This won’t quite be the same NBA free agency period we had expected last offseason, with names like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Paul George signing extensions and taking themselves off the market.
Even without the big-ticket players off the table and only a few teams having cap space, the free agency landscape is still wide open. In recent years, the sign-and-trade has become a tool that opens up possibilities for teams without that traditional space, and general managers are getting more creative in how they implement it.
NBA free agency is set to begin and nearly 200 players around the league will be looking for deals. We’ll track it all here with real-time grades.
So where there is a mutual desire between player and team, cap space means less than ever if all parties are invested in making something work. Once you start factoring in multi-team deals, we find ourselves with a situation where almost anything can happen.
This is an offseason with almost 200 free agents around the NBA, so the player movement could be absolutely unprecedented. Kyle Lowry is a free agent, Kawhi Leonard opted out of his contract and will become a free agent (even though he might not even play most of next season), as did Chris Paul.
DeMar DeRozan is also a free agent, and this class could end up being a historic one for any number of reasons.
There should also be plenty of extensions around the NBA, including a max extension for Luka Doncic (although that may not be signed until after the Olympics). These extensions won’t officially be signed until after midnight EST, although it’s safe to say that teams and players will enter into negotiations and agreements in principle well beforehand.
We’re going to track and grade these Night 1 deals and the biggest deals thereafter, and we’ll do it right here. So come back frequently throughout the evening to keep up on what’s happening as we embark on one of the craziest nights of the NBA calendar, beginning at 6PM EST.
Kyle Lowry – 3 years, $90 million (Miami Heat)
The Miami Heat landed the biggest fish in the NBA free agency pond, acquiring Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade. This is a win for the Heat, although time will tell how much the 35-year-old Lowry actually moves the needle for a squad trying to work their way up the ranks in the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
Still, you can never complain about getting the best player available on the board, and once players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James and Paul George signed extensions with their current teams, Lowry became the cream of the 2021 crop.
Lowry had a solid season for the Raptors last year, averaging 17.2 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 44-40-88, and he should be a great addition to a roster with Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo.
The money is a lot, but from a talent perspective for a team hoping to compete for championships in the next three years, he does elevate their chances and opens their window slightly.
Grade: C+
Chris Paul – 4 years, $120 million (Phoenix Suns)
Chris Paul won’t be going anywhere after re-signing with the Phoenix Suns. His deal will be worth up to $120 million over the course of four years, and the Suns have the opportunity to run it back with a squad that cruised through the regular season and took the Milwaukee Bucks to six games in the NBA Finals.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago that Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets, posited that Chris Paul had the worst contract in sports. Since then, he took the OKC Thunder to the playoffs and the Phoenix Suns to the Finals, and earned himself another nine figures to boot.
Paul’s age-34 season was outstanding in 2020-21. He averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 50-39-93 and had a Leadership Per 36 minutes of roughly infinite value.
This contract might age poorly, but there are those who thought his previous contract would age poorly as well and they got that wrong. So let’s wait to bury Chris Paul and his Suns. Still this is a heap of long-term money, so we’ll grade accordingly.
Grade: C
DeMar DeRozan – 3 years, $85 million (Chicago Bulls)
The Chicago Bulls are building themselves quite the interesting team. After sign-and-trading for Lonzo Ball on Monday and signing Alex Caruso later in the evening, they added DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Apparently, the rumors that DeRozan would sign for the mid-level exception in the right situation were all for naught as he ended up getting one of the biggest deals of NBA free agency, signing a three-year deal worth $85 million. The Bulls didn’t just have to pay up in the form of salary, though, they also had to send out Thad Young and Al-Farouq Aminu in addition to a first-round pick and two second-round picks.
It’s a massive price to pay for a team where DeRozan’s fit is dubious. This deal may end up being favorable in the end, but in a team-friendly market, it’s hard to believe a better price couldn’t have been struck on the part of the Chicago Bulls.
Maybe it’s an overpay, but this is proof that the Bulls are serious about trying to compete next season, and they should be a whole lot better on the floor than they were last year.
