NBA teams
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior Writer 6y

Rating the latest moves and contracts in NBA free agency

NBA, New Orleans Pelicans

Which teams have improved the most in NBA free agency, and what's still to come?

Team-by-team analysis of the major and minor deals from Days 2 and 3:

(Note: Updates on each deal will be posted here throughout the day. You can read analysis on Day 1 deals -- including those for LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon -- here.)


Denver Nuggets

1. Traded forward Wilson Chandler to the Philadelphia 76ers

You can read my trade grades for the Chandler deal here, including what's next for the Nuggets and how he fits in Philly.  Insider


Detroit Pistons

1. Agreed to a reported one-year, minimum deal with guard Jose Calderon

Coming off a solid season in Cleveland, Calderon will become Detroit's veteran third point guard behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith. He'll be a solid presence in the locker room and has experience in new Pistons head coach Dwane Casey's system, having played for Casey in Toronto.

Adding Calderon almost certainly means Detroit will waive point guard Dwight Buycks, whose salary is non-guaranteed through Sept. 1. In that case, the Pistons should remain safely out of the luxury tax.


Golden State Warriors

1. Agreed to a reported one-year deal with center DeMarcus Cousins

You can read my full analysis on Cousins in Golden State here.

2. Agreed to a reported one-year, minimum deal with center Kevon Looney

The Warriors won their gamble on declining the fourth-year team option on Looney's rookie contract, which would have paid him $2.2 million. That risked another team swooping in with a bigger offer, since Looney became an unrestricted free agent and Golden State could pay him no more than the same $2.2 million. With Looney starting the last four games of the Western Conference finals and Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a bigger offer looked like a real possibility.

Instead, the Warriors managed to get Looney back at the minimum, which will pay him $1.6 million and count a bit less than that ($1.5 million) against Golden State's cap. Those savings are multiplied because the Warriors are currently projected to pay $3.75 in luxury tax for each marginal dollar they spend in salary, which means they saved approximately $3.3 million, according to Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com.

Looney's return was important for Golden State after the addition of DeMarcus Cousins, given the possibility that Cousins won't be available to start the season. That would leave Looney, Jordan Bell and Damian Jones as the Warriors' current center options. Golden State will also have full Bird rights on Looney as a free agent next summer.


Houston Rockets

1. Agreed to a reported one-year, minimum deal with guard Michael Carter-Williams

If the NBA allowed platoon systems, Carter-Williams would be a strong fit in Houston. Surely, the Rockets were interested in Carter-Williams because of the size he brings as a 6-foot-6 point guard in their switching defense.

According to Second Spectrum tracking, opponents have averaged 0.88 points per chance on plays on which Carter-Williams switched on the screen setter over the past five seasons, tied for 10th-best among players who have switched at least 500 picks in that span. Of the nine players ahead of Carter-Williams on that list, three (Eric Gordon, James Harden and Chris Paul) already play in Houston. Three more (Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston) play for the rival Golden State Warriors.

Livingston is an interesting model for what Carter-Williams could become. Both are big point guards without 3-point range. The key difference, naturally, is that Livingston is one of the league's best midrange shooters. Carter-Williams has struggled badly in that regard, making just 26.8 percent of his 2-point attempts beyond 10 feet the past two seasons, per Basketball-Reference.com. That's a little more accurate -- but less efficient -- than his 24 percent shooting on 3s in that span.

Unless the Rockets find a creative way to use Carter-Williams almost like a big man on offense, he's going to have to show some ability to make outside shots to stay on the court. His defensive value alone won't be enough to justify his playing rotation minutes.


Indiana Pacers

1. Agreed to a reported one-year, $12 million deal with guard Tyreke Evans

After the first two days of free agency, Evans was far and away the best unrestricted free agent left on the market. On a per-game basis, Evans ranked in the league's top 20 in WARP during 2017-18, producing at an All-Star level when he was on the court with the Memphis Grizzlies. I'm a huge fan of this pickup for the Pacers.

After declining to trade Evans for offers of second-round picks at the deadline, the Grizzlies could offer Evans only their $8.6 million non-tax midlevel exception, allowing Indiana to outbid them using cap space. My only quibble is I might have liked to see a long-term deal at a lower average value if Evans were interested, since he'd likely be a better value at that price than anyone the Pacers could sign next season.

