Ranking 10 Best Under-the-Radar Moves of the 2014 NBA Offseason
After the dust settled from the scramble for big-name free agents came the excitement for NBA observers who pay the closest attention. Nikola Mirotic crossed the Atlantic Ocean, not to become trade fodder, but a difference-maker for the Chicago Bulls.
Once LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he pointed toward his preferred sharpshooter, Mike Miller, who followed his former teammate to Quicken Loans Arena.
Others who aren't household names changed teams to make a difference. Veterans Jarrett Jack and Jameer Nelson made switches with hopes of starting jobs after turning 30. Anthony Morrow and Steve Novak went west to provide additional three-point shooting for their new teams.
Those who rank higher in this set will be higher-impact players on their teams. For instance, Mirotic has great scoring potential, which will boost one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA.
Some who won't start may beat others who will. Morrow and Miller rise above two starters due to how their three-point shooting fills needs of their new squads.
Follow along for a ranking of the best under-the-radar acquisitions. These players are either bench contributors, less well-known or were not recognized as one of the top free agents.
Unless otherwise noted, advanced statistics come from basketball-reference.com.
10. Jazz Trade Diante Garrett to Raptors for Steve Novak
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Searching for a bit of scoring help in their development process, the Utah Jazz picked up a specific shooting specialist for a specific need. They dealt backup point guard Diante Garrett to make it happen.
Steve Novak will aid the Jazz's lack of three-point shooting. They were 25th in three-point field-goal percentage and 23rd in threes taken.
Novak, a spot-up marksman who does little more than knock down threes, will do the job for spurts. He's the No. 2 active three-point shooter at 43.2 percent and has made at least 41 percent in six of the last seven seasons. He averages 13 minutes per game.
He'll be the third-string small forward behind Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood, both of whom are solid shooters. Despite being last at his position, Novak won't fall out of the rotation since the other backcourt reserves lack experience.
9. Raptors Sign James Johnson
2 of 10James Johnson hasn't enjoyed long stints in his five-year career. Johnson has played for four teams in that span, only staying with the Toronto Raptors for more than a single season.
After setting career highs of 46.4 percent shooting and 14.5 points per 36 minutes in 52 games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, Johnson heads back to Toronto on a two-year, $5 million deal.
His ability to attack the basket is a veritable scoring strength, although his 26.6 percent career three-point field-goal percentage is a red flag.
Johnson, who allowed 101 points per 100 possessions for the Grizzlies and 100 for the Raptors in 2011-12, will help reinforce the Raptors defense, which was 10th in defensive rating last year.
He'll back up Terrence Ross at the 3 spot and should be the second backcourt player off the bench after Greivis Vasquez. Johnson can provide instant offense. Also, he's more reliable than Lou Williams, who struggled last season for the Atlanta Hawks after missing time due to an ACL tear.
8. Spurs Re-Sign Patty Mills
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On its face, the San Antonio Spurs' re-signing of their backup point guard may seem like a free agent scurrying back home after an injury. Patty Mills tore his rotator cuff on July 1 and re-signed with the Spurs a day later.
Previously, he had gained interest from the New York Knicks, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
Mills has a future as a starter. He averaged 10.2 points per game on 46.4 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three-point range last season. He improved his ball-handling significantly, dropping his turnover rate from 13.5 percent to 8.2 percent, ninth-best in the league.
By keeping him, the Spurs can hold Mills as an investment for when 32-year-old Tony Parker leaves the game. Parker has logged more than 30,000 minutes in his 13 seasons. He may not play toward contact, but he may ease off in the next couple years, as he had a career-low 29.4 minutes per game.
7. Pistons Sign Jodie Meeks
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In order to help solidify their starting lineup, the Detroit Pistons gave a break to a player who has been waiting for his time. They signed Jodie Meeks to a three-year deal as uncertainty looms regarding their 2013 first-round draft pick, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Meeks broke out last season for the Los Angeles Lakers amid roster tumult. He had career highs of 15.7 points and 1.4 steals per game with 46.3 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from downtown. He continued to handle the ball well, posting a 9.9 percent turnover rate.
Stan Van Gundy said that Meeks was the guy Detroit wanted for the deal he received, telling MLive.com:
"For us, he was the guy that we wanted to make sure we got, so I thought we needed to be sure we were very aggressive to get that done, and we did that. We were in a situation where we would only go to a third year on one guy, but of all the wing players, twos and threes, he was the guy we targeted for his skill set, and I'm really happy with the deal we got with him.
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Meeks should start at the 2-guard spot. Caldwell-Pope, who shot 39.6 percent from the field, needs time to refine his stroke.
6. Clippers Sign Spencer Hawes
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By picking up Spencer Hawes, the Los Angeles Clippers found what they sorely lacked for the past few years—a quality backup big man.
Hawes spent most of his first seven years starting up front on poor teams. He averaged double-digit scoring in four of the past six years, including 13.2 points per game last season for the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. His shooting touch isn't overwhelming, as he hits 46.5 percent from the field for his career.
He had a burst of terrific three-point shooting in 2013-14, placing 12th at 41.6 percent.
Hawes will take some pressure off DeAndre Jordan, who averaged 35 minutes per game.
5. Nets Acquire Jarrett Jack from the Cavs in a Three-Team Trade
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With the difficulty of trying to re-sign Paul Pierce, the Brooklyn Nets acquired Jarrett Jack to plug some of the lost scoring with Pierce's departure.