Grade: D+
Kelly Olynyk – 3 years, $37 million (Detroit Pistons)
The Detroit Pistons got on the NBA free agency board by signing Kelly Olynyk to a three-year, $37 million deal. The Pistons freed up this space thanks to a draft-day trade of Mason Plumlee and the 37th overall pick for the 57th pick; an effective salary dump.
Olynyk represents a significant offensive upgrade from Plumlee and could be an outstanding partner on the offensive end for first overall draft pick Cade Cunningham. His pick and roll playmaking skills may unleash Olynyk, and on a roster now loaded with capable-to-excellent defenders, Olynyk’s deficiencies on that end may not seem so glaring.
He had a middling run with the Miami Heat to start last season before being traded to the Houston Rockets where he flourished. In the 24 games after the trade, Olynyk averaged 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game with shooting splits of 55-39-84. These numbers may not be replicable, but if the Pistons get even a toned-down version of this output they should be pleased.
Grade: B
Cory Joseph – 2 years, $10 million (Detroit Pistons)
It was obvious from the moment that Cory Joseph was acquired from the Sacramento Kings via trade that the Pistons would be waiving him, but they ended up re-signing him anyway. Only $2.4 million of his $12.6 million salary this year was guaranteed, so they still end up saving about $5 million this year in the end.
Grade: C+
Trey Lyles – 2 years, $10 million (Detroit Pistons)
It wouldn’t be a Troy Weaver offseason if we didn’t get one really perplexing move, but one isn’t bad all things considered. Trey Lyles played 23 games last season for the Spurs and averaged 5.0 points in 15.6 minutes per game. Also, apparently, he hates the city of Detroit. This man can likely expect to get Camby’d by Pistons Twitter at some point this season, at least until he proves Weaver right and redeems himself.
Lonzo Ball – 4 years, $85 million (Chicago Bulls)
The first announced deal comes in the form of a big contract for Lonzo Ball with the Chicago Bulls. As a restricted free agent, Ball will be moved via sign-and-trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to Chicago and all parties will be able to skirt around the time and hassle that goes with offer sheet minutiae.
Ball had his most productive season last year for the Pelicans, averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 41-37-78, and a Bulls franchise under pressure to win now with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic now has another piece of the competitive puzzle.
Grade: B
Mike Conley – 3 years, $68 million (Utah Jazz)
The Utah Jazz took the first step to keeping their No. 1 seeded core together for the foreseeable future after re-signing Mike Conley to a three-year deal. Last season Conley finally became an NBA All-Star after years of coming up just short, and he was well-deserving of the honor.
He averaged 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Jazz in his contract season and did so on shooting splits of 44-41-85. Regardless of the number Conley re-signed at, the Jazz weren’t going to be able to use that money elsewhere anyway, so this is a fine deal for a productive player and wealthy ownership group determined to win an NBA championship.
Grade: B+
Jimmy Butler – 4 years, $184 million (Miami Heat)
The Miami Heat have made the biggest splash so far in NBA free agency with the expectation of signing Jimmy Butler to a four-year, $184 million extension when the league year opens on Friday.
In Butler’s first year with the Heat, he helped carry his squad to the NBA Finals in the Orlando Bubble before falling short against the Los Angeles Lakers. This past season the Heat were underwhelming in a bizarre COVID-hampered season but Butler had another fine campaign, averaging 21.5 points, 7.1 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 50-25-86, but Butler turns 32 before training camp begins and this is a massive, expensive commitment for the Heat.
Grade: C-
Tim Hardaway Jr. – 4 years, $72 million (Dallas Mavericks)
The Dallas Mavericks avoid a truly disappointing NBA free agency period by re-signing Tim Hardaway to a four-year, $72 million contract. He was their top priority in the offseason and signing him to a long-term deal is a win for the Mavs.
Hardaway has had his best seasons in Dallas alongside Luka Doncic and he’s coming off a year where he averaged 16.6 points per game on shooting splits of 45-39-82, and it’s good for all parties that he’s going to stay put.
