The 2016 NBA Free Agent Class: The Offseason That Damaged a League

[@nickman2345]

Thankfully, 6 years later it's safe to say the NBA has recovered from this. The superteam era, while having brief moments of resurgence, have seen more failures than success with teams who have tried it (Nets & Lakers). The East is the strongest its been since MJ was a Bull, and the West is loaded as hell. Hell, even the Warriors team itself are quite likeable now that they aren't a superteam and have infiltrated youth into the squad. This past season has been the funnest I've had watching the NBA since 2016, right before this dreaded free agency.

[@aariesharris7894]

2015 and ‘16 Warriors had youth too mfs just didn’t like a one team league

[@crazyluigi6664]

Eh, I'd say they're still dislikeable (though I say that as a fan of a rivaling team myself), but not as dislikeable as they were in those dark ages. So yeah, you're a bit right, but not 100% right.

[@gunfighter009]

I think its less that the superteam era has faded and more that, since KD going to the warriors worked so well, it made the rest of the league forget that building a superteam that works is in fact hard as hell and its rare you find a situation as perfect as KD joining the warriors

[@AnotherStatsGuy]

The East was historically strong this year. Charlotte was the 10th seed at 43-39. That's literally never happened before.

[@waltercampbell9787]

Giannis really saved the league. He proved how great and possible it is to win in a small market. Giannis is top 20 all time and part of that bias is because he won in his home town and didn’t dip to a super team for a free ring. Because of him, I don’t see the next generation of stars besides Zion leaving to team up for free rings. Everyone knows Giannis 1 ring > KD 2 rings

[@warlordofbritannia]

Good disclaimer-never blame the players for taking a stupid amount of money Blame the teams for offering players a stupid amount of money

[@ReflectionOfPerfection]

Exactly

[@h2owl205]

Someone needs to tell this to all the Philly fans that blame Tobias Harris for taking his current contract

[@ReflectionOfPerfection]

@@h2owl205 Philly fans are ridiculous anyway

[@ChiefBlue4298]

You are correct, even Tree made a disclaimer on this video before diving into the contracts

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

It was even worse for the NHL that year

[@LifeAdmiral]

Quick thing about Derozen. Toronto was a basketball wasteland until he and Lowry turned the entire culture around. And Derozen WANTED to stay. He did what both Vince Carter and Chris Bosh refused to do: choose to play in Toronto without even checking his FA value.

[@quantrellbishop9263]

Same thing with Conley, he got paid bc of his loyalty to memphis and basically being the best grizzly ever

[@bmac4]

The awkward thing with Toronto too is that you pay more taxes playing there as an American, not just because of Canadian taxes but because America is a greedy fuck who taxes any and all citizens regardless where they work.

[@comebackkid5976]

Loyalty don’t matter bc they got rid of him when they could and the fans didn’t care bc they got a way better player in return

[@J10005]

@@comebackkid5976 We cared quite a bit when he first got traded. We stopped complaining when Kawhi started winning as a Superstar

[@nicholastricarico2957]

@@comebackkid5976 Yeah, Isaiah Thomas learned that the hard way. He was shipped off for a head case in Kyrie Irving, and the sad thing is, it made sense. Thomas wasn't going to succeed in a system where the offense didn't revolve around his strengths. Not to mention being a total negative defensively.

[@michaelhession2105]

I'm so glad that Giannis and the Bucks last year basically ended the era of SuperTeams ruling the league. Now there is much more parity and anything can truly happen in todays NBA.

[@geekymetalhead5112]

I just hope teams like bucks, mavs and nuggets can bring/bring more rings to their superstars

[@MazeDaGr8]

I wouldn't say it's the end of the Superteams era, more like a temporary break from them

[@michaelhession2105]

@@geekymetalhead5112 I agree. Although it'll be harder for them no because the NBA is now turning into the NHL, a league where any team in the playoffs has a legit chance to make it all the way.

[@philly_sports1558]

Even as a Sixers fan, I was so happy that Giannis was able to get his ring after everyone called him a choker (even though he never actually choked - dude averaged insane numbers in previous playoff defeats). It was a great moment.

[@ajevans1422]

To be fair the suns were that also

[@Evan-fw6wt]

the three constants in life: Death Taxes Sportsball being sponsored by Seatgeek

[@Damian_1989]

Or draft kings lol

[@clubpenguin13531]

@@Damian_1989 or Raycon

[@theleap2946]

What people also forgot is a little provision that Chris Paul used for himself and Lebron James….ultimately screwing themselves. The change in the salary cap also brought a self serving change in the super max provision, moving the last year you could receive super max money from 35 to 37. Lebron and Paul got their late super max cash but it allowed the Warriors to sign Durant and steal many of their best chances to win titles. Who knows what would have happened if these two things didn’t happen.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

The contract that the Rockets signed for CP3 blew up in their faces, oh, the Succubus

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

If you think KD would have gone elsewhere over $2 million, you're as deluded as these smooth brains who think every title has an asterisk. Nothing more toxic than the moronic NBA discussions.

[@geordiejones5618]

Honestly the way players are aging now that'll go down as good foresight. I mean lets be real Jordan only came back for an insane amount of money at the time. Everyone wants to win but after that first title the money is always better, now more than ever bc you can leverage so many different things. Jordan and now Bron are billionaires doing it.

[@theleap2946]

@@geordiejones5618 it’s not a bad thing, just saying they aggressively pushed the timeline up for all these changes. I get angry at any player that disses Chris Paul. Without him they would not be able to make the insane money they can command. Even if he doesn’t win a title the future millionaires of the NBA should bow to him. It was the biggest jump in average salary in years

[@Tyrunner0097]

What's interesting is that if OKC had known the salary cap spike was going to happen, they could've afforded to keep Harden and not trade him to Houston to keep below the cap. OKC keeps Harden, and it's likely Durant then stays, and it soon becomes a Big 3 of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden, at the height of their powers.

