monta8curry
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2040 DAY ONE FA GRADES
w/FortsonBass
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Karl Malone signs with the Thunder for $81,900,000 over 3 years.
Monta: C+
Fortson: C
Monta: A year after signing Jerry Lucas to a hefty contract, OKC does the same for Karl Malone. While I like Malone far more than Lucas, it does seem like the Thunder are rushing a return to competing. Shaq Johnson is clearly their franchise center piece moving forward, but is a year or two away from becoming a star in this league. Surrounding him with aging talent right now may not be the right move.
Fortson: Understand the Thunder are trying to compete but not sure overpaying guys is the way to go. If they plan to play Malone at PF, be mindful he fouled out of 15 games last year. The A- defense on the surface looks good but if you look at boxes/fouls he has trouble guarding bigs. I’d play him at SF, and even then $27M a year roughly for that is an overpay. I like the player, but not the fit.
Vasilje Micic signs with the Rockets for $109,509,175 over 4 years.
Monta: D
Fortson: C
Monta: Very confused by this signing as the Rockets are in no position to compete right now and Micic does not look like a transcendent, difference maker at point guard. At best, he’s a quality backup, but in no way is he worth a max contract. The only upside to this contract is that he’s just 23 years of age.
Fortson: Ah yes, the annual Rockets overpay. I like Micic a lot and he has great upside, but this contract in a league full of talented PG’s was an overpay. I commend the Rockets for taking risks but the results of their risks find them in the lottery every year.
Jose Vargas signs with the Wizards for $145,163,325 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Washington did what they had to do in avoiding another Eric Flor situation. Instead of being cute, they played it safe (and smart) and paid the man. Vargas is the face of the franchise and showed out in his first playoffs as the lead dog last season. He’ll look to pair with newly drafted Jahad Thomas for years to come.
Fortson: The fix wasn’t in for Vargas (as GB claims). He’s a max level player and pretty obvious he was coming back. The man is a walking bucket and a problem on the court. Real hoopers know he can fill it up and that’s what he does for the Wizards.
Leandro Vildoza signs with the Rockets for $31,500,000 over 3 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C
Monta: This signing was much better than the Micic one. Vildoza is a more well-rounded player and can really shoot the ball from deep. It will be interesting who wins the starting PG job as they now have three legitimate guys who are all pretty similar.
Fortson: Would you rather have Vildoza on this contract or Micic on his contract? If you’re the Rockets, the answer is both. In a league full of PG’s, the Rockets decided to spend $51M on 3 average to good ones. Once again, I commend them for spending money but I’m very unsure on the fit. Vildoza (who I drafted) is a nice scorer but doesn’t play any defense and can’t play inside in the slightest. He’s okay value at $10M+ a year but a back-up guard on a winning team at best.
AJ English lll signs with the Spurs for $3,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C
Monta: AJ English just wants to find a home. After being drafted by the Knicks, he’s been traded to the Hawks, Pacers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans, and now finds himself in San Antonio for a season. On a tanking team, English might have a chance to show his worth with a lot of minutes and touches. Either that, or he’ll find himself on the move again.
Fortson: I signed him for 1 season to see if he popped in TC. I believe he went +1 and maybe he’ll sign cheap next offseason with me having his bird rights. I like him as a back-up guard but nothing more than that.
Travon Woodall signs with the Knicks for $17,714,050 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: A
Monta: Woodall is a solid player, but don’t see the real need to sign Woodall with Sloukas and Frankamp already in the fold at point guard. I would have tried to hash that kind of money out to a starting caliber SG/wing. Granted, the Knicks could decide to start Sloukas at SG, but I’m not sure how well that would work out.
Fortson: Incredible value here by the Knicks. Woodall is a terrific player who was overshadowed in LA the last few seasons. Somehow Frank always owns FA and this was another one of these moves. You almost wonder if it makes Sloukas expendable but after Sloukas just hit A+ outside I doubt that happens.
Dylan Andrews signs with the 76ers for $6,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A-
Monta: Solid signing for a veteran point guard who can run a stable offense and is an absolute sniper from deep. While his age has started to catch up to him especially defensively, Andrews is still starting caliber. It’ll be interesting to see what Philly does as they try to stay young.
Fortson: Nice value play here for the 76ers. He was overshadowed largely in Boston but I think he is still a decent starter in this league. I’m not sure if he helps them make the playoffs but they’ll win 25 games with him. At the least, if Foreman decides to tear it down early his contract is an attractive trade chip. Great value all-around!
Erving Walker signs with the Trail Blazers for $37,800,000 over 3 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Bringing back Walker on a very reasonable deal is a huge win for Portland as they try to stay competitive with their aging core. After coming a game short of making the Finals last year, and in a weak Western Conference, the Blazers could very well make another run at a ship this year if they decide to keep it all together, and Walker could be a big part of that.
Fortson: YRTB always owns FA and this is another move displaying that. Walker is terrific 6th man and can start if Iverson goes down. Maybe a slight overpay but I love what Walker brings to the table and with Iverson declining in TC this made this an even better move. It’s essentially a 2 year deal as the 3rd will certainly be a CB. You like at everything Walker brings to the table and he’s a winning player at every level.
Xiaochuan Di signs with the Wizards for $86,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: Di is a quality young player, but is by no means anything special. Just a solid starting caliber wing who can shoot the rock and defend some. $20M starting is a little much, but I can understand it, especially in a league that is short on starting caliber wings. Di and Vargas make a good tandem.
