Contract signing happens every day in the NBA. So naturally, each team wants to get better by targeting better players. Hence, let’s look into the top 10 recent NBA signings.
All teams look great on paper. But their true test is done throughout the regular season. If the chemistry doesn’t seem to set with them, then they go on to make changes.
Each team has a different purpose throughout the season. Some want to rebuild around young players leading them to make trades for cap spaces.
Likewise, some teams want to focus on the current roster and add more assets. Therefore, the trading and signing negations go on throughout the season.
As a result, there are plenty of signings happening around the league. Nevertheless, this article has come up with the top ten recent NBA signings of this season.
Hence, without further due, let us know the recent signings in the NBA.
Top 10 Recent NBA Signings [2022 Update]
The players mentioned below are assembled based on the recent NBA contract signings with a team. Most of them are collected from Nba.com, Espn.com, and Sportrac.com.
Further, before jumping into the details about the top 10 recent NBA signings, let us quickly view the names present in the list for the recent NBA signings.
| NBA Players | New Team |
Previous Team |
| 10. Lance Stephenson | Indiana Pacers | Atlanta Hawks |
| 9. DeMarcus Cousins | Denver Nuggets | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 8. Caris LeVert | Cleveland Cavaliers | Indiana Pacers |
| 7. Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | Sacramento Kings |
| 6. P.J. Dozier | Orlando Magic | Boston Celtics |
| 5. Joe Ingles | Portland Trail Blazers | Utah Jazz |
| 4. Kristaps Porzingis | Washington Wizards | Dallas Mavericks |
| 3. Montrezl Harrell | Charlotte Hornets | Washington Wizards |
| 2. CJ McCollum | New Orleans Pelicans | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1. James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | Brooklyn Nets |
10. Lance Stephenson
Lance Stephenson’s return to the Packers was the least expected of the recent NBA signings. Stephenson is in his third season with the team that drafted him.
In the 2010 NBA draft, Indiana selected him with the 40th overall pick. However, he earned the reputation of an annoying player from the start.
When defending, he used to be all over the player. He used to medal with their playstyle in order to throw them off guard.
Lance was very successful in this endeavor. As a result, he was a fan favorite at home, while the rest of the league and fans despised his guts. His most irritating games were always against LeBron. Both players despised each other, and their playoff brawls were legendary.
It was incredible to see the two put their differences aside and play together on the 2018-19 Lakers roster.
He also went overseas to play after the season before returning to the NBA G League. As a result, he signed a 10-day contract with the Hawks, which did not work out.
As a result, he signed another 10-day contract with the Pacers and is now a full-time member of the team.
You might also be interested in reading about the Top 10 NBA Champions of All Time >>
9. DeMarcus Cousins
It’s been a long time since DeMarcus Cousins has been in a good position. After only seventeen games, he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
During the game, the athlete averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Unfortunately, this is not his best performance; in his prime, he used to wreak havoc.
Nonetheless, injuries followed him everywhere after he joined the Golden State Warriors. First, he tore his left Achilles tendon in his final season with the Pelicans.
Second, he tore his left quadriceps in Game 2 against the Warriors. Similarly, he tore his left ACL during a practice game, effectively ending his season with the Lakers.
As a result, he was signed by the Houston Rockets after being waived by the Lakers. He then signed a ten-day contract with the Clippers, which also ended in failure.
However, the signing with the Bucks appeared to be promising. The Bucks were overjoyed to have him on their team.
Nonetheless, his performance did not help him, and he was waived by the Bucks. Similarly, at the end of January, he agreed to a ten-day contract with the Nuggets.
Following the completion of his contract, the Nuggets offered him a contract for the remainder of the season.
8. Caris LeVert
It was difficult to imagine LeVert playing for a team other than the Brooklyn Nets. Instead, he would be their future star.
However, with the current Nets team in place, there was little need for a future star. As a result, in a three-team trade, the Nets sent him to the Pacers in exchange for Harden.
In addition, as a result of the trade, doctors discovered a small mass on his left kidney during his MRI. As a result, LeVert considers himself extremely fortunate to have had the trade that saved his life.
Analysts predicted that Caris would sign a long-term deal with the team. He was a young point guard with excellent scoring skills.
However, the Pacers did not see him as a good fit in their rebuilding process. As a result, he was traded to the Cavaliers.
