After a recount, the Lakers have been declared winners of the 2024 NBA title.
Or so you would have thought based on the reaction of general manager Rob Pelinka and his flunkies after the No. 55 pick of last month’s draft.
A week later, LeBron James agreed to re-sign with the Lakers. It was then that we fully understood.
The Lakers will be relevant, if you measure by TV ratings, for at least one more 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 retired, we forgive you.
In this Olympic summer, here are my medal winners in the Free Agent Freestyle…
THE BRONZE: DeMar DeRozan re-signs with the Bulls, traded to the Kings
Apr 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 play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Free-agent signings come in three forms:
You have the Klay Thompson variety, where technically he didn’t go to the Mavericks as a free agent. He needed to be signed by his old team—in his case, the Warriors—in order to get out of town. But he was a free agent, and he signed, and he made a significant move, so he must be considered.
Then there’s a simple re-signing. Like what it took for the Knicks to retain OG Anunoby, the 76ers to keep Tyrese Maxey, and the Pacers to hold onto Pascal Siakam. Boring, but each is a critical move for an Eastern playoff contender.
And lastly, there’s the old-fashioned way. The I’m-gone-and-you-get-nothing trick, the type that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope pulled on the Nuggets in order to join the Magic, and Isaiah Hartenstein employed to move from the Big Apple to Softball City.
All six were newsworthy. Some produced deep sighs of relief. Others had fans blasting ownership for being cheap. And one… well, we’ll finally know if Klay melts in Texas heat.
DeRozan took the Thompson route to Sacramento. It was an addition the Kings desperately needed after watching fun seasons end prematurely as Domantas Sabonis disappeared late in key games.
With the Nuggets having fallen back to the pack, the West is wide-open. Led by the Western rendition of the Three Musketeers, Sacramento is now a serious player.
THE SILVER: 76ers sign Paul George
Paul George as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. credits: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports Much is made of the Celtics’ competition—or lack thereof—en route to the championship. That’s missing the point.
Their red-carpet path to the title had nothing to do with Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton getting hurt. Those teams were outclassed regardless.
No, the Celtics had a cakewalk because they never ran into Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
The Knicks have closed the gap, but entering the off-season, the biggest obstacle in a potential repeat was the 76ers. Assuming they re-signed Maxey, of course, which they did.
And now that they’ve added George, a guy Jaylen Brown will have to guard while Jrue Holiday hounds Maxey. The door to Embiid dominance has opened.
Good luck to the stick figure that is Kristaps Porzingis, the old man that is Al Horford, and the defensive myth that is Jayson Tatum. The addition of George has made Embiid the most powerful force in the East and made the 76ers the title favorite.
THE GOLD: Lakers re-sign LeBron James
LeBron James is back again with the Los Angeles Lakers. Photo source: Getty Images Some would say LeBron remaining with the Lakers will have less of a ripple effect in Southern California than a 2.0 earthquake. I agree.
But in terms of the basketball world as a whole, it’s The Big One.
Why? LeBron was the one free agent this offseason who single-handedly could have shifted the entire NBA landscape.
Think of it this way: Pick a team. Any team. If it had drafted Bronny, and LeBron chose to come with him at a reasonable financial freight, 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 that’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 on that yes list have no shot, either.
All because LeBron signed with the wrong team.