2024 NBA Free Agency: Grades for Every Signing from Day 1 (2024)

With the NBA Finals and the draft behind us, the league's next big item on the summer calendar is upon us. Free agency is here, and Bleacher Report will have you covered with expert reactions to the biggest news throughout the coming days.

As reports of signings come flying in from all over the league, we'll respond with takes on the fit, what the player will deliver in his new (or previous) spot and how the match will affect the rest of the league. Each signing will be analyzed with an A-F grade.

Without further ado, get yourself caught up on all the action here.

The terms: Four years, $212 million with a fourth-year player option (via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN)

Hours before free agency started, we learned that Paul George was down to the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. A few hours in, the Magic used a lot of their cap space to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the Clippers released a statement on why they weren't able to come to terms with George.

That left Philly as an inevitability, and the sides came to the agreement above in the wee hours of Monday.

While there's definitely an argument for pursuing a two-stars-and-depth approach in the new CBA landscape, Sixers president Daryl Morey was always going to spend most of his cap space on a star. And the Sixers landed one of the most malleable star talents in the league.

Philadelphia already had two-thirds of its Big Three in point guard Tyrese Maxey (who agreed to an extension Monday) and center Joel Embiid. Wings should've been—and apparently were—the priority from there.

George isn't quite the defender he once was, but he can still handle a variety of assignments on that end. He can be a high-end floor spacer flanking actions with Maxey and Embiid. He hit 3.3 threes per game and shot 41.3 percent from three last season. He can also attack closeouts as a secondary creator and may be the best option to run the second unit, too.

He might still be good enough to be more of a 2B than a No. 3 option, and the 76ers are emerging from this all-important offseason as a bona fide title contender.

Grade: A

The terms: Three years, $66 million with a third-year player option (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an absolute no-brainer for the Orlando Magic and their significant cap space.

The Magic already have plenty of playmaking from forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, so KCP's offensive role should look a lot like it did with the Denver Nuggets. He's an excellent catch-and-shoot option to space the floor around those two.

The bigger plus here may be what Caldwell-Pope brings on defense, where Orlando is already stout. With him, Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac all on the floor, the Magic should be a nightmare to score on.

For teams that already have ball-dominant stars, three-and-D wings like KCP are about as valuable as players get. This contract reflects that.

Grade: A

The terms: Two years, $70 million with a second-year player option (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

There had been little to no buzz surrounding James Harden in the days leading up to free agency. That may have been because his return to the Los Angeles Clippers was inevitable.

The cap-space teams must not have expressed much interest, and L.A. had his Bird rights. That led to a solid deal for the soon-to-be 35-year-old playmaker.

That may seem like a steep price for a post-prime Harden, but the Clippers couldn't afford to lose him with Paul George likely headed elsewhere.

Now, they at least have a solid one-two punch on offense (when Kawhi Leonard is healthy). Harden essentially moving up to No. 2 in the pecking order means his numbers could see a bit of a boost. When Harden was on the floor last season with Kawhi (and without George), he averaged 19.4 points and 9.3 assists per 75 possessions.

This deal only being two years (with a second-year player option) is a plus, too. If things don't go well, it should be more tradable than a three- or four-year contract.

Grade: B+

I love this deal.

When the San Antonio Spurs weren't entertaining the "Jeremy Sochan can play point guard" experiment, they were actually pretty good.

When Victor Wembanyama was on the floor with Tre Jones (an actual point guard) and Devin Vassell (one solid wing), San Antonio was plus-10.2 points per 100 possessions.

Now, they may have the best form of "actual point guard" in the league in Chris Paul.

And though he's now pushing 40, CP3's feel for the game, experience, pass-first mentality and leadership should do wonders for both Wembanyama and the Spurs next season.

This is a win for Paul, too. He gets the opportunity to play with the next potential all-timer, and San Antonio has proved more than capable of extending the careers of stars (just think back to the twilights for Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan).

Grade: A+

The terms: Five years, $226 million extension (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

Cade Cunningham has never been anywhere near a league-average true shooting percentage. In terms of point differential, the Detroit Pistons have only been moderately better when he's on the floor.

But the combination of size and playmaking is still intriguing. And if Detroit hadn't maxed him out now, someone else would've when he hit free agency (especially if he breaks out in 2024-25). This is just sort of how business gets done for good former first-round picks.

And it's not like Cunningham living up to this deal would be some kind of shock. Beyond the numbers, you can see Cunningham's feel as a playmaker. He doesn't get sped up. His vision is good. The intangibles are there. He just needs to knock down shots. He needs teammates who more consistently finish the opportunities he creates.

It's way too early to think either of those things is out of the question.

Grade: A

Unless this kind of money wasn't available for Jonas Valančiūnas elsewhere, this deal doesn't make sense for anyone.

The Washington Wizards should firmly be in the hunt for losses right now. The 2025 draft is stacked, and they should be looking for a top draft pick in it.

Valančiūnas could take Washington's lottery odds from something like 14 percent (the best chance at the No. 1 pick) to 8 or 9. That's a significant drop-off.

He might take minutes away from incoming rookie Alexandre Sarr, too. Depending on how you feel about a prospect's development, and how it relates to playing time, that's another drawback to this deal.

JV would've made a lot more sense on a playoff team.

