C. Morgan Engel/Getty ImagesWe had to wait until July 8 for "The Decision" by King James.
Over a billion dollars in contracts have been handed out to players around the league just a few days into the summer. There have been a lot of trades. We are still waiting to hear where the two players will end up.
Player movement was always going to happen when cap space was limited.
There are winners andlosers in the wake of it.
We are only looking at deals that took place after free agency officially tipped off at 6 p.m. on June 30. There is an hour and a half later. The Dejounte Murray trade to the Atlanta Hawks is out because of that date and time.
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty ImagesThere's an element of timing that doesn't always exist, despite the fact that these players just signed contracts that will pay them a lot of money in a short period of time.
With very few teams having cap space this summer, the incumbents only had to worry about re-signing their stars.
The incumbents were over the cap. If the Denver Nuggets had allowed Jokic to walk, they wouldn't have enough room to replace him.
Several of these situations could be likened to that. The following deals were given out.
Time will tell if any of the above teams will be around in a couple of years. The players are getting paid a lot of money.
Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Golden State Warriors reacquiring Kevin Durant would definitely change the perception of this season, but free agency hasn't been great for them so far.
Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. were the second and third value players on the team. In the playoffs, Payton's return from an elbow injury seemed to flip the finals. The last three games of the playoffs were played by Porter.
BothPayton and Porter are on other teams.
The luxury tax implications of signing both would've been huge, and the Warriors may have a lot of faith in younger players like Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman.
It's not a good idea to let key players walk immediately after a title win.
sam esfandiari @samesfandiariIt’s hard to reconcile bragging about how much money you print and letting a key (and popular) rotations player walk. 🤷🏽♂️
The summer isn't done. The signing of Donte DiVincenzo may have helped. A big trade could help. At the moment, it's not good.
A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Boston Celtics have gotten better since free agency began.
They acquired Malcolm Brogdon for a first-round pick and didn't give up a rotation player.
He's the type of player Boston needed in the Finals in order to operate in their defensive scheme.
At the price Boston paid for him, this is a no-brainer.
The Celtics wouldn't have been declared the winners without that move.
The Atlanta Hawks acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs in the Murray deal.
He's a moneyball offensive player who will be able to swing the ball as a reserve.
Adding those two to the rotation makes sense.
Justin Termine @TermineRadioGallinari + Brogdan without giving up one rotation player for a team that just went to a Finals.
24 hours into free-agency, & hard to find a team who's done a better job than Boston.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be in contention again. The pre-free-agency acquisition of De' Anthony Melton helped the Philadelphia 76ers improve this off-season. The Miami Heat are likely to stay.
Boston is in a better position to win the East again.
Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesThe Dallas Mavericks have added more than they have lost.
That has a lot to do with the Christian Wood trade. It doesn't account for JaVale's age or the fact that he's expected to start.
If last season's starting backcourt mate for Luka Doncic had decided to return, both of those moves would have looked better.
The Mavericks' net rating has improved over the last three years when Luka plays with Jalen. The diminutive guard's ability to run individual possessions without really needing to made him a great fit with Luka.
Giving Spencer more minutes with Luka could diminish the bench.
In the max players slide, it was said that it isn't easy to get another free agent to replace Brunson. The Mavericks haven't used cap exceptions or minimums on a guard yet.
Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe New York Knicks have a gain. Four years and $104 million sounds like a lot for a player with a career average of 11.9 points, but it's not far from what a starting point guard would make. The salary cap is increasing.
The contract will age fine if the trajectory of the player continues. His role with the Mavericks made it hard for us to see the best of him.
He averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 assists per 75 possessions in the last two seasons.
There are other things that make New York a winner.
One of the most intriguing bigs on the market was signed by the Knicks.
Last season, Hartenstein was in the top 20 in box plus/ minus and averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebound, 4.8 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per 75 possessions.
David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty ImagesOne of the earliest deals of free agency was difficult to understand.