Fortson: GB stole Di away from Cloud but I’m not sure what Cloud offered to keep him. He already went down in the latest TC (slightly), but it’s still a smart move for the Wizards to gamble on futures. Ironically, the Wizards need to move their collection of wings for a starting PG for the future. Too bad Flor didn’t re-sign with them.
Xavier Thames signs with the Nets for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: F
Monta: The days of hoping Thames would become an All-Star caliber player are long gone, as he never panned out in New Orleans even after all the times he was hyped up by their general manager. Thames will be best served playing the 6th man role, but we’ll see if Brooklyn decides to start him at shooting guard.
Fortson: Will Scott “unlock” Thames as Henny always claimed to? No, probably not. Thames has nice ratings but like Mareks Mejeris is simply not a good player. No volume, gets cooked routinely in boxes, and has slight foul trouble. Bet he’s rocking 100 drive D because his defense is about on par with his offense. Not that good. When Thames is available, just say no.
Perry Ellis signs with the Suns for $19,130,700 over 4 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: B+
Monta: Perry Ellis can score some, but that’s pretty much it. He’s not a very good defender or rebounder, and there’s a reason he’s been on 3 teams in 4 seasons. The former 8th overall pick is a very one dimensional player, and while he’s still young, I don’t think he’ll become anything more than what he is now.
Fortson: Ellis is a capable 5/4/3 back-up who can do a little bit of everything. He has impressive volume for a bench player and at $5M a year basically you can’t fault the Suns for this. Maybe the length? I’m not sure, but if Ellis finally uses his pot maybe he can evolve into a starter level player. FBB has done more random things.
Svetozar Stamenkovic signs with the Mavericks for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: B+
Monta: The Mavs went from paying Svet $30M/year to below $10M/year. How? I’m not quite sure, but bringing Svet back for cheap is huge for a Dallas team looking to make a return to the conference finals. While Svet isn’t a volume scorer, he brings much needed spacing and perimeter defense.
Fortson: Svet returns to Dallas after being the epitome of the Squidward looking through the window meme at the end of last season in Cleveland. I can’t believe the Mavs got him so cheap but it makes sense with him declining the last few seasons. At this point, he’s a solid starter but probably more suited for a role player role starting next year. I commend the Mavs for taking a gamble bringing him back and hopefully it works out for G9.
Sarunas Beniusis signs with the Suns for $19,130,700 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: This signing is very similar to the Perry Ellis signing as the two are almost identical players, but Sarunas is a more polished scorer than Ellis is, so this gets a slightly higher grade. I guess the Suns are looking to find their next Tiny Gallon.
Fortson: Sarunas’ agent asked the Rockets for the full max and Dwightcoward showed him the door. As a back-up, like Ellis he can score and back-up the 5/4/3 spots. I would guess Air moves one of Ellis or Sarunas but having depth never hurts. I like the value of this contract and the upside in trading it brings as well.
Romero Osby signs with the Pelicans for $121,365,000 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
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Monta: Osby is undoubtedly a starting caliber big, but he’s not a supreme talent so this was about the range he was worth. Osby is a terrific rebounder, and a solid defender. His game reminds of Aaric Murray, but not quite as polished offensively, and not as good a shot blocker.
Fortson: Osby almost made Henny close his donut shop the first time he saw his re-signing request. I’m okay with the per year salary here but the length has me concerned. I can’t fault Henny too much for offering 5 years as Osby is a talented back-up, but he should be lucky another GM didn’t steal him away on a 1 year max. All that being said, nice job Donut man.
Dennis Rodman signs with the SuperSonics for $30,560,700 over 1 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: This signing gets an A solely because the Sonics were able to get a pick out of an aging Rodman via trade. Rodman still has a lot in the tank and has consistently proven he’s one of the best post defenders and rebounders in the league.
Fortson: Cloud steal Rodman away with a 1 year offer. He’s automatically a terrific trade piece and Cloud could do this same thing again next offseason with him signing another 1 year deal. This is exactly what you should do if you aren’t CB’ing, sign guys to big 1 year maxes and trade for assets to continue the tank.
Dave DeBusschere signs with the Wizards for $68,800,000 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Getting a quality starting big in Debusschere for $16M starting is a big win in a very eventful free agency for Washington. It wasn’t long ago Debusschere was an All-League 1st Team center for Minnesota, and while he likely won’t recapture that kind of offensive responsibility in Washington, he is as solid as it gets.
Fortson: Catdude, feast your eyes on this contract because you’re paying Jerry Lucas this over 2 years instead of 4. Great signing by GB as he had an all-star free agency. I like the value here to keep or to trade, and at this value it’s a win all-around for GB. He’s a terrific defender, underrated rebounder, and a league full of overpaid bigs he is the opposite.
Gediminas Orelik signs with the Bucks for $6,933,100 over 2 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A+
Monta: Gediminas can certainly score, but doesn’t provide much else, especially at 35 years of age. In a scoring role off the bench however, he can be useful for Milwaukee for sure. Two years might be pushing it as it’s not guaranteed he’ll be productive next year.
Fortson: Henny’s former #1 option finds a new home in Milwaukee where his job will be to certify buckets. Real hoopers know he can fill it up and he’s a problem off of the bench. At this value, you can’t really say anything other than great signing and give JB the
emoji for a grade.
