Which Newly Signed NBA Free Agent Will Have The Biggest Impact On His New Team?

OK the obvious answer is LeBron, so I am going to disqualify him for the sake of this blog. Vegas had the Lakers improving by nearly 20 wins after signing James, and that jump was certainly not because of Lance, McGee, or Beasley. Instead I want to look at everyone else that will be rocking a new jersey next season and talk about who may make the biggest impact. This doesn’t mean they have to take their new team to the top of their conference, but rather will play a big role in the team’s improvement from the year before. For example there could be a player that makes a huge impact, but the overall team still stinks. In no particular order, here are a couple guys I’m excited to see in their new environments that I feel like could really make a difference (this obviously excludes trades, so guys like Kawhi/Green are not included).

Kyle Anderson – Memphis Grizzlies

I think the majority of us was shocked when we saw MEM extend that sort of offer sheet to Kyle Anderson. Paying him 4/37M seemed a bit much at the time for a player that has never averaged more than 7.9 points in any season in his short four year career. However, he is coming off the best season of his career in which he shot 52/33% and at 6’9 has some good size where you can play him at the three or the small ball four. If you look at the Grizzlies depth chart and slide Anderson into the sliding SF spot, he is an intriguing fit. The Grizzlies play with the 3rd slowest pace in the league last year which will feel familiar to Anderson since SA played with the 2nd slowest. Playing with great passers like Gasol and Conley will help, as Anderson showed an improvement in that area last year which the best AST% of his career. The problem will be if he can figure out his TO issues, which also came in at the highest percentage of his career.

When talking about the impact of Anderson on this team, you also need to mention that this will most likely move Dillon Brooks to the second unit, which will make that group fun as hell to watch with Jaren Jackson Jr/Chandler Parsons also being part of it. Anderson is a smart player and at just 24 hasn’t really “broken out” yet, so there is definitely an opportunity for him to take that leap. He’s never had a usage rate over 13.5%, and to put it in perspective Brooks had a 18% usage rate coming out of the SF spot last season. Part of that may have been due to injuries, but I feel like Anderson is going to make a solid impact for the Grizzlies.

Trevor Ariza – Phoenix Suns

Ariza is one of those guys who is most likely going to have a great impact on the Suns next season, but they still won’t win many games. If you’re the Suns and you’re looking for a young veteran wing to help mentor and mold your young assets, Ariza is the perfect guy in my opinion. He’s coming off making a huge impact on one of the best teams in the league last year, and he’s the ultimate three and D guy who can help show Josh Jackson the ropes. I think the Suns obviously hope Jackson blossoms into a better player than Ariza, but they are both somewhat similar players (while Jackson is 10000x more athletic).

Ariza won’t have the same sort of expectations he did in HOU since he’s slated to come off the bench in PHX, but that tells me he’s have a much bigger scoring role on that second unit. He had a 14% usage rate last year in HOU, so I would imagine that gets bumped up a little bit simply because it’s not as if the Suns have too many more options once you get past their starting unit. I look at Ariza’s situation in PHX sort of like with what Vince Carter has in ATL, only he has way more left in the tank and will actually play.

Boogie – Golden State Warriors

Almost feels like cheating given we won’t see him for a while, but the second Boogie is 100% medically cleared and enters the Warriors lineup, he is going to take them to an even more ridiculous level. Sort of like LeBron this is a no brainer, but I felt like he had to be mentioned since he’s probably the second best player to switch teams this summer.

Seth Curry – Portland Trail Blazers

It was pretty apparent that the Blazers needed to upgrade their outside shooting this summer. They finished 16th in 3PM last year, and honestly outside of Dame/CJ they really didn’t have a legit outside threat. Well you can certainly fix that problem by adding a Curry. Sure this Curry isn’t anywhere close to the MVP Curry, but he still has that Curry blood and be default is a good shooter. You may not realize Seth Curry made 2.0 3PM a night at a 42% clip last season in 70 games and has a 45% 3Pr which means when he’s on the floor he’s jacking it up and making his fair share.

The Blazers have spent the summer reworking their guard depth at both positions, and at 6’2 you could probably buy minutes at both guard spots for Curry. He theoretically should help create more space for CJ/Dame to attack the rim, and as long as he can stay healthy it wouldn’t shock me if we got the best season of his career.

Tyreke Evans – Indiana Pacers

More than anything I’m excited to see Tyreke play on his new team if only so we can see if last year’s breakout season was legit or simply a guy in a contract year. You look quietly at what the Pacers did this summer to add guard depth and they could honestly have one of the deepest groups in the entire league. Slated right now to backup Oladipo, Evans is absolutely going to have the green light whenever he is on the floor with that Pacers second unit. He’s coming off a year in which he started 32 of the 52 games he played for MEM, and he had an insane and career high 28% usage rate. Out of everyone we’ve listed so far maybe outside of Boogie, I think Evans is going to have the biggest impact for Indiana.