[@philly_sports1558]

Fortunately, the NBA now seems like there’s been more parity than there’s been in a very long time. Going into the playoffs this year (and even last year), it felt like at least 10 teams had legit shots at winning it all compared to only like 3 or 4 from 2017-2020. The league seems like it’s in better shape moving forward and the age of the superteam is hopefully coming to a close.

[@shermanngjazz]

Yep, the East isn't that bad anymore. A bit more balanced with the East-West conferences.

[@louisrosenberg8042]

Last offseason and the draft helped boost the East. Raptors got back into the playoffs after drafting Scottie Barnes and the Cavs made the play in after drafting Mobley. Bulls got Caruso, Lonzo, and DeRozan. Heat reloaded and the Hawks brought basically everyone back. Injuries hurt the West but certain teams basically did nothing to improve.

[@UHOH_415]

It’s perfectly balanced. As all things should be.

[@rickykozak58]

I’d agree partially, the parity only showed up once KD left San Fran

[@ajevans1422]

@@louisrosenberg8042 I mean if you look at all the teams except for Brooklyn and to an extent Miami and maybe Philly. The teams put more emphasis on depth and building their core through the draft. Most team’s key players are home grown.

[@joshuacaranci5967]

On the Pat Mcafee show this morning, he reported that he knows who you are and was "unaware you are a draft expert" Tree has officially made it

[@Chuck_EL]

Well Pat is a West Virginian so he knows about the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates I assume he's a fan , I found out about tree from a Steelers NFL forum some girl posted his "days of our Steelers" videos in 2017

[@LeeGHThomas]

@@Chuck_EL he’s from pittsburg, he just went to college in WV

[@gauravagochiya4218]

I found out about Tree through Troydan’s original reaction channel. That reaction got me hooked onto his content and I loved watching his videos ever since

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Well, anyone is better than Kiper, so

[@Tsweeney12584]

Pat McAfee is a fuckin joke

[@maseonten2578]

I remember my homie saying “Watch KD go to the Warriors or sum” as a joke because no one thought he would do something like that😂😂😂😂

[@dominiqueodom3099]

As a new basketball fan who got into the sport after Witnessing Steph Curry's first MVP year and sitting through the 2015/16 season,I feel like KD really had no other viable option.

[@russellwestbrook462]

@@dominiqueodom3099 why? he had tons of options but the warriors were the easiest route

[@xylynthian753]

@@russellwestbrook462 and people forget the main reason the Thunder lost in the 2016 WCF was because of KD going ice cold in the back half of the series. But nah everybody only blamed Westbrook and Billy Donovan for the Thunder's problems.

[@isaacsorrels4077]

I love how for like 7 minutes this video turned into "The Trailblazers: the off-season's lolcow". God, our team is the worst at building a team.

[@12th_man_cam93]

Terrible contracts, Its the basis for never win a championship for your franchise player, it's shocking how he's still committed to the blazers for all of there incompetence there is, as a native of Portland it's just becomes the standard

[@dominiqueodom3099]

As a fan of Golden State who lives in Beaverton,watching Damian Lillard get wasted on the Blazers over the past few years has been nothing but sad. And my god,I still remember people talking about that Allen Crabbe Contract the most out of those terrible signings.

[@limpwhale]

They need to do one on the Utah Jazz. I know they are good but when it comes to the playoffs they sell….HARD

[@duffal0]

All you have now is Anfernee Simons who will probably look elsewhere so hes not stuck behind Dame🤦‍♂️

[@duffal0]

Kool aid and frozen pizza

[@christianholbrook2686]

The reason why the NBA is so much more exciting now than it was in 2016 is mostly because there is an insane amount of young talent in this league that is actually living up to expectations. Giannis, Jokic and Embiid are gonna dominate the league for at least the next 5 years barring injuries. Guys like Booker, Morant, Doncic and Tatum are hungry for titles and MVP's. Guys like Trae Young and KAT are developing stars as well. The old guard of the NBA is all on the wrong side of 30 and I think we need to stop thinking of guys like Durant, Harden, Kawhi and LeBron as automatic finals guys. If they do make it at all anymore they're gonna have to get past alot of great players on alot of different teams that can actually give them a run for their money.

[@n25bast]

Yeah, I remember all the analysis about how deep the 2013 and 2014 drafts were. While there was some huge talent in those drafts (Giannis, Embiid, Smart, Jokic, Gobert, Lavine, Oladipo), those were very role-player heavy drafts

[@Djinn667]

When was Harden ever and automatic Finals guy?

[@prestigev6131]

Not to mention that this has been one of the best rookie classes in recent memory as Barnes, Mobley, and Cunningham are future superstars in the making

[@duffal0]

Classic SGA being snubbed

[@imnotblindbutiloveblindfol8449]

@@duffal0 That and Dejonte Murry

[@UHOH_415]

“The T-Wolves are somehow relevant!” Yeah, and they blow two double digit leads in the same game. But it’s Minnesota. That’s typical for them.

[@puljudefender]

As a Twolves fan that hurts but it's true

[@shermanngjazz]

I know that the TWolves are gonna lose in the 1st round but jeez I expected a better performance from them

[@AnotherStatsGuy]

For Minnesota, just making the playoffs is progress. Outside of 2004, they've never won a single playoff series.

[@Charles_Groebs]

We’re taking what we can get at this point. This is the first time we have had a competitive team since the Bush Administration.

[@dukudigga3179]

Towns got better in the regular season this year, but Butler although a dick was right. Come playoff time he melts like cheese. Edwards is out future.

[@austinemms9772]

There’s no doubt that the Durant signing ruined the league. The increase in the salary cap allowed competitive teams to stay competitive and it forced teams that lost its star player to tank. Tanking was around back then but it got worse with the Durant signing.

[@Promaster12]

He should have stayed with the thunder 😡

[@shermanngjazz]

@@Promaster12 Nah he wasn't gonna win a title with Westbrook. I was expecting KD to go to the Celtics/Wizards.