Sean Mosley signs with the Nets for $10,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: A
Monta: I’m unsure how to grade this as Mosley will probably see a decent amount of playing time this season, and has been a solid player, but has also been riding the bench in Brooklyn for the last 3 seasons. After coming up short in the Finals last year, and losing Karl Malone in free agency, Mosley will likely be thrust into a larger minutes role.
Fortson: 1 year, he kinda blew up in TC, and the Nets replaced Noordgrad with him seamlessly? All-around very lucky but a mega fluke tbh. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them package some guys for a big and Mosley will be a good piece of that.
Marshawn Powell signs with the Trail Blazers for $60,000,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Portland continues to bring their guys back on affordable deals, and this one in Powell is very similar to the Walker one. Powell is very similar to Romero Osby on New Orleans, but they got him back for about $8M/year less.
Fortson: Marshawn Powell’s agent must hate making money because he get severely underpaid every time it’s up for re-signings apparently. He’s a solid big in this league and criminally underrated by a ton of GM’s. Once again, YRTB cleans up FA and he again has one of the most tradeable contracts in the league.
Dennis Wuycik signs with the Nuggets for $63,177,973 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: F
Monta: I’m not mad at this as Wuycik still has some promise left and has the versatility to play multiple positions with his rebounding ability. While he might never become the guy Denver thought he was going to become after year 2, he can be a very quality starting wing, as the Nuggets try to get themselves back in the playoff picture.
Fortson: Not a big fan of this contract. Not sure if he’s a starter on a winning team and he got 5 years? You look at comparable players around the league and it’s sufficient to say this was a massive overpay. Unless he blows up next offseason like he’s Matt Bouldin I can’t see this being a good contract for the Nuggets.
Katin Reinhardt signs with the Kings for $17,920,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: B
Monta: Maybe the Kings know something about their homegrown product more than we do, but I don’t think Reinhardt is anything incredibly special. Everyone knows he’s a good shooter, but is that it? He’s seen very limited minutes in 3 seasons with Sac, but clearly he’s shown some promise for them to bring him back for another 4 years.
Fortson: Slight overpay for Reinhardt but I don’t doubt that he has pot left and will look much better next season. I would anticipate Tyfreak knew this and paid him on futures. If he doesn’t pan out, a very meh contract but he obviously knows something we don’t here.
Brandon West signs with the Pistons for $2,029,463 over 1 years.
Monta: C+
Fortson: B
Monta: Detroit needs frontcourt help, but I don’t think Brandon West is the solution.
Fortson: The last dance for the Pistons and West will be a part of it. A rebounder that does nothing else making the minimum. I don’t see anything wrong with this move.
Peja Stojakovic signs with the 76ers for $12,000,000 over 2 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: F
Monta: OK, we have to stop giving Peja chances, he should have been out of chances 8 seasons ago, but here we are again. This one makes even less sense since Philly is by no means a playoff caliber team. If it were a contender desperate for a backup wing I could at least see the reasoning.
Fortson: Being paid on name alone, don’t like this move very much for Foreman. Peja (like Thames) isn’t a good player but I suppose ratings mean a lot to some GM’s. Don’t fall for names or ratings!
Len Chappell signs with the Trail Blazers for $66,000,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Blazers, in my opinion, had one of the best free agencies, as they were able to bring another of their guys back without overreacting and overpaying. Chappell and Powell are both quality starting bigs, and while aren’t huge difference makers, are certainly good enough for a championship contending team.
Fortson: Blazers getting Chappell back on this deal was terrific. Maybe some risk with the 5th year but we see a lot of expirings in this league being CB so no fault there. YRTB as said many times always cleans up FA, and this is another one of those moves.
Adrian Diaz signs with the Kings for $21,500,000 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C+
Monta: Diaz is very similar to some of the bigs Phoenix signed this offseason, so I’ll keep the grade similar in this case. Diaz is a skilled scoring big, but lacks the ability to defend or rebound at a high level. This deal is solid and appropriate for a guy like this.
Fortson: Diaz somewhat declining in TC was a tough break for the Kings. $5M+ a year though is light risk and can’t fault him too much. He’s a bench player at best but has volume and that’s all you can ask for.
Jeronne Maymon signs with the Kings for $16,977,371 over 4 years.
Monta: D
Fortson: C+
Monta: This ain’t it, sorry Ty. Maymon has been hanging onto dear life for what seems like his entire career and he’s somehow still in the league. Maymon isn’t a good rebounder, defender, or scorer. 4 years is overkill.
Fortson: Maymon and Diaz are two peas in a pod. As both declined in TC and got slightly overpaid. If you look at paying $10M total for both of them vs paying a better player $10M a year it looks bad but depth isn’t always to fault. I just can’t give this anything better than a C+.
Raef LaFrentz signs with the Pistons for $4,100,000 over 1 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: B
Monta: Don’t think Raef is rosterable anymore. Very similar to the Brandon West signing, but I’d rather have West at this point.
Fortson: Pistons got him back cheap then immediately CB him. Raef is a terrific rebounder and part of the one last dance crew in Detroit. It will be something to see for sure.
Kaleb Tarczewski signs with the Pelicans for $3,378,844 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Monta: Young big who’s just a body to be honest. 2-year min isn’t terrible, but don’t expect Tarc to provide much on the court.
