Everybody the loves the draft.  It comes with renewed expectations and the excitement of possible stars for the future.  The problem with the draft however, is that it doesn’t always work out the way GM’s and fans hope and plan.  That’s where free agency comes in.  It can make up for a bad draft, round out a solid team or even change the complexion of a whole franchise.

One of the keys to being successful in free agency is understanding how to build a complete team.  Knowing team chemistry is key when bringing in new players.  It doesn’t matter who you get if they don’t fit into the system or work well in the locker room.  You can bring in one of the best players in the league and if he doesn’t fit in then it’s not going to work.  No matter how good a player is, you can’t bring him into a situation where he doesn’t fit.  All you have to do is look to Dwight Howard and the Lakers to prove that point.  Howard was and is a star who didn’t fit at all with the Los Angeles Lakers and their chemistry.  Everyone thought that they were building a guaranteed champ, but it turned out to be an absolute mess.

The other key in doing well on the free agent market is figuring out what players are worth and paying them accordingly.  If a player is worth seven million dollars a year then you cannot and should not pay him much more than that.  Overpaying mediocre players (or any player for that matter) can ruin a franchise for years to come.  For some front offices, that can be a huge problem, when it comes to current players who hit the open market.  Some don’t want to upset fans by letting team greats finish careers with other teams while others just don’t want to admit that they drafted poorly.  But, whatever the reason, it creates problems when building a great team moving forward.  If you over spend on a player just to keep him in town, you are limiting who else can be added to the roster, which damages the overall skill level of a team.  And that’s the last thing you want as a fan when you are hoping to cheer for a winner.