With training camps underway and preseason games starting, the NBA season is just around the corner. And it’s shaping up to be a fascinating one, with teams trying to find the right formula to knock the Boston Celtics off their throne.
A number of teams made bold moves over the summer to improve their chances of either making the playoffs or having the right mix to make a deep run in the postseason. For some, this season stacks up as an all-in proposition. For others, it’s still a building process.
Here are some of the moves that present the biggest potential impact on team rosters and postseason chances of their franchises.
The Knicks made bold trades for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. Adding Bridges to OG Anunoby as strong defensive wings who can also knock down threes gives the Knicks more length and a stronger defensive approach. The addition of Towns gives the Knicks a significant upgrade in the middle and another player who can stretch defenses.
The Thunder have some good, young pieces to build around. But they lack toughness—especially on the defensive end of the floor. They made two moves to specifically address that and got two of the better players at their respective positions to change the dynamics on their roster. Isaiah Hartenstein owned the NBA’s second-best offensive-rebounding percentage last season, and Alex Caruso is one of the best on-ball defending guards in the game.
The Bulls kinda-sorta made significant changes to their roster this offseason. They traded Caruso to Oklahoma City for guard Josh Giddey and then moved star guard DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento. Chicago then drafted a local product, wing Matas Buzelis, to add a dynamic young forward to their group. While the combination of Giddey and Buzelis is at least intriguing because of their size and playmaking ability, Chicago is banking on impactful returns from veterans Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, changing the trajectory of their season.
Among the teams that made significant individual additions this season, the Kings landing DeRozan could be a huge move. Inserting a great veteran into a lineup that already has a couple of young stars in Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox could make for a scary offense for opposing defenses.
Maybe the least talked-about move of significance in the NBA this offseason could prove to be the most impactful. The Dallas Mavericks weren’t far away from being a championship team; they made it to the NBA Finals, where they were overwhelmed by the Boston Celtics. They needed someone to stretch the floor as a complement to the playmaking ability of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Enter Klay Thompson, who leaves his membership in the Splash Brothers in Golden State behind for a chance at a ring in Dallas.
The Magic landing two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to give them an outside scoring option to complement their young forwards was a great get. And it was relatively affordable (three years, $66 million).
The Pelicans needed a more dynamic guard to lead their offense and acquired that in Dejounte Murray. He’ll move from a role where he played off Trae Young in Atlanta to a spot where he’ll now orchestrate the offense with Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram.
