NBA Free Agents and their New Contracts Pt. 2
WORDS BY MIKEY AGULTO
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NBA.COM, ESPN.GO.COM, AND CREATIVE COMMONS
July 9, 2010 | 4570 views
“This year’s frontrunners, consisting of 2003 draft mates LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, has been meeting non-stop with several NBA teams ever since free agency officially started on 12:00am of July 1.”
Merely 24 hours after
we published those words, all three perennial superstars mentioned above have ultimately signed with the
Miami Heat, making
“The Decision” one of the most appalling announcements in NBA history. (Watch ESPN’s exclusive interview with LeBron James “The Decision 2010”
here.)
Still we have to move on, even if the soap opera climax has come to an end. For the rest of these yet-to-be-signed free agents, the drama continues.
Part one of our prestigious list of free agents focused mostly on the contract, which is why today’s list will put more emphasis on players (most of them) who chose to play somewhere else next season.
Simply put – the transferees.
Ray Allen has signed a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Boston Celtics. When you've got a formula that works, you tend to stand by it in the long run. Allen may not be posting all-star numbers again with this team, but he is the perfect role player among the Boston big three. The problem however, is they're now miles away from being the best big three in the NBA.Steve Blake and the Lakers agree to a 4-year, $16 million deal. We think it's efficient that Blake chose to stay in Los Angeles after a brief stint with the Clippers. Him landing on the gold and purple got us thinking about Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar's future as the perfect 1-2 punch combination at the point. Either way, it's a good move for sharp shooting Blake and a same-same gesture from the Lakers.Brendan Haywood and the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a 6-year, $55 million deal. Haywood is a typical center who didn't quite live up to the hype, but nonetheless way better than Michael Olowakandi. We have a gut feeling that Mavs center Eric Dampier may not be in the starting position next season, courtesy of Father Time. Alas, Haywood has a future in Dallas.Former Knicks center David Lee now has a 6-year, $80 million contract courtesy of a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors. We didn't expect the Warriors to land a major player in this free agency drama, but something tells me they are the real winners here. Lee, coming from consecutive losing seasons in New York, has found no edge in transferring to this city. Good contract, but same fate.Former Jazz forward Carlos Boozer lands a 5-year, $75 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. Boozer has quite developed a dubious reputation the last time he was a free agent, so by choosing Chicago over Utah his loyalty is doubtful. With no LeBron or Wade in the team's future, they're going to have to settle with a good but inconsistent forward despite their sacrifices (John Salmons and Ben Gordon).Guard Dwyane Wade has agreed to stay with the Miami Heat for a possible maximum contract. Pat Riley should thank Dwyane Wade for staying, because he truly is the heart and soul of this once in a lifetime tandem. But the luckiest of them bunch is Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. Suddenly an NBA Champion is as easy as spelling N-B-A. Needless to say, this is a win-win deal for both parties, and terrible loss for the rest of the league.Former Toronto center Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat have agreed to a maximum contract deal. We would like to credit Chris for avoiding the unnecessary drama brought to us by the NBA free agency. He has stated his desire to leave his former team days before off-season began, giving Toronto a chance to rebuild their roster even if for a short time. We say Miami is dead lucky, being able to have space for three max contract deals.Former Knicks guard Chris Duhon has agreed to a 4-year, $15 million payday with the Orlando Magic. Chris Duhon has always been disregarded most of his career. Being a back-up to point guard Jameer Nelson may be a career step back for Duhon, and so is his barely $4 million a year salary. The only good coming out of this is he finally has a good chance of reaching the playoffs next season.Mike Miller has signed a 5-year, $30 million deal with the Miami Heat. Seriously, where is this dumb luck coming from? Veteran marksman Mike Miller is a golden bargain for the Miami Heat. This is a solid, long-lasting contract for the former NBA Rookie of the Year, who has yet to win a championship in his career. Mike is the best player you can get at mid-level salary of $6 million.Former Heat center Jermaine O'Neal and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a full, mid-level exception deal at $11.5 million for 2 years. We're starting to think that Boston has a soft spot for aging big men, but they do need a solid replacement for the recently injured Kendrick Perkins, who may miss the start of next season. Jermaine fills the role perfectly, and we're glad he's going to keep playing for 2 more years.LeBron James finally announces on his TV special that he will sign with the Miami Heat for a maximum contract deal. We all know the details and the drama that surrounded it. We know that he's teaming with superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. We know he'll probably snag a title or two in the next five years. So we'll spare you the verdict and leave you with the thought of a Pinoy head coach celebrating with three of the biggest NBA talents in the history of sports.
Tags : boston celtics,
chicago bulls,
dwyane wade,
espn,,
free agency,
lebron james,
los angeles lakers,
nba,
new york,
ny knicks