Fortson: Low risk, high reward move for the Pelicans. Maybe Henny can unlock Tarc but for the most part he’s a middle of the road player. At a two year minimum, hard to find anything wrong here.
Desmond Hubert signs with the Hawks for $4,449,000 over 1 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: We have a new tank commander in town and it’s undoubtedly Desmond Hubert. Hubert single handedly led the Hawks to 2 whole wins last season, and he’s back and his mission this year is to win 1 whole game.
Fortson: BTPE, that stands for Best Tanking Player Ever. He’s in the HOF of the Tank and back as a Hawk. Great signing for any tanking team. Terry Whisnant in shambles seeing him get paid.
Michel Diouf signs with the Nets for $6,933,100 over 2 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: B
Monta: Double-double machine Diouf is headed to Brooklyn on a very team-friendly deal. Diouf is a good scorer and rebounder, but plays almost no defense. Solid rotational big, and for less than $4M/year, that’s a steal.
Fortson: Like Tarc for the Pelicans, solid depth move and at a 2 year minimum you can’t really complain.
Chane Behanan signs with the Bulls for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: B
Monta: No….there’s a reason why Minnesota had to give up assets to get someone to claim Behanan a couple seasons ago, and he’s still the same player. Don’t see why anyone would pay Behanan MLE type of money.
Fortson: Behnan is a capable defender and a solid backup player. Here he got paid fair value and the Bulls continue upon what they’re building. Maybe he can shift to a Carlos Strong type role for the Bulls, but on the surface very fair payment for a solid role player.
Maksym Kozlovets signs with the Pistons for $2,393,887 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C+
Monta: One year min, for a one year min type of player. Not a difference maker, but can provide decent spot minutes off the bench.
Fortson: Another part of the one last dance crew. Back-up big for the Pistons. Not much else to say.
Wendell Alexis signs with the Pelicans for $4,439,236 over 2 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Getting Alexis on a two-year minimum deal is a great value signing for New Orleans as a rotational wing. Not sure how he fell through the cracks, but no complaints from the Pels here.
Fortson: Perhaps the best signing of the entire offseason, not sure how Henny got Alexis so cheap. He’s a solid 2/3/4 back-up and a Wave eligible player for sure. Got to give the Pelicans some credit as they did a nice job this offseason buying low. Nice job, Donut man.
Robert Carter signs with the 76ers for $8,000,000 over 2 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: Philly needed to move on from Robert Carter as he has been a huge disappointment there…but decided to bring him back for another 2 years.
Fortson: Bit of an overpay for what he does but at $4M a year can’t fault too much. Maybe the 76ers are making strides towards a 30 win season but I doubt it.
DaJuan Coleman signs with the Kings for $6,120,000 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: C+
Monta: Young big who can rebound and hold his own defensively. This is very repetitive with the Maymon signing but would much rather have Coleman.
Fortson: So many back-up bigs making $3-4M that basically do the same thing. I guess that’s the market now. Coleman had great volume in college and he’s been decent so far in the NBA.
Mac Koshwal signs with the SuperSonics for $25,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A+
Monta: Seattle clearly is just looking to unload Mac for assets, but they have not found an appropriate suitor quite yet. Koshwal is harder to move than Rodman because he’s not as good and is older, but he should be out of Seattle fairly soon.
Fortson: Like Rodman, a player Cloud can dangle to put a contender over the top. When you’re not playing the CB game, this is what you do and Cloud has done it perfectly. Koshwal is a top big and will net a first for sure.
Garrick Sherman signs with the Suns for $53,750,000 over 4 years.
Monta: A-
Fortson: B
Monta: One of the steals of FA has to be Garrick Sherman, who has developed into quite a scoring big man. For only about $13M/year, Sherman will likely be the go-to option in Phoenix. That’s quite a deal. Sherman’s only weakness is defense, and while that is a glaring hole, they can surround him with quality defenders that will help mask that.
Fortson: The Suns always buy low on bigs it seems and Sherman was another good move. He can suddenly fill it up after a nice TC and I’m kinda interested to see him as an option in Pre. At that salary per year, you can’t complain too much looking around the league.
Derrick Nix signs with the Pelicans for $4,570,147 over 2 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: His contract was used to land Dennis Rodman, so can’t be too mad at it. Well done.
Fortson: Another nice find by the Pelicans. Comparable bigs made $3-4M a year and Henny got him for the minimum. For that, he gets a better letter grade and a hats off to finding good value.
Bronson Koenig signs with the 76ers for $12,000,000 over 3 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: F
Monta: Not sure why they gave Koenig so much money and the 3 years after just one average season in Los Angeles. Koenig is nothing more than an average shooter, who occasionally heats up.
Fortson: Did Foreman think he was gonna pop off in TC? I didn’t understand this signing at all. Not even sure he’s a NBA player let alone one to get $12M over 3 years. Yikes
Axel Julien signs with the Rockets for $31,500,000 over 3 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: D
Monta: Like this signing the most out of the three point guards the Rockets signed. Julien is an established point guard and has proven that he can run a team reasonably well. He can shoot and defend at a good level.
Fortson: The David Kahn of BSL with another PG to his team. How much can one invest at the PG position? For the Rockets, that answer might be infinite. He’s a nice back-up but not needed in Houston. If he’s going to trade him it’s a nice move, but on the surface there is literally no fit. $10M+ a year to be a bench warmer? What a life...
w/FortsonBass
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Karl Malone signs with the Thunder for $81,900,000 over 3 years.