That noted, Evans will essentially replace Lance Stephenson, giving Indiana one of the NBA's deeper perimeter rotations. The backcourt of Darren Collison and All-Star Victor Oladipo fit together nicely last season, with Bojan Bogdanovic providing floor spacing and surprisingly competent defense at small forward. The Pacers also have Cory Joseph as a backup point guard, allowing Evans to spend most of his time on the wings and potentially finish games alongside Collison and Oladipo in smaller, quicker lineups.

Playing Evans off the ball should work because of the improvement he has made as a shooter. Evans has made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts the past three seasons and is about equally adept in catch-and-shoot and pull-up situations, providing Indiana offensive versatility.


LA Clippers

1. Agreed to a reported two-year, $25 million deal with guard Avery Bradley

2. Agreed to a reported one-year deal with forward Mike Scott

Like many of this year's other free agents, Bradley had a limited market for offers paying more than the midlevel exception. Only the Philadelphia 76ers realistically could have made Bradley such an offer and only for one year. Pending details on the guaranteed portion of Bradley's 2019-20 salary, reaching this deal to stay with the Clippers looks like a good outcome for him.

Bradley played just six games for the Clippers after being acquired in the Blake Griffin trade, as abdominal surgery ended his season prematurely. We didn't get a good look at how he'll fit in, though the Clippers have also remade their backcourt over the offseason by drafting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson and trading Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards.

Ultimately, Bradley should be the starting shooting guard, presumably alongside Patrick Beverley, with Lou Williams backing up both positions and the rookies rounding out the rotation. That's a pretty solid backcourt when everyone is healthy.

The surprise here would be the Clippers' willingness to add 2019-20 salary, given their evident desire to be players in free agency next summer. Again, that might not prove to be the case once we get details on this deal. Let's proceed as if it's true. Adding Bradley's $12.5 million or so would enable the Clippers to clear up to nearly $50 million in cap space, which would go down to a bit less than $30 million if they retain their Bird rights for unrestricted free agent Tobias Harris.

With more teams having cap space next summer, the Clippers could potentially get off Bradley's salary if they need to maximize their flexibility. Although Bradley's advanced stats don't support this conclusion, I suspect many teams will continue to view him as an above-average starter at shooting guard because of his elite individual defense and ability to space the floor.

Earlier Tuesday, the Clippers also added frontcourt depth by signing Scott, coming off a strong season playing for the veteran's minimum with the Washington Wizards. Scott adds a stretch option the Clippers didn't really have off the bench, having shot a career-high 40.5 percent on 3s last season while making 1.7 per 36 minutes.

With those two signings, the Clippers' roster looks close to complete. They have 13 players under guaranteed contract. Beverley is technically non-guaranteed but is in zero danger of being cut, given his reasonable $5 million salary. That puts the Clippers at 14 players with Montrezl Harrell still a restricted free agent. If they re-sign Harrell, that wouldn't leave room for either of last year's two-way players: restricted free agent Tyrone Wallace and C.J. Williams, whose 2018-19 salary is guaranteed for just $187,500.


Los Angeles Lakers

1. Agreed to a reported one-year deal with guard Rajon Rondo

You can read my full analysis on this Lakers roster here.


Minnesota Timberwolves

1. Agreed to a reported one-year deal with forward Anthony Tolliver

Playing on a one-year deal for the Detroit Pistons last season, Tolliver had perhaps the best season of his 10-year career, shooting a career-high 44 percent from 3-point range while attempting more than three-quarters of his shots from beyond the arc. As a result, Tolliver posted a .663 true shooting percentage that was far and away his best ever.

Minnesota can't quite count on Tolliver maintaining that level of production at age 33, but on a one-year deal, he should hold much of his value, and the money is reasonable. The question is the alternative cost. With the addition of Tolliver, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Timberwolves pulled their qualifying offer to restricted free agent Nemanja Bjelica, who no longer appears in their plans.

Not only is Bjelica three years younger, but he also offers more flexibility with the ability to slide to small forward. Per analysis of lineup data from NBA Advanced Stats, Bjelica played nearly half his minutes at small forward last season, starting there when Jimmy Butler was sidelined. If Butler or Andrew Wiggins were to go down this season, Minnesota might have to choose between playing a rookie (either Josh Okogie or second-round pick Keita Bates-Diop) or a second point guard (either Tyus Jones or Derrick Rose).

The Timberwolves likely determined that Bjelica would be too expensive to retain while avoiding the luxury tax. Assuming they sign Bates-Diop for the minimum and stretch the guaranteed portion of Cole Aldrich's 2018-19 salary, Minnesota has about $4.4 million left to spend without going into the luxury tax and three roster spots open. The Timberwolves are probably looking at minimum salaries from here on out.