Grade: C-

This one came as a bit of a surprise, as rumors have had the Dallas Mavericks linked to Klay Thompson for a couple days. But according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, signing Naji Marshall doesn't mean the Mavs are out on adding Klay.

If they somehow emerge with both, this will be a heck of an offseason for Dallas, but let's just focus on the Marshall move for now.

He's not the same kind of athlete as Derrick Jones Jr. (who's presumably gone now), but Marshall is a gritty defender with solid size (6'7" and 220 lbs) for a wing. And if he's closer to the three-point shooter he was in 2023-24 (when he hit 38.7 percent of his attempts) than he was the three previous seasons (when he was at 28.6 percent), it's easy to see how he'll fit as a floor-spacer alongside Luka Dončić.

Grade: B+

The terms: Three years, $30 million (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

When news broke that the Dallas Mavericks had landed Naji Marshall, the writing seemed to be on the wall for them and Derrick Jones Jr.

Now, the starting wing who helped Dallas make the Finals this summer is headed to the Los Angeles Clippers.

And with his perimeter defense and explosive finishing ability, he could slot into a similar role alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

It's hard not to view this deal through the lens of Paul George's departure, though. Jones is essentially PG's replacement, and he was nowhere near as productive last season.

As we ease into the new, more restrictive collective bargaining agreement, we may find that the "two stars and depth" model is more manageable than a Big Three, but it's hard to look at L.A.'s offseason so far and think it'll be a Tier 1 contender in 2024-25.

Grade: B

The terms: Two years, $10-plus million (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

Andre Drummond was the first player who switched teams after the free-agency window opened on Sunday. He's a substantial upgrade to the backup 5 spot for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Drummond has now been a reserve for most of the last three years, and he's still a dominant rebounder. In 2023-24, he averaged 9.0 rebounds and 8.4 points in just 17.1 minutes per game.

His role in Philly will probably look a lot like that, at least in terms of minutes. But Drummond has proven good enough to step in as a solid starter when Joel Embiid misses time, too.

Of course, the Sixers would have to change the way they play a bit, but Embiid's absences shouldn't be quite as catastrophic now.

In terms of years and dollars, this is a pretty reasonable, just-above-the-minimum deal that shouldn't hurt the Sixers' chances to chase other free agents with their cap space.

Grade: A

The terms: Two years, $8-plus million (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

Kevin Love is past his prime, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old is still a helpful big off the bench, particularly to the Miami Heat. Over his season and change with them, the Heat are plus-5.7 points per 100 possessions when Love is on the floor and plus-0.1 when he isn't.

His outside shooting commands the attention of opposing forwards and centers out to the three-point line. His passing is useful on a team that moves the ball as much as Miami. And he's still one of the league's most productive rebounders on a per-minute basis.

All of that led to a new deal with the Heat.

It's a team-friendly one, too. That average annual value takes up less than 3 percent of next season's salary cap.

Grade: A

The terms: TBD (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

The rumor mill is making the "Paul George to the Sixers" news feel almost inevitable, and Daryl Morey is already filling out the rest of the rotation with solid veterans.

Beyond Andre Drummond as the backup 5, Morey also added 35-year-old Eric Gordon, presumably on the minimum.

If those are the terms, it's hard to nitpick this.

Gordon isn't as fleet of foot as he once was. He can't stay in front of opposing guards and wings as consistently, nor does he beat them off the dribble or create like he once did.

But on a team with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and George, Gordon isn't going to be asked to do much more than stand a few feet outside the three-point line and launch threes whenever he's open.

Over the last three seasons, he's averaged 12.2 points and 2.1 threes while shooting 38.5 percent from deep. If he keeps producing at that level, this deal easily gets a passing grade.

Grade: B+

We can presume this is a veteran minimum salary, because that's all the spending power the Phoenix Suns have. And at that price, Mason Plumlee is an excellent addition.

He may not be quite as bouncy as he was in his prime, but Plumlee still works hard, particularly on the glass, is an underrated passer and a decent finisher.

He won't join the Suns looking for a ton of shots, either. This may not be a huge upgrade over Drew Eubanks, but again, at the minimum, it's a win.

Grade: B+

The terms: Two years, with a player option in the second year (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

This might wind up being the biggest surprise of the early hours of free agency.

Kevin Porter Jr. spent time playing overseas last season following a plea agreement stemming from a domestic violence incident. According to Charania, one of the terms of the agreement is the completion of a court-ordered program, and once that's done, the charge will be off his record.

Porter had a tense exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he left a game early with the Houston Rockets after arguing with an assistant coach.

If you're able to look past all of that, there's obviously talent here.

In 2022-23, Porter averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 36.6 percent from deep. However, that production came on a terrible Rockets team.

Even knowing he can get to those kind of numbers, this is pretty shocking.

Grade: D

After winning the 2023-24 NBA championship, it makes plenty of sense for the Boston Celtics to largely run back the same team. That includes players toward the end of the bench.

Al Horford will be back, but Kristaps Porziņģis could miss the start of the season after undergoing offseason surgery. That makes depth players such as Luke Kornet more important, which explains why the Celtics brought him back on a one-year deal.

Without seeing the details of this deal, we have to assume it's for the veteran's minimum. In that case, it's sort of a no-brainer.

Last season, Kornet averaged 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per 75 possessions.

Grade: B+