In the first week of the NBA's annual free-agent spending spree, billions of dollars were committed to dozens of players. The players themselves announced some deals, and others were leaked to the media, but because of the unique nature of business in the NBA, nothing could be completed or confirmed by teams until seven days into the process. Now that the dust has settled, some teams have gotten stronger, some took serious risks and yet others left fans scratching their heads.
SOME RICH TEAMS GOT RICHER
Once Kevin Durant (2 years, $54.3 million) agreed to join Golden State, the Warriors were instantly the biggest winner of free agency.
Golden State acquired one of the NBA's four best players, still in his prime, and it cost the team less than the $4 million more a season it would have cost to match the Dallas Mavericks' offer for Harrison Barnes, whom Durant will replace in the starting lineup.
There is no perfect statistic to encapsulate everything a player has to offer, but Basketball-Reference.com estimates Durant was worth 14.5 victories last season and Barnes 4.9, so the Warriors could be getting nearly three times the production for about a 15 percent increase in cost.
The Durant deal inflicted some collateral damage on the Warriors' depth. They gave up on retaining Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, Marreese Speights, Brandon Rush and Barnes, and traded away Andrew Bogut. But those losses were offset by the signings, at steep discounts, of Zaza Pachulia (1 year, $2.9 million) and David West (1 year, $1.55 million), two quality veteran big men.
The Boston Celtics pivoted well after missing out on Durant, adding Al Horford (4 years, $113 million), who despite recently turning 30 is a productive big man on both ends of the court and will be an upgrade over the departed Evan Turner.
The Mavericks got some help when Dirk Nowitzki (2 years, $40 million) agreed to return on a below-market contract. The savings went to Barnes (4 years, $94 million), whose numbers could spike away from Golden State, and Bogut, who was acquired by trade and is a strong defender and an underrated offensive option.
Dallas also retained Deron Williams (1 year, $10 million) and signed Seth Curry (2 years, $6 million), brother of Stephen. If Curry's late-season breakout for the Sacramento Kings was an indication of his ability, he could be one of free agency's best bargains.
TOO SOON TO TELL IN NEW YORK
The Brooklyn Nets stripped their roster of every high-priced player other than Brook Lopez after a two-season stretch in which they went 59-105. The financial flexibility did not last long, as they potentially committed $185 million to Allen Crabbe (4 years, $75 million), Tyler Johnson (4 years, $50 million), Jeremy Lin (3 years, $36 million), Trevor Booker (2 years, $18 million) and Justin Hamilton (2 years, $6 million). Crabbe and Johnson are restricted free agents, so the Nets will wait to see if their original teams match the offers.
Crabbe, 24, carries the highest upside, having hit nearly 40 percent of his three-point attempts last season. He may become a star once he is out from under the shadows of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. First he will have to prove he can hit more than assisted three-pointers.
The New York Knicks, too, rolled the dice in an effort to improve. The risk inherent in their deals centers on the age and injury history of the players. Joakim Noah (4 years, $72 million) had a season to forget last year, but he, Derrick Rose (acquired via trade), Courtney Lee (4 years, $48 million) and Brandon Jennings (1 year, $5 million) should be an upgrade, at least in the short term.
WHAT IS GOING ON IN CHICAGO?
The Chicago Bulls appeared to be rebuilding when they traded Rose, let Noah walk, and were reportedly considering offers for Jimmy Butler, one of the league's most well-rounded young players. Things took an odd turn with the addition of Dwyane Wade (2 years, $47 million) and Rajon Rondo (2 years, $28 million), among the most well-known free agents but also in decline.
Wade can still be a game-changing talent, but his consistency has waned, and at 34, with nearly 37,000 career minutes, he is unlikely to reach his past heights. Rondo is one of the game's more polarizing players. He can pile up assists, but he is a poor shooter, has regressed on defense and, given his comments about there being three alphas in Chicago now, is unaware that he is no longer among the game's elite.
THERE WERE ALSO LOSERS
The Los Angeles Lakers, entering an era without Kobe Bryant, added to their core of good young players by bringing in veterans Timofey Mozgov (4 years, $64 million), who is 29, and Luol Deng (4 years, $72 million), who is 31. Both offer leadership and playoff experience, but Mozgov was benched by the Cleveland Cavaliers for much of last season -- contributing to his deal's being mocked in the first few days of free agency -- and Deng, after years of playing hard on both ends of the court, is no longer as good as his reputation.
The Portland Trail Blazers appear set to let Gerald Henderson and Crabbe walk, and they did not do much to improve, adding Turner (4 years, $75 million) and Ezeli (2 years, $15.2 million). The injury-prone Ezeli was in line for a far larger payday, but a brutal postseason and concern about his knees cost him millions, making him a bargain. Turner, however, is a limited player who is overpaid even in the hyperinflated world of the current salary cap.
The biggest losers of free agency, beyond the Oklahoma City Thunder after Durant's defection, are the Miami Heat. They let Wade leave in what was probably a smart basketball decision but one that looked awful to fans, who view him as the face of the franchise. The Heat also let Deng depart and are not expected to match Johnson's offer sheet with the Nets.
Refusing to stretch to accommodate players they feel were being overpaid is understandable, but the Heat's only move in the other direction was to re-sign Hassan Whiteside (4 years, $98 million). If Whiteside is unable to progress into being a franchise player, and Chris Bosh is not able to make a full recovery from his blood clotting issues, dark days could be ahead for the three-time champions.
Sports on 07/11/2016