NBA2K Remix: Retro Stars in the Modern Era

[RolePlayer]

Congrats, excited to see what's next with this team.

[trekfan]

The High Post: 2021 Retirements + Lottery Results

By Sam Gray



Retirements:














The Lottery:








The Knicks had the greatest odds of the #1 overall pick and finally, the basketball gods have granted them the honor. New York is picking first and the young big from Minnesota, Kevin McHale, is almost guaranteed to be selected first overall.



Cleveland lands second while Chicago grabs the third overall pick — the Cavs are looking strongly at Kiki Vandeweghe while Chicago is debating selecting Darrel Griffith or grabbing one of the many bigs available. The Bulls have a decision to make on whether Markkanen or Zach Lavine are really the long term pieces they can build around.

[XxVal_MarXx]

Congratulations on the title, San Antonio has victory in its DNA

[trekfan]

The High Post: 2021 NBA Draft Recap

By Sam Gray



The 2021 draft was quiet in comparison to last year as teams around the league are evaluating their rosters and trying to determine if the new blood available to them in the draft is worth more than what they currently have. There weren’t many trades on draft night as multiple executives are expecting the dams to burst when free agency opens up, but there were a few minor deals.







The Lakers traded into this draft, acquiring ATL’s pick for future draft considerations — that unprotected 2023 pick could be huge for Atlanta as they look to take the young talent they already have and solidify it as their core.



For the Lakers, they need a bit of youth in their roster, especially as LeBron gets another year older. After their disappointing second round out to the Nets, LAL saw just how valuable a deep bench was.







Speaking of the Nets, Brooklyn made a deal to unload Prince’s awful contract ($15M for a barely average bench player) and sacrificed a 1st rounder to do it, as OKC takes on the salary and sends back a pair of cheaper 2nd round picks. The Thunder used their cap space to acquire an asset, a classic move by the franchise, and Brooklyn frees up some cap space for a potential free agency move.







And now, the draft. At the top was McHale and he’s exactly what the Knicks wanted and needed; after trading away Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks needed a center who could play the post, play defense, and keep the paint on lockdown — McHale is that big with his old-school game. A tad bit undersized for the five, he’ll find himself challenged by some of the bigger bodies in the league, but with the current era the NBA is in, he should thrive as a traditional big with good enough defense and rebounding to stay on the floor.

2^nd overall the Cavs made the call the grab Vandeweghe. He’s a scorer, he’s got great hair, and Cleveland is hoping to pair him longterm with Garland, Sexton, and Kevin Porter — though it is likely one of those three end up finding their way out of Cleveland as the Cavs need to figure out which set of guard to roll with. Sexton is the likeliest trade candidate right now; Vandeweghe will slot in as the starting SF for them and the Cavs could sneak into the playoffs with a good year.



3^rd overall, the Bulls -- Chicago debated between Griffith or Bellamy and the Bulls decided to go with the PF in Bellamy. A sweet-shooting big, Bellamy is a stretch four who plays solid defense, though definitely is not much a rebounder. With the pick the writing is on the wall for Markkanen, who’s officially on the trade block now and could be moved to multiple teams.



4^th, the Pacers had their own decision to make — go for the younger Griffith or opt for one of the many good bigs in this draft. Similarly to the Bulls, Indiana was comfortable with Oladipo as their lead guard and passed on Griffith, taking Humphries. Like Bellamy, Humphries is a big who can stretch the floor, but is stout enough to bang in the post and get boards. The Pacers confirmed, with the pick, that they’re looking to move either Turner or Sabonis as that frontcourt combo was clearly not working — they’re going to try again with Humphries in the mix, though there are serious questions as to whether Indiana may need to blow it all up if they fail to sniff the playoffs this year.



5^th overall, the Hornets selected Griffith — luck has not been on the side of Charlotte in past lotteries as they got close to their preferred pick, only to have to settle for someone else. In this case, the Hornets got rewarded with patience and Griffith fell to them. A slasher with the ability to shoot as easily as score in the paint, Griffith is the type of player Michael Jordan loves. Though not as tall as some other wings in this draft (he stands only 6’4”), what he lacks in height Griffith makes up for in intangibles. There are concerns about his durability (he was a bit injury prone in his lone year of college) but under the care of an NBA training staff many in the league are cautiously optimistic he can stay on the floor.







