Is today’s free agency overrated?

[kpt]

The answer to this is probably depends. For midmarket and small market teams it probably is overrated as we have seen time and time again of wasted cap Space. For the upper tier mark, they can attract free agents easily to their team to help turn around losing franchises.

Then again, it could be incompetent front offices as well.

[thesack12]

It is to a certain extent, since players can only get those 5 year offers from their current teams and other teams can only offer 4 years. However, sign & trades mitigate that to a degree. Also, 4 and 5 year contracts don't make up the bulk of free agent signings. Restricted free agency usually doesn't generate a lot of movement, but it does play a large factor in driving the market.

Free agency remains a massive part of the team building equation. Throughout the season teams do a ton of projecting, planning, and maneuvering based around what their intentions and desires will be in free agency.

Free agency is still vital, but if you are a fan of a team that rarely seems to benefit from it then it does tend to make it seem like its inconsequential.

[bstein14]

The answer to this is probably depends. For midmarket and small market teams it probably is overrated as we have seen time and time again of wasted cap Space. For the upper tier mark, they can attract free agents easily to their team to help turn around losing franchises.

Then again, it could be incompetent front offices as well.

It's overrated in that top tier stars control more of exactly where they want to go, but for the mid tier guys its still incredibly important.

Let's look at some of this year's FAs

Immanuel Quickley
OG Anunoby
Nicolas Claxton
D'Angelo Russell
Malik Monk
Miles Bridges
Tyus Jones
Saddiq Bey
Obi Toppin
Malik Beasley
Lonnie Walker IV

At least a few of these guys are likely to sign deals that they play well above and I wouldn't be surprised if 1 or 2 of these guys end up all-stars in the league. It's like New York landing Jalen Brunson (with the cap space we helped them create by taking on Kemba, Burks, and Noel). Landing a player like that is huge. You just have to find that guy who's about ready to break out into his prime years and be better than what he's been up to this point.

[whitehops]

free agency has been dead for years, pretty much since the cap spike in 2016.

there are so few teams with cap room and have very limited means to acquire free agents and it's in the player's best interest to lock in their contracts - see dennis schröder.

[Kalamazoo317]

The answer to this is probably depends. For midmarket and small market teams it probably is overrated as we have seen time and time again of wasted cap Space. For the upper tier mark, they can attract free agents easily to their team to help turn around losing franchises.

Then again, it could be incompetent front offices as well.

It's overrated in that top tier stars control more of exactly where they want to go, but for the mid tier guys its still incredibly important.

Let's look at some of this year's FAs

Immanuel Quickley
OG Anunoby
Nicolas Claxton
D'Angelo Russell
Malik Monk
Miles Bridges
Tyus Jones
Saddiq Bey
Obi Toppin
Malik Beasley
Lonnie Walker IV

At least a few of these guys are likely to sign deals that they play well above and I wouldn't be surprised if 1 or 2 of these guys end up all-stars in the league. It's like New York landing Jalen Brunson (with the cap space we helped them create by taking on Kemba, Burks, and Noel). Landing a player like that is huge. You just have to find that guy who's about ready to break out into his prime years and be better than what he's been up to this point.

Other than OG (who probably resigns in NY and is their third player in usage, shutting him out of legit all-star consideration), who on that list is a likely all star? That looks like a bunch of career role players to me.

[Billl]

Just because we suck at it doesn't mean it's overrated.

[theBigLip]

The players have changed it. Good ones get their extensions from their current clubs and then force trades later. So we won’t have these great free agent classes as in the past. That’s league wide.

Cap space is still worth it, should help facilitate trades and also sign those mid tier players.

[Snakebites]

The absolute best case scenario is something along the lines of what Houston did this past offseason (which I'll openly admit I criticized at the time). Their signings looked like overpays and realistically they were, but they did improve the team and give them some guys who actually know what they're doing on the court, flawed as they may be.

And they've improved a lot. They're not "good" yet, but there's some upside there.

