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2017 NBA free agency: 5 best signings of the summer

By Nate Wolf

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 6: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz plays defense against Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 6: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz plays defense against Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

With few free agents still available, it’s time to look back at the best signings of what has been an increasingly crazy 2017 NBA free agency period.

Although some big-ish names like Nerlens Noel, Nikola Mirotic and Tony Allen are still free agents, the first wave of free agency has long passed. Nearly every team has its core in place for next season, and with NBA Summer League over, they’re focusing their attention on training camp in September.

This offseason, however, has been nothing short of wild. Five stars – Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap – have changed teams, and Kyrie Irving may be next. All around the league, teams are furiously trying to catch up with the Golden State Warriors.

And look, that chase is probably futile. This Dubs team may be the best in NBA history. With that being said, there’s no use waving the white flag, and most of the teams who made high-stakes moves this summer deserve praise.

You’ll see a few of those moves on this list, which ranks the best acquisitions of the free agency period. But you’ll also see some smaller moves for bargain role players. Either way, the criteria is pretty simple: What kind of impact will the signing make? How team-friendly is the contract?

For the sake of consistency, I did not include sign-and-trade deals in which assets went in the opposite direction. Yes, the Rockets made a shrewd move to get Chris Paul, but comparing the forfeiture of Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and a couple youngsters to – say – the signing of Gordon Hayward is like comparing apples and oranges.

Aside from that one stipulation, I gave myself free reign to look at every signing, whether the player changed cities, returned to his previous team, or joined the association for the first time. My colleague Simon Smith previously ranked the worst signings of the summer. Here are the five signings I picked out as truly excellent.