Early Free Agency Winners & Losers

It seems like the rumors have been swirling for months, but NBA Free Agency didn't officially begin until July 1st.  Teams couldn't officially sign or trade players until July 11th.  Needless to say, it's still relatively early in the process, but we've already seen a flurry of player movement this week.  With most of the big names already off the market, let's take a look at some of the teams that have gotten off to a great start this off-season, as well as others that have made some questionable moves.

Keep in mind that it's still early in the off-season.  There is still time for teams to bolster their roster with the remaining free agents or swing a trade that could improve their outlook from what we see now.

Winners

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks were busy early by getting involved in the off-season's first blockbuster trade.  New GM Danny Ferry had a lot of work to do to clean up the mess of his predecessors, who had built a team that appeared to have topped out with a second round playoff ceiling.  His first move was to unload Joe Johnson's enormous contract on the Nets for a pile of expiring contracts.  Johnson is an All-Star player, but not close to being worth the max contract that makes him one of the league's highest paid players.  As his game begins to deteriorate, that contract will be a cap clogging albatross that could have hamstrung the franchise for years.  Now it's someone else's problem.  They also managed to unload Marvin Williams, a useful player that had become a disappointment after never living up to his high draft spot (remember, he was drafted ahead of Chris Paul and Deron Williams).  They took back Devin Harris' expiring contract in that deal, meaning they will have even more money coming off their books after this season.  These moves may appear to be a step back for now, but it sets them up for a considerable make over next season, when they'll have the cap space to chase an elite free agent or two.  Atlanta native Dwight Howard is rumored to be one of their targets.  Now that Brooklyn appears to be a long shot, would D12 give his hometown a look next summer?  The Hawks could also entice Orlando in a trade this summer with a package involving Al Horford and Jeff Teague.  Either way, Atlanta now has to be considered one of the top threats to obtain Howard, which should keep his friend Josh Smith interested in sticking around past this year.  None of that would have been possible without first unloading those burdensome long term contracts, which makes their moves thus far a success.

Boston Celtics

The C's wrapped up priority #1 before the free agency period even began by signing Kevin Garnett to a three year extension.  That was a huge win for Boston, considering KG was considering retirement.  Instead of rebuilding, the Celtics are re-loading.  Brandon Bass agreed to a modest new three year deal after opting out of his player option.  A healthy Jeff Green is expected to sign a new deal and show the team he's capable of living up to the expectations that enticed them to trade for him in the Kendrick Perkins deal two years ago.  The only major loss the team has suffered this off-season was when Ray Allen spurned their offer to take his talents to South Beach for half the price.  That one had to sting a bit, but it wasn't unexpected.  Danny Ainge acted swiftly in securing a contingency plan in case Allen didn't return by signing Jason Terry.  As tough as it is to see the Big Three broken up after their five year run together, Terry is a better fit for this team right now.  He's two years younger, healthier and more comfortable coming off the bench.  The former sixth man of the year should become a potent scoring weapon off the bench.  Expect the Jet to fit right in with this veteran team and play an important role.  A team that was only 8 minutes away from advancing to the Finals last season now appears stronger than ever.

Nets thinking big, while Hawks clean house

Desperate to make a move to entice star point guard Derron Williams to re-sign with the team as they make their move to Brooklyn, the Nets pulled off a bold trade for what was once believed to be one of the league's most unmovable contracts.  The Nets will send a boatload of expiring contracts (Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams, Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson), plus a future lottery protected pick (via Houston) to Atlanta for Joe Johnson.

Brooklyn takes a heavy risk in taking on Johnson's contract.  While he is coming off an All-Star season, he's far from deserving of holding the league's largest contract, which still has four years at nearly $90 million left on it.  The contract makes him overpaid now, but given that he's already 31 years old, it will look like an albatross long before it's over.  However, the Nets needed some insurance that they would begin their new era in Brooklyn with a marketable All-Star caliber talent on board in the event that Derron Williams bolts for his hometown Dallas team as a free agent this summer.  More importantly, Williams is said to be pleased with the trade, which may increase their chances of retaining him.  A starting lineup of Williams, Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez isn't a title contending core, but should certainly be enough to put them back in the playoffs. 

Celtics off-season decisions

This summer could be a pivotal turning point for the Boston Celtics.  What was originally intended to be a three year plan to lift this team to title contention stretched out to a five year plan.  As of July 1st, when free agency officially begins, that window may very well shut, ending this run with the current version of the Big Three.

The Celtics currently only have 4 players under contract for next season - Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley and JaJuan Johnson.  Those contracts total only about $30.5 million, which would be well below the expected salary cap of approximately $58 million.  However, that doesn't mean that the Celtics will necessarily be able to dive into free agency on a spending spree.  The system includes cap holds for impending free agents, which count against the salary cap until the players are either re-signed or their rights are renounced.  Decisions will need to be made regarding the large contracts of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that will be coming off the books this summer.  Renouncing their rights would free up cap room, but would also cost them their Bird Rights.  They could still be re-signed after that, but the team would be unable to go over the salary cap to do so.

LeBron's New Legacy

We will never view LeBron James the same way again.  For years he has been scrutinized under a microscope far brighter than one any other player has ever faced.  Rather than appreciate his accomplishments and watch in awe at his athletic brilliance, we picked apart his flaws.  We were never satisfied with his eye popping statistics or MVP trophies.  We refused to place him among the all-time greats, alongside Jordan, Bird, Magic and Kobe.  He could never be on their level because he wasn't a winner.  He was a King without a ring.

Until now.

LeBron James finally silenced his critics by reaching the top of the mountain.  It took him nine years to do it, but all that matters is that he won.  He's a champion.  Not only that, but he carried the team on his shoulders to do it, leaving no doubt that he is the league's most dominant active player.  He averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the postseason.  He established a new league record for the number of playoff games in a season with at least 25, 5 and 5 in those categories.  He marked his spot in history with transcendent games that he took over and won nearly on his own - such as his 45 point series saving performance in Game 6 in Boston.  Then he capped it all off with an exclamation mark in the close out game of the Finals with a 26-11-13 triple-double.  LeBron didn't just win, he dominated, providing one of the best post-season performances of all time.

NBA Finals Preview

Oklahoma City.  Miami

The two cities couldn't be more different, with one being a laid back mid-western town and the other a warm weather hot spot thriving with exotic night life.  Let's just say that only one of those cities is considered to be a popular vacation destination.  The culture and lifestyle of the two cities are vastly different.

Their basketball teams?  In some ways they are similar, but in other ways they couldn't be any more different.  Kind of like the cities they reside in.

Let's get the obvious similarity out of the way first.  Both teams are built around the star power of their top three players.  Miami boasts a trio headlined by arguably two of the top five players in the league, including the reigning MVP, to go along with a third perennial All-Star.  OKC has a star that has led the league in scoring in each of the past three seasons, despite the emergence of his star sidekick and the league's best sixth man.  LeBron, Wade and Bosh vs. Durant, Westbrook and Harden.  That's how the NBA Finals is being marketed, and with good reason.  This is a league that loves star power.