In what was one of the most hectic offseason periods in recent NBA memory, several teams stood out as the clear winners by way of the draft, trade acquisitions and big free agency moves.
1. The San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are the unquestioned winners of the offseason this year. Faced with the impending free agency of four of their top players, the Spurs not only retained all of them, but also nabbed two of the biggest prizes on the market and somehow made it all work under the salary cap. Power forward Lamarcus Aldridge was the biggest player up for grabs, and the Spurs were able to lure him away from the Portland Trailblazers to San Antonio, where he should be a star on the Spurs team for years to come. The Spurs also convinced David West, who opted out of a $12.6 million dollar contract, to sign for just $1.4 million and bolster the front court. The Spurs also re-signed 15-time All-Star Tim Duncan for just $5 million, way below his market value, and signed sharpshooting guard Danny Green for four years and $4.5 million, once again well below what he could’ve got from another team. To top it off, the Spurs re-signed young star Kawhi Leonard and veteran Manu Ginobli.
2. The Houston Rockets
The Rockets’s biggest move of the offseason didn’t come in free agency or the draft; rather, it came by way of a trade when the Rockets sent a first round pick, Nick Johnson, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey and cash considerations to the Denver Nuggets for star point guard Ty Lawson and a second round pick. Lawson is currently in rehab, but if he can get back on track he instantly gives the Rockets a huge boost in scoring and especially passing, as he averaged 9.6 assists a game last season. The Rockets also retained shooting guard Corey Brewer, who is a big help on defense, and drafted Wisconsin small forward Sam Dekker, who immediately adds size and depth and has the potential to be a great starter one day.
3. Miami Heat
The biggest moves the Heat made were in retaining all-star point guard Goran Dragić and all-star shooting guard Dwayne Wade. The Heat were also able to select Duke small forward Justice Winslow with the 10th overall pick, giving them a great bench player immediately and a potential star for the future. In addition to this, the Heat also signed for small forward Gerald Green for an absolute steal with a veteran’s minimum contract, who will become the Heat’s new sixth man and provide three point shooting and world class athleticism to Miami’s offense. The Heat also signed Amare Stoudemire, who will give the Heat an offensive-minded big to come off the bench and run the pick and roll with Goran Dragić.
4. Los Angeles Clippers
The offseason seemed like a huge loss for the Clippers when center Deandre Jordan verbally agreed to a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. In a crazy turn of events, the Clippers were able to travel to Jordan’s home and convince him to stay in Los Angeles instead. With their star center locked up, the Clippers are once again a title contender, and the addition of Paul Pierce should immediately help the team with defense and three point shooting at the small forward spot, as well as add some veteran leadership. The Clippers also traded for volatile shooting guard Lance Stephenson, who, when playing to his full potential, is an excellent two way shooting guard who is also a great rebounder and passer.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks were able to sign young center Greg Monroe over big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks and complete a dangerous starting five for next year. Already a great defensive team, adding Monroe will give them the number one option they’ve been missing on offense, as Monroe is an excellent scorer and rebounder. Millwaukee also traded for point guard Greivis Vasquez in an underrated addition, as he is an excellent passer to run the second-team offense and his size at 6-foot-6 makes him a perfect fit for the Bucks switch-heavy defensive scheme. The Bucks were also able to retain budding star Khris Middleton at shooting guard, who saw remarkable improvement last year and gives excellent defense and three point shooting to the team. The Bucks also drafted Rashad Vaughn of UNLV to add depth at shooting guard and improve the Bucks bench play.
