As usual, the NBA’s moratorium period was a week of whirlwind action with some league-shifting activity from all corners of the NBA.
Not all free agency business is done, mind you – Kawhi Leonard still, technically, hasn’t signed his new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, for example – but enough business has been taken care of that we feel we can now make some assessments from free agency.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the NBA’s major off-season event.
Winners
Miami Heat
The undisputed winner of free agency because the Miami Heat landed the biggest fish in the sea that was actually available: Kyle Lowry.
The now-former legendary Toronto Raptors point guard is off to Miami as part of a sign-and-trade transaction that saw him sign with Miami for three years at $85 million.
Along with this piece of business, the Heat also managed to re-sign Duncan Robinson, lock up Jimmy Butler long term to a massive extension and, while they were at it, add P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris to the bunch.
This doesn’t necessarily mean Miami is now at the same level as a fully-healthy Brooklyn Nets or a Milwaukee Bucks squad with Giannis Antetokounmpo firing on all cylinders as he was in the Finals, but there’s no doubt the Heat look significantly better now than they did at the end of their season when they got swept by Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs.
The additions of Lowry, Tucker and Morris are a match made in heaven for the vaunted “Heat culture,” as they’re all tough and, particularly in the case of Lowry and Tucker are excellent defenders who know a thing or two about getting underneath the skin of their opponent.
Miami will be among the hardest and most annoying teams to play against next season, and that will be in no small part because of these additions Miami’s made.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls need to be applauded for how aggressive they’ve been during free agency.
Right as the horn sounded on the start of the moratorium, it was announced that Chicago was signing restricted free agent Lonzo Ball, poaching him from the New Orleans Pelicans, a player whose pass-first mentality and strong defensive chops make him a great-looking fit beside Zach LaVine in the Bulls backcourt.
Additionally, the Bulls managed to add Alex Caruso in free agency, an underrated move as his defensive ability, shooting and athleticism are all things Chicago needs.
The biggest move the Bulls made, however, was their sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs to bring in DeMar DeRozan.
The price was steep as DeRozan was inked to a fully-guaranteed, three-year, $85-million contract and the Bulls ended up giving up a 2025 first-rounder, two second-round picks and talented, multi-positional Thaddeus Young.
DeRozan is obviously a talented offensive player and he’ll likely work out better for the Bulls than most think because he figures to be the perfect complementary to LaVine as far as the scoring load goes, in addition to being one of the league’s best pick-and-roll operators and playmakers, which could unlock even more of Chicago’s offence.
With that said, defensively, DeRozan has never been anything greater than a net neutral and is often a minus in that department, and seeing as the Bulls gave up their best all-around defender in Young for DeRozan and how poor the Bulls were defensively last season, it’s understandable that there might be some trepidation over the move.
However, no major move comes without risk, and in the Bulls’ case they’ll be banking on becoming an elite offensive squad with their star duo of LaVine and DeRozan to help make up for their apparent weakness defensively.
So kudos to Chicago for making a go of it and trying to make it out of the doldrums of mediocrity and irrelevance it’s been stuck in for years now.
Chris Paul
Chris Paul, at age 36, opted out of a guaranteed $44.2 million that he would make next season for a contract that, long-term, will be even better as he signed a four-year, $120-million deal to stay with the Suns.
He was instrumental in Phoenix’s run to the Finals, and deserves to be recognized and compensated for that, but this contract is kinda nuts, no?
Paul will be 40 by the time this thing is over and who knows what kind of player he’ll be by then.
However, because of that, full power to Paul for managing to cash in yet again.
Losers
Toronto Raptors
I could very well be eating crow for saying this as there’s a lot not known yet about this Raptors team. But as things stand, this hasn’t been a good free agency and off-season, in general, for them.
Yes, Toronto did manage to lock up its most important free agent in Masai Ujiri, something that may well have washed away any pain Raptors fans might have been feeling from this free agency, but the fact remains that this was a team that finished with a 27-45 record in a 72-game season, finished with just the 16th-best offence and 15th-best defence and hasn’t demonstrably gotten that much better heading into the 2021-22 campaign.
The haul the Raptors got back in the Lowry trade was fine enough. Goran Dragic looks like he could be a good bridge as the team transitions out of the Lowry era, and Precious Achiuwa has the potential to be a defensive force. But it’s worth mentioning that this was a deal the Raptors reportedly had on the table in front of them at the deadline and, ultimately, balked at. So what’s changed since then?
Additionally, as good as Dragic could be for this Raptors team, his true value lies in the $19.4-million contract he’s on for next season and how that might be able to grease the wheels in trade the Raptors may look to make at next season’s deadline.
The Raptors are likely going to have to get something of real value using Dragic to make this deal all worth it, because as things stand now, this is a team with a lot of promise, but nothing really concrete looking.
For example, with a core moving forward, presumably, of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Achiuwa, that’s a team that looks like it could be an insanely fun switch-everything defensive squad, but who’s going to score?
Of those players, only Siakam looks like a reliable go-to scoring option, and it’s not like he can do it all himself.
Essentially, the Raptors appear to be banking hard on someone else to emerge and become a near star-level scorer to complement Siakam, and it’s not all that apparent who that might be.
The moves the Raptors have made, on an individual level, look fine – Khem Birch’s new deal, in particular looks like it can offer tremendous value to the team – but looking at what the Raptors are doing as a whole, it’s tough to see exactly what the plan is.
Maybe the fog will clearer a little later, but as things now, even with Ujiri officially back on board and in the fold, this has been a poor free agency for the Raptors.
That’s a ton of star power and if you were playing franchise mode on NBA 2K12 this is probably the team you’d be looking to assemble, but the year is 2021 now and this is a roster full of some very old dudes.
The Lakers faltered last season because of some bad injury luck to LeBron James and Anthony Davis and didn’t have the depth required to sustain such significant losses.
So their solution was to go out and not only ship out and allow a lot of their young players to walk, but to replace them with old, faded stars?
Sure, the name recognition of adding the likes of a Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and, previously in a trade, Russell Westbrook will certainly win you headlines, but will it win you games?
Heaven forbid James and/or Davis are forced to miss time again next season and this team of soon-to-be retirees need to take the reins.
This whole Lakers team just feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
Schroder
Dennis Schroder made a monumental mistake before this past season when he reportedly turned down a four-year, $84-million contract extension from the Lakers, believing he could get more on the open market.
Well, the market’s been open for a while and Schroder still remains unsigned, although it looks like there could be some momentum between him and Boston Celtics.
Schroder likely had dreams of becoming a $25-million-per-year man, and he would’ve been close to that had he taken that extension from Los Angeles, but now even cracking the $15-million annually barrier seems like it might prove to be difficult for Schroder.
Sometimes when you bet on yourself, you end up falling flat.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
