ESPN-Latest NBA deals: Thumbs up, down?

http://www.sheridanhoops.com/nba-free-agency-transactions/

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/transactions-111212/free-agency-rating-latest-nba-moves

The Clippers didn't end up trading for Chris Paul, but they did make two major moves.

Let's take a look at all of Monday's NBA transactions:





Chauncey Billups to Clippers via amnesty auction, for one year, $2 million: Thumbs up








I really like this pickup for Los Angeles, even if Billups is just a rental. The Clippers need floor spacers around Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and now have them in spades with Billups, Mo Williams, Caron Butler and Eric Gordon. And once this season ends the Clippers will have Billups' Bird Rights and can bring him back as their backup point guard and steady veteran locker-room guy. (Or, if he plays well, as a starter. The Clips didn't amnesty Mo Williams yet but probably will after this season to create a trove of cap space.)



Billups is big enough to play off the ball with Williams at times, and with Eric Bledsoe injured for the opening weeks of the season it was crucial for L.A. to get a backup point guard. With this move, the Clips have set themselves up to make a playoff push, even if Chris Paul never comes their way.




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Clippers match four-year, $43 million offer sheet for DeAndre Jordan: Thumbs down








It was a worse move by Golden State to sign Jordan to this offer sheet, but it is by no means a good idea for the Clippers to match. Obviously, this is colored by my feelings on Jordan -- I don't see him as any kind of a star in the making, just a dunks-and-little-else guy who has the requisite size and athleticism for an NBA center. You don't pay $43 million (with a trade kicker -- which would increase the salary should the Clippers deal him -- in case you ever want to get rid of him) for a guy like that.

You might argue that the Clippers "need" a center and that centers can be hard to come by, but L.A.'s home market gives them a leg up in any free-agent chase. The Clippers could have easily played this season with another center on a one-year deal (like, oh, say, current Clipper Chris Kaman), amnestied Mo Williams in July and been $33 million under the cap next season.

You know why that matters? Because the NBA seems determined to keep Chris Paul in New Orleans all season, and the Magic seem equally determined to keep Dwight Howard in Orlando. So they may both be unrestricted free agents after the season, and the Clips will have the space to sign both. Can you say "Superfriends 2.0"?

Even if that dream scenario didn't work out, the Clippers dramatically reduced their options and flexibility for a loaded offseason crop, all to overpay a guy they didn't especially need. While this wasn't quite as bad as the Caron Butler deal, it's unfortunate that L.A. used its rare free-agent splurge so unproductively.

The Clippers will be better in spite of themselves, because a team with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon isn't going to lose 50 games again, but were it not for the winning amnesty bid for Chauncey Billups, this would have been a wasted offseason for the Clips.




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J.J. Barea to Wolves for four years, $19 million: Thumbs down








I know some of you saw this Kahn-tract and now Kahn't Kahn-tain your laughter, but ...



Oh, hell:



KAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Barea is a pretty good backup point guard, but you knew he'd get overpaid after the Mavs' postseason run to the 2010-11 title. This might have actually made sense for certain teams, if Barea either (A) filled a glaring need or (B) could have been the difference for a contending team.



But for a rebuilding Minnesota team that already had Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio? This deal makes little to no sense. I might revise that opinion if the Timberwolves trade Ridnour in the coming days for a real shooting guard, but otherwise they once again appear laughably overstocked at point guard for no apparent reason.



I'm sure Minnesota will occasionally play Rubio with one of the other two guards, since Ricky is big enough to defend some 2s, but this one still leaves everybody scratching their heads.



The length of the deal is a problem, too. Barea is 27 years old and will be 31 when this deal expires. Short guards frequently hit the wall in their late 20s and decline rapidly in their early 30s, especially ones like Barea who are shaky outside shooters. Maybe he'll defy the trend, but this is not a smart way to bet.




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Marc Gasol to Grizzlies for four years, $58 million: Thumbs up







Gasol cost a pretty penny, but he's worth it. The Grizzlies basically paid a tiny premium in order to get the restricted free agent into camp right away and avoid a potentially prolonged holdout. Otherwise, Gasol would have been waiting on an offer sheet from whatever team came in second in the Nene sweepstakes, which could have been a few days. That offer sheet would have likely come in at four years, $55 million. The Griz gave him the same starting salary, with the only difference being higher annual raises. The four-year deal also means the contracts of Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay all will come off the books at the same time. Memphis has an Olympic-length window set up where it will be at or near the luxury tax, but it will also be among the better teams in the West in that stretch. The only drawback to this deal is it may make it difficult for the Grizzlies to keep secondary players as they become free agents; already it appears they'll lose O.J. Mayo this summer, if they don't trade him first.



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Vince Carter to Mavericks for three years, $9.4 million: Thumbs up







The Mavs gave Carter the "tax-payer" midlevel after Lamar Odom's deal put them back into the luxury tax. Here's the sneaky part -- only the first year is fully guaranteed, keeping alive the Mavs' pursuit of 2012 cap space at all costs. Carter is more half-good than half-amazing these days, but at this price he's still a capable bench player, and he has been an underrated defender the past few years. He's also a good passer and a good shooter off the catch, two abilities that always have been valued in Dallas.


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Delonte West to Mavs for one year, veteran's minimum: Thumbs up







I'm surprised Dallas was able to get West at such an inexpensive price and think his defense and ballhandling will both help. The Mavs are lining the roster up to maintain maximum cap flexibility to take a run at a high-profile free agent this summer and this deal is another example. In the meantime, there's a rather huge crowd at the wings in Big D, and one would expct that one of Corey Brewer, Rudy Fernandez or Dominique Jones will be traded for front-court help.



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Anthony Parker to Cavaliers for one year, $2.25 million: Thumbs down







This is more about the team than the price. I like Parker if he's going to a contender as a 10th man. Going to Cleveland? Not sure I see the point with that one. While the Cavs are in need of wing help, I don't see where a 36-year-old who looked notably less bouncy last season fits in the program. Seeing the glass half-full, Parker at least gives them a trade chip at the deadline. Although he'll be able to refuse a trade, he probably would gladly welcome a relocation to a contender. If he can be parlayed into an asset for the future I might sing a different tune about this maneuver.

 

Now 31 is too old? The youth cult is getting a little out of hand.