Make no mistake, Boston Celtics fans: Brad Stevens aced his first offseason as President of Basketball Operations.
What he was able to do with limited resources to make the roster better is wildly commendable. Locking down your core is the new craze in the NBA after the Milwaukee Bucks showed commitment to just about their entire starting lineup and got rewarded with an NBA Championship in return.
It’s a stark contrast to the Los Angeles Lakers from the prior season, who were built around two pillars surrounded by low-salaried mercenaries gunning for their next contract. Stevens wants to replicate the Bucks model with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams all knowing they are solidified Celtics.
What he was also able to do was get good value free-agent additions. The returning Enes Kanter took a minimum deal and owns the lowest salary of his career heading into a season.
More impressively, though, was the signing of Dennis Schroder. We all know how he didn’t get the contract he was after, but regardless, Stevens got a guy who hasn’t scored less than 15 points per game any of the past four seasons for several million less than the average NBA salary.
Schroder was a bona fide free agent steal, but where does he rank among the top FA steals across the league?
Let’s take a look:
#5 free agency steal: Los Angeles Clippers get Nicolas Batum back for $3 million
Nicolas Batum’s career seemed like it was on life support in his final season with the Charlotte Hornets, with his efficiency falling to unplayable levels.
He found a new life with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020-21, starting for a team that came within two games of the NBA Finals. He raised his 3-point shooting to 40% for the first time since his second season in the league and was a perfect switchable piece in a position-less Clippers lineup.
That he was retained for a mere $3 million is a win for L.A.’s front office.