Post by 20/20/20/20 on Sept 7, 2010 12:31:33 GMT -5
We are going to go team by team analyzing their free agency actions, and determine this years winners and losers in free agency. Each move will be valued not only by how good the player coming in is, but the money and years he received. Bringing in a good player could still be a move that hurts a team down the line. With next year being the biggest free agent crop yet, cap space is at a premium, and many teams went the route of 1 year deals. So let's get to it.
Boston Celtics:
PF Marc Jackson - $11,250,000 over one year
Grade: A-
Jackson fills the void left behind in the wake of the Chris Webber deal, and keeping the deal at 1 year makes the high dollar amount irrelevant. The Celtics didn't want any other free agents so they went after their guy, got him, and it won't hurt them next year. Well done.
Miami Heat:
PG Darrell Armstrong - $8,500,000 over one year
SG Bonzi Wells - $11,000,000 over one year
C Cherokee Parks - $2,000,000 over one year
Grade: A
The Heat improved their roster greatly this offseason, both through the draft and free agency. Adding Armstrong and Bonzi Wells to the mix, their team now has a solid starter at every position. The Heat limited themselves to one year deals in order to have maximum cap space going into next offseason, but their team this year looks much improved and could make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Wells even took less money to come to South Beach.
New Jersey Nets:
PF Mariej Lampe - $2,400,000 over 2 years
SF Rodney White - $9,000,000 over 3 years
Grade: C+
With the Nets not looking to contend this year, these signings on the surface seem rather unimpressive. But the Nets took a smart approach given their current spot. They didn't have a reason to go after any of the big guys and add talent, and they didn't need to spend a lot of money to get their filler guys. They were able to lock up their guys for a relatively low salary on multiple year contracts. Given their situation, pretty good job by the Nets.
New York Knicks:
PF Karl Malone for $5,750,000 over one year
C Greg Ostertag for $9,500,000 over one year
PG Kenny Anderson for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A-
The Knicks were looking to supplement their core of stars for a run at the title this year. They added the recently un-retired Karl Malone, who held his own in training camp, former Raptor Greg Ostertag, and a bargain bin backup PG in Kenny Anderson for a mere $1 million. The Knicks followed the trend of signing players to only 1 year deals, perhaps in anticipation of Webber, Francis and Allen getting big pay days next year. Overall, the Knicks did well. They expect to be a contender this year (bad preseason notwithstanding) and they added a couple strong pieces to their team to make a run, all while preserving their future cap space.
Orlando Magic
PF Louis Cunningham - $2,000,000 over one year
C Peter John Ramos - $332,817 over one year
SG Kendall Gill - $1,000,000 over one year
PF Justin Reed - $332,817 over one year
Grade: C-
We know the Magic aren't trying to contend, but the deals they did ink was pretty mediocre. Cunningham probably could have been signed for the league minimum after the initial free agency period, though cap space isn't an issue for the Magic with $13 million total in team salary. A bunch of bad players were signed, which fits with the Magic's plan, but fans have to be disappointed in Orlando where they expect championships.
Philadelphia 76ers
SF Mike Miller - $15,762,500 over 3 years
C Jonathan Bender - $9,457,500 over 3 years
PG Keyon Dooling - $17,338,750 over 3 years
Grade: F
Mike Miller isn't much more than a minimum contract guy (and is actually worse than a few guys who inked minimum deals), Jonathan Bender isn't even roster worthy, and Dooling, who is the best guy they signed, had a disappointing training cap so now his deal looks awful. The Sixers had a very poor free agency period locking up lots of money and multiple years into players who flat out aren't very good. He could have gotten Miller and Bender's equivalents for the league minimum and Dooling's bad TC makes him a disappointment as well.
Washington Wizards
SF Michael Finley - $28,000,000 over 4 years
SF Clifford Robinson - $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: D+
Hate the Finley deal, love the Robinson deal. The magnitude of the Finley deal makes this a poor grade for the Bullzards. Finley is a solid player, but he has decreased consistently the last few TCs and locking him into a 4 year contract was simply unnecessary. I would have preferred the Wizards to re-sign their own guy in Bonzi Wells over Finley also. Robinson is a steal for $1 million, but it also highlights just how much he overpaid for Finley as Robinson isn't much worse but he only had to commit $1 million instead of 28 over 4 years. A 34 year old Finley taking up 7 million cap space in 2007 might be tough to swallow.
