That was a lot to take in. The first full day of NBA free agency was a 24-hour festival of pure lunacy. Here’s a look back at some of the transactions.
LOLakers
Ok, I’m not starting off with non moves, and as a New York Knicks fan, I shouldn’t laugh at other teams, but this is just too easy.
LaMarcus Aldridge will not be joining the Lakers, The Times has learned. They were a 50-50 choice but he disliked bball part of presentation
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 1, 2015
Aldridge was floored in a good way by Houston’s analytics, on-court projections in their presentation. Not so with the Lakers.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 1, 2015
More LMA: He and Kobe didn’t quite gel. It’s a little vague, but Aldridge apparently didn’t quite get answers from Kobe he was seeking.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 1, 2015
That is an epic stream of tweets. It’s really amazing how far the premier team in the NBA has fallen.
Have It All, Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers re-signed Kevin Love to a five-year, $110-million deal, Tristan Thompson got five years for $80 million, and Iman Shumpert brought home four years with $40 million. The Love deal is a steal with where the cap is going. Thompson and Shumpert can be questioned more, but it’s Dan Gilbert’s money, so who cares. Once the Cavs made their moves last season, this is the team they locked themselves into. If the owner is willing to spend the green to keep together the favorites in the Eastern Conference, more power to him.
Phoenix Suns Wheeling and Dealing
The Suns made some serious power moves on Wednesday in an effort to land LaMarcus Aldridge. Even though that part hasn’t been accomplished yet, or may never be, they still improved their roster.
In an expected move, Phoenix brought back restricted free agent Brandon Knight at five years and $70 million. The Suns organization likes Knight more than I do, but the Suns are giving him that contract under the belief that Knight will continue to develop as player. Before he was traded last season, Knight was having the best season of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns are hoping to get that player and more as he gets to play with higher level teammates.
The surprise addition by general manager Ryan McDonough was a four-year, $52-million deal for center Tyson Chandler. The Suns have 22-year-old Alex Len at the position, and he proved himself more than capable to be a starting level center in this league. A concern with Len is injuries, specifically his ankles. Phoenix paid for Chandler’s 33 through 37 seasons, and I would be worried about him on the back end of the deal even with the Suns training staff. He’s still a good NBA player, but not what he once was. It makes sense for head coach Jeff Hornacek to split the 48 available center minutes between the two pretty evenly. As they get deeper into the deal, Len can start to pick up more playing time and Chandler can shift from a starting role to a backup.
Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers Reunite
The band is getting back together with the Los Angeles Clippers. Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce are going to chase another championship, as he signed with L.A. for three years and $10.5 million. He can slide into the starting small forward position, which lets Lance Stephenson come off the bench. He’s an upgrade on Matt Barnes offensively, but a drop-off defensively. For all this to come together, though, Rivers needs to be able to convince DeAndre Jordan to re-sign. If he doesn’t, the Clippers have to figure out a way to get a reasonably decent center on the roster to be a true title contender.
Pelicans Stay Big
The New Orleans Pelicans are going forward with the same frontcourt they had last season. Alexis Ajinca snagged a four-year, $20-million deal, and Omer Asik’s contract came in at five years and $60 million. According to ESPN.com, only $45 million of the deal is guaranteed. I think the Asik contract is the worst deal given out so far. He’s a one-dimensional player who has little to no value on the offensive end because he has poor hands and struggles to finish. New Orleans shouldn’t have rushed to give him this deal.
Wing Market
Khris Middleton stayed with the Bucks for $70 million over five years, Danny Green isn’t leaving San Antonio at four years and $45 million, and DeMarre Carroll bolted the Atlanta Hawks for the Toronto Raptors for five years and $60 million. I have no problem with Middleton getting the most money out of these three. He’s the youngest and has accomplished more than them at the same age (23). When Green and Carroll were that old, there were questions about whether they could even last in the league.
Green did the Spurs thing and took a discount — nothing shocking there. What Toronto gave Carroll was completely fair. Even though these two are nearing 30, it’s possible their age curves are a little different because of the low levels of minutes. Neither has played 8,000 total in the regular season. Smart buys all-around in this section.
