monta8curry
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2041 FREE AGENCY GRADE & WINNERS/LOSERS
w/FortsonBass
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Facundo Campazzo signs with the Pacers for $52,837,312 over 4 years.
Monta: A-
Fortson: A
Monta: In need of a starting point guard after shipping Steve Nash back to Chicago, the Pacers land a very serviceable in Campazzo for a reasonable price tag. While Campazzo likely won't wow anyone with his play, he is the epitome of a solid do it all starter.
Fortson: Beats took advantage of a weak FA market and swooped in to get Campazzo for cheap. He’s certainly a top 15 PG and is a candidate to have a Naoki Uto rebirth in Indiana. I believe Campazzo went for $25M a year the last time he got signed, so cutting that in half makes this a major W.
Dennis Rodman signs with the Pelicans for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: B+
Monta: Signing back Rodman on an MLE is a big win for New Orleans who acquired him without bird rights. It was a huge risk letting him hit the market with no birds and no cap space, but somehow he decided New Orleans was the best place for him to finish his career. The Worm is still an elite defender and rebounder at his position, and will help anchor the paint as New Orleans guns for a title.
Fortson: The league was asleep while Henny swept in and brought back Rodman. You have to admire Si Green, great shot blocking PG who was instrumental in Rodman coming back to New Orleans. There has been some talk that Henny had a gun to Rodman’s head but no one knows the truth behind that. It’s all hear say. Rodman is still a solid player, on the older side, but as a back-up you can’t complain at all.
Len Bias signs with the Kings for $55,100,000 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
Monta: Bias never lived up to his draft day hype, but he has become a solid SF/PF hybrid. Last year off the bench Bias put up respectable numbers, and the Kings rewarded him by re-signing him for another 5 years. It's crazy he's been in the league for 9 years already, and while the 5 years might be risky, Sacramento is still trying to stay competitive in a relatively weak West.
Fortson: Bias has always been a solid player but no certainly no star. This felt like a fair contract given where the SF market is at and you can’t blame the Kings for bringing him back. I would’ve maybe done 4 years instead of 5 but I’m not faulting TyFreak too much for that. Overall, solid signing.
George McGinnis signs with the Bucks for $84,100,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A+
Fortson: A
man was shredded.
Monta: McGinnis re-signs with the Bucks on a surprisingly low number considering the upside he has shown, and his former draft status. I personally think he's been criminally misused, with his playing SF for the last few years. It seems pretty evident that his natural position is at PF, and with his ability to defend, rebound, finish, and handle the ball, playing him there makes too much sense for Milwaukee to keep playing him at the 3.
Fortson: Not sure how the Bucks got McGinnis this cheap, guess he slipped through the FA cracks. CavsFan gave up a lot originally for McGinnis so retaining him and betting on him hitting his pot is his only bet to break even on the trade. He still doesn’t have a 3-point shot but he carried the Bucks to the playoffs at the end of last season. I’m not sure if he will play SF or PF for Milwaukee, but this is a smart gamble to bet on.
Facundo Pinero signs with the Suns for $57,983,939 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
Monta: 4 years is definitely pushing it for a 35-year old, but it may be worth it as Pinero still has a lot in the tank, especially on the offensive end. He automatically becomes Phoenix's best scorer and likely go-to option. However, time will tell if he'll be able to hang on the defensive end.
Fortson: After winning the title last season season with the Detroit Basketball Pistons, Facundo decided to go West and retire in Arizona like all old people do. The Suns worked out an agreement where he has to play at least 2 seasons before retiring. At this stage in his career he can probably still start but I’d like to see him in a super sub scoring role. Facundo is one of the league’s greatest scorers ever and he fits in with the retirement home Suns.
Renardo Sidney signs with the Nets for $64,800,000 over 3 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: B
Monta: Several teams have tried to build teams with Renardo Sidney on them, but they've all failed. This is largely due to his inability to accept that he shouldn't be a go-to scoring option and force the issue offensively. This leads to his constant turnover problem, and he isn't a good enough defender/rebounder to make up for his offensive inefficiencies.
Fortson: Scott could have turned the page on Sidney’s time in Brooklyn, but unlike Sidney he found it difficult to turn it over. Sidney is for sure a top 15-20 big but has been plagued as inferred by my bad puns some less than ideal turnover problems. I like the years given here based on where we are at with bigs so I think this is a fair deal.
Shaquille Cleare signs with the Nuggets for $59,450,000 over 5 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C
Monta: Denver has strange tendencies, when it comes to holding back players, but paying them appropriately in free agency. Cleare would see much more playing time on most other teams in the league, but in a stacked frontcourt in Denver he barely touched the court last season. Despite this, Denver felt the need to give him a healthy 5 year deal. Interesting.