Atlanta Hawks
PG Travis Best for $10,000,000 over one year
SG Latrell Sprewell for $10,000,000 over one year
C Loren Woods for $13,500,000 over three years
SG Michael Dickerson for $1,200,000 over one year
PF Clarence Weatherspoon for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A
The Hawks had a ton of roster spots to fill after trading Ray Allen this offseason and losing multiple guys to retirement. Some were thinking that this meant a crack in the armor of the historically successful franchise, but the Hawks addressed all their holes in free agency, taking advantage of their cap space. Best is their starting PG, and put up outstanding assist to turnover numbers in Minnesota. Sprewell had been largely ignored in Houston, but has the talent and put up big numbers last time he got minutes in Memhpis. Loren Woods is a good young center, and he locked him up for 3 years. Dickerson and Weatherspoon were great signings late. Kept all the big money in 1 year deals, and locked the young guy with potential up to a pretty cheap deal. The Hawks look poised for another year as contenders in the East.
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www.shaqdvds.com/images/logos/Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets.gif[/img] Charlotte Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets:
PG Brevin Knight for $2,800,000 over one year
C Adonal Foyle for $3,419,192 over one year
SG A.J. Guyton for $590,850 over one year
Grade: A
After a busy offseason in which they acquired star PF Rasheed Wallace, the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets came into free agency with one gaping hole: point guard. After swinging and missing on big names like Travis Best and Damon Stoudamire, the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets were able to sign Brevin Knight for only 2.8 million. Knight, who is not a scorer but brings the ball handling and defense you want from the PG spot, had a good training camp where he shot up to A+ handling. In preseason, Knight had 8.5 assists with only 1.8 turnovers and 2.3 steals per game, good for 7th in the league. He already looks like a steal but leaves the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets wishing they had locked him up for more than 1 season. Foyle provides depth inside with his A defense and shot-blocking prowess. Guyton provides a backup PG who can score, and mostly just a big time steal for a guy who shouldn't have gone unsigned through the regular free agent period.
Chicago Bulls
No Signings
Grade: N/A
The Bulls didn't sign anyone this offseason as they already had 15 players, and will enter the season with their young but talented roster.
Cleveland Cavaliers
SF Gary Coleman for $37,400,730 over 4 years
SF Glenn Robinson for $40,625,478 over 4 years
Grade: C
The Cavaliers made some of the biggest splashes in free agency, locking up two small forwards to 4 year deals worth about 10 million per season. While we think the Robinson deal was warranted, Coleman got way too much money. Over 9 million a season for someone who is unproven is too much in the first place, but then to guarantee him the money for 4 years was a head scratcher. We know the Cavs GM said he felt he needed to make the deals to stay relevant, but we don't think Coleman's C- defense is going to help that cause much. There were much cheaper SF options who would have hurt a lot less on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see how these signings work out for Cleveland, but we would have preferred locking up Clifford Robinson for $1 million over the Coleman deal. Hopefully the Cavs aren't left looking for cash when they try to sign Elton Brand and Stephon Marbury next year.
Detroit Pistons
PG Jason Williams for $8,500,000 over one year
C Priest Lauderdale for $653,350 over one year
PF Jamaal Magloire for $590,850 over one year
Grade: B+
The Pistons wanted to pick up a PG and they succeeded. Jason Williams is the big pull for the Pistons, and he should help the team a lot. With the Allen Iverson PG experiment over, Williams will simply be asked to pass the ball and play defense for the star studded Pistons. Lauderdale and Magloire will provide valuable depth for very little money so those are good signings as well. Evaluating the Pistons free agency comes down to this: they weren't doing anything without a PG, they are a contender with Williams. Can't complain about that.
Indiana Pacers
SG Wally Szczerbiak for $9,457,500 over 3 years
SG Kerry Kittles for $9,457,500 over 3 years
Grade: B
The Pacers did pretty well for themselves in free agency, signing both Wally and Kittles to reasonable 3 year deals. Off the bat, each provides solid depth for a suddenly talent filled Pacers team. If they happen to lose any of their guys to free agency in the future, the 3 years insures that they will have someone to step in. At first we were surprised that they signed two SGs to identical deals, but Wally was moved to SF to backup Carmelo. Szczerbiak had a nice training camp as well so that was a good surprise for the Pacers.
Milwaukee Bucks
PF Vin Baker for $7,000,000 over one year
SG Trajan Langdon for $2,000,000 over one year
PF Robert Traylor for $5,000,000 over one year
PF Kenny Thomas for $6,000,000 over one year
Grade: B-
The Bucks took the one year contract approach, giving themselves as much cap space as possible for next year's free agent period. This was a smart move. The Bucks also definitely improved their roster by adding Baker, Traylor, Thomas, and Langdon, but at what cost? The Bucks now look like an actual TMSBL team, and with the recent trade of their 2005 1st round pick for Darko Mlicic, they no longer have incentive to lose this season. While it was important for the Bucks to put some pieces around Nash and Tim Thomas, we feel that they overpaid for some guys and could have gone after some better options. Overall, a good free agent period for Milwaukee.