New Orleans Pelicans

1. Agreed to a reported two-year, $18 million deal with center Julius Randle

After losing Rajon Rondo to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday afternoon, the Pelicans regrouped by agreeing with the player the Lakers had to renounce to sign Rondo. Because of the poor market for big men this summer, Randle came at the relative bargain rate of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.

Using the non-tax midlevel hard caps New Orleans. In practice, the Pelicans were unlikely to ever pay the tax, which was going to make DeMarcus Cousins difficult to re-sign even after Rondo's departure. Signing Randle means New Orleans will let Cousins walk and build a frontcourt rotation around Randle, Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic.

Davis should be an ideal pairing with Randle up front. Although Randle can't space the floor like Cousins -- he made just 10 3s at a 22 percent clip last season -- Davis will provide him plenty of space to isolate and play bully ball against smaller defenders. At the other end, Davis supplies the rim protection Randle cannot. A Mirotic-Randle frontcourt will be more of a challenge defensively but should be tough to stop on offense.

Using the midlevel on Randle means the Pelicans will have to sign Elfrid Payton to the one-year, $2.7 million deal reported Sunday with their $3.4 million bi-annual exception. That leaves them capable only of offering free agents the minimum from here on out. Another perimeter player would be useful; E'Twaun Moore is still in line to start at small forward, with Darius Miller the only alternative at the position. And if Moore plays the 3, that leaves New Orleans with only Frank Jackson behind likely backcourt starters Elfrid Payton and Jrue Holiday.


Oklahoma City Thunder

1. Agreed to a reported two-year, minimum deal with center Nerlens Noel

A good week continues for the Thunder, who get Noel at a bargain rate after re-signing Paul George and Jerami Grant in the early hours of free agency. For Noel, betting on himself by taking the one-year qualifying offer from the Dallas Mavericks backfired spectacularly.

Even had Noel played well in Dallas, this year's market for centers was going to make it difficult for him to beat the Mavericks' four-year, $70 million offer he reportedly turned down last summer. Suffice to say Noel did not play well, falling out of the Dallas rotation, causing a stir by eating a hot dog in the media room at halftime of a game and capping things off with a five-game suspension in April for violating the NBA's anti-drug program.

Noel likely found himself picking among minimum deals. Oklahoma City is an interesting choice. Unless the Thunder plan to play Noel with starting center Steven Adams, he'll probably be limited to backup minutes behind Adams, who averaged 32.7 minutes per game last season. This might not be an ideal opportunity for Noel to rebuild his value.

From Oklahoma City's standpoint, Noel isn't a perfect fit. He'll push Grant out of the backup center role he played last season, and Grant-Noel frontcourts will be shooting-challenged. On the plus side, Noel should help the Thunder on the defensive glass, a major weakness when Grant played center. Moreover, Oklahoma City couldn't deny the value, particularly with money tight for a team paying the repeater tax.


Philadelphia 76ers

1. Agreed to a reported one-year, $12-13 million deal with guard JJ Redick

Once LeBron James and Paul George were no longer possible options for the Sixers, Redick's return was all but assured. He played a valuable role for a young Philadelphia team last season, providing needed floor spacing on the court and offering leadership in the locker room.

For the 76ers, getting Redick back at less than the $23 million he made on last season's one-year deal allows them to stay under the cap. If they renounce the rights to their other free agents -- basically just Amir Johnson, with Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova having already agreed to deals elsewhere -- Philadelphia can create up to about $14 million in cap space.

That flexibility could make it easier for the Sixers to complete an imbalanced trade with the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, taking back additional contracts (likely Patty Mills) to help the Spurs' cap situation. But the clock is ticking on that scenario given that Philadelphia would probably also like to use room to replace Belinelli and Ilyasova.

Roster spots are a limitation for the Sixers. Including Redick, plus Richaun Holmes and T.J. McConnell (whose 2018-19 salaries are non-guaranteed) and this year's two first-round picks, the 76ers have 13 players under contract. A buyout for guard Jerryd Bayless would clear another spot, but Philadelphia might not have room for 2017 second-round pick Jonah Bolden, who spent last season playing in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv.


Portland Trail Blazers

1. Agreed to a reported two-year deal with guard Seth Curry

It looks as though Curry will become Portland's top backcourt reserve after the Blazers decided not to tender either Pat Connaughton or Shabazz Napier a qualifying offer in order to make them restricted free agents. Portland also has Wade Baldwin and newcomer Nik Stauskas as options in the backcourt, but neither is in Curry's class as a player.