The fact that you can play him at the one, two, or three is going to be insanely valuable, and the fact that he’s once again on a 1 year prove it deal tells me we’re probably going to get another season of an extremely focused and determined Tyreke Evans. At 28 this is probably his last legit shot to get any sort of big multi year deal, and with the market looking much better next summer, I feel like we’re going to get another big time season from him.

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Mario Hezonja – New York Knicks

Now normally I would say any time a player is heading to NY, that disaster will most likely follow. But with Hezonja, I truly feel like getting out of ORL was the best thing for him. There is a history of guys getting away from the Magic and suddenly turning into legit NBA players, so I see no reason why that can’t happen for Hezonja.  Their depth chart currently has him slated as their starting SF, and he did have his best year last year while starting 30 of the 70 games he played so that’s encouraging. I will say I find ESPN a little fishy here, as the Knicks would be IDIOTS if they don’t start Kevin Knox at that spot. They also have Trey Burke starting over Frankie Ntilikina so I’m not sure ESPN knows what the fuck is going on in NY.

But I think think that as Porzingis takes his time coming back, there are definitely going to be shots for Hezonja, especially if he’s the player we saw towards the end of last season. The Knicks were 29th in 3PM last season and Hezonja is coming off his best year from deep where he made 1.2 3PM a night, so the addition of legit outside shooting should help him carve out a role.

Dwight Howard – Washington Wizards

The addition of Dwight really only means their locker room meltdown will happen in like January as opposed to later in the Spring.

DeAndre Jordan – Dallas Mavericks

Without a doubt Mark Cuban has had a hard on for DeAndre Jordan for years. The Mavs for sure need rebounding help considering they finished 27th in rebounding last year, and thankfully for them Jordan is one of if not the best rebounders in the entire league. They also finished 29th in blocks, so I think it’s safe to say they will drastically improve here as well. When you factor both of those things in, you could make the case that Jordan will have the biggest impact on his new team, simply because they’ve been so fucking awful in both of the areas he thrives in. Add in that it’s a contract year for him and we’re probably going to get the best version of himself in order to lock in that final big payday.

Nerlens Noel – Oklahoma City Thunder

Like a few guys on this list, Noel is in a prove it deal situation. He’s backing up Steven Adams and is really the only other legit big on this roster so he is for sure going to get a legit opportunity, at least a much better one than what he had in DAL. If he ends up being the Noel that showed flashes in PHI than this is going to be a great signing for OKC, but nobody really knows what to expect. He’s seemed disinterested and not motivated in every place he’s been, but if they can get a motivated Noel this will for sure help a team that was one of the best rebounding teams in the entire league. If he’s healthy he should also help them crack the Top 10 in blocks, and while he doesn’t have too many individual offensive skills, I see a bunch of P&Rs with Westbrook leading to numerous Noel lobs.

You make a team have to even think for a second about anyone other than Westbrook/PG13, that’s a plus.

Kyle O’Quinn – Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are going to love O’Quinn and I think he has a real opportunity here. Every team needs a big ass dude who’s not afraid to create contact and can be a monster on both the offensive and defensive glass. Think sort of like what Trevor Booker did for them only better.

Elfrid Payton – New Orleans Pelicans

If the Pelicans want to keep their spot in the playoffs, they are going to need to get legit guard minutes from Payton. The play of Rondo was huge for them last season, and the pressure is on Payton to show that all he needed was a change in scenery. He’s not all that efficient, but he is a plus passer and ins currently slated as the starting PG (ESPN has Holiday listed as a SG). As long as he learned quickly to get the ball to AD and get the hell out of the way, he should be able to fill like 75% of that Rondo roll.

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Julius Randle – New Orleans Pelicans

While the Pelicans spacing will be an issue for Randle, I can’t wait to see him play next to AD. It also wouldn’t even shock me if the Pelicans wanted to get a little crazy and have some possessions where you run him or Mirotic at the 3 just to get that trio on the floor together. Randle obviously is coming of a breakout year on the Lakers, and will for sure be motivated to make an impression in what will be the last guaranteed year of his deal (player option next year). If he’s looking to cash in next summer, this upcoming season is the time to show he’s worth it.

Rajon Rondo – Los Angeles Lakers

I’m still ignoring the fact that this happened. Thank you.

Isaiah Thomas – Denver Nuggets

Now this will all come down to Isaiah’s health, we know this. If he’s 100% healthy, the Nuggets may have found the steal of the summer. While he won’t start, he is going to be the #1 option on that second unit and is playing in a system that plays fast and loves offense. Given he signed a minimum deal, basically anything he gives you is a bonus, and if that comes close to looking like what he was before his injury, Nuggets fans are going to be thrilled.

There’s a chance that doesn’t happen, which again shouldn’t be all that big a deal considering the price he’s playing for, but if you have a heart you should be rooting for nothing but the best for Isaiah given everything he’s gone through.

If you thought this summer had some intriguing moves with guys ending up on new teams, just wait until next summer. In the meantime, do you think anyone else is going to have a bigger impact on their new squad? Let me here your thoughts in the comments below!