Negotiations Begin as the NBA Offseason Heats Up

At 12:01 AM this morning, the 2012 NBA Free Agency period officially began. Teams instantly began to contact free agents in the hopes of coming to an contract agreement (players cannot sign until July 11). Since the clock struck midnight, there have already been several agreements reached and multiple rumored offers being thrown around. Bacardi & Pirozzi do some analysis on a few of these deals & rumors:

Here are some unrestricted free agents that have agreed to deals:

- Nets Forward Gerald Wallace agrees to a 4 year/$40 million dollars to move to Brooklyn with the franchise:

Bacardi: The Nets are just trying to save face after their horrid deadline deal which saw them give up the 6th overall pick just to get a “second-banana” to PG Deron Williams. Wallace, a former All-Star, seems to have a bigger name than game at the moment, as $10 mill a year shouldn’t be given out to over-the-hill, aging combo forwards. Like Stephon Jackson, he can be a role player on a contender… but he’s probably suited to being the 4th option on offense and perferably coming off the bench. In Brooklyn, he may be the second banana to D-Will (if Deron resigns)… if not he may be the top option. Welcome everyone to the 20-62 Brooklyn Nets, staring Gerald Wallace & Joe Johnson!

- The Boston Celtics and PF/C Kevin Garnett agree to a 3 year/$34 million dollar deal:

B: I’m honestly torn on this one, while I’m (A) ecstatic that we retained KG and that he can mentor the young bigs we just drafted while keeping us relevant– AND at a discount from his last contract. However, if (B) he were to finish out his contract, he would have played his 20th season in the league. I don’t remember a player THAT lengthy of a career since Robert Parrish. I’m just not huge on having to pay KG after this season… This makes me sound like a dick, and I apologize. I’ll go back to point (A): We came so close last season, a lack of depth and HAVING to play KG over 36 minutes per game really hurt our ability to keep up with the Heat in Game 6, but Game 7 the C’s were spent. His contract could come in handy if Danny Ainge chooses to blow up the team in the 2014 offseason, when Paul Pierce’s deal run out, they’ll have one year left for both KG & Rondo, and the deal on the table for Ray Allen would also expire that summer.

Now here are some agreements that have been reached:

- The Portland Trailblazers and Indiana C Roy Hibbert agree to a 4 year/$58.4 Million dollar deal:

B: Well, the Blazers and new GM Neil Olshey certainly want to add some size to their roster, and they’re hoping that Indiana won’t match the verbally agreed to offer. Portland would then be able to trot out a lineup of either rookie PG Damian Lillard, SG Wesley Matthews, SF Nicholas Batum, All-Star PF Lamarcus Aldridge and Hibbert. At worst and Batum walks (to the Twolves who have reportedly offered 4 years at $50 Million). That’s a real solid, young team in Portland and especially if Lillard works out, they could very well have a bright future in Portland. However, this is great speculation, I ultimately think the Pacers will retain the former Hoyas’ services and match the deal. He’s an emerging center in the small-conference, and that team is certainly on the rise after their past post-season run.
- Bulls C Omer Asik & the Houston Rockets agree to a 3 year/$25.1 Million dollar deal:

B: I understand that rockets GM and wizard Daryl Morey desperately wants to add size (he’s still angling after Dwight afterall), but to me this doesn’t seem worth it. Asik has great potential, and a lot of people view his per minute average as a sign that he’ll only improve. His per 36 minute average isn’t as impressive as he averaged 7.6 points, 13 boards off of a 50.6%. Still, I don’t like giving Asic more than $8 mill a year, he’ still unproven and would become a salary black hole if he becomes Dwight Howard’s long-term backup. Then again, if they acquire Howard and are only able to keep him, Asik could become the starter and the Rockets will have a ton of cap. On the Bulls side, if they match the offer sheet, it will mean that they will either look to trade overpaid PF Carlos Boozer or amnesty him next offseason to avoid cap problems.

Rumored Contract Offers:

- The Boston Celtics offered SG Ray Allen 2 years/$12 Million

B: Like the KG decision, I’m somewhat torn. Allen’s salary would drop from $10 million annually to just $6 million, but he ineables the Celtics to rebuild and go younger, which is what I believe Ainge should be after. However, like I outlined in the short about KG, maybe the C’s can delay that until the 2014 offseason. While it’s just a rumored offer, it would be twice as much as the Heat can offer, and they are supposedly his top choice at the moment. Hopefully loyalty and money can sway Allen.

- The Toronto Raptors offer PG Steve Nash 3 years/$36 Million

B: I understand what the Raptors are doing with this offer, maybe they can entice the Canadian hero to play for the country’s only franchise. On paper, this would make the Raptors an interesting and potentially playoff contending franchise as they would have DeRozan, Bargnani and young lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas, making Nash a perfect compliment to the potentially emerging team. Besides the Raptors, the Knicks have already met with Nash and the Nets will do so Monday.

Rumored transactions:

- The Nets & Hawks are currently discussing SG Joe Johnson to Brooklyn for expiring contracts

B: The discussed deal would have Brooklyn sending PG Jordan Farmar, C Johan Petro, SG/SF Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams, a future 1st round pick and sign-n-trade DeShawn Stevenson. Quite a mouthful on that. This deal seems to be a full back up plan if the Nets are unable to rope in Howard, who recently said he wanted to be traded to play there with PG Deron Williams. While the Nets have said they don’t want to add unnecessary salary, in my mind Johnson is one, if not THE, most overpaid “superstar in the league.” Remember the summer of 2010… Johnson not Lebron, Wade, Bosh or
Amare signed for as much as the SG got from Atlanta. Maybe the Nets view this as a last option, incase Williams signs elsewhere and they don’t want to open a new Arena with Gerald Wallace. From the Atlanta point of view, this would be great for new GM Danny Ferry. He would get rid of his worst contract and can rebuild his roster next offseason with plentiful cash. Maybe Ferry makes a play for Howard to come home and play in the ATL.