NBA Free Agency: A Hardwood Paroxysm round table
The Hardwood Paroxysm crew put its hydra-heads together to discuss what’s happened so far during Free Agency and predict what’s coming down the pike. Daniel Lewis, David Vertsberger, Jordan White, Derek James, Sean Highkin, Scott Rafferty, Jared Dubin, and Evans Clinchy are our players today. Read along, won’t you?
1. Thus far, which Free Agency deal is your favorite?
Daniel (@minutemandan): Thus far, Channing Frye. He’s going to miss playing with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, but he should help the development of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton. They can just give him Ryan Anderson‘s old jersey too.
David (@_Verts): Dirk Nowitzki for 3 years, $30 million. Nowitzki had a PER of 23.6 last season, and was sixth tenths of a percent away from reaching the heralded 50-40-90 plateau. At the age of 35. He’s still a superstar, and the Mavericks prepared for any slow down that would normally appear in, you know, humans, by signing him to just $10 million per. This contract was far from a surprise, but that doesn’t make it any less perfect.
Jordan (@JordanSWhite): Boris Diaw remaining with the Spurs. It would have been an absolute shame to see this perfect marriage come to an end just as it was hitting its stride. Some team, wide-eyed at Diaw’s renaissance and slobbering over the potential of a big man with his skillset in their system, could have been tempted to throw an extraordinary amount of money at the newly minted champion. Luckily, the Spurs saw to it that such a thing would never happen, as Diaw will remain in San Antonio, free to pass to his heart’s content.
Derek (@DerekJamesNBA): The Chandler Parsons deal. I may have been more comfortable with 3 years/$36 million, but I don’t hate 3 years/$46 million with an opt-out after two. The reason it’s my favorite is that Mark Cuban is trying to out-Morey Daryl Morey, evidenced by the addition of the 15 percent trade kicker. For the Mavericks, who are competing in the West with Houston, this a smart move if they believe Houston will match anything. Best case they hinder the Rockets’ cap situation for two years and make it difficult to move Parsons. Worst case, Dallas gets Chandler Parsons.
Sean (@highkin): Shaun Livingston‘s deal with the Warriors. Not only because he’s finally been able to get a real contract after years of minimum deals following that awful knee injury, but he’s a terrific fit in Golden State. He can play either guard position and back up Steph Curry or play next to him, or allow Curry to play off the ball. And a defensive core of Livingston, Andre Iguodala, and Andrew Bogut is tremendous.
Scott (@crabdribbles): Shaun Livingston joining the Golden State Warriors. When he dislocated his knee seven years ago, few thought that he’d ever play basketball again — mind alone professionally — and here he is, signing a three-year, $16 million contract for one of the better teams in the Western Conference. It makes for one hell of a story.
Jared (@jadubin5): Dirk Nowitzki back to Dallas for 3 years, $30 million. That is a steal and a half.
Evans: (@evansclinchy): This answer is totally biased and sentimental, but I gotta go with Avery Bradley. He’s such a humble, hardworking good kid, and it’s awesome to see his efforts rewarded in the form of a four-year extension with the Celtics. He’s a good young piece for the C’s plans moving forward – he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA when healthy, and he’s slowly developing a mid-range jumper that should turn him into a legit two-way threat. I don’t know if Bradley will ultimately prove to be worth Boston’s $32 million, but nevertheless I can’t help but be thrilled for him.