This is just one of those perfect fits that comes around every free agency, a veteran on a cheap deal going to a good team and fitting exactly into what they want to do. The Bulls needed a shooter, an upgrade over Marco Belinelli and they got a very good one in Dunleavy, who has become underrated over the years because of injuries and playing for bad teams. However, he's a 6-9 guard/forward who shot 43% from 3 last season and is a much improved defensive player who will only get better in the Bulls system. His shooting especially will be great for the Bulls' spacing and he is a good rebounder and passer. You can't beat the price either. The Bulls now Dunleavy, Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler, and Tony Snell at the wing position, a diverse and deep group of players.
Nazr Mohammed re-signs with the Bulls for one year at the veteran minimum
This was bound to happen, Tom Thibodeau likes Mohammed and the feeling is mutual. Mohammed is cheap, knows the system, and is well respected by his teammates. However, if the Bulls view him as anything more than a third center, I disagree with this signing. Joakim Noah is injury prone, and having a backup for him that can also step in as a starter is crucial. Mohammed, who will turn 36 in September is simply too limited to be anything but an emergency backup and veteran mentor. I would expect the Bulls to make a run at another, younger center.
Chase Budinger re-signs with the Timberwolves for 3 years, $16 Million
Kevin Martin signs with the Timberwolves for 4 years, $28 Million
Eric Maynor signs with the Wizards 2 years, $2 Million
Martell Webster re-signs with the Wizards for 4 years, $22 Million
C.J. Watson signs with the Pacers on a two-deal
David West re-signs with the Pacers for 4 years, $36 Million
Tiago Splitter re-signs with the Spurs for 4 years, $36 Million
Andray Blatche re-signs with the Nets for 2 years $2.8 Million
Clippers receive Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick, who signs a 4 year, $27 Million contract
When the Wolves traded for Chase Budinger last season, it made a ton of sense, as Budinger was exactly the kind of shooter they needed, and he has experience playing in Rick Adelman's system. However, this is a lot of money for a player who only played 23 games last season due to an knee injury, and shot 41% from the field and only 32% from 3, which isn't going to cut it. If he's fully healthy and can regain the shooting form of his 11-12 season, this is a great deal and exactly what Minnesota needs, but if not the Wolves could be in line for another painful season.
Speaking of players familiar with Rick Adelman's system, the Timberwolves fix their issues at shooting guard and from 3-point range with an extremely efficient scoring guard who shot 43% from 3 last season. Martin doesn't draw fouls like he used to, but is still one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA. The Timberwolves got nothing from their shooting guards last season and were historically bad from deep, so Martin will certain help a Minnesota team that, if healthy, is snapping up to be a juggernautoffensively. Defensively however, they could struggle quite a bit, something Martin will definitely contribute to. Still, with all this offensive firepower, and pieces that fit very well together, the Wolves could make a run at the playoffs.
Given the price of this deal, it's hard to poke holes in it other than as a solid, if unspectacular, move by the Wizards. Maynor will be purely a backup for John Wall, but he may have to step in as a starter if Wall goes down with bumps and bruises, which seems likely based on history. Maynor is an ideal backup, a smart, pass first point guard who can hit a three and competes defensively. The problem is that the Wizards are building their offense around Wall's ability to penetrate and find shooters, something that Maynor may not be able to due simply because he isn't quick enough. Obviously, the Wizards can adjust on the fly, but stylistically it's not a perfect fit. However, if Wall stays healthy I like it.
This is the Wizards full mid-level exception (with year 4 only partially guaranteed) which may seem like a lot for Webster, but whether this deal works out will depend fully on whether or not Webster's health and improvements last season were real or not. Webster has always been a solid shooter but last season he took it to another level, hitting on 42% of his 3s, including 49% from the corners, which is perfect for playing alongside John Wall. He also performed well on defense and can be counted on the play hard every night. Also, at only 26, it's not impossible that he is simply entering his peak and this isn't a fluke. If all this goes right, it's a good deal for the Wizards. However, if Webster's injuries, particularly his back, crop up again or the shooting regresses to the 34% he shot in 11-12, then the Wizards gave significant money and years to a middling NBA backup.
The Pacers didn't ask much of D.J. Augustin last season, basically to play defense and shoot 3s, he was average at the later and perhaps the worst in the league at the former. Also, anytime a players 35% 3-point shooting is higher than their overall field goal percentage, it may be time to find an upgrade. C.J. Watson is an a good shooter, hovering around 40% the last three years and average defensively while not providing much else, but that is such a massive upgrade over Augustin, that is should help the Pacers woeful bench immensely. Next step for the Pacers: a backup power forward.
This was a no-brainer for Indiana, bringing back the steady and dependable David West, who is really the cog that makes their offense work. West is turning 33 this year, so normally a 4 year deal would be questionable, but West's game isn't based on athleticism and should continue to age nicely. West is just an overall great player, he may not get much credit, but he can score inside, shoot, rebound, pass, and is an above average defender. He might not keep up this pace though out the whole of the deal, but should provide value thought the length on the contract.
With memories of Splitter's poor performance against the Heat fresh on their minds, many may see this as a bog overpay. However, this is just about right for Splitter and the Spurs for a couple of reasons. First, Splitter may have had a bad finals, but he was crucial to defending Marc Gasol in the Western Conference Finals, and if Dwight Howard ends up in the Western Conference, he'll be useful defending him as well. Also, Splitter's presence in the regular season allows the Spurs to spell Tim Duncan more so than a lesser player. And it's not like Splitter is a bad player either, he posted a PER of 18.71 last season, and perhaps most importantly he has improved each of his three NBA seasons. Splitter isn't sexy, but he's a valuable player, particularly to San Antonio.
This is really a one year deal, as the second year is a player option that Blatche will almost certainly decline. Still it's a good value for the Nets, who needed a backup for Kevin Garnett to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Blatche is a knucklehead, but actually played pretty well in a limited role last season, posting a 21.98 PER and averaging an impressive 10.3 points in just 19 minutes a game. If he can keep that production up, he'll far out earn his pay. Plus the hilarity of Blatche and Garnett as teammates will be worth $2.8 million by itself.
Suns receive Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler
Bucks receive two second round picks
While giving up a young talent may have been hard for the Clippers, it was absolutely the right move to trade him and they got a great deal out of it. J.J. Redick is a perfect fit for this team and should slide right into the starting shooting guard slot, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him closing out games over Jamal Crawford. Redick is obviously the main get here, but don't sleep on Dudley, who should start at small forward and is the ultimate glue guy. He does a little bit over everything offensively, is a solid defensive player, and is a 41% career 3-point shooter. Now what was a weakness last year for the Clippers, is now a strength, especially when you add to that rookie Reggie Bullock, who was one of the best shooters in this last draft. For the Suns, Bledsoe is the main piece in this deal, with Butler and his expiring deal a trade chip, not a building block. While I understand the desire to trade for Bledsoe, he also plays the same position as the Suns best player, Goran Dragic, so it's more like one step forward of a move instead of a big leap in the Suns rebuild. It will be interesting to see what the Suns intend to do with Dragic, if they want to play him alongside Bledsoe or trade for a piece at a different position. I would go with the latter, but that means they need to find a trade partner who is willing to pay for a point guard. As for the Bucks, they did well to get something for Redick, but they never should have traded for him in the first place, giving up a promising young piece in Tobias Harris for a couple month rental of Redick so they could get swept in the playoffs. The Bucks are a mess now and should go full rebuild around their young big men and forwards, and stay as far away from Brandon Jennings and Monte Ellis as they can.
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