those two rings without the contributions of Mike Miller. He was a part of the Big 3 era from the very beginning. He was supposed to be a core player on this team for a long time to come. But he suffered unlucky injury after unlucky injury to the point that he could barely even walk, much less roll with the grind of an 82 game NBA schedule (plus some 20 some odd games in the playoffs). Yet that didn't stop him from giving it his all. He came up big in the playoffs when it mattered most. Who can forget his 7 3-pointers against OKC in the clinching Game 5 last year? He wouldn't let having only one shoe on stop him and his shooting kept us from getting knocked out by Indiana and it prevented us from having no way to counteract the Danny Green NBA Finals onslaught. So thank you Mike, for letting it fly. We're forever grateful for your contributions. A true champ right here and a member of the Heat for life. As much as it hurts, this move was far from unexpected. The Heat are dangerously entrenched in the waters of the luxury tax and such a move was a necessity to maintain both short-term and long-term financial flexibility. We'll have a hard time replacing his shooting particularly if Ray Allen declines or if Shane Battier is as inconsistent as he was in the playoffs sans Game 7 of the Finals. We can hope that Rashard Lewis and/or James Jones make a leap, but truth is that Miller's shooting will be near impossible to replace. As for Memphis, they reunite with Miller (who was on the team in the days of Pau Gasol) and his signing addresses a key weakness. Memphis was pretty much the worst 3 point shooting team in the league last year so the addition of Miller is nice. He'll spread the floor for the bigs and he'll get some open looks when Marc Gasol and Z-Bo get doubled. Memphis should be careful not to play the beat up Miller too much over the course of the regular season as they'll need him fresh for when he truly shines: in the playoffs. So best of luck to you, and thanks again Mike Miller.
Jason Maxiell agrees to 2 years, 5 million with the Magic
The veteran Maxiell is a nice counter to the youth and inexperience that will be the Orlando Magic next year. He's a modest terror in the open floor and in the post and his hard-working character will be quite healthy for the team atmosphere. Though severely undersized for the 4 at 6 foot 7, he's surprisingly durable and he'll compete with Andre Nicholson to see who will hold down the fort at starting PF while Glen Davis is out. He should have a decent season as he looks to be recovered from the detached retina that he suffered last year (one of the more bizarre NBA injuries of the last few years up there with Al Horford's torn pectoral and Amar'e Stoudemire playing Kermit Washington to a fire extinguisher's Rudy Tomjanovich).
Samuel Dalembert gets 2 years, 7.5 million from the Mavericks
Sam Dalembert is the kind of guy that will completely fall out of a rotation and disappear of the face of the Earth, but then will miraculously post a 30-15 line in a spot-start a couple weeks later. At least that was the Samuel Dalembert we saw in Milwaukee. Buried on the bench after the breakout year of Larry Sanders, Dalembert was a forgotten man until a big stat line every other month would make you say "Come again?" That "come again" factor is what the Mavericks are banking on for Dalembert. With Chris Kaman now a Laker, Dalembert projects to be the Mavericks' starting center on opening night and it's definitely a gamble. He's 32 years old but he's a rim-protector, something that Dallas desperately needs. His offensive game draws a lot of "mehs" and he's had a history of clashing with coaches, but when he's been given an opportunity, he has usually capitalized on it. You never know what you're going to get from Samuel Dalembert. So maybe 7.5 million is a little much for a player as enigmatic as he is, but hey, Mark Cuban is a billionaire so I'm sure he's got money to spare (unless he's throwing 75 million at Erick Dampier in 2005 instead of using that money to re-sign an about to enter his prime Steve Nash. That's where I draw the line. I can't defend you on that one Mark. You're on your own there.)
Chauncey Billups heads back to Detroit on a 2 year, 5 million deal
Like I mentioned in my MLB trade deadline post about how Alfonso Soriano seemed like he belonged in pinstripes, Chauncey Billups seems like he belongs in the Pistons red and blue. This offseason, he reunited with the team he played over 6 seasons with and it just feels right. He had an OK stay with the Clippers, was surprisingly effective playing out of position at the 2 guard in Year One, then he popped his Achilles and just hasn't been able to stay healthy since. Old Man Billups won't be asked to play a ton of minutes with the Pistons seeing that fresh youngsters like Rod Stuckey, Will Bynum, KCP, and Louisville Cardinal Peyton Siva are waiting in the wings, but he just might win the starting PG job for the new-look Pistons who have put together a somewhat miraculous off-season blending youth with experience and blending underrated talent with big names and then mixing that all together by hiring a solid coach in Mo Cheeks. The Pistons have a real shot to make the playoffs this year and Billups with his veteran savvy, crafty ball-handling, and prolific 3 point shooting, may be a key catalyst in turning that goal into a reality.
