Free agency begins: A recap of the new deals

Brooklyn signs Kevin Durant to a four-year, $164 million contract

Superstar forward Kevin Durant sent shockwaves throughout the NBA before free agency had officially even began, as word leaked that the two-time Finals MVP would be leaving Golden State and joining the Nets. A lot of the buzz today had been about Durant and Brooklyn, but the official announcement was shocking nonetheless. Durant will likely miss all of next season due to the achilles injury he suffered late in 2018-19, but nevertheless, this is an absolute coup for the Nets, who should be considered instant contenders as soon as Durant is able to suit up again. Free agency has only just started and the Nets are already the big winners of the offseason.

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Brooklyn sign Kyrie Irving to a four-year, $141 million contract

All of the buzz and rumors tying Kyrie Irving to the Nets ended up being true, as the two sides quickly came to agreement on a contract once free agency opened up. Irving is coming off a somewhat troubling season, but that’s more from a locker-room sense than due to his on-the-court exploits, as the six-time All-Star is still one of the top point guards the Association has to offer. It must be noted: This move likely spells the end of D’Angelo Russell’s time with the Nets. And now, the Nets will pivot towards trying to convince their other top target, Kevin Durant, to join his friend Irving in Brooklyn.

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Boston signs Kemba Walker to a four-year, $141 million contract

The Celtics wasted no time in filling the vacancy left behind by the departing Kyrie Irving, landing another All-Star point guard to take his spot. Walker, who’s renowned for his positive locker-room presence and beloved by teammates, should be a better fit with Boston than Irving was, and could allow the Celtics to maintain their standing as a Top 4 team in the East. Walker is coming off three All-Star appearances in a row.

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Dallas re-signs Kristaps Porzingis to a five-year, $158 million contract

You could see this one coming a mile away, as the Mavericks weren’t going to trade for Kristaps Porzingis if they didn’t plan on following that up by giving him a max deal to keep him around for the long haul. With Luka Doncic and Porzingis on board, Dallas should have a strong international nuclear for many years to come… if they Latvian big man can stay healthy. That’s a big if, though, considering Porzingis comes off a very serious injury and the track record health-wise of players of his size in the NBA is what it is.

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Golden State re-signs Klay Thompson to a five-year, $190 million contract

Although there was some scuttle about Klay Thompson potentially meeting with both Los Angeles franchises in free agency, that did not turn out to be the case as the Warriors were quick to offer Thompson the max to bring him back. Even with the All-NBA 2-guard suffering an ACL tear in the last game of the season, Thompson is still very much worth a max contract, especially one from the team where he has sacrificed so much over the years, so good on both sides getting this deal done quickly.

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Milwaukee re-signs Khris Middleton to a five-year, $178 million contract

There wasn’t much drama in this one. Not many outside suitors were reported for Khris Middleton over recent weeks, not even after he opted out of the final year of his deal, making it pretty obvious the Bucks were going to do whatever it took to re-sign their All-Star wing. They were able to do so by offering him a max deal as soon as free agency opened up, and now Middleton projects to be a Buck through 2023-24.

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Orlando re-signs Nikola Vucevic to a four-year, $100 million contract

There was talk of center-needy teams going after Nikola Vucevic heading into the summer, but at the end of the day, the big man ended up re-signing with the Magic without much fanfare after the team decided to pony up big time to keep him. Now Orlando will likely work to bring back superb sixth man Terrence Ross, as long as the bidding doesn’t get too high.

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Sacramento re-signs Harrison Barnes to a four-year, $88 million contract

As soon as it was reported that Harrison Barnes was opting out of the final year of his contract, turning down $25.1 million in the process, the common notion was that he had a wink-wink agreement with the Kings to land a longer-term, big-money deal. Barnes just walking away from a quarter of $100 million simply wouldn’t have made sense otherwise. That theory wound up proving very much correct, with Barnes and Sacramento committing to each other for the next four seasons.

