2021 Team-By-Team Free Agency Review
Sept 1, 2021 13:49:35 GMT -6
Dallas Mavericks, Portland TrailBlazers, and 2 more like this
Post by Washington Wizards on Sept 1, 2021 13:49:35 GMT -6
In last season's free agency review that I put together, I decided to go the "cheap Suns imitation" route and make a spreadsheet of each free agent, contract, and grading scale. That being said, I have somehow lost said spreadsheet, and do not want to recreate one from scratch, so instead I will examine how each team did overall in free agency, as opposed to grading every individual signing.
Contenders:
Dallas Mavericks
Contracts signed:
Josh Richardson (2.5, 2.5 TO)
Marcus Morris (0.5, 0.5 TO)
Derrick Favors (2, 2 TO)
Mason Plumlee (5.5, 5.5 TO)
Grade: B-
Our esteemed founder went into free agency this offseason with a clear strategy - one year, short-term deals with an option for a second if the player performs up to task. This strategy is a low-risk, low-reward option for a team that will finish near the top of the standings regardless of how any of these dudes pan out. That being said, I'm not particularly high on any of these guys (except maybe Plumlee because of Charlotte's awful big man situation), so it wouldn't surprise me to see Mavs fishing for in-season free agents again after one or more players don't pan out. But at the end of the day, who cares what I think? The guy just got Cade and Mobley, he's set for the future regardless.
Boston Celtics
Contracts signed:
Lauri Markkanen (2, 2, 2, 2)
Jonas Valanciunas (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 TO)
Grade: C+
Celtics won Executive of the Year last year by making two free-agent signings and resting on his laurels, and it seems that he has taken a similar route again. That being said, I'm not sure about either of these contracts. Markkanen's situation in Cleveland is a total mess, and nobody really knows who's going to get minutes among the Avengers of Mid-Tier Big Men they've assembled there (as the Scandanavian representative, does that make Markannen Thor?). Likewise, Valanciunas is a productive fantasy player, but his real-life NBA value seems to be declining by the year. He's a free agent after this season, so Celtics is definitely banking on another middling franchise to give him an exorbitant sum into his early 30s. Otherwise, if Valanciunas chooses to go the Andre Drummond route of taking one-year paycuts to bounce between contenders, that contract could become an albatross extremely quickly.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Contracts Signed:
Otto Porter Jr. (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
TJ Warren (2 2 2 2)
Norman Powell (4 4 4 4)
Grade: C
Wolves found himself in a tough spot this offseason, backed up against the cap with several roster spots to fill. That being said, I'm still not very enthusiastic about his free agent haul, except for Norm. Powell got a sizable extension in Portland and is clearly a valuable piece for their future, so he should continue to be productive for most of the lifespan of that contract. That being said, Warren was a bit of an overpay for a player who hasn't been all that productive outside of the bubble (and now has a 24 year old rookie cutting into his playing time), and Porter has been relegated to the bench for a competitive Warriors squad. I don't see either of those guys being worth their respective long-term investments, and with Wolves still needing to fill 2 empty roster spots with exactly zero cap, we could be seeing a big move from Minnesota in the near future.
New Orleans Pelicans
Contracts Signed:
Guru Championship Ring (priceless)
Grade: E for Envy
Portland Trail Blazers
Contracts Signed:
Jalen Brunson (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Jordan Clarkson (2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5)
Cody Zeller (0.5)
Chris Boucher (3 3 3 3)
LeBron "Denver doesn't know the rules" James (11 11 11 11 TO)
Grade: A-
I absolutely love what Portland has been doing this offseason. The Donovan Mitchell trade clearly set him up as one of the favorites for this year's championship, and he followed it up with a loaded free agency class. Clarkson and Boucher are both established 28-33 FPPG players who will be extremely valuable supplementary pieces to his title run, and Brunson on a minimum contract can't hurt, especially if he finds himself wearing a different uniform as trade rumors have suggested. Zeller will probably be cut, but no harm no foul as it's only a one year league minimum deal. Oh, and then there's that LeBron guy. He's still pretty good, or so people tell me, and was acquired for basically nothing. Portland has grown tired of continuous lottery picks, and I believe he has put himself in a good position to finally contend for that elusive ring.
