NBA Free Agency 2024

[Who]

I am not sure where I am with OKC.

Starters

G: SGA
G: Dort
F: Jalen Williams
F: Chet
C: Hartenstein

Bench

G: Cason Wallace
G: Caruso
G: Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins
F: Ousmane Dieng
C: Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams

I like the two bench guards. They are a bit duplicative of one another. Both gain a lot of value by being able to be a big defensive PG. There is a bit of a drop-off in defensive value when one has to play SG. Neither offers much offensively.

Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are duplicative of one another as well. Both are natural SGs. Not really wings. More SGs. Too small to play forward. With Cason Wallace and Caruso already taking the bench minutes at guard, they have less utility.

The bench frontcourt is terrible. Dieng has yet to show he can be trusted in a playoff game. Kenrich Williams is a limited 3rd stringer. Jaylin Williams is at most an average bench player if not a below average bench player.

I wonder if OKC will avoid using their bench bigs entirely. Just play Chet as their backup center when Hartenstein is resting. Go smaller like they did last year with J-Dub or Dort at PF. Then three guard lineups alongside them. It seems the best use of their personnel.

They still have offensive questions. SGA is the man but does he have the support? Jalen Williams had a great regular season but disappointed in the role as 2nd option in the playoffs. Looked more like a 3rd option. But it was his first go at it. He may improve. Chet is now clearly their 3rd option. How will he do at PF vs C? Forwards will be able to stay in front of Chet on the perimeter much better than slower centers are able to do. It will be harder for him offensively next to Hartenstein next year.

The bench doesn't bring any great offense. Caruso and Cason are both low usage defensive guards. Cason has some upside to become a scorer but showed little of it last year. Joe and Wiggins are basic spot up shooters. The bigs do not offer anything. So if J-Dub and Chet do not bring it as 2nd and 3rd options, where does the offense come from? It is not coming from Dort or Hartenstein either.

The defense should be great. Chet and Hartenstein is a phenomenal defensive combo. The perimeter trio of Dort, J-Dub and SGA (in that order) is excellent. The two defensive guards off the bench are excellent. They have a good shot at being the top defensive team in the league.

[Who]

Gary Harris 2yrs $14mil to stay in Orlando.

So they have signed KCP ($66mil 3yrs) and retained both G Harris ($14mil 2yrs) and G Bitadze ($25mil 3yrs).

G: Suggs, Cole Anthony
G: KCP, G Harris
F: F Wagner
F: Banchero, J Isaac
C: WCJ, G Bitadze

Solid 9 man rotation. Anthony Black, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard & draft pick Tristan da Silva on their deep bench. Some interesting talent there as well.

[Who]

Clippers have signed Mo Bamba on a one year deal. I wonder if he will be their main backup center or their 3rd string center.

Another low usage offensive for LAC for those keeping count.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Kyle Anderson still available. Doubt he'd come for the minimum, but still.

[trickybilly]

Can someone explain that Tobias Harris contract?

It just seems insane to me, and, considering most real contender teams are "2nd aproned", it's not like they can realistically trade for him.

[Who]

Free agent center Daniel Theis has drawn interest from a handful of teams including the Grizzlies, Pelicans and Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic.

[celticinorlando]

Little bit concerned here about the Final big spot and the vet wing position.

[celticinorlando]

Donovan Mitchell staying in Cleveland

Pat Riley said he?s good with the Heat roster as is.

[Roy H.]

Little bit concerned here about the Final big spot and the vet wing position.

I get a little bit of anxiety, too, but it's probably silly over-worrying on our part.  Brad will figure it out, even if it's with a guy I'll call a "dumpster dive".

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Free agent center Daniel Theis has drawn interest from a handful of teams including the Grizzlies, Pelicans and Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic.

Theis looking forward to getting elbowed by Giannis every practice too

[angryguy77]

Seeing heat fans meltdown over DM staying in Cleveland had been the highlight of my morning.

[Who]

Evan Sidery @esidery

Jarrett Allen is receiving strong trade interest from other teams, but Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn?t want to move him, per @WindhorstESPN on @ESPNCleveland. Cleveland appears poised to go into next season maintaining their frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Allen.

I have seen some reports of why CLE hired Kenny Atkinson and big part of the reason was his plans to develop Evan Mobley and to give Evan Mobley a larger role in the offense next year.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Evan Sidery @esidery

Jarrett Allen is receiving strong trade interest from other teams, but Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn?t want to move him, per @WindhorstESPN on @ESPNCleveland. Cleveland appears poised to go into next season maintaining their frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Allen.

I have seen some reports of why CLE hired Kenny Atkinson and big part of the reason was his plans to develop Evan Mobley and to give Evan Mobley a larger role in the offense next year.

The league is low-key moving back to a two-big lineup with one skilled big. It makes sense to develop Mobley into that skilled big, but man they didn't look good together last year.

[Who]

Anyone else concerned by how ball-dominant each of the Pelicans star players are?

- Dejounte Murray
- Zion Williamson
- Brandon Ingram

All three of those guys want the offense to run around them with the ball in their hands working the PnR. Murray feels too high usage to get the most out of Zion & Ingram.

Then there is CJ McCollum. He has the best mix of on-ball and off-ball but he still uses a lot of on-ball creation himself.

There is only one ball.

[CelticSooner]

Anyone else concerned by how ball-dominant each of the Pelicans star players are?

- Dejounte Murray
- Zion Williamson
- Brandon Ingram

All three of those guys want the offense to run around them with the ball in their hands working the PnR. Murray feels too high usage to get the most out of Zion & Ingram.

Then there is CJ McCollum. He has the best mix of on-ball and off-ball but he still uses a lot of on-ball creation himself.

There is only one ball.

I liked the idea of NOLA trading for Trae Young instead. He?s a much better fit from a passing standpoint.