2017-18 NBA Free Agency (later weeks)

Jazz: Thabo Sefolosha (2yr/$10.5m), Jonas Jerebko (2yr/$8.2m), Ekpe Udoh (2yr/$6.5m)
Well, they'd rather have Gordon Hayward, but these are nice veterans on reasonable deals (feels like they just raided the Euro super league for these adds). All three can play some D and score some points, Utah's bench just got a lot deeper.

Cavs: Cedi Osman (3yr/$8.5m)
A low cost move to build some depth for the Cavs. He's an intriguing Euro prospect but I can't help thinking the Cavs are not a good place for him: they're so concerned with the future of Lebron, hard to feel like they're in development mode (though they probably ought to be).

Hawks: Ersan Ilyasova (1yr/$6m)
Nice affordable vet contract. Cheap enough to make him a trade chip if he plays well (wouldn't be surprised to see him with Celtics, Cavs or Wizards by year's end).

Grizzlies: Rade Zagorac (3yr/$3m)
Don't know him, does he have grit and/or grind?

Wizards: Otto Porter (4yr/$106m)
Took a step forward last year, not sure it was a $25m/per kind of step but the Wizards couldn't afford to let him go. If he continues to advance, then this deal will be worth it (if not....).

Thunder: Nick Collison (1yr/min)
I expect this will be Collison's last year as a player and that next year he'll be wearing a suit on OKC's bench.

Magic: Jonathon Simmons (3yr/$20m)

Spurs couldn't come up with 3yr/$21m for this guy? Hmmmm....clearly Simmons and the Spurs organization didn't mesh off the court but he looked pretty good for them on the court last year, sure though they could use him going forward. The Magic have collected a nice pile of players, up to Coach Vogel to mold them into something, I'm guessing Simmons will be the key to the Magic's season.

Rockets: Luc Mbah a Moute (unknown), Tarik Black (1yr/$3.2m), Troy Williams (3yr/unknown)
These are cost-effective ways to thicken the bench. Luc is a well-liked veteran, Black is a useful big man off the bench and I don't know Williams but he turned heads in Summer League.

Spurs: Manu Ginobli (1yr/unknown), Pau Gasol (3yr/Unknown)
Bringing back the old legs for another run. I expect this to be Manu's last year and Pau to retire as a Spur soon enough.

Bulls: David Nwaba (unknown)
I don't know him.

Pelicans: Rajon Rondo (1yr/$3.2m)
Rondo is plenty talented enough to help the new-look Pelicans and this deal is certainly team friendly. That said, I can't help thinking he is exactly the wrong guy for that offense. Maybe they'll be scoring so much down low that a PG that can't score to save his life will fit just fine, but I suspect they'll need perimeter scoring and guards that attack the basket and get to the FT line, all of which are things that Rondo doesn't do.

Clippers: Willie Reed (1yr/$1.5m)
The new-look Clippers will need all the bench depth (re: injury minutes) they can get. Reed is a good pickup for them.

Heat: Udonis Haslem (1yr/min)
Haslem is still around? I advocated moving him to the coaching staff when Lebron was there.

2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Days 7--11)

Hawks: Mike Muscala (2yr/$10m), Dewayne Dedmon (2yr/$14m)
These aren't terribly exciting deals for Hawks fans but they're not bad pick-ups. Muscala is a nice player off the deep bench. I like Dedmon, though I think he's more useful on a good team (like the Spurs) than for a rebuilding team that doesn't know who they are. I expect Dedmon to get plenty of minutes but a limited role would be more exciting.

Grizzlies: Tyreke Evans (1yr/$3.3m)
The Grizzlies have needed an unconscious scorer off the bench for years, not sure Evans is that guy any more but at this price tag, it's a reasonable risk.

Pacers: Bojan Bogdanovic (2yr/$21m)
This guy can really shoot.  Unfortunately, I don't think he can do much else. Oh well, he'll give them some corner 3's and that is a thing that everyone needs nowadays.

Thunder: Ray Felton (1yr/min)
Nice bench player, think he'll mesh well with PG/Patterson/Adams.

Warriors: Zaza Pachulia (1yr/$3.5m)
Warriors still keeping the band together. To me the weirdest part of the Warriors last year was not seeing Andrew Bogut out there. Zaza isn't Bogut but he's a reasonable facsimile.

Magic: Shelvin Mack (2yr/$12m)
I like Mack, a top tier 2nd string PG. But I'm not sure what he does for the Magic next year. I would've preferred to see Mack coming off the bench for a better team.

Cavs: Jeff Green (1yr/$2.3m)
Yes, Green is the perhaps the most frsutrating player of the last 20 years. But the Cavs are the one team in the league that can actually use him. They only need him to be good every 5th or 6th game and that's what he'll give them.