Grade: B+
Jarrett Allen – 4 years, $100 million (Cleveland Cavaliers)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have their center of the future, and they also have Jarrett Allen whom they have re-signed to a four-year, $100 million contract. It’s a lot of money to pay up for a traditional center who will play alongside Evan Mobley, who was the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft a week ago.
Maybe the Cavs will be in the next wave of teams embracing massive front lines, and it could work if Mobley’s 3-pointer develops. That might be optimistic, though, and it’s just as likely that the Cavs are lost in the woods and not very good at this.
Grade: D
JaMychal Green – 2 years, $17 million (Denver Nuggets)
The Denver Nuggets acquired JaMychal Green last offseason as a replacement for the departed Jerami Grant. He was definitely a Grant-lite, at best, but he provided some defense and did shoot 39.9 percent from 3-point range so his productivity shouldn’t be undersold.
The Nuggets are going to struggle to replicate last season’s performance without Jamal Murray for most (or all) of next season, but returning as much of that core as possible will be a favorable move for the organization and this is a value deal.
Grade: B+
Duncan Robinson – 5 years, $90 million (Miami Heat)
The Miami Heat had some business to tend to this offseason, and they’re doing just that. They’ve acquired Kyle Lowry, plan on extending Jimmy Butler, and they’ve signed Duncan Robinson to a big-money, long-term deal. Robinson’s contract is worth $90 million over five years and he’ll be an excellent accompaniment for Butler and Lowry.
Robinson had a big of a down season for the Heat last year, which still translated to a lethal shooting season. He averaged 13.1 points on 44-41-83 shooting splits, and there’s no reason he can’t tick back up next season on equivalent usage.
Grade: B-
Torrey Craig – 2 years, $10 million (Indiana Pacers)
Torrey Craig will go to the Indiana Pacers on a team-friendly two-year, $10 million contract. He’s coming off a quiet season split between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns (NBA Finals opponents, interestingly enough) and averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 48-37-77.
He should be a nice addition for a Pacers squad hoping to bounce back to relevance in the Eastern Conference.
Grade: B
Doug McDermott – 3 years, $42 million (San Antonio Spurs)
The sharpshooting Doug McDermott is coming off a down shooting season, but that’s still good for 38.8 percent from 3-point range. He fired away on a career-high 5.7 3s per game which surely lends itself to a lower percentage. The Spurs saw fit to bless him with a three-year deal worth $42 million. Maybe an overpay, but not critically so.
Grade: C+
Zach Collins – 3 years, $22 million (San Antonio Spurs)
This is a wild one. Zach Collins is incapable of staying remotely healthy and it’s hard to imagine a high-priced market has formed for him, so $22 million over three years from the San Antonio Spurs seems like a major overpay.
Collins missed all of last season and only played 11 games in 2019-20, and he underwent his second ankle surgery on June 29th. He’s entering just his age-24 season, but even if all goes well in his recovery, his timeline to return is four to six months. This means he may not be back on the floor until late December or early January.
Grade: D
Boban Marjanovic – (Dallas Mavericks)
We haven’t heard the terms of Boban Marjanovic’s re-signed contract with the Dallas Mavericks, but does it matter? He’s going to continue on for at least another season in Dallas with his buddy Luka Doncic, and that seems like a win for all parties. We will grade accordingly.
Grade: A
Richaun Holmes – 4 years, $55 million (Sacramento Kings)
Richaun Holmes got himself a nice payday in re-signing with the Sacramento Kings on a deal worth $55 million over four years. He had a strong 2020-21 with the Kings, averaging 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 63.7 percent from the floor.
Grade: C+
Dwight Howard – 1 year, likely minimum
Dwight Howard is heading back to the Los Angeles Lakers for the third time, and this time it’s in the hopes of winning a second championship alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He’ll join new Laker Russell Westbrook in the mix for this fascinating team.
Grade: B-
Wayne Ellington – 1 year, likely minimum
Wayne Ellington is heading to the Lakers as well after languishing for a season with the Detroit Pistons and not getting any traction in the trade market at the last NBA trade deadline. The Pistons hung on to him, but Ellington now gets to make his run at a championship in LA.