[@aariesharris7894]

Lol teams have been tanking since the 80’s. That same year you’re mentioning (2016) the Sixers won 10 games before KD left in free agency. What really benefitted tanking culture was the change in lottery rules that allowed every team in the bottom 3 to have the same chance at the 1st pick

[@Promaster12]

@@shermanngjazz We were one game from the finals and up 3-1 against the 73-9 warriors

[@shermanngjazz]

@@Promaster12 I think the Cavs would've beaten the Thunder if OKC made the finals and I don't think KD wanna play with Westbrook anymore at that point.

[@Noah-je2xj]

The good news is that it feels like the NBA could be entering a period of increased player loyalty. Sure, players like James harden and Ben Simmons have forced their way out, but those players players already had massive question marks from age, but play style, or injury. And the clear top 3 players in the league, Embiid, Giannis, and Jokic, all intend to spend the rest of their careers with their current team.

[@waltercampbell9787]

@Reel Tawk yep. Giannis winning really helped every small market team by showing the rewards of loyalty

[@drinfernodds]

@Fries ESPN seemed lost trying to cover last year's finals without LeBron, Curry, or a big market team. If it weren't for Giannis I think they would've treated it like they treat the 2005 World Series

[@jamiemillington6023]

@Fries media despise it cause there’s no money in it. Talking heads can argue about loyalty vs being a snake when players move, and bang on about the pressure on players for moving. Loyalty = status quo = good for team fans but bad for discourse

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Embiid is also a great player in every aspect when he actually plays

[@wyattcaldwell1790]

Jokic comin to Dallas to form the Balkan Bros sorry

[@johnoriley4669]

I will never forget looking at my phone at 12:12am when the first free agent signing was Mozgov to the Lakers for $64 million, crazy offseason

[@thattimestampguy]

3:12 Mike Conley, $153M Memphis 4:09 DeMarDerozan $139M 4:46 Andre Drummond $130M 5:25 Nicholas Batum $120M F 6:21 Marvin Williams $54.5M 7:00 Dwight Howard $70.5M 7:39 Kent Bazemore $70M 8:17 Loul Deng $72M 8:59 Timothy Mozgov $64M 9:36 Allen Crabbe $75M 10:28 Evan Turner $70M 11:09 Mo Harkless $40M 11:44 -Festus Ezeli- 12:23 Meyers Leonard 12:41 Joakim Noah 13:22 Courtney Lee 13:53 Harrison Barnes $94M 14:38 Tyler Johnson $50M 15:19 Ian Mahini $64M 16:08 Solomon Hill $52M 17:08 Matthew Dellavadova $38.5M 17:51 Mira Telotovic 18:23 Miles Plumlee $50M!!!!! 19:07 -Chandler Parsons- $94M 20:02 Ryan Anderson $80M 20:54 Al Jefferson 21:19 -John Leuer- $42M 21:58 Cole Aldrich $22M 22:14 Bismarck Biyombo $72M 22:59 Jeremy Lin $36M 23:25 Hasan Whiteside $98M 24:11 this is long enough Too much sub-par players getting over their worth pay.

[@nomaxxin]

Putting KD on that 16’ Warriors team is debatably more powerful than putting KD on the 96’ Bulls and I wish more people would realize that.

[@Arms1234]

Casual

[@ExoTikSalSA]

Not even close the bulls would've swept almost everybody I dont see them losing more than 4 playoff games with KD

[@demonkingbadger6689]

96 bulls? He would have to play center. The rest of the starters were too damn good defensively to bench.

[@Aburner960]

@@ExoTikSalSA curry klay and dray are significantly more portable then mj pippen and rodman

[@nomaxxin]

The 17-18’ Warriors imo would beat any team ever.. 2001 Lakers, 96’ Bulls, 80s Celtics and lakers, 2012 Heat, etc.

[@kanebooker3216]

And the scary thing was, most of these guys we’re getting paid more the Stephen Curry at the time. Curry was I think halfway into on a 4 year, $44m contract and some analysts said this was a bad contract because of his ankle injuries 😂😂

[@Chuck_EL]

And they won the championship this year

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Don't forget that he pays a lot of taxes because of California laws

[@adamjohnson3720]

Crazy to know that we're almost six years into the future from this free agency period. I remember it all like it was yesterday.

[@Cloud121D]

As a Magic fan, I still have nightmares of the Biyambo signing and the absolute log jam we had at center. Ugh....

[@Free-4554]

Is it bad to be paid millions while underperforming or being injured? Yes Is it bad to ruin a team’s performance due to your contract? Yes But is it good to steal from rich sports owners? ABSOLUTELY YES

[@aandwdabest]

James Dolan, sell the team. For a maximum price of $1.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@aandwdabest considering the lawsuits he has, that could be his gain after all of this

[@benf.4452]

A UrinatingTree NBA content gem… I can go into this weekend happy. Well done brother!

[@cdprice]

Remember, ladies & gentlemen, in 2016, the 76ers were deep into the process and altogether avoided overpaying veterans in the Free agent market. So if people want to say the process was a terrible idea it was either this or completely destroy the Market by pulling a Jags move and way overpaid for a below-average veteran

[@ethanjobson3879]

Not true at all. Look at what Nets did from this off-season to 2018-19 with even less assets to start. That’s a real rebuild.

[@freeparking301]

It was nice not seeing the Sixers have any signings that made this list. Now if only they can actually win a championship. Pull the Brinks truck up to Jay Wright’s house! I know he said he wants to just be retired but if the GM can make eight figures in Philly so can the coach!

[@n25bast]

@@ethanjobson3879 Is it really? They were first round food. I'm not a Sixers fan, but the whole point of The Process™ was to build a title contending team, not to barely finish above .500 and scrape into the playoffs, and that's what they've done.

[@PADRII]

@@freeparking301 He's 60. He deserves to rest after coaching Nova (or do what he's meant to do: model suits.)

[@freeparking301]

@@PADRII Hope I look that good when I’m 60! He does deserve a break and I would be shocked if he were to have a “Tom Brady” retirement unless of course it’s to do the suit thing.

