The Winners and Losers of NBA Free Agency

Bag secured! 💰

There’s been no shortage of headlines during a frenzied 2020 NBA free agency period. While some teams have made impressive changes to their rosters, others have made head-scratching moves that provoked furore online – Michael Jordan, we’re looking at you. With so many intricate machinations taking place, we decided to outline the major winners and losers of the trade period.

Winners

LA Lakers
A slam dunk! Not only did LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers dominate in last season’s Orlando bubble, but the front office has now managed to poach talent from their cross-town rivals, signing reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell for a two-year, $19 million deal. The Lakers also managed to acquire German livewire Dennis Schröder by trading Danny Green (and his $15 million contract) and sending Rajon Rondo to the Atlanta Hawks.

Images with thanks to Getty Images

But the real steak knives in this trade frenzy? Acquiring the Toronto Raptors’ big man Marc Gasol (as history suggests, good things happen when the Lakers sign a Gasol brother). Will LeBron James defend his crown? The Lakers’ aggressive moves during the off-season would certainly suggest so.

Fred VanVleet
The feel good story of free agency, Fred VanVleet signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history for an undrafted player. Again inking a contract with the Toronto Raptors, VanVleet signed a record-breaking four-year, $85 million deal. The signing ensures some much-needed contingency for Toronto, as they’ve lost both Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. Still, Toronto fans can sleep well knowing their favourite son, Kyle Lowry, has signed on for a one-year deal.

Gordon Hayward
Injury-plagued superstar Gordon Hayward was arguably the biggest individual winner during NBA free agency. Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets emptied the bag for Hayward after landing LaMelo Ball in the Draft, Hayward signing a jaw-dropping $128 million, four-year deal. Criticism online was deafening. Why? Because Hayward played just 52 games last season, the elite roleplayer seemingly still recovering from one of the worst leg injuries we’ve ever seen on the hardwood. Struggling to string together a consistent body of work since his time at the Utah Jazz, the Charlotte Hornets will be hoping Hayward can recapture some of his bold, rim-running manoeuvres and scintillating scoring. If not, well, Hayward will still be cashing big cheques.

Losers

Milwaukee Bucks
Oops! The Milwaukee Bucks made a huge misplay after it was reported that Serbian powerhouse Bogdan Bogdanović had already entertained a sign-and-trade before deals were legally allowed to be negotiated. Although it’s a poorly kept secret that deals are all but inked before the official trade period officially opens, the fact that this one leaked meant that the NBA had to come down hard, tearing up the potential move.

On top of all this, Bucks fans will be sweating on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the transcendent talent still yet to sign the supermax extension he’s eligible for.

Still, it’s not all bad news for the Bucks, the organisation managing to sign New Orleans point guard Jrue Holiday – although they had to throw in the kitchen sink to land the 30-year-old.

Los Angeles Clippers
Targeting a Rajon Rondo Lakers defection, the Los Angeles Clippers instead watched their Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell cross town to the Lakers. While they did replace Harrell with Kawhi’s former partner-in-crime Serge Ibaka, the Clippers will still be looking to make plays to become a viable threat to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard now both on a contract year, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will be sweating buckets in the lead-up to the 2020–21 NBA season, the 64-year-old billionaire already showing a willingness to blow things up after firing head coach Doc Brown in his first year coaching the star-studded duo of Leonard and George.

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