Before midnight struck and 2018 NBA free agency began, reports broke that Paul George would sign a deal to remain with the Thunder. The news was announced at a private party thrown by Russell Westbrook in OKC, with PG-13 and Nas (?) showing up.
The deal is for four years with a player option on the final season. As I wrote in the immediate aftermath, that’s a massive coup for the Thunder, who locked up a second star despite a fairly uneven campaign for the team and an embarrassing ejection in the first round of the playoffs.
But more than that, this is a big loss for the Lakers. George asked the Pacers to trade him a year ago because he planned to join the Lakers as a free agent in 2018. And then the Lakers didn’t even get a meeting with him on July 1 before he re-upped with the team that traded for him.
This is a big loss for the Lakers. But all is not lost: Magic Johnson reportedly met with LeBron James in the early moments of free agency, and there are reports they will also meet with DeMarcus Cousins. They are said to remain in the Kawhi Leonard hunt. What happened with George sure gives the Lakers a reason to keep talking to San Antonio: no longer can they rely on a Southern California-bred star actually coming in free agency when they say they will.
Really, Suns?
The Suns quickly used pretty much all of their cap space to sign Trevor Ariza to a 1-year, $15 million deal. Ariza gets a big payout and concedes any shot at playing for a title in 2018-19. The Suns get a veteran wing to ... I don’t know, to be honest.
Veteran leadership is nice for a young team, but the Suns don’t have a suitable point guard, and if you’re going to throw cash at a veteran for team-building purposes, that seems like a better place to spend it than a 3-and-D wing! Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton create a nice battery ... but someone has to get them the ball effectively and relieve pressure. Ariza ain’t that.
Really this feels like a couple other bizarre Phoenix Suns veteran bets, albeit with a much smaller commitment: Jared Dudley and Tyson Chandler.
Links Galore
Winners and losers from the first night of free agency.
Here’s our full free agent signings tracker. It looks like we had 19 signings within the first three hours or so of free agency. The big names off the table in addition to the ones we’ve already mentioned: Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, and Will Barton.
Brian Windhorst’s reaction on live TV to PG’s deal is incredible.
CP3 signed a 4-year, $160 million deal, which is a compromise between the full five years he wanted and the Rockets’ wish for a 3-year deal.
Kevin Durant signed another 1+1 deal with the Warriors, which means he can be a free agent again next season. Durant, the eternal free agent!
DeAndre Jordan acknowledged his reported 1-year deal with the Mavericks with a cowboy emoji. You can’t make this s--t up.
The Nuggets kept Will Barton at $54 million for four years, which means his decision to reject a 4-year, $40 million deal a year ago was smart!
Why is the money said to be tight this year? Blame the bonkers free agency of 2016.
And finally: a guide to LeBron conspiracy theories.
That’s it for this morning. Lots more on Monday. Be excellent to each other.
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