Jaylen Brown blockbuster, Lakers makeover and a wild Day 2 of NBA free agency

Who said free agency was dead? 

We’re not even 48 complete hours into July and the league has already seen the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Kawhi Leonard and now Jaylen Brown change addresses. The Lakers pulled off a massive sign-and-trade for a coveted restricted free agent, the reigning champs lost a key piece to a fierce rival and contenders appear to be shaping up for an intense arms race.

Let’s take a look at some things that have stood out on a wild Day 2 of free agency.

Boston traded Jaylen Brown for … what?

I’m sure my esteemed colleagues will have more fleshed out thoughts in the coming days — Brown was traded literally 89 seconds ago at the time of writing — but this is, um, odd?

Let’s start with the obvious: the 29-year-old All-NBA wing, who just finished fifth in MVP voting … who has the most regular season and playoff wins since entering the NBA nearly a decade ago … who won Finals MVP just two years ago, was dealt to Philadelphia for checks notes Paul George, a 2028 first that can be converted to a swap with Boston, a 2031 unprotected first and 2028 and 2030 seconds. 

What? 

Brown’s future with the franchise always seemed murky following a very public pursuit of Giannis, so much so that league sources say his frustration with the Celtics had reached a point of no return, ultimately forcing their hand. 

“They had no intention of bringing him back,” one league executive said Wednesday afternoon. 

Boston was forced to pivot quickly. The scuttlebutt regarding any Brown trade, because of Jayson Tatum’s presence, was that the Celtics were seeking either a plug-and-play star that could mesh with Tatum or substantial draft compensation. In the end, neither was achieved. 

An aging George (his game has quietly evolved to a strong third option) and middling draft picks unfortunately says more about Brown’s value around the league than it does about Boston’s dealings. Sure, George has aged gracefully and settled quite nicely into a third (or fourth) option — the veteran averaged 16.4 points per game during the playoffs, shooting nearly 50% from deep on 6.5 attempts per, while still showcasing defensive capabilities, but that’s got to be hard to explain to a Jayson Tatum still expecting to compete at the top. 

For the 76ers, this instantly puts them right under the Knicks’ nose for sovereignty in the East. (You could definitely make the on-paper argument that a healthy Philly roster trumps New York’s, especially with the now-departed Mitchell Robinson.) Tyrese Maxey and Brown should see their games and downhill gravity blend extraordinarily well, VJ Edgecombe continues to develop and recently acquired Dean Wade can effectively space the floor. The true X-factor is Joel Embiid, as funny as that sounds. I’m still not convinced he’s sticking around long term, there’s been a bit too much hypothesizing on Embiid trades over the years. 

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. It’s not Luka-level shock, but it’s not that far off, either. 

Lakers’ post-LeBron era begins with a flurry

The speed and alacrity at which the Lakers pivoted from bringing LeBron James back to removing his nearly $60 million cap hold to bring in four free agents — all in less than 24 hours — makes one wonder if Los Angeles truly ever wanted the 41-year-old back in uniform. 

Maybe there’s some wiggle room here. ESPN reported that James is willing to play for a minimum contract assuming he’s in a winning, contending environment, but I was in that locker room the night the Lakers were swept by the Thunder. There were certainly players in there saying their goodbyes ahead of the summer, but nothing about that scene gave me the impression that James saw a realistic future with the organization — especially following his emotional postgame press conference. 

Shifting toward the incoming players (and it’s quite the list), the Lakers gave up quite a haul for Walker Kessler’s services: unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, swaps in 2028 and 2030 and a four-year, $130 million commitment. (It certainly sounds like whatever Jalen Duren’s camp was signaling to Detroit, Los Angeles and other interested parties about his market was slightly influenced by leverage, given the timing of Duren’s reported meeting with the franchise and Kessler’s signing.) Given Kessler’s age (24) and the $32.5 million AAV, one would assume that Lakers officials are confident in him returning to 100% after essentially missing the entire season due to a left shoulder injury. 

But therein lies the risk. If we’re operating from the Deandre Ayton floor, or in layman’s terms how much better or worse Kessler is than Ayton, then this is a positive. Kessler is an elite rebounder who has been an excellent possession extender for most of his time in the NBA. His rebounding efficiency is pretty consistent whether going for uncontested or contested boards, an area in which Ayton struggled mightily in the playoffs (Game 3 vs. OKC particularly comes to mind) and which should come in handy for a team featuring Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in the half-court.

Kessler is also a terrific rim protector, another area in which Ayton wasn’t able to consistently impact, and will be a much-needed backline for a Dončić/Reaves backcourt that will hemorrhage drives. (On offense, he’s an average roller in terms of gravity but a smart cutter and willing screener, and he responds well to coaching, having played under Will Hardy.) 