This is an excellent acquisition for the Cavaliers, who have one of the most promising young rosters in the Eastern Conference. They had a lot of great young players as well as veteran players.
In addition, the addition of LeVert improves their offensive game. Also, if everything goes as planned, they may be able to make a deep playoff run.
Overall, this is one of the best recent NBA signings of his season.
7. Tyrese Haliburton
When it comes to making headlines, Haliburton’s recent NBA signings take the cake. For the Kings, Haliburton was a solid young player.
Many predicted him to be the Kings’ next megastar in the coming years. This dream, however, was cut short when the Kings traded him to the Indiana Pacers.
The transaction took everyone by surprise. The Kings were reportedly considering trades for Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson.
But no one expected Tyrese to be there. Tyrese, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson are traded to the Pacers in exchange for Justin Holiday, Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and a 2027 second-round pick.
This trade doesn’t move the needle for the Kings because Sabonis is a fantastic player. He is, however, a complementary star who works best when paired with an elite player.
Both Jeremy and Justin’s contracts are set to expire in the coming years. As a result, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Aside from that, it’s a brilliant trade for the Pacers. It is fantastic news for a rebuilding team to pull off such an impressive trade.
The Pacers have traded away the majority of their star players. As a result, adding a star player via trade is very impressive. They also acquired Hield, a superb three-point shooter.
6. Dozier, P.J.
The trade deadline this year was extremely chaotic. Free agents are being traded, waived, and signed by a variety of teams. But, of all the recent NBA signings, the Dozier trade was the most surprising.
PJ Dozier is a solid guard who excelled during the Denver Nuggets’ playoff run. He was a Nuggets reserve who made an impression during crunch time.
And he began his career with the Nuggets’ G League team, the “Windy City Bulls.” He contributed 32 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds to the team’s success.
As a result, the Nuggets turned his two-way contract into a multi-year NBA deal. He did, however, tear his left ACL before the start of the 2021 season.
His season was cut short due to this injury. Nonetheless, Dozier was confident that he would not be traded because he was a valuable asset.
He had no idea the Nuggets were planning to do so. As a result, in a three-team trade involving the San Antonio Spurs, Denver traded him to the Boston Celtics.
The Denver Nuggets have traded PJ Dozier and Bol Bol to the Boston Celtics. However, the Celtics traded both players to the Orlando Magic.
After that, the Magic signed Bol Bol but released Dozier. He is currently working to return to the NBA and assist a team in reaching the NBA Championships.
5. Joe Ingles
The trade of Joe Ingles to the Portland Trail Blazers garnered the most attention among recent NBA signings. In the past, many teams were interested in Ingles.
He had, however, made it clear that he wanted to play with the Jazz. Despite this, Ingles wanted to opt out of his contract after the Jazz failed to make a successful playoff run.
Ingles’ contract with Utah was coming to an end. Similarly, he refused to resign from the team, stating that he would prefer to assist another serious contender.
As a result, Utah needed to act quickly. Joe had to be traded for assets or he would have walked away, leaving the Jazz empty-handed.
Various teams were negotiating hard. None of the packages, however, made sense to the Jazz.
Doctors diagnosed Ingles with a torn left ACL after hearing about the trade rumors. As a result, his season would be over, making the trade negotiations even more difficult.
Finally, the Jazz had to concentrate on improving their roster. They needed enough cap space to sign some big-name athletes this offseason.
As a result, they agreed to a trade with the Blazers in which they sent Ingels, Elijah Hughes, and a 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
This is an excellent trade for the Blazers, who recently traded their second-leading scorer, CJ McCollum. Furthermore, Joe would be an ideal fit for Lillard’s Portland Trail Blazers.
4. Kristaps Porzingis
The departure of Porzingis from the Mavericks was the most anticipated of all recent NBA signings. He wasn’t working with the team because he thought his prime days were over.
Porzingis was selected fourth overall by the Knicks in the 2015 draft. Many fans were disappointed because they had no idea what to expect from a tall skinny guy.
Kristaps, on the other hand, quickly changed the narrative with his high-scoring games. Within two years, he had become the team’s leading scorer, averaging 22.7 points per game.
Despite his excellent scoring performance, he was dissatisfied with the Knicks because they were a bad team. As a result, he demanded a trade after three seasons with the team.
