NBA Free Agency Roundup: Miami Heat Shaping Identity, but Questions Still Loom
The run finally happened.
Up to this point, the NBA's free-agency period had been a stop-and-start affair. One player signed, then the league waited with bated breath for a domino effect that never came. In Gordon Hayward's case, he actually started, stopped and then started again.
But Thursday afternoon and night produced the first legitimate run of signings, and not just because the moratorium lifted and allowed contracts to be finalized. In quick succession, Milos Teodosic, Dirk Nowitzki, Kelly Olynyk, Rudy Gay, Vince Carter and James Johnson came off the board, and two of them joined the revamped Miami Heat.
Across the board, rosters are finally starting to take their full, potentially final shapes. Some, like the San Antonio Spurs, are filling in the cracks. Others, like the South Beach residents, are trying to tease out their identity for the 2017-18 season.
Miami has added and brought back a significant amount of talent this summer. But does it all fit together?
The Miami Heat Are Making Moves
1 of 13
How do you celebrate bringing back Dion Waiters? By adding Kelly Olynyk into the mix, of course!
The Miami Heat landed the sharp-shooting big man for four years and $50 million, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, and there's a player option for the final season of his new deal. Now, there's just one problem.
Does he actually fit with this roster?
If you ask Bleacher Report's resident Heat expert Zach Buckley, the answer is a definitive no. Here's how he reacted to the signing on Twitter, complete with the infamous shrug: "Can Olynyk play with Whiteside? No. Can Bam play with Whiteside? No. Can Olynyk play with Bam? No. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"
This roster is admittedly confusing and overcrowded in the frontcourt, and it's now paying out over $100 million to Waiters and Olynyk. Throw in Tyler Johnson's salary, which balloons to $18 million for 2017-18, and this team is getting expensive in expeditious fashion.
But fear not, because more moves are coming.
The Vertical's Shams Charania reported Miami plans to send Josh McRoberts, who recently opted into the final year of his contract, and a second-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for A.J. Hammons. However, the second-year Purdue product isn't the prize here. Cap space is.
By removing McRoberts' $6 million from the books, the Heat give themselves enough room to re-sign James Johnson, which is exactly what they did. Per Wojnarowski, Johnson has agreed to a four-year deal (reported at $60 million by the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds) to remain in Miami. And as he proved last year, the late-developing forward is malleable enough to fit with any lineup, which makes it far easier to stagger minutes between Hassan Whiteside, Olynyk and rookie center Bam Adebayo.
What Miami's doing is confusing. It puts a lot of pressure on head coach Erik Spoelstra to develop a workable system that maximizes the unique talents of his bigs. But at least there's a significant amount of that talent in South Beach, even after it whiffed in its Gordon Hayward pursuit.
—B/R's Adam Fromal
Gordon Hayward-for-Jae Crowder Trade Is 'Close'
2 of 13
As the Boston Celtics continued trying to dump the salary necessary to sign Gordon Hayward, rumors of the sign-and-trade first reported by Tony Jones and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune were gaining steam.
A source told the Boston Herald's Mark Murphy the deal was "close." Crowder would be heading to the Utah Jazz, while Hayward ends up in Beantown, with a presser to follow in the next couple days. But later in the night, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that talks were dormant, though the C's were still shopping Crowder, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley around the league.
Losing a top-20 player is still a gut punch for Utah, but, if it regains steam, this would be a best-case scenario. Crowder has three years and $21.9 million left on the best contract in the NBA. To get him rather than losing Hayward for nothing—or even for the typically inconsequential returns in these situations—is a big friggin' deal.
Slot Crowder in a lineup with Ricky Rubio, Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert, backed up by a bench that still ranks among the league's deepest, and the Jazz have a relevant playoff team on their hands.
They'll also have a large trade exception coming their way if no other pieces are involved—something in the neighborhood of $22.9 million. They can then turn around and parlay that money into another impact player who's falling out of favor in his current digs.
And yet, there have to be more moving parts here.
