Recently, the deadline for free agency signings in the NBA has ended. Many NBA teams made some big moves before the season starts back up on July 31. Most of the players of the free agency signings will be playing in the NBA bubble in Orlando. Here are some notable free agency signing for the NBA Bubble:
SG J.R Smith- Los Angeles Lakers
Due to Avery Bradley opting out of participating in the NBA Bubble, the Lakers were looking for a solid replacement at the shooting guard position. The Lakers lucked out and ended up signing NBA veteran J.R Smith to the roster on July 1. Smith’s last season in the league was 2018 with the Cavaliers when they went to the NBA finals with teammate Lebron James.
Smith has plenty of playoff experience, especially with LeBron James, so the signing makes sense for the Lakers. Smith will most likely come off the bench and become a sixth man. He will give the Lakers an offensive weapon that can knock down shots.
C Joakim Noah– Los Angeles Clippers
Former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah was signed by the Clippers on June 28. The 12-year veteran’s most recent stint in the league was in 2018 with the Memphis Grizzlies. Noah has had solid stats in his career averaging 8.8 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.
He was also a solid starter with the Chicago Bulls as well. However, it will be intriguing to see if he can to go back to his former productivity. Noah will probably come off the bench as a role player backing up big men Montrezl Harrel, Ivica Zubac and Patrick Patterson. In conclusion, Noah can give the Clippers a veteran presence on the floor. Also, It will be interesting to see how he will impact the game for his new team.
F Luc Mbah a Moute– Houston Rockets
The Rockets are looking to sign former player Luc Mbah a Moute. However, it has not been confirmed due to the transaction window closing recently. Teams can only sign players if a roster spot has opened up due to a player opting out for the rest of the season. Thabo Sefolosha opted out of the rest of the season last Wednesday due to concerns about Covid-19.
When Mbah a Moute has signed with the Rockets he will be a “3 and D” player. He will be a solid role player who can hit the three when open, guard almost every position on the court and crash the boards. Especially with the Rockets going with the small ball lineup, his play will be needed for them to go far in the playoffs.
PF/C Tyler Zeller– San Antonio Spurs
With LaMarcus Aldridge out for the season with a shoulder injury, the Spurs needed to fill the spot before the deadline reached. The Spurs had to act fast and decided to sign Tyler Zeller. Zeller’s last year in the league, like Joakim Noah, was in 2018 with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he only played four games with an average of 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
The Spurs are pretty stretched thin at the power forward and center positions. In addition, Zeller will most likely come off the bench or share minutes with Jakob Poetl in the frontcourt. It will be interesting to see how the Spurs will try to obtain a playoff spot with the absence of Aldridge.
PG Tyler Johnson & SG Justin Anderson– Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have recently signed guards Tyler Johnson and Justin Anderson to their bubble roster. Brooklyn was running thin at the guard spots recently. Kyrie Irving & Wilson Chandler decided not to participate in the continuation of the season and Spencer Dinwiddie testing positive for Covid-19 did not help.
With Dinwiddie out, the Nets will have their newly signed guards to carry the load. Johnson can score and shoot the three-ball efficiently. In addition, Anderson is coming off a solid G- league year averaging 20 points per game.
PG Jaylen Adams– Portland Trailblazers
G-League standout Jaylen Adams was signed by the Trailblazers for the remainder of the season. Adams had a great season in the G- League this year. While playing for the Wisconsin Herd, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 assists and shot 41 percent from the three. He finished his season placing second in the MVP voting behind teammate Frank Mason III.
While the bulk of the scoring will be from the dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, they will definitely need their bench to help out on the offensive side of the ball. Furthermore, Adams could be the x-factor the Trailblazers need: A solid role player that can score the ball at a very efficient rate. With a young bench consisting of Adams, Hood, Simons, Collins, Little, and Swanigan could be deadly for their competition. Furthermore, depending on his play during this playoff run he could solidify a spot on a NBA roster.