Grade: B-
Trevor Ariza – 1 year, likely minimum
Well, why not get the whole band back together again? Trevor Ariza is another former Laker heading back to LA in the quest for another purple and gold NBA championship.
Grade: B-
Derrick Rose – 3 years, $43 million (New York Knicks)
Derrick Rose helped turn around the New York Knicks a season ago. After coming from Detroit, he played a huge part in righting the ship and leading his new (again) squad to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Three years and $43 million seems just about right on paper, but he had uncharacteristic good health last season and this deal could age poorly if he regresses to the mean injury-wise.
Grade: B-
Alec Burks – 3 years, $30 million (New York Knicks)
Alec Burks will return to the New York Knicks after re-signing with the club to a three-year, $30 million contract. He had a shortened season last year, playing in just 49 games, but he averaged 12.7 points per game on shooting splits of 42-41-86. This isn’t a huge investment, and the Knicks need shooting, so there’s value here.
Grade: B+
Nerlens Noel – 3 years, $32 million (New York Knicks)
The third of this Knicks triumvirate to re-sign, Nerlens Noel provided his team sturdy defense in the absence of Mitchell Robinson last year. This contract is a clear step from the Knicks front office to compensate him.
Grade: B-
Evan Fournier – 4 years, $78 million
Evan Fournier has a nice payday lined up to join the New York Knicks. He’ll provide solid offense for a team hoping to build upon and repeat their outstanding 2020-21 season.
Grade: C+
Garrett Temple – 3 years, $15 million (New Orleans Pelicans)
Garrett Temple is a component of the sign-and-trade that sent Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Chicago Bulls. Temple will head back to New Orleans and will sign a three-year, $15 million contract.
Grade: C
Jeff Green – 2 years, $10 million (Denver Nuggets)
This is another nice value contract for the Denver Nuggets. Jeff Green will sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Nuggets which represents a nice little pay raise from the one-year, $2.5 million minimum contract he signed with the Brooklyn Nets last season. Good deal for both sides here.
Grade: B
Cameron Payne – 3 years, $19 million (Phoenix Suns)
This is an absolute steal after the NBA playoffs Cameron Payne is coming off. This three-year, $19 million deal is a tremendous value for a player who is essentially a postseason killer. He stepped in when Chris Paul was out of the lineup and was fantastic and getting some guaranteed money is a fantastic turn of events for a player who seemed like he was on his way out of the league barely a year ago.
Grade: A-
Gary Trent Jr. – 4 years, $54 million (Toronto Raptors)
Gary Trent Jr. had a somewhat rough close to the 2020-21 season with the Toronto Raptors after getting dealt from the Portland Trail Blazers at the NBA trade deadline, but he gets a nice payday from his incumbent team nonetheless. This four-year, $54 million deal is a solid number to compensate his trajectory over the last couple of seasons.
Grade: C+
Alex Caruso – 3 years, $37 million (Chicago Bulls)
Nope, didn’t see this one coming. Alex Caruso departs the Los Angeles Lakers for the Windy City, signing a three-year, $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. He’ll join fellow former Laker Lonzo Ball along with Zach LaVine and will provide outstanding defense for this new-look squad.
Grade: A-
Daniel Theis – 4 years, $36 million (Houston Rockets)
After getting traded from the Boston Celtics to the Chicago Bulls at the NBA trade deadline, Daniel Theis is taking his next move into his own hands by signing a four-year, $36 million deal with the Houston Rockets.
Grade: B
Reggie Bullock – 3 years, $30.5 million (Dallas Mavericks)
The Dallas Mavericks are quietly having a nice first night of NBA free agency. After returning Tim Hardaway Jr. and Boban Marjanovic, they’re also adding Reggie Bullock to the mix at an affordable rate of three years and $30.5 million. This contract will be the biggest deal of Bullock’s career thus far, so it’s easy to feel good for each party here.
