Provisions in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement were designed to make teams more fiscally prudent, but it seemed like business as usual when the NBA’s annual free agent frenzy began on Friday.
Jerami Grant received $160MM from the Trail Blazers, Fred VanVleet got more than $128MM from the Rockets and Kyrie Irving accepted $126MM to stay with the Mavericks — and that was all within the first few hours of free agency. Seven nine-figure deals have been handed out already, as it appears some teams aren’t giving a second thought to the second apron.
Grant has been the biggest winner so far, benefiting from Portland’s desire to make bold moves to keep Damian Lillard from leaving town. Although Lillard asked for a trade the next morning anyway, Grant still wound up with a new five-year deal that makes him this year’s highest-paid free agent. The 29-year-old forward turned down a four-year, $113MM extension offer during the season and was able to cash in with a significant offer from the desperate Blazers.
VanVleet was the target of a bidding war between the Raptors, who were hoping to hold onto one of their franchise cornerstones, and the Rockets, who were armed with more than $60MM in cap space and were seeking an experienced point guard to run the offense for new head coach Ime Udoka. Toronto officials reportedly sweetened their offer to VanVleet by adding an extra season at a meeting Friday night, but Houston was willing to do the same, giving VanVleet a new deal that averages nearly $43MM per year.
Irving remained with the Mavericks, who weren’t dissuaded by the lack of success that he and Luka Doncic had together after they were united in a February trade. Irving had disputed interest from other teams, but it turns out that he didn’t need a strong outside suitor to convince the Mavs to open their checkbook.
Also reaching the $100MM mark were Nets forward Cameron Johnson (four years, $108MM), Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (four years, $102MM), Bucks forward Khris Middleton (three years, $102MM) and Warriors forward Draymond Green (four years, $100MM). They were part of a noticeable trend, as most prominent free agents re-signed with their current teams.
Among those who didn’t was Dillon Brooks, who got probably the most surprising contract of the weekend when the Rockets agreed to pay him $80MM for four years in a sign-and-trade deal with Memphis. Brooks’ reputation suffered after a confrontation with LeBron James in the playoffs and a report that the Grizzlies wouldn’t re-sign him “under any circumstances,” but he was a second team All-Defensive selection and is an easy fit for a Houston team that needs to upgrade its defense.
Other notable free agents who changed teams include Bruce Brown, who left the champion Nuggets for a two-year, $45MM offer from the Pacers; Max Strus, who reached the NBA Finals with the Heat and will be counted on to bring some outside shooting to the Cavaliers; his backcourt partner, Gabe Vincent, who left Miami for the Lakers; and Donte DiVincenzo, who will join his former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on the Knicks.
We want to get your input. Which teams have used their cap room wisely so far in free agency and who has spent foolishly? Give us your votes for the best and worst contracts as well.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rockets made terrible decisions. The tank job continues. Only teams that did good are the ones who didn’t sign anybody because all the FA bums that signed were overpaid. I like the Suns grabbing Beal but he’s way overpaid too. The stars and scrubs approach will not work there because them dudes are too fragile.
Nuggets probably gonna repeat. Lakers did alright too
Yeah the Rockets moves were incredibly stupid if you ask me. Fred was visible pissed playing with inconsistent young players in Toronto the last few years. So he chose Houston?
Then a team with a total lack of culture sign Brooks? OKC should be thrilled, that pick is likely to convey but still be in the late lottery.
VanVleet is nba champion, He is very young and can win again at 30s years old.
Kuzma and VanVleet are very similar.
They just wanted the money and join a contender at 30s.
Beal is different, He wanted money and doesn’t care about ring. But Winger forced beal to join a contender.
Beal was already signed and traded to a contender upon his request. Swing and a miss.
Rockets roster is filled with young players who they want to play. The same way you have a salary cap. You have a salary floor. Houston didn’t have big salaries with all the young guys. They HAD to spend the money. Fred was the beneficiary. He will get paid fat for 2 years. 3 year is a team option. He will play for Houston next year, and then be moved at the 2024-25 trade deadline since he can be turned into an expiring deal. Houston will then allocate those dollars to extensions for their young guys.
Yes Lakers did great but the nuggets are going to slip a little. They only played three guys off the bench the entire playoffs and two of them are gone. That means a couple of guys further down the pine are going to have to step up. It can be done but it might be difficult.
The Rockets won’t be anything for years…
With Udoka and Brooks… They are a dumpster fire culture wise…
Wizards used cap space wisely
They killed it this summer, only problem is, they might be too good to tank as usual and will stuck picking #8-14 again.
i am ok with it.
At least they are not paying 250 million
Memphis told him they wouldn’t sign him under any circumstances and then signed him
Rockets signed him?
Playing semantics. They signed him to trade him, not to keep him. To be more accurate literally, they should’ve said that he wouldn’t return to the team to play under any circumstances.
