Over the summer, the restricted free agent was told by Rockets GM Daryl Morey that they would match any contract offer. As time wore on, Parsons made connections with both Dirk Nowitzki and owner Mark Cuban, even though Dallas had designs of their own on Anthony.
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“It was a waiting game in the beginning, which I was OK with," Parsons told ESPN.com. “ But it was frustrating, too.”
The Mavericks’ decision to romance Parsons added another chapter in the complex relationship between Morey and Cuban, and the idea of an anxious NBA star, torn and waiting between two of the league’s most recognizable executives served as a valuable reminder of how the human element is often lost when it comes to free agency.
Perhaps nowhere was that element more important than during the courtship of Indiana’s Lance Stephenson. A fiery competitor, Stephenson’s antics in the 2014 Eastern Conference playoffs — most noticeably, blowing in LeBron James’ ear — left several teams considering him as a final option.
That’s to say nothing of the fact that Stephenson has a record of sparring with teammates since high school, and had domestic violence charges brought against him in 2010, a case that was eventually dismissed. Stephenson’s first free-agency period was drawn out due to questions not only about James and Anthony, but about his character.
Charlotte only moved on to Stephenson when they lost a restricted free-agency bid for Utah’s Gordon Hayward, a solid wing presence who carried none of the extra baggage. The Hornets signed Stephenson to a 3-year deal with a player option after the second season, forcing Stephenson to take the reigns of the team and prove that he can not only perform on the court, but behave off of it.
For both Stephenson and Parsons, the free agency period was taxing, not only as basketball players but as human beings. That’s why New York’s Anthony said he never even bothered to consider a short-term deal similar to the ones James and Stephenson signed.
“I never thought about a two-year deal," said Anthony. “I didn’t want to have to go back and do what I did this summer, not at all.”
Given that the new NBA TV deal is likely set to raise the salary cap in 2016 and, in turn, bump up how much top stars could make, that Anthony didn’t want to deal with uncertainty is significant. As it was for Chris Bosh in Miami, the security of an extra year, a familiar city and a guaranteed contract gave Anthony peace of mind.
LeBron, of course, is the shining example of a human decision overcoming basketball reality. His choice this summer came because of a personal need, one made out of a desire to return to his first team and home state.
James instantly made Cleveland a contender, and Kevin Love only improved their chances, but that wasn’t the impetus for James’ move. He went back to the Cavaliers before he knew for certain they would get additional players for a championship run, and yet he still decided to leave South Beach for Cleveland.
What’s at stake in free agency isn’t just where the players play or what is best for their careers, but who the players are. The same thing that tires them out playing on the second night of a back-to-back is what makes them frustrated by the free agency process or motivated to play for their hometown team. It’s the thing that pushes them to make a name for themselves in a new city, and what shows us that they have real connections to the ones in which they were drafted.
As we’ve seen this past summer, the signings of Parsons, James, Anthony and Stephenson had as much to do with their on-court play as it did who they are as regular old guys; as people with families, flaws and emotions. We may again see that with Kevin Durant, or Damian Lillard or any of the upcoming free agents over the next three seasons, and we should not be surprised when we do.
The thing is, $124 million contracts help to create a natural dissonance between fans and players, and in many ways it feels easy to lose our grip on their humanity. When the dust of the summer of 2014 settled, the storylines on the court were largely shaped by the human element, perhaps moreso than many would care to admit.
At least in the NBA, maybe it wasn’t so lost after all.