Grade: B+
Devonte’ Graham – 4 years, $47 million (New Orleans Pelicans)
Devonte’ Graham will head to the New Orleans Pelicans via sign-and-trade with a contract worth $47 million over four years. Graham’s shooting inside the arc is on a steady decline from 42.1 percent as a rookie to 39.7 percent his second year, then 38.0 percent last season, and that’s a concern. He also isn’t as young as you might think a fourth-year player should be as he was 23 in his rookie season, and this will be his age-26 season.
Grade: D+
Norman Powell – 5 years, $90 million (Portland Trail Blazers)
The Portland Trail Blazers have had a quiet night in spite of the growing pressure from Damian Lillard to do something, anything. One move they have made was to sign Norman Powell to a five-year, $90 million contract. In a season split between Portland and the Toronto Raptors, Powell averaged 18.6 points per game on shooting splits of 48-41-87. This is solid value for the Blazers.
Grade: B
Will Barton – 3 years, $42 million (Denver Nuggets)
Will Barton re-signs with the Nuggets for another three years.
Grade: B
TJ McConnell – 4 years, $35 million (Indiana Pacers)
TJ McConnell will re-sign with the Indiana Pacers on a four-year deal.
Grade: C
Moe Harkless – 2 years, $9 million (Sacramento Kings)
Moe Harkless re-signs with the Sacramento Kings.
Grade: C
Bobby Portis – 2 years, $9 million (Milwaukee Bucks)
Bobby Portis re-signs with the Milwaukee Bucks for a steal of a contract. He’s happy to stay in Milwaukee, and they’re happy to get a deal.
Grade: A
Alex Len – 2 years, $7.65 million (Sacramento Kings)
Alex Len will join the Sacramento Kings for an amount that appears to equate to their bi-annual exception.
Grade: C
David Nwaba – 3 years, $15 million (Houston Rockets)
David Nwaba re-signs with the Houston Rockets on a three-year, $15 million contract.
Grade: B-
Furkan Korkmaz – 3 years, $15 million (Philadelphia 76ers)
It’s been a quiet night for the Philadelphia 76ers, but they get on the board here by inking one of their own to a deal. Furkan Korkman will re-sign to a three-year, $15 million contract.
Grade: C+
Mike Muscala – 2 years, $7 million (OKC Thunder)
The OKC Thunder are another team that has been quieter than expected this offseason. They also get in the action by re-signing Mike Muscala to a two-year, $7 million deal.
Grade: C
JaVale McGee – 1 year, $5 million (Phoenix Suns)
JaVale McGee will join the defending Western Conference champions when he gets home from representing the United States in the Olympics.
Grade: C+
Nicolas Batum – 2 years, $6.5 million (LA Clippers)
A member of the NBA’s All-Sandbagger First Team, Nicolas Batum gets rewarded with a two-year, $6.5 million deal. Great deal here, especially for the LA Clippers.
Grade: B
P.J. Tucker – 2 years, $15 million (Miami Heat)
In one of the most surprising moves so far, P.J. Tucker will take his talents to the Miami Heat for what looks like slightly less than their mid-level exception. He won an NBA championship with the Bucks just a couple of weeks ago.
Grade: A
Solomon Hill – 1-year deal (Atlanta Hawks)
Solomon Hill re-signs with the Atlanta Hawks on a one-year deal.
Grade: C+
Blake Griffin – 1-year deal ( Brooklyn Nets)
Blake Griffin re-signs with the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year deal.
Grade: C+
Sterling Brown – 2-year deal (Dallas Mavericks)
Sterling Brown signs a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks.
Grade: C+
Austin Rivers – 1-year deal (Denver Nuggets)
Austin Rivers re-signs with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year deal.
Grade: C+
Kent Bazemore – 1-year deal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Kent Bazemore reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to join the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal.
Grade: B-
Semi Ojeleye – 1-year deal (Milwaukee Bucks)
Semi Ojeleye signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Grade: C+
Cody Zeller – 1-year deal (Portland Trail Blazers)
Cody Zeller signed a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Grade: C+
Ben McLemore – 1-year deal (Portland Trail Blazers)
Ben McLemore signed a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.