Phoenix Suns
Contracts Signed:
Jrue Holiday (10 10 10 10)
Paul Reed (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Robert Covington (1 1 1 1)
Grade: B+
Bidding up Suns on every free agent thread he created was the highlight of my offseason, but Phoenix still managed to come away with a pretty solid free agent class. Jrue Holiday has established himself as one of the league's best role players, and should continue to stay productive for at least the first half of that contract. RoCo was an absolute steal, a consistent 27-29 FPPG scorer for 1M who should bounce back this year in Portland. Paul Reed probably lost whatever chance he had at playing time after the Georges Niang signing, but he was a player I liked coming out of his draft class, so taking a flyer on him isn't as bad as it initially looks. I don't think this is enough to give Suns that second non-asterisked ring he so desperately covets, and that Jrue deal could quickly become a problem if he starts to regress, but even then Phoenix will probably find some sucker to take it like he did with Oubre (still can't believe someone willingly took that contract).
Denver Nuggets
Contracts Signed:
Too many to count, but here goes:
Monte Morris (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Derrick White (4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5)
Bojan Bogdanovic (1 1 1 1 TO)
Kevin Durant (18 18 18 18)
Serge Ibaka (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Cam Payne (0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Grade: D+
The Denver Nuggets clearly are desperate to win their first title, and they made no effort to hide it this offseason. Assets were shed left and right to dump bad contracts, and Suns' eternal rival went all in during free agency, grabbing the two biggest prizes in LeSeniorCitizen (flipped to Portland for pennies) and KD, plus an assortment of role players and supplemental pieces. I decided to include the LeBron trade in Denver's grade here, since he was technically a Nuggets free agent signing. Portland absolutely destroyed Denver in that deal, not only getting LeBron but also giving up the terrible Markelle Fultz team option in the process. Likewise, Nuggets' hoarding of backup point guards now leaves him with 20 (!!!!!) players on his roster, and may force him to cut ties with some of his younger, lesser proven but higher value assets (think KJ Martin or Jordan Poole) in favor of these middling vets. For his sake (and to save him from endless Suns memes), I hope this works out, but I'm not entirely confident.
The Land of Mediocrity:
Chicago Bulls
Contracts Signed:
Andre Drummond (3 3 3 3 TO)
Grade: F
This signing makes absolutely no sense to me. Drummond's value has continuously tanked ever since he left Detroit, and is now relegated to the Dwight Howard role in Philadelphia: warming the bench for Joel Embiid and acting as Ben Simmons' substitute shooting coach. Howard put up a ghastly 21 FPPG in this role last season, and there is no reason to expect anything different from Drummond, especially after he was essentially driven out of LA thanks to poor play and even poorer effort. I anticipate this contract becoming a waived one (or dumped on someone like Sacramento with a draft pick) in the near future.
Toronto Raptors
Contracts Signed:
Some NBA Top-Shot highlights
Grade: $
Oklahoma City Thunder
Contracts Signed:
Dejounte Murray (12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5)
Grade: B-
Out with the old, in with the new for OKC this offseason. The Thunder began to gear up for the future with the selection of several nice draft picks, and furthered that in the free agent market by exchanging the aging Kevin Durant for the most valuable asset available, the Spurs' defensive stalwart Dejounte Murray. While the contract valuation is a bit high for his production, Murray is far and away the best guard that San Antonio currently employs, and should continue to produce around his current level for the entirety of that contract. Not a steal by any means, but a solid pickup for Thunder here.
