We are now almost a week removed, to the minute, of the start of free agency. The first 24 hours were absolutely chaotic, as they usually are, but there has also been some movement since the July 1st start date that also will have some fantasy implications for next season. For starters, if you haven’t already, be sure to go check out my colleague Jonas Nader’s breakdown of the first 24 hours of free agency back on July 1st. As I stated earlier, there were a plethora of moves that have been made throughout the NBA in the last few days; from some big extensions that were signed, some guys that opted to return to familiar pastures, and of course some new beginnings as well. So without further ado, let’s get you caught up on the latest in this summer’s free-agent circus.
Zion Williamson and Darius Garland sign Max Extensions
The Pelicans and Cavaliers are two teams who put the NBA on notice for different reasons this season. The Cavaliers exploded onto the scene in the Eastern Conference after the emergence of Garland, who made his first career all-star game with the Cavaliers this season. The former lottery pick set career high’s in points with 21.7, assists with 8.6, rebounds with 3.3, steals with 1.3, made three’s at 2.6 per game, and field goal percentage at 46.2%. All of this came after the Cavaliers lost Collin Sexton after just 11 games due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Still, Cleveland finished with the eighth-best record in the eastern conference but failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing to Brooklyn and Atlanta in the play-in round of the postseason.
Still, though, this was enough to earn Garland the largest deal in franchise history, a five-year extension worth $193 million. The deal could reach up to $233 million with incentives, so we will see if Garland can continue to elevate and cash all the way in on his new deal. The Cavaliers still have a decision to make on Collin Sexton, and if Sexton departs for another team, Garland’s fantasy value will be at an all-time high next season. As of now, it is safe to assume that he will be an early-to-mid-round selection in fantasy drafts for the 2022-2023 season.
For Zion, his contract situation is a bit dicier seeing that he didn’t play a single game in the 2021-2022 season due to a broken right foot. The Pelicans were able to acquire C.J. McCollum at the trade deadline, and a late-season surge pushed them into the playoffs, where they eventually lost in six games to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. With McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valančiūnas in the fold as well as some intriguing young pieces like Jose Alvarado and Herbert Jones, Williamson was the last piece to the puzzle.
He and the Pelicans agreed to a five-year $193 million extension that could reach $231 million with incentives. This was expected leading up to negotiations as both sides seemed in agreement on getting a deal done. There were some protections worked into the contract which reportedly is why it took an extra day to get done, but the Pelicans have now locked up the all-star forward for the foreseeable future. The biggest question now will be if he can remain healthy, as Williamson has played in just 85 total games in three seasons in the NBA. His last healthy season was in 2020-2021 when he was named an NBA All-Star after averaging a staggering 27.0 points per game with 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in 61 appearances. If the Pelicans can get anywhere near 61 games out of Zion next season, New Orleans fans and fantasy owners alike will be very happy with the results.
Hornets expected to rescind offer sheet for Miles Bridges
According to a report by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, the Hornets are expected to pull their qualifying offer for Miles Bridges, which would make him an unrestricted free agent. This comes on the heels of his arrest on domestic violence charges in Los Angeles on June 29th. All in all, this is one of the most unfortunate cases that we have witnessed in recent memory, as Bridges likely would have commanded a max contract on the market this summer. This obviously pales in comparison to the toll that it is having on his family, and on the family of the victim, so our regards go out to her and the family first. From a much less important fantasy basketball perspective, it will be hard to gauge Bridges’ value until after the legal proceedings are complete, and then the league does its investigation and determines its course of action from there. We will have more updates on the situation as they become available.
Other News & Notes from around the NBA
Lakers sign Thomas Bryant
The Lakers have made some sneaky additions to their frontcourt this off-season. After signing Damian Jones to start off free agency, they have agreed to a deal with former Wizards center Thomas Bryant as well. Bryant has agreed to a one-year deal, but the terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Bryant will have the ability to compete for the starting center spot with the Lakers, whom he played his rookie season back in 2017-2018 before he was waived. If he is fully healthy, Bryant could be worth a look in the later rounds of your fantasy draft, especially if he is able to win over the starting center spot.