[@ActivBowser9177]

UrinatingTree referring to Porzingis as "Tingus Pingus" had me rolling!

[@zetastreaker47]

Trust me UTree, I think we all still find it hard to believe that Kobe’s dead.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

I'm an aspiring pilot with no interest in basketball, and even I was shaken. There were many lessons to learn from the accident for sure.

[@CJEstradaMartinez]

I couldn't believe Kobe was dead when the crash occurred, and I still can't believe he's gone.

[@zetastreaker47]

@@CJEstradaMartinez My friend texted me about it and my jaw hit the floor.

[@outlawrip-offartist4161]

@@zetastreaker47 it’s been two years since he died.

[@zetastreaker47]

@@outlawrip-offartist4161 It’ll be 1,000 years and I will still find it hard to believe he’s dead.

[@Worldsportstalk24]

Biyombo got paid for his game 3 and 4 performance from the conference finals against the Cavs that year. I loved him as a Raptor and am very glad we have Masai calling the shots

[@dpx5000]

Finally an NBA video from the legend himself, you've gotta make more man

[@The_Gamer_91]

He doesn't particularly care about the NBA anymore.

[@theycallmejakefromstatefar3395]

@@The_Gamer_91 hopefully with the leagues new parody he'll make more vids

[@phenom2012]

Me too, I hope he makes more NBA vids,

[@shermanngjazz]

@@phenom2012 He'll make a Haters Guide to the 2022 NBA Finals for sure.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

It's kinda like his NHL & MLB vids, it's only interesting during the trade deadline and pre-/postseason and off-season. Anything in-between, no one cares about.

[@shermanngjazz]

When I was living in the Bay Area from 2009-2020, I was rooting for the Warriors and I was ecstatic when the Warriors got KD. But as a basketball fan I was shocked because I thought KD would go to the Wizards or Celtics. But now I'm indifferent about the NBA but I'm glad there's a bit of parity back in the league

[@premo2k781]

My exact feeling

[@fio6620]

A bit of parity, but gsw is still going to end up winning lmao

[@shermanngjazz]

@@fio6620 Yeah Phoenix don't have Booker rn 😅😅

[@philly_sports1558]

I'm also very happy that Durant is getting exposed on the Nets now. In Game 2 against Boston, he went 0-10 in the second half and was probably the biggest reason why his team choked that game away. Not so easy when you don't have a 73 win team with you, huh, KD?

[@UHOH_415]

Same feeling man.

[@k3nnyisaw3som3]

I'm currently at the Meyers Leonard segment and I just came to a realization... the videos only half over at this point. Good Lord, what a mess of an offseason

[@ataxcollector695]

Lakers fan here. The crazy thing was that we didn't even need Deng or Mozgov anyway because we were clearly rebuilding. It wasn't like we were an upstart playoff team that needed a couple of veterans for a deep playoff run. That was also the last parting gift of Jim Buss/Mitch Kupchak. So... thanks... thanks a lot for that 😐

[@ChairmanMo]

Sadly Jeannie Buss has shown that she is not any better. When the Lakers started rebuilding; they traded all their draft picks and talent to do the same star chasing shit again. The Lakers are fucked for the remainder of this decade. Even Jim Buss did not fuck up so badly.

[@ataxcollector695]

@@ChairmanMo Yeah. I always think, "Was that ring worth it, when we could've built a dynasty through the draft?" If we would've had a better coach than Luke Walton in 2016, we could've been competitive for years to come.

[@MKISports]

I could tell that the Buss' children couldn't do the job well, especially in the past and current transactions the Lakers had in the last 10 years. And the late Dr. Jerry Buss is rolling in his grave already on what his Lakers are doing.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@ataxcollector695 the Kings agree

[@masatoshik870]

So basically, the 2016 Charlotte Hornets were the NBA version of the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars?

[@sandianexpress1198]

nah that's the Sacramento Kings

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

More like the 2019 version

[@seanragsdale5636]

I will never forgive my Hawks for signing Howard. Al Horford was my favorite player of that era, and instead of trying to continue to build around him, we pissed him off, he left, and still performed well elsewhere. And hence how we dug ourselves a hole that with 2021 being the exception we're still stuck in.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And then the 76ers wasted him

[@MKISports]

You know as a Laker fan, when I see that Luol Deng's and Timofey Mozgov's contracts, I was like... "WTF are you doing, Mitch Kupchak?!" That FA move was the final nail on his coffin as the Lakers GM at that point. And that was also the downfall of Jim Buss as well.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

That was when we realized he had Ken Holland syndrome

[@gauravagochiya4218]

It didn’t get much better with Jeanie Buss other than the bubble championship so did you REALLY recover from that era?

[@shorewall]

@@gauravagochiya4218 Man, I feel like the Buss kids are Dumb and Dumber. :D

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Pelinka got lucky LeBron and AD came to save the day

[@redben1252]

I feel like the WR market this year is similar to this. The question is who else is going to be in the extreme overpay group with Christian Kirk.

[@vince11harris]

Well the Jags made the playoffs so I would say that Kirk has earned his money…….. so far

[@jasonedwards6501]

The DeRozen signing had more of a ripple effect than that. He went unnoticed in San Antonio until his contract was up. Chicago signed him for a bargain (which some STILL said was too much), and now the Bulls are slugging it out with the defending Champions in the playoffs after being left out for 5 years. So, yeah...