6^th overall, the Kings select PF Spencer Kempton. Kempton is a defensive stud who can play either the three or four, can guard anyone on the floor, and has an insanely high athletic ceiling; what he lacks is a consistent shooting touch (he has a shot but his form is inconsistent) and an aggressive mentality on offense. Often deployed in college as the his team’s best stopper, Kempton wasn’t asked the carry much of an offensive load at all and there are doubts whether he can grow in that area in the NBA. With his selection, Sacramento is signaling to the whole league that they’ve picked Fox’s side in the Fox/Bagley beef, which means Marvin is likely to be moved in the near future.



7^th overall, the Wizards go and grab another of the notable bigs in this draft in foreign-born Drazen Simms, who is one of the odder stories in this draft; named after Drazen Petrovic, father European and mother African American, Simms played one year at Boston College before declaring after a superb March Madness performance (in two rounds he scored 20+ points and shot nearly 50-40-90). The Wizards don’t necessarily need him — especially with the bigs they have — but DC became enamored with him in the pre-draft process and pulled the trigger. Washington has a plethora of bigs now, so expect them to make moves in the next few weeks.



8^th overall, the Pelicans added in another big in Franklin Galloway — 6’10” and with the ability to play inside out, NOLA believes Galloway will be their best big off the bench in a year’s time. With the contract of Derrick Favors expiring next summer (and he’s likely to be let go), NOLA grabbed the BPA here and are hoping Galloway can learn from the bench in year one as the Pelicans try to make the playoffs with Ball, Ingram, and Zion as their best players.



9^th, overall came the Pistons; Detroit had a real need to fill the SF spot and nabbed the best wing defender in the draft with Spencer Carpenter. Carpenter is not known for his shooting touch, only slightly average in college, but his defensive chops place him as a solid rotation piece at the very least. Detroit is not likely to start him in year one, but expect Carpenter to get major minutes off the bench as the Pistons stopper. Whether he develops as a shooter will determine if Detroit made the right pick or not here.



10^th were the T’Wolves and the Wolves grabbed a big; Omari Spellman, their current starting PF, is unhappy in Minnesota and has asked out. Minnie needed to grab a replacement for Spellman as they pursue deals to move him and Diego Barea is that replacement. A stretch four with some decent point-forward abilities (his playmaking is an underrated part of his game), Barea is not necessarily ready to start right away but if the Wolves can give him time to marinate on the bench, he could be a big piece for them going forward. After another disappointing season with no playoff basketball, Minnesota is anxious to prove to KAT and Russell that being with them longterm is a good idea.










At 11, the Warriors — after a dismal season — end up with young PG Jerome Haywood. Steph Curry is 33 and still one of the best in the game, but injuries are always a concern with Curry and his play, though still electric, is demonstrating a decline in athleticism. Without a young backup behind him, the Warriors are left vulnerable to him getting injured again and that’s why Haywood landed here. Haywood is scorer, first and foremost, and there’s not a spot on the floor he’s afraid to shoot (very much like Curry). Golden State fell in love with that confidence and expect him to replace Curry longterm, though there’s no telling when that might be with how well Curry is playing.



At 12, the Mavericks went with a big — a PF in Havel Bajza from Hungary. Bajza is a four who can stretch the floor and should compliment Porzingis and Donic in a few years. At only 19 and with minimal professional exposure at the NBA level, he’ll likely not see much time this year but could be a rotation piece next year. Dallas is desperate for the playoffs and with Donic and Porzingis as their center pieces, the clock is ticking.



At 13, the Jazz select PG Larry Drew. Utah is struggling to find an answer at PG; bringing back Rubio didn’t work as well as they hoped last season as injuries ravaged the roster and sent Utah to a losing record. Drew will not see much playing time this year or next in all likelihood, but as a reserve he’ll get a chance to polish his offensive game; Utah loves his defense, but wants him to be a bit more of a scorer to help out Mitchell.



