Success is built on the little things, and in the NBA, it’s no different. Over half a dozen NBA All-Stars changed teams this offseason, and I wouldn’t blame you if you lost track of some of the smaller signings. Here are some of the more underrated NBA free agent acquisitions that you might’ve missed out on.
Willie Cauley-Stein: GSW 2 years, $4.5 million
Golden State has found success in the past with athletic centers, and Willie Cauley-Stein fits the mold. For just $2.2 million annually, Cauley-Stein is a bargain bin deal.
Cauley-Stein thrived in an up-tempo offense with the Sacramento Kings last year, playing with two dynamic ball-handlers in DeAaron Fox and Buddy Hield. He isn’t much of a shot-creator as much as he is a shot-maker and usually finishes what he’s fed. The Warriors have an even better pair of guards in the backcourt, and Cauley-Stein should be an easy lob target for Curry and Russell.
He does have his weaknesses on defense, but for just $2.2 million Golden State can’t be too disappointed. There’s not much else Cauley-Stein can do on offense besides dunk and finish easy baskets, but the Warriors don’t really need anything else. Athletic 7-footers don’t just grow on trees, and Cauley-Stein might prove very useful for Golden State.
JJ Redick: NOP 2 years, $26.5 million
At age 35, JJ Redick might not be getting any younger, but that hasn’t stopped his jump-shot from going in. Redick had the best two seasons of his career at age 33 and 34, averaging 17.6 points a night for the Philadelphia 76ers. Most importantly, however, Redick nailed a blistering 40.7% from three on over seven attempts an outing.
With Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson on board, the New Orleans Pelicans made the right choice when signing Redick. It’s no secret that the Pelicans have a lack of shooting. This team is built for pace and space, and he’ll be crucial to the “space” aspect. Other than E’twaun Moore and Darius Miller (both low-volume shooters), there’s not much shooting to go around on this roster.
The best part – New Orleans wasn’t forced into a long-term deal to acquire Redick’s services. At his age, he might’ve asked for a longer deal for security, but it turns out he probably preferred the flexibility. $13 million annually is no small bill, but for just two years, it’s manageable. For a team like the Pelicans that especially lack shooting, Redick is a much-needed addition.
Derrick Rose: DET 2 years, $15 million
Derrick Rose is a player that some would consider risky due to his history of a myriad injuries, but at this cheap rate, it isn’t a problem. Rose averaged 18.0 points and 4.3 assists in just 27.3 minutes a night for the Timberwolves this past season and was even among the league leaders in 3PT% for a stretch. He punctuated his comeback season with an incredible 50-point performance against the Utah Jazz, and it seems like the 30-year-old has finally found his footing in the NBA again.
Rose can immediately take over the starting PG position for Detroit and might be the extra scoring punch that Detroit has been looking for. He isn’t the shooter Detroit desperately needed, but he’s the most dynamic guard the Pistons have had in years now. He’s also entering the offseason fully healthy, a rare occurrence for the oft-injured PG. With the entire summer to work on his game rather than rehab, Rose might come back even better than last year.
One area of concern is that, although Rose managed to avoid any major injuries this season, he still dealt with several nagging ailments. Rose ended up playing only 51 games this year, which unfortunately counts as one of his healthier campaigns. At the same time, Detroit isn’t locking themselves into a long-term contract nor big money, making this a very low-risk, high-reward signing.
Ed Davis: UTA 2 years, $10 million
Davis was an underrated free agent pickup for the Brooklyn Nets last year and flew under the radar again this summer. Utah replaces Derrick Favors with a much cheaper alternative at center, and perhaps even better. Ed Davis is among the strongest players in the league and isn’t afraid to throw his size around on the glass. Per 36 minutes, Davis averaged 17.3 rebounds a game in 2019, among the league’s top rebounders.
The 30-year-old is the stereotypical center that every team would love to have come off the bench. He’s big, a force on the glass, and shoots 61.6% from the field. Davis isn’t a terrific defender by any metric, but considering how Utah has Rudy Gobert manning the 5 for most of the game, Davis just needs to play spot minutes. Gobert and Davis won’t be able to play together like it’s the 90’s, but Davis will be good for the 15-20 minutes a night that Gobert sits out.
It’s not a flashy signing, but it’s a solid one. Utah’s slowly building themselves a very good team, and Davis is just another piece to the puzzle.
Bojan Bogdanovic: UTA 4 years, $73 million
Utah didn’t get a steal with this signing, but they certainly did snatch up one of the more coveted players of this free agency class. After Oladipo went down with injury in January, 30-year-old Bojan Bogdanovic stepped up big time for the Indiana Pacers. Bogdanovic averaged 23.1 PPG in February followed by 21.8 PPG in March. He shot over 50% from the field, 40% from 3PT, and ended the season averaging 18.0 PPG.
The most valuable part of Bogdanovic’s game is his shooting. Bojan shot 42.5% from 3PT in 2019, ranking 12th in the NBA. He can shoot it off the catch and off the dribble, making him one of the most versatile snipers in the NBA right now. The Jazz struggled with a lack of shot-creators behind Donovan Mitchell last season and were especially weak on the wings. This problem was even more evident in the postseason when Houston forced Mitchell to do pretty much everything on offense for the Jazz. Bogdanovic and newly acquired PG Mike Conley solve that problem and will immensely open up the court for Mitchell.
At 6’8″, Bogdanovic has the size to guard most power forwards. He’s also a much better defender than many people realize, allowing Utah to keep their defensive-minded principles. He and Joe Ingles can switch off on guarding opposing bigs if one match-up is too physical, and both have the ability to scorch the net on the other end.
Bogdanovic didn’t come cheap for the Jazz, but he’s certainly worth the money. He has a game that ages very well, making the extended four-year deal an acceptable decision. Utah now has the depth to be an excellent postseason team, and Bogdanovic will likely play a huge role in their success.