Rumours swirling, players moving, teams trading, General Managers changing.
Trade season is here.
Barely a week since the Warriors ripped through the 2017 NBA Playoffs en route their second title in three years, the NBA is abuzz with movement.
Some expected, some awaited, some surprising, and most, well, pointless.
The Warriors’ dominance
For all the hate that the Warriors received last season, three arguments vindicate them:
1. They did everything by the book.
2. They won the 2017 NBA Championship.
3. They are in position to win the 2018 NBA Championship.
The dicey situation is Klay Thompson’s who will be a free agent next summer. He has assured everyone that he isn’t thinking about his pending extension in 2018. But with both Curry and Durant under near max contracts and Green up for renewal in 2020, Thompson is the biggest question mark for the Warriors’ plans for the 2018-‘19 season and beyond.
All the uncertainty, however, does not derail the Warriors quest to repeat as NBA Champions.
Contrary to popular opinion, the regular season was a breeze for the Warriors. And save for a momentary scare from the San Antonio Spurs, this was the easiest post-season for an NBA Champions since the Los Angeles Lakers went 15-1 in 2001.
Save for a freak incident or occurrence, the Golden State Warriors will repeat as NBA champions. With Kevin Durant, the Warriors feature three of the five best players in a matchup against any team in the NBA, including the Cavaliers.
Smartly locking up Durant for two seasons, the Warriors not only bought themselves a two-season window to get it right, but have also laid the foundation for future negotiations to keep them at the top of the league. Any looming threat of their core breaking apart may be thwarted with Durant reportedly willing to take a pay cut to re-sign Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston to extensions.
The buzz around the league
The most buzz surrounds the top picks in a loaded 2017 NBA Draft.
The biggest news was the Boston Celtics trading their No 1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for the No 3 pick and a future first rounder (2018 or 2019). This has upset Boston fans, who saw the much heralded Markelle Fultz, a future star in the NBA, as the answer to allowing Isaiah Thomas play off the ball.
The Sixers on the other hand will most definitely pick Fultz, creating a guard-heavy monster alongside equally heralded rookie and 2016 No 1 pick Ben Simmons that could, at the very least, be among the most exciting rosters in the NBA. With Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Dario Saric, the Sixers who play in the comparatively weaker East, could be a surprise package come April 2018.
The other big story is the Lakers. They began the process of rebuilding by hiring Laker legend and Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson as GM last season. Johnson, has been quick to move, this offseason, trading away D’Angleo Russell and (more importantly) Timofey Mozgov’s atrocious contract, to the Nets for Brook Lopez and the Net’s No 27 pick in the 2017 Draft. This move played to mixed reactions: Russell, though erratic, was a solid point guard and a crowd favourite, while Mozgov’s contract (4 years – $64 million) was among the worst in NBA history.
Smaller moves include Dwight Howard heading to the Charlotte Hornets to join his former coach Steve Clifford, the Cleveland Cavaliers and GM David Griffin parting ways on disagreement on the way forward, and basketball savant Jerry West leaving the Golden State Warriors to join the LA Clippers in the search for a new challenge. The first two moves aren’t as significant as the last one, since West’s arrival in LA gives the Clippers hope in the face of the uncertainty surrounding Chris Paul and his expensive free agency.
In the short run, however, none of these moves matter unless teams are ready to beat the Cavaliers (East) or the Warriors (West).
Who do the Cavaliers chase?
Both Butler and George are at the epicentre of rumours that have either one of them joining the Cavaliers to dethrone the Warriors’ super team.
Butler has long been the subject of trade rumours. Now a certified All-Star, Butler, armed with the right pieces, has the ability to lead a fringe team to the Playoffs.
That however, didn’t stop the Bulls from actively shopping Butler around, not only to restart the rebuilding process, but also to avoid the $40 million (per season) price tag that Butler will command if he makes another All-NBA team next season.
That shopping spree came to fruition in one of the worst trades in NBA History:
Minnesota receive:
- Jimmy Butler(24 ppg and among the 15 best players in the NBA), and the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (Justin Patton)
Chicago receive:
- Zach LaVine (solid shooter, but recovering from a torn ACL, still not a reliable defender)
- Kris Dunn (already 23 and no signs of real improvement), and the
- 7th pick (Lauri Markkanen – the poor man’s Channing Frye)
With Butler (and potentially Andre Iguodala) on the squad, the Timberwolves immediately become contenders for a top seed in the West, and a possible Western Conference Finals matchup with the Warriors if they catch a break or two.
If Butler was available for such a bargain, then Boston reportedly turning down an offer for Butler in return for the No 3 pick and a few key pieces, is definitely strange. This would indicate that the Celtics are still fishing for the right deal or fixed on either one of Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin making their way to Boston.
George, for his part has laid to rest a to rumors by informing the Pacers that he does not intend to re-sign with them in 2018, and that his preferred destination is the Lakers. This has put the GM Kevin Pritchard in overdrive, shopping George for multiple pieces in return, before George bolts in free agency.
The George deal is particularly tricky for the Cavaliers. Any deal for George would have to involve Kevin Love. With George intent on going to the Lakers in and LeBron James’ contract up for renewal, the Cavaliers risk to lose every big name except Kyrie Irving next offseason.
The end goal?
The NBA has become a thriving business.
There is no better time to own an NBA team. The Clippers sold for $2 billion, several teams are in negotiations for new arenas, and the NBA continues its growth towards becoming the biggest global sports league brand after almost anything football.
True fans, however, want to see their teams win championships. The thrill of winning the Larry O’Brien, the bragging rights for a whole season, and the legacy of going down in NBA history as champions. This is what, depending on where you live, keeps a fan up, or wakes a fan up to tune into the NBA. Championships are what success is measured against. As great as Charles Barkley and Karl Malone both were, they will always be remembered for not having won a championship.
Teams can move the pieces how much ever they want, but if the goal isn’t to build towards making it to the Finals, then all moves are an eyewash.