At 14, the Blazers went with a draft and stash player in Predrag Toroman. Currently playing in Serbia, Toroman will finish his contract there and come over next year for the Blazers, who are looking towards the future with this pick. Toroman isn’t well-known in American circles but his ability as a two-man player has international scouts drooling. The only outstanding concern scouts had about him was his ability to adjust to the NBA game, but the Blazers were not worried about that.





At 15, the Grizzlies selected center Turk. Turk is a bit of a project and also a draft and stash player, but one the Grizzlies felt they couldn’t pass up. With Jonas Valanciunas and Marc Gasol in the last years of their deal, the Grizzlies may need to rely on Turk for major minutes as soon as next year. Memphis is looking ahead with this pick and for a team that just made the playoffs and got all the way to the second round, that’s a wise move.







Two interesting picks here: at 18 the Rockets selected sharpshooter Casey “Red Rocket” Richards. Known by many names out of La Salle, Richards is the type of player the Rockets love; he shoots, he scores, and he plays just enough defense to bother — though not stop — opponents. The Rockets are expected to deploy him as their SF and he may earn the starting job right out of the gate.



At 20 the Lakers select Dion Hammonds. A wing who can play either the two or three, Hammonds will be LeBron’s understudy as James enters his age 36 season. LeBron won’t be conceding the starting job any time soon but by the time Hammonds rookie deal is over, LeBron will be 40 and may be retired by then. Hammonds is a shooter, a floor spreader, and has the physical tools to play solid defense, though effort is a question on that end. At 19 he’ll have time to improve as the Lakers grab a young player they were very high on after workouts.







At 24, the Thunder add their own draft and stash player in Luigi Garibaldi from Italy. A PG most of the time, Garibaldi has the ability to play up in certain lineups and is a pass-first guard. He won’t be seeing any minutes this season as he’s overseas, but he could get some play next year in the rotation as OKC leans into their mantra of “more guards, more better.” Presti may have hit on a gem here, but Garibaldi is going to have a tough transition playing NBA-caliber guards when he arrives next season.







Towards the end of the first round the Grizzlies went with another draft and stash player in Vlado Tarlac; Tarlac isn’t exactly a stretch four, he fits more into a high-post big role and should be a solid bench player when he arrives next year. With Demarre Carroll at 35 and on the decline, Tarlac is likely the replacement for him as Memphis continues to add assets to the league’s most promising young team.

[dfsJunkie]

Not too many known names in this draft. McHale to NY is interesting though.

[trekfan]

UPDATE:


Working on the free agency recap -- we had quite a bit of movement this time around, also we have some teams that are getting some new threads for the upcoming NBA season (the Spurs among them), so stay tuned for that.

[trekfan]

The High Post: 2021 Free Agency Recap
By Sam Gray



The moratorium period is over and the NBA is back in action, and so are the league front offices. It’s time to hand out grades for their free agent signings — good, mediocre, bad, or ugly. This summer saw some big moves in free agency and the trade market as teams around the NBA reconfigured themselves for the next season.



First, the trades:







The Bucks are pushing nearly every chip they have into the middle of the table and telling the dealer, “HIT ME” as they make their biggest move yet to convince Giannis that they — and only they — are the place for the NBA’s biggest free agent since LeBron was last on the market.



Middleton, picks (a totally unprotected 2025 1st), a hefty trade exception, and highly regarded 2021 1st round pick Abraham Bush (from Oklahoma and compared to Trae Young) all get sent to Sactown for unhappy Marvin Bagley, who gets his wish and gets traded. The Bucks gave up a valuable vet in Middleton for the right to take on Bagley and his new deal (agreed to on condition of a trade). Sacramento gets some good veteran help for the first time in years, but in a brutal West it may only be enough to get them close to .500. Giannis’ decision squarely rests with him now as the Bucks have exhausted almost all their assets to build him a contender that can last years.







