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The free agency is officially running, and the first domino fell: Paul George is not going anywhere. Almost as soon as the free agency officially began, the five-time All-Star made a major commitment to the franchise that made a risky move to trade for him this time last year.
Here are our first takeaways:
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Money scared does not make money
Despite more than a year of flirting with l & # 39; the idea of joining his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, George intends to re-sign with the thunder of Oklahoma City, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski d & # 39; ESPN. Such a decision is a huge victory for the Thunder organization, which should have considered a total dismantling when he was gone. It's also a big gamble for George on the front office of Sam Presti, who now has to figure out how to make the most of the next two years.
George signed a four-year contract with a player option for the last season. This would allow him to become a free agent again at the age of 31 in the summer of 2021. More importantly, he will be an 11 year old veteran by then, opening up the possibility of a free agent. a maximum contract of 35 percent of the salary cap. In other words, Oklahoma City can celebrate this at the Russell Westbrook House Party, but as soon as that ends, the management will be on the clock.
Presti has a three-year window to turn a team that has won 48 games and lost to Utah Jazz in the first round in a true championship contender. Re-signing George and re-signing the athletic and versatile Jerami Grant pushed the Thunder's salary to nearly $ 167 million next season, which would result in a luxury tax bill of nearly 130 millions of dollars. This is not a reasonable amount of money to pay for a list that is simply very good, so there must be an internal belief that they can improve.
In the short term, there are several unknowns, starting with the status of Carmelo Anthony, $ 28 million. He was not a useful player for Oklahoma City last season, and in the end he told reporters that he did not think he could be effective in the role that he was playing and would not consider coming from the bench. Anthony could start again, negotiate a redemption or be exchanged.
Beyond Anthony, the Thunder could have a significant business figure on the bench. Reserves Raymond Felton, Corey Brewer and Josh Huestis are also free agents. Given the wage cap situation, it may not even be prudent to assume that they will use their $ 5.3 million mid-level exception to strengthen the list.
Typically, teams with a payroll like this are able to attract veterans who are willing to take rebates. It is not known, however, whether Oklahoma City will be able to sell anybody about it. Over the next two years Presti's front office will have to be creative and / or lucky. Terrance Ferguson, 20, can he become a difference maker? Did the Thunder hit on their second-round picks with Devon Hall and Kevin Harvey? Can Patrick Patterson have a rebound season? All of these issues are important and there may also be systemic changes.
The Oklahoma City defense should improve next season if Andre Roberson is in good health for the majority. The most fascinating variable is the offense, which was inconsistent and disappointing given the talent on the list. George is obviously counting on Presti here, but Billy Donovan's coaching team is expected to enter next season thinking big. Westbrook, George and Steven Adams complement each other theoretically, and there are a lot of franchises that would kill them like Big 3s. But they have to operate in a system that maximizes their capabilities. It simply means fewer Westbrook contested and ineffective shots, better spacing and more ball movement.
As the frenzy of the free agent begins, the Thunder are unquestionably big winners. They have been considered outsiders to keep George since they had the audacity to acquire it a year ago, and idiotic people like me thought their defeat at the playoffs sealed his exit. This agreement is one of the greatest moments in the history of Oklahoma City, and this has attracted it longer than anyone thought, even without the Lakers having a meeting.
If this franchise will happen where George wants to go, however, there is a lot of work to be done.
Durant did the expected
Kevin Durant said for months that he would go nowhere. The news was always going to be how long it has engaged to Golden State Warriors. As first reported by the New York Times Marc Stein Durant will sign a two-year contract with a player option on the second season. It will make $ 30 million next season and then be the free agency from here a year from now or opt for $ 31.5 million in 2019-2020.
The implications of the salary cap are quite simple: the Warriors are saving $ 5.65 million next season. If he had used his first-come rights, he could have signed for up to $ 35.65 million, but that would have meant that he would have to accept a two-year contract without options. Either he decided to do a favor at Golden State, or, more likely, he wanted the flexibility to leave a year from now.