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And then the Spurs started their long-overdue rebuild, for the record, one of the picks involved was their 2022 second-rounder, which was then traded for the Lakers' 2024 second-round pick, and now people barely know Kennedy Chandler and we only hope the Laker collapse goes on

[@jakemitchell6578]

Even though I understand Memphis fans hating his contract, I never fully understood the hate for Parsons. Can’t control injuries, and he was clearly a good to borderline great piece when healthy.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And his career ended in such a sad way

[@radien239]

Fucked my Wizards whole window up. The KD to DC move failed so Grunfeld went and dropped 64 mill 4 years on Ian Mahimi and exorbitant contract to Andrew Nicholson which we had to attach a first to get rid of

[@baxatakbaxatak2014]

Fast forward and Grunfeld disciple Tommy Sheppard paid big bucks to Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, only for those signings to completely explode in his face.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Wizards are forever cursed. Maybe they should rename themselves the Bullets again so they can have a legit reason to shoot themselves

[@radien239]

@@baxatakbaxatak2014 only difference is he could flip them for a positive asset rather than have to attach assets to get rid of them

[@baxatakbaxatak2014]

@@radien239 Everyone loves Kristaps until he gets injured. It shouldn’t be too long now.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

@@baxatakbaxatak2014 at least Dinwiddie is doing fine in Dallas

[@Yeen125]

Dishonorable mention (in hindsight): The deal with China that helped raise the salary cap would come back to haunt the league when a certain GM made comments criticizing the Chinese government over their handling of the Hong Kong protests...

[@ChairmanMo]

But sales of VPN services went through the roof in China!

[@seanblaze4788]

Which lead to the creation of the play-in tournament

[@duffal0]

Tbf basketball is the most popular sport in China now due to that

[@robertjohn8711]

@@duffal0 basketball was popular before that? Yao Ming?

[@duffal0]

@@robertjohn8711 among age groups below the age of 50 Basketball is by far the KOD tpopular sport in China. Especially with the rise of the Chinese basketball league (CBA) where a lot of lower end NBA players play

[@KickItToTheKing]

Chandler Parsons (when signed) was a great fit to sign for Memphis at the time because of his 3 point shot and he could the 1 void in the Grit and Grind Era, a small forward who could get his own. What happened? Injuries and he basically stole money from the Grizzlies. Thank God our current GM (when hired, his 1st priority was to) got rid of Parsons!

[@vaclevsta]

Yeah, it's too bad. Parsons would never have lived up to that contract, but he was a legit player before injuries wrecked his career

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I think Hornet fans would rather eat a bag of cement throw it up regurgitate then throw that up again than have to be reminded of Nicolas Batum

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

The Clippers thanks them for their incompetence

[@benjaminbremer4261]

Disagree. Since the Durant signing, the league has been super competitive. 10b years ago if someone would’ve said Toronto and Milwaukee would win a title you would’ve been laughed at

[@christianholbrook2686]

That has nothing to do with the Durant signing, it's mostly because there is an insane amount of young talent in this league that is actually living up to expectations. Giannis, Jokic and Embiid are gonna dominate the league for at least the next 5 years barring injuries. Guys like Booker, Morant, Doncic and Tatum are hungry for titles and MVP's. Guys like Trae Young and KAT are developing stars as well. The old guard of the NBA is all on the wrong side of 30 and I think we need to stop thinking of guys like Durant and LeBron as automatic finals guys. If they do make it at all anymore they're gonna have to get past alot of great players on alot of different teams that can actually give them a run for their money.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

@@christianholbrook2686 I agree, it’s the young gun’s time now in the NBA

[@tylerdaniel8956]

Just ignore the whole back to back warriors finals and how Toronto doesn’t win a title of Durant is healthy.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And also because the Warriors collapsed after bringing too many egos and everyone getting injured

[@FunnyDude119]

Bro Solomon Hill got a 12 million dollar a year contract off of averaging 15 minutes per game the season before. This free agency was absolutely nutty.

[@uncreative5766]

In absolute fairness to Harrison Barnes, he was limited as shown when Steve Kerr surrounded him with better players in the starting lineup, be it Klay, Dray, and Steph. Unfortunately he never panned out in Dallas, and that contract from Sacramento isn't his fault. He got it in 2019, which was a weak free agency market, except for KD and his torn Achilles.

[@seand1011]

That's right, he OPTED OUT of the final year of that deal he signed so he could ink a new 4 year deal that expires in 2023. The Kings also signed a bunch of other "meh" players to crap deals, too.

[@ChairmanMo]

@@seand1011 The Kings are still the Kings.

[@ChairmanMo]

2019 was not a weak free agency market. You had Kawhi, KD, Kyrie on the market.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And Kawhi just wanted to return home to LA, I bet the money didn't matter that much

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@seand1011 and they took too long to finally rebound

[@TheDetonation]

Plumlee got paid as much as Connor fucking McDavid per season? That tilts me beyond belief, wow.

[@nicholastricarico2957]

The economic power of China, ladies and gentlemen.

[@nicholastricarico2957]

@Fries Best player in the NHL.

[@Ibelikemj]

@Fries literally the best player in the NHL. I should add there is a salary cap of $82 Million a year in the NHL so it’s hard to get paid well in that league since it dosent have China to bank off of with money. I think the max contract per year was $28 Mil a year with Sergei Federov because of a offer sheet.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Priorities, right?

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@Ibelikemj well, they do have Russia, but it's not the same influence

[@largechips]

Matthew Dellavedova now plays for my local team in the Australian NBL, in case you were wondering where he is since then. He's doing pretty well, and he's helped us get the top seed for the finals.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Which team?

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

My answer: Alex Garcia was drafted by the Spurs in one of the years they didn't win, then he returned to Brazil and also became a top player, he still has good memories from his time at the NBA as well

[@nickman2345]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of requests for this but the Utah Jazz are next up on the LOF video clock. Especially given if they lose they're likely hitting the nuke with Gobert & Mitchell.

[@phenom2012]

I agree, this team always seen to make the playoffs just to underachieve

[@RicardoAGuitar]

@@phenom2012 I don't know if underachieve is the right word. I just think that if your best player is too one-sided (Gobert, defensively, on these Jazz teams; Nash, offensively, for the SSOL Suns), your margin for error shrinks. During the season it's not a problem because of a variety of opponents, travel, injuries and rest days, but if one good team has seven games to defend against four players instead of five (because of Gobert's limitations), the Jazz would have to be almost perfect on offense to make it work. Losing Ingles only made the problem that much worse. Some really good teams are not well-equipped to go deep into the playoffs, and the Utah Jazz of the past five years or so are one of those teams. Milwaukee in the 80s, the Spurs in the 90s (before Tim Duncan), the Suns of the 00s.

