NBA Free Agency Recap: The last of the big-name neophytes sign in week two

A plateauing salary cap and existential dread at the hand of the Warriors have chilled the league out a little during 2017’s NBA free agency period. Not so many wild, obviously silly deals have been handed out by teams who ought to prioritize future flexibility. Similarly, players have not been so lucratively rewarded for their accomplishments as they were in the summer of 2016. However, it’s transaction game over everything in this league. A quick recap can help us to keep track of the craziness.

The players I will focus on in this space are the NBA’s neophytes. The majority are coming off of their rookie deals– meaning most are restricted free agents. They are the players who will be foundational, mostly cheap pieces for championship contenders over the next several years. A contender is not built in one summer, but by counting each piece along the way, the final product can look much clearer.

Not all of these players earn $100 million at age 22, but stud rotation players are just as important to a title run as those superstars. I will provide recaps of these signings every few days including reactions, future implications and maybe a little scouting as well.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — 24 years old — Restricted FA
Agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers for 1 year/$18 million

Last week, Pistons’ President and head coach Stan Van Gundy chose Langston Galloway and one year of Avery Bradley over the homegrown-and-still-growing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. After signing Galloway to a 3-year, $21 million deal with the remainder of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and Anthony Tolliver with the entirety of their bi-annual exception, Detroit was in danger of paying the luxury tax for their lottery team. The route they selected instead was swapping  Marcus Morris’s below-market contract for Avery Bradley’s expiring salary and keeping Galloway.

Read More: The Raptors are trying to win the right way

As we’ve seen across the league this July, the fallout resulted in a one-year deal. Teams are wary of the salary cap flattening, with a starrier free agency class awaiting next year. Eager to stay competitive while being flexible for next summer, teams like the Lakers are using one-year deals as a weapon. In this case, Los Angeles cashed in on Caldwell-Pope, who can defend point guards while playing with either Lonzo Ball or Jordan Clarkson.

They will have Caldwell-Pope’s non-bird rights next summer as a one-year employer, meaning that next summer they can go over the cap to pay him 125 percent of his 2017-18 salary. If things go perfectly for Los Angeles between now and then, the opportunity to retain an excellent young two-guard might ice the cake for their future plans.

Joffrey Lauvergne — 25 years old — Unrestricted FA
Agreed to join the San Antonio Spurs for 2 years/$? million

Lauvergne will probably be better with the Spurs than he has at any point during the rest of his short career. In three seasons with Denver, Oklahoma City and Chicago, Lauvergne has averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes. With the Spurs, it’s reasonable to expect a resurrection.

If you’re looking optimistically, he displays some positive signs for a young big, with less than four fouls per 36 and positive ball movement indicators. However, he can’t seem to consistently put the ball in the hoop, and his rim protection statistics are underwhelming. According to Nylon Calculus, Lauvergne’s contest percentage was in line with that of Channing Frye and Jared Dudley, two underwhelming athletes. He has a way to go.

Once the dollar amount is announced, we’ll get a clearer understanding of how highly San Antonio valued over Dewayne Dedmon.

Mike Muscala — 26 years old — Unrestricted FA
Returned to the Atlanta Hawks for 2 years/$10 million

The Hawks re-signed both Muscala and Ersan Ilyasova this week, signalling a further reliance on stretchiness despite so many other changes in Atlanta this year. “Moose” shot 42 percent from three last season, but has been a worse rebounder each season he has been in the league. Fortunately, advanced statistics love his defense on a Hawks team that places that side of the ball in high regard. He will see a bigger role without Dwight Howard or Paul Millsap in town.

Atlanta was able to wait the market out long enough to re-sign Muscala below his market. Because it was his first opportunity to cash in as a free agent, Muscala also agreed to a two-year deal. A great signing for the Hawks as they transition into a new era.

Jonathon Simmons — 27 years old — Restricted FA
Agreed to join the Orlando Magic for 3 years/ $20 million

The story has yet to be written detailing the sequence of events that led to San Antonio’s decision to renounce Simmons’s free agency rights and make him an unrestricted free agent, losing their signing advantage in the process. On Thursday afternoon, the Spurs effectively decided they were not interested in keeping Simmons. By Friday night, the Magic had stolen him away.

Simmons embodies the neophyte’s narrative in free agency. He’s created a legend around himself in the NBA as the player who tried out for the D-League and then got minutes in San Antonio. He’s earned a big payday. He will be underpaid, though, because San Antonio screwed him.

Advanced statistics don’t love the third-year wing: he shoots poorly and rarely makes plays for his teammates. Yet Simmons is a valuable and versatile defensive player with a low offensive usage. He gives far more than he takes away. Orlando now has him on a below-market deal, and will possess the incumbency advantage when it comes time to resign him at age 30. He will make their young players better, and the team more competitive in a shallow Eastern Conference.

Alan Williams — 24 years old — Restricted FA
Returned to the Phoenix Suns for 3 years/$17 million

The jury on Alan Williams is returning to its station, with a mostly unanimous decision in hand. The young big man is legitimately good at basketball, or at least very good at a select few things that make him a valuable basketball player.

His rebounding percentage of 22.4 last season was only slightly off the league-leading 25.2 percent posted by Andre Drummond. He shot 52 percent from the field and accumulated nearly a full defensive win share last season. The Suns were a very uncoordinated, almost experimental team by the end of last season, when Williams showed out. However, those statistics stand out and his style works. Williams will bring more energy to the backup center position than just about anyone the Suns could have brought in for the role. What stands out about “Big Sauce”, though, is the skill he pairs it with. He ends up in the right place for blocks more often than his limited athleticism ought to allow, he passes well rolling to the rim, and he sets good screens.

This deal reminds me a lot of the Cristiano Felicio deal in that both players are unproven and both teams are set to lose a lot in the short term. Yet Phoenix got Williams for $15 million less than Felicio cost, and he provides offensive value in high demand by the Suns.

Quick Hits: Tarik Black, Reggie Bullock, Dewayne Dedmon

Black and Dedmon each changed teams late in July as a result of the desolate big man market in free agency. Black will join a Rockets team looking to replace the youthful depth they sent to Los Angeles in the Chris Paul deal, while Dedmon heads to Atlanta to fill in for two All-NBA veterans. Neither of these players has fulfilled their potential, and both enter incredible development systems.

Next: Brendon's thoughts on the first batch of neophyte signings

On the other hand, Bullock will return to Detroit for his minimum, looking for minutes within the shuffle of wing players entering and exiting the Pistons’ organization. He has played four seasons in the NBA and still not hit 1700 minutes played. Bullock may never get an opportunity to really show what he can do.