This year, the NBA had maybe its wildest free agency ever. Major stars switched teams and a rising salary cap led to players getting bigger contracts than ever. DM sportswriters Bradley Blaylock and Que’Taurus Certion graded how a few of the teams did this offseason.
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Golden State Warriors:
Bradley Blaylock: A+
If I could give the Warriors a higher grade than 100 percent, I would. They signed former MVP Kevin Durant. The Warriors had to give up Festus Ezeli, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut to make this signing possible, but it was worth it. Golden State also signed veteran power forward David West and center Zaza Pachulia. The Warriors won a record-setting 73 games last year and are even better now. This is like if at the end of “Space Jam” Michael Jordan had decided to switch and play for the Monstars.
Que’Taurus Certion: A+
How could the best regular season team in NBA history possibly get any better and have the best free agency of all the teams in the league? By signing superstar forward Kevin Durant. This move, while not loved by many fans, gives the Warriors four all-star players in guard Klay Thompson, forwards Draymond Green and Kevin Durant and reigning unanimous MVP Stephen Curry. This Warriors bunch has the potential to be even better than last year, but they gave up core pieces in Barnes, Bogut and Ezeli in order to do so.
Memphis Grizzlies:
Bradley Blaylock: B+
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The Grizzlies made a splash by re-signing Mike Conley to a five year max contract. Conley’s numbers were down last year, but that was more to do with injuries than his actual ability. The Grizzlies also signed Chandler Parsons, who, when healthy, is a lethal scorer. Throw those two in with Tony Allen, Zach Randolf and Marc Gasol and you have a top 3-4 starting lineup in the Western conference. The only reason they didn’t receive a higher grade was because Chandler Parsons and Mike Conley are coming off injuries.
Que’Taurus Certion: C+
The Grizzlies succeeded this offseason in re-signing guard Mike Conley and acquiring forward Chandler Parsons. It was key for the Grizzlies to regain their playmaker in Conley and added a much needed boost on the offensive end Parsons. However, it can be argued that the Grizzlies vastly overpaid for Conley with his new five year, $153 million contract, as he now makes more than superstar point guards Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. The Grizzlies had a nearly stagnant offseason in that the team is essentially the same.
New York Knicks:
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Bradley Blaylock: C+
The Knicks were busy this offseason, signing Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah and trading for Derrick Rose. Those acquisitions are added to forwards Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porziņģis to make their new starting five. If this were five years ago, I would say this team wins the whole thing easily, but Rose hasn’t had a good season in five years. Noah has consistently seen his minutes decrease over the past several seasons. If Rose and Noah can have flashback seasons then this could be a dangerous team, but I expect them to be slightly above average.
Que’Taurus Certion: B+
The Knicks made move after move in this free agency. They have acquired guards Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday, Courtney Lee, Brandon Jennings and center Joakim Noah, among others. The organization has nearly restructured its entire roster and put players around superstar Carmelo Anthony and rising star Kristaps Porziņģis. These moves have definitely created a buzz around the Big Apple, but fans can only wonder what player they are getting in the injury-prone Rose and aging big man Noah. Only time will tell with this Knicks team but there is great potential.
Dallas Mavericks:
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Bradley Blaylock C+
Coming into free agency the Dallas Mavericks were linked to several big name free agents like Mike Conley and Hassan Whiteside. The problem is they missed out on both of them, eventually signing Harrison Barnes to a max contract. Barnes is an unproven player who averaged 11.7 points per game and is simply not worth the money. I just don’t foresee Barnes living up to the hype that everyone seems to blindly throw at him. The Mavericks also traded a second round pick for Andrew Bogut, but I think that was the only bright side off their offseason.
Que’Taurus Certion: B-
The Dallas Mavericks made sure not leave free agency empty-handed two years in a row when they signed forward Harrison Barnes. They also re-signed guard Deron Williams and other role players. The Mavericks have added much needed youth with Barnes but many question if he was worth the money after a lackluster performance in the finals with the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks are also hoping to revive the career of Williams and add much needed quality play from the guard position.
The Chicago Bulls:
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Bradley Blaylock: B+
The Bulls finally moved on from the Derrick Rose experiment by trading Rose to the Knicks for Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant. Rose was not playing like the Derrick Rose of old, and they needed to move on and get a few quality role players in return. To put the cherry on top, the Bulls signed free agents Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Rondo revived his career last year in Sacramento and Dwyane Wade is a solid star. The Bulls immediately became a top four team in the Eastern Conference. The only thing that concerns me is the personalities and playing styles of Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler working together.
Que’Taurus Certion: B
The Bulls took care of business last summer by re-signing superstar Jimmy Butler. This offseason, the team continued to make moves in the free agency and signed superstar Dwyane Wade and last year’s leader in assists, Rajon Rondo. The addition of Wade was a major achievement for the Bulls but fans can only wonder if they really just signed for an older version of Butler. The two have similar styles in that they are terrific slashers to the rim and a threat from midrange, but both struggle with deep shots. The addition of Rondo does not fix this either, as he has made a career from his passing and rebounding at point guard. The moves made by the team are attention grabbers but the cohesion and offensive capability of the team are questionable.
The Boston Celtics:
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Bradley Blaylock: B
The Celtics signed former Atlanta Hawks All-Star big man Al Horford, who is a more than capable scorer, strong defender, and solid rebounder. They had to let Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger walk, but Horford easily makes up for their production and then some. The Celtics also re-signed solid role players Jonas Jerebko and Amir Johnson. These moves put the Celtics as a top four team in the conference. However, the Celtics are still another move away from seriously competing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Que’Taurus Certion: C
The addition of Al Horford was a major move for this young Celtic core. Gaining an experienced and proven leader in Horford from his time with the Atlanta Hawks is a major improvement for the team. However the Celtics freed up space for two max players and failed in the Kevin Durant lottery and signing any other notable free agents. The hopes are, now that Horford is onboard, they can try to add another star next free agency.