Toronto Raptors:
C Erick Dampier for $4,000,000 over 2 years
C DeSagana Diop for $6,000,000 over one year
PG Derek Fisher for $5,000,000 over one year
PF Brian Cardinal for $7,000,000 over one year
PG Earl Watson for $8,000,000 over one year
SF Vladimir Radmanovic for $2,809,012 over one year
Grade: B-
The Raptors came into free agency needing lots of players. They were able to sign lots of players, and kept nearly all the deals to 1 year, setting themselves up nicely for the future. We love the Derek Fisher signing, like the Cardinal signing, and love the Diop signing. Dampier and Radmanovic provide good depth. One of the biggest head scratchers in all of free agency was the Earl Watson deal though. 8 million for a guy who is just filler for your roster, they could have picked up Speedy Claxton or AJ Guyton for the league minimum instead. The other concern we had with the Raptors offseason was that while they signed a lot of players, they didn't get any elite talent to surround Kobe Bryant with. If the preseason was any indicator, that doesn't matter and the Raptors will still be one of the top teams in the East. While Kobe may have appreciated some help, it looks like as long as he is on the team they will be in the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks:
PF Kurt Thomas for $18,000,000 over 3 years
SF Donyell Marshall for $18,750,000 over 3 years
PG Troy Hudson for $778,350 over 1 year
Grade: D+
While these players will make the Mavericks a better team in 2004, Thomas and Marshall are old and were given too much money. The Mavericks may regret these deals in 3 years. Hudson was a late steal and a good move for the Mavs. Training camp wasn't kind to Marshall or Thomas, making the moves look even worse for Dallas. We also cannot figure out what Dallas' plan is. Half the time it seems like they are rebuilding and half the time it seems like they are trying to win. If they are rebuilding, these signings will only hurt their draft pick this year. If they are trying to contend, locking old guys up for 3 years is going to eat up cap space that they could have used for some real impact players in next year's free agency period. With the recent trade for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Marshall has been relegated to a bench role and is making way too much money for that.
Denver Nuggets
C Jahidi White for $15,720,669 over 3 years
SG Courtney Alexander for $4,500,000 over one year
C Johnny Carril for $1,200,000 over one year
Grade: D+
Jahidi White might be the worst signing in the league. I don't really see what makes him worthy of that kind of a deal, when guys like Lorenzen Wright, Adonal Foyle, and Scot Pollard are getting signed for less money. Even Desagana Diop would have been a much better option for the rebuilding Nugs. Alexander and Carril are decent players signed to small deals so that saved the Nuggets from a worse grade.
Houston Rockets
PG Damon Stoudamire for $40,000,000 over 4 years
SG Raja Bell for $4,800,000 over 2 years
PG Alvin Williams for $850,000 over one year
Grade: C+
Stoudamire was one of the most sought after players in free agents, and the Rockets got him. So it might come as a surprise that he is the one dragging down the Rockets grade. But it looks like the Rockets completely overshot the competition for Stoudamire as most other teams were rumored to be offering between 7 and 9 million for 1 season. Locking Damon up to 10 million a season for 4 years is a big risk for the Rockets to take. We aren't saying that it can't pay off for them, but Stoudamire has seen his statistics decrease for 3 consecutive seasons now, a trend the Rockets have to hope doesn't continue. Alvin Williams and Raja Bell were great signings with nearly no risk attached. In the end, giving a lot more money than they needed to Stoudamire sealed their fate in our grades.
Minnesota Fighting Kahns
C Lorenzen Wright for $6,048,031 over one year
PG Rafer Alston for $653,350 over one year
PG Bryce Drew for $715,850 over one year
Grade: B
The Wolves hit free agency without much cash to spend, but still addressed some needs by locking up a defensive, rebounding center in Lorenzen Wright and signing PGs Rafer Alston and Bryce Drew to minimum deals. Although the Wolves missed out on some of their top targets, Wright will be a solid backup to Brendan Haywood this year and one of Alston or Drew should step up and complement new starter Jamaal Tinsley at the point. The Drew signing is intriguing as he excelled in the preseason for the Nets before being inexplicably cut.