Fortson: The Nuggets paid Cleare based on his futures rather than his actual value and it might come back to bite them. He had negative TC and with inside scoring over C+, he is probably already on thin ice with head GM Gabe of the Nuggets. Luckily, Cleare is still 25 and has pot left but this could be another Dennis Wuycik situation that does not work out.
Aaric Murray signs with the Bulls for $182,863,240 over 5 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: The player is great. Coming off a Defensive Player of the Year, Murray is well worth a good contract. However, essentially maxing him over 5 years when he's already 32 years of age is very risky. He had a strong training camp (still), but time has shown that players entering their mid 30's tend to regress pretty quickly. Paying him $40M when he's 36 is ugly.
Fortson: Murray has had a late renaissance in his career and is the Benjamin Button of BSL. At this rate, I’m tempted to say this is an amazing contract just on the past data we have on him going up every TC. Sadly, Father Time is undefeated and at some point he has to decline in TC. I find it hard to see a GM taking on this contract after this season and this might come back to bite Josh in the ass. At least Josh got show Donald Trump Murray’s TC before he traded him.
Kurt Thomas signs with the Rockets for $100,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: Kurt Thomas is like a young version of Aaric Murray (when he was also 25), but in no way is he worth $25M/year. He has benefited from playing on a talented Vancouver team, but things might be different in Houston. The Rockets did something similar a few years ago with Renardo Sidney and that didn't pan out, so we'll see how this works out.
Fortson: The Rockets stole Thomas away from the Grizzlies but this feels like counterfeit money stolen to me. Thomas is no doubt a nice big but Donkey not matching the bid leads me to believe this is the best version of Thomas. For $20M a year, I would be in huge favor of this deal but the $25M number is usually reserved for stars and Thomas is not one of them. I commend the Rockets for taking a risk here but the result could be dicey for their future cap.
Gabriel Deck signs with the Bucks for $10,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: F+
Monta: The former 1st overall pick has been a massive disappointment as he's literally not improved each year of his career. His production level was so bad that he was free cut early, which is unheard of from a #1 pick. That being said, he was worth a flyer to see if he had anything left in the tank/was motivated to turn his career around. However, rewarding with him another 4 years is not ideal for a guy who is nowhere near a sure thing.
Fortson: Gabriel Deck is basically the Anthony Bennett of BSL. He isn’t good. He was in a weak draft but everyone drafted after him is a star it feels like. CavsFan made a calculated risk here banking on him finally using his potential but it’s safe to say he’s a bust. No Cazzie Russell resurgences with Deck, he’s the Titanic and the orchestra (league) is playing.
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FA WINNERS & LOSERS
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Monta's FA Winners:
1. New Orleans Pelicans
I'm still not sure how the Pelicans were able to bring back Rodman on an MLE after having no birds, but props to them. To add onto that, they signed defensive big Terrence Jennings for the BAE. That's what you call maximizing your tools with limited cap space. They also benefitted from many teams looking to rebuild and not really wanting to sign anyone.
2. Phoenix Suns
Thought the Suns had a very good offseason. They filled their biggest need for the last few seasons, and that's a perimeter scoring option, and they got an elite one in that in Facundo Pinero. You know Phoenix loves their scoring bigs too, so they added to that arsenal with a discount in Howard Bayne for a 2-year min. Lastly, they added former top 5 pick JP Tokoto to their wing rotation. While he may never become a star or even starter, he still has the tools to play a major role in Phoenix.
3. Indiana Pacers
Indy had a huge void at point guard after trading away Steve Nash, but filled it with Campazzo who should fit in just fine. Re-signing Bogic was another big plus as they bring back their 6th man. While I'm not a huge fan of Moustapha Fall, he has been the starting center there, so the Pacers definitely did a lot of damage control in retaining a lot of their main guys.
Fortson's FA Winners:
1. Indiana Pacers
As stated in the Campazzo section, the Pacers took advantage of a weak free agent market. Bringing back Bogic and Fall while getting the likes of Campazzzo made them the clear winners of the free agency. They also made some under the radar moves overall in FA such as Vlaholic and Tuttle that truly set them apart.
2. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks got Ben Wallace on an expiring that will certainly net them a first or cash. The Kasey Hill contract has been meme’d a bit but if he lives up to his potential it’s a very low risk, high reward move. They also signed Davis Zonne who is an expert in the tanking movement.
3. Charlotte Hornets
Welcome to the league Mitch, he could’ve very easily wasted his cap but preserved it for next offseason while improving this season. Getting Jason Kidd on an expiring while retaining 2 max slots for next offseason will prove fruitful for Charlotte. He’s a winner simply for doing more than Brack ever did.