Unless trading Crowder to the Celtics was an under-the-table condition of Hayward's arrival, the Celtics are shorting their own stock. They need to clear salary, but giving up one of the NBA's best values doesn't make sense when you can just as readily dump the expiring, soon-to-be-far-more-expensive Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart.
This deal misses the mark for Boston without another primo asset. Even then, Utah can't offer many attractive picks—none worthy of Crowder's contract. And if the Celtics are truly bent on dumping him, they might as well ship him elsewhere. They're going to get Hayward anyway once they clear the salary; they should aim to turn someone like Crowder into a top-shelf pick or prospect rather than use him to essentially land someone they already have.
San Antonio Gets Spursy
3 of 13
Let's say you're an NBA player.
Beyond that, you're coming off a torn Achilles and preparing to celebrate your 31st birthday in August. Your game has always been predicated upon your athletic prowess, which makes it even tougher to imagine coming back successfully from the rehab of an injury that's typically anathema to productive late careers.
What would you do?
Sign with the San Antonio Spurs, of course.
That's exactly what Rudy Gay has done, inking a two-year deal worth $17 million that contains a player option for the second season, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski. Not only has he made himself a good chunk of cash—granted, not as much as the $14 million for 2017-18 alone that he turned down from the Sacramento Kings—while preserving financial flexibility if he returns to form sooner than expected, but he's landed with a contender that gives him a legitimate shot at chasing after the first ring of his career.
Depending on his health, the Spurs could use Gay in two different ways. He could be an incredible talent off the pine, boosting the second unit that always torments foes with his two-way play. Or, he could work his way into the starting lineup to produce alongside Tony Parker (when healthy), Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Either way, head coach Gregg Popovich will manage to maximize his skill set and make sure his recovery from such a devastating injury goes as smoothly as possible.
—B/R's Adam Fromal
.png?w=256)
Vince Carter Is Not Chasing a Ring
4 of 13
Don't tell Father Time, because he might get mad.
Vince Carter isn't done playing high-quality basketball yet. Coming off an impressive two-way campaign for the Memphis Grizzlies, the 40-year-old swingman is cashing in one more time by signing an $8 million contract to play the 2017-18 season with the Sacramento Kings, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Remember when Carter was going to chase after some jewelry? So much for that. The Kings, even if they've continued to put together an impressive offseason, are fighting an uphill battle just to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference. They'll still be heavy favorites to finish in the lottery, no matter how frequently Carter is able to turn back the clocks with ferocious slams.
But this is still a great opportunity for everyone involved.
The veteran won't need to play too many minutes during his age-41 season, which allows Justin Jackson and the team's other young wings to continue (or start) their development on the NBA hardwood. He can also team up with new acquisitions George Hill and Zach Randolph to provide veteran leadership and mentor the youngsters when they're not using their old-man tricks.
Carter doesn't push Sacramento too much higher in the pecking order. He does, however, have the potential to make a lasting impact as the Kings attempt to rebuild the right way.
"That's not my thing," Carter told Sports Illustrated about ring-chasing.
He wasn't lying.
—B/R's Adam Fromal
2021 Free Agency Is Gonna Be L-I-T
5 of 13
Gordon Hayward left the Utah Jazz for the Boston Celtics in the year 2017, so, naturally, the Milwaukee Bucks must start worrying about Giannis Antetokounmpo staging his own heel turn in 2021.
Here's ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski speaking on The Russillo Show (h/t Sporting News):
"Milwaukee's going to go through this with the Greek Freak. That day's coming, right? Where he's going to look and say, 'Where is this organization? What are they doing here?' Like, you don't think Giannis has been watching what went on there for the last several months? Of what they allowed to go on with the front office? He's watching it. And the clock has started. Everybody in the league is trying to figure out how they are going to get him out of there. That has started."
So, like, I have so many questions.
Is "everybody in the league" trying to get him out of Milwaukee right now? As in, actively and persistently? Or is this just a situation in which rival general managers call randomly—you know, just to see what's up?
Has Antetokounmpo given any inclination he'd leave the Bucks in four years? Isn't that almost a half-decade down the line? And isn't that nearly 20 percent of the 22-year-old's entire lifespan? How can someone so young know where they'll be, or where exactly they want to be, or what the place they're currently in will look like, that far in advance?
