The first three deals of free agency are all positive moves for both the players and teams involved, ESPN’s Zach Kram writes in his free agency tracker.
On Sunday, the Hawks agreed to a one-year, $21MM extension with veteran guard CJ McCollum, a deal that earns an A grade from Kram. McCollum played an unexpectedly large role for Atlanta after coming over in the Trae Young trade. He was largely responsible for the Hawks winning more games against the champion Knicks than any other team that faced New York in the postseason, and he seemed to mesh well with the rest of Atlanta’s core. McCollum can function as a mentor to a young guard if the Hawks go that way with the eighth overall pick, and his ability to play on- or off-ball gives the team lineup flexibility.
The Suns‘ two weekend moves, agreeing to a four-year, $48MM deal with Collin Gillespie and a three-year, $19MM deal with Jordan Goodwin, earned A- and B+ grades, respectively. Kram calls Gillespie one of the most underrated free agents of the summer, while Goodwin’s perimeter defense and offensive rebounding are helpful skills for a Phoenix team lacking in both areas.
Given that the Suns entered free agency $18MM away from the luxury tax line, it’s unclear what the deals for Gillespie and Goodwin will mean for restricted free agent Mark Williams.
We have more news from around the basketball world:
- Greek team Panathinaikos is interested in signing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is not expected to have his $16MM team option picked up by the Clippers, Kevin Martorano writes for Sportando. However, Bogdanovic would seemingly prefer to stay in the NBA for at least one more season, so he will wait to see if any offers emerge before considering moving back to Europe. Reaching the 10th year is a crucial milestone for NBA players, as it grants them lifetime healthcare benefits for themselves and their families. The Nuggets are said to have interest in Bogdanovic.
- Rayan Rupert has replaced Frank Ntilikina for the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying games for France after Ntilikina was ruled out due to medical issues, the Eurohoops team reports. Rupert started this season with the Trail Blazers before joining the Grizzlies on a two-way contract. He averaged 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes per game over 16 contests for Memphis.
- Dakota Mathias has signed a one-year deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers of Australia’s NBL, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reports (via Twitter). Mathias played two seasons in the NBA, for the Sixers and Grizzlies, from 2020-22. He suited up this season in Australia for the last-place Brisbane Bullets, averaging 11.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 36.7% from three.