Lakers amnesty Metta World Peace who signs for 2 years, 3.2 million with the Knicks
It was pretty shocking to see MWP and the Lakers go separate ways but it had to be done. The Lakers were tied down by a gargantuan luxury tax and World Peace had become basically expendable. There were actually rumors that this amnestying would come to fruition if Dwight Howard decided to leave, which he did, so this isn't entirely out of left field. World Peace, despite losing a step or so on D and displaying an unhealthy knack for foolishly trying to bring the ball up court as well as for taking contested 3s, had a fine year for a 33 year old. He posted the best scoring figures of his LA career and he even canned nearly two of those triples per game. He'll be a good fit for the Knicks as he should form a strong defensive wall with Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler. The artist formerly known as Ron Artest will probably be Carmelo's back-up and might even see time with him should Melo switch to the 4. World Peace still has a lot left in the tank and New York I'm sure can't wait for the cats, the elbows, the psychiatrists, and the Wheaties that he'll bring to MSG.
Ronny Turiaf heads to Minnesota for 2 years, 3.2 million
The Gonzaga product Turiaf will bring his energy to what is shaping up to be an exciting young T-Wolves team. While he may be best known for jumping around wildly after Kobe jumped the Aston Martin, he is an incredibly aggressive and intense player on both sides of the ball, he's a great teammate, and he does have an NBA Championship from a couple years back with the Heat (had to bring that one up). He'll compete with rookie Gorgui Dieng to back up Nikola Pekovic and he should have no issue living up to the terms of his contract even if his minutes may be limited.
Nick Young signs with Lakers for 2 years, 2.3 million
Swaggy P where you at? It'll be interesting to see how the former Trojan does on a Lakers team looking for a new identity in light of the departures of Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, and Earl Clark. The latter two no longer being there means that Young should have a clear path to become a starter on the wing. All indications are that Kobe Bryant will do everything in his power to be ready for Opening Night and I have no idea how the two are going to co-exist. There's only one basketball and those two are two of the most notorious chuckers this league has ever seen. With Kobe taking possibly an even greater number of shots than the 20.4 he averaged last year now that Dwight Howard is gone, and with Young taking his customary 11-13 shots a game, there might not be any shots left for anyone else. Exaggerations aside (though that might not be too far from the truth), Young is pretty much a one-hit wonder. He scores and that's all she wrote. No D and no real contributions in any other aspect of the game. You look at Nick Young's career stats and outside of points and 3s, his stat sheet is about as dry as Ben Stein's personality. But hey, this is a Laker team that will take its offense anywhere they can get it from so Young's scoring just might have a resurgence back to what he was putting up in Washington. Just don't expect much else.
Elton Brand heads to Atlanta on a 1 year, 4 million deal
The Elton Brand of Clippers days is a distant memory. He had a chance to prove that he still had a bit of that player left in him last year with Dallas in the early season absence of Dirk Nowitzki but he flopped miserably. So a short-term, relatively cheap contract with the Hawks seems right. Brand will back up Al Horford and the newly acquired Paul Millsap in the post as he'll slide into what used to be Zaza Pachulia's role. He's always been a strong body in the post on both ends so that's a positive and his trademark post moves and rebounding skills haven't eroded completely so he'll be a contributor. But don't expect too much out of either Brand or this entire Hawks team next season.
Byron Mullens signs on with the Clippers for 2 years, 2 million
The depth of the Clippers is getting a little ridiculous. They got a great short-term value in Mullens. Though he is not a starting-caliber player in the NBA (he got demoted from his starting gig on the Bobcats. Enough said.), he's a high-upside complementary piece given the right situation. It remains to be seen if that situation is Lob City, but at the very least, he'll be a good frontcourt depth player. The 7 footer provides that rare combination of 3s and rebounds. Usually when a big man takes threes, his rebounding totals dip because he is out of position to attack the offensive glass. Why do you think that as his 3PAs rose last year Chris Bosh's rebounding numbers dipped? They're inversely related, people. But Mullens finds a way to pull down an impressive number of rebounds even if he can live behind the arc at times. Only things I don't like about him are his awful defense and his inconsistency. If he's on, he can burn you for 24-17. But if he's off, he's really off. A career 40% shooter (barely sniffing 30% from behind the line), he'll keep jacking up ill-advised triples even when he's way off and then he'll let that get to his head and stop trying on the glass. But in fewer minutes and on a team with greater depth in the Clippers hopefully that won't be a problem. I'm projecting a nice year for Mullens on a scary Clippers team where he's not being asked to do too much.
