NBA Free Agency has been Hectic. Let Me Catch You Up...

NBA Free Agency has come and the league didn’t hesitate to drop 30+ moves in the last 3 days. Let me get you up to speed on the biggest singings of free agency and possibly get you excited for your team’s 2024-2025 campaign for a title.

Paul George Joins the Sixers: A New Era Begins

In a blockbuster move with the NBA buzzing, Paul George signed a max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. After declining his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers (and a three-year offer reported to be similar to Kawai Leonard's $152.4 million over three years), George chose to become an unrestricted free agent and quickly agreed to terms on a four-year, $212 million deal with the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Adding George gives the Sixers another star to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, creating a formidable trio. This comes after they traded away James Harden at the start of last season. Maxey, too, has secured his future in Philadelphia, agreeing to a five-year, $204 million max contract extension, as reported by Wojnarowski. George, at 34, is coming off his healthiest season in years, having played 74 games after struggling to play more than 56 games in any of the previous four seasons.

Emerging superstar Tyrese Maxey’s extension played a pivotal role in bringing Paul George to the Sixers. Maxey, who was the 2023-24 Most Improved Player, averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game in his fourth NBA season. His development into a star player has made the Sixers an attractive destination for top talent. Maxey’s new deal averages $40.8 million per season, ranking 13th among NBA guards, and underscores his importance to the team’s future.

Health is undoubtedly the main concern for the Sixers’ new core. Both George and Embiid are among the league’s elite players when healthy, but they are also prone to injuries. The hope is that if one of them goes down, the other can pair with Maxey to keep the team afloat until the full complement of stars is back on the floor. Last season, Philadelphia went 31–8 in games that Embiid played and 16–27 in games that he missed, underscoring the importance of keeping their stars on the court.

Sixers owner Josh Harris and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey have been the most active team of the NBA free agency cycle thus far. Besides inking nine-time All-Star Paul George to a gigantic four-year, $212 million deal, they also kept forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and added dynamic rebounding center Andre Drummond. According to Wojnarowski, Maxey and his camp “waited a year on the deal” to allow the 76ers to have cap space for other additions. With Embiid, George, and Maxey all under contract for the next three years, the 76ers have as good a title chance as any in recent team memory.

James Harden Stays with the Clippers

Meanwhile, James Harden has decided to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. The 10-time All-Star and former league MVP agreed to a two-year, $70 million contract to remain in Los Angeles, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports. The contract includes a player option in the second season, giving Harden some flexibility for the future.

The news of Harden’s deal arrived on Sunday, just hours before the Clippers announced that Paul George was leaving in free agency. George informed the Clippers that he wouldn’t return after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. The Philadelphia 76ers quickly emerged as the frontrunners to land the nine-time All-Star wing.

Losing George puts the Clippers in a tough spot. Harden and Kawhi Leonard will be the core of the squad, but the Clippers lack depth beyond that. They’ll be opening a new arena this season, the first time they won’t be sharing a home with the Los Angeles Lakers since 1999, but they aren’t going to be fielding the sort of team that will make fans excited to come out and see the new gym.

Chris Paul Joins the Spurs: A New Chapter

Chris Paul’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors ended when he was waived on Sunday, but it didn’t take long for him to find a new home. He has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

At 39, Paul is far from the perennial All-NBA player he once was, but the Spurs needed an upgrade at point guard over last year’s tandem of Tre Jones and Malaki Branham. Most importantly, though, Paul will bring veteran leadership to what was the youngest team in the league last season. Working with Gregg Popovich could also help serve as a springboard to a coaching career if that’s something Paul is interested in.

Paul’s presence will be especially beneficial for 7’4” phenom Victor Wembanyama. Victor didn’t have many players last year who could get him the ball at the right time, and he lacked someone to build pick-and-roll chemistry with. Chris Paul, even at his advanced age, is one of the best guards in the league for Victor to learn from and will open up his game to new levels where he won’t constantly have to create for himself.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Joins the Magic: Veteran Leadership

The Orlando Magic have reportedly agreed to terms with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a three-year, $66 million deal. Caldwell-Pope, who won titles with the Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets in 2023, brings championship experience to an Orlando team that was the fourth-youngest in the NBA last season but posted its best record in more than a decade.

Caldwell-Pope’s greatest skills are his his three-point shooting and defensive tenacity. KCP’s shooting acumen is something that was the Magic’s biggest weakness last season. He made 40.6% of his three-pointers last year, while Orlando was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. The Magic had an elite defense but were held back by a below-average offense. If Caldwell-Pope can knock down threes like he did in Denver and Los Angeles, the offensive boost he’d provide the Magic could make them a real contender in the East.

Adding his shooting without losing anything on the defensive side of the floor will be huge for the Magic, especially young star Paulo Banchero. Look for Paulo to take another step (or two) in his development this year with someone keeping the double teams at bay since the fear of wide-open shooters on the wing was not a concern with last year’s Magic team.  Paulo should be able to facilitate more as well. Last year he was forced to create for himself at the end of the shot clock and with KCP there cutting without the ball and being a threat from three, Paulo should be able to showcase his playmaking and vision without the forced shots that muddied his game in the eyes of many fans that don’t watch many Magic games. 

Klay Thompson Joins the Mavericks: The End of an Era

Free agent guard Klay Thompson has agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, ending his historic 13-year run with the four-time champion Golden State Warriors. Thompson’s deal, largely inspired by the chance to compete for a fifth title with the Western Conference champion Mavericks, involved a multiteam sign-and-trade that sends Mavericks guard/forward Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets and two second-round picks to the Warriors.

Thompson’s relationship with the Warriors had become increasingly strained over contract discussions and his looming free agency. His departure became more likely as the season progressed, with his unhappiness growing as his role with the team fluctuated throughout the season

Thompson’s Warriors tenure ends with his place in franchise and NBA history cemented. The trio of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green accounted for 518 wins in the regular season and playoffs, ranking sixth most by a trio all time. Their 98 playoff wins together rank third in NBA history, and their four titles are tied with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker for the most by an All-NBA trio over the past 50 seasons.

Oklahoma City Makes Big Moves

Oklahoma City has signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal, giving them the big man depth they lacked in the playoffs. Pairing that move with the trade for Alex Caruso last week, OKC has only improved its weaknesses and comes into the 2024-2025 season as championship favorites, even with their abundance of young players. No one can predict how much growth their young stars will have next year, but having Caruso and Hartenstein there to learn from and battle alongside will give them the depth, confidence, and experience needed when matching up with Dallas or Minnesota.

These moves signify a shifting landscape in the NBA, with teams making bold decisions to chase glory. The upcoming season promises to be one of the most exciting yet, as these new dynamics play out on the court.

I have a few more articles coming out over the next week about teams that have worsened this offseason and some of the sneaky moves that you should know about so come back for more and leave a comment about any moves that you think should be spotlighted.