Monta's FA Losers:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
If this is the year the Lakers are supposed to finally turn it around, they helped themselves 0 in free agency. They re-signed Pongo, but I think they're the only team that offered anywhere near $18M/year. They gave up a lot for him so I understand the desire to keep him around, but doubling down on that mistake is not a good look. Outside of Pongo, they signed Vytenis Cizauskas who's a decent backup, but also isn't good either. Feel like they could've used their cap space in a more effective way. Really I just don't like Mate Pongo, he's not even good.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
The LA teams taking big Ls in free agency, what a shame. The Clippers simply forgot to send their bids in day 1 so they missed out on MLE opportunities to sign depth pieces. After seeing the Pels sign Rodman on the MLE, GM Tyler has to be sick that he couldn't land something similar. They tried to make up for it in Day 2, but there were really just scraps left. It'll be interesting to see how they recover and fill out their roster over the course of the year.
3. Vancouver Grizzlies
It might not be their fault, but the Grizzlies lost Kurt Thomas due to his inflated price tag in waiting until Day 2 to sign. Without signing Thomas they didn't sign anyone else either because they're in cap hell with the amount of multi-year/mid-level contracts and the pending free agencies of Martin Cuello and Chris Walker next season. The Grizz were supposed to run the league for the next 10 seasons, but have had to pivot into saving money and getting under the hard cap. Sad. Not really.
Fortson's FA Losers:
1. Los Angeles Clippers
Username admitted he forgot to press send on his bids and lost out on a bunch of depth for FA days 1-3. As a team coming back from a Finals loss, they could’ve really used an upgrade in several areas and totally missed out. This was a preventable mistake that the Clippers will be haunted by all season.
2. Boston Celtics
I kept waiting for Cheddar to sign a MLE level player but this was not the case. I feel like this team after acquiring Curry is 1-2 moves away from being a title favorite but depth is no where to be found. Maybe next free agency they can be a winner.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Yes, they brought back Pongo but I kept waiting for them to make more depth related moves that never happened. Curry said this is the year he competes but who will play when his starters are not? You can’t win with 5-6 players when then games really count in the playoffs.
w/FortsonBass
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Facundo Campazzo signs with the Pacers for $52,837,312 over 4 years.
Monta: A-
Fortson: A
Monta: In need of a starting point guard after shipping Steve Nash back to Chicago, the Pacers land a very serviceable in Campazzo for a reasonable price tag. While Campazzo likely won't wow anyone with his play, he is the epitome of a solid do it all starter.
Fortson: Beats took advantage of a weak FA market and swooped in to get Campazzo for cheap. He’s certainly a top 15 PG and is a candidate to have a Naoki Uto rebirth in Indiana. I believe Campazzo went for $25M a year the last time he got signed, so cutting that in half makes this a major W.
Dennis Rodman signs with the Pelicans for $37,156,300 over 4 years.
Monta: A
Fortson: B+
Monta: Signing back Rodman on an MLE is a big win for New Orleans who acquired him without bird rights. It was a huge risk letting him hit the market with no birds and no cap space, but somehow he decided New Orleans was the best place for him to finish his career. The Worm is still an elite defender and rebounder at his position, and will help anchor the paint as New Orleans guns for a title.
Fortson: The league was asleep while Henny swept in and brought back Rodman. You have to admire Si Green, great shot blocking PG who was instrumental in Rodman coming back to New Orleans. There has been some talk that Henny had a gun to Rodman’s head but no one knows the truth behind that. It’s all hear say. Rodman is still a solid player, on the older side, but as a back-up you can’t complain at all.
Len Bias signs with the Kings for $55,100,000 over 5 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
Monta: Bias never lived up to his draft day hype, but he has become a solid SF/PF hybrid. Last year off the bench Bias put up respectable numbers, and the Kings rewarded him by re-signing him for another 5 years. It's crazy he's been in the league for 9 years already, and while the 5 years might be risky, Sacramento is still trying to stay competitive in a relatively weak West.
Fortson: Bias has always been a solid player but no certainly no star. This felt like a fair contract given where the SF market is at and you can’t blame the Kings for bringing him back. I would’ve maybe done 4 years instead of 5 but I’m not faulting TyFreak too much for that. Overall, solid signing.
George McGinnis signs with the Bucks for $84,100,000 over 5 years.
Monta: A+
Fortson: A
man was shredded.