The jury is still out on what the ceiling is for the Rockets, but that's the sort of thing we'll be looking at.

[bstein14]

The answer to this is probably depends. For midmarket and small market teams it probably is overrated as we have seen time and time again of wasted cap Space. For the upper tier mark, they can attract free agents easily to their team to help turn around losing franchises.

Then again, it could be incompetent front offices as well.

It's overrated in that top tier stars control more of exactly where they want to go, but for the mid tier guys its still incredibly important.

Let's look at some of this year's FAs

Immanuel Quickley
OG Anunoby
Nicolas Claxton
D'Angelo Russell
Malik Monk
Miles Bridges
Tyus Jones
Saddiq Bey
Obi Toppin
Malik Beasley
Lonnie Walker IV

At least a few of these guys are likely to sign deals that they play well above and I wouldn't be surprised if 1 or 2 of these guys end up all-stars in the league. It's like New York landing Jalen Brunson (with the cap space we helped them create by taking on Kemba, Burks, and Noel). Landing a player like that is huge. You just have to find that guy who's about ready to break out into his prime years and be better than what he's been up to this point.

Other than OG (who probably resigns in NY and is their third player in usage, shutting him out of legit all-star consideration), who on that list is a likely all star? That looks like a bunch of career role players to me.

You could have said the same thing about a FA list with Lauri Markkanen, Jalen Brunson, Jrue Holiday, Jarret Allen, Fred VanVleet, Andrew Wiggins, Khris MIddleton, etc.

Even after we traded away Khris Middleton, he was a FA for the Bucks coming off a year where he averaged 13.4 PPG and 4.4 RPG still young with upside and good defender and he got a 5 year $70 million contract from the Bucks and some people thought it was too much $$$. He had been in the league 3 years at that point. The last two years of that 5 year deal he turned into an all-star and he was one of the best bargains in the league.

[Crymson]

Anyone who is overrating free agency hasn't been paying attention to how free agency has changed in the past five years. KD and Kyrie were the last really good players to change teams in free agency. Superstars and stars take extensions. Even just genuinely good starters take extensions.

Far less good talent hits free agency these days than it used to, and that's been the case since 2020.

[Snakebites]

Anyone who is overrating free agency hasn't been paying attention to how free agency has changed in the past five years. KD and Kyrie were the last really good players to change teams in free agency. Superstars and stars take extensions. Even just genuinely good starters take extensions.

Far less good talent hits free agency these days than it used to, and that's been the case since 2020.

It’s very easy for stars to broker trades to their preferred destinations. They don’t need to test free agency. And if you’re a desirable team you don’t need cap space to land a star.

I have no issue with player empowerment on principle though, and we’re starting to see more parity in the league despite it. We’ve failed to climb out as a result of poor choices, not an unlevel playing field.

It just means cap space isn’t a viable path anymore. And it never truly was for a down/out team in a non premium market.

[bstein14]

Anyone who is overrating free agency hasn't been paying attention to how free agency has changed in the past five years. KD and Kyrie were the last really good players to change teams in free agency. Superstars and stars take extensions. Even just genuinely good starters take extensions.

Far less good talent hits free agency these days than it used to, and that's been the case since 2020.

But for us, Free Agency hasn't change that much. The Pistons have never signed a big name FA. They Pistons have made their success in FA getting under the radar guys like Jerami Grant, Ben Wallace, Billups, etc. No top 15 player who is currently an all-star has ever or will ever sign with us. We've never given out a max contract to a FA. It's still the same game as it was.... finding guys who are undervalued and are able to become more than what they've been previously.

Ben Wallace (who was a FA and agreed to sign with Detroit but eventually it ended up being a double S&T with Grant Hill)
Billups (Full MLE FA signing)
Jerami Grant

These are probably our three best free agent singings ever with honorable mention for late career Antonio McDyess coming to Detroit for MLE $ as well.

[bstein14]

Anyone who is overrating free agency hasn't been paying attention to how free agency has changed in the past five years. KD and Kyrie were the last really good players to change teams in free agency. Superstars and stars take extensions. Even just genuinely good starters take extensions.