[@nintendo8127]

I think the Suns of the 2000’s don’t belong on the list. Remember, Suns fans don’t forget 2007, and feel they got robbed. I don’t blame them. As for us, I agree. I am not too well-versed with the 90s. But in the 2000’s, we overachieved, if anything. I felt the only time we underachieved since I started watching the NBA was this season, last season, and the season previous.

[@MKISports]

Make it a half century of failure from the Pistol Pete days in New Orleans, that Stockton-Malone era, and the Deron Williams era.

[@Qball42]

@@phenom2012 They are the Minnesota Vikings of the NBA, I'm afraid.

[@Tdrummer888]

The 2017/2018 KD Warriors finals were the worst playoffs and finals I’ve ever watched. 0 competition, Zaza Pachulia purposefully injuring Kawhi, it was the worst I’ve ever seen the NBA. Even Kevin Durant’s game winning shots over LeBron legit only made both series worse, series the Warriors had 0 change of losing anyway. It was absolute garbage If Kevin Durant wasn’t a coward, we could’ve got a legit rematch to the 2016 finals…

[@TyTheTurtle]

This is happening in the NFL now too. Most elite WRs getting record money, CBs getting massively overpaid, QBs making egregious amounts of money, and even more.

[@LeeGHThomas]

Yes watching how mahomes and Watson got paid it boggles my mind that any team that pays a QB will be able to win a championship moving forward.

[@choco-une]

Mahomes won’t win no more rings at all

[@duffal0]

Nowhere near the nba level though

[@choco-une]

@Kevin Green I’m not a broncos fan lol, I think the chiefs will still be better

[@palmer.jake1]

4:04 "I just wish the Jazz would win something besides agony" Bruh as a depressingly loyal Jazz fan this sums up how I feel better than I could ever say it

[@nintendo8127]

Me being a Jazz, Reds, Flyers, and Arizona Cardinals fan: somehow the Jazz are the one team that doesn’t make me question my sanity.

[@mitch5944]

Lol at least you're not a kings fan

[@cheaboiMWA]

You're gonna hate it more: It's probably time to think about a rebuild. The Jazz can't compete in the West in their current form.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@nintendo8127 look at the choice of your teams, kinda expected

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And now Conley will be wasted again, but by the Lakers

[@wilderac2250]

You bringing up up Jon Leur, Mathew dellavadova, tellenevic, and plumlee reminded me just how desperate the bucks were back then.

[@jacksonbear1]

It’s crazy how I remember all the madness like yesterday. KD is viewed as a saint in the Bay Area but a traitor in OKC

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Nah, he's viewed as a traitor everywhere he left, even though those weren't completely his fault, he changed a lot since leaving Oklahoma, at least he isn't Kyrie or Harden

[@dbeast03]

This was the prime superteam era. Nobody happy, bad signings everywhere, just about every team fucked for a few years. Thank god superteams are starting to fade again, if nothing else teams are just adapting to superteams being possible and getting better at countering that kind of play.

[@harper-leightonscott4566]

Bucks warriors and suns arent superteams?

[@dbeast03]

@@harper-leightonscott4566 Superteams aren't gone exactly, but the league isn't top heavy to the point where only like 4 teams have a shot at the championship, and that takes a lot out of the punch of super teams existing in the first place because the reason that term even exists was to show how dominant teams with massive star power and even more massive contracts could be. I'm not much of a person to argue definitions, but I think you could definitely consider some teams superteams right now, though I'm not exactly sure how I'd define it.

[@harper-leightonscott4566]

@@dbeast03 realistically only about 4-5 teams have a shot this year. Celts bucks warriors suns and heatits just the margin between contenders and pretenders are slimmer.

[@dbeast03]

@@harper-leightonscott4566 Maybe that's a good way to say what I'm getting at actually, the margins are slimmer than they have been, but still not a clean slope in odds for the top 10 teams. Though, potential superteams failing also has a ton to do with why I think that superteams, at least in dominance, are fading a bit. I mean, as the other person in this thread mentioned, the Lakers and Nets going for a super team hasn't exactly worked as planned.

[@harper-leightonscott4566]

@@jqwiiiiqqirmnsnnsnnsnnsmjjrj if struggling in the first round invalidates super team status I don't know what to say to you. 2018 Cavs went 7 in the 1st 2019 warriors went 6 against the Clippers that's a stupid argument.

[@JOakes32]

it’s definitely a sight to see when tree posts an NBA video !!! 🔥

[@zacharyzwi2954]

There should be more of these types of videos. Free agency makes up so much of off-season enjoyment of the nba. It’s a cool idea to look back at free agency classes to see how they affected the league and NBA history.

[@Tyrunner0097]

It should be noted that the Bucks' signings here were courtesy of John Hammond, whose legacy will be sugar-coated because he managed to draft Giannis and trade for Middleton (which was more due to Joe Dumas' incompetence). Thank God Lasry and Edens got Hammond to go to Orlando, where he still is today (Pray for ScooterMagruder), and got a much more competent GM, Jon Horst, who assembled the Bucks' championship team around Giannis and Khris.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And all they needed was Jrue and fail on the Bogdanovic trade to keep their depth (although it cost them a second-round pick)

[@hecksters423]

2:10 Even the "Those who have rings" have a set of tiers of their own: Those with over a .500 finals record (Your MJs, the KBs, and D.Wades) and those below .500 (The Wilts, Lebrons, even Mr. Clutch himself)

[@damianpresha9833]

That don't matter cause Finals are won by teams not individuals. The fact you got Wade there and mentioned Lebron who won the FMVPs and two MVPs while being his teammate is ridiculous.

