PHOTO USA Today Sports Images After a recount, the Lakers were declared the winners of the 2024 NBA title.
At least that’s what you’d think based on the reaction of general manager Rob Pelinka and his cohorts after the 55th pick in last month’s draft.
A week later, LeBron James agreed to re-sign with the Lakers. That’s when we fully understood.
The Lakers will be in the race, judging by TV ratings, for at least another year. Hip hip hooray.
That’s more than we can say at this point about Paul George, who is really the only legitimate challenger for the honor of being the most impactful free agent signing of 2024. If you thought George had retired, we forgive you.
In this Olympic summer, here are my Free Agent Freestyle medalists…
THE BRONZE: DeMar DeRozan re-signs with the Bulls, traded to the Kings
April 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) dribbles the basketball as Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) defends in the first quarter during a 2024 NBA Playoffs playoff game at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Free agent signings come in three forms:
There’s the case of Klay Thompson, who technically didn’t go to the Mavericks as a free agent. He needed to be signed by his former team, in his case the Warriors, in order to leave town. But he was a free agent, he signed and he made a big move, so he has to be taken into consideration.
Then there’s a simple re-signing. Like what it took for the Knicks to keep OG Anunoby, the 76ers to keep Tyrese Maxey, and the Pacers to keep Pascal Siakam. Boring, but each is a critical move for an Eastern playoff contender.
And finally, there’s the old-school method. The “I’m leaving and you get nothing” move, the kind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope used with the Nuggets to join the Magic, and the kind Isaiah Hartenstein used to leave the Big Apple for Softball City.
All six were noteworthy. Some brought deep sighs of relief. Others had fans criticizing the owners for being stingy. And one… well, we’ll finally find out if Klay is melting in the Texas heat.
DeRozan took Thompson Road to Sacramento. It was a plus the Kings desperately needed after seeing fun seasons end prematurely when Domantas Sabonis disappeared at the end of key games.
With the Nuggets having fallen back in the standings, the West is wide open. Led by the West’s version of the Three Musketeers, Sacramento is now a serious player.
MONEY: 76ers sign Paul George
Paul George as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports There’s a lot of talk about the Celtics’ competition – or lack thereof – on the road to the title. But that’s missing the point.
Their red carpet run to the title had nothing to do with injuries to Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton. Those teams were outclassed anyway.
No, the Celtics had a cakewalk because they never met Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
The Knicks filled the gap, but heading into the offseason, the biggest obstacle to a possible repeat was the 76ers. Assuming, of course, they re-signed Maxey, which they did.
And now that they’ve added George, a guy Jaylen Brown will have to watch while Jrue Holiday hunts down Maxey, the door to Embiid’s dominance has opened.
Good luck to stickman Kristaps Porzingis, old man Al Horford and defensive legend Jayson Tatum. George’s arrival made Embiid the most potent force in the East and made the 76ers the title favorite.
GOLD: Lakers re-sign LeBron James
LeBron James is back with the Los Angeles Lakers. Photo source: Getty Images Some would say LeBron stays with the Lakers This will have less of a ripple effect in Southern California than a magnitude 2.0 earthquake. I agree.
But in terms of the basketball world as a whole, he’s The Big One.
Why? LeBron was the only free agent this offseason who could have single-handedly changed the landscape of the NBA.
Think about it this way: Pick a team. Any team. If they had drafted Bronny and LeBron had chosen to join him at a reasonable price, would that team be a title contender next season?
Yes: Celtics, Knicks, Bucks, Cavaliers, Pacers, 76ers, Heat, Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns, Pelicans, Kings, Warriors.
That’s half the league, and it’s what made LeBron the most powerful free agent this summer.
No, he’s not going to win a championship. But without him, at least 10 players on the “yes” list don’t have a chance either.
All because LeBron signed with the wrong team.