Monta: McGinnis re-signs with the Bucks on a surprisingly low number considering the upside he has shown, and his former draft status. I personally think he's been criminally misused, with his playing SF for the last few years. It seems pretty evident that his natural position is at PF, and with his ability to defend, rebound, finish, and handle the ball, playing him there makes too much sense for Milwaukee to keep playing him at the 3.
Fortson: Not sure how the Bucks got McGinnis this cheap, guess he slipped through the FA cracks. CavsFan gave up a lot originally for McGinnis so retaining him and betting on him hitting his pot is his only bet to break even on the trade. He still doesn’t have a 3-point shot but he carried the Bucks to the playoffs at the end of last season. I’m not sure if he will play SF or PF for Milwaukee, but this is a smart gamble to bet on.
Facundo Pinero signs with the Suns for $57,983,939 over 4 years.
Monta: B
Fortson: B
Monta: 4 years is definitely pushing it for a 35-year old, but it may be worth it as Pinero still has a lot in the tank, especially on the offensive end. He automatically becomes Phoenix's best scorer and likely go-to option. However, time will tell if he'll be able to hang on the defensive end.
Fortson: After winning the title last season season with the Detroit Basketball Pistons, Facundo decided to go West and retire in Arizona like all old people do. The Suns worked out an agreement where he has to play at least 2 seasons before retiring. At this stage in his career he can probably still start but I’d like to see him in a super sub scoring role. Facundo is one of the league’s greatest scorers ever and he fits in with the retirement home Suns.
Renardo Sidney signs with the Nets for $64,800,000 over 3 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: B
Monta: Several teams have tried to build teams with Renardo Sidney on them, but they've all failed. This is largely due to his inability to accept that he shouldn't be a go-to scoring option and force the issue offensively. This leads to his constant turnover problem, and he isn't a good enough defender/rebounder to make up for his offensive inefficiencies.
Fortson: Scott could have turned the page on Sidney’s time in Brooklyn, but unlike Sidney he found it difficult to turn it over. Sidney is for sure a top 15-20 big but has been plagued as inferred by my bad puns some less than ideal turnover problems. I like the years given here based on where we are at with bigs so I think this is a fair deal.
Shaquille Cleare signs with the Nuggets for $59,450,000 over 5 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C
Monta: Denver has strange tendencies, when it comes to holding back players, but paying them appropriately in free agency. Cleare would see much more playing time on most other teams in the league, but in a stacked frontcourt in Denver he barely touched the court last season. Despite this, Denver felt the need to give him a healthy 5 year deal. Interesting.
Fortson: The Nuggets paid Cleare based on his futures rather than his actual value and it might come back to bite them. He had negative TC and with inside scoring over C+, he is probably already on thin ice with head GM Gabe of the Nuggets. Luckily, Cleare is still 25 and has pot left but this could be another Dennis Wuycik situation that does not work out.
Aaric Murray signs with the Bulls for $182,863,240 over 5 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: The player is great. Coming off a Defensive Player of the Year, Murray is well worth a good contract. However, essentially maxing him over 5 years when he's already 32 years of age is very risky. He had a strong training camp (still), but time has shown that players entering their mid 30's tend to regress pretty quickly. Paying him $40M when he's 36 is ugly.
Fortson: Murray has had a late renaissance in his career and is the Benjamin Button of BSL. At this rate, I’m tempted to say this is an amazing contract just on the past data we have on him going up every TC. Sadly, Father Time is undefeated and at some point he has to decline in TC. I find it hard to see a GM taking on this contract after this season and this might come back to bite Josh in the ass. At least Josh got show Donald Trump Murray’s TC before he traded him.
Kurt Thomas signs with the Rockets for $100,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C
Fortson: C+
Monta: Kurt Thomas is like a young version of Aaric Murray (when he was also 25), but in no way is he worth $25M/year. He has benefited from playing on a talented Vancouver team, but things might be different in Houston. The Rockets did something similar a few years ago with Renardo Sidney and that didn't pan out, so we'll see how this works out.
Fortson: The Rockets stole Thomas away from the Grizzlies but this feels like counterfeit money stolen to me. Thomas is no doubt a nice big but Donkey not matching the bid leads me to believe this is the best version of Thomas. For $20M a year, I would be in huge favor of this deal but the $25M number is usually reserved for stars and Thomas is not one of them. I commend the Rockets for taking a risk here but the result could be dicey for their future cap.
Gabriel Deck signs with the Bucks for $10,000,000 over 4 years.
Monta: C-
Fortson: F+
Monta: The former 1st overall pick has been a massive disappointment as he's literally not improved each year of his career. His production level was so bad that he was free cut early, which is unheard of from a #1 pick. That being said, he was worth a flyer to see if he had anything left in the tank/was motivated to turn his career around. However, rewarding with him another 4 years is not ideal for a guy who is nowhere near a sure thing.