[@maryshaw9541]

So glad we can have many teams be good again and it isn't just LeBron's team or the Warriors. Infact from 2011 - 2020 finals it was either one of those, that is how bad that decade was. In that time period a grand total of 8 teams made the finals, And remember the Laker, Raptors, Thunder, and Mavericks made it once. Spurs, Warriors, Cavs, Heat made it multiple times. And considering 9 of those teams had LeBron there was basically no parity. Damn shame LeBron one 4 rings made the Finals 9 times and the Warriors made it 5 straight years winning 3 rings. Glad this decade will have many good teams like the Mavs, Celtics, Heat, Grizzlies, Jazz, Sixers, Warriors, Clippers, Pelicans, Bucks, Suns, Raptors, Cavs, Timberwolves, Nets, Nuggets, Lakers, Knicks

[@surgingchaos]

Yeah, the fact that everyone outside of LeBron in the East was hot garbage at the time had a big part to do in it. LeBron could just sleepwalk to the Finals every season. The East has finally gotten better now. It took a while for the Raps and Bucks to get there. Sixers were in full-blown Process mode. Celtics finally rebuilt their team with help from Billy King. Not only that, but LeBron bolting to the Lakers also meant his pathway back to the Finals in the West wasn't the cakewalk that it was in the East.

[@damianpresha9833]

@@surgingchaos It was only a cakewalk cause he is the greatest player of his ERA and the East not as weak people say it was. All these teams now just don't have a Lebron caliber player even Giannis was able to get hurt and his team finished off the Hawks without him.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@damianpresha9833 nah, the East took some time to get better, the West is still insane though

[@damianpresha9833]

@@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza The East always had talent the only reason you say that now is cause there is no clear best player in the East.

[@nintendo8127]

I was thinking after doing a Reds video (because they really need it), Blazers need a video as well. They are one franchise that I don’t know what they are doing, planning, or best option for them.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Well, the Reds vid is done, so maybe Dame and his band of you're fucked are next

[@jakeselig7410]

I'm happy the NBA has recovered quickly from the Warriors induced lack of parity, now even the Warriors are a likable team I'd say, and more then 3 teams have had a legitimate shot of winning the NBA Finals the past two seasons, and we got a Finals featuring two teams that aren't mega markets.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

Very true, and even though the Warriors bandwagon fans will be annoying again, this Warriors team is much more likable than the others

[@cheaboiMWA]

Now both finalists from 2021 are gone! Final 4: Miami, Boston, Dallas, and Golden State.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Back to 2015

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@ChiefBlue4298 still better than Lakers fans, trust me

[@jakelaponder7565]

Honestly you made a really good point out of Al this despite never stating it, the biggest winners of this off season were two teams, the warriors who spent the increased Cap in the best way possible and the nets who used to increased Cap to cause utter pandomonium in the league and bassically get A leg up on there rebuild because of it

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

They had at one point Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, then they pissed it all away with the Harden trade

[@ReflectionOfPerfection]

I legit burst out laughing when you got to Biyombo. In baseball terms thats like giving superstar money to Hank Conger

[@ChairmanMo]

At least as a person Biyombo was not a locker room cancer or scumbag in general.

[@michaelstein7510]

I totally forgot about Hank Conger. He was one of those guys you were always surprised stayed in the league from year to year.

[@bigbenssearchhistory5875]

THE GOT A BIGTIME SHOUT OUT ON THE PAT MCAFEE SHOW!!! Congrats man…I’m a huge fan. You deserve it

[@Giessepe]

I’m glad you put that disclaimer like I get why people don’t like kd leaving but cmon that man did the right thing. He was going nowhere with okc. Easy chip and bag for him. Business decisions

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Now imagine if he went to the Celtics and then Kyrie would join him earlier, it would crazy and their rebuild wouldn't happen the way it did, the Wizards just can't do shit

[@MrDreamTeamGamer]

Every now and again your vids float into my recommended and I always enjoy them so I’m finally subscribing

[@jay7568]

Jeremy Lin was pretty good before the injuries both him and Russell were a good back court duo

[@ChairmanMo]

Jeremy Lin was rarely ever given a chance to shine! He is getting some retroactive good karma for getting wasted on the Fakers, the Rockets and for putting up with constant racists chants in the Ivey League's NCAA division (which no one protested against by the way!).

[@seanblaze4788]

@@ChairmanMo especially since Melo killed Linsanity. Lin got a ring b4 Carmelo😭😭😭

[@ChairmanMo]

@@seanblaze4788 hahahahha to MELO.

[@sergiowinter5383]

@@ChairmanMo To claim racism you need to have the right skin color. White and yellow are not the right colors

[@ChairmanMo]

@@sergiowinter5383 Yes that is right according to the Shitlibs of America.

[@Arnuski]

I'll never blame the players for the shitshow, I'll always blame the system for shitting the show, at the end of the day, they want to secure their families and a little bit of money cash is always good for

[@sergiowinter5383]

Better to have bad players earning big money than making the owners even more rich while the players see their salaries shrink over time, like in MLB

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@sergiowinter5383 or simply be treated like crap, like in the NHL

[@MadMadMunoz]

Great video Tree!! Although as a Blazer fan my wounds have been reopened, some of them I forgot I had!

[@pedrosaad271]

I’ve gotta do my due diligence and thank you for putting out a basketball related video tree. It ain’t too often that I get to watch my favorite sports youtuber cover my favorite sport!

[@gutetime3039]

You know what I love about urinating tree when he refers to players or situations with medical terms that legitimately describe the situation. I gotta say I'm thoroughly impressed. Well done sir, sincerely an ACCS medical worker.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

I think he did that more in other vids

[@conor-909]

I gotta say, I know you don’t make a lot of basketball vids but they’re always great especially the nets one

[@rushilb6]

I didn’t have my phone on me when KD went to the warriors so when I found out me and 3 other guys were legitimately shocked

[@Keegan.999]

I love vids like this, this brings me back even to years like 2017 and 2018 remembering these players as having terrible contacts just a year or two after signing

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I see Joakim Noah is doing his best Jason Momoa impersonation

[@dripshameless5605]

Respect to you for that disclaimer. Nuance can be especially rare on KZbin. Great video!

