As more and more free agents come off the board, with a handful (if that) remaining teams with usable cap room, fewer marquee free agents are agreeing to terms each day. Nine days into free agency, Andrew Bynum, Monta Ellis, Nikola Pekovic (restricted), Brandon Jennings (restricted), Jeff Teague (restricted) and Andrei Kirilenko are the most impactful players left on the market.
There are plenty of rumors for each of those guys (Bynum and Cleveland, Ellis and Atlanta, Sacramento, or Dallas, a Teague-Jennings/Ellis sign-and-trade swap, among others), but for now, let’s examine some of the deals that were actually agreed upon. And while these moves might not have significant fantasy impact, they could help their new teams win some ballgames.
At the start of the off-season, the Pacers declined to give Tyler Hansbrough a qualifying offer (thus making him an unrestricted free agent), in an effort to re-sign David West. On Tuesday, Toronto scooped him up on a two-year deal for a portion of their mid-level exception. Psycho T is more of an energy guy than a fantasy performer, and averaged 7.0 points (43.2|PERCENT| FG) and 4.6 boards per game last season. He should serve a similar role in Toronto, providing some grittiness and effort off the pine.
Golden State agreed to terms with veteran center Jermaine O’Neal and combo guard Toney Douglas. Specifics were not released yet on the contracts, but the O’Neal deal is for reportedly one-year, which is the only option that makes sense. The Dubs continue to add some nice pieces and build their depth as they attempt to replace Carl Landry and Jarrett Jack, although neither of the new signees are exactly fantasy studs. Jermaine appeared in 55 games for Phoenix last season, and actually posted solid per-36 rates of 15.9 points (48.2|PERCENT|) and 10.3 boards. Of course, the six-time All-Star is not a threat to get that much PT, and will be a backup to Andrew Bogut while Festus Ezeli continues to recover from knee surgery.
Douglas has scoring ability but has been plagued by inconsistency on both ends throughout his career. He shot just 40.3|PERCENT| in 18.2 minutes per game last season, splitting his time between Houston and Sacramento.
The Detroit Pistons sneakily agreed on a two-year, $3.75 million contract with Luigi Datome, the reigning Italian League MVP. The 25-year old averaged 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for Virtus Roma, with 47/41/92 splits. He can clearly shoot the ball, and at six-nine, could be a nice backup at the small forward for Mo Cheek’s squad.
Sharpshooter Anthony Morrow is the latest addition to the New Orleans backcourt after agreeing to a two-year deal at the veteran minimum with the Pelicans. Morrow was disappointing in Dallas this past year, but still has career splits of 45/42/90.
The Miami Heat re-signed Chris Andersen to a one-year deal. Birdman averaged 4.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in the regular season after being picked up by the Heat, but his value lies in his energy rather than statistical output.
Finally, in the lone trade of the day, Sacramento acquired Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from Milwaukee in return for a 2016 second-round pick. Mbah a Moute, who has two-years and $19 million left on his deal, will be expected to fill the void at small forward in Sacto, particularly if the team deals or amnesties John Salmons. Mbah a Moute has been a solid defensive player for his first five years, capable of guarding either forward position, and that will be his role in Sacramento, in addition to hitting corner threes. He averaged 6.7 points in 22.9 minutes last year, while shooting 40.1|PERCENT| from the floor.
Plenty of names are still out there to be had, and with the 10-day moratorium set to expire, Wednesday should be one of the busiest days of the off-season, so make sure to follow Woj on Twitter.