Wolves: Jamal Crawford (2yr/$9m)
I was into this signing when I first heard it: a solid veteran PG to keep the youth movement in line while adding some scoring off the bench. I dunno....re-thinking it, he was not good last year with the Clippers (and pretty overrated the previous year), not sure he has much left to give. Feels like he might be fighting for time with Tyus Jones.

Raptors: CJ Miles (3yr/$25m (sign and trade))
A guy that give them some Patrick Patterson-ish all over the place help, he'll get big minute if DeRozan or Lowry get hurt. The money is affordable too, good move.

Pistons: Anthony Tolliver (1yr/$3m), Reggie Bullock (2yr/$5m)
These are two end of the bench moves that add/subtract little to what the Pistons have right now.

Spurs: Joffrey Lauvergne (unknown)
I like Lauvergne, I think he can be a better Plumlee type of guy, if he can do what he's supposed to do, I feel like he can be really good for the Spurs.

Celtics: Aaron Baynes (1yr/$4.3m)
Bench guy, veteran, old time Popovich soldier, he'll be fine for 5-10 minutes per game.

Suns: Alan Williams (3yr/$17m)
I dunno Williams. I have no idea if he's useful for the Suns.

Lakers: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (1yr/$18m)
Overpaying for a one-year contract, just biding time til PG (and Lebron? Westbrook? K Love?) arrive next year.

2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 6)

Clippers: Milos Teodosic (2yr/$12.3m)
Hey, man, Teodosic can play. I've watched him in the EuroBasket and World Cup and dude can ball out (in the national team game anyway). I suspect the Clippers are the absolutely worst place for him to go: Doc will be prejudiced against the unorthodox foreigner, the fans will heap the blame (and there may well be plenty to go around with the Clipeprs) on him, his game may not mesh and he looks like a big nothing. Too bad, Pelicans would've been a good place for him.

Kings: Bogdan Bogdanovic (3yr/$27m), Vince Carter (1yr/$8m)
Vince says he ain't ring-hunting and signing in Sacramento proves that! Not a bad pick up, the Kings need everything, Coach Joerge picks up another old Grizzly soldier. I like the signing. This is the other Bogdanovic, don't know much about this one (except that he's not the other one). They kinda stole him from the Suns, if they get anything of him, they'll look brilliant. What is up with the Kings doing everything right?

Heat: Kelly Olynyk (4yr/$50m), James Johnson (4yr/$60m)
I like Olynyk and Johnson as much as the next guy but $110m for the next years seems kinda steep to me. Oh well, they're both fun players when they're rolling and the Heat is probably a good spot for them.

Spurs: Rudy Gay (2yr/$17m)
If they re-sign Pau, they'll have a lot of long lean veteran savvy around the rim. The Spurs are still good, if this team grinds they win. Gay is probably a pretty good pickup for them.

Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki (2yr/$10m)
I think Dirk has two more years left in him. Sure, he's only getting slower and his D will just be brutal at times; but he still has one of the sweetest most un-guardable jumpers in the history of the game. He can still do that for two more years.

Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr (4yr/$71m).
Yup, this is easily the most head-scratching-est deal of the summer. Why is New York a place that no one wants to go? A place that has to overpay to lure people in? When did NYC become SLC? Hardaway's a nice player and he's been with the Knicks before but, man, who else was gonna give him $15m a year? What are the Knicks doing? They're trying to suck, right?

2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Days 3-5)

Warriors: Kevin Durant (2yrs/$53m), Omri Casspi (1yr/min)), Nick Young (1yr/5.2m)
Durant is officially the biggest bargain in the NBA. I think Casspi is one of most underappreciated players of the last few years, they're gonna love him in Golden State. I think Young is one of the most over-appreciated players of the last few years, but w/GSW he'll get plenty of chances to look good. Great moves, all three of them. I expect the Warriors to be pretty pretty pret-ty good next year.

Pacers: Darren Collison (2yr/$20m)
Collison is perhaps the best 2nd string PG in the league, which might make his price tag worth it. But with Indy he'll be expected to carry a lot of the load (and no one's quaking at that Collison/Oladipo back court). On second thought: I kinda like Collison and given the upheaval they've gone through, the Pacers could be one of those nice surprise teams in the sorry ass East next year.

Wizards: Mike Scott (1yr/min)
I hate to be that guy but wasn't Scott busted in a big time marijuana sting a coupla years ago? Am I remembering that wrong? (Also, another thing I'd normally never point out: Scott has the weirdest looking tats in the league, like a kindergarten class went hognutty with some Sharpies)

Kings: George Hill (3yr/$57m), Zach Randolph (2yr/$24m)
I don't remember the last time I thought this, but I kinda like everything the Kings have done this summer. Hill is a bit injury-prone and he's an unorthodox PG but I'm in the camp that thinks he's underrated. And Zebo kinda looks like DeMarcus, Kings fans will appreciate that. Two nice veteran moves, not terribly contracts (a little rich but not bad for Sacto).

