The 2024 NBA free agency is officially underway, with teams being able to sign players from 6 PM (EST) onwards on June 30. With the midnight bell having come and gone, let’s take a look at the players who have found new homes within the first six hours of free agency opening up.
Players Signed On Day 1 Of Free Agency
Paul George signs four-year, $212 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Kelly Oubre signs two-year, $16.3 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Derrick Jones Jr. signs three-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Naji Marshall signs three-year, $27 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Mason Plumlee signs one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Jonas Valanciunas signs three-year, $30 million deal with the Washington Wizards (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN) Â
Chris Paul signs one-year, $11 million+ deal with the San Antonio Spurs (Chris Haynes, Bleacher Report)
Eric Gordon signs one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signs three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Kevin Porter Jr. signs two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Andre Drummond signs two-year, $10+ million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
These are fascinating signings, with most of these deals involving contenders. The most controversial of the bunch has to be Kevin Porter Jr. being brought back into the NBA after being traded and waived mid-season due to domestic violence allegations against WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. He has been brought back to the NBA by a Clippers organization who know they’re losing Paul George for nothing in free agency.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure has made the Denver Nuggets much weaker, while the Mavericks seemingly get stronger by adding Naji Marshall. The Suns have also made a great move by bringing in Mason Plumlee to be their backup center, while the 76ers have done the same by signing Andre Drummond. The 76ers have also added veteran scorer Eric Gordon.
Chris Paul is expected to be the veteran point guard Victor Wembanyama needs to bring him along, but Paul is not a long-term solution for the hole at point guard in San Antonio. But his inclusion for next season is fascinating, especially how his dynamic with Wemby will play out.
Contract Extensions And Re-Signings
Along with players who have found new teams, many players have inked contracts to extend their stays on their respective franchises right now.Â
Cade Cunningham signs five-year, $226 million extension with the Detroit Pistons (Shams Charania and James Edwards, The Athletic)
Neemias Queta signs multi-year deal with the Boston Celtics (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Luke Kornet signs one-year contract with the Boston Celtics (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Kevin Love signs two-year, $8 million deal with Miami Heat (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
James Harden signs two-year, $70 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Max Christie signs four-year, $32 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Obi Toppin signs four-year, $60 million deal with the Indiana Pacers (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Patrick Williams signs five-year, $90 million deal with the Chicago Bulls (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
The biggest name here is James Harden, who seems to be one of the only Clippers free agents who wants to return to the franchise. The team has lost Plumlee and is expected to lose Paul George and Russell Westbrook in the next few days, so securing Harden had to have been a priority for the franchise.Â
Cade Cunningham’s rookie max extension shows that the Pistons are continuing to trust Cunningham with the keys to the franchise after an encouraging season last year despite the team’s overall struggles. The former No. 1 overall pick will hope the Pistons use their cap space to add at least a few win-now teammates for him.
Multiple young players will continue with their respective franchises, as Obi Toppin, Patrick Williams, and Max Christie got long-term extensions. Christie’s deal is going to keep him under $10 million for the considerable future, so the Lakers will hope he develops soon to help them compete as soon as next season.
The Celtics brought back role-players such as Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet, while the Heat will continue on with Kevin Love on the roster.
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