Hornets re-sign Cody Martin
Splitting up with your twin for the first time can be rough. I know so because I had to do it myself after my twin brother signed a professional basketball contract to play overseas. So nonetheless, it is impressive to see that both of the twins had career seasons in 2021-2022. Cody averaged 7.7 points to go with 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, all of which, were career highs. This earned him a four-year $32 million extension with Charlotte this off-season and it seems like the Hornets want to keep him around. With the uncertainty of the situation regarding Miles Bridges, Martin could see an increased role next season if Bridges is serving a suspension, or playing elsewhere in the NBA. Keep an eye on him as we head into next season.
Heat re-sign Caleb Martin
Just like Cody, Caleb also had a career year away from his brother this past season, The Heat wing averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 triples per game, all of which were career bests. Martin was a key cog in Miami’s second unit, and with much of their core coming back, he likely will have a similar role next season. Martin signed a three-year $20-plus million dollar contract, so he will be up for free agency a year before his twin brother, who won’t be a free agent again until 2026.
Brooklyn signs T.J. Warren, re-sign Kessler Edwards
The Nets have made a few quiet moves over the last few days, none of which will trump what they are currently trying to navigate with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The two most recent moves involve them re-signing their 2021 second-round draft pick Kessler Edwards, and adding T.J. Warren on a one-year deal. The terms of either deal have not yet been disclosed, but we do know that the Edwards deal includes a team option for the 2023-2024 season. He likely won’t be a fantasy factor regardless of what happens with Brooklyn’s two big stars going forward.
As for Warren, he has not played an NBA game since December of 2020 due to a left foot injury. If Brooklyn were to trade either Durant or Irving or certainly both, Warren could have some intriguing fantasy upside for Brooklyn. He was an elite scorer before his injury, so it will be interesting to see if he can return anywhere close to pre-injury form this season.
Goran Dragić signs with Bulls
Dragic is heading to Chicago on a one-year deal, where he will compete for minutes off of the Bulls’ bench. A large component in Dragic’s fantasy value will be the health of Lonzo Ball. If Ball is healthy, this significantly diminishes his appeal, but if not, there could be some decent value there at worst as a streamer. Last season Dragic appeared in 21 games between Toronto (five games) and Brooklyn (16 games). In total, he averaged 7.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game.
Spurs sign Isaiah Roby
One of the most sneaky pickups of this free-agent cycle has been the Spurs acquiring Isaiah Roby, who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Thunder. The 24-year-old forward averaged a career-high 10.1 points per game last season to go with 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 triples. The Spurs have lost a lot of production with Dejounte Murray heading to Atlanta, Lonnie Walker IV heading to the Lakers, and the release of Danilo Gallinari. Roby should be able to get some minutes right away, and if he can be consistent, he could be worth a look in the later rounds on draft day.
Jalen Smith heading back to Indy
Another sneaky transaction was Jalen Smith re-signing with the Pacers on a two-year deal. Smith was traded to Indiana at the trade deadline, and had a strong finish to the season, in what was his first true taste of consistent NBA minutes. In 22 games with the Pacers, Smith averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. And even better than that, on Wednesday, Rick Carlisle announced that Smith was being signed to be the starting power forward in Indiana going forward. This will do wonders for his fantasy value, and he should surely be on your radar on draft day, especially if the Pacers can move Myles Turner before the start of the season.
Bucks re-sign Serge Ibaka
Ibaka dealt with major injury issues last season and only appeared in 54 games total between the Clippers and the Bucks. Milwaukee acquired Ibaka at the trade deadline and in 19 games, the veteran forward made 2 starts. In those 19 games with Milwaukee, Ibaka averaged 7.0 points per game with 5.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. He played 17.8 minutes per game for the Bucks last season, and he likely will be around that mark again this year, which means he should not be on your fantasy radar until that changes.
Blazers to waive Eric Bledsoe
In an expected move, the Blazers will release Eric Bledsoe and allow him to become a free agent. This comes on the heels of Portland signing Anfernee Simons to a four-year $100 million deal at the onset of the free-agency period. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there are expected to be a number of teams that will pursue Bledsoe once he clears waivers. It will be hard to determine his fantasy value until we know the team that he is signing with, but it is a fair assumption to assume that he will not be rostered on draft day in very many leagues. We will have more updates as they become available going forward.
