Charles Rex ArbogastPhoto by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
The NBA s 2021-22 free-agent period began on Monday with an explosion of agreements.
Nearly all deals won t be official until August 6, after the NBA s annual moratorium. The league s salary cap came in where it was expected to be at $112.414 million, with the luxury tax at $136.606 million.
What are the biggest deals from Day 1 and how do they grade out from the team s perspective?
We ve got you covered below and will be adding more deals and grades throughout the night.
Chicago Bulls Sign-and-Trade for Lonzo Ball
Four Years, $85 million, via Shams Charania of The Athletic
PGs sign quickly; Portis staying put
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The Associated Press
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Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the first half of Game 6 of basketball s NBA Finals Tuesday, July 20, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Point guards were the immediate focus when the NBA s free agency window opened Monday night, with Kyle Lowry headed to the Miami Heat, Lonzo Ball on his way to the Chicago Bulls, and Chris Paul and Mike Conley landing lucrative deals to remain with their current teams.
Also, Bobby Portis (Little Rock Hall, Arkansas Razorbacks) reached an agreement to remain with the world champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Veteran point guard Mike Conley reportedly is set to stay with the Utah Jazz.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the team and Conley are expected to finalize a three-year deal to keep him in Utah.
Conley, 33, played well when healthy in the 2020-21 season with the Jazz, averaging 16.2 points and six assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and a career-high 41.2 percent from three.
Injuries cost him 21 games of the regular season, however, and five games in the postseason. The Jazz were 4-2 in playoff games he appeared in, but lost in six games to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals, going 2-3 in the games he missed in that series.
What will Day 2 bring, as we wait on decisions from stars like Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan?
What deals are getting done, and how are they shifting the balance of power around the league? Let s evaluate all the significant free-agent signings and trades to determine which moves make sense, which are bargains and which are head-scratchers.
ESPN +
Report: Jazz secure Mike Conley on a 3-year deal
Field Level Media
03 Aug 2021, 09:19 GMT+10
The Utah Jazz moved quickly to bring back point guard Mike Conley, agreeing on a three-year, $72.5 million deal, according to ESPN.
Conley, 33, produced 16.2 points and six assists per game last season with Utah, shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the 3-point line and making the first All-Star Game appearance in his career.
Utah finished with the best record in the NBA in the regular season.
After Conley was hurt in the first round of the playoffs, the Jazz fell to the L.A. Clippers in the second round. Conley appeared in only the final game of that series, going 1-for-8 in 26 minutes.