NBA free agency frenzy simmers down
It was a busy weekend as far as NBA free agency was concerned. LeBron James’ decision to “come home” to the Cleveland Cavaliers was the first domino to fall and soon after teams and players quickly made their moves. James shrewdly signed a two-year contract with the Cavs worth $42 million, giving him both financial flexibility and the freedom to find the greenest pastures that would lead him to win another NBA title. LeBron is joining a young team with a core group of players which include skilled point guard Kyrie Irving and 2014 number one overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins. Minnesota’s all-star power forward Kevin Love is reportedly interested to commit long term with Cleveland as he is intrigued with playing alongside James and company.
Within the same day, former teammate Chris Bosh opts to stay with the Miami Heat, signing a five-year deal worth $118 million. Dwyane Wade has yet to sign a deal and is the biggest unsigned FA left on the market, but word is that he very close to finalizing his return to the Miami Heat. In the wake of James’ departure from the club, Miami has landed British forward Luol Deng to help pick up the slack left behind. He comes on board after agreeing to a two-year deal worth $20 million.
Spaniard Pau Gasol decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign with the Chicago Bulls for three years. Gasol’s deal will net him roughly $22 million over the period of the contract. Not a bad deal for the talented 34-year-old forward.
The Dallas Mavericks were able sign restricted agent Chandler Parsons to a three-year, $46 million contract; which the Houston Rockets did not match. The Rockets used a sign-and-trade transaction to acquire Washington Wizards’ sharpshooter Trevor Ariza, whom they will use as their new starting small forward in Parsons’ stead. Ariza’s contract is worth $32 million through four years. The Wizards are filling the void left by Ariza with veteran scorer Paul Pierce.
The most recent big named free agent to come to an agreement with a team is Carmelo Anthony, who has decided to re-sign with the New York Knicks for the next five years. Following James’ lead, Anthony announced his decision through an open letter on his website to the New York fans.
Most of the big names in NBA free agency are now spoken for and the landscape league has been altered once again, ushering in what appears to be a very interesting 2014-15 season.