San Antonio Spurs
PG Jalen Rose for $15,132,000 over 3 years
PG Eddie House for $22,285,200 over 3 years
Grade: A-
The Spurs were able to sign two very good players for 3 year deals without giving the players more than they are worth. House had a fantasic training camp and looks to be a stud PG for years to come. The only drawback of the Spurs signings is they seem to have created a logjam at the PG and SG positions with House, Rose, Ginobili, and Ben Gordon all looking for minutes. This is a good problem to have though as the Spurs can look to trade one for a much needed big. We would have liked to see the Spurs sign one of the many talented big men on the market, but you can't complain about the two signings they did make. San Antonio looks like they may have a chance at the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Utah Jazz
C Scot Pollard for $5,422,898 over one year
SG Ruben Patterson for $11,250,000 over one year
PF Brian Grant for $2,875,000 over one year
PG Speedy Claxton for $565,850 over one year
SF Darvin Ham for $840,850 over one year
PF Bo Outlaw for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A+ The Jazz had lots of cap space and they knew what they wanted to do with it. Patterson and Pollard are instant impact players who will start from day 1. Patterson was inked to a lot of money, but it is only a 1 year deal so it has no future impact on the Jazz. Pollard at 5.4 million is a bargain compared to what some other big men were getting. Claxton, Grant, Ham, and Outlaw give the Jazz insane depth and a roster that is just completely stacked. Being so quick to sign Speedy also kept the PG out of their rival's hands as the Minnesota Fighting Kahns were also looking to nab the PG. Overall, the Jazz had used their available money to grab tons of talent and create what we believe to be the best team in the West. And best of all? None of the moves hampered their future possibilities.
Memphis Grizzlies
PG Mark Jackson for $3,000,000 over one year
Grade: D
For a team with two young PGs in TJ Ford and Kirk Hinrich, this is a confusing signing. We aren't sure why they would want to bring in a 39 year old Jackson and start him at PG when they aren't going to win anything this year and need to develop their future in Ford and Hinrich. Head scratcher for sure.
Golden State Warriors
C Theo Ratliff for $10,000,000 over one year
Grade: B-
While they certainly overpaid for Ratliff, it is a one year deal so that doesn't hurt much. After acquiring former Warriors Keith Van Horn and Allan Houston, the Warriors looked ready to make some noise with new rookie PG Devin Harris and stud PF Pau Gasol. Ratliff brings a defensive presence inside, and while 10 million is likely more than they needed to pay, it doesn't hurt them in the future and improves their squad this year.
Los Angeles Clippers[/u]
PF Michael Ruffin for $653,350 over one year
Grade: C+
Pretty quiet for the Clippers after reaching the TMBSL Finals last season. We would have liked to see them make a bigger splash in hopes of winning the title, but Ruffin is a solid backup that they were able to grab for the league minimum. Decent move, but we were hoping for more from the current Western Conference champions.
Los Angeles Lakers[/u]
No Signings
Grade: N/A
They didn't sign anyone and lost Scot Pollard to the Jazz. Really disappointing free agency period for a veteran team that is looking to win now.
Phoenix Suns
SF Anfernee Hardaway for $14,895,000 over 3 years
C P.J. Brown for $9,930,000 over 3 years
Grade: B
Some simple, boring signings for the Suns that add some quality depth to the roster. Hardaway is a supersub and Brown provides defense and rebounding down low, but we aren't sure if the 3 year deals were necessary in this case. The Suns young guys developed a lot this offseason though, and they will need a strong bench if they want to make it deeper into the playoffs this year so overall the signings were good.
Portland Trailblazers
No Signings
Grade: N/A
Somewhat surprised that the Blazers didn't try to sign anyone as it looks like they are trying to contend with the recent acquisition of PG Gary Payton. There were some good centers out there that would have helped the Blazers a lot in their quest for the playoffs.
Sacramento Kings
SG Michael Jordan for $15,515,573 over one year
Grade: C
They wanted MJ and they got him. He makes the most money in the entire league, but it is only for one year which is a benefit. The Kings definitely needed an upgrade at SG, and they believe that Jordan is just that. We have our doubts. MJ struggled through training camp keeping up with the younger players, and looks like a shell of his former self. He will still score the basketball but his defense is down to a disappointing C+. If the Kings wanted to shell out this much cash for a SG, there were better options than Jordan.
Seattle Supersonics[/u]
C Jordan Roberson for $12,930,375 over 4 years
C Nazr Mohammed $715,850 over one year
PF Derrick Coleman $1,000,000 over one year
SG Brent Barry for $965,850 over one year
PG Robert Pakc for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: C+
Re-upped Roberson to a very friendly deal, but then sat out the rest of the festivities before signing some guys to league minimum deals. We like the Roberson deal and some of the minimum guys they got will contribute, but we would have liked to see a top team like the Sonics add another impact player to help them out in the West this year. There was a hole at SG and they addressed it by adding Barry, but there were some better guys out there if they were looking for a starter.
