NBA Free Agency Tracker Day 1 Recap: Bruce Brown, Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant
Per usual, the start of NBA free agency did not disappoint. Just seconds after it began Friday afternoon, Draymond Green re-signed with the Warriors for $100 million. That was only the first domino to fall, and so much more has happened since. With that in mind, we’re here to provide you with an NBA free agency tracker so that you’re locked into all the significant moves.
These big signings are also sure to move futures markets, so we’ll also detail the latest DraftKings Sportsbook sign-up bonus for a ‘Bet $5, get $150’ promo.
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NBA Free Agency Tracker Day 1 Recap & Takeaways
As mentioned, the first breaking news we received to include in our NBA free agency tracker was that of Green re-signing with Golden State after declining his player option earlier in the month.
Within the first hour of NBA free agency, we saw NBA teams commit a whopping $1.02 billion worth of salaries. Given some of the high-profile names we’re going to cover in our NBA free agency tracker, that’s not too surprising. As an overall theme, we saw many players re-sign with their current teams, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have anyone swapping cities.
In fact, one of the biggest spenders and most active teams was a team that didn’t even make the NBA playoffs - the Indiana Pacers. That’s where we’re going to start getting in depth with our NBA free agency tracker, so let’s dive into their biggest splash.
Bruce Brown Lands With the Pacers at $45 Million Over Two Years, Did They Over Pay?
It’s no coincidence that the teams we saw waste no time getting a jump start in every NBA free agency tracker were not named the Denver Nuggets. After winning the 2023 NBA Finals, it’s every other team looking to keep up.
That’s why we saw the Pacers go big and snag Bruce Brown from Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The point guard will now team up with Tyrese Haliburton by the tune of two years for $45 million. Indiana hasn’t been relevant deep into the postseason for quite some time, but most fans and analysts alike would say that they overpaid.
One NBA podcaster had this tweet go viral thanks to the Freezing Cold Takes account, stating he would eat a pig live on YouTube if Brown got $20 million a year. While that’s a fun example, only time will tell if the Pacers overpaid for Brown. He averaged 11.4 points per game with the Nuggets in the postseason, so he certainly played a factor.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, overpaying and underpaying will also be a topic of discussion in any NBA free agency tracker.
Kyle Kuzma Re-Signs With the Wizards at $102 Million Over 4 Years to Team Up With Jordan Poole, We Think They Go Over Their Win Total Which Should Land Around 33.5
Another name certainly worth covering in our NBA free agency tracker is that of Kyle Kuzma. There was plenty of buzz surrounding him ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft and whether or not the Wizards would try and make a move for him after trading for Jordan Poole.
Remember, they were able to do so after trading Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul. The legendary point guard, CP3, was technically only with Washington for a few days before being dealt to the Warriors for Jordan Poole. He also came with a rather large contract, so that’s why it’s worth mentioning Kuzma in our NBA free agency tracker.
He’s become a staple of the franchise, but he’s now getting more money than Draymond Green to stay with the Warriors, who has led his team to four NBA titles. On the flip side, the Wizards have the absolute worst odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals all to themselves (+100000 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
Jerami Grant Cashes in on $160 Million Over 5 Years, Does Damian Lillard Stay or Request a Trade Now?
Another team that has had serious questions to answer is the Portland Trail Blazers, so it’s no surprise we have to mention their activity in our NBA free agency tracker. Those questions always surround one player - Damian Lillard.
Those questions are always related to, “does Lillard want to stay in Portland?” Similarly, “are the Trail Blazers going to build around Lillard?” There’s no denying that he’s a superstar that could have teams moving mountains to sign him if he were to want to leave, but it appears as though Portland wants to show Lillard that they want to build a championship team around him.
The first step in that process looks to be the Jerami Grant portion of our NBA free agency tracker. While it may not be an addition, locking up the power forward for five years certainly demonstrates their intentions. The speculation is that this contract is so lucrative not because of bidding against other teams, but because of Lillard.
Dame Time could end up having his fingerprints on more than one move of our NBA free agency tracker when all is said and done, as the franchise does not want to risk him leaving the team. The Trail Blazers are no doubt a team to keep an eye on in the coming days and weeks.
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So, after going through some of the most significant moves in our NBA free agency tracker, that still only scratches the surface. For instance, we also saw Kyrie Irving resign with the Dallas Mavericks for $126 million over three years. With so many signings and team swaps taking place, now is the perfect time to capitalize on the ever-moving NBA futures markets. That means it’s also time to join DraftKings for a guaranteed $150 bonus, and here’s how:
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