Even in a not particularly busy free agency, there have been several interesting names to follow during these first weeks of the market. Every summer involves changes in the league and in the distribution of its stars, and although on this occasion the most important ones have arrived (and above all they may arrive) via transfer, this is a good time to remember what decisions the players have made. most interesting free agents at each position in the summer of 2022.
Bases
Among the bases, we start with two men who have chosen to exercise their respective player option but whose future does not seem far from clear yet. So much Kyrie Irving as Russell Westbrook, the two big names in this position, have chosen to ensure their enormous salaries, but their conflictive situations in the Nets and Lakers respectively mean that no one dares to put their hand in the fire when it comes to talking about their continuity. In fact, it is an open secret that both franchises have negotiated a transfer that includes both of them, so that, even though they are no longer free agents, they can still be talked about during this offseason.
The one who did leave his future resolved very early was Jalen Brunson, perhaps even too early. The Knicks are being investigated for a possible tampering in their negotiation, but whatever is decided in this regard, nothing will change the situation of the former Mavericks player, who after some great playoffs became one of the most coveted free agents and ended up signing a great deal with New Yorkers.
Lastly, the name of John Wall He has lost the impact he had before the injury, but now that the contract that made him so undesirable has finally expired, the point guard has had the opportunity to negotiate a salary more in line with his current impact. The former Wizards player has chosen to move to Los Angeles, in this case to the Clippers, where he will seek to relaunch his career from a minor role in which to bring out the many virtues that his knee problems could not extinguish.
escorts
As in the previous position, the two great guards of this free agency have chosen to continue in their respective teams, although in this case both did so by declining their player options. The reasons, however, were radically opposite: James Harden did not exercise his player option with the 76ers to sign a two-year contract that would give the team a little more salary space, while Bradley Beal he did it to sign one of the biggest contracts ever seen. His $251 million, anti-trade clause and a 15% bonus if the trade goes through are proof that the Wizards gave everything they could to ensure his continuity.
He also opted for the decision to continue Zach LaVine, that agreed with Chicago a renewal for five seasons. Despite the existing doubts, the shooting guard has reinforced his relationship with the Bulls in the best possible way, demonstrating his full confidence in the project and his desire to improve the already exciting 21-22 season. Something similar he has done with the Blazers Anfernee Simonswhose 100 million in four seasons were one of the great surprises of the market.
Already somewhat under the radar, the arrivals of Malik Monk to Sacramento and from Bruce Brown to Denver. The first, after leaving good feelings in the Lakers, has chosen to leave Los Angeles and head to a franchise with fewer aspirations such as the Kings, possibly due to the economic improvement that they offered him. Brown, for his part, leaves Brooklyn to join the exciting project of the Nuggets, where his game without the ball can fit like a glove alongside a top-notch generator like Nikola Jokic.
eaves
There are not so many interesting names among the eaves, among which P.J. Tucker stands out after his good work in the Bucks ring in 2021 and in the Heat’s great postseason this year. It has been precisely Harden’s aforementioned decision to reduce his salary to allow the 76ers to strengthen themselves that has made Tucker arrive in Philadelphia, where, rejoining the shooting guard and Daryl Morey, he will seek to turn the Pennsylvanians into contenders with all the letters.
the of Joe Ingles On the other hand, it is a curious case, since there were not a few who predicted his retirement when he suffered a serious injury to his left knee during the past year. The Australian, however, has not only guaranteed his continuity in the league, but he arrives in Milwaukee with the aim of, once recovered, trying to return the Wisconsin team to the top of the competition. 100% healthy, his outside shot and his virtues as a passer would make him a great addition, but it is his physical condition that forces us to put an asterisk when analyzing the movement.
Power forwards
The list of power forwards, whose most important name is perhaps that of Bobby Portis. Since his arrival in Milwaukee, the former Bulls player has become a highly valued player both in sports and personally, and, after two years playing for a meager salary, he has finally managed to sign a great contract that collect your contribution. The Bucks and he seemed destined to understand each other and that’s how it ended up being.
Much more moved has been the summer of JaMychal Green, who began by signing a player option to continue with the Nuggets, but they traded him to Oklahoma just a few days later. His stay in OKC, however, was also short-lived, because after a few weeks he was released so that the franchise could free up salary space, making him a free agent again. It was then that the Warriors appeared in his destiny, giving him the opportunity to add his veteran to the reigning champions and finally give him a destination after a rather turbulent month.
Pivots
In the center position comes one of the great stories of the summer, one that in fact has been forging since last year. In 2021, the Suns did not sign an extension to Deandre Ayton since they did not want to offer him the maximum contract that he demanded, which made him a restricted free agent and allowed him to negotiate with any team once the market started. The player took advantage of this situation to sign the maximum contract with the Indiana Pacers, although Phoenix used his position to match the offer and retain Ayton, who will therefore continue in Arizona despite the complications.
Less complex has been the renovation Jusuf Nurkicwho agreed to continue with the Blazers in a matter of days and was tied to the Oregon franchise for four more seasons. JaVale McGee, for his part, headed to Dallas, where he hopes to help the team continue the ascending line of recent seasons. The center has improved his reputation in the league in a remarkable way with his good performance in recent years, which made him one of the names to follow in this market and has made his incorporation a good move for a team that he was in need of reinforcements in his inner game.
(Cover photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