Jokic is the best player in the world for the second year in a row. Looking for a backup center for him is a good idea. Minimum contracts for that role are possible because of Jokic's skill and longevity.
There were a lot of options that made more sense.
He hasn't been a plus player for any of the six teams he's played for over the last 50 years. Jordan's plus-minus of minus-607 is 962nd out of 1,004.
A fifth of the league has been unable to win minutes while he is on the floor.
The Broncos signed Bruce Brown to a two-year, $13 million deal on the second day.
Brown was one of the most interesting young wings.
Steve Nash was able to use him as a rim runner on offense with the Brooklyn Nets. He shot 40% from three. He has been a good wing defender.
He will be a great fit for the Nuggets if he puts it all together. There is reason to believe that he will with one of the best players in the world feeding him.
Troy Fields/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles Clippers were going to return one of the deepest, most talented and versatile rotations in the league if they were healthy.
All but one of the players will be back.
They would've been a contender if they hadn't added anyone. It is a steal to get John Wall as a flyer.
Over the last five years, Wall has only averaged 22.6 appearances per season, but he has put up 7.7 assists per 36 minutes. He's the 10th best career assist average.
He should still have the vision and passing ability that made him an All-Star even if he has lost some of his early-career explosion. He will likely face less defensive attention in lineups with George and Kawhi.
Alex Goodlett/Getty ImagesThere is a more detailed breakdown of the Rudy Gobert trade here. Let's just assume that the Utah Jazz got worse.
Gobert became Utah's full-time starter in the fall of 2015. The Jazz are plus-8.6 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor and minus-0.8 when he's off.
He won three defensive player of the year awards He's an elite rim runner and a one-man defense.
Utah is going to be worse over the next couple of seasons unless there is a dramatic move this winter or summer.
This deal could feel like more of a loss if Donovan Mitchell is given an excuse to request a trade to a bigger market.
That's not a real thing. It is nearly impossible to say no to certain trade offers.
The man is 30 years old. He has a player option that could make him the richest man in the world by the year 26. He won't be the player he is in four years. It is likely that he will not be.
Getting out of that contract and adding four first-round picks, three of which are protected, and a promising young big like Walker Kessler has a chance to turn out to be a win.
Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty ImagesThis is a good bet by the Minnesota Wolves.
They have two No. 1 picks and two No. 2 picks, all under the age of 27. They had to get off the hamster wheel at some point.
KAT and EDWARDS are capable of leading a team. Adding more first round picks isn't going to get them there. He was a three-time defensive player of the year.
It's not perfect, but it's not hard to see how it could work.
KAT was working like a 4 on offense. Gobert will demand a lot more attention in the paint and on rim runs than Commodores did.
Gobert gives the Wolves the ultimate defensive net. Gobert will be behind the play to clean things up even if Towns can't stay in front of the play.
Kyle Anderson is a 4 who can run pick-and-roll, pass and defend a variety of players.
Lineups with him, Towns and Gobert at spots 3 through 5 may be slower than others, but the length of that group could make up for that.
Adding these two players is exactly what Minnesota should have done this summer. It's time to withdraw your money.
Even if things don't go as planned two or three years down the road, the Wolves should be confident in their decision.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Brooklyn Nets couldn't have foreseen that things would explode in three years.
Irving brought more than his fair of drama to the situations he was involved in. KD was not happy with the situation he was in with the Warriors. Red flags were flying.
This is but this.
They have only appeared in 44 games together. The Nets have lost in the playoffs in the last three years. Even though he has four years left on his contract, he wants a trade. It might be a Los Angeles Laker in the near future.
Brooklyn had built a plucky culture ahead of the new year and was dumped by Kenny Atkinson for what amounted to a three year debacle.
It doesn't have a tattoo anywhere. The front office might weather the storm to get everyone back on the same page as the Lakers did in 2007. Maybe the assets they get in return for the two players help to rebuild the culture.
This era might not be a good one for Nets fans. They are in the middle of a nightmare.
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