In just the first 48 hours of NBA Free Agency, a lot has happened. Some of the news is shocking, and other news isn’t all that impressive, but either way, it is an exciting time for basketball fans to see how the league starts to reshape as big-name players decide which direction they want their playing careers to go.
So far the league has seen big stars like Chris Paul and Paul George resign with their 2017 organizations and some faces in new places like DeAndre Jordan going to play for the Dallas Mavericks. Although all the news is exciting, nothing was able to compare to all the buzz that Lebron James generated when he decided to become a free agent. There were a lot of teams interested in Lebron, but he decided to go to Los Angeles to become a Laker and play in the Western Conference for the first time in his career.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest NBA Free Agency moves so far:
Trevor Ariza heading to the Phoenix Suns on a one-year deal:
The 33-year-old small forward will be taking his talents to the desert after four seasons with the Houston Rockets. He will be on the court with a young team that includes the likes of Devin Booker, TJ Warren, and Josh Jackson. Ariza figures to provide a veteran presence for the organization but will also provide some solid production on the court as he produced 11.7 points per game last season to go along with 4.4 assists per game, he also shot .412 for the year. The 14-year veteran will most likely be sharing playing time with Warren who was a revelation for the Suns last year after he produced a career-high 19.6 points per game. With their young stars getting more experience, Phoenix could make a run at the playoffs this year after finishing with an awful 21-61 record in 2017-2018. Ariza isn’t a difference maker for the Suns, but his skills combined with the continuing development of the young stars can help make the team much better this coming season.
Paul George agrees to four-year, $137M max contract to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder:
After finishing one game shy of the Portland Trailblazers in the Northwest Division in the regular season and losing to the Utah Jazz in the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed intent on bringing back one of their biggest pieces from last year. Paul George was impressive for the Thunder last season as he averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebound, and 3.3 assists per game. He was also an ironman playing 79 games and averaging 36.6 minutes each game. This was a great move by Oklahoma City to give their star Russell Westbrook a huge weapon for the next four-years. Going into this season, the Thunder will be bringing back a strong team to try and go deep in the playoffs in a super competitive Western Conference. Along with Westbrook, they will feature Steven Adams, George, and Carmelo Anthony as long as they don’t release him. The Western Conference is always tough, but as per usual, the Thunder will have the talent to compete with anyone on a nightly basis.
Chris Paul returning to the Houston Rockets on a four-year, $160M max contract:
For the second year in a row, the Houston Rockets are going to feature one of the league’s best point guard, shooting guard duos in the league. Chris Paul will rejoin James Harden and the Rockets to try and make another run at the NBA Finals. In Paul’s first season with Houston last year, the team had the best regular season record in the league, and the veteran point guard averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Even despite playing in only 58 games, CP3 had a great season and gives the Rockets a huge weapon when James Harden isn’t in the game. Paul and Co. will look to come back strong after their loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
DeAndre Jordan heading to the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year deal:
The expert rebounder will be heading to Texas after spending the first 10 years of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Since he started averaging at least 30 minutes per game in the 2012-2013 season, DeAndre Jordan has averaged no less than 13.6 rebounds per game while still averaging double-digit scoring. Jordan will be joining a young team that features the talented Dennis Smith Jr. and rookie Luka Doncic as well as franchise-great Dirk Nowitzki to provide stability at power forward. Jordan will be 30-years-old when the season begins and this one year deal will give him a chance to work towards a long-term contract next offseason.
Kevin Durant expected to sign again with the Golden State Warriors:
It is hard to believe that it’s already been two seasons since Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the time has come for him to get a new contract and it looks like he’ll be staying with the Golden State Warriors. In both seasons with the Warriors, Durant got two championship rings and will now look to get a third with the team in the upcoming season. The veteran small forward will be signing a one-year, max deal with an option for a second year. Golden State will again be bringing in the best lineup to the upcoming season and will be the favorite for many to win yet another title.
Lebron James decides to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $154M contract:
It didn’t take too long for basketball fans to hear the highly anticipated decision by LeBron James as he signed with the Lakers on Sunday night, just one day into free agency. This was obviously the largest topic of the NBA offseason, and while this is heartbreaking for the city of Cleveland, Los Angeles will be welcoming arguably the best basketball player of all time. James had his choice of almost any team he wanted, but after losing back-to-back NBA Finals, it was apparent that he was going to a team that could offer him the surrounding cast that the Cavaliers could not. Some of the biggest names in the LeBron James sweepstakes were the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and the Miami Heat, but in the end decided to take his talents to one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, the Lakers. It still has yet to be seen if the Lakers can make a trade for Kawhi Leonard, but even if they cant, the surrounding cast should still be better than what James had in Cleveland. As of now, LeBron will be teaming up with the likes of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Los Angeles isn’t done either as they have their sights set on players like Leonard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Clint Cappella. Now with LeBron James in the Western Conference, there are many possibilities as to who will be representing the conference in the NBA Finals. This signing has put even more stress on the Golden State Warriors and their quest for a third straight title.
