James Posey leaves the Celtics; Signs with New Orleans (4 years, $25 million)

Around most circles Posey is being labeled the new "Robert Horry," and if he keeps on racking up championship hardware we will have no problem joining the bandwagon. It's still amazing to us that the Celtics wouldn't give Posey that fourth year he desired. So for all Celtics fans out there - Danny Ainge and the crew are only giving this group 2-3 more years as title contenders. If that wasn't the case then Posey, a proven big game performer, would've been re-signed.

The Hornets proved that they are serious about contending in the Western Conference by going after the two-time NBA champion. He is a solid defender that can match up against Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili and Josh Howard. He knocks down the open jumper and is the ultimate locker room presence.

The Celtics made a business decision to let Posey walk, which is understandable, but replacing glue guys effectively isn't always a lock. Coming off a NBA championship it's hard to criticize Ainge - so we're giving massive props to New Orleans for getting the job done.

Daniel Gibson Re-Signs with Cavs; 5 year deal

First things first - the Cavs absolutely did the right thing by re-signing Gibson, even if it was just to satisfy King James. We haven't been all that enamored with Gibson's game but we can't knock his hustle and ability to drill open jump shots - something that ALL other Cavaliers seem to have trouble doing.

Gibson is everything Damon Jones would like to be (if only Gibson had Jones' personality). So here's our take - the Cavs had to secure someone that showed a pulse from three point range and that guy happens to be one of LeBron's best friends on the team. One thing's for sure; Gibson doesn't back down from the spotlight (see 2006-07 playoffs and 2007-08 All-Star weekend).

Overall it was a solid move by the Cavs.

Corey Maggette headed to Golden State Warriors; Signs 5 year $50 million dollar deal

I love this deal for the Warriors. Maggette has long been an underpaid, talented and high scoring performer and heading to the Warriors should only increase his offensive output (for my fantasy players out there this is good news). The Warriors lost arguably the heart and soul of the team when Baron Davis headed to Clipper-land, but was able to at least replace the lost offense.

Davis' departure also opens the door for Monta Ellis to take the reigns as the Warriors starting point guard - which means a Maggette-Ellis combination is a top tier backcourt duo in the league for years to come - barring injuries of course.

Sometimes a change in scenery is all a player needs to reach All-Star status and respectability from even the most casual fans. I believe that this move, which has been panned by most is exactly what the Warriors needed to stay afloat in the Western Conference - especially after losing out on the Elton Brand sweepstakes.

Elton Brand leaves the Clippers opts to sign with the 76ers

Our good friend Zach Harper over at TalkHoops.net called Brand a coward for leaving the Clippers with a gaping hole inside. I disagree totally - respectfully of course. The Clippers seem to be destined for the basement and since Brand comes from a winning background in high school and college it makes sense to me why he opted to go with an up and coming franchise.

The Sixers with mostly spare parts no other franchise wanted gave the Detroit Pistons a tough run in this year's playoffs, so imagine what the addition of a proven 20/10 guy does for their swagger. Yeah he had a chance to team up with Baron Davis - but Davis' health is as steady as a bobble head doll. Same goes for Shaun Livingston. Cuttino Mobley? Ditto.

We may be in the minority on this - but Brand's move wasn't an act of cowardice, greed or malice. Just take a look at both franchises - the rosters, front office and fan base and you can see why Brand is flying back to the east coast - in first class.

Anthony Johnson signs 2 year deal with the Orlando Magic

Solid, dependable and steady. While AJ isn't going to wow anyone with flashiness, what he does provide is stability for the second squad. He's been the consummate pro in all of his stops and doesn't gripe about minutes, shot attempts and individual agendas. As a player he knows where he is and accepts it.

So anyone that watched the Magic play last season (or listened to us talk about their weaknesses) knows that one of the glaring needs for the team - besides more beef inside - was in their backcourt.

We've never been completely sold on Jameer Nelson as the point guard of the future, since he's a score first floor general that doesn't rack up high assist totals - even with Dwight Howard and a plethora of three point shooters. I wouldn't be surprised if the starting squad plays better when AJ receives minutes with that unit.

So this is one of those moves that won't get much press initially, but with AJ playing so much of his career in the Eastern Conference with varied levels of success - we see no reason to doubt that this transaction will work out great for the Magic.

Roger Mason signs with San Antonio; 2 years $7.75 million

With the Wizards breaking the piggy bank to re-sign Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison it wasn't a surprise that Mason was allowed to walk out of DC. The Wizards will undoubtedly miss his consistency and unless they make additional moves this summer - their bench play will suffer tremendously. If you remember Washington's first round exit against Cleveland, the lack of depth killed them.

At 6'5 Mason is big enough to match up against the league's shorter small forwards and agile enough to guard most point guards in certain spots.

The Spurs lost the services of Brent Barry (signed with Rockets) but gain younger legs in Mason, who hit 39.8% percent from three point land last season.

The Spurs needed to get more athletic and younger and accomplished both with this signing. The Wizards as we stated earlier clearly loses a much underrated piece to last season's success.

Rockets sign Brent Barry add more firepower from deep; 2 year deal

Yes, the Rockets finally have their long range bomber - but let's not kid anyone, Barry is approaching his late thirties and didn't exactly light the world on fire in San Antonio last year. He's a veteran presence that won two championships on the Tim Duncan express and is one of the most prolific deep shooters in the last 15 - 20 years - but is he the guy that helps H-Town get out of the first round of the playoffs?  

Shane Battier typically averages 33 - 37 minutes per night and routinely matches up defensively against the opposition's best SG/SF - plus he has a strong jump shot of his own. So we're looking at this move as an insurance policy for injuries and an added experienced presence in the locker room for the younger players - Aaron Brooks, Steve Novak and Luther Head.

Chris Duhon signs with the New York Knicks; 2 years $12 million

The Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni era has started with the drafting of a relatively unknown foreign kid and the signing of Duhon. What?

We all know that D'Antoni loves to run an up-tempo style and unless we are mistaken after all of these years watching Duhon - that's not his game. D'Antoni is used to penetrators like Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa initiating the attack, so quick name the last time you saw Duhon break down a defense off the dribble enough to get you worried if you happened to be a NBA coach?

We're guessing that this signing negates any possibility of Nate Robinson becoming the Knicks' point guard of the future - especially if Stephon Marbury sticks around.

So let's talk positives - what Duhon provides NY is an unselfish presence to a team dogged by chemistry problems. He is also a steady outside shooter and adds a little bit of playoff experience.  New Yorkers love gritty, tough and nasty point guards (Greg Anthony, Doc Rivers, Charlie Ward, Derek Harper) who make up for a lack of athleticism with heart and desire - problem is would you put Duhon in that class yet?