Free Agency Recap

With Free Agency here, some of the following weeks' moves might be pivotal to a team’s success next year. Much talk will be made of the moves the Bucks and Rockets made, along with the Hawks bolstering their roster for the upcoming season. The first and second aprons will also play a part in the trade exceptions, non-tax mid-level exceptions teams have access too and how many sign-and-trades will happen as those are triggered by the first apron Below is a list of rules teams have to follow if they operating in the aprons (Above 195 million and 208 million in salary for the team combined). 

First apron rules: Teams are not allowed to acquire a player in a sign-and-trade, they are not allowed to use preexisting trade exceptions, they cannot take back more money in a trade, they cannot sign a player waived during the regular season with a salary above 14.1m (non-tax mid-level salary), 

Second apron rules: include all of the rules in the first apron plus they are not allowed to aggregate contracts to send out in a rade, they are not allowed to send out cash, they cannot sign-and-trade their free agent if the salary is above the second apron, and they are not allowed to use a trade exception created from a sign-and-trade. 

As noted in previous articles, a team's first-round pick 7 years away will be frozen if they end the season in aprons. Meaning if a team has a salary above 208 million, then their 2033 first-round pick will be frozen and unable to trade. 

Without further ado, here is the Free Agency recap:

Monday June 30th 

Jaren Jackson Jr. signed a 5-year $240 million renegotiation and extension with the Grizzlies. This salary was created in the Desmond Bane trade. 

Santi Aldama signed a 3-year $52 million restricted offer to stay with the Grizzlies. 

Dorian Finney-Smith's 4-year $53 million deal with the Rockets was part of the non-tax mid-level exemption for the Rockets. 

Paul Reed signed a 2-year $11million deal to stay with the Pistons. This was part of the bi-annual deal the Pistons have access to. 

Cam Spencer signed a 2-year $4.5 million deal to stay with the Grizzlies. 

Jake LaRavia signed a 2-year $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers used part of the bi-annual they have access to. 

The Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 unprotected first-round pick to the Nets for Cam Johnson. The 2032 pick is the only first-rounder the Nuggets had left to trade. The trade also gets them out of the tax and access to the non-tax mid-level exception. 

Ty Jerome signed a 3-year $28 million deal with the Grizzlies. 

Bruce Brown signed a 1-year deal with the Denver Nuggets. 

Kevon Looney signed a 2-year $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. 

D’Angelo Russell signed a 2-year $13 million deal with the Mavericks (Remember defense wins championships, Mavs fans). 

Kevin Porter Jr. signed a 2-year $11 million deal to stay with the Bucks. 

Luke Kornet signed a 4-year $41 million deal with the Spurs. 

Clint Capela signed a 3-year $21 million deal to go to the Rockets. This is part of the Kevin Durant deal and a sign-and-trade. 

Caris LeVert signed a 2-year $29 million deal with the Pistons. 

Denis Schroeder signed a 3-year $45 million deal with the Kings. 

Brook Lopez signed a 2-year $18 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Luka Garza signed a 2-year $5.5 million deal with the Boston Celtics. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed a 4-year $62 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. This deal was part of a sign-and-trade with the Wolves, where Minnesota acquired two second-round picks. 

Tyus Jones signed a 1-year $7 million deal with the Magic. 

Nigel Hayes signed a 1-year deal with the Suns. 

Luke Kennard signed a 1-year $11 million deal with the Hawks. 

Taurean Prince signed a 2-year $7.1 million deal to stay with the Bucks. 

Jordan Clarkson signed a 2-year deal with the New York Knicks. 

Trendon Watford signed a 2-year $5.3 million deal with the 76ers. 

Gary Trent Jr. signed a 2-year $5.3 million deal to stay with the Bucks. 

Mason Plumlee signed a 1-year $3.6 million deal to stay with the Hornets. 

Tuesday July 1st

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a 4-year $285 million extension to stay with the Thunder. The deal saves OKC close to $100 million as SGA could’ve waited until next offseason to sign for close to $380 million for 5 years. 

Guerschon Yabusele signed a 2-year $12 million deal with the Knicks. 

The Bucks signed Myles Turner to a 4-year $107 million deal and waived Damian Lillard. Lillard’s contract will stretch over 5 years and is owed $22.5 million each year. 

The Kings trade Jonas Valanciunas to the Nuggets for Dario Saric. 

Gary Harrison signs a two-year deal with the Bucks. 

Pat Connaughton, 2031 and 2032 second-round picks are traded to the Hornets for Vasilije Micic. 

Jericho Sims signs a 2-year deal with the Bucks.

Josh Minott signed a 2-year deal with the Celtics. 

Jakob Poetle signed a 4-year $104 million extension to stay with the Raptors. 

Sandro Mamukelashvili signed a 2-year $5.5 million deal with the Raptors. 

Tim Hardaway Jr. signed a 1-year deal with the Nuggets. 

Drew Eubanks was waived by the Clippers and signed a 1-year deal with the Kings. 

Duncan Robinson signed a 3-year $48 million deal in a sign-and-trade with the Pistons. Simone Fontecchio will go to the Heat. 

Tre Mann signed a 3-year $24 million deal to stay with the Hornets. 

Wednesday, July 2nd

Mike Brown was hired by the New York Knicks to be the franchise's next head coach. 

De’Andre Ayton signed a 2-year $16 million deal with the Lakers. He was waived by the Portland Trailblazers last week and will make $34 million this season between the two teams. 

Friday, July 4th 

Moe Wagner signed a 1-year $5 million deal to stay with the Magic. 

Saturday, July 5th

The Rockets traded away Cam Whitmore to the Wizards for two second-round picks.

The Grizzlies traded Jay Huff to the Pacers for a second-round pick and another second-round pick swap.