Free Agent Update #1

It's only July 2nd and the excitement is already upon us!

The first move is courtesy of the Washington Wizards. Kudos to them for retaining two of their three best players. Team captain Antawn Jamison resigned for $50 million over four years, which was like killing two birds with one stone. The Wizards bring back one of the most versatile players in the East and all but guarantee the return of the one, the only, Agent Zero. Gilbert Arenas has said since day one of talk regarding his availability this summer that if Jamison returned, so would he. Well good job Washington because according to the Washington Post, Arenas has been offered a six-year contract worth upwards of $127 million by the Washington Wizards. This is the maximum contract a team can offer a player due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Wizards starting lineup looks to be Arenas, Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. After a successful draft where Washington took true-center JaVale McGee to add physicality and muscle up front, the Wizards, if healthy, will remain one of the top teams in the East.

And then there’s the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s too early to honestly praise owner Donald Sterling since the Clippers are normally the laughing stock of the NBA, but he certainly has this team going in the right direction. I personally witnessed the Clippers’ franchise point guard Shaun Livingston have his leg bend at a 90 degree angle two years ago, and knew that backup Sam Cassell wasn’t the long-term answer. But the Clippers look to have found it in former Golden State point guard Baron Davis. Reports have Davis signing with the Clippers and like the Wizards, this is taking care of more than one need, as this may keep all-star power forward Elton Brand with the team. If Brand re-signs with L.A, the Clippers will have Davis, Brand, Chris Kaman, Cuttino Mobley and Al Thornton making up their starting five. Rookie Eric Gordon will either start of be the sixth man and have an immediate impact. Davis is your prototypical do-everything point guard, but Davis’ biggest impact will be bringing attention back to the Clippers. This move puts L.A. back in the hunt of something they haven’t done since 2006, and few times before, and that is making the playoffs.

The Davis signing is bittersweet. I love the way Davis plays, but this lowers the chances of Brand coming back to Chicago. Sure the Bulls just added a once-in-a-lifetime point guard in Derrick Rose, but Davis is experienced and ready to win now. There are question marks all over Chicago since they still haven’t re-signed or decided what to do with Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, and first-year head coach Vinny Del Negro definitely doesn’t scream confidence. The Bulls must make a run at Brand to fill the enormous void left by Eddy Curry’s XXXL shorts and turn this team into a title contender.

Check back soon for more free agent news.