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Somehow, after the first day of free agency, the big story is not at all a free agent.
Kevin Durant made sure of that when he demanded a change from Brooklyn a few hours before free agency theoretically began at 6pm ET on Thursday. (Actually, free agency started several weeks ago, but we’re not supposed to say that part out loud).
As a result, and the shock waves that radiated outward, the scenes of Kyrie Irving-Lakers, the complex signs and exchanges of Deandre Ayton, and the Boston teams in Miami and Golden were reimagined. State Memphis imagining how they could get a deal for a deal. superstar who will remain under contract for an entire Olympics: the first day of free agency, understandably, had a bit of nothing.
Which is fair, to some extent. With the destinations of the big names already known (although we enjoyed the stage art on Jalen Brunson’s “decision day” as the Knicks swim late against the current of a load of manipulation), there wouldn’t even be a single free agent movement. that would throw us off our socks. All that happens with Durant is orders of magnitude greater than the other things that took place on June 30th.
However, several moves caught my eye on the first day, for better or worse. Let’s review some of the biggest:
Thumbs up: Kyle Anderson to the Timberwolves (two years, $ 18 million)
He lowered his hat to Minnesota for what was arguably the best deal of the first day. Anderson’s BORD $ value is more than double the annual value of this contract, and there’s a good reason for it. While not a great shooter, “Slo-Mo” is an advantage in almost every other category, and especially as a defender.
That’s the valuation part, but the fit is even more of a win. Anderson can block the attack when combined with other non-shooters, but playing alongside the best shooting center in the league and three guards who can let him boot from the depths should be a major advantage with his cuts. in the cup. Anderson is also a major improvement for a team that struggled defensively last season and lacked quality in the top two spots.
Meanwhile, it was a tough day for Memphis to the point of forward-pivot. The Grizzlies had an unprecedented news dump when they announced just before the free agency announced that Jaren Jackson, Jr. he needed surgery for a stress fracture and would be out for a few months, and then Slo-Mo, who had had so much skill. he replaced Jackson during his absences with relatively frequent injuries, which he was sent off for Minnesota hours later.
Interestingly, the Grizzlies will have 16 players under contract once they try out rookies Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Kennedy Chandler, after agreeing to re-sign Tyus Jones as well. Once they presumably give up the injured Danny Green, they will have about $ 5 million below the limit despite having a full list and being a likely contender in the West. A possible use of that money: a renegotiation and extension of Dillon Brooks ’$ 11.4 million deal.
Thumb down: Marvin Bagley at the Pistons (three years, $ 37 million)
It’s strangely frustrating to see the Pistons mostly get things bigger as they continue to tread various rakes along the way. His strange obsession with Bagley is a perfect example.
Detroit changed two second-round elections only to get its free agent rights restricted to the 2022 trade deadline, though its team at the time clearly had no intention of keeping it. They then doubled down once the free agency began, engaging in a bidding war against steam as soon as the opening bell rang. The few teams with space for tapas didn’t seem to need or want Bagley, but the Pistons paid him anyway. The Pistons don’t need Bagley especially either, as they already have three better central defenders (Jalen Duren, Isiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk), and he has never shown the skill level needed to play the 4th.
On a glass note it’s 4 percent full, Bagley is young and can score, so maybe he adds enough empty calories to make that contract look terrible at all. Either way, the Pistons ’cap situation is so clean in the future that the contract is unlikely to hurt them. He could even unwittingly help their long-term prospects if he plays like he did in Sacramento and keeps them in a privileged position. But there were better uses of two seconds and better bets to make with money above MLE than this one.
Congratulations: Philadelphia reunites the band (PJ Tucker, three years, $ 33 million; Danuel House, two years, $ 8 million)
You can argue that there’s a bit of Buddy Ryan Syndrome at play here, with Sixers general manager Daryl Morey reproducing his great Houston-era hits by bringing back Tucker and House to join James Harden and his only chosen De’Anthony Melton. . However, it can also be argued, more forcefully, that the Sixers finally have a pair of wings that fit their Harden-Embiid-Harris-Maxey core with the additions of Tucker, House and Melton previously acquired.