Four years come at you fast in the NBA. There's no disputing that little slice of spinach pie—especially when it was baked and served by Woj the All-Knowing. But Bucks fans needn't lose their heads. The front office is a mess, but the team has some irons in the fire.
Malcolm Brogdon is already a stud. Thon Maker often looks like he'll soon join him. Jabari Parker is a No. 2 overall pick, not a lost cause. Khris Middleton is one of the 10 or 12 best wings in the league and doesn't turn 26 until August. D.J. Wilson was a reach at No. 17, but he's a stretchy big with switchy defensive potential.
Fret over 2021 two years from now, when all of these players are known commodities, both swings and misses. Right now, the Bucks are rising through the East on the back of a top-10 player who isn't old enough to rent a car in New York without incurring some sort of surcharge. That's a pretty damn good place to be.
Long. Liveth. Dirk.
6 of 13
Kevin Durant accepted nearly $10 million fewer than he was eligible to make in his new contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Dirk Nowitzki's pay cut is larger, and therefore better, which in turn means he is a cooler teammate and the superior human being. Or something.
Sources told ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon that Nowitzki has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, continuing his career-long tradition of playing for the Dallas Mavericks and giving those same Dallas Mavericks sizable discounts.
Nowitzki was initially slated to earn $25 million in 2017-18, making this a roughly $20 million donation to the Bank of Mark Cuban. Granted, this decision was the Mavericks'. They had a team option for the sweet-shooting skyscraper, just as they will on the second year of this pact. They declined, so it wasn't necessarily Nowitzki's choice.
At the same time, it kind of was.
Dallas and Nowitzki reached his previous deal last summer with the expectation they would go this route to chase more high-end free agents. It's a little weird this contract comes before the Mavericks have made a significant splash, but hey: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (restricted), C.J. Miles and Shelvin Mack remain available.
There's still time for Dallas to put Nowitzki's eight-figure generosity to good use.
Plus, to be fair, shelling out $25 million for the 39-year-old last season was an overpay. He remains the billboard for loyalty, but this isn't highway robbery.
Milos Teodosic Goes Hollywood
7 of 13
The best playmaker not in the NBA is now in the NBA.
Milos Teodosic is joining the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year deal, with a player option for 2018-19, worth $12.3 million, according to Wojnarowski. He is now part of a backcourt rotation that includes Patrick Beverley, Austin Rivers and Lou Williams.
Adding a distributor of Teodosic's caliber is a small-time coup for the Clippers. He's a pass-first point guard capable of playing off other ball-handlers. He canned 38.1 percent of his three-pointers in the Euorleague last year while dishing out 8.9 assists per 36 minutes.
Turnovers can be the floor general's Achilles heel, and he doesn't have the foot speed to defend top-tier guards. But Los Angeles needs someone to feed DeAndre Jordan lobs now that Chris Paul is tossing them to Clint Capela, and Teodosic is tall enough, at 6'5", to be stashed on weaker links who play the 2 and 3 spots.
Kudos to the Clippers for rebounding admirably after losing a top-10 player in Paul. Their roster remains expensive, and they might not even win 45 games, but they have the talent and depth to make a small ruckus in the way-too-stacked Western Conference.
Grizzlies Bid Farewell to Zach Randolph in Style
8 of 13
If you're aspiring to play for the Memphis Grizzlies and wear No. 50 when you're all grown up, get a new dream.
Zach Randolph signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on July 4, effectively ending the Grit 'N' Grind era in the barbecued pork capital of the world. The Grizzlies announced on Thursday they would be retiring his jersey as a tribute to his eight years of service.
"Zach helped establish what it means to play for the Grizzlies on the court and in the community, and in doing so helped forge an identity for our City," general manager Chris Wallace and team president Jason Wexler wrote. "His numerous on-the-court accomplishments speak for themselves. He is our all-time leader in field goals, rebounds and of course, takedowns."
