What the Hell Is Going On?
This might be the craziest NBA offseason of all-time, and the mayhem is just getting started
We are barely through a few days of free agency, and my Woj/Shams bomb shelter is weakening. It can’t handle this much insanity. It seems like we say this every year, but this might be the craziest NBA free agency ever. Let’s take a look at what’s happened, and what might happen in the next few weeks.
Minnesota Super Team?
Tom Thibodeau is not wasting any time. The T-Wolves flipped Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the No. 7 pick into Jimmy Butler on draft night. Then they salary dump Rubio to Utah for a first round pick to make room for Jeff Teague at 3 years/$57 million, with a player option on the third year. Along with that, they signed Taj Gibson on a 2-year/$28 million contract.
Here’s what a potential Minnesota lineup could look like in 2017–2018:
PG: Jeff Teague
SG: Andrew Wiggins
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: Taj Gibson
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
That’s scary, but not perfect — yet. Whether they all mesh together is yet to be seen, and signing Gibson might leave them on the thinner side of money to spend; but this is still such an interesting idea, especially with Thibs at the helm. Butler and Gibson offer an immediate defensive upgrade that was desperately needed in Minnesota. If they can play up to their roster, Minnesota could be one of the better teams in the West.
Dynamic Duo in Houston
On June 28, Daryl Morey pulled the trigger on a trade that sent Chris Paul to Houston. In return the Clippers received Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Kyle Wiltjer, a protected 2018 first round pick and of course, cash considerations.
That’s a lot to give up, and I’m not 100% sure it was worth it. Are we really sure Paul and Harden can coexist together? After playing the point for one year Harden had by far and away his best season ever, and the Rockets were one of the best teams in the West. I don’t think moving him back to the two guard for another guy that also really loves having the ball in his hands is what’s best for the Rockets. Can Chris Paul even run D’Antoni’s offense? I’m not sure, but it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. I still think there are a few more moves to be made for this Houston team, but I’m not sold on them being better than last year. I might be wrong, and I hope I am, but I feel like Houston took a step backwards. Sometimes less is more.
This Paul George Situation Is Confusing
I had so many questions when word dropped that Paul George had been traded to the Thunder, and most of them involved Danny Ainge. What happened? How could you not have topped Oladipo and Sabonis? Trading out of the first pick is one thing, but whiffing on trying to acquire both Jimmy Butler and Paul George is a bit unsettling. How long before Ainge cashes in? All these picks and assets are great until they don’t turn them into anything of substance. Maybe we’re all missing something. Maybe Ainge is playing chess and we’re all playing checkers, or maybe he just keeps fucking up. I have no idea, but with the Eastern Conference getting weaker by the minute, we’ll have to wait and see what the master plan is.
As far as Paul George’s new situation, that kind of puzzles me too. Will Westbrook and George really work well together? Are the Thunder even a top six team in the West? Who’s really to say at this point, Westbrook hasn’t proved he can really play with another guy that likes the ball. The good news, however is that George will play off ball if needed, and is great on the defensive end as well. George doesn’t really solve any of OKC’s problems, though. Roberson is still an offensive liability and they’re thin on the bench. When George leaves in a year, it might be Indiana who actually walks away with something of value.
Jrue Holiday Gets PAID
It was yet to be seen as to whether the Pelicans would give Holiday the max deal he was probably going to get on the open market. Well, yeah. They did. $126 million over five years, to be exact; all for a player who’s shown flashes, but still has a lot to live up to. The positives of this are that he’s only 27-years-old, and it seems as though his wife’s health is improving, something that kept him off the court for a better part of the year (which is totally fair, not condemning him for taking that time off. Family is number one always).
To be honest, I thought it was stupid when Philly dealt him to the Pelicans just a few years ago. A part of me still feels that way. I still think Holiday can be a solid NBA guard. He’s just had a fluky career thus far, and hasn’t been able to consistently prove his worth. I don’t blame NOLA for paying up since they need to try and build the most talented team possible before Anthony Davis hits free agency. (God help us all.) If this contract turns out to be a poor deal in the long run, it could have drastic impacts on what the Pelicans can do in the future.
Kyle Lowry Is Staying Home
Hey, remember that article I wrote about how the Kyle Lowry era was done? No? Me neither! Let’s move on.
Lowry returns to basically the same team he almost left on a 3-year/$100 million deal. Seems like a lot, but to get only three years was masterful work by current Raptors GM and hopefully never Knicks GM Masai Ujiri. Serge Ibaka returning as well locks in the same relative core they’ve had for the past few years. It also locks them out of any wiggle room in the cap, but reports have surfaced that Ujiri has been trying to move pieces. Valanciunas, Cory Joseph, and the ghost of what used to be Demarre Carroll are all being shopped around. With the East being much weaker than it was just a month ago, conference finals appearances might be easier to come by than what was once expected. This could easily explain why Ujiri is pushing his chips to the center.
Can Someone Check on Danny Ainge
Aside from signing German All-Star Daniel Theis, Ainge has been relatively quiet this free agency. He lost out on Jimmy Butler/Paul George and traded down from 1 to 3; if he loses out on Gordon Hayward, too, their could be a revolt in Boston. It’s been reported that Hayward is meeting with the Celtics, and his decision as to where he’s headed could be coming soon. Miami seems heavily in play as well.
There seems to be no real point in returning to the Western Conference as far as basketball decisions are concerned. The Jazz are a great team and will continue to be one, but they stand no chance in an even tougher than usual West. Boston offers the best opportunity to win now, but if Pat Riley already used his free agency black magic on Hayward, it might be too late. It could truly sway the East. Say what you will about the timidness of Danny Ainge, but signing Gordon Hayward makes them a lot better. Throw in Tatum and this is probably the No. 1 seed in the East. Hell, they’re probably the one seed without him, too. Hayward has the opportunity to really change things in the East, and it’s all up to him.
Paul Millsap to Denver
He flirted with the ideas of Phoenix and Minnesota, but ultimately Millsap signed a 3-year/$90 million deal with the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have something special in the works. Their core is super young and talented, and now with Millsap playing alongside Jokic, they become one of the more fascinating teams in the league. They almost snuck into the the eighth seed last year but fell short, and I think with this new addition and an extra year of experience for guys like Gary Harris, Jokic, Jamaal Murray, etc., this young core could be primed for big things this year.
There’s still more to come. There’s always more to come. Basketball never sleeps. Neither do we, thankfully.
