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Anyone tired of the line "is expected to sign on Aug. 1" and other terms that were so prevalent in July? So are we. So now that August is mercifully here, the NBA owners can officially open up their wallets and sign the players they've been wooing all summer. Oh, there will still be wooing, but now deals can be done.
So here are the big deals involving major players that have been consummated. Remember, Eddie Jones was traded, but he was traded because he's a free agent. So he belongs on this list as well. We include our special rating system (four balls = high impact, one ball = low impact). Enjoy.
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THE SKINNY |
Spurs
Tim Duncan
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This deal was pretty much been done early in July. And why not? You think the Spurs were going to risk losing the best young big man in the game? Duncan gets a three-year deal to keep the Spurs a winning team until David Robinson retires. Now San Antone needs to get a few more pieces to the puzzle to build around Dunc and the Admiral. Derek Anderson is a good start. By the way, the Spurs also re-signed point guards Avery Johnson and Antonio Daniels.
Signing impact:  |
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THE SKINNY |
Magic
Grant Hill
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People think that Hill looks kinda stupid because Duncan didn't join him. Why would that be? Sure, Hill still doesn't have a dominant center on his side, but the Magic look a lot better today than the Pistons do. Plus, did you see what the temperature was in Orlando today? Anyway, the Magic look like big winners this offseason, getting two of the biggest prizes out there to play small forward and shooting guard. And the Magic aren't done yet. Mo Taylor might be next.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Magic
Tracy McGrady
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Who knows how good this guy is going to be. He can play three positions and he's only going to get better when it comes to passing, shooting, defending and becoming a leader. Could he, like Jalen Rose, be anything from small forward to point guard? Absolutely. McGrady is a great leaper and understands how to defend. Give the kid some 3-point range and watch out.
Signing impact:  |
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THE SKINNY |
Heat
Eddie Jones
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The Hornets make out pretty well here, getting a lotta something when they could have had nothing. Riley gets his man in Eddie, along with malcontent Anthony Mason, who Riley knows well, and the main figures going to Charlotte are P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn. Both teams should be pretty happy, and so should Jones. Without this trade, he was going to have to either take Chicago's money (like that is so awful) or a mere $2.5 million from the Heat.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Pacers
Jalen Rose
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The Pacers had no choice. Rose went from an inconsistent player without a position to star of the team last season, finishing second in the voting for most improved player. Indiana realizes that keeping Rose and Austin Croshere with Jonathan Bender means that even when the old Pacers leave, this team will still flourish. Look for Rose to put up bigger stats to justify his $93 million pricetag.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Pacers
Austin Croshere
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Croshere is signing a contract worth more than $51 million to stay with the Pacers, spurning what would be a better offer to join the Raptors. A big man who can shoot and rebound, Croshere and Jalen Rose are the future for this franchise. Watch Croshere play a much bigger role next season.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Raptors
Mark Jackson
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Congrats to the Raptors, who get the best point guard available (Howard Eisley? Troy Hudson?) Jackson won't score much, but with Vince around he won't have to. He will get the ball where it needs to go and he will be a leader. He has plenty of playoff experience and is exactly what the team needs, even though Tracy McGrady is gone. The Raptors are better now than they were last season.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Bucks
Tim Thomas
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This is the guy that the Bulls really wanted, but Thomas, a 6-10 small forward, decided to stay with the playoff-bound Bucks instead. This was the first year the Villanova product did much, and now it earns him huge money. There are even rumors Glenn Robinson will be moved so Thomas can start.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Sonics
Rashard Lewis
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The Sonics had to keep this guy, who gets about $13 million, a slight increase from the $300,000 or so he made last year. Now heading into his third season, Lewis is still no lock for stardom, but he does have a huge upside as either a shooting guard or small forward. The Sonics see him as an explosive scorer, which never hurts. He scored 20 or more points seven times last year.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Rockets
Cuttino Mobley
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Mobley blossomed last season into one of the team's more reliable scorers, though he only started eight games. He averaged 15.8 points a game and was a big threat from the free throw line and behind the 3-point arc. The Rockets may not elect to start him alongside Steve Francis, since he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, but he'll produce.
Signing impact:  |
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THE SKINNY |
Bulls
Ron Mercer
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Well it's about time somebody joins forces with those young Bulls! Mercer probably didn't care where he went as long as he got the money, but as a natural scorer and so far the lone veteran in the Bulls' starting lineup, he could thrive. If the Bulls move Marcus Fizer to Portland for Jermaine O'Neal then you can put Jamal Crawford, Mercer, Ron Artest, Elton Brand and O'Neal on the floor. No, Jerry Krause is not an idiot. Mercer scores and neglects defense, but the Bulls needed a scorer, and they didn't pay him the max.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Jazz
John Starks
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He's no Jeff Hornacek, but Starks can be exactly what the Jazz need in this spot. There is nobody on the team capable of starting at shooting guard (in a few years maybe DeShawn Stevenson, but not yet) and Starks can still drain outside shots like he could years ago. He will also miss a lot, so buyer beware. Starks, who got a two-year deal, hasn't shot better than 38 percent from the field the last three seasons, but the Jazz need the threat.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Suns
Tony Delk
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The Suns gave Delk, a career backup, a six-year deal worth more than $16 million, which may sound strange. Delk did nice work backing up Jason Williams in Sacramento, and the Suns envision him in a three-guard rotation with Jason Kidd and the normally brittle Penny Hardaway. Is it a strange signing? Time will tell, but if Delk performs as he did in the playoff loss to the Lakers, and not as a guy who shot 22 percent from 3-point range during the regular season, it might look smart.
Signing impact: |
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THE SKINNY |
Heat
Anthony Carter
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With the future of Tim Hardaway being cloudy, Carter has shown he can step right in and lead the team as the starting point guard. His game still needs work -- bad shooting, too many turnovers are problems -- but given that Carter played well in spurts for Riley it made sense he'd stick around. He averaged 6.2 points, 4.7 assists and
2.5 rebounds in 23.5 minutes a game.
Signing impact:  |
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ALSO SEE
NBA offseason movement chart
Free Agent Rumor Central
List of NBA free agents
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