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NBA Free Agency has been fast and furious league wide. The Wizards weren’t reported to make moves on Sunday, but they reportedly did get Dwight Howard to sign for the taxpayer midlevel exception for a one-year contract worth $5.3 million on Tuesday. They also reportedly agreed to sign Jeff Green for the veterans’ minimum earlier this week. Considering that the Wizards are maxed out with the salary cap for the next couple seasons, these aren’t bad signings in a vacuum.
Of course, the Wizards didn’t get the flashiest free agency signings — like LeBron James signing a four-year, $154 million contract with the Lakers and DeMarcus Cousins signing for a one-year contract worth the taxpayer midlevel exception with the Golden State Warriors. If there’s one announcement that stings to some Wizards fans, it’s Cousins going to the Bay Area since he is getting paid the same amount as Howard apparently will.
That said, all of these aforementioned announcements are gentlemen’s agreements. In theory, James and Cousins could still change their minds and sign with the Wizards on veterans’ minimums. How nice would that be! But that also means Howard could sign with another team who may want him — and Green as well.
Of course, this has rarely happened in practice.
Today is the first day free agents can sign deals with their teams. Teams can start making announcements at 12 p.m. Eastern time. Green could sign right away, but the Howard deal may have to wait since there are still some hurdles to clear. First, the Charlotte-Brooklyn trade has to be consummated (yes, Howard is still on the Hornets at the moment), then he has to be officially bought out by the Nets, then he has to clear waivers, and THEN he can finally sign his deal in Washington. UPDATE: That process is now underway.
Is it as flashy as the announcements players make on Twitter or Instagram? No. But it’s the teams’ first chance to give their takes on their new additions, the Wizards included.
Talk about the first day official signings here from all over the NBA. And chat with us tonight in our GameThread when Troy Brown Jr. and the Summer Wizards take on the Summer Cavaliers.