This NBA offseason has been filled with many free agents signing contracts with new teams. The three winners so far in free agency are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers signed the biggest free agent this year, Ron Artest. The Lakers signed Artest to a three year deal worth around $18 million. Artest, who averages 17.1 points and 2.1 steals per game for his career, joins an already star studded team in Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol. Artest led the Houston Rockets to a 53-29 record, including a stint in the playoffs, which they lost in the second round to Artest’s new team, the Lakers. The Lakers are also hard at work trying to resign Lamar Odom.
The team I have as the second biggest winner is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace to a three year deal. Wallace is a four time All Star and has won one NBA Championship, which he won back in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons. Rasheed joining the Celtics, gives them a chance at winning another NBA Championship. One thing that makes them an unstoppable team to beat is Kevin Garnett. When Garnett was healthy almost the whole 2007- 2008 season, the Celtics won the championship. They made it to the playoffs this year behind Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, and Ray Allen, but lost in the second round in seven games to the Eastern Conference Champions, the Orlando Magic.
The third winner is in my opinion, the Detroit Pistons. Detroit, although they lost their starting power forward/ center in Rasheed Wallace to free agency, they signed the speedy Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Gordon, who played for the Bulls last season, averaged 20.7 points per game in the regular season, and 24.3 points per game in the playoffs. Those 24.3 points per game were not enough for the Bulls to advance past the first round, in which they lost to the Boston Celtics. This series though did set a record for most overtimes in one series, which is 6. The Pistons also signed Villanueva, who averaged 16.2 points per game as Milwaukee Buck, but the Bucks did not make the playoffs.
Written by:
Tom Molitaris
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