NBA Free Agent Moves on July 13, 2014

NBA Free Agency: Things Are Coming Together

The teams are starting to find or continue to develop their identities, players are seeing what is left of the market, and some hopes have been dashed. That’s what has come on day three of free agency being kicked into high gear after LeBron’s return to Cleveland. Today I’ll be covering Chandler Parsons, Luol Deng, Chris Anderson, Carmelo, Mirotic, Richard Jefferson, Brian Roberts, and all of the rumors and updates from around the league. Let’s get into it!

Chandler Parsons

In a move that left a lot of people confused, some elated, and others unsure, the Rockets decided not to match the Maverick’s offer of a three year, 46 million dollar deal. This was a huge get for the Mavericks who needed Parsons to really compete in the incredibly tough West. For Houston this decision is for the long-term as they said signing Parsons to that deal would restrict them too much in the future. However, after missing out on Bosh and now Parsons, Houston is looking questionable to even really contend this year, perhaps being a fringe playoff team, but likely a one-and-done.

As for Parsons, this is a great situation for them and I can’t wait to see what he can do on that kind of team. He’s going to be surrounded by vets that just plain get it, and the value of their teaching is impossible to quantify. Just learning from Dirk alone is going to boost Parsons for sure, and this Mavericks team will be incredibly dynamic. This move takes pressure off of Dirk, no longer having to score quite as much as consistently, but it doesn’t help the Maverick’s lack of rebounding, something they likely can’t address at this point.

Dallas Analysis: This deal is great for Parsons in every conceivable way, and a huge grab for Dallas when it looked like they were going to be shut out in free agency again. The West will be fascinating to watch.

Luol Deng & Chris Anderson

Miami did everything right after losing LeBron, including adding Deng at the price they wanted of 10 million a year for two years, though Deng did get the player option for year two. This is a short term replacement for Miami, and Deng is obviously no LeBron, but he is a bulldog and should fit in really well in that system. As for Deng, he never got the money he was looking for, but he gets to go to a team that can still contend in the weak (but now rather balanced) Eastern Conference. I really like this play for the Heat, though fans appreciate Deng most when they can understand the effort he constantly displays, and this fan base hasn’t been known for getting that.

However, one guy the Heat fans seem to love is another really hard worker in Birdman, Chris Anderson, who was resigned to a multiyear deal, though the $ is not released at this point. This move isn’t a game changer, but it’s a guy Miami likes, who will work his but off when he comes off the bench, and another veteran that just knows what he has to do. The value for both Anderson and the Heat isn’t possible to determine until the money is decided, but hopefully it will be good for both parties.

Miami Analysis: Miami is a top-4 team if Wade is good to go, and with their experience they could even break for another finals run if everything goes right, even though the system will vastly change as they run the offense through Bosh.

Carmelo Anthony

While his return to the Knicks was decided yesterday, the money has been said to be between 122 million and the 129 million initially reported, over five years. Carmelo stated that he feels like he’s a Knick at heart, and while I can understand that, and having a team theoretically built around you is nice, he’s not on a contender, or anything even close. He had the opportunity to play for a few different playoff teams, but chose the rebuilding project of New York, which is questionable at best, and a money grab at the most straight forward.

I don’t blame him for taking the money, and thankfully he didn’t make the mistake of saying it was a win-first move, but if he has a change of heart or sulks around (as he’s been seen to do at times on the Knicks) then it will be very poorly received after this move. For the Knicks, they got their guy, but near the maximum price, and they really don’t have much to work with in the near future, so it will be very interesting to see who they target during this season and next free agency period.

Knicks Analysis: Not a contender even in the easier Eastern Conference unless something unfortunate happens to a team or two. It’s not going to be a fun time to be a Knickerbocker fan, but at least you have Carmelo.

The Smaller Deals

The biggest of these is definitely the Chicago Bulls successfully signing Nikola Mirotic to a three year, 17 million dollar deal. Mirotic has been playing in Europe until this point, having been drafted in 2011, but should be a very good piece for Chicago and give them more versatility as he is built as a stretch four. As for Mirotic, he tweeted out how excited he was to finally get to play in the NBA, and while the money isn’t fantastic (he’s not bound to the rookie deal, but this isn’t a huge upgrade) it is still solid for his first chance.

Note: Kirk Hinrich has reportedly re-signed with the Bulls for the minimum. He’s a solid veteran presence and backup for Rose.

Bulls Analysis: Their team is pretty much set and they got at least a few of the pieces they want, most notably Mirotic and Pau. If Rose is healthy this is a serious contender, and they’ll be fascinating to watch.

Richard Jefferson signed with the Mavericks for the veteran minimum. He’s not doing a whole lot for Dallas, but it’s at the cheapest of prices and they need bench guys with experience for this run, and they got just that. He can still score decently off the bench, but he’s not lighting the world on fire. A good grab. (For Dallas analysis, see Parsons section above)

Brian Roberts signed a two year deal for 5.5 million with the Hornets, which is solid value for both sides. Roberts, who went undrafted and has worked his way up into decent playing time in the NBA (last season with New Orleans), gets to play on a solid team and continue to show how hard working he is. For Charlotte, Roberts is a decent backup for Kemba that has the ability to hang with the first unit if needed, and simply won’t hurt them financially or on the court.

Hornets Analysis: Losing Hayward (contract was matched by Utah) still really hurts, but they still have a decent team and should make the playoffs in the East.

D. J. Augustin has signed a two year, 6 million dollar contract with the Pistons. This deal just came across as I was writing this post, so I can’t speculate too much, but it is a solid get for Detroit. Augustin will be a backup to Brandon Jennings, and a very capable one at that. While with Chicago Augustin had his best season yet, scoring almost 15 per while shooting 41% from three, and doing so in about 30 minutes a game.  He’s not going to get those minutes in Detroit, but he’ll be a spark plug off the bench and should help with spacing. No analysis for Detroit from this, simply because their team is so bizarre, and Monroe has yet to be guaranteed to stay.

Other News and Rumors

The trade of Omer Asik to the Pelicans just expanded a bit as it now involves three teams. This deal hasn’t been approved just yet, but there seems no reason for it not to. The full deal now sends Asik, Omri Casspi, and 1.5 million in cash to New Orleans. The Rockets acquire Ariza, and the unguaranteed contracts of Alonzo Gee and Scotty Hopson, as well as the protected first-round pick of the Pelicans in 2015. The Wizards get an 8.5 million trade exception because of Ariza’s departure as well as Marvin Ely’s unguaranteed contract. This makes swallowing losing Ariza easier for Washington, and the Rockets potentially able to build a bit more in the future, which aligns with their decision not to match the contract of Parsons.

All Kevin Love talk has died and it looks like we will have to wait another season to see what he will do next. Perhaps the Timberwolves can stay healthy and make some noise, but the West is brutal and I don’t think they have enough. Wiggins was taken completely off the table by Cleveland and that only leaves Lance Stephenson as a target for the Wolves for a trade.

Speaking of Stephenson, nothing new has been reported, but Charlotte is trying to make a play for him. They could offer him 10 million for the first year and close to it for the following ones (depending on the length of the deal), but it remains to be seen if he’d take that offer. It would be a brilliant move if the Hornets can pull it off.

That’s pretty much all the news and rumors going around right now in the NBA as free agency starts to wind down. Now we watch Summer League, see how the final few pieces line up, and wait to see what teams can do this coming season. I can’t wait! Thanks for reading.