Before missing the entire 2017-18 season due to a stress injury to his right tibia, Curry emerged as a starter at shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks the previous season. He shot 43 percent from 3-point range and posted a strong .601 true shooting percentage, both better marks than either Connaughton or Napier managed last season, and his assist rate in 2016-17 (4.4 per 100 team plays) was also slightly better than Napier's in 2017-18 (4.3).

Curry would be stretched if asked to run an offense by himself. Fortunately, that won't generally be the case with the Blazers, who like to keep either Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum on the court at all times. While defense will be a concern with the undersized Curry alongside Lillard or McCollum, he should be a strong value at $2.75 million this season. Curry gets a player option that allows him back on the market if he is healthy and productive, and it guarantees him an additional season of salary if not.


Utah Jazz

1. Agreed to a reported two-year, $36 million deal with forward Derrick Favors

2. Agreed to a reported three-year, $33 million deal with guard Dante Exum

3. Agreed to a reported two-year, $4.4 million deal with guard Raul Neto

This is an interesting deal to re-sign Favors that could work for both sides. Favors gets a healthy raise on the $12 million he made last season; just seven players have signed for a higher average annual salary so far this summer, and few more will likely do so.

In exchange, Utah gets the flexibility of a non-guaranteed salary for Favors in 2019-20, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz can easily create max cap room next summer to add around a core of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, which could be an attractive option for free agents if Utah again wins a playoff series behind its young stars.

With two agreements Tuesday, the Jazz's point guard depth is back for 2018-19. Let's start with Exum, the No. 5 pick of the 2014 draft who has played just 80 games over the past three seasons. A torn ACL suffered in the summer of 2015 and last season's separated shoulder have kept Exum off the court and slowed his development.

Once he returned for the final 16 games of 2017-18, Exum showed flashes of the potential that made him a top-five pick, making 54 percent of his 2-point attempts, doubling his assists per 36 minutes and more than doubling his rate of free throw attempts per minute. If Exum can ever become a good enough 3-point shooter to force defenses to close out hard, his quick first step will enable him to get to the rim on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, Exum's development as a shooter seems to have stalled, and his 31 percent shooting from downtown as a rookie remains the best of his brief career. Turnovers were also an issue for Exum in the playoffs, when he coughed the ball up on a quarter of his plays. Utah is betting a hefty amount that Exum, who will turn 23 next week, will work past these shortcomings.

After Tuesday's moves, we're down to three teams (the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers) who could have made Exum an offer this large, so the Jazz might have had an opportunity to squeeze him a bit more. But they clearly value him as a key part of their future and didn't want to risk that relationship.

Neto too has struggled with injuries, missing 34 games last season with a variety of maladies. When he has been on the court, Neto has helped the Jazz with heady decision-making on offense and pesky defense. The multiyear version of RPM projects him as an above-average contributor going forward, albeit in limited minutes. A deal paying Neto slightly more than the veteran's minimum is reasonable, particularly if Utah got a non-guarantee on the second year to help preserve 2019 cap space.


Washington Wizards

1. Agreed to a reported one-year, minimum deal with forward Jeff Green

After perennially falling short of the high expectations he generated as a high-paid starter throughout his career, Green thrived last season as a role player making the veteran's minimum with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers had a plus-4.1 net rating with Green on the court, per NBA Advanced Stats, and were outscored by 1.6 points per 100 possessions with him on the bench. Green's production in place of the injured Kevin Love during Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference finals were crucial in Cleveland returning to the NBA Finals.

Green's night-to-night output remains enigmatic. Where that was frustrating when teams counted on him to produce every game, in a smaller role it makes Green's strong efforts something of a bonus.

Returning home to his native DMV -- and reuniting with Scott Brooks, his coach in Oklahoma City -- Green figures to replace the departed Mike Scott as a backup power forward with the opportunity to occasionally finish games as part of small lineups if Markieff Morris slides to center. Although Green isn't the shooter Scott is, he's a more versatile defender. A second unit with Green, Kelly Oubre, Austin Rivers and Tomas Satoransky looks well-suited for a switch-heavy defense taking advantage of the guards' size and the forwards' mobility.


Day 1 deals

Covered in our Day 1 free-agency analysis here:

  • LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee with the Los Angeles Lakers

  • Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Paul George returning to their teams

  • DeAndre Jordan joining the Dallas Mavericks

  • Trevor Ariza joining the Phoenix Suns

  • More moves by the Nets, Celtics, Pistons, Pacers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks, Pelicans, Blazers and Spurs

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