Compared to past NBA offseasons, there was a significant amount of less money being spent on free agents. With a much weaker free-agent class than in past offseasons and the fact that many teams had financial restraints due to the COVID-19 shutdown last season, the amount of money spent on free agents was significantly down.

In the first 48-hours of free agency this offseason, over $1B was spent on player contracts now and in the future, which may seem like a humongous number, but it is nothing compared to the $3B spent in free agency last offseason in just 24 hours. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of impact players who signed early on in free agency and will make an impact immediately.

Gordon Hayward, Danilo Gallinari, Fred VanVleet, and Bogdan Bogdanovic were four of the biggest names on the market this offseason and they all got paid big time. Hayward struck a four-year, $120M deal with the Hornets, Gallinari and Bogdanovic both signed with the Hawks for three-years and four-years worth $61.5M and $72M respectively. Fred VanVleet returned to the Raptors on a four-year, $85M deal.

The reason Fred VanVleet’s contract was so groundbreaking was that he became the highest-paid player in NBA history who went undrafted. VanVleet’s success story is absolutely amazing as he went from being a mid-major guard who went to the Final-Four, to winning the G-League championship, to winning the Raptors’ first NBA title in franchise history, and now to being one of Toronto’s best players and one of their core pieces as they move forward. 

Plenty of teams made significant moves that could drastically improve them in the standings from where they finished a season ago and some teams got some absolute steals in terms of contract price and fit.

With all of that being said, let’s take a look at the five signings who were biggest steals of NBA free agency.