Maybe this year’s free agent frenzy won’t be so frenetic after all. With so many top tier free agents having the ability to move to another team in search of a max deal, the balance of power was poised to shift in the aftermath of what transpires this Summer. What we are finding is that a number of those players who couldn’t wait to become free, have decided that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side by deciding to re-sign with their original teams, albeit for different reasons. Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, and Paul Pierce, who all rank in the Top Ten of our 2010 Top 50 Summer Free Agents List, have apparently chose loyalty over starting anew for the foreseeable future.
First we start with Joe Johnson, who made a tough decision to accept a 6 year – $126 million deal to remain in Atlanta through the ‘16-’17 season. After meeting with a number of clubs and mulling over their offers, he ultimately chose the Hawks, despite a lackluster 2010 postseason, a change at head coach, and despite not being able to lead his club past the 2nd round of the playoffs. The Hawks retain the lynch-pin of the organization, who is one of the most complete players in all of the NBA. Because of a horrendous postseason, many teams questioned whether Johnson was better suited as a 2nd option rather than a go-to-guy.
From Johnson’s perspective, the deal makes sense. Why not take $126 million and stay home? The Hawks are an above average team, who beat up on most of the weaker teams around the league and are a lock for 50 wins every season. With a little tweaking and roster shuffling, to go along with possibly a new offensive system, maybe Atlanta can get over the hump. From a team perspective, it doesn’t make much sense. Why overpay for a player, when for a number of seasons in a row he is unable to get his club over the hump, which has been the 2nd round of the playoffs?
Mavs fans can finally relax since their franchise’s all-time leader in points and rebounds, Dirk Nowitzki, has agreed in principle to re-sign with Dallas for another 4 years at $80 million. After teasing the Dallas faithful by flying back and forth between Germany and New York City for lunch with Jason Kidd all last week, his agent officially sat down with Mavs GM Mark Cuban to iron out a new long term deal. All that Dirk has done was play every season of his illustrious career in Dallas, lead them to 10 straight 50 win seasons, and take them to an NBA Finals appearance in 2006. Although some teams had a bit of concern over his already somewhat older age of 32, Dirk stays in impeccable shape and remains as one of the most lethal offensive players and big shot makers in the league. Can Mark Cuban surround Nowitzki with enough talent to make another run at a title now that Dirk took less to stay home?
The Boston Celtics roster for next season is starting to come into focus. With the team having more questions than answers following a loss to the Lakers in the Finals, it appears that the Celtics will make one more run at a title with most of their core players intact. With their fearless leader at coach back again, the Celtics agreed to a new deal with free agent-to-be Paul Pierce for another 4 years and worth more than $ 61 million. Although the “Truth” took a pay cut from what would have been a $21.5 million payday in the last year of his old deal, he along with coach Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, and possibly Ray Allen return for another chance at 2nd title in the past 4 seasons. Their has even been talks of the Celtics “Big 3“ attempting to talk the recently retired Rasheed Wallace back into one more go-around with the club. Even with his ever advancing 32 years of age, Pierce is still one of the better all around players in the league, who is a master of mind games and creating space for his patented elbow area jumpers.
With Lebron still possibly returning to Cleveland and Dwyane Wade probably going back to Miami, teams like New Jersey, Miami, and New York will be forced to look farther down the list of free agents since a number of high end players have decided to stay home.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
