Top 5 Offseason NBA Moves
Avid NBA fan Aaron Lieberman breaks down the most exciting and impactful moves from the offseason.
The 2017 NBA offseason has been riveting, which is far more than you can say about the regular season the preceded it.
With the Golden State Warriors setting the new standard of roster excellence, teams are now decidedly in one of two positions. Some teams are blowing things up, after realizing having just one or two all-stars is no longer enough (see: Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks). Other teams are trying to keep up with the NBA arms race by mortgaging depth and youth to acquire elite talent in hopes of catching up with teams like the Dubs and the Cavs.
This process has resulted in a flurry of moves around the league that will have fans cheering for a lot of new faces this upcoming season. Here is a list of the most impactful moves that have happened, so far.
5. Rockets land a second all-star point guard, Chris Paul
I’m only burying this one at the top of the list because people are going to call me a homer, but this is Trump-level yuuuge people. The Rockets traded Pat Beverly, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and a top-three protected pick in 2018 for the nine-time all-star. A hefty price to pay for a player north of 30, but it is one that I believe will be worth the cost of admission.
Acquiring CP3 does two things for Houston. Firstly, it brings in a member of the infamous banana boat crew. This means that the Rockets (after having cleared cap space as a result of the trade) have a much better shot at landing high-profile veteran players like Carmelo Anthony. Secondly, bringing in the only player that got more votes for first team all-defense at guard than Pat Bev himself means that the Rockets are locking in for this season.
4. Lowry gets paid to stay in the 6ix
There has to be a little Toronto flair in here. After ensuring that he was able to bring back Serge Iblocka, Masai Ujiri (who had been rumoured to be on the move to NY) defied the odds once again and got his point guard back.
I am going to fall on my sword here. I did not think it was possible for the Raps to bring both of these guys back, but they got it done. A three-year $100 million contract might be a tough pill to swallow for those around the GTA, but that’s the price of doing business in the NBA. This move is also worth noting because players like Lowry and Paul had been linked to San Antonio, but Pop was just as happy to bring back Patty Mills.
3. Minnesota adds another member to the wolf pack
They’re the three best friends that anyone could have. (Am I the first one the make this joke?)
I really haven’t seen it floating around the World Wide Web at all. During the 2017 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the world, acquiring Jimmy Buckets from the Chicago Bulls for Zach Lavine, Kriss Dunn and the 7th overall pick (which they turned into Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen). Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns. That is a pretty young and dynamic Big Three for a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2003, when they lost in the Conference Finals to the Lakers. Look for the Wolves to win a lot more games this year, and if they find a way to gel over the course of the season, they could be a scrappy and dangerous playoff team.
2. Westbrook’s efficiency rate goes down, but the chances of OKC winning games goes up
Splish, splash. This was a big one folks, even if it is essentially a glorified rental. The Thunder trade Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for PG13, damn. That is a pretty savvy move from a much maligned and often criticized front office in OKC.
The reality is that Oladipo was a tad overpaid and didn’t really start working things out until the playoffs. The other reality is that this move actually saves the Thunder money, which is bonkers. The other other reality is the Paul George will be a free agent at the end of the 2017/18 season and has still shown a vaunted interest in being a Laker. If Brodie and PG13 can get something special going, he might just end up staying in hopes of bringing in one of next years top free agents (if they pony up the money, which hasn’t really been their style).
1. KD takes a pay cut to keep the band together
Wow. Breaking. Who saw this coming?
Okay, so this move didn’t really shock anybody when it popped into their notification centre, but it is the biggest move. After winning his first NBA Championship this year with the Dubs, KD is one happy man. So happy in fact, that is took a $9 million pay cut to come back on a modest 2-year $53 million contract. This move allowed the Warriors to pay Iggy a hefty six-man salary, which is well deserved after having won Finals MVP during their first win over the Cavs. Being able to get these guys back and keep them from helping other competitive teams in the West is huge for Golden State. They quietly brought back Steph, KD, and Iggy with no qualms, arguments, or bad blood. How very Golden State. A lock again for the NBA Finals next season, the Warriors have kept everyone happy and well paid enough to run it back.
Aaron Lieberman is a cofounder of The Ocho, as well as our fantasy editor. You can catch him (almost) every week on The Ocho Podcast on Thursday nights with fellow cofounder Riley Nicklaus Evans. Follow Aaron on Twitter at @aliebs93.
