2016 NBA Free Agency: What We Like, Dislike & Don’t Understand
Let’s take a dive into some of the ludicrous 2016 NBA free agency, shall we? Here at the Flagrant 2, We’d like to preface this by saying, this is not a run down of every single free agent signing. That might take a year to write. We’ve also omitted some that are just not worth discussing. For example, do you really need to read about how absurd it is that Timofey Mozgov and Delly got grossly overpaid? Exactly. You already knew that. These are a few moves that we liked, we hated, and we just flat out did not understand.
What we like
Kevin Durant to the Warriors
Are you kidding me? The best team running for two years straight, who had statistically the best regular season in NBA history, just swapped Harrison Barnes out for Kevin Durant. Is there a word that describes this adequately. Unfair? Absurd? Unfathomable? I’d go with all of the above. There had been a tsunami of opinions that have infested TV/the internet about this signing. A few pundits have said that this was a cowardly act. To me, it’s sour grapes. This type of stuff happens all the time. Charles Barkley/Scottie Pippen to the Rockets. LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the Heat. Now we have Kevin Durant. I think the toughest part about this, is that Kevin Durant seemed like a guy who would not do this. He was an unselfish superstar, a perfect face to a small market franchise. But think about it for a second, isn’t this actually an unselfish move in itself? Consider for a moment. He’s leaving a team that he is the unquestioned go-to guy, and now he is going to a situation where is just “one of the guys.” Obviously, he not just any random guy. This is the most coveted free agent in the last 5 years not named LeBron. However, listen to any Kevin Durant interview and he will tell you that he just wants to ball. This gives him an opportunity to do just that.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, their time ran out. There was a constant power struggle. Who would get the ball in the fourth quarter? Who is the real alpha dog? KD or Russell Westbrook? It is a shame that it came to this, because the Thunder had two top 5 players in the league in their prime, both of which were home grown. Concern grew that Kevin could not control what Russ would do on the court, and that unpredictability, while it is fascinating and a joy to watch, may have driven KD out of town. If he “loved” playing with Westbrook, I’m not sure this decision happens. But what it all boils down to, of course, is best basketball fit and the opportunity to win championships. Kevin has likely not played in such a pass happy offense since he was a kid, or possibly never. He is joining not just a culture of winning, but a culture of unselfishness, teamwork and hardware. That opportunity was just too good to pass up. A+ for the Warriors and for Durant.
Al Horford to the Celtics
As an unbiased NBA fan, I am also a Knicks fan. So with that being said, it is always painful to admit when the Boston Celtics do something great. This was a great move. The C’s have been building so that they could make “the leap.” Will this put the Celtics into title contention? I don’t think so. But it’s a great step in the right direction. To me, they need another stud scorer like a Gordon Hayward (Hello, Brad Stevens reunion tour!). Some eyebrows were raised to see Horford get over 100 million. That’s unfounded. Horford is a great player. A gifted scorer, rebounder, mid range shooter, and just a good team guy. He will fit right in with the unselfish, scrappy bunch in Boston. Grade: A
Warriors sign Zaza Pachulia
A way more under the radar move, but an amazing one. Pachulia had a fantastic year for the Mavericks last year, and at 2.9 million a year, they are practically getting him for free. Yes, he is not the leader or defensive player that Andrew Bogut is, but who cares? You just got Kevin Durant. When you get a player of that stature, sacrifices need to be made. Pachulia will fit in just fine, and to get KD and swap Zaza for Bogut is hardly anything to cry about. Incredible value here for the dubs. The rich get richer. Grade: A
Joe Johnson to the Jazz
I actually liked just about everything the Jazz did in free agency. They traded Trey Burke, picked up JJ, Boris Diaw and George Hill. For a fringe playoff team last year, they have legitimately solidified themselves. They are ready to make the playoffs next year with core of Rudy Gobert/JJ/Gordon Hayward/Diaw/Alec Burks and company. I really like this core and Joe Johnson is a great veteran addition. At 2 years and 22 million, this is the right amount of money and the right time for the Jazz to make a splash. They are all in. This is the time to go for it. Gordon Hayward will benefit from learning from an experienced veteran like Johnson. This takes a little pressure off Hayward and gives them another player who can score late in games. There’s no reason to believe this team can’t compete for a 6–8 seed next year. Grade: B+
(The Showman’s Note: Actually not the biggest fan of this deal for one reason and that is Joe Johnson better not be playing over Rodney Hood)
Deals we didn’t like
Harrison Barnes to the Mavericks
Harrison Barnes is a nice player. He is young, strong, and can hit outside shots when open (most of the time). With that being said, is he worth 4 years and 94 million dollars? No shot. He was pretty much left alone from outside in the finals, and he was not knocking down shots. This is not a guy who should be the best player on your team. He benefited from an incredible system in Golden State. He was allowed to sit in the corner, and knock down open jumpers. They rarely called plays for him. If the Mavericks core was still Rondo, Parsons, Barnes, Dirk and Zaza, I might like this deal better. But I am not trying to build around Barnes long term. Barnes benefited from a perfect storm of events. He’s young, athletic, and a free agent at the right time, who played on an incredible team. I understand that many teams are going to overpay for guys like this, but it doesn’t mean you should do it. Given regular minutes, I don’t expect Barnes to ever average more than 16 points per game. Not what you’re looking for out of a max guy. Grade: C
(The Showman’s Note: Call me crazy but I am a big fan of this move for the Mavericks. The 94 Million might seem like a lot for a guy who scored 11 PPG and had a 12 PER, all the while flaming out on the biggest stage but at 24, Barnes is only getting better. For someone who has a career average of 9 shot attempts per game, while playing fifth fiddle on a team of giants, Barnes has serious confidence in his ability which is important for the Mavericks. Alongside the underrated Justin Anderson, Barnes will bring the much needed youth to the Mavericks core. Another reason I love this move? Rich Carlisle made Monta Ellis a borderline All-Star and OJ Mayo a respectable guard in this league.)