Monta: C+
Fortson: C
Monta: A year after signing Jerry Lucas to a hefty contract, OKC does the same for Karl Malone. While I like Malone far more than Lucas, it does seem like the Thunder are rushing a return to competing. Shaq Johnson is clearly their franchise center piece moving forward, but is a year or two away from becoming a star in this league. Surrounding him with aging talent right now may not be the right move.
Fortson: Understand the Thunder are trying to compete but not sure overpaying guys is the way to go. If they plan to play Malone at PF, be mindful he fouled out of 15 games last year. The A- defense on the surface looks good but if you look at boxes/fouls he has trouble guarding bigs. I’d play him at SF, and even then $27M a year roughly for that is an overpay. I like the player, but not the fit.
Vasilje Micic signs with the Rockets for $109,509,175 over 4 years.
Monta: D
Fortson: C
Monta: Very confused by this signing as the Rockets are in no position to compete right now and Micic does not look like a transcendent, difference maker at point guard. At best, he’s a quality backup, but in no way is he worth a max contract. The only upside to this contract is that he’s just 23 years of age.
Fortson: Ah yes, the annual Rockets overpay. I like Micic a lot and he has great upside, but this contract in a league full of talented PG’s was an overpay. I commend the Rockets for taking risks but the results of their risks find them in the lottery every year.
Jose Vargas signs with the Wizards for $145,163,325 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Washington did what they had to do in avoiding another Eric Flor situation. Instead of being cute, they played it safe (and smart) and paid the man. Vargas is the face of the franchise and showed out in his first playoffs as the lead dog last season. He’ll look to pair with newly drafted Jahad Thomas for years to come.
Fortson: The fix wasn’t in for Vargas (as GB claims). He’s a max level player and pretty obvious he was coming back. The man is a walking bucket and a problem on the court. Real hoopers know he can fill it up and that’s what he does for the Wizards.
Leandro Vildoza signs with the Rockets for $31,500,000 over 3 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C
Monta: This signing was much better than the Micic one. Vildoza is a more well-rounded player and can really shoot the ball from deep. It will be interesting who wins the starting PG job as they now have three legitimate guys who are all pretty similar.
Fortson: Would you rather have Vildoza on this contract or Micic on his contract? If you’re the Rockets, the answer is both. In a league full of PG’s, the Rockets decided to spend $51M on 3 average to good ones. Once again, I commend them for spending money but I’m very unsure on the fit. Vildoza (who I drafted) is a nice scorer but doesn’t play any defense and can’t play inside in the slightest. He’s okay value at $10M+ a year but a back-up guard on a winning team at best.
AJ English lll signs with the Spurs for $3,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C
Monta: AJ English just wants to find a home. After being drafted by the Knicks, he’s been traded to the Hawks, Pacers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans, and now finds himself in San Antonio for a season. On a tanking team, English might have a chance to show his worth with a lot of minutes and touches. Either that, or he’ll find himself on the move again.
Fortson: I signed him for 1 season to see if he popped in TC. I believe he went +1 and maybe he’ll sign cheap next offseason with me having his bird rights. I like him as a back-up guard but nothing more than that.
Travon Woodall signs with the Knicks for $17,714,050 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: A
Monta: Woodall is a solid player, but don’t see the real need to sign Woodall with Sloukas and Frankamp already in the fold at point guard. I would have tried to hash that kind of money out to a starting caliber SG/wing. Granted, the Knicks could decide to start Sloukas at SG, but I’m not sure how well that would work out.
Fortson: Incredible value here by the Knicks. Woodall is a terrific player who was overshadowed in LA the last few seasons. Somehow Frank always owns FA and this was another one of these moves. You almost wonder if it makes Sloukas expendable but after Sloukas just hit A+ outside I doubt that happens.
Dylan Andrews signs with the 76ers for $6,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A-
Monta: Solid signing for a veteran point guard who can run a stable offense and is an absolute sniper from deep. While his age has started to catch up to him especially defensively, Andrews is still starting caliber. It’ll be interesting to see what Philly does as they try to stay young.
Fortson: Nice value play here for the 76ers. He was overshadowed largely in Boston but I think he is still a decent starter in this league. I’m not sure if he helps them make the playoffs but they’ll win 25 games with him. At the least, if Foreman decides to tear it down early his contract is an attractive trade chip. Great value all-around!
Erving Walker signs with the Trail Blazers for $37,800,000 over 3 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Bringing back Walker on a very reasonable deal is a huge win for Portland as they try to stay competitive with their aging core. After coming a game short of making the Finals last year, and in a weak Western Conference, the Blazers could very well make another run at a ship this year if they decide to keep it all together, and Walker could be a big part of that.
Fortson: YRTB always owns FA and this is another move displaying that. Walker is terrific 6th man and can start if Iverson goes down. Maybe a slight overpay but I love what Walker brings to the table and with Iverson declining in TC this made this an even better move. It’s essentially a 2 year deal as the 3rd will certainly be a CB. You like at everything Walker brings to the table and he’s a winning player at every level.
Xiaochuan Di signs with the Wizards for $86,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: Di is a quality young player, but is by no means anything special. Just a solid starting caliber wing who can shoot the rock and defend some. $20M starting is a little much, but I can understand it, especially in a league that is short on starting caliber wings. Di and Vargas make a good tandem.
