NBA · 5 months ago

NBA Free Agency: Top 5 Losers from Week 1 of Free Agency

John Canady

Host · Writer

5) Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors struggled much of the regular season last year before acquiring Jimmy Butler III ahead of the trade deadline. Still, when the postseason came around, Butler wasn't enough to keep the team afloat without Stephen Curry. Having a limited championship window with the team's current core, the Warriors have yet to make any moves in free agency to get a step closer to contending next year. In fact, they lost a key piece in Kevon Looney and have yet to replace him. Reports suggest that Al Horford is their primary target in free agency right now, but is a 39-year-old free agency addition really what this team needs?

Notable Outgoing Players:

Kevon Looney (signed with New Orleans Pelicans)
Jonathan Kuminga (RFA)
1) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers entered the offseason with somewhat underwhelming hype for a team that had just fallen short in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Obviously, Tyrese Haliburton suffering a severe injury in the final game of the season, which will likely force him to miss the entirety of next season, is enough to drain a franchise. However, losing your star center to arguably your biggest Eastern Conference rival only adds the cherry on top.

Notable Outgoing Players:

Myles Turner (signed with Milwaukee Bucks)

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2) Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are another team that entered the offseason with minimal hope heading into next year, after being forced to watch Jayson Tatum's season come to an end due to a ruptured Achilles. In addition to the star's injury, general manager Brad Stevens was forced to move away from Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to avoid the consequences for second-tier teams under the new CBA guidelines. In addition to losing two starters, Luke Kornet has already departed the team, and the writing on the wall is that Al Horford will be next.

Notable Outgoing Players:

Jrue Holiday (traded to Portland Trail Blazers)
Kristaps Porzingis (traded to Atlanta Hawks)
Luke Kornet (signed with San Antonio Spurs)
Al Horford (UFA)

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3) Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks may seem like a winner after landing the top big man on the market, but it comes with a steep price. To complete the deal, the Bucks opted to waive and stretch the remainder of Damian Lillard's contract, which will now require them to pay the star guard $22.5 million in dead money over the next five years. In addition to losing Lillard, Milwaukee watched their long-time defensive anchor, Brook Lopez, head out West in free agency.

Notable Outgoing Players:

Damian Lillard (waived)
Brook Lopez (signed with Los Angeles Clippers)
4) Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga and his team entered free agency with the confidence that they could land a long-term contract with a team willing to pay him his lucrative asking price of $30 million per year. However, not only does it seem unlikely that any team will meet the young forward's asking price, but it doesn't seem like there's much of a market for him to choose from at the moment, either. The option to bet on himself and return to Golden State remains on the table, but considering his struggles to see eye-to-eye with head coach Steve Kerr, that seems like the worst of the available options.
5) Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors struggled much of the regular season last year before acquiring Jimmy Butler III ahead of the trade deadline. Still, when the postseason came around, Butler wasn't enough to keep the team afloat without Stephen Curry. Having a limited championship window with the team's current core, the Warriors have yet to make any moves in free agency to get a step closer to contending next year. In fact, they lost a key piece in Kevon Looney and have yet to replace him. Reports suggest that Al Horford is their primary target in free agency right now, but is a 39-year-old free agency addition really what this team needs?

Notable Outgoing Players:

Kevon Looney (signed with New Orleans Pelicans)
Jonathan Kuminga (RFA)
1) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers entered the offseason with somewhat underwhelming hype for a team that had just fallen short in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Obviously, Tyrese Haliburton suffering a severe injury in the final game of the season, which will likely force him to miss the entirety of next season, is enough to drain a franchise. However, losing your star center to arguably your biggest Eastern Conference rival only adds the cherry on top.

Notable Outgoing Players:

Myles Turner (signed with Milwaukee Bucks)

Dunk on the sportsbooks tonight! Grab SportsGrid’s free NBA picks, NBA props, and NBA SGPs.

NBA Free Agency: Top 5 Losers from Week 1 of Free Agency

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