Franchises best free agents since 2010, WesMatthews, Danny Green, no LMA

[SharpesTriumph]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...cy-every-team-most-impactful-signing-2010#por

Portland Trail Blazers
Wesley Matthews, 2010
Five years, $34 million

When Matthews signed a five-year, $34 million deal in 2010, even the swingman had to admit that he might've been overpaid at the time. But Matthews helped Portland reach the second round in 2014, the first of eight straight playoff appearances for the Blazers. More importantly, Matthews was a key cog on the squad that helped Damian Lillard get his first taste of playoff basketball. Lillard has made it to the second round only twice more after that first trip with Matthews, reaching the Western Conference finals in 2018-19. Matthews spent five seasons in Portland, averaging 15.4 points and 39.4% 3-point shooting. -- Youngmisuk


San Antonio Spurs
Danny Green, 2010
One year, salary undisclosed

Apologies to LaMarcus Aldridge, but Green playing a key role in the Spurs winning a title gives him the nod here. Green, originally a second-round pick by Cleveland, was cut in October 2010 before signing with the Spurs a month later. He was waived again by San Antonio but re-signed in March and stuck around. During the title run in 2014, Green started every game for the Spurs while shooting 47.5% from 3 in the playoffs. -- Lopez

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Would be interesting to see how many franchises have signed a free agent that afterwards made an all-star team. Looks like very few.

 

[wizenheimer]

I wonder why the 2020 cut-off

I liked Matthews quite a bit, but I think I might rate Brian Grant and Rod Strickland as more impactful, but those were before 2010

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I wonder why the 2020 cut-off

I liked Matthews quite a bit, but I think I might rate Brian Grant and Rod Strickland as more impactful, but those were before 2010

Well the audience reading this probably has a lot of younger people than the older crowd on this board, so they want to keep it to this century. How many millennials have actually heard of those guys?

"Old" man Lillard was the only member to play a minute for the Blazers last year that was alive when Rod was signed. He was the mature age of 2. He was an ancient 7 years old later when Brian Grant was signed.