For the players, free movement had meant increased pay and more control for them. Good for them.
From a fans perspective, I'm not sure it's been good value for money. When a player can leave like his time in the city meant nothing, its hard to get too invested. So instead you invest in 'the team' but that just separates the players from the franchise identity even more. Having franchise players, guys who bleed for the city, is important from a fan perspective.
Its the modern age of sport, I'm not sure I like it. Its not a surprise to me that national level competitions don't suffer the same apathy. They have nowhere to go to!