Celtics: Gordon Hayward (4yr/$128m).
The pitch is this: 'Gordo, sign a 4 year deal and we will beat Lebron in that time and rule the East'.  I kinda wanted Hayward to stay in Utah, this is not as big as Durant going to the Warriors but not dissimilar: the Jazz were a good team getting better and the West needs all of those teams it can get to throw at the Warriors. But going to Boston was in the cards the whole time. Good get for the Celtics, they're ready to challenge Lebron and in 2018-19 they may well be ready to make a for-real run at a title. (*)

Thunder: Patrick Patterson (3yr/$16.4m), Andre Roberson (3yr/$30m).
I love what the Thunder got going on, I think PG and Russ are gonna be great together and Patterson is the perfect pick-up to throw in that rotation. He'll work hard without needing the ball or the spotlight, a dirty work guy that's guy a bit more offensive skill than you realize. Roberson's role is now clearly defined and they got both these guys on reasonable deals. I think OKC has a puncher's chance of getting the #1 seed.

Heat: Dion Waiters (4yr/$52m)
Waiters was really good last year and the Heat kinda cooked up some magic there once they got rolling. Can they run back? Ehhh, we'll see.


(*) I always thought there was a weird twist to the Stevens-Hayward mentorship that people ignored. Imagine this scenario: the Celtics bring Hayward in, give him the pitch, retire his jersey, take lots of pictures, that kinda crap; then everyone leaves and Stevens and Hayward sit down to chat. And Hayward says, 'Coach, Utah wants to give me a shit ton of money to build around me and I kinda like what we're building out there and I like the town and my wife is happy and they're gonna give me a SHIT TON of money...I kinda wanna stay in Utah.' If the coach-player relationship is truly as strong as we think it is then Stevens has to say: 'That sounds great, kid! You should do that! I love you and I want you to be happy and if you like the team and your wife is happy, then go get that fucking money and kick some ass!' And Hayward would've stayed.

2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 2)

Rockets: PJ Tucker (4yrs/$32m). Good player on a good deal, he'll either be a cornerstone of for the next half-decade or he'll be traded off when the Rockets unexpectedly implode. (Ehh,could happen)

Raptors: Serge Ibaka (3yrs/$65m), Kyle Lowry (3yrs/$100m). The beatdown Lebron laid on the Raptors last year is one of the all-time gut-punches. Raptors put it all together, consistent play, bold moves at the deadline, everyone took a step forward, the team really gelled...and could got pummeled hard and fast by the Cavs. Breathtaking that beatdown was. Where do the Raptors go from that? They did everything right and still never came close to even coming close. The modern fan wants to blow it up but who's coming if Lowry's going? Who's better out there than Serge? I dunno, it feels like they've already lost but maybe running this squad back one more time makes some magic.

Wolves: Taj Gibson (2yrs/$28m). Taj gives them great depth off the bench, gives Thibs his guy on the inside, a consummate pro to coach up the youth. Love the move. Very affordable deal for the Wolves.

Wizards: Jodie Meeks (2yrs/$7m). This is a pretty minimal investment and as much as I love Meeks (the original Malik Monk), he's been off the court for so long, its hard to imagine that he do anything at this point. When he was younger and healthier, he was a helluva filler-upper, I just can't see him doing that any more. (I dunno, he may be an all-world practice player or something)

Cavs: Kyle Korver (3yrs/$22m). Feels a little rich for a guy that did absolutely nothing in the Finals. Will a full year of Korver next year be better than a half of Korver thisyear? (Uhhh, I honestly don't know)

Bulls: Justin Holiday (2yrs/$9m). Seems like Holiday should've stuck with the Knicks (they just gave Tim Hardaway $400billion!  Tim Hardaway JR!). I guess he's a nice end of the roster guy for the Bulls.

Grizzlies: Ben McLemore (2yrs/$10m). Well, McLemore plays hard, that will endear him to the Grizzlie faithful. He was such an exciting athlete (and that was such a bland draft) that he was ranked out of his depth. Doesn't seem to be much of a ball player but still an exciting athlete and hard worker. Good gamble for Memphis.

Nuggets: Paul Millsap (3yrs/$90m). Bit of an overpay at his age, but good for him, he's been underpaid pretty much his whole career, good for him, go get some. And its worth it for the Nuggets. He's agood player, a good anchor for their rotation going forward, he really gives them something to build around, to build toward and if he's good $90m is a bargain. Good move for the Nuggets.

