Welcome to NBA free-agent season, so let the overpaying begin!
And it did, right after midnight on Wednesday morning, when Portland showered Al-Farouq Aminu with a $30-million deal over four years. Crazy money for a career reserve sporting a 6.4 ppg scoring average, in 22 minutes per game.
Believe it or not, there are bargains to be had. The biggest? By far, David West's signing by San Antonio for $1.4 million has to rank as the best bargain of the last decade. The veteran power forward was scheduled to make $12.6 million this coming season in Indiana, but opted out of his deal to try to chase a title in San Antonio. When all is said and done, he might be the smartest free agent in the room.
When free agency started, the following dozen players (listed in alphabetical order) were considered by a few NBA scouts and personnel men to be the best potential bargains for teams looking for inexpensive buys. But as often happens in the NBA when July 1 rolls around, most have already cashed in for the big bucks:
Arron Afflalo – Until Portland’s Wes Matthews went down to a season-ending Achilles tear in early March, the Blazers had Afflalo, an eight-year wing, in the perfect bench role. “You don’t want him as a starter, but he’s great as a scorer off your bench for about 24 minutes a night,’’ said one scout, noting how Afflalo's play has regressed the last couple of seasons. “His defense is a little overrated.’’ He'll be back to starting, as he signed a two-year, $16-million deal with the Knicks. With the kings of overpaying involved, it was impossible to get the 6-5 Afflalo, 29, for a bargain, starting at $5 million. But at least the Knicks didn't give him the deal that was originally rumored. That one started at a ridiculous $12 million.
Alan Anderson – Anderson, 32, signed a 1-year deal with Washington for $4 million after a solid season off the bench for the Nets. He came off a strong playoff series vs. Atlanta, averaging 11 ppg on 61% shooting and 63% on three’s. “He’s a real good value,’’ said a scout of the 6-6, sixth-year wing player. “He can guard, he can pass and a
Brandon Bass – A 10-year forward, the 6-8 Bass, 30, is joining the Lakers after playing in Boston for the last four seasons. He comes in with reigning Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert, after the Lakers lost out on primary free agent targets LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe. Bass was considered a bargain if someone could get him in the $5-6 million range. The Lakers are devoting their cap space to Williams and Hibbert. So unless they get more room via a trade, Bass might get only $2.8 million in an exception.That would be a steal.
Brandon Bass' athleticism and shot-making will make some team happy, especially if the former... [+]
Marco Belinelli – His two-year run with the Spurs ended when he took a 3-year, $19-million deal from the Kings. Getting nowhere with other FA's, they gladly overpaid, as the 6-5 backcourt reserve was seen as a bargain for $3 million. Golden State and Charlotte also had interest in an 82% foul shooter who can break open a game with his three-point shooting (he’s a career 40% shooter from beyond the arc).
Aaron Brooks – Brooks, 30, is staying with the Bulls after a terrific season in Chicago, his fifth team in a seven-year NBA career. The 6-0 point guard is considered a good catch at $3-4 million. He agreed to a one-year deal, with the money to be finalized after the cap is set. Last season filling in for Derrick Rose he averaged 11.6 ppg in 82 games, shooting 42% overall and 39% from three-point range.
Tyson Chandler – Chandler, 32, enjoyed a bounce-back season for the Mavs after getting dumped by Phil Jackson and the Knicks last summer. In his 14th NBA season, the 7-1 center averaged 10 ppg and 11.5 rebounds per game in only 30.5 minutes per outing, and played in 75 games. “He can still do what he’s always done,’’ said one scout. The Suns saw it that way, giving Chandler a 4-year, $52-million deal. That's almost double the $7-million-per bargain salary some scouts had forecast for Chandler, who was rumored to be going to the Clippers in a sign-and-trade, if the Mavs got DeAndre Jordan. The lesson here: productive big men never come cheaply.
Mike Dunleavy – Looks like the Bulls did the smart thing by not wasting any time and bringing him back right away, at just under $5 million per. That's good value _ "it's a really fair deal,'' Dunleavy said _ and it also threw a wrench in LeBron James' plans to try to get the 13-year small forward, 34, to join the Cavaliers.
Amir Johnson _ He makes this list only after one of the 12 best bargains in the NBA, Jared Dudley, decided to opt into the final season at $4.25 million, which he'll now take to Washington after being traded by Milwaukee. Turns out that Johnson wasn't a bargain after all _ Boston shelled out $24 million over two years. Several rival execs thought he'd be a good get at $6 million per, mainly because he was miscast the last two seasons in Toronto as a starter. During his first 10 NBA seasons, he's never averaged over 10 ppg. The 6-9 Johnson, 28, is a good defender and decent board man, but he's viewed as an ideal seventh or eighth man. So Boston probably overpaid.
Kosta Koufos – Another case where a player was considered a good value at $5 million per, but ended up getting nearly twice that figure. Why? Because the Kings have to overpay, Sacramento is not a destination, the Kings are mired in a losing culture and are also viewed as the NBA's most dysfunctional team, starting at the top. So the 7-footer, 26, cashed in with a four-year, $33-million deal after averaging 16.9 and 16.6 minutes per game the last two seasons as Marc Gasol's backup in Memphis.
Robin Lopez – Entering his eighth season, Lopez, 27, was seen as a bargain at $7 per _ but will be getting almost twice as much from the Knicks with a jaw-dropping four-year, $54-million deal. Why the inflation? Because New York was spurned by its top FA target, Greg Monroe, when he opted to take the Bucks' $50-million offer. So that drove up the price for the one Lopez twin who has no offensive skills and can't score, but will give Derek Fisher some much-needed interior defense.
Mo Williams – He went back to Cleveland and the Cavs got a real bargain, signing the veteran playmaker to a two-year, $4.3 million deal. Entering his 13th NBA season, the 6-1 Williams will provide a solid backup for oft-injured Kyrie Irving. He spent the first part of last season in Minnesota and the Cavs tried to trade for him before he went to Charlotte, so this signing was anticipated. LeBron wanted this so it got done.
Brandan Wright – He didn't turn out to be the bargain some personnel men expected, which was a deal at $3-4 million per season. Memphis blew away the field with a 3-year, $18-million offer. The 6-10 Wright spent last season, his seventh in the NBA, playing for Boston, Dallas and Phoenix. He’s seen as the perfect 15-18 minute per game player, so $6 mil per is a bit excessive. But remember, this is the NBA, where overpaying is a way of life. And just wait 'til that new $24-billion TV deal kicks in when next summer rolls around ...