Los Angeles Clippers
Contracts Signed:
Terance Mann (1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5)
Harrison Barnes (3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 TO)
Grade: B+
Clippers has decided to go all-in on a championship push in the final year of Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook's contracts, and these signings reflect that ambition. Barnes is an aging but productive veteran in a relatively stable situation with the Kings, and Mann is a player whose value should only continue to increase, especially with Kawhi likely to miss a substantial portion of next season, and still fits Clippers' team when he inevitably decides to blow it up. Good work by LA here, although I don't think it's enough to put him over the other contenders.
Roll the Tanks
Seattle Supersonics
Contracts Signed:
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Grade: C+
Ok, I guess.
Milwaukee Bucks
Contracts Signed:
Mo Bamba (1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5)
Grade: D
I got hoooooooooooooooooes sitttttttting on the mufuckin bennnnnnnnnnnnnch
Philadelphia 76ers
Contracts Signed:
A new member of the family (priceless)
Grade: A+
Congrats, Philly.
The Washington Basketball Team
Contracts Signed:
Richaun Holmes (8 8 8 8)
Klay Thompson (5 5 5 5 TO)
Reggie Jackson (3.5)
Grade: C-
If I'm being honest with myself, Holmes is the only player who I like here. He's a talented player in his prime who should continue to rack up double-doubles in Sactown. Klay is a big risk at that contract and his advanced age, but I have the cap flexibility where I can totally absorb his contract without many repercussions if he doesn't work out. Likewise, Jackson was a total meme bid that I ended up getting stuck with for this season. I hope that his production continues to be terrible, because that actually helps me with my end goal this season of losing as many games as I possibly can. Tank on, friends.
The Sacramento Doormats
Contracts Signed:
Buddy Hield (3 3 3 3)
Khem Birch (1 1 1 1 TO)
Grade: A-
As much of a dick as he is on discord, Kings backed up his talk with several savvy moves in the offseason. Buddy buckets at 3 million accurately fits his value, and he could be a valuable trade chip later on in the season. The Raptors also seem to love Khem Birch for some odd reason, so I could definitely see him outperforming that cheap low-risk flyer deal that Sacramento gave out. Neither of these guys will help him finish above 16th, but that's what Kings wants anyway, so what does it really matter?
Contenders:
Dallas Mavericks
Contracts signed:
Josh Richardson (2.5, 2.5 TO)
Marcus Morris (0.5, 0.5 TO)
Derrick Favors (2, 2 TO)
Mason Plumlee (5.5, 5.5 TO)
Grade: B-
Our esteemed founder went into free agency this offseason with a clear strategy - one year, short-term deals with an option for a second if the player performs up to task. This strategy is a low-risk, low-reward option for a team that will finish near the top of the standings regardless of how any of these dudes pan out. That being said, I'm not particularly high on any of these guys (except maybe Plumlee because of Charlotte's awful big man situation), so it wouldn't surprise me to see Mavs fishing for in-season free agents again after one or more players don't pan out. But at the end of the day, who cares what I think? The guy just got Cade and Mobley, he's set for the future regardless.
