NBA Free Agency fun has begun

NBA Free Agency has finally begun.

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NBA Free Agency has finally begun.

Adam Aaronson, Eastside Staff

The first night of NBA Free Agency is finally here, and deals are being made at every turn. This will be one of the most exciting nights in a long time, so here are reactions to each and every signing made early Saturday morning.

 

Blake Griffin signs 5 year, $173M contract to stay with Los Angeles Clippers

News of this deal broke before midnight, and wasn’t very shocking. Griffin had canceled meetings with other teams, indicating he was staying with the Clippers. The interesting detail is that the Clippers gave him a fifth year on the deal. Investing a massive five-year deal in a player who has repeatedly struggled to stay healthy is a huge risk, but if Blake can stay on the court regularly, this will have been a wise decision by the Clippers.

 

Stephen Curry signs 5 year, $201M contract to stay with Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry just spent four years playing on the best contract in the history of the NBA- four years, 44 million dollars. And now, he has signed the richest contract in NBA history. He’s earned every penny of this deal, and will finally reap the benefits of his once-in-a-generation shooting ability.

 

Tony Snell signs 4 year, $46M contract to stay with Milwaukee Bucks

This is truly a head-scratcher. Why, for a player who has had an underwhelming career and a reportedly low market value, are the Bucks spending so much money? The Bucks don’t have much money left after locking up a one-dimensional role player in Snell.

 

Jeff Teague signs 3 year, $57M contract with Minnesota Timberwolves

This signing was rumored for most of the day, and became a reality as soon as 12:01 AM hit. The Wolves get a new Point Guard who fits well with their nucleus of Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler. And in today’s market, it’s a fine price for a player they could have ended up having to overpay for.

 

Patty Mills signs 4 year, $50M contract to stay with San Antonio Spurs

Mills’ market value was possibly the most interesting of the whole free agent class, because it was a total unknown. Mills could have gotten $5 million annually or $20 million annually and it wouldn’t be shocking at all. The $12.5M per year seems about right for a player who has become a key role player for one of basketball’s best teams.

 

Cristiano Felicio signs 4 year, $32M contract to stay with the Chicago Bulls

Really? EIGHT MILLION dollars annually for Felicio? He is an interesting prospect with some upside, and may totally reach or even surpass this value. But he is a huge unknown. Yes, the Bulls have lots of cap space, but there’s no way his market value would have been $8M per year. It won’t be a big deal in the long run, but they could have gotten him for much cheaper.

 

Shaun Livingston signs 3 year, $24M contract to stay with the Golden State Warriors

Shaun Livingston is living proof that there will always be players who will take significantly less money to have a chance at winning a championship. He just passed up inevitable offers that would likely be upwards of $10M per year, but passed it up to take much less money and stay with the Golden State Warriors.

 

The first night of Free Agency has been fun, and it’s only going to get better. Watch out for even more deals to be agreed upon in the coming days, as the entire landscape of the NBA continues to be altered drastically.