Boston Celtics:PF Marc Jackson - $11,250,000 over one year
Grade: A-
Jackson fills the void left behind in the wake of the Chris Webber deal, and keeping the deal at 1 year makes the high dollar amount irrelevant. The Celtics didn't want any other free agents so they went after their guy, got him, and it won't hurt them next year. Well done.
Miami Heat:PG Darrell Armstrong - $8,500,000 over one year
SG Bonzi Wells - $11,000,000 over one year
C Cherokee Parks - $2,000,000 over one year
Grade: A
The Heat improved their roster greatly this offseason, both through the draft and free agency. Adding Armstrong and Bonzi Wells to the mix, their team now has a solid starter at every position. The Heat limited themselves to one year deals in order to have maximum cap space going into next offseason, but their team this year looks much improved and could make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Wells even took less money to come to South Beach.
New Jersey Nets:PF Mariej Lampe - $2,400,000 over 2 years
SF Rodney White - $9,000,000 over 3 years
Grade: C+
With the Nets not looking to contend this year, these signings on the surface seem rather unimpressive. But the Nets took a smart approach given their current spot. They didn't have a reason to go after any of the big guys and add talent, and they didn't need to spend a lot of money to get their filler guys. They were able to lock up their guys for a relatively low salary on multiple year contracts. Given their situation, pretty good job by the Nets.
New York Knicks:PF Karl Malone for $5,750,000 over one year
C Greg Ostertag for $9,500,000 over one year
PG Kenny Anderson for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A-
The Knicks were looking to supplement their core of stars for a run at the title this year. They added the recently un-retired Karl Malone, who held his own in training camp, former Raptor Greg Ostertag, and a bargain bin backup PG in Kenny Anderson for a mere $1 million. The Knicks followed the trend of signing players to only 1 year deals, perhaps in anticipation of Webber, Francis and Allen getting big pay days next year. Overall, the Knicks did well. They expect to be a contender this year (bad preseason notwithstanding) and they added a couple strong pieces to their team to make a run, all while preserving their future cap space.
Orlando MagicPF Louis Cunningham - $2,000,000 over one year
C Peter John Ramos - $332,817 over one year
SG Kendall Gill - $1,000,000 over one year
PF Justin Reed - $332,817 over one year
Grade: C-
We know the Magic aren't trying to contend, but the deals they did ink was pretty mediocre. Cunningham probably could have been signed for the league minimum after the initial free agency period, though cap space isn't an issue for the Magic with $13 million total in team salary. A bunch of bad players were signed, which fits with the Magic's plan, but fans have to be disappointed in Orlando where they expect championships.
Philadelphia 76ersSF Mike Miller - $15,762,500 over 3 years
C Jonathan Bender - $9,457,500 over 3 years
PG Keyon Dooling - $17,338,750 over 3 years
Grade: F
Mike Miller isn't much more than a minimum contract guy (and is actually worse than a few guys who inked minimum deals), Jonathan Bender isn't even roster worthy, and Dooling, who is the best guy they signed, had a disappointing training cap so now his deal looks awful. The Sixers had a very poor free agency period locking up lots of money and multiple years into players who flat out aren't very good. He could have gotten Miller and Bender's equivalents for the league minimum and Dooling's bad TC makes him a disappointment as well.
Washington WizardsSF Michael Finley - $28,000,000 over 4 years
SF Clifford Robinson - $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: D+
Hate the Finley deal, love the Robinson deal. The magnitude of the Finley deal makes this a poor grade for the Bullzards. Finley is a solid player, but he has decreased consistently the last few TCs and locking him into a 4 year contract was simply unnecessary. I would have preferred the Wizards to re-sign their own guy in Bonzi Wells over Finley also. Robinson is a steal for $1 million, but it also highlights just how much he overpaid for Finley as Robinson isn't much worse but he only had to commit $1 million instead of 28 over 4 years. A 34 year old Finley taking up 7 million cap space in 2007 might be tough to swallow.
