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With the NBA’s salary cap increasing to about $94 million for this upcoming season, teams are in the hunt for players and paying BIG money. Some players are risks, some are sure fits, and some aren’t worth the money at all. Here’s my take on the best and worst signings of this free agency frenzy.
Best
Dwayne Wade going home to Chicago
The 3-time NBA champion has signed a two-year, $47 million deal with this hometown team. He will join Jimmy Butler and newly acquired Rajon Rondo. Many say Wade doesn’t have anything left in the tank, but I believe by him going home he will elevate his game. His leadership and basketball IQ will greatly aid in the locker room and I think he’ll help them make a strong playoff push in the East.
Kevin Durant jumps ship to the Warriors
Kevin Durant left a bad taste in basketball fans’ mouths when he decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, for the team who beat them in the Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors. In the playoffs, the Thunder had a 3-1 lead over the Warriors, but couldn’t get it done as the Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals. First Take’s Stephen A. Smith said Durant’s decision was, “the weakest move [he’d] ever seen from a superstar” and I couldn’t agree more. I think he’s just chasing a ring. However, no matter what you or I think, Kevin Durant is going to the Warriors and this makes them even more dangerous than they were before. He’s going to a team that has been to the NBA Finals the last two seasons and has arguably the best player in Stephen Curry already there. I’m unsure of how his addition will fit chemistry-wise with the team and I don’t think he’ll get a ring next season, but if the Warriors keep their key pieces, they could win a lot of Finals’ in the years to come.
Jordan Clarkson returns to the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing back their scorer Jordan Clarkson on a four-year, $50 million deal. Considering how much money other players are signing for, this is an excellent deal. He was on the NBA All-Rookie Team two seasons ago and has improved in points per game and rebounds since then. They’re going to need larger minutes from him with Kobe Bryant’s retirement, and he’s going to have to provide a powerful voice and presence with such a young team if they want to return back to the playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan staying with the Raptors long-term
DeMar DeRozan is the superstar of the Toronto Raptors after leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season. He’s going to get paid as such, with the Raptors signing him to a five-year, $139 million deal. DeRozan wanted to stay in Toronto and only took a meeting with them. I definitely think the Raptors will get back to the playoffs with Kyle Lowry alongside. The only question for any of the teams in the Eastern Conference is if they can get past the defending champs, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Worst
Eric Gordon heads to the Rockets
The Rockets signed Eric Gordon to a four-year, $53 million deal. I do not understand this move at all. The Rockets could have gotten a better player, being that they signed Gordon so early in free agency. They have an All-Star shooting guard in James Harden and he is the centerpiece of their franchise. Â Frankly, Gordon is not worth this much money. He is injury-prone, has never played a full season, and has a player efficiency rating of 13.52. Yes, he averaged 15.2 PPG last season, but before that, his average had dwindled consistently since the 2010-’11 season. How well can a team really trust his stats when he only played 45 games last season? The Houston Rockets are going to have to do more than him and Ryan Anderson if they want to make some noise in the West.
Harrison Barnes signs an offer sheet with the Mavericks
Harrison Barnes is a champion and deserves to start somewhere, but he is inconsistent. The Dallas Mavericks signed him to a rumored four-year, $95 million deal. Because of the team’s policy, the terms of the deal were not divulged. If this deal is accurate or even near this price tag, I’ve got to say it’s a bad signing. His averages of 10.1 PPG, 1.5 AST, and 4.6 REB, in my eyes, are not worthy of a max contract. In some games last season, Barnes looked liked he belonged out there and other nights, he was nowhere to be found. In the postseason Barnes only averaged 9.0 PPG and 1.3 AST (while playing 31 MPG) when he was needed most. According to ESPN, “Harrison Barnes shot 38.0 percent on uncontested 3-pointers in the 2016 postseason and went 5-of-20 (25.0 percent) on such shots in the NBA Finals.” If the Mavericks want to be contenders in a stacked Western Conference, one of their point guards is going to have to step up because Barnes and an aging Dirk Nowitzki can’t win games on their own.
Evan Turner blazes to Portland
The Portland Trailblazers have signed Evan Turner to a four-year, $70 million deal and it just doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t see how paying him that much really helps the Trailblazers. They already have a really good backcourt in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. You would have thought that they would have addressed a bigger need elsewhere in the lineup with that much money to spend. Evan Turner revitalized his career last season, helping the Boston Celtics get to the playoffs, but at the end of the day, he’s a bench player. He’s not getting max minutes, so I don’t believe he should be getting starter money. Although I believe this is one of the worst signings, the Portland Trailblazers look very much in the hunt of the upcoming season with the re-signings of Allen Crabbe, Maurice Harkless, and extension of McCollum.
Timofey Mozgov lands a big contract with the Lakers
One would ask, “Who is Timofey Mozgov? ” Well, I’ll tell you. Timofey Mozgov was a center on the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers last year. He’d played a significant role with them a year prior. He came in last season and didn’t live up to expectations. Mozgov turned out dismal numbers last season, averaging just 6.3 PPG and 4.4 REB. To make matters worse, Mozgov made no impact in the postseason averaging only 1.2 PPG in 5.8 MPG. Now fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and Mozgov signed with the Los Angeles Lakers a reported four-year, $64 million deal. Do you get where I’m going with this? Timofey Mozgov was largely inconsistent and didn’t fulfill his role last season, yet received a large contract this season. I don’t get it. The only thing I can say is, “It must be the salary cap,” because there is really no other explanation. The Los Angeles Lakers have got to land a superstar soon. I believe if they do that during this upcoming season, they could pose a serious threat in the NBA.
Now these are just my thoughts! Comment below and let me know what you think are the best and worst signings of the NBA Â free agency.
