After all the dust has settled with this year's free agency drama, I've decided to put my thoughts into writing. This summer changed the dynamics of the NBA for many years to come, with many superstars moving to other teams. Here are this summer's biggest winners:
Boston Celtics- Did they bring a big name player to town? No. Did they need to do so? Absolutely not. Every year I continue to question if the Celtics' veteran core of players have run out of gas, and every year I am proven wrong. Not only were they able to re-sign Paul Pierce, Boston was able to bring another seasoned veteran to the roster in Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal definitely is not what he once was, but he will still be able to function as a decent role player in the low block for the Celts, something they desperately need with an injured Kendrick Perkins and a retiring Rasheed Wallace. The defending Eastern Conference champions just might be even a little tougher next year.
Chicago Bulls- No, they did not get LeBron James. But the Bulls were smart, they didn't put all of their eggs in one basket. While still recruiting James, they reached out to other free agents, eventually getting Jazz forward Carlos Boozer to move to the Windy City. Boozer is an extremely hard working presence in the middle, and should compliment Joakim Noah well in the post. Having two all stars on the roster definitely helps Chicago's chances in the spring.
Miami Heat- What a summer for Pat Riley. With a whole host of programs courting LeBron James, not only did Riley succeed in bringing The King to South Beach, he also resigned the face of the Miami Heat in Dwyane Wade, and signed one of the best post players in the league, Chris Bosh. It doesn't stop there, he also convinced the new "Big Three" to take a sizable pay cut in order to free up cap space. With that cap space, the Heat acquired solid role players in Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Eddie House, and Mario Chalmers. They re-signed Udonis Haslem, who provides good presence in the post as well. The Heat certainly have something special. Whether they can capitalize on this opportunity or not remains to be seen.
New York Knicks- It's going to take more than one summer to rebuild this franchise, no matter who you sign. However, the acquisition of Amare Stoudemire is more than a step in the right direction. It's going to take a few more years to get this team to the playoffs, but the Knicks will no longer carry bottom-feeder status.
Oklahoma City Thunder- While everyone was spending their time wondering where LeBron James would end up, arguably the second or third best player in the league in Kevin Durant re-signed with the Thunder. Oklahoma City drafted Cole Aldrich, who will be a good role player for this team, adding some much needed depth to the roster. Russell Westbrook isn't chopped liver either. Durant is turning into something extremely special, he doesn't require as much of the limelight as a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James, but is without a doubt in that category talent-wise. The Thunder are quietly building a powerhouse, when are people going to realize it?
Biggest Winner: Miami Heat
Tomorrow I will post the NBA's biggest losers of the 2010 free agent class.
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