Confirmed FA signings thread

[apc]

Since Portland just signed Ezeli, does this mean that they are unwilling to pick up the bill on Crabbe? That is not good news. The nets are terrible at shooting on the wing, and crabbe could at least help them a little in that regard.

The Nets has improved, but so did the other lottery teams. it will be very interesting to see what free agents actually work out for the new teams.

[Evantime34]

Since Portland just signed Ezeli, does this mean that they are unwilling to pick up the bill on Crabbe? That is not good news. The nets are terrible at shooting on the wing, and crabbe could at least help them a little in that regard.

I don't think Crabbe will make a bunch of difference for the Nets. Even if they get Crabbe and Tyler Johnson, how many teams are they going to be better than? The only two likely teams are Philly and LA.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'm not convinced Crabbe is good at basketball. He is a good rotation shooter, but is he a starter?

This signing might add a few wins, but it's not like Crabbe becomes an Allstar. He probably won't even rate much higher than a rotation player.

I feel differently about Johnson. I think he has a chance to be a good starter. But it sounds like the heat will match his offer.

Lin-Crabbe-RHJ--Booker-Lopez is an ok lineup, but still probably bottom 3 in the league. They are also still one Lopez injury away from being close to setting the worst win-loss record ever

[Moranis]

Speights to Clippers

[MBunge]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

The won a title and 73 games in one season and are radically remaking themselves, switching out two starters and four of their top six guys off the bench, and potentially changing their style of play in a very significant manner.  I'm pretty sure Durant is going to get more than Barnes' 30 minutes and 10 shots a game.

They'll probably win 65+ games on sheer talent but there's going to be plenty of challenges along the way.

Mike

[Sketch5]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

The won a title and 73 games in one season and are radically remaking themselves, switching out two starters and four of their top six guys off the bench, and potentially changing their style of play in a very significant manner.  I'm pretty sure Durant is going to get more than Barnes' 30 minutes and 10 shots a game.

They'll probably win 65+ games on sheer talent but there's going to be plenty of challenges along the way.

Mike

The minutes they are going to have to play could bite them in the butt come playoff time. You could see it this season were they chased the win streak, then had to go threw two seven game series. They looked tanked the last couple of games against the CAVS.

DA knows what it's like playing on a deep team, and the benefits. I can see a lot of upsets during the season against less talented, but deep teams that can keep on come at them.

[mef730]

From Woj:

Sources: Portland RFA Allen Crabbe has signed a four-year, $75M offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets. Bonuses could reach $83M.

This was reported a few days back I think but never confirmed and I believe the $ amount was a bit lower.  I haven't seen much of Crabbe outside of the playoffs but I get the impression that if you have the chance to match a ~$20 mill per year contract, you have to politely decline.  Hate to see Brooklyn probably get a bit better but that's also a big whack at their cap flexibility going forward.

It had been reported that Crabbe had signed an offer sheet last week with the Nets but it was refuted. Now it's been confirmed by Woj, a much more reliable source.

Wonder how much Goyle can make in this market...

Look out Harry, it's the Overpayis Maximus spell!

Mike

[Celtics4ever]

Because of this its easy to see that Sully at his worst is probably world's better than any undrafted big that comes out of college. The Celtics have invested time and money in Sully and probably think they can still use him, fat and all, as, at the very least, a first or second big off the bench and at most as a starter. For what price? That will be determined. If the price is too high, they probably let him walk. But they will replace him with someone else on the roster who they drafted and believe in or go out and get an NBA veteran with proven abilities to add to a team and make them better.

This is not always the case.  Ben Wallace was undrafted better than Sully back in the day.  Udonis Haslem in MIA undrafted.   Is Sully better than Jeremy Lin undrafted?  Raja Bell went undrafted, Bruce Bowen, Jose Calderon, Avery Johnson and Brad Miller.  David Wesley and John Starks as well went undrafted.   It is rare but it can happen and a few of these are bigs who are better than Sully.

There were a lot of undrafted guys who were probably as good as Jared from April on because he fell apart.   The question is every year there is some good and some bad with Sully.   He is so unrealiable to finish the season strong that you can almost rely on that.

Free Agency has not went well for Sully.   He is one of the top remaining free agents this out to point out how little the rest of the league has value outside of Boston.   No one was knocking on his door to sign him.   He may not even a deal above the QO we are seven days in free agency and nothing.   Ainge does not seem to rushing to do so as well.   I always thought he played here more out of necessity than  CBS liking his game.

It ought to be clear that some of assets are not as valuable as Ainge hoped.  We saw this to some degree on draft night.   We are seeing now with Sully now cashing is as hoped.

[nickagneta]

Because of this its easy to see that Sully at his worst is probably world's better than any undrafted big that comes out of college. The Celtics have invested time and money in Sully and probably think they can still use him, fat and all, as, at the very least, a first or second big off the bench and at most as a starter. For what price? That will be determined. If the price is too high, they probably let him walk. But they will replace him with someone else on the roster who they drafted and believe in or go out and get an NBA veteran with proven abilities to add to a team and make them better.