Still, it’s quite a bit of money and capital to commit to an offensively limited big, despite his defensive prowess. It’s even more daunting factoring in Kessler’s luck with injuries at such a young age. Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, the guard additions, will add some scoring, playmaking and spacing punch to survive non-Dončić lineups and also act as insurance in the wake of another long-term injury. Sandro Mamukelashvili brings movement shooting and is an underrated playmaker, although he comes with his fair share of defensive shortcomings. 

I expect a boost in Los Angeles’ 3-point efficiency if nothing else, finishing 24th in attempts during the regular season and dead last in the playoffs. Is this group good enough to come out of the second round? Probably not, but they’re certainly not sitting on their hands in their post-LeBron era. 

Smart move by Rockets

Considering the soft limitations of Houston’s financial maneuverings entering free agency, emerging with two proven veterans at positions of need all within the first 24 hours of the gates opening is shrewd business. Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, even at ages 32 and 33, respectively (Bogdanovic will turn 34 before next season), should immediately slide into a reserve rotation that team officials sought to upgrade following their first-round elimination to the Lakers. 

Paying $6 million annually for Smart feels right, the length of the contract seems to line up with Kevin Durant’s — which should be the case for this entire group from a contention standpoint — and the option for Smart to walk after a year (Bogdanovic is on a one-year, fully guaranteed minimum deal) offers flexibility on both sides. Dipping into the taxpayer mid-level exception for Smart also affords the Rockets more room to match any offer sheet that restricted free agent Tari Eason signs and fill out the rest of the roster. 

(Trade talks regarding wing defender Dorian Finney-Smith are best described as fluid at this point, sources say. Houston has had a number of conversations regarding possible structures and outlines — some iterations moving him to clear additional cap space, others to bring back a player — but its free agency dealings lessen the urgency to some degree, compared to before the draft.)

Now to the basketball part. I’m interested to see exactly how head coach Ime Udoka navigates a bench that has Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Reed Sheppard, Smart, Bogdanovic, Eason and potentially Finney-Smith as well. (Also looking at you, Bruce Thornton and J.D. Davison.) 

As far as Smart is concerned, his value is clear. The Lakers’ offense was more secure with him on the floor and the difference in their defensive efficiency — jumping more than seven points per 100 possessions — was unmistakable. Smart remains one of the league’s most aggressive and capable defensive playmakers (94th percentile in stop rate, 83rd in deflection rate) and an overall elite stopper who performed even better in the postseason (likely an Udoka swing factor). The shooting isn’t great, Smart connected on 33% of his 3s and 34% of catch-and-shoot looks in the playoffs, but he also shot 41% from the corners. 

Bringing him in leaves one to assume he’ll certainly be used in off-ball roles, perhaps alongside Fred VanVleet or Sheppard. There’s more historical confidence in Bogdanovic’s shooting (along with some underrated shot contesting thanks to a 6-11 wingspan, but I’m not sure how much he’ll actually be on the floor given their crowded situation. In any case, the Rockets are in better shape than they were two months ago, which is a win by all accounts. 

Parting shots

• I really like the fit with Tobias Harris in San Antonio, and the financials and flexibility (two years, $31 million) don’t cut into the Spurs’ future plans surrounding their young core once extensions for the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are fully in tow. Harris, who shot 38% on catch-and-shoot 3s last season, would have been a welcome release valve in the Finals and is capable of creating his own shot without interrupting the downhill gravity from Castle/Harper. The analytics also paint Harris in a solid light at this point in his career; 77th percentile in estimated plus-minus; still a top-75 player in VORP; top-60ish in LAKER. Harris’ camp sought a serious winning culture in their next stop, something which was in doubt following a disappointing playoff exit to Cleveland (and ensuing offseason moves). 

• Kings wing DeMar DeRozan, who is owed $25 million for the upcoming season — with only $10 million guaranteed — is hoping to accelerate his exit, either by being waived and testing the open market or being traded sooner rather than later, sources say. The 37-year-old is expecting to be waived and stretched by the franchise, a similar sentiment shared by rival executives, sources say. Late last month, HoopsHype reported on Sacramento and DeRozan’s looming divorce. 

• Rewatching Boston’s Neemias Queta, who looked out of his depth during his first taste of the postseason, it made sense for the Celtics to target a legitimate rim protector/offensive rebounder. Enter Mitchell Robinson. Extending possessions has become such a swing skill in today’s game that the difference in Queta’s struggles (a drop in offensive rebounding rate of nearly 5%) juxtaposed with Robinson’s dominance at that end (100th percentile in both the regular season and playoffs) justifies extending a three-year, $47 million contract. I’m curious to see how a slightly scaled up usage rate correlates with his offensive expansion — Robinson’s scoring efficiency plummeted in the playoffs — but he’s a competitor, a winner and joining a rival. This should be interesting!