Boston Celtics
Contracts signed:
Lauri Markkanen (2, 2, 2, 2)
Jonas Valanciunas (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 TO)
Grade: C+
Celtics won Executive of the Year last year by making two free-agent signings and resting on his laurels, and it seems that he has taken a similar route again. That being said, I'm not sure about either of these contracts. Markkanen's situation in Cleveland is a total mess, and nobody really knows who's going to get minutes among the Avengers of Mid-Tier Big Men they've assembled there (as the Scandanavian representative, does that make Markannen Thor?). Likewise, Valanciunas is a productive fantasy player, but his real-life NBA value seems to be declining by the year. He's a free agent after this season, so Celtics is definitely banking on another middling franchise to give him an exorbitant sum into his early 30s. Otherwise, if Valanciunas chooses to go the Andre Drummond route of taking one-year paycuts to bounce between contenders, that contract could become an albatross extremely quickly.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Contracts Signed:
Otto Porter Jr. (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
TJ Warren (2 2 2 2)
Norman Powell (4 4 4 4)
Grade: C
Wolves found himself in a tough spot this offseason, backed up against the cap with several roster spots to fill. That being said, I'm still not very enthusiastic about his free agent haul, except for Norm. Powell got a sizable extension in Portland and is clearly a valuable piece for their future, so he should continue to be productive for most of the lifespan of that contract. That being said, Warren was a bit of an overpay for a player who hasn't been all that productive outside of the bubble (and now has a 24 year old rookie cutting into his playing time), and Porter has been relegated to the bench for a competitive Warriors squad. I don't see either of those guys being worth their respective long-term investments, and with Wolves still needing to fill 2 empty roster spots with exactly zero cap, we could be seeing a big move from Minnesota in the near future.
New Orleans Pelicans
Contracts Signed:
Guru Championship Ring (priceless)
Grade: E for Envy
Portland Trail Blazers
Contracts Signed:
Jalen Brunson (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Jordan Clarkson (2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5)
Cody Zeller (0.5)
Chris Boucher (3 3 3 3)
LeBron "Denver doesn't know the rules" James (11 11 11 11 TO)
Grade: A-
I absolutely love what Portland has been doing this offseason. The Donovan Mitchell trade clearly set him up as one of the favorites for this year's championship, and he followed it up with a loaded free agency class. Clarkson and Boucher are both established 28-33 FPPG players who will be extremely valuable supplementary pieces to his title run, and Brunson on a minimum contract can't hurt, especially if he finds himself wearing a different uniform as trade rumors have suggested. Zeller will probably be cut, but no harm no foul as it's only a one year league minimum deal. Oh, and then there's that LeBron guy. He's still pretty good, or so people tell me, and was acquired for basically nothing. Portland has grown tired of continuous lottery picks, and I believe he has put himself in a good position to finally contend for that elusive ring.
Phoenix Suns
Contracts Signed:
Jrue Holiday (10 10 10 10)
Paul Reed (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Robert Covington (1 1 1 1)
Grade: B+
Bidding up Suns on every free agent thread he created was the highlight of my offseason, but Phoenix still managed to come away with a pretty solid free agent class. Jrue Holiday has established himself as one of the league's best role players, and should continue to stay productive for at least the first half of that contract. RoCo was an absolute steal, a consistent 27-29 FPPG scorer for 1M who should bounce back this year in Portland. Paul Reed probably lost whatever chance he had at playing time after the Georges Niang signing, but he was a player I liked coming out of his draft class, so taking a flyer on him isn't as bad as it initially looks. I don't think this is enough to give Suns that second non-asterisked ring he so desperately covets, and that Jrue deal could quickly become a problem if he starts to regress, but even then Phoenix will probably find some sucker to take it like he did with Oubre (still can't believe someone willingly took that contract).
Denver Nuggets
Contracts Signed:
Too many to count, but here goes:
Monte Morris (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Derrick White (4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5)
Bojan Bogdanovic (1 1 1 1 TO)
Kevin Durant (18 18 18 18)
Serge Ibaka (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Cam Payne (0.5 0.5 0.5 TO)
Grade: D+
The Denver Nuggets clearly are desperate to win their first title, and they made no effort to hide it this offseason. Assets were shed left and right to dump bad contracts, and Suns' eternal rival went all in during free agency, grabbing the two biggest prizes in LeSeniorCitizen (flipped to Portland for pennies) and KD, plus an assortment of role players and supplemental pieces. I decided to include the LeBron trade in Denver's grade here, since he was technically a Nuggets free agent signing. Portland absolutely destroyed Denver in that deal, not only getting LeBron but also giving up the terrible Markelle Fultz team option in the process. Likewise, Nuggets' hoarding of backup point guards now leaves him with 20 (!!!!!) players on his roster, and may force him to cut ties with some of his younger, lesser proven but higher value assets (think KJ Martin or Jordan Poole) in favor of these middling vets. For his sake (and to save him from endless Suns memes), I hope this works out, but I'm not entirely confident.