The Pacers, Rockets, and Wizards all engaged in a trade that slightly raises the ceiling for all teams. Houston moves on from Covington and Hartenstein, as well as a few picks (the unprotected 2022 1st is tantalizing) for Myles Turner, their first true big man in years and someone who can stretch the floor. Turner will likely be moving to PF to let the Rockets continue to start Bell at C, though either player could switch positions with minimal issue.



Indiana gets Bertrans, a solid PF who can shoot (but never seems to shoot enough) and gets some picks. The Wizards get Covington, whom Washington will be starting at SF (moving him back to his true position) and allowing the Wizards to roll out a theoretically nice lineup of Wall, Beal, Covington, Hachimura, and Bryant/Wagner — a starting five that, out East, could be solid enough for a playoff spot.







The Magic are done with Aaron Gordon and found a willing partner in Minnesota, who ship out Tristan Thompson and a protected 2023 1st for the rights to Gordon. Gordon will likely toggle between SF and PF in Minnesota as the Wolves continue to make the push for the playoffs in an effort to show KAT that winning is possible in Minnesota — but with KAT’s contract up in three years (and the potential for him to ask out sooner than that), the clock ticks loudly in Minnesota as Gordon is their latest attempt to secure talent to allow the team to get to the postseason.







The Spurs got involved in the trade market, but not how many thought they would — San Antonio was rumored to be looking to move on from Norman Powell, who wants to sign a longer term deal with the Spurs if they can guarantee him major minutes, but the Spurs were not willing to do that; both sides were at an impasse and trade rumors swirled, but it was little used SF Keldon Johnson who was shipped off the Boston for former 2020 1st rounder PG Louie Cardinal. Cardinal saw no play time last year as he sat on Boston’s bench and will show up in San Antonio as one of the many guards they can play; Johnson will get to Boston, who may have more minutes for him to show off his skills, but this trade was merely an exchanging of (so far) disappointing former 1st round picks on their rookie deals and little else.







The big trade was one that had been brewing for years — the Blazers are moving on from their dynamic backcourt. McCollum was shipped off to Chicago, along with 2020 1st rounder Carton Wheeler for Markkanen, Gafford, and a pair of Bulls 2nd round picks in a deal that saw the Blazers address a major need (PF) while sacrificing the backcourt that has led to so many wins.



The Bulls get another scoring guard and plan to move Lavine to SF — a risky proposition considering his suspect defense — but Chicago is betting that a backcourt of White and McCollum, plus Lavine and rookie 1st rounder Bellamy, and Wendall Carter manning the middle, will be enough for them to at least sniff the playoffs. Defense has become optional for the Bulls as they pursue a postseason berth.



Now, with that all out of the way, let’s get to the notable free agency moves:






C Alex Len to PHI — Mediocre. Philly made the Finals last year and Dwight Howard was a defensive stud for them — he performed better than many expected, but he was also older, he wanted more money, and Philly moved on from him. His replacement is Len, who himself had a solid year last season (6-4 on 52 percent) and may be a better fit longterm for Philly at just 28. The move doesn’t move the needle, but Philly doesn’t have much cap room to move it.



SF Giannis Antetokounmpo/PG Mike Conley/SF James Johnson/PF Sam Dekker to MIL — GOOD. The Bucks did it — they convinced Giannis to come back and he gave them a four year deal with an opt out after year three. Milwaukee brought in Sam Dekker (from Wisconsin), who excelled last season as a stretch four for CHA, added in veteran Mike Conley to sit behind Bledsoe, and even grabbed defensive stud James Johnson. The Bucks are loaded for bear and want a title this year. They can’t afford to let the momentum of their offseason pay off with anything less.



PG TJ McConnell/SG JJ Redick/SF Zach Lavine (extension) to CHI — Good. The Bulls seem serious about actually winning games, for the first time in what feels like forever, and after their major trade this offseason (and their major draft pick of Bellamy), Chicago seems primed — once again — for growth. Lavine inked a 2yr extension to stay in Chicago, which puts him on the same timeline as McCollum; if this doesn’t work out and it all blows up, at least the Bulls will be able to reset fairly quickly.



