NBA Offseason: The Winners and Losers of Free Agency
This was the summer that everyone had been looking forward to since the summer of 2007. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all resigned with their teams but for only three years. That meant, if the Cavs, Heat, and Raptors were not able to build a championship caliber team around them, they would “take their talents” elsewhere. As time progressed, the build up and anticipation grew. None of the teams were really able to build a team around their respective superstar that could put up the banners and take home the jewelry. Therefore it became evident that come 2010, there would be a major shakeup in the landscape of the NBA. Many teams who felt they had a chance to lure in the big free agents like the Knicks and Nets threw away their rosters (the Knicks did two straight years) for a chance at the 2010 free agent pool. This summer definitely did not disappoint, and the fireworks clearly exploded. Let’s take a look at what teams are celebrating, and what teams are left scratching their heads.
THE WINNERS
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Miami Heat – Without a doubt, the Heat came out as the ultimate winner of the free agency sweepstakes. They were able to catch the three biggest fish in the pond in Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and resigning Dwayne Wade. Pat Riley has set up the foundation for a team that will be in contention for the championship for years. Granted some pieces are still needed, the Heat did the best job bringing in players to help them win now.
Utah Jazz – The Jazz made their key acquisition with Al Jefferson. He is an underrated power forward that will be great in the Jazz offense. Jefferson has a better post game than former Jazz Carlos Boozer. Jefferson will finally get the spotlight he deserves and will consistently fill up the stat sheet with double-doubles. They were also able to pickup defensive specialist Raja Bell after outbidding the Lakers. The key losses for the Jazz were Carlos Boozer, Wesley Mathews, and Kyle Korver. I still think bringing in Jefferson outweighs their losses. If healthy, the Jazz have a chance to compete for the second spot in the west. D-Will, Memo, AK-47, Al Jefferson, and C.J. Miles form a solid starting lineup that has playoff experience.
Chicago Bulls – The Bulls did an excellent job building around star player Derrick Rose this offseason. Even though they were not able to lure in Lebron James, Chicago did not give up on the market like most other teams. They were able to bring in Carlos Boozer who will be a solid post presence and addresses what the team was lacking the most. They were also able to sign role players like Kurt Thomas, Ronnie Brewer, CJ Watson, and Kyle Korver. All are nice pieces to put around Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and the Bulls should end up with home court advantage in the first round in a stacked Eastern Conference.
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Los Angeles Lakers – The defending champion Lakers did not just sit around while their competition got stronger. The Lakers made the move that they had to in re-signing Derek Fisher and bringing back Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson in their quest for the three-peat. The Lakers may have not brought in any major free agents, but the moves they made ensured them to be the favorites to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy again come next June. They addressed their need for a stronger bench, and fortified it with the signings of Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Theo Ratlif. It brings more toughness into the team, and these guys are perfect for PJ’s triangle offense. The Lakers let it be known that they are still the favorites to win.
THE LOSERS
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New York Knicks – The Knicks had put all their eggs in the Lebron James basket and were not able to bring him in. After pretty much tanking the last two seasons and clearing salary cap to bring in James, it was quite a disappointment in New York when James announced he was going to Miami. They tried to convince James by signing Amare Stoudamire. They spent too much money on him, and I believe he will struggle without having Steve Nash at point guard. The Knicks are now hoping to get Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in the next two seasons. The Knicks need to stop aiming for the future and start planning for now.
New Jersey Nets – With new billionaire Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, hopes in New Jersey were definitely high. The Nets never had a chance at Lebron James and missed out on Carlos Boozer after giving him a low-ball offer. All the Nets have been able to bring in is Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, and new head coach Avery Johnson. It’s going to take a lot more than that to help the team that finished with the worst record in the league. At this point, the Nets can’t wait to move to Brooklyn to create some kind of positive news.
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Minnesota Timberwolves – With the worst general manager in the league David Kahn, it’s no wonder the Wolves find themselves on this list. They gave up their franchise player Al Jefferson, signed flop Darko Milicic to a mind-boggling $20 million contract, and also picked up pothead Michael Beasly. They also decided to pick up four more point guards with Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, Delonte West, and Sebastian Telfair to backup last year’s draft pick PG Johnny Flynn. Also drafted were the rights to Ricky Rubio. I wonder how they plan on splitting up the playing time. At the end of the day, David Kahn is a joke, and I do not understand how he still has a job.
Cleveland Cavaliers – No team suffered more than the Cavs from this off season. They lost the one thing Cleveland had to brag about—Lebron James. This news came deservingly so to owner Dan Gilbert who was oblivious to the fact that all signs pointed to James leaving. Gilbert fired Coach Mike Brown and pushed out general manager Danny Ferry who both warned them of James and his posse who were making ridiculous demands. This may be the first time that the team with the best record one season is followed with the worst record the next season. The Cavs are devastated, and not being able to resign Lebron has set the franchise back another 10 years.
