The NBA offseason is officially in full swing. For all but one team, last season was a failure. So it’s time for GM’s to retool, restructure, and reload their team to compete in the 2021-22 season. It’s been a wild 48 hours filled with interesting deals – some a bit more questionable than others. With that being said, here’s a recap of all the major moves thus far.
The Lakers Restructure
Following their acquisition of former-MVP and triple-double machine Russell Westbrook, the Lakers had one very obvious need entering free agency: shooting. They added solid bench pieces at low cost in Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk. LA also committed to reunions with old friends in Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard. The biggest surprise by far was the addition of Miami’s Kendrick Nunn, a solid backup point guard who’ll provide excellent playmaking and scoring off the bench.
While the shooting needs were addressed pretty efficiently by GM Rob Pelinka, age could be a concerning factor. The Lakers will enter next season with eight players over 32 years old. While extending Talen Horton-Tucker allowed them to retain a quality young perimeter player, injuries and fatigue could prevent the Lakers from returning to glory.
Miami Adds More Dogs
Heat Culture is no secret. Over the last two decades, Pat Reilly and Coach Spo have built Miami into one of the league’s most enviable franchises. The idea is simple. Work hard. Play harder. Basketball is business. Miami’s hyper-focused mentality is part of the reason why they were able to thrive in the Orlando Bubble. Jimmy Butler’s workhorse mentality fits this mold perfectly. It’s easy to see why these two sides were able to come together on a new four year, $184 million extension. Miami also extended sharp-shooter Duncan Robinson for $90 million over five years, making him the highest paid undrafted player in NBA history.
After a first round exit in last year’s playoffs, Pat Reilly knew bringing back the same guys wasn’t going to be enough. Miami’s big splash came in the form of veteran point guard Kyle Lowry. Lowry, like Butler, is known for his high basketball IQ and intense defensive presence. The Heat also added P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, two role players who fit the mold of Heat Culture perfectly.
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The Bulls Are Going For It
With rumors circulating that All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine would request a trade if the Bulls weren’t a playoff team next season, Chicago knew they had to be aggressive. But I don’t know if anyone expected them to be this aggressive. They didn’t hesitate to throw the bag at Lonzo Ball, securing him on a four year, $85 million deal. Ball’s defense and play-making ability could serve as the perfect complement to LaVine’s explosive scoring in Chicago’s backcourt. The big move came when they added the Spurs’ Demar Derozan for three years, $85 million. Derozan, a former All-Star in Toronto, will be reunited with former USC teammate Nikola Vucevic. Chicago also added former Laker cult hero Alex Caruso on a four year, $37 million deal as a high-energy defensive presence off the bench.
Even with all these improvements, it’s tough to see Chicago making any significant strides next season. This squad should be a lock for the playoffs, but they’re still not better than Brooklyn or the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll likely find themselves in the middle of the pack jockeying with Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and Atlanta.
Young Stars Getting Their First Bag
Every NBA offseason, a fresh batch of young talent becomes restricted free agents, thereby making them eligible for that first massive payday. Following an impressive playoff debut, Trae Young secured a five year, $207 million extension from the Hawks. Atlanta also locked up power-forward John Collins on a five year, $125 million extension, committing to their young core after last season’s trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC agreed to a maximum rookie contract extension with the Thunder for $172 million over five years. And the Cavs locked up big-man Jarrett Allen on a five year, $100 million deal. Congrats boys, I’m sure dinner is on y’all tonight.
There’s No Place Like Home
Several talented players didn’t need to look very far to sign their new contracts. The dynamic point guard duo of Chris Paul and Cam Payne decided to run it back in Phoenix. Milwaukee cult phenom Bobby Portis is sticking around with the Bucks. Mike Conley chose to stay in Utah for three years, $72.5 million. Tim Hardaway Jr. re-upped with Dallas on a new $72 million deal over four years. Blake Griffin went back to the Nets superteam on a one year contract. Gary Trent Jr. got a $54 million bag from Toronto over three years. Trent was traded from Portland to Toronto mid-season for Norman Powell, who elected to stay with the Blazers for $90 million over five years. Most importantly, everyone’s favorite player Derrick Rose is staying with the Knicks on a three year, $43 million dollar deal. Speaking of the Knicks…
The Knicks Spent WHAT?! On WHO!?
Knicks gonna Knick? “The Knicks had a lot of cap space- ” Okay? If I had a million dollars, and I chose to spend it all on a truckload of Jack in the Box tacos, you’d think that’s pretty stupid, right? Another offseason where the Knicks once again tossed out massive contracts to mediocre players. Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel got $30 million apiece, and Even Fournier secured a massive four year, $78 million deal. James Dolan must be utterly confused by the idea of spending money wisely. It’s not all bad though, Knick fans. The Knicks did manage to grab Bronx-native and certified MSG bucket-getter Cardiac Kemba Walker following his buyout with Oklahoma City. After missing out on Kemba in free-agency two years ago, they finally snagged their hometown guy. However, the Knicks might regret not saving some of that cap space when more talented players become available in the coming years.
Warriors Add Depth and Drop a BAG on Steph Curry
After a very successful NBA Draft, the Warriors continued to add solid role players. They snagged Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr. on one-year deals to deepen their bench. But let’s talk about the real story. Steph got a BAG. After winning three titles in four years and cementing himself as the King of the Bay, there was no chance the Warriors were gonna let him walk. But GOD DAMN. Steph signed a four year, $215 million contract extension, making him the first player in NBA history to sign TWO extensions over $200 million. This contract comes in with an average annual value of just under $54 million. That’s $655,488 per game, or $13,656 per minute. Back up the Brinks truck, Mr. Curry, you earned it.
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With the start of next season two months away, there’s still plenty of moves to be made. Kawhi Leonard is technically still unsigned, though the overwhelming notion is that he’s staying with the Clippers. A Ben Simmons trade could potentially happen if Philly realizes they’re asking way too much in exchange for a guy who can’t shoot outside the paint. Regardless, if anything big goes down, you know we got you covered here at Wavypack. Let us know your thoughts on the NBA offseason so far in the comments section below! For more sports news, check out the full details of the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to LA.