This is quite the gesture by the Grizzlies. It's a no-brainer, to be sure, because Randolph is now a Memphian at his core. But he's neither walking away from the game of basketball nor have the Grizzlies ever retired a player's jersey before.
No one who plays for Memphis will wear No. 50. This is big—mostly for what is says about Z-Bo, but also because the Grizzlies will have to sell Robert Sacre on wearing a different number if they ever recruit him.
Jamal Crawford: Still Coveted in 2017
9 of 13
During his 2016-17 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers, Jamal Crawford averaged 12.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists while continuing to function, as he always has, as an unabashed turnstile on defense. He shot just 41.3 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from outside the arc, and the Clippers saw their net rating decline by 13 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
And it gets worse.
His player efficiency rating (12.0) was lower than it's been since his rookie season, which came back in 2000-01 for the Chicago Bulls. ESPN.com's real plus/minus listed him at No. 85 among the 98 qualified shooting guards; he wasn't even the top-ranked player with his last name, since Jordan Crawford sat at No. 54. NBA Math's total points added showed that based on his per-possessions contributions and playing time, only nine contributors were more detrimental throughout the year.
Crawford was objectively bad in 2016-17. And yet, he continues to drum up major interest from teams in dire need of more second-unit scoring punch. That's just what happens when you make so many tough shots that it becomes easy to file away the ugly misses for another day.
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, he and the Atlanta Hawks continue to discuss a buyout after he was sent there in a double sign-and-trade involving Paul Millsap and Danilo Gallinari. Once that's completed, he'll receive serious consideration from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. The Boston Celtics must be added to the list as well, per Basketball Insiders' Michael Scotto.
But the Cavs may also be pulling ahead, which makes sense when you consider Crawford presumably desires a buyout with the Hawks because he'd like to land with a legitimate contender.
"The most Cleveland could pay Crawford is the taxpayer's mid-level exception to the salary cap (worth $5.2 million), but after conversing with James, Crawford is highly interested in joining the three-time defending Eastern Conference champs," Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon reported.
Crawford will provide highlights. He'll score points in bunches. But is he really the piece to close the gap between the Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors?
—B/R's Adam Fromal
Dallas Mavericks Want a Point Guard
10 of 13
The Dallas Mavericks may have drafted Dennis Smith Jr. to serve as their point guard of the future, but they're not done trying to upgrade the position. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the franchise that perennially chases after big names in free agency is now looking to Derrick Rose. They've emerged as a "serious contender," in fact.
Yay?
Rose can still function as a quality floor general, so long as he's put in the right situation. He doesn't add much on the defensive end and forces teams to live with his poor decisions around the bucket, but he can provide spurts of immense offensive production and put fans in seats. Then again, that last part isn't something the Mavericks should be worried about while their record-setting sellout streak remains in progress.
But he's no longer a game-changing presence, no matter what his reputation and per-game scoring average might lead you to believe.
Could he serve as a mentor to Smith and help him learn the ropes in the Association? Absolutely. Is he willing to? That's a different question, and the 28-year-old hasn't yet seemed ready to take a backseat role and stop trying to prove he can regain his former glory.
—B/R's Adam Fromal
The Knicks Won't Give You Carmelo Anthony for Nothing
11 of 13
Carmelo Anthony is no longer a superstar. He can still carry the load of an entire offense better than most, but at 33, he's a defensive liability who doesn't complement his jumper with a strong around-the-rim game.
Still, the New York Knicks won't give him away for free. And that's a problem.
"The Knicks have told people they don't want to take back older players on longer contracts in any transaction," ESPN.com's Ian Begley wrote. "At the same time, many in the organization feel it's best to trade Anthony. So that leaves New York in a tricky negotiating position."
This is the correct approach by the Knicks. There's no point taking back onerous contracts like Ryan Anderson's or whatever non-Kevin Love package the Cleveland Cavaliers are dangling when you're cannonballing into a youth movement.
But Anthony is owed $26.2 million next season, and his cap hit will explode if he doesn't waive his 15 percent trade kicker. Sending him into another team's space is out of the question. Few have that much room, and the ones that do won't pique Anthony's interest enough for him to ditch his no-trade clause.