It seems a bit crazy to imagine that Durant is leaving this superteam based on the Warriors' dominance in the pack. However, many things can change in one year, and the free agent course of next summer will be extremely interesting.
Barton sets the tone?
Will Barton has accepted a four-year deal worth more than $ 50 million to stay with the Denver Nuggets, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports . That takes away one of the best free-market second-class agents, and that could set the tone for how guys like him have to run their business this summer. There are hardly any teams with a real ceiling, so re-signing with Bird's rights is more attractive than it would be in a normal offseason.
Barton probably wanted a little over $ 12.5 million per season. If he had played hard, Denver might have dared to find him a team ready to pay him more than the $ 8.6 million non-taxpayer middle-level extension. In this situation, a four-year agreement to this number represents a reasonable result.
Now the Nuggets must understand how to pay a salary. As it stands, Nikola Jokic has declared a contract worth $ 148 million over five years a salary of more than $ 156 million and a bill of more than $ 40 million .
Ariza's Curse
Aside from George's contract term, the only truly astonishing thing that happened was Trevor Ariza accepting a $ 15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, ] according to Yahoo Sports & Shams Charania . Ariza was a crucial part of the second best team in the league last season, and it was a big reason they were able to push the Warriors to the limit in the Western Conference finals.
For Suns, this deal makes sense in the context of a management that wants to be competitive next season while preserving future flexibility. Ariza is one – pardon the winning snapshot player, and Phoenix needs his 3-D skill set on alignment. At 33, he will probably not be here for the long term, but the organization clearly hopes to bring them to respectability. Given what Devin Booker felt at the end of last season, this looks like the type of acquisition that would make him happy.
You must be wondering how were Ariza's negotiations with Houston going. It hurts the Rockets, and it will be difficult to replace it. It also makes the signing of forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, an unrestricted free-standing player, even more crucial. If they do not, their stellar defense could deteriorate.
Dallas Rents DAJ
In another one year contract, DeAndre Jordan goes (finally) to the Dallas Mavericks. He would have earned about $ 24 million, which he would have done had he chosen his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers. My point of view: This makes way more meaningful than signing it for a long-term deal.
The Mavs obviously wanted a center, and Jordan is one of the best on the market. He will play an excellent defense, and he will be an excellent partner for Dennis Smith and Luka Doncic. However, I did not like the idea of signing him for three or four years, because he will be 30 in three weeks and Smith and Doncic will be 20 and 19 respectively.
One could say that, overall, Dallas would have been better served by using its ceiling space to absorb a bad contract and acquire future choices. I do not necessarily disagree, but I understand why the Mavs went in that direction. Jordan will provide a structure for the guards, solidify the starting lineup and make what could be the last season of Dirk Nowitzki much more interesting. Dallas was definitely not going to tank, especially after swapping their choice of 2019 (protected # 1-5) to get Doncic in the draft.
The CP3 Compromise [en quelque sorte]
When Chris Paul orchestrated his opt-in-and-trade agreement that landed in Houston last year, it was widely assumed that 39, it was accompanied by a handshake over five years. maximum contract this summer. Obviously, this was not the case: As soon as the free agency officially started, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Paul and the Rockets had agreed to the "free agency". an agreement of 1945 of four years.
For a 33-year-old leader entering his 14th season, it should be considered a victory, not a huge compromise. Paul will make $ 43.8 million in the 2021-22 season and his contract will expire at the same time as James Harden. There is a risk in Houston of entrusting him with this kind of money, but the organization just needs to hope that it will age as Steve Nash (whose fall occurred at 38 years old because of his death). a nerve injury in the back) and John Stockton (who played 82 games in his 19th and final season and retired at the age of 41).
If Paul is not really worth the money in a few years, then it's simply the cost of keeping a Hall of Fame player and chasing a championship. Houston may have preferred to put a team option on this last season or pay him a little less than the maximum, but avoiding a five-year contract should be considered a success for Daryl Morey's front office.
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