Who has won the NBA offseason?
The NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror and free agency has seen plenty of movement. What teams are winning the offseason right now? By Shamus Clancy
Daryl Morey wasted no time remaking the Sixers in his own likeness, shipping out Al Horford and his bloated contract for vet wing Danny Green, who oozes championship experience.
Adding sweet-shooting Seth Curry in a trade with Dallas and nabbing Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey, maybe the steal of the entire draft, Morey is ready to surround Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with the best-fitting supporting cast they’ve ever had.
The Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball, the most tantalizing talent in this year’s draft, to add a scoring punch and star power that Charlotte hasn’t had since the Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning days. Owner Michael Jordan fumbled the bag after that, handing out a whopping $120 million to Gordon Hayward, who will turn 31 in March.
So much for patiently building around a franchise stud …
Do the Lakers have the salary cap turned off PS5 style? The defending champions have upgraded their big man depth from Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee to Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell, who the Lakers poached for uber-cheap from the Clippers.
Their most prudent move, however, may have been swinging a trade for former Thunder point guard Dennis Schroder, who averaged almost 19 points last year for Oklahoma City while shooting 38.5 percent from three on 5 attempts per game.
The Bucks parted with more trade capital for Jrue Holiday than the Lakers did for Anthony Davis in a desperate attempt to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from testing free agency next summer. Three first-rounders and two pick swaps? Yikes.
That’s to say nothing of Milwaukee completely botching a sign-and-trade deal for Kings sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, who, for tampering reasons or for sheer incompetence on the Bucks’ part, did not agree to that type of move. If Giannis bolts in 2021, Milwaukee’s management will have no one to blame but themselves.
Elton Brand is still technically the general manager of the Sixers, but is he possibly the shadow GM in Detroit? The Pistons inked Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor to new deals and drafted Washington center Isaiah Stewart with the 16th pick in the NBA Draft. That's a whole lot of size.
With the newly signed Jerami Grant now in town with Blake Griffin still entrenched, that’s a super crowded frontcourt that only Brand could love.
No one benefited more from an NBA offseason that began in November than Philly fans, who could escape the torture of this Eagles season that would’ve normally dominated their fall. Can the NBA please release the schedule? Please?
