NBA Free Agency was overshadowed a bit because two huge trades were announced just before Free Agency kicked off. Both trades involved the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let's check them out
First, Paul George quietly let the Thunder brass know that he would like out of OKC and the accommodated him by sending him to his preferred destination, the Los Angeles Clippers. Adding George next to Kawhi Leonard gives them two of the best players in the NBA. It didn't come without a price to the Clips though, as they sent out two unprotected 1st as well as two pick swaps.
At that point OKC knew that they likely weren't contenders anymore and decided to move on from Russell Westbrook, as well. They traded him for Chris Paul and two more unprotected picks, as well as two pick swaps. Westbrook gives Houston two of the best offensive guards in the NBA and should best an improvement over the aging Chris Paul. Paul will go to OKC but there plan is to try and find a trade partner for him sooner rather than later.
Now let's take a look at some of the top FA signings and re-signings.
TOP SIGNINGS
BOS - Enes Kanter - 2yr/$10.00M
LAC - LaMarcus Aldridge - 2yr/$43.91M
MEM - Marc Gasol - 2yr/$24.81M
UTA - Mike Conley - 2yr/$43.82M
SAC - Isaiah Thomas - 2yr/$12.27M
NOP - Derrick Favors - 3yr/$23.78M
DET - Tim Hardaway Jr. - 3yr/$45.01M
TOR - Otto Porter - 3yr/$42.82M
TOR - Jarrett Allen - 3yr/$50.02M
MIN - Markelle Fultz - 3yr/$69.84M
TOP RE-SIGNINGS
CHI - Lauri Markkanen - 4yr/$114.93M
BOS - Jayson Tatum - 4yr/$113.98M
ATL - John Collins - 3yr/$69.91M
UTA - Donovan Mitchell - 4yr/$113.98M
SAC - De'Aaron Fox - 1yr/$10.74M
LAL - Bradley Beal - 5yr/$161.54M
DEN - Lonzo Ball - 4yr/$107.61M
IND - Victor Oladipo - 4yr/$113.91M
POR - C.J. McCollum - 5yr/$161.65M
WSH - Kyle Kuzma - 1yr/$5.28M
As an Expansion team with a lot of young players Seattle is looking at a long season. This will be a rebuilding/see what we have with these young guys season for the Sonics.
#31
VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
ALVIN FLEMING
NICO MANNION
WALTER LEMON JR.
DEVON DOTSON (2W)
SG
ALLONZO TRIER
VITALY VICK
JAMES BUCHANAN (2W)
SF
OG ANUNOBY
E'TWAUN MOORE
EVAN TURNER
CASSIUS STANLEY
PF
MARQUESE CHRISS
DWIGHT POWELL
NAZ RIED
SERGI MARTINEZ
C
CODY ZELLER
SKAL LABISSIERE
As the other Expansion team, Vancouver actually has a little bit more talent than the Sonics but not much better. They have a couple of decent vets though who should help their transition into the NBA go much smoother.
#30
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
COLLIN SEXTON
BRADLEY WANAMAKER
SQAQUILLE HARRISON (2W)
SG
QUINCY MCCALL
JORDAN CLARKSON
BRYN FORBES
TREVON BLUIETT
SF
RUI HACHIMURA
JONATHAN ISSAC
JAMAL JEFFRIES
PF
KEVIN LOVE
GEORGES NIANG
MARIO HEZONJA
JEREMIAH BLUMS (2W)
C
JORDAN BELL
JAKOB POELTL
The Cavs really have a nice young roster and they still have a really solid player in Kevin Love. However, they haven't been to the playoffs since Lebron left and this team won't get much respect until they do.
#29
ATLANTA HAWKS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
TRAE YOUNG
SPENCER DINWIDDIE
BRYAN DARLING
SG
KELDON JOHNSON
KENT BAZEMORE
SF
CAM REDDISH
KEVIN HUERTER
PRECIOUS ACHIUWA
ZACH MORRIS (2W)
PF
JOHN COLLINS
PATRICK DEDMON
FRANK KAMINSKY
OMARI SPELLMAN
C
TRISTAN THOMPSON
ALEX LEN
THON MAKER
CARL MORTON (2W)
The Hawks traded away big man Demarcus Cousins in the offseason after a couple of so-so seasons in the ATL. Trae Young, John Collins and Cam Reddish are one of the top young trios in the NBA but they really need to start showing something in order to make people into believers.
#28
TORONTO RAPTORS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
LAMELO BALL
KYLE LOWRY
RYAN ARCIDIACONO
SG
C.J. WEBSTER
NORMAN POWELL
OCHAI AGBAJI
ROB EDWARDS (2W)
SF
OTTO PORTER
JEREMY MARQUESE
LUKA SAMANIC (2W)
PF
PASCAL SIAKAM
LOUIS KING
LARRY RICE
C
JARRETT ALLEN
BOL BOL
JESSIE GOVAN
Toronto traded away superstar defensive stud Kawhi Leonard and was expected to rebuild. However, they actually picked up some really nice rookies and free agents in the offseason while retaining Siakam and Lowry (who at 35 years old will move to 6th-man). I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a playoff push.