Wesley Johnson gets 1 year, veteran's minimum from the Lakers
The former top 5 pick Johnson has been pretty much a bust to this point in his career. He's flamed out in each of his three seasons thus far, never reaching double-digits in points and barely scratching at the surface of 40% shooting on his career. He can hit a 3 ball and keeps his turnovers in check but he doesn't get to the line enough and doesn't help out much anywhere else. Personally, I think that he's an underrated defender, but that doesn't change the fact that he was drafted ahead of the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, and Paul George. We'll see if he can turn it around now with the Lakers. I have a feeling that he'll still be able to salvage a role as a valuable rotation player some time in the future but in the now, he'll serve as competent (albeit unexciting) depth behind Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, and Jodie Meeks.
Suns flip Luis Scola to the Pacers for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a lottery protected first rounder
I like this deal for both teams. On the Pacers' side of the equation, they get a consistent, durable post scorer in Scola who can carry the scoring load for the second unit. After already going out and getting CJ Watson and Chris Copeland to bolster their bench, the addition of Scola solidifies that bench even further. He'll play behind David West and will ensure that opposing teams still have to pay attention to the post even when West and Roy Hibbert are taking a breather. Scola can pass out of double teams and he has a very creative game with his back to the basket. The lack of D and athleticism bites but you can count on Scola for 10 and 6 off the bench. With a reloaded bench, the Pacers will pose an even more serious threat to the defending champion Miami Heat in the East. For the Suns, they get an athletic young guy in Green, a raw, but promising up and comer in Plumlee (who had a great Summer League, including a game in which he rejected six shots), and a first round pick that will be valuable even if its lottery protected because next year's draft class will be one of the deepest ones perhaps since 2008 or even 2003 and it won't be difficult to find great value in the mid to late first round. Yes, Green is mostly a dunker and that's it, but new coach Jeff Hornacek wants to push the tempo and Green will fit in perfectly for that. Plumlee will also be able to acclimate to that style of offense seeing as he has a great ability to run the floor and though he'll be stuck next year behind Gortat and #5 pick Alex Len, he's a good piece to develop for a Suns team that's all about the future. Nice trade on both sides.
Andrei Kirilenko signs with the Nets for 1 year, 3.1 million
AK-47 surprised a lot of people by settling for such a small offer, especially because he opted out of 10 million plus deal from Minnesota to test free agency. Throw accusations of a sketchy under the table handshake deal with Nets owner, fellow Russian Prokhorov, but this situation will give Kirilenko the best opprtunity to win. This is still a do it all kind of guy who is right up there with Nicolas Batum as the best 5x5 guys of this generation of basketball. He'll come off the bench behind Paul Pierce and should see a much smaller role than he is accustomed too on this deeply talented Nets team. But whatever you need from this guy off the bench you'll get it. Post-up? Check. Set up teammates for open looks? Yep. Provide lockdown perimeter D? You bet. Hit a J? Of course. Slash to the rim and either finish or kick it back out? Uh-huh. Kirilenko will be a huge piece for Jason Kidd this year and may evolve into an X-factor for them down the stretch.
Timofey Mozgov cons Denver into giving him 3 years, 14 million
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to go home because we have found our winner for "Worst Deal of the Summer." Hands down, congratulations, Timofey Mozgov, come on down!! How Mozgov brainwashed Nuggets management into giving him such a ludicrous deal is beyond me. This is a guy whose career highlight has been getting dunked on by the likes of Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, etc. It's getting to the point that whenever someone gets posterized I'm inclined to say, "Man! He just got Mozgov'd!!" Like Shawn Bradley but without the ridiculous height or the shot-blocking ability. This is a guy who couldn't sniff a 3 and 3 per game last year and with more depth in the Nuggets frontcourt this year with Wilson Chandler fully healthy, JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried ready to be unleashed, and Darrell Arthur and JJ Hickson in town now, the Nuggets are paying Mozgov nearly 5 million a year to gather cobwebs on the bench. Yes, he's not a completely worthless NBA player at 7'1" with an OK offensive game and passable effort on defense, but if you think that he's going to live up to the contract he just signed, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell to you.
