NBA Offseason: Winners and Losers
With the preseason set to kick off as early Friday, the NBA offseason is wrapping up. In the shortest offseason in league history, many moves were made in a time crunch. Before the season begins, we’ll look at three teams who won the offseason, along with three teams who lost.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The defending champions somehow found a way to improve, even with departures from veterans Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard and Danny Green. Los Angeles picked up former Thunder guard Dennis Schroder through trade, while landing Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell and Wesley Matthews through free agency.
This year’s Lakers squad should have even more depth, with more scoring punch provided by Schroder at point guard. To top it all off, they secured a few more years of the Lebron James-Anthony Davis duo, signing both to large extensions.
Loser: Houston Rockets
The biggest loser this offseason must go to the Rockets, whose roster is falling into a complete retool. After head coach Mike D’Antoni left the team, star point guard Russell Westbrook was soon to follow, being shipped to Washington in exchange for an injury-ravaged John Wall. Everything wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for superstar James Harden indicating he’s also ready to move on from Houston, with tension between him and the team.
The Rockets made solid moves in free agency, signing forward Christian Wood while also buying low on DeMarcus Cousins. However, Harden is likely to be gone sooner or later, making Houston a clear loser.
Winner: Portland Trail Blazers
While Portland didn’t make any jaw-dropping moves, they improved their depth and defense, filling two of their biggest holes. With Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony already on the team, Portland has had offensive firepower, but they have been lacking defensive presence and depth.
Trading for Robert Covington addresses their defensive issues, as he can defend well against most positions. The Trail Blazers also stocked up their bench with Enes Kanter, Harry Giles, Derrick Jones Jr. and Rodney Hood, all of whom should have solidified roles. While Portland didn’t do anything too crazy, they created a much more balanced team.
Loser: Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets went from a bottom feeder to a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference this offseason, which could be looked at as a positive by some. However, it is clear and obvious that this team is nowhere near title contention.
The LaMelo Ball pick was perfect, as they needed a star to sell tickets and make the team competitive. Ball is more than capable of that. However, the main issue with Charlotte’s offseason is the huge contract they gave to Gordon Hayward.
Hayward is not the player he used to be. He’s on the wrong side of 30, and he has a past plagued with injuries. Hayward is in no way a bad player, but it’s looking like they overpaid for fringe playoff contention and first-round exits.
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
The Al Horford contract was a nightmare for Philadelphia, and shedding it while also snagging Danny Green was a win, even if it cost a pick or two. Swapping Josh Richardson for Seth Curry might look bad on paper, but Curry is a seamless fit with Ben Simmons in the backcourt.
While also drafting Kentucky standout Tyrese Maxey and signing veteran center Dwight Howard, Philadelphia surrounded Simmons and Joel Embiid with shooters and depth. Moving Tobias Harris back to power forward should also be beneficial, and bringing in Doc Rivers gives them a heavily experienced head coach. The 76ers retooled and should take a step forward this season.
Loser: Milwaukee Bucks
Adding Jrue Holiday was a good move for the Bucks for this year, especially if it helps them sign Giannis Antetokounmpo to a max contract. However, that isn’t guaranteed. Before free agency started, the Bucks had a trade in place for former Sacramento King Bogdan Bogdanovic, but over the next few days, the trade fell apart and Bogdanovic signed elsewhere.
Giving up hefty draft compensation for Holiday could come back to bite Milwaukee. It is no longer a sure thing that Antetokounmpo will be returning, so botching the trade for Bogdanovic and giving up a lot for Holiday marks the Bucks down as a loser this offseason.
Daniel Mader is a freshman majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email dbm5725@psu.edu.