Fortson: GB stole Di away from Cloud but I’m not sure what Cloud offered to keep him. He already went down in the latest TC (slightly), but it’s still a smart move for the Wizards to gamble on futures. Ironically, the Wizards need to move their collection of wings for a starting PG for the future. Too bad Flor didn’t re-sign with them.
Xavier Thames signs with the Nets for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: F
Monta: The days of hoping Thames would become an All-Star caliber player are long gone, as he never panned out in New Orleans even after all the times he was hyped up by their general manager. Thames will be best served playing the 6th man role, but we’ll see if Brooklyn decides to start him at shooting guard.
Fortson: Will Scott “unlock” Thames as Henny always claimed to? No, probably not. Thames has nice ratings but like Mareks Mejeris is simply not a good player. No volume, gets cooked routinely in boxes, and has slight foul trouble. Bet he’s rocking 100 drive D because his defense is about on par with his offense. Not that good. When Thames is available, just say no.
Perry Ellis signs with the Suns for $19,130,700 over 4 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: B+
Monta: Perry Ellis can score some, but that’s pretty much it. He’s not a very good defender or rebounder, and there’s a reason he’s been on 3 teams in 4 seasons. The former 8th overall pick is a very one dimensional player, and while he’s still young, I don’t think he’ll become anything more than what he is now.
Fortson: Ellis is a capable 5/4/3 back-up who can do a little bit of everything. He has impressive volume for a bench player and at $5M a year basically you can’t fault the Suns for this. Maybe the length? I’m not sure, but if Ellis finally uses his pot maybe he can evolve into a starter level player. FBB has done more random things.
Svetozar Stamenkovic signs with the Mavericks for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: B+
Monta: The Mavs went from paying Svet $30M/year to below $10M/year. How? I’m not quite sure, but bringing Svet back for cheap is huge for a Dallas team looking to make a return to the conference finals. While Svet isn’t a volume scorer, he brings much needed spacing and perimeter defense.
Fortson: Svet returns to Dallas after being the epitome of the Squidward looking through the window meme at the end of last season in Cleveland. I can’t believe the Mavs got him so cheap but it makes sense with him declining the last few seasons. At this point, he’s a solid starter but probably more suited for a role player role starting next year. I commend the Mavs for taking a gamble bringing him back and hopefully it works out for G9.
Sarunas Beniusis signs with the Suns for $19,130,700 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: This signing is very similar to the Perry Ellis signing as the two are almost identical players, but Sarunas is a more polished scorer than Ellis is, so this gets a slightly higher grade. I guess the Suns are looking to find their next Tiny Gallon.
Fortson: Sarunas’ agent asked the Rockets for the full max and Dwightcoward showed him the door. As a back-up, like Ellis he can score and back-up the 5/4/3 spots. I would guess Air moves one of Ellis or Sarunas but having depth never hurts. I like the value of this contract and the upside in trading it brings as well.
Romero Osby signs with the Pelicans for $121,365,000 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
Monta: Osby is undoubtedly a starting caliber big, but he’s not a supreme talent so this was about the range he was worth. Osby is a terrific rebounder, and a solid defender. His game reminds of Aaric Murray, but not quite as polished offensively, and not as good a shot blocker.
Fortson: Osby almost made Henny close his donut shop the first time he saw his re-signing request. I’m okay with the per year salary here but the length has me concerned. I can’t fault Henny too much for offering 5 years as Osby is a talented back-up, but he should be lucky another GM didn’t steal him away on a 1 year max. All that being said, nice job Donut man.
Dennis Rodman signs with the SuperSonics for $30,560,700 over 1 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: This signing gets an A solely because the Sonics were able to get a pick out of an aging Rodman via trade. Rodman still has a lot in the tank and has consistently proven he’s one of the best post defenders and rebounders in the league.
Fortson: Cloud steal Rodman away with a 1 year offer. He’s automatically a terrific trade piece and Cloud could do this same thing again next offseason with him signing another 1 year deal. This is exactly what you should do if you aren’t CB’ing, sign guys to big 1 year maxes and trade for assets to continue the tank.
Dave DeBusschere signs with the Wizards for $68,800,000 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Getting a quality starting big in Debusschere for $16M starting is a big win in a very eventful free agency for Washington. It wasn’t long ago Debusschere was an All-League 1st Team center for Minnesota, and while he likely won’t recapture that kind of offensive responsibility in Washington, he is as solid as it gets.
Fortson: Catdude, feast your eyes on this contract because you’re paying Jerry Lucas this over 2 years instead of 4. Great signing by GB as he had an all-star free agency. I like the value here to keep or to trade, and at this value it’s a win all-around for GB. He’s a terrific defender, underrated rebounder, and a league full of overpaid bigs he is the opposite.
Gediminas Orelik signs with the Bucks for $6,933,100 over 2 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A+
Monta: Gediminas can certainly score, but doesn’t provide much else, especially at 35 years of age. In a scoring role off the bench however, he can be useful for Milwaukee for sure. Two years might be pushing it as it’s not guaranteed he’ll be productive next year.
Fortson: Henny’s former #1 option finds a new home in Milwaukee where his job will be to certify buckets. Real hoopers know he can fill it up and he’s a problem off of the bench. At this value, you can’t really say anything other than great signing and give JB the
emoji for a grade.Sean Mosley signs with the Nets for $10,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: A
Monta: I’m unsure how to grade this as Mosley will probably see a decent amount of playing time this season, and has been a solid player, but has also been riding the bench in Brooklyn for the last 3 seasons. After coming up short in the Finals last year, and losing Karl Malone in free agency, Mosley will likely be thrust into a larger minutes role.
