The first day of free agency was defined mostly by the big names opting to stay home. The first weekend of free agency was defined by Kevin Durant's decision to leave the only home he has ever known in the NBA, leaving the Thunder to join the newest NBA superteam in Golden State.
Durant dominated headlines this weekend, and his status pretty much held the rest of free agency in limbo as teams jockeyed for his services. Once that domino fell, we saw many of the other big names land, and it's time to catch up on everything we might have missed.
There is plenty for Fantasy players to catch up on, and we'll have the rest of the offseason to figure out where everyone does -- and doesn't, in some cases -- fit in their new homes. For now, here are my initial takes on those free agency decisions that could have the biggest impact for Fantasy players.
Al Horford agrees to join Celtics
Stock: Up
The Celtics didn't snag the biggest fish on the market, but Horford is no mere consolation prize. The 30-year-old averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 combined blocks and steals per game last season, and should see those numbers improve on a Boston team that is likely to feature him a lot more than the Hawks did. He has added a 3-pointer to his game in recent years, but we might not see Horford use it as much in Boston, where he is likely to be used more often as a hub of the offense. Horford's ability to fill up the box score without hurting you anywhere has long made him silently one of the better big men for Fantasy, and we could see a return to his 2012-2014 production, when Horford averaged 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game over two seasons. The Celtics have been looking for a big name to mold their team around, and Horford should benefit from the attention. He should make for a nice pick in the third round.
Harrison Barnes to sign offer sheet with Mavericks
Stock: Up
We've been waiting for a breakout season from Barnes, but he just hasn't had much room to do it on a stacked Warriors team. Barnes has shot the ball efficiently over the last few seasons, but still struggles as times to create his own shot or attack off the dribble against closeouts, which leads to questions about what his eventual upside might be. An integral part of the Warriors so-called "Death Lineup," Barnes now has an opportunity for a bigger role in Dallas, and it could be a great spot for him to land. He will slot in next to Wesley Matthews and Dirk Nowitzki in the starting five, two dead-eye shooters who should help him find room to operate. Barnes might still have some latent potential left to unlock, and he will certainly be a popular breakout candidate next season.
Dwight Howard agrees to join Hawks
Stock: Up
The Hawks didn't quite choose Howard over Horford -- they were still reportedly in the picture for Horford up to the last minutes of his free agency decision -- but in the end, that is how it will work out. Howard's play slipped a bit over the last season, but it is worth noting that he still shot 62.0 percent from the field and was one of the best rebounders in the league a year ago, so reports of his demise may be a bit exaggerated. With Paul Millsap next to him, Howard could have a bounce-back season in him, though his inability to make free throws always puts a cap on his Fantasy appeal in category-based formats.
Mike Conley agrees to return to Grizzlies
Stock: Neutral
Once Chandler Parsons opted to join the Grizzlies, it seemed inevitable that Conley would return, and it's nice to see. The Grizzlies should remain competitive, and Conley will once again be counted on for his typical 16 points and six assists per night, only now he has more help in the form of Parsons and a healthy Marc Gasol.
Rajon Rondo agrees to join Bulls
Stock: Neutral
After finally moving on from Derrick Rose, the Bulls opted to bring in another point guard who peaked in 2011 and hasn't been the same since a knee injury. Rondo put up numbers in Sacramento last season, averaging 11.9 points and 11.7 assists per game, but the Kings were actually better with him off the floor last season. In fact, Rondo's teams have played better with him on the bench in every season since 2011-12, an astounding fact, and one that could blow up in the Bulls' faces. At his best, Rondo can be described as a "challenging" teammate, and this move puts him in the backcourt with Jimmy Butler, who seemed to have some trouble coexisting with Derrick Rose over the last few years. Rondo should again get his numbers, and his passing ability might make life easier for Butler, but taking the ball out of Butler's hands seems like a bad idea. This one could blow up on them.
Pau Gasol agrees to join Spurs
Stock: Down
Gasol took a bit of a step backward as a scorer last season but was still terrific overall, averaging 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks per game for the Bulls. He has remained remarkably healthy despite heavy minutes the past two seasons in Chicago, and now heads to a Spurs team that manages minutes better than any team. That will, of course, likely lead to a drop in minutes and production, however, as the Spurs are likely to keep Gasol's minutes under 30 per game. Gasol should still be a starting-caliber Fantasy center, but you're probably looking more of a No. 2 option after he remained a No. 1 through last season somewhat unexpectedly.
Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson agree to join Rockets
Stock: Up
Between the signings of Gordon and Anderson, the departure of Howard, and the addition of new coach Mike D'Antoni, it's clear the Rockets are going to be more offense-oriented this season. Despite their reputation, the Rockets haven't really been a great offensive team lately, ranking seventh and 12th in offense over the past two seasons. With Gordon and Anderson in town and D'Antoni's high-paced offense, the Rockets should be one of the better shooting teams in the league. Gordon might have to come off the bench, but both players could average north of 15 PPG with huge shooting numbers.
Deron Williams agrees to return to Mavericks
Stock: Neutral
We saw this one last season, and it was ... fine. Williams averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game and missed 17, so pretty typical stuff from a guy who used to be in the conversation for the best in the league. That seems like an awfully long time ago, and he is just a low-end Fantasy option at this point.
Kent Bazemore agrees to return to Hawks
Stock: Neutral
With Horford and Jeff Teague gone, it's hard to say exactly how Bazemore's outlook will change with the Hawks moving forward. They lavished a huge contract on the athletic wing, and will probably be looking for something like the 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game he averaged in 75 games last season. However, we could see his role expand moving forward, especially with Howard likely to take on a bit less of the offensive load than Horford handled. Bazemore could be the beneficiary, but I would still mostly expect something similar to what we saw last year.
Bismack Biyombo agrees to join Magic
Stock: Down
This is an interesting situation, because I'm not necessarily sure I expect less from Biyombo in Orlando than his season-long averages of 5.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game from Toronto last season, so his stock won't be going down from there. However, with Nikola Vucevic and Serge Ibaka in the frontcourt, Biyombo is likely to come off the bench in Orlando barring another trade, and that is a disappointment considering he seemed like a sure bet to find a starting role somewhere in free agency. Instead, he will probably go back to being a Fantasy and real life reserve.
Jeff Green agrees to join Magic
Stock: Up
We are hopefully past the point where NBA general managers convince themselves Green can be a star, but this might actually be a spot where his value increased. Green averaged just 10.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with the Clippers last season, but should see a bigger role in Orlando, likely as the starting small forward. Green's overall efficiency and production continue to leave something to be desired, but if he gets a bunch of shots for the Magic, he can certainly contribute.
Luol Deng agrees to join Lakers
Stock: Down
Deng found a second life in the NBA as a stretch-four for the Heat last season, as he averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game after the All-Star break. He found a healthy market waiting for him in free agency, but it's not clear if he will have the same role waiting for him in Los Angeles, where rookie Brandon Ingram mans the small forward spot and third-year big Julius Randle handles power forward. Ingram could, conceivably play the two with Deng at the three, or one of Randle or Deng could even come off the bench. However, the Heat were pressed into giving Deng big minutes and shots after Chris Bosh's injury, and it's not clear the Lakers will be quite as interested in making him a priority among the young players. Deng could remain Fantasy relevant in Los Angeles, but he probably won't reach the heights of his last two months in Miami.