The NBA offseason is always eventful, and this year was no exception. Teams got shaken up with some blockbuster trades, and there were some great pickups in free agency. With the Celtics being non-competitive, the East looks very open for a new powerhouse. The West will definitely be very competitive again, with many teams looking ready for a deep playoff run. From the Rockets acquiring Kevin Durant, to the Celtics losing steam, this season will be very different from last year.
Durant Shakes Up the West
The most exciting part of every offseason is the trades. The biggest news across the basketball world was Kevin Durant’s trade. He went to the Rockets, along with Clint Capela. In return, the Rockets gave the Suns former #2 pick, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a lot of future picks. Before this trade, the Rockets were the two seed, and with it, they bolstered their offense for the upcoming season. With the Suns, Durant averaged 26 ppg on 60% EFG. The Rockets needed this offensive consistency, and with their young core, they could be very successful. The Suns got a great return on Kevin Durant. Jalen Green is always a threat on the court, and Dillon Brooks is a defensive menace. Combined with Devin Booker, they are a solid play-in team.
One team under a lot of pressure to succeed is the Atlanta Hawks. They acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics in return for Georges Niang. With this pickup, the Hawks have all the weapons they can ask for. Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis should be able to be a real offensive threat, and Dyson Daniels and Porzingis on defense is a top-tier defense. Daniels was First Team all defense last season, and adding a 7-footer for rim protection in Porzingis is great.
A trade that may have gone under many people’s radars is between the Wizards and the Pelicans. The Pelicans received Jordan Poole and Sadiq Bey in exchange for CJ McCollum, Cam Whitmore, and Kelly Olynyk. The Pelicans got a lot better in this trade. They got rid of a very old CJ McCollum and got one of the most exciting point guards in the league. If he can continue to average 20 points on a decent shooting percentage, he, combined with Zion’s paint dominance, is going to be a scary duo. Sadiq Bey is also sneakily good. If he can continue to recover from his 2024 ACL tear and be a solid role player, the Pelicans could sneak into the Play-in.
Free Agency Recap
The Clippers made some exciting moves in free agency. They signed Bradley Beal to a 2-year $11M contract. This is an excellent value for a solid 15 ppg role player. He can also be a significant veteran presence. The Clippers also signed Chris Paul, who, although he is old, can still be a solid contributor to their offense. One of the main critiques of the Clippers is their age. They are the oldest team in the league, and this is concerning because injuries can very easily ruin their season.
One of the best free agent signings was Myles Turner to the Bucks. With the Pacers, Turner had to play a proper center role and couldn’t be a true floor spacing center. With Giannis at power forward, Turner will be able to space the floor and will likely shoot a lot more threes than in previous seasons. Giannis has expressed his desire to win another championship, with any team, and the Bucks seem committed to bettering this team to make a championship run.
Who to watch from the Draft
#1 Overall pick is always someone to watch, especially this year. Cooper Flagg was drafted to a Mavericks team that already has Kyrie and Anthony Davis. They likely would’ve been a playoff team if not for injuries. This team, adding Cooper Flagg, could be very good, and Flagg could be a real contributor to the team as a rookie. At Duke, he averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. He looked very well-rounded and league-ready.
VJ Edgecombe averaged 15, 5, and 3 in college and looked dominant in his games. He is going to a 76ers team that has a lot of veteran presence in Embiid and Paul George. The 76s also have a promising young core of Edgecombe, McCain, and Maxey. Edgecombe will likely get a good amount of minutes on this team, and if he can make the most of his playing time, he has all-star potential. McCain, a local Centennial alum, had a great rookie season last year before going down with a torn meniscus.
March Madness legends are always interesting to watch. Even some of the best of them, like Jimmer Fredette, just can’t find the same success in the NBA. Walter Clayton Jr is the newest March Madness legend to be drafted. He was drafted with the 16th overall pick by the Jazz. The Jazz haven’t been a competitive team in a while, but they have an up-and-coming young core, including Clayton Jr., if they can develop the team well. Clayton will be a substantial part of the team.
Centennial graduate Carter Bryant is in a great situation to become a star. He was drafted to the Spurs with the 14th pick. With the Spur’s history of top notch player development, Bryant has a very promising future. While he may not get a lot of touches on a stacked Spurs team that is looking to contend. If he reaches full potential that he showed in college, he can be an electric force for the Spurs.
What Teams to watch for
The Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed last year, and with little roster change, they will likely be a top seed again and a championship contender. They have a very well-built team around Donovan Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley. They are a well-rounded team with no fundamental weaknesses.
The Magic are an up-and-coming team under a lot of pressure to win. The Magic have given Paolo everything he could need to make a playoff run. They have a young team with a lot of depth, and at this point in their rebuild, they need to prove themselves as soon as possible, or they might need to consider changes to their core.
The best organization in the league right now and for the foreseeable future is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have an amazing young core, the league’s MVP, a former coach of the year, and a multitude of draft picks. They are the blueprint for building a team and will likely make a championship run.
The Rockets’ 2nd-seed finish is something a lot of people like to gloss over. They were already a two seed with a streaky, inconsistent Jalen Green running the offense. Now that they have KD for a consistent flow of offense, their offense will be running at full capacity. They also have an auspicious future in Alpren Sengun and Amen Thompson. They could be set up for a deep playoff run in the extreme west.