Fortson: 1 year, he kinda blew up in TC, and the Nets replaced Noordgrad with him seamlessly? All-around very lucky but a mega fluke tbh. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them package some guys for a big and Mosley will be a good piece of that.
Marshawn Powell signs with the Trail Blazers for $60,000,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A
Monta: Portland continues to bring their guys back on affordable deals, and this one in Powell is very similar to the Walker one. Powell is very similar to Romero Osby on New Orleans, but they got him back for about $8M/year less.
Fortson: Marshawn Powell’s agent must hate making money because he get severely underpaid every time it’s up for re-signings apparently. He’s a solid big in this league and criminally underrated by a ton of GM’s. Once again, YRTB cleans up FA and he again has one of the most tradeable contracts in the league.
Dennis Wuycik signs with the Nuggets for $63,177,973 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: F
Monta: I’m not mad at this as Wuycik still has some promise left and has the versatility to play multiple positions with his rebounding ability. While he might never become the guy Denver thought he was going to become after year 2, he can be a very quality starting wing, as the Nuggets try to get themselves back in the playoff picture.
Fortson: Not a big fan of this contract. Not sure if he’s a starter on a winning team and he got 5 years? You look at comparable players around the league and it’s sufficient to say this was a massive overpay. Unless he blows up next offseason like he’s Matt Bouldin I can’t see this being a good contract for the Nuggets.
Katin Reinhardt signs with the Kings for $17,920,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: B
Monta: Maybe the Kings know something about their homegrown product more than we do, but I don’t think Reinhardt is anything incredibly special. Everyone knows he’s a good shooter, but is that it? He’s seen very limited minutes in 3 seasons with Sac, but clearly he’s shown some promise for them to bring him back for another 4 years.
Fortson: Slight overpay for Reinhardt but I don’t doubt that he has pot left and will look much better next season. I would anticipate Tyfreak knew this and paid him on futures. If he doesn’t pan out, a very meh contract but he obviously knows something we don’t here.
Brandon West signs with the Pistons for $2,029,463 over 1 years.
Monta: C+
Fortson: B
Monta: Detroit needs frontcourt help, but I don’t think Brandon West is the solution.
Fortson: The last dance for the Pistons and West will be a part of it. A rebounder that does nothing else making the minimum. I don’t see anything wrong with this move.
Peja Stojakovic signs with the 76ers for $12,000,000 over 2 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: F
Monta: OK, we have to stop giving Peja chances, he should have been out of chances 8 seasons ago, but here we are again. This one makes even less sense since Philly is by no means a playoff caliber team. If it were a contender desperate for a backup wing I could at least see the reasoning.
Fortson: Being paid on name alone, don’t like this move very much for Foreman. Peja (like Thames) isn’t a good player but I suppose ratings mean a lot to some GM’s. Don’t fall for names or ratings!
Len Chappell signs with the Trail Blazers for $66,000,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Blazers, in my opinion, had one of the best free agencies, as they were able to bring another of their guys back without overreacting and overpaying. Chappell and Powell are both quality starting bigs, and while aren’t huge difference makers, are certainly good enough for a championship contending team.
Fortson: Blazers getting Chappell back on this deal was terrific. Maybe some risk with the 5th year but we see a lot of expirings in this league being CB so no fault there. YRTB as said many times always cleans up FA, and this is another one of those moves.
Adrian Diaz signs with the Kings for $21,500,000 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C+
Monta: Diaz is very similar to some of the bigs Phoenix signed this offseason, so I’ll keep the grade similar in this case. Diaz is a skilled scoring big, but lacks the ability to defend or rebound at a high level. This deal is solid and appropriate for a guy like this.
Fortson: Diaz somewhat declining in TC was a tough break for the Kings. $5M+ a year though is light risk and can’t fault him too much. He’s a bench player at best but has volume and that’s all you can ask for.
Jeronne Maymon signs with the Kings for $16,977,371 over 4 years.
Monta: D
Fortson: C+
Monta: This ain’t it, sorry Ty. Maymon has been hanging onto dear life for what seems like his entire career and he’s somehow still in the league. Maymon isn’t a good rebounder, defender, or scorer. 4 years is overkill.
Fortson: Maymon and Diaz are two peas in a pod. As both declined in TC and got slightly overpaid. If you look at paying $10M total for both of them vs paying a better player $10M a year it looks bad but depth isn’t always to fault. I just can’t give this anything better than a C+.
Raef LaFrentz signs with the Pistons for $4,100,000 over 1 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: B
Monta: Don’t think Raef is rosterable anymore. Very similar to the Brandon West signing, but I’d rather have West at this point.
Fortson: Pistons got him back cheap then immediately CB him. Raef is a terrific rebounder and part of the one last dance crew in Detroit. It will be something to see for sure.
Kaleb Tarczewski signs with the Pelicans for $3,378,844 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Monta: Young big who’s just a body to be honest. 2-year min isn’t terrible, but don’t expect Tarc to provide much on the court.
Fortson: Low risk, high reward move for the Pelicans. Maybe Henny can unlock Tarc but for the most part he’s a middle of the road player. At a two year minimum, hard to find anything wrong here.
