NBA Free Agency Grades
- C. Max Bachmann
- Jul 1, 2019
- 3 min read
NBA Free Agency has finally arrived -- and arrived with a bang it certainly has. In just the first twelve hours of the window being open, over three billion dollars had been spent on free agents across the league. Rosters have been completely revamped and players have been scattered, yet we are only two days into the signing window. Come October, when the 2019/2020 season begins, each team will look extremely different.
In this article I'm going to grade each major free agent signing up to this point. The moves will be graded both on price and team fit as well as the way each move alters the cap situation of the team. Of course, all moves aren't final until July 6th, so there could be slight changes to each move.
KD, Kyrie, and Deandre Jordan to the Nets
Obviously we have to start with the biggest move of the day. Brooklyn landing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Deandre Jordan instantly puts them into the championship conversation. Although they may not be an elite team next year with Durant sidelines, they should be title favorites the year after and into the future.
This deal makes absolute sense. You don't say no to players like Irving and Durant if they show interest in joining your team. Financially, both players get the Max, which was to be expected. From a basketball standpoint, this move is amazing. Kyrie Irving is best suited as a secondary star and not the main option on a team with championship aspirations. Paired next to Durant, who will be the focal point of the offense, Irving will thrive. Add into the mix existing Brooklyn players like Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, and new signee Deandre Jordan, and you are looking at a team as good as any in the league.
The one question mark is of course Durant's injury status. An Achilles injury is one of the most devastating injuries you can get in sports, and it will be interesting to see how KD recovers from it. With that being said, Durant isn't overly reliant on his athleticism -- he's a sharpshooter who can glide across the court and score at will -- so I don't believe the injury will hamper him as much as a Westbrook or Rose type player.
Grade: A
D-Lo goes to Golden State
After Brooklyn's overhaul, there was never going to be room for emerging star D'Angelo Russell. The Ohio State grad was signed for a reported 4 yr/$117 million and then traded to Golden State in addition to Shabazz Napier and Traveon Graham.
The move seemingly doesn't make much sense upon first glance. Russell is a non-factor on defense and plays the same exact positions as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Although he is talented, he doesn't fit any of the Warriors' needs. However, as Marc Stein of the New York Times has reported, he may not be in their long term plans.
"They [Golden State] just wanted to make sure they did not see Kevin Durant, arguably the best player in the league when healthy, walk out the door for nothing. They got a 23-year-old All-Star, and they will trade him. It's just a matter of when" Stein noted.
With that in mind the move seems to be a bit more intriguing. If GM Bob Myers and the Warriors can find a way to fit the twenty-three year old Russell into their system, great. If not, they pawn him off next year to a team in need of a young and technically gifted guard.
Grade: B-
Kemba goes Green
Cardiac Kemba has brought his talents to Boston in an alleged 4 yr/$144 deal. Walker deserves a change of scenery after years of playing on mediocre Charlotte teams. Although Walker is less offensively-gifted than his predecessor Kyrie Irving, he may be a better fit both in play and mentality in the Celtics' system.
Kemba is a hard-nosed competitor who makes up for average height and athleticism with his drive. He can play great off the pick-and-roll and can give the Celtics twenty-five per game relatively efficiently.
The Celtics were always going to have a hard time replacing Irving -- Kemba Walker was one of the best options available to do it.
Grade: A-
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