NBA Free Agents 2011: Latest Players To Ink Deals with New Teams
With trade talks dying down following a couple of potential Dwight Howard and Chris Paul deals dying, we're back to focusing on free agency and just who is left out there.
A few of the league's top free agents are still on the block, with Jamal Crawford and Nene Hilario showing no signs of where they could be headed. Rather than writing another speculative piece on where they could possibly be headed, we'll just write one that deals with what has already been set in stone and where five free agents will be playing next season.
These five players, ranging from minimal threats to possible superstars in the making, are officially on a roster and will soon be playing with either their same team from last year or a new one at the start of the regular season on December 25. A few key free agents have been signed, however, as offers from other teams could mean a few players being on the move.
This article made me depressed, not only for myself, but for the league and the world in general, and you'll soon find out why.
Here are five players that can no longer consider themselves as free agents.
Kwame Brown
1 of 5The deal: (God help us) One year, $7 million
Where do I even begin? We thought the Los Angeles Clippers signing Caron Butler to $8 million per season was steep, but the Golden State Warriors paying $7 million over a one-year period to Kwame Brown may just be the worst deal in the history of the game.
Is it possible to use the amnesty clause on someone you just signed? Because it seems that one of the executives in the front office had their kid write up a contract, probably in crayon, gave it to Brown and then told him to sign where the X was.
There's just no words on how to describe this deal, except that it's a complete travesty. Brown was solid last year with the Charlotte Bobcats averaging eight points and seven boards per game, but it's nowhere near worth $7 million. To make matters worse, he won't even be starting. He'll be playing behind a center with an even worse contract in Andris Biedrins.
The lockout taught nobody anything. This league's going to go bankrupt in a few years, and we'll look back and thank the Warriors for giving another $7 million to a backup center that has no offensive repertoire and is quite possibly the biggest draft bust in NBA history.
Marc Gasol
2 of 5The deal: Four years, $58 million
The Houston Rockets were foolish for thinking that they could possibly steal Marc Gasol out from under the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies announced at the beginning of the season that they're willing to match any offer an opponent gives to Gasol, and sure enough, they did it by matching the Rockets offer and bringing in the third-year center for a fourth year, where he is sure to be met with a warm welcome after leading the team to an impressive postseason run.
Impressive is saying the least. Gasol and Zach Randolph took over scoring duties following an injury to Rudy Gay and completely dominated the San Antonio Spurs on their way to their first second-round appearance in franchise history.
Gasol has the size to become a threat in this league, and he knew how to use it last season when he used it to post up, rebound, send back shots and play impressive defense against some of the league's top defenders in Tim Duncan, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins.
Averaging 15 points, 11 boards and two rebounds per game in his first ever postseason, Gasol will only be getting paid double what Kwame Brown will be making.
DeAndre Jordan
3 of 5The deal: Four years, $43.2 million
DeAndre Jordan is coming off a productive season where he averaged seven points, seven boards and two blocks per game in replacement of Chris Kaman and will be making only $1 million more than Kwame Brown will next season off the bench.
Despite the low statistics, Jordan was one of the league's top surprises, as he showed off an impressive display of athleticism while also showcasing superb defensive prowess.
Jordan's offensive game is severely limited to just alley-oops and put-backs, but at only 23 years old, we can only imagine that it will improve in time.
For now, we'll just sit back and watch Jordan as he assists Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon in making the Los Angeles Clippers the league's most entertaining team to observe, as well as a possible playoff contender come April.
Vince Carter
4 of 5The deal: Three years, $3 million
An underrated signing that features the Dallas Mavericks only a few days after bringing in Lamar Odom, high-flier Vince Carter now joins the squad as they set out on pursuit to defend their NBA title.
The Mavericks are doing a good job at it, too. They might have lost out on Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea, but they're doing all they can to replace those pieces by bringing in Odom and now signing the former Phoenix Sun to a contract that will only give him $1 million per year over the next three seasons.
At 34 years old, Carter isn't exactly the same athletic juggernaut that he was with Toronto and New Jersey, but he should still provide a reliable source of energy on both sides of the floor to a team that prides itself on balance.
This may be the most underrated signing of the year, as Carter is coming off a relatively solid season where he split time with the Suns and Orlando Magic while averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game.
I wonder how he feels knowing that Kwame Brown will be making $6 million more than him next season.
Roger Mason
5 of 5The deal: One year, no word on salary
Yes, Roger Mason. You are heading home, back to the same Washington Wizards team that allowed you to walk to the San Antonio Spurs when you became a free agent in 2008.
Alright, I'm not going to rain on his parade anymore. It's always a heartwarming deal when a player ends up playing for the team that he grew up on, which happens to be the Wizards in Mason's case. He was born and bred in D.C. and Maryland, and even went to school nearby at the University of Virginia.
Mason played with the Wizards in 2007 and 2008 and would have his first breakout NBA season, as he'd average nine points per game while converting on two three-pointers per game and shooting 40 percent from deep. It was the first time in his short career that he received a chance at significant minutes, and he took advantage by becoming a stellar perimeter threat.
However, Mason would become a free agent and head to the Spurs, where he would be given his first consistent starting job. He was playing unbelievable basketball all season long, as he'd average 12 points per game while converting on two three-pointers per game on 42 percent shooting. Following that season, it was all downhill as he'd follow that up with a dismal season, where he shot 33 percent from beyond the arc before going to New York and dealing with injury troubles.
Now, Mason returns home to the Wizards, where he had first breakout season, and hopefully, his second coming out as a legitimate threat.
We don't know the salary, but I can guarantee you it won't be $7 million.
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