Atlanta HawksPG Travis Best for $10,000,000 over one year
SG Latrell Sprewell for $10,000,000 over one year
C Loren Woods for $13,500,000 over three years
SG Michael Dickerson for $1,200,000 over one year
PF Clarence Weatherspoon for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A
The Hawks had a ton of roster spots to fill after trading Ray Allen this offseason and losing multiple guys to retirement. Some were thinking that this meant a crack in the armor of the historically successful franchise, but the Hawks addressed all their holes in free agency, taking advantage of their cap space. Best is their starting PG, and put up outstanding assist to turnover numbers in Minnesota. Sprewell had been largely ignored in Houston, but has the talent and put up big numbers last time he got minutes in Memhpis. Loren Woods is a good young center, and he locked him up for 3 years. Dickerson and Weatherspoon were great signings late. Kept all the big money in 1 year deals, and locked the young guy with potential up to a pretty cheap deal. The Hawks look poised for another year as contenders in the East.
PG Brevin Knight for $2,800,000 over one year
C Adonal Foyle for $3,419,192 over one year
SG A.J. Guyton for $590,850 over one year
Grade: A
After a busy offseason in which they acquired star PF Rasheed Wallace, the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets came into free agency with one gaping hole: point guard. After swinging and missing on big names like Travis Best and Damon Stoudamire, the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets were able to sign Brevin Knight for only 2.8 million. Knight, who is not a scorer but brings the ball handling and defense you want from the PG spot, had a good training camp where he shot up to A+ handling. In preseason, Knight had 8.5 assists with only 1.8 turnovers and 2.3 steals per game, good for 7th in the league. He already looks like a steal but leaves the Eastern Conference Powerhouse Hornets wishing they had locked him up for more than 1 season. Foyle provides depth inside with his A defense and shot-blocking prowess. Guyton provides a backup PG who can score, and mostly just a big time steal for a guy who shouldn't have gone unsigned through the regular free agent period.
Chicago BullsNo Signings
Grade: N/A
The Bulls didn't sign anyone this offseason as they already had 15 players, and will enter the season with their young but talented roster.
Cleveland CavaliersSF Gary Coleman for $37,400,730 over 4 years
SF Glenn Robinson for $40,625,478 over 4 years
Grade: C
The Cavaliers made some of the biggest splashes in free agency, locking up two small forwards to 4 year deals worth about 10 million per season. While we think the Robinson deal was warranted, Coleman got way too much money. Over 9 million a season for someone who is unproven is too much in the first place, but then to guarantee him the money for 4 years was a head scratcher. We know the Cavs GM said he felt he needed to make the deals to stay relevant, but we don't think Coleman's C- defense is going to help that cause much. There were much cheaper SF options who would have hurt a lot less on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see how these signings work out for Cleveland, but we would have preferred locking up Clifford Robinson for $1 million over the Coleman deal. Hopefully the Cavs aren't left looking for cash when they try to sign Elton Brand and Stephon Marbury next year.
Detroit PistonsPG Jason Williams for $8,500,000 over one year
C Priest Lauderdale for $653,350 over one year
PF Jamaal Magloire for $590,850 over one year
Grade: B+
The Pistons wanted to pick up a PG and they succeeded. Jason Williams is the big pull for the Pistons, and he should help the team a lot. With the Allen Iverson PG experiment over, Williams will simply be asked to pass the ball and play defense for the star studded Pistons. Lauderdale and Magloire will provide valuable depth for very little money so those are good signings as well. Evaluating the Pistons free agency comes down to this: they weren't doing anything without a PG, they are a contender with Williams. Can't complain about that.
Indiana PacersSG Wally Szczerbiak for $9,457,500 over 3 years
SG Kerry Kittles for $9,457,500 over 3 years
Grade: B
The Pacers did pretty well for themselves in free agency, signing both Wally and Kittles to reasonable 3 year deals. Off the bat, each provides solid depth for a suddenly talent filled Pacers team. If they happen to lose any of their guys to free agency in the future, the 3 years insures that they will have someone to step in. At first we were surprised that they signed two SGs to identical deals, but Wally was moved to SF to backup Carmelo. Szczerbiak had a nice training camp as well so that was a good surprise for the Pacers.
Milwaukee BucksPF Vin Baker for $7,000,000 over one year
SG Trajan Langdon for $2,000,000 over one year
PF Robert Traylor for $5,000,000 over one year
PF Kenny Thomas for $6,000,000 over one year
Grade: B-
The Bucks took the one year contract approach, giving themselves as much cap space as possible for next year's free agent period. This was a smart move. The Bucks also definitely improved their roster by adding Baker, Traylor, Thomas, and Langdon, but at what cost? The Bucks now look like an actual TMSBL team, and with the recent trade of their 2005 1st round pick for Darko Mlicic, they no longer have incentive to lose this season. While it was important for the Bucks to put some pieces around Nash and Tim Thomas, we feel that they overpaid for some guys and could have gone after some better options. Overall, a good free agent period for Milwaukee.