C Enen Kanter to CLE — Mediocre. The Cavs are just treading water and really, Cleveland needs to make hard decisions on Love, Sexton, and some members of their young core; this team just doesn’t seem to work, but Cleveland is again going to ride into the next season trying to prove everyone wrong. Reportedly, owner Dan Gilbert is resistant to the idea of moving Sexton as he (or the pick that was used to take him anyway) was a key part of the Irving trade to Boston; if Sexton is moved, it looks like a failure (kinda is) and Gilbert is not open to inviting that narrative.



SF Jayson Tatum/PF Daniel Theis/C Kelly Olynyk/PG Rajon Rondo — Good. The Celtics had to bring Tatum back and though there was a little intrigue (Tatum and the front office disagreed a little on the money), the deal got done with minimal drama. Theis is a key piece for them as their starting/semi-starting PF, and he was promised more minutes this year so he came back on a 3yr deal. Boston also added two former Celtics in Olynyk (a good bench big) and Rondo (who seems to have patched up some of the hurt feelings between him and Boston GM Danny Ainge).



PF Paul Millsap/SF Kelly Oubre/SG Landry Shamet (extension)/SF Kawhi Leonard (extension) to LAC — Mediocre. The Clippers could not convince PG13 or Lou Williams to come back, as they’ve both gone to greener pastures, and LAC is now a one man band again; it’s Kawhi and not a lot else. The Clippers will obviously have a chance to trade for someone or sign someone next year. With Kawhi locked in for the next five years (and with a NTC on top of that), the Clippers are his team and he seems to like it just fine that way.



C Marc Gasol/SG De’Anthony Melton to MEM — Mediocre. That’s the best grade the Grizzlies can get in free agency, as they didn’t do anything radical or to move the needle; the stayed the course. After last year’s huge success (finishing a game short of the West Finals), the Grizzlies really needed to bet on internal improvement and that’s the bet they made. This will be an interesting season to see if that trade for Lonnie Walker ends up being as good an idea as it seemed during the playoff run.



PF John Collins to ATL — Good. The Hawks brought back their young big, who’s become a key piece of their team (last year put up 20-10 on 60-42-84 splits) and absolutely earned his new contract. Retaining him was a big win and Atlanta is well-positioned to be a major player in the East this year.



C Bam Adebayo/PG Kendrick Nunn to MIA — Good. The Heat had a great first round of the playoffs, upsetting the defending champs (and breaking up the Clippers in the process) and had a good effort in round two against the soon-to-be champs; ultimately they fell but they were the dangerous team everyone assumed they would be in the regular season. Bringing back Bam (5yrs) and Nunn (3yrs) is a no-brainer move as Miami looks to secure a better playoff seed and have a longer postseason in Jimmy Butler’s third year on the team.



PG Devonte Graham/C Richaun Holmes to CHA — Mediocre. The Hornets had to bring back Graham (17-3-7 last year) but adding in Holmes is questionable at best. Holmes is a stretchy five with a three-point shot that comes and goes (with SAC last year, he shot a horrifying 20% from there) and adding him into the mix with Charlotte — where the Hornets still have the little used second-year player Bill Cartwright just chilling on the bench — speaks to how stuck on the treadmill this team is. It’ll be up to rookie Darrell Griffith to really break through to elevate the Hornets.



SG Donovan Mitchell/C Rudy Gobert to UTA —Good. Utah retained two homegrown stars and paid out big money to do so. Utah was injury riddled all last year as their starting five barely saw the floor together, so the Jazz are counting that year as a fluke and the players seem to agree. With Utah returning just about everyone and everyone healthy, the Jazz expect to compete for a playoff spot, though Utah — and likely the players — are aware that their missing pieces to compete with the top-tier teams out West.



PG De’Aaron Fox/C Harry Giles to SAC — Mediocre. The Kings had to make a choice between Bagley or Fox, as the two stars clashed repeatedly all season long, and chose Fox; not a bad choice, but one that lowers the Kings already low ceiling. Sacramento will be relying on Fox’s play, combined with Giles (expected to really step up now that Bagley is out of the lineup) and rookie big Spencer Kempton (defensively sound, offensively questionable) to elevate them. Is it possible to win in Sacramento? If the last dozen years or so have taught us anything, it’s that the answer is somewhere between “No” and “Are you kidding?”



