The Brooklyn Nets might not have had a ton of cap space to go out and chase free agents, but that hasn’t stopped them from authoring yet another interesting start to free agency. The loss of players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Jeff Green, who signed with Washington and Denver, respectively, could sting.
However, while some of their rivals chose to spend their money recklessly, the Nets ended up retaining 2020 contributors like Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown, all while adding veteran big man James Johnson to give their frontcourt some veteran hustle.
The Nets aren’t the only team looking to make some moves. The New York Knicks are trying to get back to the postseason and the Philadelphia 76ers want to prove that their playoff struggles last year are a thing of the past.
These three contracts and moves from some of Brooklyn’s rivals must have sent their fanbases into a bit of a tizzy, as the amount of money that has been dispersed in the early days of free agency has been downright shocking.
3 worst free agent contracts from Brooklyn Nets rivals.
3. The Lakers’ Parade of Veterans
The Lakers didn’t have the room to add a big difference maker after the acquisition of Russell Westbrook via trade, but they did decide that targeting low-cost shooters to surround their big three of Russ, Anthony Davis, and the still unbelievable LeBron James was the way to go.
However, they applied that philosophy in the worst way possible. In addition to agreeing to terms with 32-year-old Kent Bazemore, 33-year-old Wayne Ellington, and 35-year-old Dwight Howard, the Lakers decided to let young two-way standout Alex Caruso sign a big contract with the Bulls.
Free agent guard Wayne Ellington Jr. has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 2, 2021
Are the Lakers ready to take on the Nets?
Ellington is a negative on the defensive end, and Bazemore is a downgrade from Caruso, a player the Lakers barely put any effort into retaining. Howard is a solid backup at this point in his career, but will he really move the needle if they are matched up against the Nets in the Finals?
The Lakers could’ve used their cap space to either convince Caruso to take less money or take gambles on younger players. Instead, they went looking for the NBA equivalent of AARP members, which could come back to haunt them against high-octane offenses in the postseason.
And Carmelo Anthony’s here, too! Sorry, but that outweighs the Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk additions.