Everyone was waiting for one thing – Dwight Howard deciding his fate. He chose the Houston Rockets, while the Golden State Warriors already felt it wasn’t going to happen for them, and traded two bad contracts to the Utah Jazz for Andre Iguodala.
That wasn’t the only action happening around the league, as O.J. Mayo joined the Milwaukee Bucks on a three-year deal, Paul Millsap joined the Atlanta Hawks and Jose Claderon chose the Dallas Mavericks among his many suitors.
Houston Rockets – The Dwight Howard Choice
From the beginning, it looked like Dwight Howard was going to end up with the Rockets, and so it did. It’s still not quite clear if he’s going to sign as a free agent, which means the Rockets might not give him a maximum contract (unless they move parts like Asik and/or Lin for lesser contracts), or via a sign-and-trade, meaning the Rockets will trade those two players for Howard and his maximum deal.
Golden State Warriors Welcoming Andre Iguodala
The Warriors got hints pretty early during Friday that Howard wasn’t going to choose them, so they moved on quickly, and did the best they could in adding a premier player. Andre Iguodala will sign on as a free agent on a four-year, $48 million deal, while the Jazz take on the $22 million of Jefferson, Biedrins and Brandon Rush, but did get a first-round pick in 2014 and the 207 NBA drafts.
O.J. Mayo to the Bucks
As expected, the Milwaukee Bucks overpaid O.J. Mayo just so they’d have one player able to create points on his own. Mayo spent last season being quite inconsistent for the Dallas Mavericks, and it’s not going to be all that different for the Bucks, only he’ll be paid $24 million on a three-year deal. There’s a chance Brandon Jennings remains with the team, as the restricted free agent is not getting too much interest from around the league, and the Bucks suddenly tending to match the offers he’ll be getting.
Atlanta Hawks – Paul Millsap Joins
It’s hard to say what this means on the whole Josh Smith front, but it wouldn’t be surprising the Atlanta Hawks are gearing up for his departure. Millsap creates a formidable frontline setup with Al Horford, receiving a two-year, $19 million deal after averaging 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds last season for the Jazz, who enter full rebuild mode with the departure of both Jefferson and Millsap, while taking on the bad contracts of Richard Jefferson, Biedrins and Brandon Rush.
Dallas Mavericks – Signing Jose Calderon
Jose Calderon got plenty of interest from around the league in the early days of free agency, but after offers for re-signing with the Detroit Pistons and joining the Sacramento Kings, he decided that playing for a team with a bit more upside and chances to win is the better option for him. The Mavericks gave Calderon quite a lengthy contract for a 31-year old, $29 million on a four-year deal.