NBA free agency officially began on Monday night.
And with all due respect to D’Angelo Russell, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and even Myles Turner, none of the moves that followed have truly moved the needle.
According to Chris Haynes, the lackluster nature of this year’s offseason hasn’t gone unnoticed across the league. Appearing on NBA TV’s free agency special on Monday night, the insider relayed a message from one league representative who expressed concerns about the underwhelming news cycle.
“I’m not going to mention the name of this individual, but this is a high-ranking NBA figure. He’s been in the league for years,” Haynes said of his source. “They said, ‘free agency is dead.’ And they think it’s bad for the league. Because it’s usually one of the league’s biggest attractions. We have to remember this is entertainment and we can’t take that away.”
Co-host Ryan McDonough proceeded to point out the irony of Haynes sharing such a sentiment on a TV special dedicated to free agency. But even McDonough seemed to concede that the group was struggling to build excitement amid the lack of high profile moves.
In fact, the star power — or lack thereof — in this year’s free agency class has emerged as one of the primary storylines of this NBA offseason. It also didn’t help that ESPN’s Shams Charania did his best to hype up this offseason as the “most craziest ever,” with the ensuing transactions yet to have lived up to that billing.
As for the idea of free agency being dead, that might be a bit hyperbolic. What seems more accurate is that teams and players alike are continuing to adjust to the realities of the current CBA, which was designed, in part, to promote parity and prevent the formation of the super teams that became the norm in the NBA throughout the 2010s.
As such, star players — and even high-end role players — appear more inclined to re-sign with their current teams rather than test a free agent market in which spending seems limited. Is that good or bad for the league long term? It’s likely too early to say. But at least someone who’s important in the NBA has taken notice of just how ignorable the first day of free agency felt.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.