#27
WASHINGTON WIZARDS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
JOHN WALL
SETH CURRY
MALCOLM DELANEY (2W)
SG
SCOTTIE ALEXANDER
TOMAS SATORANSKY
BRADLEY KIRD
TROY BROWN JR.
SF
ROBERT COVINGTON
MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST
PF
T.J. WARREN
DARIUS BAZLEY
IRWIN FLETCHER
KYLE KUZMA (INJ)
C
ANTE ZIZIC
DANIEL GAFFORD
CHRIS GIBSON (2W)
The John Wall era in Washinton is at an impasse. They haven't made the playoffs in years and Wall isn't getting in younger. They landed the #1 pick in the draft, made a plethora of moves in the offseason and now look like a completely new team. Only time will tell if those moves will turn into wins.
#26
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
COLE ANTHONY
MARKELLE FULTZ
FRANK MASON
WADE BALDWIN (2W)
SG
QUENTIN GRIMES
CORY JOSEPH
JOSH OKOGIE
SF
RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON
JORDAN MCRAE
RUDY GAY
PF
CHASE NORTON
TRENDON WATFORD
DANIEL BERNARD
MARK WARD (2W)
C
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
JAHLIL OKAFOR
Much like Washinton, it's time for KAT and the T'Wolves to do something after a long playoff drought. They are one of the most talented young teams in the league and are in a new division. The change could lead to big things for this team or at the very least it gets them out of the ultra-competitive West.
#25
DALLAS MAVERICKS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
KRIS DUNN
FRED VANFLEET
SHANE LARKIN
SG
LANGSTON GALLOWAY
RODNEY MCGRUDER
SAM WILSON
MICHAEL SCOTT (2W)
SF
LUKA DONCIC
LANCE STEPHENSON
HAYWOOD HIGHSMITH
PF
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
T.J. LEAF
AMILE JEFFERSON
TYLER LYDON
C
NIKOLA VUCEVIC
JAMES WISEMAN
This should be the Mavs coming out season... I mean, I thought that last year as well and they were one of the worst teams in the West but maybe this year is the year!
#24
CHARLOTTE HORNETS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
DARIUS GARLAND
DELON WRIGHT
TYRONE WALLACE
D'MARCUS SIMONDS
SG
GARY HARRIS
MALIK MONK
SF
MILES BRIDGES
MICHAEL PORTER JR.
MAURICE HARKLESS
BRIAN BOWEN II (2W)
PF
ISAIAH STEWART
SERGE IBAKA
GARY CLARK
SANDY LYLES (2W)
C
JONAS VALANCIUNAS
LUCAS NOGUEIRA
JUSTIN PATTON
The Hornets made the playoffs last season and actually performed pretty well against the Boston Celtics but I guess whoever made these rankings wants to see them do it again because they ranked really low. They have pretty much their entire core back and at worse are a fringe playoff team in the East.
#23
NEW YORK KNICKS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
D'ANGELO RUSSELL
JEREMY LIN
SG
KHRIS MIDDLETON
MYLES MUMFORD
GRAYSON ALLEN
JONATAN SIMMONS
SF
KEVIN KNOX
MARCUS MORRIS
DENI AVDIJA
PF
BOBBY PORTIS
JULIUS RANDLE
C
VERNON CAREY JR.
JAXON HAYES
KENNETH FARIED
MIKE WATKINS
The Knicks once again, are super talented but they haven't been able to get all of that talent to work together on the court. This will be D'Angelo's first full season in the Big Apple and him along with Middleton, Randle and rookie Munson should have them fighting for a playoff spot.
#22
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
JRUE HOLIDAY
SHANAZZ NAPIER
JAYLEN HANDS
SG
JOSH GREEN
JARRETT CULVER
ABDEL NADER (2W)
SF
BRANDON INGRAM
KEVIN PORTER JR.
STANLEY JOHNSON
MATTY COBB (2W)
PF
ZION WILLIAMSON
DERRICK FAVORS
DRAGAN BENDER
C
BRENNAN CAMPBELL
MITCHELL ROBINSON
MARSHALL PLUMLEE
The Pelicans are another team that isn't getting the respect that they deserve after a strong showing last season. With Zion, Jrue, the newly required Brandon Ingram and the best young center in the draft, they should be fighting for a home playoff seed.
#21
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Depth Chart - 21/22
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
PG
JACK MCGLOCKLIN
MAC MCCLUNG
TY JEROME
BEN SIMMONS (INJ)
SG
JOSH RICHARDSON
A.C. SLATER
ZACH NORVELL JR.
CHUCK FRAZIER (2W)
SF
TOBIAS HARRIS
TROY DANIELS
PF
AL HORFORD
JON BAKER
JALEN SMITH
C
JOEL EMBIID
JUSUF NURKIC
THOMAS WELSH
LINDELL TURNER (2W)
Philly has a ton of talent and are perhaps ranked a little low... however, when you factor in their aging roster, (arguably) their best player Ben Simmons out for possibly the entire regular season, and a bench that leaves a lot to be desired... I guess I can see why they are ranked where they are... I would have them higher though
08-20-2019, 03:07 PM
