With teams filling out their rosters more than two weeks into NBA free agency, here's my analysis of the latest deals, including Anderson Varejao to the Warriors, Miles Plumlee to the Bucks and Chris Andersen to the Cavs.
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Cleveland Cavaliers
1. Signed center Chris Andersen to a reported one-year, minimum deal
A week after Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue first indicated the team was signing Andersen during a TV interview during the broadcast of a summer-league game, they agreed to terms. At the same time, Cleveland traded backup center Sasha Kaun to the Philadelphia 76ers in a pure salary dump, marginally reducing their tax bill. Kaun was set to make slightly more ($1.3 million) than Andersen's minimum salary ($1.0 million).
With Tristan Thompson now a full-time center, Channing Frye as a backup and Kevin Love likely to play some center, the Cavaliers might not need any minutes from a third center when at full strength. If they do, however, Andersen's a better bet to be productive than Kaun. After spending most of last season in drydock with the Miami Heat, the 38-year-old Andersen was a credible starter for the Memphis Grizzlies down the stretch.
Denver Nuggets
1. Signed forward Mike Miller to a reported two-year, $6 million deal
At this point, Miller is surely more valuable for his veteran leadership than his on-court contributions. Playing for the veterans minimum last summer after being waived by the Portland Trail Blazers, Miller saw just 373 minutes of action in Denver. At this point he almost never ventures inside the 3-point line (Miller has shot 26 2-pointers in the last two seasons combined) and can't really defend wings, forcing him to become an undersized power forward.
So I'm surprised the Nuggets were willing to give Miller a two-year deal that takes him through age 38, though there may be a team option or non-guarantee on the second season. For 2016-17, the money doesn't really matter to Denver, which is still a bit shy of the salary floor. The bigger cost is the roster spot. Miller becomes the team's 13th player under guaranteed contract, along with three returning players (Joffrey Lauvergne, JaKarr Sampson and Axel Toupane) with non-guaranteed deals. The roster crunch suggests first-round pick Juancho Hernangomez will probably spend another season overseas despite a strong performance at summer league in Las Vegas.
Golden State Warriors
1. Signed center Anderson Varejao to a reported one-year, minimum deal
Speaking of backup Cleveland centers, Varejao's return to the Warriors was something of a foregone conclusion after they were forced to trade Andrew Bogut and renounce the rights to Festus Ezeli as part of the process of signing Kevin Durant.
Amazingly, according to NBA.com/Stats Golden State was outscored by 7.9 points per 100 possessions when Varejao played during the regular season. He had some moments during the postseason, including keying a run during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, but at this point Varejao's only NBA-caliber skill is flopping to draw fouls. When the referees see through his tricks, as they did during Game 7 of the NBA Finals, he's a liability on the court.
Alas, Steve Kerr seems to trust Varejao, so we'll probably see him on a regular basis as the only veteran center behind starter Zaza Pachulia.
Indiana Pacers
1. Signed guard Aaron Brooks to a reported one-year, $2.5 million deal
With Monta Ellis capable of handling the ball with the second unit and Rodney Stuckey and Joseph Young as combo guards off the bench, the Pacers didn't necessarily need another point guard. Brooks gives them another option at the position, however.
At 31, Brooks is operating year to year at this point. A reasonably efficient scorer as recently as 2014-15, when he hit nearly 39 percent of his 3s during his first season with the Chicago Bulls, Brooks slipped below 36 percent last year and saw his true shooting percentage tumble. Since Brooks isn't much of a playmaker or defender, he has to be a scoring threat to justify getting regular minutes.
Los Angeles Clippers
1. Signed forward Brandon Bass to a reported one-year, minimum deal
Bass opted out of the second year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, which would have paid him $3.1 million, and ended up taking almost exactly half that from the Clippers. On the plus side, Bass won't have any moving expenses. He also gets to play for a contender and reunites with former Boston coach Doc Rivers.
Of the veterans who have signed for the minimum, the Clippers have probably gotten two of the best three in Bass and Marreese Speights, helping them fill out what originally looked like a thin frontcourt. Both provide a spacing element off the bench, and Bass could probably play with any of L.A.'s other three veteran big men depending on matchups.
Milwaukee Bucks
1. Signed center Miles Plumlee to a reported four-year, $52 million deal
It's tough to determine what leverage Plumlee used to get $13 million a season out of the Bucks as a restricted free agent. While 10 teams could still realistically clear $10 million or more in cap space if needed, none of them particularly need a center. Maybe the Brooklyn Nets could stand to add a backup to Brook Lopez, particularly if they're entertaining the possibility of trading Lopez down the line, but Brooklyn already signed Justin Hamilton.
Presumably, Plumlee's alternative at this point was playing for the qualifying offer for one year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2017. That would be a huge sacrifice, however. Because Plumlee was the No. 26 pick, his qualifying offer was for just $3.1 million, and he has made relatively little money in his career to date.
Leverage or not, $13 million a year is a lot for a center who has started regularly in one of his four seasons and will turn 28 in September. Because he entered the league so late, Plumlee will be 31 and probably on the decline by the end of this, his second contract. Over the course of this deal, Milwaukee is more likely looking at a backup than a starter, and there's plenty of players like that available. For example, my multiyear projections suggest Plumlee is likely to be less valuable than Willie Reed, who just signed with the Miami Heat for the minimum.
On the plus side, Plumlee did seem to fit better with the Bucks' other starters than Greg Monroe. When the core trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker played with either Jerryd Bayless or O.J. Mayo, that group was plus-6.1 points per 100 possessions with Plumlee at center, per NBA.com/Stats, as compared to plus-3.6 for Monroe. But that seems to say more about the value of having a rim protector and roll man in that spot rather than Plumlee's value individually, so consider me skeptical about giving him so much money for so long.
Oklahoma City Thunder
1. Signed guard Alex Abrines to a reported three-year, $18 million deal
The Thunder drafted Abrines with the second pick of the second round in 2013, not long before his 20th birthday. That investment paid off, as Abrines developed into a key player for Spanish power FC Barcelona. An accurate 2-point shooter even as a teenager, Abrines has since developed into a 40 percent-plus shooter from beyond the arc, making him a strong NBA prospect.
Based on his translated stats in the Spanish ACB and Euroleague, my SCHOENE projection system sees Abrines as about a league-average player as a 23-year-old rookie. He compares to Leandro Barbosa and Marco Belinelli, which probably offers a good picture of Abrines as somewhat more likely to emerge as a top reserve than a starting wing in the NBA.
Oklahoma City bringing Abrines over after trading for Victor Oladipo apparently spells the end of Dion Waiters' time with the Thunder. Oklahoma City rescinded Waiters' qualifying offer later Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent. While the Thunder could still re-sign Waiters, renouncing his rights would give Oklahoma City as much as about $14 million in remaining cap space with 14 players under guaranteed contract. That could make the Thunder a player for remaining restricted free agents, most notably Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless.
Toronto Raptors
1. Signed guard Fred VanVleet to a reported multi-year, minimum deal
The unlikely favorite of my draft projections has found a home, at least for training camp.
VanVleet shot the ball well playing for the Raptors in summer league, making six of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. He wasn't much of a playmaker, handing out eight assists in five games, but also had only three turnovers. Alas, Toronto's roster is going to be tough to crack given the Raptors have an All-Star starting point guard (Kyle Lowry), one of the league's best backups (Cory Joseph) and drafted another favorite of my draft model (Delon Wright) in the first round in 2015. So more likely VanVleet is eventually ticketed for Toronto's D-League affiliate.