The NBA season is almost always defined by the most important free agent signings the summer before Opening Night. This year, a lot more household names were acquired via trade, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Jaylen Brown. Although more analysts and fans will focus on the trades, there are numerous key signings who could alter how a franchise plays this season.
Who Are The Most Important Free Agent Signings?
The Miami Heat signed Klay Thompson to a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option on the second year. While the public will be focused on the duo of Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, Thompson will play a critical role in the offense. He may not be the shooter he once was, but even a shadow of his prime self is a knockdown specialist. Playing for the Dallas Mavericks last year, he shot 38.3% from three in over 21 minutes per game.
Antetokounmpo and Adebayo are dominant forces capable of taking over both sides of the floor, but both stars struggle when it comes to three-point shooting. Surrounding the two with floor-stretching guards is crucial for Miami’s offense to work. Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins are expected to round out the starting lineup, though neither is known for their outside shooting. Thompson and fellow free-agent signee Tim Hardaway Jr. will be counted on as floor-stretching guards who can hit open three-pointers.
Another veteran who may be past his prime is DeMar DeRozan, who signed with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year, $3.9 million deal. As opposed to Thompson, who should be a relatively consistent starter, DeRozan will be expected to be the top-scoring option off the bench for Denver. The 37-year-old averaged 18.4 points per game in 77 games last year.
DeRozan will be utilized as a sixth man, replacing the departed Peyton Watson, and has accepted the first bench role since his rookie season. Watson showed flashes last year, but the idea is that DeRozan has been a consistent scorer for over a decade and can be reliable when Jamal Murray or Nikola Jokic need a breather as the focal points of the offense. Denver has a ton of talent, but has been held back by a lack of depth in recent years. The six-time All-Star hopes to be the scoring spark the rotation has been missing.
The San Antonio Spurs also added to their rotation, signing Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31 million contract. After the catastrophe that the NBA Finals turned into for San Antonio last year, veteran leadership became a valuable quality to the young team. Harris has started 81 playoff games in his career and should become a big presence in the locker room.
Harris averaged 13.2 points and 27.7 minutes per game last year, the lowest of his 16-year career. The forward won’t put up 20 points a night as he did eight years ago, but he’s still a scorer. He also knows how to play his role, exemplified by the highest plus/minus of his career last year despite his lower numbers. The Spurs will face plenty of competition in the Western Conference, and repeating as champions is extremely difficult, but Harris’s scoring ability and leadership will be counted on for a young San Antonio squad.
Moving away from the West, the Boston Celtics signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million deal, with a player option on the final year. The move went under the radar after Jaylen Brown was shipped off to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and some picks, but Robinson will be a key part of the rotation. The reigning NBA Champion is a defensive anchor and, at seven feet tall, is one of the larger players on Boston’s roster.
The Celtics have struggled with paint protection and rebounding after Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford left. Enter Robinson, who has averaged at least eight rebounds per game in five of the past six years and has a career average of 1.7 blocks. Teaming him up with Neemias Queta (sometimes at the same time) will provide Boston with some much-needed paint presence on both sides of the floor.
Last, but not least, is LeBron James. Arguably the greatest player to ever touch a basketball signed a cheap two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, with a player option on the second year. James took a massive pay cut to help Philadelphia form the league’s latest superteam. The former Laker will pair with Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe to create one of the most dangerous starting lineups in NBA history.
The largest obstacle in the 76ers way will be health. Embiid has been notoriously injury-prone throughout his career, and James will turn 42 in December. Maxey and Brown have also had injuries during their careers. Fortunately for head coach Nick Nurse, if one or two of his starters are out, he’ll still have three elite talents he can rely on. Philadelphia will be one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship, and James will be a main reason why they will win it if they do.
The Akron, OH native’s role will be something to watch closely. For the first time in his career, James does not have to be counted on as a scorer. Embiid, Brown, and Maxey have all been some of the best bucket-getters in the league for some time. Instead, James will likely take on a majority of the playmaking responsibilities. If he is healthy, there’s a good chance James will pass Chris Paul for second all-time in assists.