Gerald Henderson signs with Bobcats again for 3 years, 18 million
After reading about the crippling Mozgov deal, I hate to have to do this to you again, but Gerald Henderson used a Jedi mind trick on Michael Jordan and Co. and walked away with a contract for 6 million a year. Some analysts are calling this one of the better deals of the offseason but I strongly disagree. Maybe they like the fact that he's 25 and a product of Coach K's system in Duke. Maybe they were infatuated with his huge dunk on Dwight Howard that temporarily made Antawn Jamison forget what team he was on. Maybe they see promise in his 15.5 PPG last year. Here's where I counter. He plays for the Bobcats! Somebody's gotta score those points! They need to run that offense through somebody! 15 points on the Bobcats is probably equal to 9 points on a contender. And this is a guy who has no real 3 point shot to speak off, he's a career sub 45% shooter and his athleticism (other than the aforementioned trampoline-like Howard dunk) is nothing to write home about. Throw in shotty D and a Shabazz Muhammad-like ability to make plays, and there's no way you can justify tossing 6 million a year at this guy. Anyway, he'll slide back into the starting 2 role on the Bobcats, will probably see his scoring numbers go down with Al Jefferson in town, and likely won't do anything to make anyone pay attention to him. And to hear reports that he actually took LESS money to re-sign with the Bobcats? Is this a comedy or something?
Nate Robinson gets 2 years, 4 million from the Nuggets
Lil Him needs to fire his agent. After a eye-popping season with the Bulls (particularly in the postseason) where he performed better than admirably in the absence of Derrick Rose, Robinson was set for a rich pay day this offseason. I mean this guy almost single-handedly took down the mighty Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Semis and who can forget his late explosion in the triple OT affair against the Nets in the first round? Yet somehow he only managed to get 2 years, 4 million from Denver. That's one way for us to tell when a player is not represented by Scott Boras. Let's put this in perspective: aforementioned offseason guard signees Chauncey Billups, Marco Belinelli, and Pablo Prigioni got 2 years, 5 million, 2 years, 6 million, and 3 years, 6 million, respectively. There is no way on Planet Earth that these guys should be garnering more money than Robinson. Maybe he's undervalued because of his size but right now, I'd take Robinson over any of those guys without even hesitating and it's not even close. That dollar figure that will be in Nate Robinson's bank account is pathetic and his agent should be sent back down to Triple A. Well now that that's out of the way, let's see how Robinson fits in with the Nuggets. Denver already has Ty Lawson at the PG and Andre Miller backing him up but the addition of Robinson gives them more flexibility. Robinson really thrives putting up points in bunches off the bench so his presence in the second unit could turn Andre Miller into a trade chip that they might use to add another wing while Danilo Gallinari recovers. He also has the ability to play off the ball at the 2 so he could see time behind Evan Fournier or perhaps even replace Fournier in the lineup if he struggles. Robinson's got more heart than virtually any other NBA player and his energy and intensity will be beneficially contagious to the entire squad. While he is a liability on D, with ridiculous hops, a sweet J, and the ability to put his head down and get to the rim, Denver management better be down on their hands and knees thanking the Lord that they were able to snag him at such a bargain.
Marcus Camby signs on with the Rockets for the veteran's minimum
Addressing their bench after signing a slightly flashier center earlier in free agency, Daryl Morey went out and brought back the veteran Camby who was a Rocket back in the Yao Ming days. He's 39 and has enough injuries to make Dr. James Andrews uncomfortable so expectations should be very low. He's been washed up for a while and with Howard and Asik in front of him he won't see many minutes at all. I'm expecting him to have a Juwan Howard-like locker room leader role in lieu of tangible contributions on the court. Houston is a young team so a veteran presence like Camby will be good for them. If he can snag a few rebounds and hit his trademark ugly jumper in garbage time or in the event of an injury, that's a best case scenario.
Gary Neal agrees to 2 years, 7 million with the Bucks
Throw out an incredible performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and not many people paid attention to Gary Neal's performance last year. There wasn't much hype for him on the free-agent market and the Spurs wouldn't even tender him a qualifying offer to keep him. Sensing opportunity, the Bucks pounced on him and got pretty good value for the dollars that they'll be paying him. This Bucks team needs, well a lot of things, but one of those things is a good combination of ball-handling, scoring, and 3 point shooting. Gary Neal is the right man for that job. He can fill it up in a hurry and on a Milwaukee team that will probably struggle to put up 90 points a night, a scoring role player like Neal will be crucial.