2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 1)

Clippers: Blake Griffin (5yrs/$170m). Yeah, I thought the Clips would keep CP3, they did not. Paul and Crawford are out, Reddick walked, wouldn't be surprised to see Deandre out too (send him to Dallas for Nerlens?). This team now belongs to Blake (and Austin Rivers) til kingdom come. The Clippers are a mediocre big market team with a lot of money: it'd be nice if they could develop young talent and make the most of draft picks, but they'll probably Knicks their way out of problems, piecemealing ever mediocre-er talent around Blake, hoping he avoids injury enough to have a badass playoff run in him. I dunno, I'm not feeling it. I would've bet on CP bringing the banana boat crowd around, if I was the Clippers, I'd rather do that for the next 3-5 years.

Warriors: Steph Curry (5yrs/$201m), Shaun Livingston (3yrs/$24m), David West (1yr/min), Andre Iguodala (3yrs/$48). Lebron's right: Steph is worth way more than that. Warriors are serious about keeping the band together and I applaud them. Paying a crazy tax on this team would be the greatest pleasure of my life, if you've got the money to buy the Mona Lisa, just buy it, don't worry if you can't afford it, it'll still be the Mona Lisa next year too. I'd love to go broke owning this team--might even more fun than being on the team! Love that the Warriors are smart enough to keep this thing going.

Spurs: Patty Mills (4yrs/$50m). I thought he would've been a 2nd strong PG for the Wolves (Wolves did okay though). Wasn't sure the Spurs would bring the big coin for Mills, I think its a pretty good move for them. He fits what they want, he's already there, get him paid and back on the court.

Wolves: Jeff Teague (3yrs/$57m). Personally I like Ricky Rubio, thought he was a pretty good fit for the new look Wolves. But Teague will go well with Butler and Towns, he'll do all right for Wiggins, Dieng and Bjelica too. I like what Wolves have done this summer,Teague/Butler/Crawford gives them a whole new look and feel. Thibs now has the horses and the depth, if the Wolves don't take a big step forward, it'll be eye-opening.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday (5yrs/$126m). Wow, $126m for Jrue Holiday? I like him as much as the next guy and the family vibe the Pels have with him is transcendent they say, but, man, that's a lot. The Pelicans have roughly 3 months to make it work with Boogie, by Feb he's either staying or going, that seems like a lot to tie into an oft-injured thoroughly okay PG. But the Pelicans have to do it their own way. (They've been snakebit ever since drafting Anthony Davis, every move they've made is to try to get something going with him as soon as possible, but their moves have just been impatient)

Bucks: Tony Snell (4yrs/$46m). I always thought Snell could be a nice player and last year he finally had a breakthrough. This seems like a reasonable deal, perhaps a little rich but someone would've paid him, it might as well be the Bucks. They're stockpiling a lot of 'nice' players there, they're just one free agent away from being the beast of the East. Snell isn't it but the groundwork is being laid expertly by Kidd and co.

Rockets: Nene Hilario (3yr/$11m), Zhou Qi (undisclosed). Nene played well for the Rockets off the bench last year, I think CP will do right by Nene, the money seems reasonable to me. I was intrigued by Zhou in the 2016 draft, he ran up and then back down the mocks leading up to the draft, settled at the Rockets in middle 2nd rd. You never know, he might be awesome. What happens if Zhou is the next Lativian Gangbanger and Harden and Paul go Melo/DRose on him? (I'm totally talking myself into that! smh)

Pistons: Langston Galloway (3yrs/$21m). I don't see what Stan Van is doing in Detroit. Last year Reggie Jax/KCP, this year Langston and Avery Bradley. I dunno, I guess that's better.

Knicks: Ron Baker (undisclosed). Everybody loves the plucky underdog in the Big Apple, right? Hey, for better or worse Baker was one of the brighter pieces of news the Knicks had all last year. And he's still cheap as hell, ride him out, see if it turns into Ron-sanity.

Sixers: JJ Redick (1yr/$23m), Amir Johnson (1yr/$11m). I like both these pick ups. Redick is still a helluva shooter, good enough defender and accomplished podcaster (that counts, man, you fuckin' A right it matters) and Johnson is a reliable hard working/good guy veteran. Yes, they're overpaying but the Sixers got nothing but money to spend and 1-year deals are worth their weight in gold.

Hornets: Michael Carter-Williams (1yr/$2.7m). That's not much to see if the former ROY (remember?  He won ROY!) can get it back.

Cavs: Jose Calderon (1yr/min). Is Calderon gonna be better next year than Deron Williams was this year? I think I'm gonna go with a strong 'probably not'.

Bulls: Cristiano Felicio (4yrs/$32m). I kinda like Felicio and I that's pretty good deal for the Bulls, that's a moveable contract on a nice young big man.

Jazz: Joe Ingles (4yrs/$52m). I like watching Ingles. He's one of the most amazingly slow players, I've ever seen. He's so tall for his position, he's always trying to be active but he takes so long to do whatever he's gonna do, he kinda unfolds across the floor. Anyway, I like his game, I think he can play with Rubio.