7 NBA Free-Agent Signings Already Proving Worth to New Teams
Adjusting to life with a new team doesn't happen overnight, but that hasn't stopped the 2014 free-agent class from making early contributions.
From Lance Stephenson to LeBron James, this summer witnessed the relocation of some big names. And the league's balance of power has shifted accordingly. Nearly one month into the young season, we're already seeing evidence of that.
Excluding players acquired via trade and free agents who opted to re-sign with their previous clubs, here's a look at seven signings who haven't taken long to pay dividends.
These signings have been ranked according to a rough estimate of the impact they've made for their respective teams—both in terms of production and less tangible considerations like leadership. Here's a look at newcomers who have turned heads in short order.
Sign-and-Trade Honorable Mentions
1 of 8
Technically, they weren't signed by new teams. But they were free agents, and they did wind up with new teams. The difference for Isaiah Thomas and Trevor Ariza is that it took sign-and-trade arrangements to get them to their new destinations. Neither was signed outright by their current employer.
Thomas joined the Phoenix Suns after spending his first three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. Ariza embarked upon his second stint with the Houston Rockets after a well-traveled career that most recently included two campaigns with the Washington Wizards.
As the Suns' sixth man, Thomas is averaging 15.6 points and 4.3 assists. Meanwhile, Ariza is tallying 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds through 11 games—and upgrading Houston's defense to one of the league's very best (so far).
We knew both of these guys would be important additions this season, and they've wasted no time proving that consensus correct.
7. Chris Kaman, C, Portland Trail Blazers
2 of 8
By the numbers, Chris Kaman's production has so far been on par with his output in 39 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season—or even his performance with the Dallas Mavericks the season before that, when he started 52 games.
His 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds won't turn heads, but they're making an impact. After ranking dead last a season ago with just 23.6 points per game, the Portland Trail Blazers' second unit has made progress with Kaman in the fold, averaging 27.4 points through 11 games.
This team relies heavily on its starting five, so the bench production may not get much better than that. But after losing sixth man Mo Williams via free agency this summer, the Trail Blazers needed someone who could provide a lift when the starters take a seat. Kaman may not play the same position as Williams, but he can play much the same role in terms of his ability to score points quickly.
It's hard to imagine him keeping up the impressive 58 percent shooting, but the 32-year-old should have an effective season if he stays healthy.
6. Paul Pierce, SF, Washington Wizards
3 of 8
After Trevor Ariza's departure to the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards needed another swingman to be their starting small forward. They managed to get one of the most accomplished 3s in the game, and they did it without breaking the bank.
Paul Pierce inked a two-year deal worth nearly $11 million, and he'll have the option to either play out that second season or again become an unrestricted free agent.
It's clearly taking the 37-year-old some time to find a rhythm. Thus far, he's making just 34.4 percent of his field-goal attempts—easily a career low in the unlikely event it doesn't improve. But that hasn't stopped him from posting 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
And it hasn't affected his approach.
"It's not hard at all for me," Pierce told reporters earlier this month. "I don't even think about the last shots. I just continue to play. I feel like the next one's always going to go in. I never get discouraged. I don't lose confidence. That's just me. It's made me who I am today."
The Wizards could learn a thing or two from that thick-skinned mentality. This up-and-coming team is looking to build upon last season's semifinals appearance. To that end, Pierce's leadership may be even more important than his production.
"I love his fighting spirit," center Marcin Gortat told reporters in October. "We still need to keep building chemistry, but hopefully [Pierce is] the guy that can bring us to the Finals."
5. Lance Stephenson, G/F, Charlotte Hornets
4 of 8
Ordinarily, making just 37.8 percent of your field-goal attempts wouldn't put you near the top of many lists—not good ones anyway. And coming off a season in which he made an impressive 49.1 percent of those attempts, it's safe to assume Lance Stephenson isn't quite himself just yet.
Notwithstanding his early struggles from the field, the 24-year-old is once again filling stat sheets in a variety of ways, averaging 9.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists to go along with those admittedly modest 9.5 points per game.
"I'm just trying to get boards," Stephenson told reporters earlier this month. "My offensive game is not coming. I'm working on that, learning how to score in this offensive system."
After four seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson is a fairly known quantity by now. While he became a distraction at times last season, he was a consistent source of energy, defensive effort and playmaking. Those things will help the Hornets take another step, even if their slow 4-7 start doesn't show it.
4. Chandler Parsons, SF, Dallas Mavericks
5 of 8
Chandler Parsons is still adjusting, and that should surprise no one.
The 26-year-old is looking to find his niche alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis after spending his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets, who declined to match this summer's offer from the Dallas Mavericks. As a restricted free agent, Parsons' fate was ultimately controlled by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who opted to prioritize financial flexibility.
The change of scenery became one of this offseason's most dramatic. An emerging star joined an in-state rival in a bid to discover his potential—and to get paid.
He told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears in July:
"Honestly, I was offended by the whole process. They publicly said that they were going out looking for a third star when I thought they had one right in front of them. I guess that's just how they viewed me as a player. I don't think I've scratched the surface of where I can be as a player, and I think I'm ready for that role.
You can't knock them for always trying to get better. Morey is very aggressive, is a genius, a great GM, and I have nothing but respect for those guys. And they are looking to make their team better. That's what they were doing. I just thought I could be that guy that could do that.