Derek Fisher re-signs with the Thunder for 1 year, veteran's minimum
Wait. This guy's still around? I thought he'd be collecting Social Security checks and getting Grand Slams for $3.99 at this point. Somehow, Derek Fisher is still on an NBA roster and the Thunder should be proud that re-signing him was the highlight of their offseason (Sheldon Cooper interjects: "Was that sarcasm?" Yes Sheldon, it was). All kidding aside, Thunder fans would probably rank Kevin Durant's 62 at Jamal Crawford's Pro-Am League and Russell Westbrook's outfit at the Teen Choice Awards to be more exciting offseason occurrences than this signing. The NBA felt so bad for the Thunder that they're even going to reimburse OKC $500,000+ for this signing (I wish I was kidding but I'm not. Look it up. It really happened). I don't get this signing at all, Fisher has nothing left, hasn't played defense at any point over this millennium, and is more a liability/hindrance to young players trying to develop by getting minutes than anything. But Coach Scott Brooks is apparently the president of the Derek Fisher fan club and Fisher is back. This will probably go down as the third worst move of the offseason behind the Mozgov and Henderson deals.
Alan Anderson signs on with Brooklyn for 2 years, likely veteran's minimum
Hardly the biggest move of the Brooklyn Nets' offseason, the former Toronto Raptor Anderson latched on with the Mikhail Prokhorov Experiment on a 2 year deal. He had value as a scorer off the bench last year and turned some heads every month or so with a ridiculous scoring outburst but other than that, didn't do much. Anderson is a chucker given last season's ugly sub-40 FG% but his the depth that he provides adds another dimension to the terrifying-on-paper Brooklyn Nets team. He's a guy to watch and should have an opportunity to shine when Jason Kidd inevitably rests Paul Pierce and Co. down the stretch.
DeJuan Blair gets 1 year, veteran's minimum from Dallas
The ACL-less wonder Blair bolts the Spurs to join the crosstown rival Mavericks. He saw very limited time for the Western Conference champions, usually only coming in during garbage time, and now he'll have a chance for more minutes with the Mavs. Though Blair is suffers from Jason Maxiell syndrome at 6'7" it's a nice deal seeing that Blair is just 24 years of age. There's room for growth and development under Rick Carlisle and with Blair's solid foundation of strength, emphasis on rebounding and second possessions, creativity in putting the ball in the hole whether it be posting up or hitting a floater in traffic, and a strong motor, it will be interesting to see if he can become a factor for the Cubans.
Milwaukee ships Brandon Jennings to the Pistons in exchange for a Brandon Knight package
Round of applause to the Detroit Pistons. They refuse to tank! And it's fantastic! What a job by Joe Dumars this offseason of turning what was a confused Detroit team into a legitimate playoff sleeper over the course of a couple months. First he went out and hired a great head coach in Mo Cheeks. Then, he drafted Georgia product Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (a move that makes a lot of sense now; I stated in an earlier post how Detroit would have been better off picking hometown hero Trey Burke here but seeing that this is what Dumars would do afterwards, it all makes perfect sense now). After drafting Louisville's Peyton Siva for good measure, they brought back the veteran Billups. They added a familiar face in Rasheed Wallace to be on Cheeks' staff. And they capped it all off by trading away work in progress Brandon Knight for Jennings. Just incredible work and let that be a lesson to all you tankers (cough, cough Philly, Boston, Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Co.). I highly doubt that there would be a better situation for Brandon Jennings to land in than right here. He's been a shoot-first PG for his entire career starting with his 55 point outburst as a rookie. He usually prefers to pull up for a 3 off the pick and roll or make his way to the corner and launch a stepback fadeaway. He's been heralded as a young guy with star potential but with his awful shot selection that has led to an even worse FG%, he has a tendency to shoot a team right out of a game and the NBA community doesn't look as highly on him anymore as they once did. But all that can change now in Detroit. He will play under Maurice Cheeks, one of the smartest and most unselfish point guards of his era, and perhaps of all-time. Cheeks will help Jennings get his priorities straight: less contested jumpers, more getting teammates involved, and better ability to toe the line between taking over a game with scoring and facilitating for others. The presence of Chauncey Billups is also instrumental for Jennings' development. The former Finals MVP has built a career on this balance between being "the guy" yet still setting up teammates for good looks when need be and he will be able to serve as Jennings' mentor both on and off the court. We could finally see the 23 year old Brandon Jennings start to tap into his enormous potential and as an NBA fan, it's damn exciting. I liked the potential for the Pistons to grab the 8th seed in the East before Jennings came into town. Now that he's here, I like it even more. Watch out for this Detroit team next season. As for the Bucks, Jennings was never really happy playing for them anyway so it's