Toronto Raptors:C Erick Dampier for $4,000,000 over 2 years
C DeSagana Diop for $6,000,000 over one year
PG Derek Fisher for $5,000,000 over one year
PF Brian Cardinal for $7,000,000 over one year
PG Earl Watson for $8,000,000 over one year
SF Vladimir Radmanovic for $2,809,012 over one year
Grade: B-
The Raptors came into free agency needing lots of players. They were able to sign lots of players, and kept nearly all the deals to 1 year, setting themselves up nicely for the future. We love the Derek Fisher signing, like the Cardinal signing, and love the Diop signing. Dampier and Radmanovic provide good depth. One of the biggest head scratchers in all of free agency was the Earl Watson deal though. 8 million for a guy who is just filler for your roster, they could have picked up Speedy Claxton or AJ Guyton for the league minimum instead. The other concern we had with the Raptors offseason was that while they signed a lot of players, they didn't get any elite talent to surround Kobe Bryant with. If the preseason was any indicator, that doesn't matter and the Raptors will still be one of the top teams in the East. While Kobe may have appreciated some help, it looks like as long as he is on the team they will be in the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks:PF Kurt Thomas for $18,000,000 over 3 years
SF Donyell Marshall for $18,750,000 over 3 years
PG Troy Hudson for $778,350 over 1 year
Grade: D+
While these players will make the Mavericks a better team in 2004, Thomas and Marshall are old and were given too much money. The Mavericks may regret these deals in 3 years. Hudson was a late steal and a good move for the Mavs. Training camp wasn't kind to Marshall or Thomas, making the moves look even worse for Dallas. We also cannot figure out what Dallas' plan is. Half the time it seems like they are rebuilding and half the time it seems like they are trying to win. If they are rebuilding, these signings will only hurt their draft pick this year. If they are trying to contend, locking old guys up for 3 years is going to eat up cap space that they could have used for some real impact players in next year's free agency period. With the recent trade for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Marshall has been relegated to a bench role and is making way too much money for that.
Denver NuggetsC Jahidi White for $15,720,669 over 3 years
SG Courtney Alexander for $4,500,000 over one year
C Johnny Carril for $1,200,000 over one year
Grade: D+
Jahidi White might be the worst signing in the league. I don't really see what makes him worthy of that kind of a deal, when guys like Lorenzen Wright, Adonal Foyle, and Scot Pollard are getting signed for less money. Even Desagana Diop would have been a much better option for the rebuilding Nugs. Alexander and Carril are decent players signed to small deals so that saved the Nuggets from a worse grade.
Houston RocketsPG Damon Stoudamire for $40,000,000 over 4 years
SG Raja Bell for $4,800,000 over 2 years
PG Alvin Williams for $850,000 over one year
Grade: C+
Stoudamire was one of the most sought after players in free agents, and the Rockets got him. So it might come as a surprise that he is the one dragging down the Rockets grade. But it looks like the Rockets completely overshot the competition for Stoudamire as most other teams were rumored to be offering between 7 and 9 million for 1 season. Locking Damon up to 10 million a season for 4 years is a big risk for the Rockets to take. We aren't saying that it can't pay off for them, but Stoudamire has seen his statistics decrease for 3 consecutive seasons now, a trend the Rockets have to hope doesn't continue. Alvin Williams and Raja Bell were great signings with nearly no risk attached. In the end, giving a lot more money than they needed to Stoudamire sealed their fate in our grades.
Minnesota Fighting KahnsC Lorenzen Wright for $6,048,031 over one year
PG Rafer Alston for $653,350 over one year
PG Bryce Drew for $715,850 over one year
Grade: B
The Wolves hit free agency without much cash to spend, but still addressed some needs by locking up a defensive, rebounding center in Lorenzen Wright and signing PGs Rafer Alston and Bryce Drew to minimum deals. Although the Wolves missed out on some of their top targets, Wright will be a solid backup to Brendan Haywood this year and one of Alston or Drew should step up and complement new starter Jamaal Tinsley at the point. The Drew signing is intriguing as he excelled in the preseason for the Nets before being inexplicably cut.
