With teams filling out their rosters 12 days into NBA free agency, here's my analysis of the latest deals:
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Atlanta Hawks
1. Re-signed forward Kris Humphries to a reported one-year, $4 million contract
After signing Dwight Howard and re-signing Kent Bazemore, the Hawks still had a few million remaining under the cap, which they used to re-sign Humphries. Signed after a deadline deal and buyout, Humphries gave the Hawks a needed lift on the defensive glass -- only Paul Millsap was a better defensive rebounder for Atlanta last season.
Humphries has also added something of a 3-point shot, having made 34 of them at a 31.5 percent clip last season. So he's back to battle Mike Muscala and Mike Scott for backup frontcourt minutes.
Having finished off their cap space, the Hawks will now use part of their mid-level exception to sign guard Malcolm Delaney to the two-year, $2.5 million deal reported last week. That gives Atlanta 13 players under guaranteed contract, along with Muscala (partially guaranteed). So the Hawks' roster is just about finished.
Brooklyn Nets
1. Signed forward Luis Scola
If the Nets' power forward rotation ends up being Scola and Trevor Booker, that will probably be a bit disappointing given the opportunity to look at reclamation projects like Terrence Jones or Jared Sullinger at the position. Neither Booker nor Scola is likely to help Brooklyn win in the short term, and neither has long-term value either.
That said, the Nets did need some additional veteran leadership on the roster, and the Toronto Raptors benefited from Scola's experienced perspective during his lone season north of the border. Since Scola surely didn't cost much (terms have not yet been reported) and the team has ample cap space, the biggest cost to Brooklyn is probably the roster spot.
Chicago Bulls
1. Signed guard Isaiah Canaan to a reported two-year, $2.1 million contract
The Bulls added some shooting to their shooting-challenged backcourt with Canaan, a career 36 percent 3-point shooter, which makes him Steph Curry by contrast to Chicago's other guards. The question is whether Canaan can be effective enough in the rest of the game to stay on the court and supply that shooting.
Canaan didn't always meet that criterion last season in Philadelphia, where the alternative options weren't nearly as appealing. He can't make plays for others and is too small to defend shooting guards. That might make it sensible to play Canaan alongside either Jimmy Butler or Dwyane Wade, who can run the offense while Canaan defends point guards on the other end. Still, Canaan will have to beat out Jerian Grant to get those kinds of minutes.
New York Knicks
1. Re-signed guard Sasha Vujacic to a reported one-year, minimum contract
Though Vujacic probably wouldn't make the roster of any team not run by his former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, he actually wasn't all that bad last year, at least after starting the year 5-of-33 from beyond the arc. His frequent 3-point attempts do provide floor spacing, and Vujacic surprisingly had the best rebound percentage of his career during a season when he turned 32.
At his age, Vujacic could completely fall off at any moment, but another one-year deal at the veteran's minimum isn't outlandish.
Toronto Raptors
1. Signed forward/center Jared Sullinger to a reported one-year, $5.6 million contract (Monday)
When the Boston Celtics rescinded Sullinger's qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, the Raptors immediately became an intriguing option. After agreeing to re-sign DeMar DeRozan, Toronto had only its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to offer, but with Sullinger's market cool, taking such a deal for one year in the hopes of rebuilding his value made sense.
From the Raptors' perspective, Sullinger is far more talented than anyone else they could have hoped to get with their mid-level. He ranked eighth in my multiyear WARP projections for free agents because of his strong rating last season in ESPN's real plus-minus, and everyone else in the top 10 (save unsigned LeBron James) will make at least $15 million next season.
Surely, Sullinger's value isn't quite that high, and his defensive RPM figures to decline without the versatile Amir Johnson as a security blanket around him. But he's still a good get for Toronto who can play a few different roles for the Raptors. I'd imagine Sullinger will get a chance to replace Luis Scola as Toronto's starting power forward, but given his difficulty defending on the perimeter, his best role might be as a backup center playing alongside Patrick Patterson in a lineup where all five players can space to the 3-point line.
While getting Sullinger was a no-brainer for the Raptors, it's a calculated risk on his part. Taking a one-year contract is surely an attempt to build value for a return to the market next summer as an unrestricted free agent. He has a chance to look good offensively playing with Toronto's talented guards, but asking him to defend power forwards in the playoffs could be problematic.