It’s been 13 days since the start of NBA free agency and the league has seen a ton of player movement, which has been the normal in this era of the NBA. I will be ranking the best 10 moves so far off the offseason
10- Draymond Green 4yrs 100 million Warriors to Warriors
The Warriors locked up the final piece of there core 3. His offensive regression leave some skeptical of how much he can really help the team at this stage in his career but he is still one of the best defensive players not only in the league but of all time and allows the warriors to play “small ball”. As long as Steph Curry is playing high level basketball they Warriors have a shot at a championship but retaining Draymond has made that goal much more realistic
9- Eric Gordon 2 yrs 6 million Clippers to Suns
The Suns sign former Clippers guard Eric Gordon who at worst will be an excellent catch and shoot option for a star studded suns team. Along with that he provides ball handling and depth to suns roster that is extremely top heavy
8- Derrick Rose 2yrs 6 million Knicks to Grizzlies
The Grizzlies get an experienced and veteran point guard in Derrick Rose. A move that many NBA talking heads have been pleading for as it puts a leader an “adult” in the locker room. With star point guard Ja Morant slated to miss a fourth of the NBA regular season this gives them a fighters chance to stay alive for top seeding.
7- Kevin Love 2yr 7.6 million Heat to Heat
The Miami return an aging but reliable veteran big to there team. The numbers certainly won’t wow you but they don’t have to. At this stage in his career he adds leadership, experience, and toughness the exact things in line with Miami Heat culture
6- Dillion Brooks 4 yrs 86 million Grizzlies to Rockets
An excellent and underrated pickup, Dillion Brooks will be a god sent for this team. One of the league’s best on ball guards Brooks will thrive in Udoka’s system. His offense needs a little work to reach the productivity he had a few years ago but if he does he will be an integral piece of the rockets rebuild.
5- Brook Lopez 2 yrs 48 million Bucks to Bucks
The Bucks return one of the leagues, best shot blockers and rim deterrents in Brook Lopez. The Bucks were near the top of the league when it came to defensive rating last yr and are poised to maintain that defensive dominance again with Lopez and Antetokounmpo pairing. Lopez also shown to have an offensive renaissance the past yr, averaging his most points per game since the 2017-18 season and a career high in 3 point percentage at 37%. He has transformed his game to be the modern day stretch 5 big.
4- Fred VanVleet 3 yrs 128 million Raptors to Bucks
One of the more exciting moves of the offseason the Rockets signing the former 2019 NBA champion. VanVleet will provide an offensive spark and point guard stability to a team full with young and upcoming offensive talent. As well as being more than capable defensively for a small guard he should fit right into to what Udoka wants to build in Houston.
3- Khris Middleton 3 yrs 102 million Bucks to Bucks
The Bucks return another vital piece from their 2021 Championship run. Middleton being plagued with injuries the past couple years has prevented the Bucks from going deep into the playoffs. His elite ability in the midrange game and as shooter will be needed for the Bucks to reach such heights ever again.
2- Kyrie Irving 3 yrs 126 million Mavericks to Mavericks
Despite his “team destroyer” tag this was a great move for the Mavericks. With being able to avoid paying him a max contract along with a player option after year 2 the Mavericks have minimized the risk to them as much as possible. We saw glimpses during the season of the scoring avalanche the Mavericks can put on opposing teams when both Kyrie and Luke are playing up to standard. This move keeps that powerhouse offense intact
1- Austin Reaves 4 yrs 53 million Lakers to Lakers
The Lakers got this young and upcoming player for an absolute bargain. With reports expecting him to get close to 70-80 million dollars the Lakers were able to sign him for just 13 million a year and return a crucial piece of the team that reached the conference finals. With the ability to shoot the ball extremely well, defend, and be capable of putting the ball on the floor he’s the perfect supporting role for the Lakers.