San Antonio SpursPG Jalen Rose for $15,132,000 over 3 years
PG Eddie House for $22,285,200 over 3 years
Grade: A-
The Spurs were able to sign two very good players for 3 year deals without giving the players more than they are worth. House had a fantasic training camp and looks to be a stud PG for years to come. The only drawback of the Spurs signings is they seem to have created a logjam at the PG and SG positions with House, Rose, Ginobili, and Ben Gordon all looking for minutes. This is a good problem to have though as the Spurs can look to trade one for a much needed big. We would have liked to see the Spurs sign one of the many talented big men on the market, but you can't complain about the two signings they did make. San Antonio looks like they may have a chance at the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Utah JazzC Scot Pollard for $5,422,898 over one year
SG Ruben Patterson for $11,250,000 over one year
PF Brian Grant for $2,875,000 over one year
PG Speedy Claxton for $565,850 over one year
SF Darvin Ham for $840,850 over one year
PF Bo Outlaw for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: A+ The Jazz had lots of cap space and they knew what they wanted to do with it. Patterson and Pollard are instant impact players who will start from day 1. Patterson was inked to a lot of money, but it is only a 1 year deal so it has no future impact on the Jazz. Pollard at 5.4 million is a bargain compared to what some other big men were getting. Claxton, Grant, Ham, and Outlaw give the Jazz insane depth and a roster that is just completely stacked. Being so quick to sign Speedy also kept the PG out of their rival's hands as the Minnesota Fighting Kahns were also looking to nab the PG. Overall, the Jazz had used their available money to grab tons of talent and create what we believe to be the best team in the West. And best of all? None of the moves hampered their future possibilities.
Memphis GrizzliesPG Mark Jackson for $3,000,000 over one year
Grade: D
For a team with two young PGs in TJ Ford and Kirk Hinrich, this is a confusing signing. We aren't sure why they would want to bring in a 39 year old Jackson and start him at PG when they aren't going to win anything this year and need to develop their future in Ford and Hinrich. Head scratcher for sure.
Golden State WarriorsC Theo Ratliff for $10,000,000 over one year
Grade: B-
While they certainly overpaid for Ratliff, it is a one year deal so that doesn't hurt much. After acquiring former Warriors Keith Van Horn and Allan Houston, the Warriors looked ready to make some noise with new rookie PG Devin Harris and stud PF Pau Gasol. Ratliff brings a defensive presence inside, and while 10 million is likely more than they needed to pay, it doesn't hurt them in the future and improves their squad this year.
Los Angeles Clippers[/u]PF Michael Ruffin for $653,350 over one year
Grade: C+
Pretty quiet for the Clippers after reaching the TMBSL Finals last season. We would have liked to see them make a bigger splash in hopes of winning the title, but Ruffin is a solid backup that they were able to grab for the league minimum. Decent move, but we were hoping for more from the current Western Conference champions.
Los Angeles Lakers[/u]No Signings
Grade: N/A
They didn't sign anyone and lost Scot Pollard to the Jazz. Really disappointing free agency period for a veteran team that is looking to win now.
Phoenix Suns SF Anfernee Hardaway for $14,895,000 over 3 years
C P.J. Brown for $9,930,000 over 3 years
Grade: B
Some simple, boring signings for the Suns that add some quality depth to the roster. Hardaway is a supersub and Brown provides defense and rebounding down low, but we aren't sure if the 3 year deals were necessary in this case. The Suns young guys developed a lot this offseason though, and they will need a strong bench if they want to make it deeper into the playoffs this year so overall the signings were good.
Portland TrailblazersNo Signings
Grade: N/A
Somewhat surprised that the Blazers didn't try to sign anyone as it looks like they are trying to contend with the recent acquisition of PG Gary Payton. There were some good centers out there that would have helped the Blazers a lot in their quest for the playoffs.
Sacramento KingsSG Michael Jordan for $15,515,573 over one year
Grade: C
They wanted MJ and they got him. He makes the most money in the entire league, but it is only for one year which is a benefit. The Kings definitely needed an upgrade at SG, and they believe that Jordan is just that. We have our doubts. MJ struggled through training camp keeping up with the younger players, and looks like a shell of his former self. He will still score the basketball but his defense is down to a disappointing C+. If the Kings wanted to shell out this much cash for a SG, there were better options than Jordan.
Seattle Supersonics[/u]C Jordan Roberson for $12,930,375 over 4 years
C Nazr Mohammed $715,850 over one year
PF Derrick Coleman $1,000,000 over one year
SG Brent Barry for $965,850 over one year
PG Robert Pakc for $1,000,000 over one year
Grade: C+
Re-upped Roberson to a very friendly deal, but then sat out the rest of the festivities before signing some guys to league minimum deals. We like the Roberson deal and some of the minimum guys they got will contribute, but we would have liked to see a top team like the Sonics add another impact player to help them out in the West this year. There was a hole at SG and they addressed it by adding Barry, but there were some better guys out there if they were looking for a starter.