The Land of Mediocrity:
Chicago Bulls
Contracts Signed:
Andre Drummond (3 3 3 3 TO)
Grade: F
This signing makes absolutely no sense to me. Drummond's value has continuously tanked ever since he left Detroit, and is now relegated to the Dwight Howard role in Philadelphia: warming the bench for Joel Embiid and acting as Ben Simmons' substitute shooting coach. Howard put up a ghastly 21 FPPG in this role last season, and there is no reason to expect anything different from Drummond, especially after he was essentially driven out of LA thanks to poor play and even poorer effort. I anticipate this contract becoming a waived one (or dumped on someone like Sacramento with a draft pick) in the near future.
Toronto Raptors
Contracts Signed:
Some NBA Top-Shot highlights
Grade: $
Oklahoma City Thunder
Contracts Signed:
Dejounte Murray (12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5)
Grade: B-
Out with the old, in with the new for OKC this offseason. The Thunder began to gear up for the future with the selection of several nice draft picks, and furthered that in the free agent market by exchanging the aging Kevin Durant for the most valuable asset available, the Spurs' defensive stalwart Dejounte Murray. While the contract valuation is a bit high for his production, Murray is far and away the best guard that San Antonio currently employs, and should continue to produce around his current level for the entirety of that contract. Not a steal by any means, but a solid pickup for Thunder here.
Los Angeles Clippers
Contracts Signed:
Terance Mann (1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5)
Harrison Barnes (3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 TO)
Grade: B+
Clippers has decided to go all-in on a championship push in the final year of Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook's contracts, and these signings reflect that ambition. Barnes is an aging but productive veteran in a relatively stable situation with the Kings, and Mann is a player whose value should only continue to increase, especially with Kawhi likely to miss a substantial portion of next season, and still fits Clippers' team when he inevitably decides to blow it up. Good work by LA here, although I don't think it's enough to put him over the other contenders.
Roll the Tanks
Seattle Supersonics
Contracts Signed:
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5)
Grade: C+
Ok, I guess.
Milwaukee Bucks
Contracts Signed:
Mo Bamba (1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5)
Grade: D
I got hoooooooooooooooooes sitttttttting on the mufuckin bennnnnnnnnnnnnch
Philadelphia 76ers
Contracts Signed:
A new member of the family (priceless)
Grade: A+
Congrats, Philly.
The Washington Basketball Team
Contracts Signed:
Richaun Holmes (8 8 8 8)
Klay Thompson (5 5 5 5 TO)
Reggie Jackson (3.5)
Grade: C-
If I'm being honest with myself, Holmes is the only player who I like here. He's a talented player in his prime who should continue to rack up double-doubles in Sactown. Klay is a big risk at that contract and his advanced age, but I have the cap flexibility where I can totally absorb his contract without many repercussions if he doesn't work out. Likewise, Jackson was a total meme bid that I ended up getting stuck with for this season. I hope that his production continues to be terrible, because that actually helps me with my end goal this season of losing as many games as I possibly can. Tank on, friends.
The Sacramento Doormats
Contracts Signed:
Buddy Hield (3 3 3 3)
Khem Birch (1 1 1 1 TO)
Grade: A-
As much of a dick as he is on discord, Kings backed up his talk with several savvy moves in the offseason. Buddy buckets at 3 million accurately fits his value, and he could be a valuable trade chip later on in the season. The Raptors also seem to love Khem Birch for some odd reason, so I could definitely see him outperforming that cheap low-risk flyer deal that Sacramento gave out. Neither of these guys will help him finish above 16th, but that's what Kings wants anyway, so what does it really matter?