SF Paul George/PF Blake Griffin/SG Louis Williams to NYK — Good? The Knicks landed the first overall pick and then landed not one, but two big name free agents in George and Griffin, then added another former Clipper in Williams. Is that a good thing? On paper, yes, but these are the Knicks we’re talking about. George was handed the keys to this run down franchise and he has as much control as any one player has had in New York since Melo graced the Garden. Griffin is there on a 2yr deal, but there’s an opt out clause after year one for either side and many around the league expect Griffin to exercise it if he has a good year (last year in DET he was good, putting in 18-6-3, but only played 50 games which hurt his market). The big question for the Knicks is if there’s enough ball to go around for this team — with a mix of veterans and youth, New York may have too much talent for everyone to coexist (Kevin Knox is already unhappy with his likely bench role).





PG Darren Collison/SG Bogdan Bogdanovic/PF Nicolo Melli to LAL — Good. The Lakers lost in the second round last year to the Nets, and lost a 2-1 lead due to the Nets throwing a bunch of different looks at them with their deep bench. LA addressed their lack of such a bench in free agency, adding back Collison, adding in Bogdanovic (the one from the Kings), and then Melli. Is it a perfect team? No — Anthony Davis must assume more of the scoring load, but the twilight years of LeBron’s reign can still be a success; a title in LA will give him quite an impressive resume (three titles with three different teams, all as the biggest star).



PG Markelle Fultz/PG Trey Burke/SF Duncan Robinson to ORL — Good? The Magic moved on from Aaron Gordon, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering how he’s just never really taken that leap; they’re going to be using Bam and Vucevic together in a twin towers lineup, but these towers have range (a new wrinkle). Brining back Fultz and Robinson were no-brainers, both good young players whom the Magic have invested in. Burke’s signing was sneaky important as he’s one of the league’s best bench PGs (scored 12.1 PPG in just 22 MPG). Orlando may be ready to be more than just first round fodder, if Fultz and company can continue their upward trajectory.



PG Derrick Rose/PF Thad Young to DAL — Good. The Mavs finally got a major free agent, grabbing Rose and his superb 18-3-5 a night (in just 31 MPG) from DET. Between him, Donic, Isacc, Kleber, and Porzingis, Dallas has one of the best looking starting fives in the league. The biggest question for this team is health: Rose’s history is well-known and Porzingis hasn’t exactly been known for his durability (though he’s been better the last few seasons). Dallas’ bench isn’t exactly stacked either as the Mavs have sold off a lot of assets to put together a team they hope can compete for a title sooner rather than later — Rose is only signed to a 2yr deal, so this experiment can be short lived if it looks like it’s going to go badly.



PF Markieef Morris to BKL — Mediocre. The Nets didn’t need much and didn’t have a lot of room to move anyway, but Morris — though a wily vet — doesn’t really move the needle. Brooklyn will need its young bench players to step up if they’re to take that trip to the Finals, but Markieef Morris is not likely to be a major part of that push (unless injuries occur, in which case the Nets season could be in trouble).



PF Bol Bol/C Nerlens Noel to DEN — Good. Denver had 52 win year last season and Bol Bol was a big part of the reason why, as off the bench he was a key contributor (12-5 on 18 MPG) and Denver made the smart move to let Millsap walk and sign Bol longterm. There were questions about Bol’s health when he came into the league, but Denver’s medical staff has successfully gotten Bol as healthy as he’s ever been and now the big man has a chance to prove he should have never slid into the second round.



PF Jabri Parker to NOLA — Mediocre. NOLA doesn’t need yet another big man on their roster, but Parker is there and he’s going to see minutes at the three and four to make it worthwhile. He’s only on a 1yr deal and he’s likely to bolt to new pastures, just like last year with the Knicks — where Parker goes, winning usually doesn’t follow.