[@johnquach8821]

Maybe do a "Historical Tank Bowl" video? The pre-draft Lottery era NBA was a tanking bonanza. In fact, that was one reason why the draft lottery occurred.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

It would be great considering the generational talents involved

[@a.cronglin6541]

Great job with the Jet Set Radio Future music playing in the background. SUCH A GREAT SOUNDTRACK!

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Well someone made the money Dinosaur who has no friends really happy!

[@johnjolley998]

This might’ve been the most troubling video I have ever seen and I vividly remember this off-season anyways

[@connorbeuy3691]

Give it a couple of years and we’ll have a similar video along the lines of ‘How that Christian Kirk contract reshaped NFL free agency’.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Don't forget "No-Hands" Evan Engram

[@hawkeye0378]

I spent this entire video saying “oh yeah, I remember him”

[@DeVine22305076]

I almost cried laughing when Solomon signed for that much

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

From the same GM that delayed AD's exit, thank God they got Zion for 10 games each season

[@Nathanielhiggerson66]

As an Europan, a Finn to be more specific even though I only follow the NHL I still love all these vids about different leagues. I actually learned the rules and basics of ”american” football just to get a hang of whats being talked about. Love the days of our steelers.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Welcome, man, Kimi is a legend in every sense

[@masterofdisguise1112]

Oh, yes! I remember the time when Durant ruined the NBA.. Good Times...

[@michaelhession2105]

And then the league was saved by the Greek Freak in 2021.

[@elecsoto2929]

So everyone just gonna forget bout when Lebron had the “big three” back in Miami? Seems to me like that ruined the NBA but I guess it doesn’t even get mentioned in here.

[@alexisgauthier7665]

@@michaelhession2105 *Raptors in 2019

[@michaelhession2105]

@@alexisgauthier7665 That too.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@elecsoto2929 it should have happened, but they won less than they were planning for, thank Texas for this, plus it was nice to see Dirk finally get his ring and Stojakovic too after years of being wasted in Sacramento (Kidd was a hell of a player too, but he's basically a new Isiah Thomas for all the better and worse)

[@deiondre0]

The one good thing that came out of the 2016 free agency is that future free agency periods were elevated to a whole new level of excitement. Teams went into scramble mode to compete with the Warriors. The result was the most insane arms race in NBA history, the 2017 offseason

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

Who went where?

[@kennyallen6286]

Finally tree .... you give us some NBA moments?

[@fallout560]

lol imagine being a free agent in like 2017 or 2018 and every front office goes "Sorry we blew our cap space on Luol Deng and Batum"

[@burgersquaad]

That’s crazy I was literally just thinking about that Conley contract the other day but tbh I never felt that his contract was a bad decision for them bc Conley was legit an all star talent, it’s just he played for the grizzlies lol

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

If only someone matched that contract

[@RedBeard0023]

I remember this off-season and the assumption was the salary cap was gonna rise again next year by 20 million plus. So GMs thought this was going to be the new norm. But next off-season came and that didn’t happen and they realized they were screwed with the bad contracts they signed.

[@zach2473]

Alternate title: Why Neil Olshey is the worst GM in NBA history

[@ChiefBlue4298]

If Dame doesn’t win a NBA championship and/or leave Portland, he should get 90% of the blame as to why

[@LegionX8726]

Literally watching this when the Knicks forked over five first round picks for Bridges 😂

[@adrienflickinger1717]

14:28 that clip of harrison barnes where it says he was traded during the game is fucking hilarious 😂

[@malrulesall9669]

Fr 💀😂😂

[@bigB4177]

As a Mavericks fan i am of course aware of NBA Champion Ian Mahinmi, i did not know what the Wizards paid him. Thats ridiculous

[@ajevans1422]

3:01 Got to pay them bills. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Gonroamin]

I can only imagine finding out you got traded midgame. 'Yeah, uh. We're going to need you to take off your uniform. Like. Now.' 'Why...?'

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

And for the KINGS

[@alexanderboulton2123]

"A merry-go-round of shitty contracts" is exactly how I would describe the next five offseasons after this year.

[@vince11harris]

Especially with the NBA signing this huge Deal with NBC

[@arikendra9284]

I absolutely love your videos. It brings light to things I really don't usually see in sports and makes it easy to digest. When I see that you uploaded its just instant serotonin cus I know its going to be a good time. I have absolutely nothing to add to the conversation but thanks for the video.

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

KD is still feeling it for what he did in 2016

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

THE SUNS

[@TheAnxietyCloset]

Speaking as a Wizards fan, my impression was that a lot of Wiz faithful thought the Mahinmi signing was a panic move after getting rejected by Al Horford. Terrible, terrible, terrible off-season that destroyed the Wiz from any hope of raising higher than 2nd round fodder at best. Also, he got himself a very nice house in NW DC. I don't know if he still lives there.

[@FunnyDude119]

When you said you had no clue who Jon Leuer was I laughed so hard. Even if you're a hardcore fan who knows every player that dude is still one of the most forgettable guys to enter the NBA in the last decade.

[@UrinatingTree]

Yet he still got over $10 million a season. For the NBA's version of Nick Spaling or Jesse Chavez.

[@crnsyrup]

The only reason why I even remember Jon Leuer is because he was constant trade finder fodder in 2K18/2K19 MyLeague. I swear he was always being offered by the Pistons in that game, no mattered who I wanted to trade away.

[@sakamoto8354]

@@crnsyrup I remember Jon Leuer because Grizzlies traded Wayne Ellington, who is their only other shooter besides Quincy Pondexter, Marreese Speights who is a good backup big for Gasol and Randolph, Josh Selby (honestly a just a trade piece) and a future 1st round pick for him. I don't know what the Grizzlies gm is thinking when they did this as Speights and Ellington are good players for the grit 'n grind system.

[@FelipeYoshioCordeirodeSouza]

@@sakamoto8354 in a time when pace 'n space was growing

[@Keegan.999]

When KD signed wit The Warriors we were all shocked and I remember exactly where I was when I heard that news on the 4th of July