NBA News Summary

Not much has happened in the NBA in the past couple of days, but I thought I’d do a quick summary on the few deals that have been agreed.

In one of the earlier moves of the free agency period, point guard Darren Collison opted out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, he decided to join the Sacramento Kings on a $16 million contract which will acquire Collison’s services for 3 years. He will be a loss for the Clippers, especially as he’s just come off his best season yet, averaging 11.4 points per game in just under 26 minutes per game. However, he is easily replaceable and the cap space he has freed up could be key in trying to get Paul Pierce. How successful this deal was for the Kings, all depends on the decision of free agent Isaiah Thomas. If he decides to stay, then Collison will provide great back up from the bench, but if he leaves then Collison may struggle as a starting point guard.

The Clippers then instantly splashed the cash on Spencer Hawes, a center who recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers. He signed a 4 year deal worth $23 million and is joining a franchise that could be serious contenders next year with the additions they’ve made in the free agency. This is a great move by the Clippers and is being widely lauded by fans and the media. It provides them with better back up at the center position than they had last year (no disrespect to Ryan Hollins) and allows them to add another three-point shooter to their side, alongside J.J. Redick.

Another team who were after Hawes were the Portland Trail Blazers. When it became obvious they weren’t going to get him, Portland turned their attention to Chris Kaman, a center who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers. The rumours of a signing were confirmed on Kaman’s twitter account. Details of the contract haven’t been released yet, although he is expected to sign a 2 year deal for $10 million. Kaman is expected to back up Robin Lopez at the center, with young prospect Meyers Leonard hoping to learn from the seasoned veteran.

In one of only a few deals to be completed in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks added Swiss shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha. The Hawks are currently in the market for a small forward and Sefolosha could easily fill that role due to his versatility. But with the Hawks still actively going after other small forwards, such as Carmelo Anthony and Luol Deng, Sefolosha may be forced to drop to the bench, maybe as a 6th man. At $12 million for 3 years, Atlanta haven’t over-spent on him, leaving cap space for another big signing, if they’re able to make one.

There was no surprise in Dallas as Dirk Nowitzki added another 3 years to his contract, signing a $10 million a year extension. He took a pay cut, losing nearly 50% of his salary in the process. This is reportedly to allow the Mavericks to put some pieces around him to create a stronger side. A very selfless move that epitomises his illustrious career.

Another predictable move came out of Brooklyn in the eighth coaching change made this off season, as Lionel Hollins became head coach just four days after Jason Kidd left the team. Hollins’ last job was in Memphis where he took a Grizzlies side to the Western Conference Final for the first time in franchise history. He gained respect from the NBA world and only ended his tenure due to “philosophical differences” with the new management at the club.

The San Antonio Spurs have been on a high recently, after winning the 2014 NBA championship and securing two solid draft picks in Kyle Anderson and Nemanja Dangubic. However, they were brought back down to Earth with a bang recently as it was revealed that backup point guard Patty Mills was required to have surgery on his right shoulder. An official return date hasn’t been released, but he is expected to miss 7-9 months. And the bad news kept on coming when Manu Ginobili was told that he had a stress fracture in his leg. This could keep him out for two months. Both stars are likely to miss the FIBA World Cup which starts in late August.