Fortson: Gabriel Deck is basically the Anthony Bennett of BSL. He isn’t good. He was in a weak draft but everyone drafted after him is a star it feels like. CavsFan made a calculated risk here banking on him finally using his potential but it’s safe to say he’s a bust. No Cazzie Russell resurgences with Deck, he’s the Titanic and the orchestra (league) is playing.
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FA WINNERS & LOSERS
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Monta's FA Winners:
1. New Orleans Pelicans
I'm still not sure how the Pelicans were able to bring back Rodman on an MLE after having no birds, but props to them. To add onto that, they signed defensive big Terrence Jennings for the BAE. That's what you call maximizing your tools with limited cap space. They also benefitted from many teams looking to rebuild and not really wanting to sign anyone.
2. Phoenix Suns
Thought the Suns had a very good offseason. They filled their biggest need for the last few seasons, and that's a perimeter scoring option, and they got an elite one in that in Facundo Pinero. You know Phoenix loves their scoring bigs too, so they added to that arsenal with a discount in Howard Bayne for a 2-year min. Lastly, they added former top 5 pick JP Tokoto to their wing rotation. While he may never become a star or even starter, he still has the tools to play a major role in Phoenix.
3. Indiana Pacers
Indy had a huge void at point guard after trading away Steve Nash, but filled it with Campazzo who should fit in just fine. Re-signing Bogic was another big plus as they bring back their 6th man. While I'm not a huge fan of Moustapha Fall, he has been the starting center there, so the Pacers definitely did a lot of damage control in retaining a lot of their main guys.
Fortson's FA Winners:
1. Indiana Pacers
As stated in the Campazzo section, the Pacers took advantage of a weak free agent market. Bringing back Bogic and Fall while getting the likes of Campazzzo made them the clear winners of the free agency. They also made some under the radar moves overall in FA such as Vlaholic and Tuttle that truly set them apart.
2. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks got Ben Wallace on an expiring that will certainly net them a first or cash. The Kasey Hill contract has been meme’d a bit but if he lives up to his potential it’s a very low risk, high reward move. They also signed Davis Zonne who is an expert in the tanking movement.
3. Charlotte Hornets
Welcome to the league Mitch, he could’ve very easily wasted his cap but preserved it for next offseason while improving this season. Getting Jason Kidd on an expiring while retaining 2 max slots for next offseason will prove fruitful for Charlotte. He’s a winner simply for doing more than Brack ever did.
Monta's FA Losers:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
If this is the year the Lakers are supposed to finally turn it around, they helped themselves 0 in free agency. They re-signed Pongo, but I think they're the only team that offered anywhere near $18M/year. They gave up a lot for him so I understand the desire to keep him around, but doubling down on that mistake is not a good look. Outside of Pongo, they signed Vytenis Cizauskas who's a decent backup, but also isn't good either. Feel like they could've used their cap space in a more effective way. Really I just don't like Mate Pongo, he's not even good.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
The LA teams taking big Ls in free agency, what a shame. The Clippers simply forgot to send their bids in day 1 so they missed out on MLE opportunities to sign depth pieces. After seeing the Pels sign Rodman on the MLE, GM Tyler has to be sick that he couldn't land something similar. They tried to make up for it in Day 2, but there were really just scraps left. It'll be interesting to see how they recover and fill out their roster over the course of the year.
3. Vancouver Grizzlies
It might not be their fault, but the Grizzlies lost Kurt Thomas due to his inflated price tag in waiting until Day 2 to sign. Without signing Thomas they didn't sign anyone else either because they're in cap hell with the amount of multi-year/mid-level contracts and the pending free agencies of Martin Cuello and Chris Walker next season. The Grizz were supposed to run the league for the next 10 seasons, but have had to pivot into saving money and getting under the hard cap. Sad. Not really.
Fortson's FA Losers:
1. Los Angeles Clippers
Username admitted he forgot to press send on his bids and lost out on a bunch of depth for FA days 1-3. As a team coming back from a Finals loss, they could’ve really used an upgrade in several areas and totally missed out. This was a preventable mistake that the Clippers will be haunted by all season.
2. Boston Celtics
I kept waiting for Cheddar to sign a MLE level player but this was not the case. I feel like this team after acquiring Curry is 1-2 moves away from being a title favorite but depth is no where to be found. Maybe next free agency they can be a winner.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Yes, they brought back Pongo but I kept waiting for them to make more depth related moves that never happened. Curry said this is the year he competes but who will play when his starters are not? You can’t win with 5-6 players when then games really count in the playoffs.