The Knicks responded to his trade request by sending him to the Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks moved quickly to trade him because he was suffering from a season-ending ACL injury.
The Mavericks took the risk of trading for him because they had drafted Luka Doni, a young rising star. As a result, Porzingis was the ideal piece for Dallas to acquire.
However, it was clear from the start of the season that Kristaps was no longer as explosive as he once was.
Even so, the Mavericks waited for him to revert to his old self. They had no idea they were making the wrong decision by doing so.
As a result, after two full seasons with the team, Dallas decided to trade him. Kristaps Porzingis was dealt to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
Have fun reading The 20 Richest NBA Players in the World >>
3. Montrezl Harrell
Charlotte’s acquisition of Montrezl Harrell may be one of the best recent NBA signings this season. Harrell was a member of the Washington Wizards’ young core.
Montrezl Harrell averaged 14.1 points per game for the Wizards. He was the backup center who also played power forward on occasion.
His height of 6ft 7inches makes him a little short in comparison to other centers in the league. However, his explosive gameplay compensates for his lack of height.
His career high was 18.6 points per game with the Clippers. Furthermore, as a result of his outstanding performance, the NBA named him the most improved player.
However, things quickly went south for Harrell after he joined the Lakers. The Lakers’ chemistry was lacking that season.
Despite his explosiveness, the team was unable to perform as well as they should have. Furthermore, Harrell saw significant playing time with the Laker during the regular season.
Nonetheless, his playing time was reduced during the Suns’ playoff series. Coach Vogel stated that he was playing the players who would provide the best match-up against the Suns.
Montrezl’s departure from the roster was indicated by this. As a result, he was traded to the Wizards in the offseason along with Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Overall, this trade provides the center with a fresh start. Similarly, the Hornets add an explosive center to their roster, which is an excellent choice.
2. C.J. McCollum
McCollum’s signing with the Pelicans was the most publicized of the recent NBA signings. CJ has been a prolific scorer for the Portland Trail Blazers behind Damian Lillard. He spent nine seasons with the Blazers and had every intention of returning for more.
However, after several failed playoff runs, Portland was forced to make a difficult decision on how to proceed. The decision resulted in the team’s second-best scorer being traded.
As a result, the trade marked the end of an era for the backcourt scorers CJ and Lillard. He was also traded to the Pelicans with Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, offered Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickleil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, a 2022 protected first-round pick, and two second-round picks.
The Blazers were given far less than they gave. Nonetheless, they will be able to recreate around Lillard because they have enough cap space for the offseasons.
Similarly, McCollum is a great veteran player for the Pelicans who is surrounded by many young players.
Devonte Graham, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Cj now make up the team’s top four scorers.
-
Harden, James
Anyone would be surprised by this. The Nets dealt Harden to the 76ers, who had just arrived in Brooklyn a year before.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden were the Nets’ big three. However, Irving and Harden’s injuries overshadowed their previous season.
Furthermore, with multiple internal issues, Harden desired to leave Brooklyn. His main goal was to join the 76ers and play alongside “The Process” Joel Embiid.
Fortunately, Philadelphia point guard Ben Simmons was having problems with his team. Fans were outraged and booed him after his disappointing 2020-21 playoff performance.
This had an impact on Simmons, who had demanded trades from the 76ers since the offseason. He hasn’t played a game since the start of the season due to his request.
Philadelphia attempted but failed to get the best deal for Ben during the offseason. Nonetheless, since Harden entered the picture, the 76ers have been hot on his tail.
As a result, before the trade deadline, both teams agreed to swap Harden and Paul Millsap for Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.
This transaction appears to be satisfactory to all parties. Simmons can now play in his first game of the season. Similarly, with the addition of Seth, the Nets have a fantastic roster.
Notably, Harden has already made the 76ers his home, as he recently recorded his 68th career triple-double in his team’s second game.
Overall, this is one of the most exciting recent NBA acquisitions. Let us hope that everything works out for the best for all parties.
Conclusion
Every day in the NBA, trades, waivers, and signings take place. Each team strives to improve by the end of the day.
They are looking for either a short-term or long-term team move. Many teams concentrate on rebuilding from the ground up, while others concentrate on adding more assets.
It’s always interesting to see players join another team, regardless of the circumstances. As a result, the following are the top recent NBA signings of 2022.
You may also like: Trey Burke