The NBA offseason was arguably the best in the history of the NBA, with so many moves that changed the league. There were so many changes to teams that it would have been easy to forget a lot of them. So, here are the 15 most influential changes that occurred during the offseason.
15. Patrick Patterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder: Patterson will add depth and hustle to a Thunder team who has seemingly skipped the rebuilding process and will be fighting for a championship this year.
14. Dwyane Wade to the Cleveland Cavaliers: Wade and Lebron James are officially reunited at last. Every fan loves to see the highlight play alley-oops between the two. Wade will bring depth to a team already in the hunt for a championship and his connection with Lebron will lead to better team chemistry.
13. Jamal Crawford to the Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves grabbed themselves a great player in Jamal Crawford. He isn’t a superstar, but is an effective scorer and has won 6th man of the year a number of times.
12. Taj Gibson to the Minnesota Timberwolves: Taj is another role player who has experience that the Wolves desperately needed. They are a young team and it was clear last year that it wasn’t working out. Bringing in Taj will add experience and more depth.
11. Jonathon Simmons to the Orlando Magic: So many people forget about Jonathon Simmons, but he was a key player for the Spurs last year and is a young man constantly proving himself. He will bring athleticism and great defense to the Magic, who are struggling badly.
10. Jeff Teague to the Minnesota Timberwolves: Teague is a great player who has been getting better and better each year. He will be added into the starting lineup and have an immediate effect. Teague and Butler will make for a nearly unstoppable back court.
9. D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets: Nothing has been going right for the Brooklyn Nets in the last few years. However, the addition of Dlo gives them a future all-star. They still don’t have enough to be a playoff team, but it is a nudge in the right direction.
8. Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder: Carmelo is going to be a huge piece to the Thunder. He didn’t fit in New York and he is going to be more motivated to play around teammates that he respects. The combination of Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook is going to be amazing.
7. Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets: Paul Millsap is one of the most underrated players in the league and many people didn’t even know he went to the Nuggets. He is a great all around player and can do whatever the coach asks him to. In my opinion the Nuggets now have the second best big men in Jokic and Millsap. The only team ahead of them in that category is the Pelicans, who have Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins.
6. Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler being traded to the Wolves will be a huge difference maker in the upcoming season. He is a proven all-star, maybe even superstar, that is just beginning to enter his prime. He can play multiple positions and score the ball efficiently.
5. Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic to the Cleveland Cavaliers: These former Celtics were traded in the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston. All three will have an impact on the team, but Isaiah and Jae will be starters. This trade gave them 2 more great players that can give them more depth. The Cavs should be better than ever coming into this season with all the offseason moves they made.
4. Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics: Gordon Hayward is a perfect fit for what the Celtics were looking for. He is a forward that can play multiple positions and is a leader. He does all the little things right and is willing to pass more and score the ball less if it means the team will get wins.
3. Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics: Kyrie was traded to the Celtics in the offseason and will have a immediate impact. He is a superstar that can drop 25 points a game and is experienced in the playoffs. Kyrie and Gordon Hayward will hopefully mesh perfectly because on the stat sheets, their games complement each other perfectly.
2. Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets: This was a huge surprise to most people and will definitely shake up the league. Houston now has a back court that has a MVP candidate and a all-star. They are looking to take down the Warriors in the West and get to the finals. This team should definitely be fun to watch this year.
1. Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder: In my opinion this was the biggest move in the offseason because it will make OKC so much better overall. Russell Westbrook had to carry the team this year, but with the addition of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, he now has some support. Paul George makes this team have the best back court in the NBA and a chance of taking home a championship. This trade makes the Western conference so much more competitive and the East a lot weaker.