good to see they were able to get some value in exchange for him. Brandon Knight had a pretty rough year last year. He became the NBA doormat after being embarrassed by the likes of Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. And is he a point guard? Is he a shooting guard? We don't really now. But this opportunity now in Milwaukee where I project him to be the #2 option on offense behind OJ Mayo, he has a chance to develop greatly and to realize what his true strengths and weaknesses are and in what role he thrives best in. He's an exciting youngster, he's such a hard worker, and he's got a lot of room for growth at age 21. With a nice shooting touch and underrated defense, if he can work on his distributing skills, Milwaukee will have a solid component to their core for many years to come. The other pieces in this deal that went to Milwaukee are freakishly athletic but very raw Kris Middelton and somewhat athletic shot-blocker Viacheslav Kravtsov, neither of whom I'm too excited about. Good deal for the Bucks, even better one for the Pistons.
Greg Oden gets 1 year, veteran's minimum from Miami Heat
This one will be the biggest wild card of the summer. The former #1 overall pick has been able to play in exactly 82 games (equivalent to one full season) over the course of the last five. A bust of Sam-Bowie like proportions to this point, especially when you consider that he was drafted ahead of one Kevin Durant, Oden has simply never been able to stay healthy. Though still just 25, he has the looks of a 45 year old, and the knees of a 75 year old. He's had more microfracture surgeries than LeBron James has championships. The only memories we have of Oden in an NBA uniform are ones of him being carried off the court in pain on a stretcher. Most people have closed the book on Greg Oden. "A lot of potential," they say "but he was just never able to stay on the court. He's a bust. It's a shame." Now that may be true to this point in Greg Oden's life. But all those people that think that the last chapter of Greg Oden's NBA career has already been written forgot about one thing. Second chances. They don't come often in life, but when they do come, you gotta make the most of it. And Greg Oden is ready to make the most of his second chance. Doctors told him to quit basketball and live a normal life away from the game. But that's not who Oden is. He loves the game too much to just walk away and he's spent the last few years rehabbing tirelessly to get back on the court. And once he finally does get back on the court, it will be in a Miami Heat uniform. Now I'm not gonna sit here and lie to you and tell you that we're gonna see the Greg Oden who terrorized NCAA teams everywhere at Ohio State. I can't and I won't because that's just not the case. His body has broken down too much that we'll never see that Greg Oden ever again. But when I can tell you is that Oden's situation is very similar to the situation of another injury riddled big man who got a second chance in the NBA and made the most of it. His name is Bill Walton. By all accounts, Bill Walton should have been the most dominant player this league had ever seen. He could do everything: score down low, rebound, block shots, he was the best passing big this league has ever seen, could facilitate an offense from the high post. After a transcendent year in which he won the title on a magical Blazers team that emphasized fundamentals, unselfishness, and team unity, his nagging foot injuries piled up, derailing his career. He sat out two full seasons and the seasons in which he did play, he could only manage to appear in 20 maybe 30 games. Everyone thought he was done. Older, past his prime, hurt, never could be an effective player again. But he got his second chance. After a disastrous tenure with the Clippers, Red Auerbach gave Walton a call to see if he had anything left. Red liked what he saw and Walton signed with the Celtics prior to the 1985-1986 season and played alongside fellow legends like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. And boy did Walton make the most of his second chance. He came off the bench for the Celtics, appearing in 80 games that year, and he led Boston's second unit, putting up 8 and 7 a night in only 19+ minutes a night. He provided energy, defense, and heart, ultimately winning Sixth Man of the Year and playing a key role in the championship that the Celtics won that year. Now back to Greg Oden. Is this his destiny? Only time will tell but I certainly hope so. Walton's injuries were as bad or even worse than Oden's but he was able to overcome it and play a huge role for a championship team. Now Oden will be eased in over the course of the season (he himself said that he has no idea when he'll be able to return to game action), but I think that once he gets into the groove of things, 7 and 7 every night with a blocked shot here and there and good defense on the elite bigs in the East (Roy Hibbert, Tyson Chandler, etc.) in a little under 20 minutes a night off the bench is a reasonable goal to set for Oden. He's come this far already and while all we can do is hold our breaths and hope that his knees hold up, fact of the matter is that Miami gets its first legitimate big man in the Big 3 Era, and that's it's far from impossible that Oden can bounce back and play a sizable role in a possible Miami 3-peat. After all, it's been done before. Just ask the Big Redhead.