This is not always the case.  Ben Wallace was undrafted better than Sully back in the day.  Udonis Haslem in MIA undrafted.   Is Sully better than Jeremy Lin undrafted?  Raja Bell went undrafted, Bruce Bowen, Jose Calderon, Avery Johnson and Brad Miller.  David Wesley and John Starks as well went undrafted.   It is rare but it can happen and a few of these are bigs who are better than Sully.

There were a lot of undrafted guys who were probably as good as Jared from April on because he fell apart.   The question is every year there is some good and some bad with Sully.   He is so unrealiable to finish the season strong that you can almost rely on that.

Free Agency has not went well for Sully.   He is one of the top remaining free agents this out to point out how little the rest of the league has value outside of Boston.   No one was knocking on his door to sign him.   He may not even a deal above the QO we are seven days in free agency and nothing.   Ainge does not seem to rushing to do so as well.   I always thought he played here more out of necessity than  CBS liking his game.

It ought to be clear that some of assets are not as valuable as Ainge hoped.  We saw this to some degree on draft night.   We are seeing now with Sully now cashing is as hoped.

Some, not one but some, of the bigs that went undrafted this year are currently better than Sully? Your bias against Sully is so obvious its hard to take anything you say about him seriously.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

The won a title and 73 games in one season and are radically remaking themselves, switching out two starters and four of their top six guys off the bench, and potentially changing their style of play in a very significant manner.  I'm pretty sure Durant is going to get more than Barnes' 30 minutes and 10 shots a game.

They'll probably win 65+ games on sheer talent but there's going to be plenty of challenges along the way.

Mike

It won't happen...but it would be Freaking Great if this killed their chemistry, and they were out in the 2nd round of the playoffs to S.A.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

The won a title and 73 games in one season and are radically remaking themselves, switching out two starters and four of their top six guys off the bench, and potentially changing their style of play in a very significant manner.  I'm pretty sure Durant is going to get more than Barnes' 30 minutes and 10 shots a game.

They'll probably win 65+ games on sheer talent but there's going to be plenty of challenges along the way.

Mike

It won't happen...but it would be Freaking Great if this killed their chemistry, and they were out in the 2nd round of the playoffs to S.A.

Weirder things have happened. Some guys become more efficient basketball players if they have the ball in their hands more. It's not inconceivable to think that Thompson and Curry will be less efficient without the ball as much.

As a team they still may be better, but after having free reign to shoot whenever and however they want, it may be a difficult adjustment.

[PhoSita]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

Livingston, Clark, Iguodala, West is already fine as a bench goes, especially if they get anything from Looney, McCaw, or Jones.

In the playoffs, they'll probably just go with a 3-man bench of Livingston / Iggy / West, so as long as those guys are healthy they're going to have very few weaknesses.

Plus, they'll probably add Caron Butler and Andy Varejao, maybe Jason Terry.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

Livingston, Clark, Iguodala, West is already fine as a bench goes, especially if they get anything from Looney, McCaw, or Jones.

In the playoffs, they'll probably just go with a 3-man bench of Livingston / Iggy / West, so as long as those guys are healthy they're going to have very few weaknesses.

I think Jones plugs in pretty well to Ezeli's role. McCaw can take Rush's minutes. Looney can take MacAdoo's minutes.

They are a little more thin at guard without Barbosa. I don't think Clark can give you good minutes in important games. But free agency isn't done.

[merkins]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

Livingston, Clark, Iguodala, West is already fine as a bench goes, especially if they get anything from Looney, McCaw, or Jones.

In the playoffs, they'll probably just go with a 3-man bench of Livingston / Iggy / West, so as long as those guys are healthy they're going to have very few weaknesses.

Plus, they'll probably add Caron Butler and Andy Varejao, maybe Jason Terry.

The top guys will get all the attention and just like the previous 2 years the bench will look much better then they are.  It doesnt matter much how they fill out the roster because any NBA player can thrive when playing next to the top guys on this team.

[MBunge]

Speights to Clippers

This is going to be one interesting basketball experiment.

GSW is adding Durant and losing Bogut, Barnes, Ezeli, Barbosa, Rush, Speights and McAdoo.

Livingston, Clark, Iguodala, West is already fine as a bench goes, especially if they get anything from Looney, McCaw, or Jones.

In the playoffs, they'll probably just go with a 3-man bench of Livingston / Iggy / West, so as long as those guys are healthy they're going to have very few weaknesses.

Plus, they'll probably add Caron Butler and Andy Varejao, maybe Jason Terry.

Clark is 25, averaged less than 10 minutes during the regular season and hardly played in the Finals.  West's per 36 stats were worst than Ezeli's last season and will be 36 next year.  Iguodala will be 33 and Livingston 31.  And Bogut and Ezeli combined for 36 minutes a game during the regular season, so GSW actually played with pretty conventional lineups for most of the time.

Would I trade everybody Golden State has lost for Durant?  Sure.  But we should know as well as anyone that trying to just plug in ring-chasing vets on a championship-level team doesn't always work out as well as you hope.  And again, as much of a punk as Durant is for making this move, there's no way he's going to be satisfied with 30 minutes and 10 shots a game.  Their playing style is going to have to change from what they've done the last two seasons.

Mike