Brokering a deal with teams barren of cap flexibility is tricky. Those suitors can take back 125 percent plus $100,000 of the outgoing salary. For the Knicks to ship Anthony off to a squad like the Houston Rockets, they'll need to bring in around $20.9 million in commitments.
That's awfully tough to do when you're not willing to soak up long-term money. Getting a third and fourth team involved could help, but those add-ons would still need sweeteners to absorb lucrative deals, leaving the Knicks to accept a package built around expiring pacts—and that's if they're lucky.
Good luck guesstimating the end result of this saga. If the Knicks aren't willing to soften their stance, Anthony may need to fork over the moon in buyout talks to extricate himself from New York before next season.
The Knicks Will, However, Chase Tim Hardaway Jr.
12 of 13
Though the New York Knicks haven't been able to acquire any of this summer's top-tier free agents, they aren't going to stop chasing after upside. And upside has a hefty price.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who broke out with the Atlanta Hawks in 2016-17 as a legitimate scoring threat, is now the lucky beneficiary of an offer sheet worth $71 million over the course of four years, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Obviously, that's a hefty sum. It comes out to an average annual value of $17.75 million, which seems bonkers to pay a man who just set new career highs by averaging 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He also wasn't too efficient while doing so, shooting just 45.5 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from downtown and 76.6 percent at the stripe.
But the upside is there, and the 2-guard is still only 25 years old.
When Hardaway was feeling it, he showed explosive offensive ability. He could swing the course of a game in just a few moments with his hot hand—which, it's worth noting, might actually be a thing again—and force the Hawks to willingly live with any subsequent cold stretches.
Whether Atlanta matches this offer is up in the air. According to USA Today's Sam Amick, they've planned on matching, but New York's monstrous offer, as well as the 15 percent trade kicker and player option for the fourth year reported by ESPN.com's Ian Begley, could make that tough.
Regardless of what happens, credit the Knicks for doing everything in their power to increase the long-term potential of their roster. This might be an overpay, but that's usually what it takes to lure a restricted free agent away from his former squad (and in this case, back to his other former squad).
—B/R's Adam Fromal
Top Remaining Free Agents
13 of 13
The talent pool is dwindling quickly, but quite a few impact players are still looking for homes. These are the top five free agents remaining from our original Big Board:
1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Restricted
The Detroit Pistons will likely match any offer sheet Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signs, but his two-way upside can still tempt teams into trying to lure him away. The ability to knock down three-pointers efficiently and lock down wings on the other end is always going to make for an appealing product, even if the former George Bulldog is still inconsistent.
2. Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Restricted
If the Pistons are matching for Caldwell-Pope, the Dallas Mavericks are likely doing the same thing for Nerlens Noel. He might not have any range to his offensive game, but his finishing ability around the hoop and tremendous interior defense more than make up for his deficits.
3. Dewayne Dedmon, C, Unrestricted
If you're looking for a breakout defender, Dewayne Dedmon is your best bet. The center is capable of hedging and recovering to protect the paint, and he's quick enough to switch onto smaller players for short spurts. He didn't get much credit for his work with the San Antonio Spurs, but he was a big reason the team was so stingy with any combination of players on the floor.
4. JaMychal Green, PF/C, Restricted
Upside, upside, upside. JaMychal Green doesn't seem to be in the Memphis Grizzlies' plans at this point, though that could change when he signs an offer sheet. But if someone is able to steal him away, he could more than justify the deal with his improving shooting touch and distributing work, as well as his defensive versatility.
5. Pau Gasol, PF/C, Unrestricted
Let's not kid ourselves. Pau Gasol plans to re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs after opting out of his contract, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, so no one else has much of a shot. And that's for the best, since head coach Gregg Popovich is the man best suited for maximizing this future Hall of Famer's enduring skill set.
—B/R's Adam Fromal
Dan Favale and Adam Fromal cover the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow them on Twitter, @danfavale and @fromal09.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
.png?w=480)
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "NFL star fakes injury at Savannah Bananas game")
.jpg?w=600 "NFL Stars Who Could Reset Market 💰")