C Hassan Whiteside/C Julius Randle/PG Emmanuel Mudiay/SG Terence Davis/SF Otto Porter to DET —Mediocre. The Pistons have a roster that is decidedly below .500 yet not bad enough to actually be in the top-5 of the draft, making their roster frustratingly competent yet incompetent all at once. Detroit is taking the stance that every player on this roster can be a good one on a well-balanced team, but so many of these players have no success of really winning anywhere. Young big man Zach Morgan (whom they took last year) will shift to PF (perhaps a better place for his skillset) as Detroit tries to build a squad around him that can get a taste of playoff basketball.



SG Derrick White/SG Tim Hardaway to TOR — Good. The Raptors saw some flashes of a good SG in White last year and brought him back, whole also signing veteran Tim Hardaway Jr to bolster their bench scoring. Toronto isn’t exactly a threat to win the title — they need White to really step up — but they’re a solid playoff contender and a team that, if things break the right way, the could find themselves back in the Finals.






PG Russell Westbrook (extension) to HOU — Good? The Rockets didn’t have a lot of room to maneuver and Westbrook was due to have a massive opt in clause next summer that he was going to accept. Instead, Houston signed him to a 2yr extension that brings him back on a smaller cap hit and James Harden is next up, as he also has a massive opt-in clause that kicks in next summer if an extension isn’t reached. Houston is retooling around their early 30s stars and still sees their window wide open; the addition of Myles Turner via trade is a big get for a team that needed a fresh infusion of youth and Houston is hopeful that Turner can be the guy to get them back to the Finals.






C Andre Drummond/SG OG Anunoby/SF Justise Winslow/PG George Hill to SA — GOOD. What a haul for the defending champion Spurs as they grabbed the man they were rumored to want all last season, Andre Drummond. Drummond will bring defense, rebounding, and some fierce putbacks to a Spurs team that found success in the playoffs starting Baynes (for his rebounding) over LMA. Bringing back Anunoby and Winslow were no brainers as both players had good years with the Spurs (SA was high and still is high on both), while bringing in veteran George Hill gives the Spurs another ball-handler in a stacked group of them. San Antonio may have too many good players on this roster, but the Spurs are making it known to all that they have every intention of doing what no Spurs team has ever done — winning back-to-back titles.



C Cody Zeller/SF Rodney Hood/PG Cameron Payne to PHX — Good? The Suns have Magic Johnson, ROY, but were summarily defeated in the playoffs by the 76ers, who exposed Magic in the playoffs. They went out and got a quicker backup guard in Cam Payne, added in Rodney Hood, and then brought in Zeller to be their backup. None of these signings really move the needle, but considering how close the Suns were to getting to Round 2, these moves address the weaknesses of their bench. It’ll be up to Magic, Booker, and Ayton to each get better in order to elevate the Suns — with Larry Bird winning the title (and Finals MVP) last season, expect the Suns to have a more motivated Magic ready to go.



SF Gordon Hayward/C LaMarcus Aldridge to OKC — Good. The Thunder have added two more high-quality veterans, both of which have an ax to grind, to their roster. Hayward was let go by the Celtics with little fanfare and not much more than a “Thanks for the coffee” from his former head coach. LMA saw the Spurs bench him in the first round and his minutes declined to almost nothing by the time the Finals rolled around; he has a ring, he publicly played the good solider, but he was let go and his signing in OKC is not a coincidence; he wants to punish the Spurs, in some small way, and the Thunder are more than happy to add these two vets to their strange core of veterans and youth that propelled them to 50 wins last year.






SF Chandler Hutchinson to GS — Mediocre. Golden State still remains deep in the tax, still has a roster that doesn’t look quite right, and probably needs to consider moving Draymond Green (but they’d have to sacrifice a 1st to unload that cap and the Warriors haven’t reached the point of doing that yet). Green’’s cap hit is atrocious for his output (he’s averaging about $25M the next two years and has a $27M opt-in after), so unless or until he gets moved, the Warriors will be hamstrung and will have to rely on a mixture of Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, and parts to carry them — maybe Allen, whom they traded for last year, ups their ceiling but the Warriors may end up with another losing record as the Splash Brothers get another year older.

[studbucket]

Wow, the league was really shaken up this offseason. A ton of changes.