Mo Williams takes 2 year, 5.6 million deal from Blazers
The Mo Williams Show is headed to Portland as the veteran Williams latches on with the Trail Blazers. He has struggled to stay healthy the last few seasons but when he's on the court, he's almost everything you'd want out of a point guard. Still fast as lightning at age 30, he can carry a scoring load, and he's got tremendous ball-handling/playmaking skills. Though defense, taking care of the basketball, and good shot selection are not his strong suits, he will be an immense weapon for Portland next year coming off the bench, mentoring Portland's young PGs Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and possessing the ability to play off the ball or handle traditional PG duties. I'm pretty confused as to why Williams would accept a bench role though because every indication was that he left Utah because he was unwilling to come off the bench behnd Trey Burke. But apparently Paul Allen worked his magic and Williams will be taking his talents to the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter (don't ask. I don't know either.)
Al Harrington signs with Wizards for 1 year, veteran's minimum
Hard to believe that Harrington is only a couple seasons removed from putting up numbers worthy of 6th Man of the Year consideration with Denver but he is. At 33 and coming off several major knee surgeries, his athleticism may be all but gone but he should still have something to offer for the Wizards off the bench as he can still hit the 3, knock down a turnaround, and rebound fairly well for his position. This may be a steal for the Wizards if Harrington's knee doesn't act up. The only thing I don't like about this signing is that Washington is where free agents go to die (Al Thornton, Josh Howard, or Rashard Lewis anyone?) so I hope Al Harrington doesn't fall victim to that trend.
Nikola Pekovic finally agrees with T-Wolves, gets 5 years, 60 million
It was a long summer for Non the Destroyer. He held out for about a month and a half testing the waters of restricted free agency and trying to see how lucrative of a deal he could land. The summer dragged on and Pekovic was yet to sign. And just when reports came out that he had a 4 year, 48 million deal on the table that every sports analyst thought it was in his best interest to sign, he managed to squeeze out an additional year and 12 million from Minnesota management. Such a deal makes me question the ability of the Timberwolves to re-sign both their franchise players in Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, but Flip Saunders went on the record and said that the deal wouldn't affect things so that's good enough I suppose even if it's just to prevent Wolves fans from going into panic mode. The Montenegrin big man is just entering his prime and if he can stay on the floor (injury-prone big men always scare me) he'll be a GREAT piece for the Wolves for a long time to come. With a ceiling of 20 and 10 a night even with Kevin Love healthy and producing, he's a brute in the low post, unstoppable once he gets position down there. He doesn't block that many shots but he makes up for that with great percentages and strong performance on the glass. Glad to see both sides get a long-term deal done because Pekovic seems like he fits perfectly there in Minnesota.
Fab Melo gets traded to the Grizzlies in exchange for Donte Greene
Young Fabricio Paulino de Melo was selected by the Celtics in the first round just a year ago. It seemed like they wanted to hang on to him as a piece to develop long-term especially because Danny Ainge was unwilling to include him in the Jordan Crawford deal. But a lot has changed in the Celtics' plans in the last few months and trading Melo away indicates that the C's are in full on rebuild mode. He has got some defensive potential and he falls into the poor man's DeAndre Jordan/Bismack Biyombo/Nerlens Noel category on the defensive side but he is still so raw with no offensive game that the Celtics didn't want to take the time to develop him further. He'll head to a Memphis team where he has as much chance of getting playing time as Andre Drummond has at the free throw line. He'll be behind Gasol, Randolph, Ed Davis, Jon Leuer, and Kostas Koufos so Memphis is best off optioning him to the D-League where he can get consistent minutes. Meanwhile, Donte Greene will likely be a non-factor for the Celtics as his acquisition puts Beantown over the luxury tax line. They will probably try to cut him especially since his contract is non-guaranteed but in a best case scenario for Greene, he'll get to display some flashy suits and watch the games from the end of the bench.