"
Parsons will make $14.7 million this season, the first of a three-year deal in which the third is a player option. Despite an uneven start that includes three sub-.200 shooting performances, the fourth-year veteran is well on his way to earning that money.
"I never went through a slump like that," Parsons told reporters earlier this month. "...But just stay confident. I shoot too many jumpers every single day, shoot the ball well every day in practice, so it's going to transfer over. You just can't let it get in your head. You don't focus on that part."
It hasn't been all bad news by any means. Parsons has also topped 20 points three times en route to Dallas' 8-3 start, averaging 14.3 points and five rebounds per game in the process. Those numbers are almost certain to improve in short order.
3. Darren Collison, PG, Sacramento Kings
6 of 8
By season's end, Parsons may very well surpass Darren Collison in these rankings. For now, though, there's no denying that the 27-year-old point guard has been instrumental to the Sacramento Kings' solid 6-5 start to the 2014-15 campaign.
The sixth-year floor general is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 35 minutes per contest—all of which would be career highs if sustained.
Sacramento signed Collison to a relatively modest three-year deal this summer. According to HoopsHype.com, he'll make just $4,797,664 this season—an absolute bargain rate given his production to this point. And when put in context of other starting guards' salaries (e.g., the five-year, $70 million pact Eric Bledsoe recently reached with the Phoenix Suns), this deal almost seems exploitative.
After he only started 35 games last season for a Los Angeles Clippers team led by Chris Paul, some of Collison's value may have been obscured. That won't be the case in Sacramento, where Collison ranks as the club's best playmaker and perhaps its third-best scoring option behind DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.
After sending Isaiah Thomas to the Suns, the Kings needed a replacement. So it's no surprise they were the first organization to contact Collison.
"That's what you've got to go with," Collison told reporters earlier this month. "You want to play for a team that really wants you first."
Making Collison a priority appears to have been one of this summer's savvier free-agency decisions. And it just might return this team to the playoff conversation—seriously.
2. Pau Gasol, F/C, Chicago Bulls
7 of 8
Per ESPN.com, a 21.52 player efficiency rating is no accident, even with just 10 games of work under his belt so far.
Pau Gasol is averaging 18.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per contest after inking a three-year deal with the Chicago Bulls this summer. While those numbers put him on pace for his best season since 2010-11, the even more impressive contributions are his 2.5 blocks per game—a mark that would rank as his career best should it continue.
As Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding put it this week, "Gasol, 34, has been motivated this season to recapture his old form, a reflection of how stale his existence had become with the Lakers. Gasol's 27 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks Thursday marked his first time with that much productivity in all three categories since April 2010—before his last championship hurrah with the Lakers."
There's a lot to like about a healthy and motivated Gasol, especially if you're head coach Tom Thibodeau. With reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah and sixth man Taj Gibson in the fold, Thibodeau now has perhaps the best three-man interior rotation in the league.
And while Gasol isn't yet matching his career mark of 3.3 assists per game, his passing ability will take some pressure off former MVP Derrick Rose, who's returned to action this season after three injury-plagued campaigns.
This is a deep team with plenty of key contributors, but Gasol has been as responsible as anyone for the strong 8-3 start.
1. LeBron James, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
8 of 8
At least one man isn't questioning LeBron James' decision to leave the Miami Heat after four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. While in town for Wednesday night's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was asked if he was surprised the two-time MVP had returned to the team that drafted him back in 2003.
Popovich told reporters:
"No. I always thought you guys always had something to say. If LeBron went right, you said he should have gone left. If he shot, he should have passed it. If he passed it, he should have shot it, and I always thought that was all baloney.
He's a great player. He's not just athletic. He's incisive. He understands the game the way Magic [Johnson} did, the way Larry [Bird] did, the way Tim Duncan does. He knows a whole lot more about what he's doing and what he has been doing than you all. He's a character guy, he's good people, and he's got a great heart.
"
After sticking up for LBJ, Popovich also put the Cavs' uneven start to the season in perspective.
"Whatever you think of the Cavs now, good, bad or in between, they're going to be a heck of a lot better come playoff time," he added. "With coach [David Blatt], the players they have, the character of the players, management is going to do what they need to do, it's only going to get better.
"And I'm not just blowing smoke. That's a fact."
Even in the early goings, however, James has been stellar. He's averaging 27.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists through his first nine games—seven of which required at least 40 minutes from the 29-year-old. Despite All-Star sidekicks Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, there's already little doubt that James will maintain his MVP-caliber form under Blatt and Co.
But if you really want to grasp James' value to the Cavaliers, you'll have to look past the numbers.
This chapter of his iconic career will put intangibles to the test as well.
"I've taken on the burden of leading young guys, getting them to understand what it takes to win" James told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard this week, "And it takes more than just basketball. It's about being a professional, not having a sense of entitlement, being grateful that you're a part of this league.
"Those things have a lot to do with winning. It's going to take a while. When you're losing, you pick up a lot of bad habits. When you walk into the building every night and don't even expect to win, that wears on you, and it takes a while to break it."
Building a new culture is especially essential for still-developing talents like Irving and shooting guard Dion Waiters. Fortunately, they're playing with one of basketball's finest architects.