Houston and Portland are looking like the biggest losers by far. $80M for Dillon Brooks is crazy.
And Portland’s deal for Grant is not terrible in a vacuum but it’s terrible on a team that isn’t serious about contending this year.
I don’t find it credible that POR signed Grant to keep DL happy, yet didn’t determine whether it in fact would prior to doing it. They met with him a few days before FA started. If this wasn’t discussed, what was? Either they wanted Grant either way, or the believed the signing was likely to keep him from requesting a trade, at least for the balance of the FA/trade season.
Was thinking the same thing. They must have known it would not satisfy Dame but like his potential fit with Scoot/Sharpe moving forward.
They wanted Grant either way. If they trade Lillard, they can still trade Grant. Grant will likely bring back a better haul. They can easily move him back to the Pistons for young assets and picks. He is exactly what they are looking for.
With a 5 year deal, I don’t see a haul, but perhaps I’ll be surprised. Same AAV for 3 years, I think the contract becomes an asset if he plays to it. Not 5 years. I wouldn’t be on his skill set into his 30’s.
I don’t get giving out a max contract to non-all stars. Just because you have the money doesn’t mean you must spend it. Down the line they will regret it when the young all stars on the team will expect their big pay day. New CBA makes it harder to spend money in 2 years. Spurs and OKC did well by staying on the rebuild and not over spend for mediocre players.
You have to spend 90% of the Salary Cap to reach the Salary Floor. Yes. You HAVE to spend it.
It’s the length of the deals that gets me…
Some teams, like the Rockets with Brooks, are just asking for a Mozgov situation…
1 or 2 year deals would make the most sense to reach the salary floor… It’d also make the player a bigger trade asset sooner even if they don’t perform…
Phoenix, abd Dallas seem to have the most to accomplish this off-season, and have put in some work.
Whether its the right moves or not for these teams will be revealed at a future time, but steel sharpens steel, and hard work is rewarded.
Dallas are major losers for me this offseason…
Being unable to find a sign and trade for Kyrie will ruin their chances going forwards…
The Suns and Lakers got great value on their signs. The Mavs getting Seth Curry on the biannual was savvy, although they still have a lot of work to do (trade Hardaway and McGee, find a stopgap center and quality PF). The biggest headscratcher and this year’s Timofey Mozgov award is the Rockets overpaying Dillon Brooks. That contract will look like a mistake by 20 games into the season.
i would like to know who was bidding against the Rockets for Brooks? Did they just bided against themselves?
Houston had to spend the money. The deal is front loaded, so the hit against the cap decreases over the life of the deal.
Houston gave Londale 4 years and $32 million, but only the first year is guaranteed.
They are only spending money they have to spend.
Yes, we are seeing these not-big names get big money because the team has no other choice due to cap, plus it allows them the freedom to trade for elite players who make this same money later on. These deals are actually wins for the most amount of people.
Brooks got too much. I mean 15 mill would have been great for him.
Lakers did well. Still need a center.
Bucks did what they had to do.
Knicks did well still under cap. Basically traded Obi for Donte and 2 second rd picks.
Nets can use some help.
Donte is a great addition for the Knicks. I never understood why Milwaukee kept Grayson Allen and let him leave.
I am the rare Thibs fan. I think the Knicks are constructing the roster the right way based on what has been available. They have good young players and assets. They are one deal away from being a real problem for the rest of the league.
Nobody is talking about the fact that the Knicks shook up Cleveland so bad they are now willing to listen to offers for Jarrett Allen, so they can move Mobley to the 5.
Donte Devincenzo struggled with injuries early in his career.
Lakers got hayes
The Rockets made some real head scratching moves…
The deal for FVV kinda made sense on paper… A veteran PG… But he’s not a floor general who sets the others up…
But that Brooks deal is going to halt their progress until they stretch and wave him…
Warriors offseason is so hard to gauge because most high IQ players want to play on GSW because Draymond is there, but Draymond used up all the cap space and now they can’t afford all those guys, including the guy they need most – Christian Wood.
Their offseason grade might have wait until it includes trading CP3, which might happen in the middle of the season. If things go like last year during the regular season I can see GSW trading Paul for a big as soon as they can, similar to what Portland did with Payton II. GSW and CP3 are allowing themselves this “wait and see” period too, not many are thinking about this other route of him getting traded.
Draymond is a glorified role player at his peak…
Now he’s Ben Simmons with confidence… Except when it comes to taking any shots… Then he’s still Ben Simmons…
Lakers are the big winners in the west. Indiana is in the east.
Denver is the loser so far via attrition. Celtics are confused and mostly directionless with there decisions so far.
Pretty much all are overpaid.
Lakers are a winner and possibly the only clear one…
Losers by a clear margin…
Mavs
Rockets
Warriors