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Memphis re-signs Jonas Valanciunas to a three-year, $45 million contract

Memphis has brought back big man Jonas Valanciunas, who excelled as a member of the team over 19 games last season following the Marc Gasol trade. In that stretch, the Lithuanian 7-footer put up 19.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. Valanciunas will now share the frontcourt with two extremely promising young bigs in Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke, providing protection for the two up-and-comers, as well as leadership in the locker room.

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Hornets sign Terry Rozier to a three-year, $58 million contract

Charlotte has acquired their replacement for the departing Kemba Walker, with the task now falling on the shoulders of former Celtics point guard Terry Rozier. Rozier isn’t close to the caliber of player that Walker is, and he’s coming off a unquestionably poor season with Boston, but there are at least some reasons for optimism here. For one, the last time Rozier was tasked with being a team’s starting point guard, back when Irving got injured in 2017-18, Rozier performed admirably, averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds nightly and helping push the Celtics to within one game of reaching the Finals. Charlotte will have to hope Rozier can tap back into that form as their top ball-handler going forward.

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Milwaukee re-signs Brook Lopez to a four-year, $52 million contract

Aside from Middleton, re-signing Brook Lopez was one of Milwaukee’s top priorities heading into the offseason, and they were able to accomplish just that without any drama. Lopez will earn an annual average value of $13 million, a more than fair price for both sides, as few big men league-wide can blend Lopez’s ability to protect the paint and stretch the floor on offense. It’s difficult to find a center who fits better with Giannis Antetokounmpo than the veteran 7-footer, a fact that surely weighed on the minds of the Bucks as they got this deal done.

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Brooklyn signs Garrett Temple to a two-year, $10 million contract

With the Nets’ plans to build around two superstars already in effect, the team needed to target adequate depth to place around their two focal points. Signing Garrett Temple is a step towards that process. Temple is a reliable veteran wing who likes to defend and can knock down open shots while spacing the floor from the outside, making him an excellent fit towards what Brooklyn needs.

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Spurs re-sign Rudy Gay to a two-year, $32 million contract

San Antonio was the first team to show faith in Rudy Gay following the achilles injury that ended his Sacramento career, and Gay repaid that faith in full with his play over the last two seasons. Now, the marriage will continue for another two years, as both sides have agreed to commit to each other through 2020-21. Gay has shown the ability to play either forward spot as a Spur, as well as a willingness to come off the bench, making him a great locker-room presence.

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Kings sign Dewayne Dedmon to a three-year, $40 million contract

A Brook Lopez-like big man, Dewayne Dedmon also has the ability to space the floor and protect the rim from the 5-spot, which is what got him paid as soon as free agency opened up this summer. The team that paid him: the Sacramento Kings. Dedmon can take over starting center duties in Sacramento for the almost-certainly-departing Willie Cauley-Stein, and be a good fit playing off of franchise cornerstone Marvin Bagley.

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Bulls sign Thaddeus Young to a three-year, $41 million contract

A somewhat surprising pairing, since the Bulls are in rebuild mode and Thaddeus Young is a vet who would be best-suited on a playoff-caliber club. Nonetheless, Young should be a solid addition for Chicago, as he’s a beloved teammate and a great fit at the 4-spot next to the developing Wendell Carter. Young should be great for the young Duke big man, both on the floor and off of it.

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Pistons sign Derrick Rose to a two-year, $15 million contract

The Derrick Rose comeback tour will continue in Detroit, where the former league MVP will compete for minutes with incumbent point guard Reggie Jackson. Rose, despite continuing to battle injury issues last season, had a resurgent campaign, averaging 18.0 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting a career-best 37 percent from deep. The Pistons will have to hope Rose can maintain those shooting marks, as he’ll spend a lot of time playing off of Detroit’s All-Star and primary playmaker, Blake Griffin.

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Rockets re-sign Danuel House to a two-year, $11.1 million contract

Houston is bringing Danuel House – one of their revelations from last season – back on a short-but-healthy-deal. House, after beginning the season as an under-the-radar signing for the Rockets, had a strong campaign in 2018-19, shooting 41.6 percent from three and playing tough perimeter defense on the wing. With how important the 3-and-D wing archetype is in the modern NBA, Houston did well to re-sign House on such a team-friendly contract.

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