Far less good talent hits free agency these days than it used to, and that's been the case since 2020.

It’s very easy for stars to broker trades to their preferred destinations. They don’t need to test free agency. And if you’re a desirable team you don’t need cap space to land a star.

I have no issue with player empowerment on principle though, and we’re starting to see more parity in the league despite it.

It just means cap space isn’t a viable path anymore. And it never truly was for a down/out team in a non premium market.

This is exactly right. For us FA hasn't really changed we've never landed an all-star FA or top 20 player in FA in our history. We've landed guys like Ben Wallace and Billups who weren't yet considered all that good but became good with us. Same can be said for Jerami Grant most thought we overpaid him.

[buzzkilloton]

The absolute best case scenario is something along the lines of what Houston did this past offseason (which I'll openly admit I criticized at the time). Their signings looked like overpays and realistically they were, but they did improve the team and give them some guys who actually know what they're doing on the court, flawed as they may be.

And they've improved a lot. They're not "good" yet, but there's some upside there.

The jury is still out on what the ceiling is for the Rockets, but that's the sort of thing we'll be looking at.

I thought their moves were terrible at the time as well. Now though I see exactly what they were thinking. This draft class is terrible tank another year for what?

FVV was a bad fit but hes a all star that was the best guy they could get. Brooks was a overpay but he can 3+D which is something you need on every team. Its not title making talent they added but its talent that allows the young players to flourish raising their ceiling long term.

Now they already have 23 wins just outside of the playin which would be good for the playin in the East. In the past 5 seasons we havent had more then 23 wins in an entire seasons(counting this season as under) At this point I think many of us would very much welcome a playin level team as we feel SO FAR away from that right now. It was just a couple years ago where it felt like it was somewhat close between us,Hou,OKC,Orl and a few others but now we feel way left behind.

[BadMofoPimp]

Just because we suck at it doesn't mean it's overrated.

Ya, Pistons would need to overpay more than other franchises to get Free Agents to come here.

[GreekAlex]

Strategic overpays aren’t bad when the majority of the team’s high usage players are on rookie contracts.

[zeebneeb]

Man this thread is depressing as hell. Can't sign top free agents. Pool of free agents is crap. Can't make trades. Not enough value for "blue chips".

Man, I hope the next draft pick isn't another damn guard, and is the best PF ever picked by this team.

As it is, I have no idea how this team will ever improve, past "internal growth".



Better hope the team has a glandular problem.

[buzzkilloton]

Man this thread is depressing as hell. Can't sign top free agents. Pool of free agents is crap. Can't make trades. Not enough value for "blue chips".

Man, I hope the next draft pick isn't another damn guard, and is the best PF ever picked by this team.

As it is, I have no idea how this team will ever improve, past "internal growth".



Better hope the team has a glandular problem.

I project we draft a center.

[zeebneeb]

Man this thread is depressing as hell. Can't sign top free agents. Pool of free agents is crap. Can't make trades. Not enough value for "blue chips".

Man, I hope the next draft pick isn't another damn guard, and is the best PF ever picked by this team.

As it is, I have no idea how this team will ever improve, past "internal growth".



Better hope the team has a glandular problem.

I project we draft a center.

You son of a bitch.

That hit me right in the damn anger spot.

[buzzkilloton]

Man this thread is depressing as hell. Can't sign top free agents. Pool of free agents is crap. Can't make trades. Not enough value for "blue chips".

Man, I hope the next draft pick isn't another damn guard, and is the best PF ever picked by this team.

As it is, I have no idea how this team will ever improve, past "internal growth".



Better hope the team has a glandular problem.

I project we draft a center.

You son of a bitch.

That hit me right in the damn anger spot.

https://www.nba.com/news/bleacher-report-latest-two-round-mock-draft-full-of-unpredictability

I mean it came straight from todays mock draft. Pick 1 center from France lol