At the end of NBA free agency Day 1, here's where the winners and losers play out.
Winners:
Mike Conley - Who would have guessed the Memphis Grizzlies point guard would hold the richest contract in NBA history at the end of Day 1 of NBA free agency. Not only did he ink a $153 million deal, but his Grizzlies inked Chandler Parsons as a suitable wing next to the electric guard
Atlanta Hawks - Not only did the Hawks retain Kent Bazemore, but they also brought in rebounding machine Dwight Howard on a three-year, $70 million deal. Landing Bazemore is the obvious win here. Some might argue re-signing Al Horford over landing Howard, and I might be in the minority here, but I'd take three years of Howard over five years of Horford.
Wing players - Now is a really good time to be a wing player in the NBA. Just take a look at what wing guys inked for:
Blazers' Evan Turner - 4 years, $70 million
Grizzlies' Chandler Parsons - 4 years, $94 million
Hornets' Nic Batum - 5 years, $120 million
Raptors' DeMar Derozan - 5 years, $139 million
Wizards' Bradley Beal - 5 years, $128 million
Indiana Pacers - The foundation was already set for a strong start in free agency, after landing Jeff Teague and Thad Young through free agency. But the Pacers' cap-friendly deal with Al Jefferson puts Indiana right back in contention in the Eastern Conference.
Losers:
Los Angeles Lakers - Los Angeles' prized free agency acquisition is 30-year-old Timofey Mozgov. This will never not be funny.
New York Knicks - New York put together a sure-fire title contender if it were 2009. Joakim Noah is a fine player, but he's not going to put this Knicks team over the top. And he's certainly not going to be a reason Kevin Durant takes a meeting with New York. Better moves for the Knicks than in recent years, but they need to develop young talent and build from within.
OJ Mayo - Could there be a worse time to get kicked out of the league? Just when the cap sky rockets and in back-to-back years salaries are expected to go through the roof, Mayo is disqualified. What a tough break.