Jack struggled last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 9.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting. He fared better in a lower-pressure situation for the Golden State Warriors the year before, averaging 12.9 points per game on 45.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from downtown off the bench.
Jack has had varying degrees of success for six teams in nine campaigns. He's averaged double figures in five of nine seasons.
Jack expressed optimism about his role with the Nets, telling the New York Post, "I see myself being able to kind of relieve Deron [Williams] at times of the ball-handling responsibilities, and then just trying to create opportunities for myself or for my teammates."
While the focus of the trade was on the Cleveland Cavaliers shedding payroll in preparation for signing LeBron James, the Nets trimmed about $400,000 for 2014-15. Jack is signed through 2016-17, although the final year is nonguaranteed.
4. Anthony Morrow Signs with Thunder
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To bolster their perimeter shooting, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked up Anthony Morrow for a three-year deal. They had lost Thabo Sefolosha, Caron Butler and Derek Fisher this offseason.
Morrow provides the closest thing to certainty from three-point range off the bench. He's the No. 3 active three-point shooter in the NBA at 42.8 percent. He shot better than 42 percent in his first three years. After two inconsistent seasons, the 28-year-old hit 45.1 percent for the New Orleans Pelicans.
He's cut out his place as a spot-up shooter taking a significant chunk of his shots from long range. For his career, 40.1 percent of his attempts come from downtown, and his turnover rate is 8.6 percent.
This should help the Thunder, who placed 14th last season in three-point field-goal percentage.
Basketball Insiders' Susan Bible noted that, as a pure shooter, Morrow "has the potential to turn into a critical piece the Thunder have been missing."
The Thunder won't rely on him defensively, as he never allowed less than 109 points per 100 possessions.
3. Cavaliers Sign Mike Miller
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The union of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Mike Miller is ideal for both sides.
Miller lands with a team that should be able to give him a neat role. He averaged 20.8 minutes per game while appearing in every game for the Memphis Grizzlies last season after playing less than 20 the previous two years.
With a team that may rely less on his outside shooting, he should find a situation that's more forgiving for his 34-year-old body. Besides having solid shooters in the starting lineup in LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, he will share bench minutes with Shawn Marion and James Jones.
Miller is one of the best three-point shooters of his generation. He's 10th among active three-pointers and placed third last season. He's taken at least 4.9 threes per 36 minutes the past four years.
Also, Miller's spacing will give James and Irving room to create. His floor spacing was key for the Grizzlies. The Memphis Commercial Appeal's Zach McMillin mentioned (subscription required) his knack for creating space as one way he helped the Grizz reach the playoffs.
2. Mavericks Sign Jameer Nelson
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Jameer Nelson had enjoyed a long run as an above-average starter for the Orlando Magic. But the 10-year veteran couldn't survive the rebuilding.
The Dallas Mavericks wisely scooped up the winnowing 32-year-old. Nelson may have lost his shot, sinking below 39.5 percent for the second straight year in 2013-14, far below his career average of 44.2 percent.
Still, he can run an offense. He averaged seven assists per game and had an assist-to-turnover rate of 2.87.
He's increasingly focusing on three-pointers, as he took 52.3 percent of attempts from long range and made a decent 34.8 percent.
Nelson told NBA.com's Jeff Caplan he's open to competing for the starting job with Raymond Felton. That may be attainable, since Felton's field-goal percentage was 0.1 percent better than Nelson's, and his 47.6 percent true-shooting percentage was 4.9 percent lower.
1. Bulls Sign Nikola Mirotic
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Three years after acquiring his rights, the Chicago Bulls saw the time was nigh to bring Nikola Mirotic to the club, inking him to a three-year deal. Mirotic scored 12.4 points per game and was named the Spanish Cup MVP in his last season with Real Madrid.
Tom Thibodeau is treading cautiously on Mirotic's start, telling the Kap & Haugh Show on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, "I think Mirotic is something that we haven't had: a four that can shoot the 3. But we'll see how long it takes him to adjust. … There's a big difference between college and the Euro league and the NBA."
However, some are raving about Mirotic's potential to make an impact. In a piece for HoopsHype, David Nurse said:
"From studying in-depth film, speaking with my connections in European basketball, and reading scouting reports of NBA execs that I have a great deal of respect for, all arrows point towards Mirotic becoming a legitimate star in the NBA and possibly truly being the Next Great European. Time will be the true judge, but Mirotic possesses all the intangibles of what it takes to become a household name – height, IQ, elite shooting ability, deceptive athleticism, and defensive toughness.
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, who guided Maccabi Tel Aviv to victory against Real Madrid in the Euroleague championship, told the Chicago Tribune (subscription required), "Nikola's game will translate extremely well because he has inside-outside capability. He has the size to take advantage of mismatches if he does play as a (power forward)."
Mirotic brings a variety of skills to Chicago. His scoring capacity appears to be a game-changer for the Bulls, which were 28th in offensive rating. His three-point shooting will bolster the Bulls after they placed 24th in three-point field-goal percentage in 2013-14.
The Montenegrin will likely come off the bench behind Pau Gasol, but could earn a starting spot if he puts on muscle and impresses Thibodeau in preseason.
If he hits the ground running, his offensive ability should help lift the gritty defensive team from two first-round exits in three years to a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Unless otherwise noted, advanced metrics come from basketball-reference.com.