Desmond Hubert signs with the Hawks for $4,449,000 over 1 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: We have a new tank commander in town and it’s undoubtedly Desmond Hubert. Hubert single handedly led the Hawks to 2 whole wins last season, and he’s back and his mission this year is to win 1 whole game.
Fortson: BTPE, that stands for Best Tanking Player Ever. He’s in the HOF of the Tank and back as a Hawk. Great signing for any tanking team. Terry Whisnant in shambles seeing him get paid.
Michel Diouf signs with the Nets for $6,933,100 over 2 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: B
Monta: Double-double machine Diouf is headed to Brooklyn on a very team-friendly deal. Diouf is a good scorer and rebounder, but plays almost no defense. Solid rotational big, and for less than $4M/year, that’s a steal.
Fortson: Like Tarc for the Pelicans, solid depth move and at a 2 year minimum you can’t really complain.
Chane Behanan signs with the Bulls for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: B
Monta: No….there’s a reason why Minnesota had to give up assets to get someone to claim Behanan a couple seasons ago, and he’s still the same player. Don’t see why anyone would pay Behanan MLE type of money.
Fortson: Behnan is a capable defender and a solid backup player. Here he got paid fair value and the Bulls continue upon what they’re building. Maybe he can shift to a Carlos Strong type role for the Bulls, but on the surface very fair payment for a solid role player.
Maksym Kozlovets signs with the Pistons for $2,393,887 over 1 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: C+
Monta: One year min, for a one year min type of player. Not a difference maker, but can provide decent spot minutes off the bench.
Fortson: Another part of the one last dance crew. Back-up big for the Pistons. Not much else to say.
Wendell Alexis signs with the Pelicans for $4,439,236 over 2 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: A+
Monta: Getting Alexis on a two-year minimum deal is a great value signing for New Orleans as a rotational wing. Not sure how he fell through the cracks, but no complaints from the Pels here.
Fortson: Perhaps the best signing of the entire offseason, not sure how Henny got Alexis so cheap. He’s a solid 2/3/4 back-up and a Wave eligible player for sure. Got to give the Pelicans some credit as they did a nice job this offseason buying low. Nice job, Donut man.
Robert Carter signs with the 76ers for $8,000,000 over 2 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: Philly needed to move on from Robert Carter as he has been a huge disappointment there…but decided to bring him back for another 2 years.
Fortson: Bit of an overpay for what he does but at $4M a year can’t fault too much. Maybe the 76ers are making strides towards a 30 win season but I doubt it.
DaJuan Coleman signs with the Kings for $6,120,000 over 2 years.
Monta: B-
Fortson: C+
Monta: Young big who can rebound and hold his own defensively. This is very repetitive with the Maymon signing but would much rather have Coleman.
Fortson: So many back-up bigs making $3-4M that basically do the same thing. I guess that’s the market now. Coleman had great volume in college and he’s been decent so far in the NBA.
Mac Koshwal signs with the SuperSonics for $25,000,000 over 1 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: A+
Monta: Seattle clearly is just looking to unload Mac for assets, but they have not found an appropriate suitor quite yet. Koshwal is harder to move than Rodman because he’s not as good and is older, but he should be out of Seattle fairly soon.
Fortson: Like Rodman, a player Cloud can dangle to put a contender over the top. When you’re not playing the CB game, this is what you do and Cloud has done it perfectly. Koshwal is a top big and will net a first for sure.
Garrick Sherman signs with the Suns for $53,750,000 over 4 years.
Monta: A-
Fortson: B
Monta: One of the steals of FA has to be Garrick Sherman, who has developed into quite a scoring big man. For only about $13M/year, Sherman will likely be the go-to option in Phoenix. That’s quite a deal. Sherman’s only weakness is defense, and while that is a glaring hole, they can surround him with quality defenders that will help mask that.
Fortson: The Suns always buy low on bigs it seems and Sherman was another good move. He can suddenly fill it up after a nice TC and I’m kinda interested to see him as an option in Pre. At that salary per year, you can’t complain too much looking around the league.
Derrick Nix signs with the Pelicans for $4,570,147 over 2 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B+
Monta: His contract was used to land Dennis Rodman, so can’t be too mad at it. Well done.
Fortson: Another nice find by the Pelicans. Comparable bigs made $3-4M a year and Henny got him for the minimum. For that, he gets a better letter grade and a hats off to finding good value.
Bronson Koenig signs with the 76ers for $12,000,000 over 3 years.
Monta: F
Fortson: F
Monta: Not sure why they gave Koenig so much money and the 3 years after just one average season in Los Angeles. Koenig is nothing more than an average shooter, who occasionally heats up.
Fortson: Did Foreman think he was gonna pop off in TC? I didn’t understand this signing at all. Not even sure he’s a NBA player let alone one to get $12M over 3 years. Yikes
Axel Julien signs with the Rockets for $31,500,000 over 3 years.
Monta: B+
Fortson: D
Monta: Like this signing the most out of the three point guards the Rockets signed. Julien is an established point guard and has proven that he can run a team reasonably well. He can shoot and defend at a good level.
Fortson: The David Kahn of BSL with another PG to his team. How much can one invest at the PG position? For the Rockets, that answer might be infinite. He’s a nice back-up but not needed in Houston. If he’s going to trade him it’s a nice move, but on the surface there is literally no fit. $10M+ a year to be a bench warmer? What a life...