The Sixers needed James Harden to stop paying his $ 47 million for the season to get it (as reported by our Shams Charania he will do) and will have a hard limit the rest of the season, but they can return to Harden with a three. -Annual agreement for about $ 110 million and moves forward at least quite comfortably during the season. Philly still has some issues raising the Bucks, Celtics and Heat levels in the East, but between those additions and one or two leftovers (including a name below), this is a much more consistent list than it was a year ago. does.
Thumb down: DeAndre Jordan in Denver (one year, minimum)
What are we doing here? Jordan was horrible last year, he’ll be 34 years old on the opening day and he can’t jump anymore. Why are you jumping in to sign him up on the first day of free agency?
Unfortunately, I think I know why: because the Nuggets will only sign minimum contracts so they can avoid the luxury tax, which would also explain why they gave up a future first-round pick to leave JaMychal Green, and went on with a another. money-saving move in the business of Monte Morris and Will Barton by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.
Denver also signed Davon Reed on a minimum contract (jay?), Although he was actually a useful player last season. Unless we see evidence to the contrary, we can assume that they are already over. (The Nuggets have an open spot on the roster, which will be occupied by restricted free agent Vlatko Cancar or another player with a minimum contract). That would leave the Nuggets above the tax line, though, but able to stay below changing Smith later in the season. They will avoid the tax, but even more than that, they will also avoid maximizing the best years of the best player in the franchise’s history.
Congratulations: quick work in Milwaukee (Joe Ingles, Bobby Portis, Jevon Carter and Wes Matthews)
Ingles is working to get back from a broken LCA, but the Bucks don’t need him to rack up regular season wins. The idea is to have a menacing shooter who can help them in playoff games, and getting it for a year at the average taxpayer level is good value if you have something in the tank after surgery. The addition of Matthews and Carter in near-minimum bids (Matthews for a year, Carter for two) blocks solid defenders from cracking the back of the rotation at the only price the Bucks could pay for being in the tax.
Milwaukee also kept Portis on a four-year, $ 49 million contract, the maximum they could pay him, and got an unexpected bonus when Pat Connaughton opted for his $ 5.7 million deal this year. The latter probably came with ties in the form of an extension that would begin in a year’s time, but in the short term, it maintains what could have been an astonishing luxury tax bill to something almost reasonable. The Bucks will enter $ 26 million in tax in the year, which would result in a $ 65 million check in the league, intoxicating things for a small market. We’ll see if they climb or move money during the season (George Hill or Grayson Allen, perhaps), but the 2021 champions are well positioned to get their hanger back.
Thumb down: Lu Dort extension (five years, $ 87 million)
That was a pretty extravagant extension considering they didn’t even have to do one: Oklahoma City could have allowed Dort to play this year with his $ 1.9 million deal and then re-signed him. to free agency or, more plausibly, would have expanded it. for four years from $ 12.95 million per.
Dort has improved as a shooter, but the idea of him as a high-level boy of 3 and D is still a long way off. We haven’t seen the Thunder play a real, meaningful game in a couple of years, but he’s still a player whose opponents will dare to shoot from the perimeter and not be afraid as a finalist or creator. It is a brick wall in isolated defense, but its impact statistics suggest that it could also be overrated in this regard.
Compare that, if you will, with the similar deal Houston signed for a relatively similar (albeit slightly older) player, Jae’Sean Tate. Like Dort, his team turned down a team option at the very least to make him a longer deal, but it’s for just a quarter of the amount: $ 22 million for three years.
Oklahoma City may have a maximum or near-maximum limit next summer, regardless of Dort’s contract, but it looks like several million have been reached here per season. I had a BORD $ a Dort value of $ 7.2 million, about what Tate got, but only half of what the Thunder paid Dort.
(Photo by James Harden and PJ Tucker: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)