Eric Gordon to the Rockets
4 years and 53 million dollars for the one guy who may be more brittle than Sam Bradford? Yikes. To me, Eric Gordon is a guy you take a flier on. Someone who needs to prove over a full season that he can stay healthy and perform. At 13 million a year (or approximately that) there were guys like Courtney Lee, Austin Rivers (on a smaller sample), Marvin Williams and others who have stayed healthy and performed recently to warrant that kind of money. When healthy, Eric Gordon can certainly score. I just feel like it’s too much of a financial risk for the Rockets to make. We’ll see if it pans out, but I wouldn’t have done it. Grade: C-
Deals we didn’t understand
Dwight Howard to the Hawks
Why, why why why why…WHY? 3 years at just under 71 million dollars. Listen, Dwight Howard is a capable, insanely great athlete. He is a likeable guy. He can rack up some seriously good numbers. He could even average 25 points and 15 rebounds for a season if he really wanted to. But therein lies the problem. Does he really want to? Has he ever? Kobe Bryant hated playing with him, because D12 didn’t have that killer instinct. Dwight was berated on national TV by the TNT guys, in one of the most awkward and amazing things i’ve ever seen. Absurdity aside, they brought up some valid points. Teammates don’t like Dwight on the court. Off the court, he is a great guy. On the court, he has yet to put a team on his back and dominate the way he could. The Hawks had to make a move with Al Horford leaving. This was a tough move for me. For the money, I would have tried to add other pieces. 24 million dollars a year for a guy who will give you stats but won’t elevate your team is a loss for me. Grade: C-
(The Showman’s Note: After a fall from grace during his run with both Houston and LA, I think Howard actually buys in this time around. This deal seems bonkers on paper but playing for your hometown team brings a sense of pride to a player, something that has been missing in Dwight for sometime. I look for Dwight to rebound and bring the Hawks to a top-5 seed in the east.)
Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade to Chicago
Individually, these guys are great. Wade is the most celebrated player in Miami Heat history. He is a legend, and quite frankly, this probably stings Pat Riley more than anyone. Wade should never have ended his career anywhere else. With that being said, Wade had a renaissance 2015 season. But let’s not kid ourselves. D Wade is 34 years old. He is not worth 23 million a year for the next two years. Then there is Rajon Rondo. A talented passer, notoriously difficult teammate, and all around enigma. He is another player who had a terrific 2015 season. He is as good an assist man as this league has ever seen, certainly in recent memory. His deal actually isn’t even that bad, at 2 years and 28 million. The reason I don’t like these deals is backcourt fit. You need guys who can space the floor. Doug McDermott is getting there, but he’s not quite there yet. Besides him, they are an odd team. With a backcourt of Wade and Rondo, is there even a point to guard either of these guys outside of 20 feet? They are both life-long mediocre outside shooters. Will they be fun to watch? No question. Will they be title contenders? No chance. Grade: C+
Luol Deng to the Lakers
I like Luol Deng. He is a hell of a player, he is tough, and he is hard nosed. With that being said, he is 31 years old. This is a guy you sign if you are a playoff/title contender, and he is a piece that may put you over the hump. Certainly a player you want on a team like that. With that said, the Lakers are going nowhere. So to give a 31 year old 4 years, 72 million on a team going nowhere? I am just perplexed. However, if the Lakers sign Russell Westbrook in a year for nothing, and they have a core of Deng/Russ/D’Angelo/Clarkson/Randle/Ingram? I may change my tone. Until that happens, I am skeptical. Grade: C-
(The Showman’s Note: I think this move makes perfect sense. The Lakers are an extremely immature team who need a positive locker room guy that can help mold the young core into serious professionals and Luol Deng does all that. Also, lets be serious it will take 4 years for this Lakers team to mesh well and when that does finally happen… Deng will be long gone. So take take out the 4/72 and look at what Deng will bring inside the locker room as the focal point of this deal.)
