The NBA Offseason and What's Going Down

The NBA

The greatest player of our generation has a big decision to make this Summer. After the Cavaliers's rather disappointing loss to the Warriors in the Finals, LeBron James is possibly looking for another uniform to suit up in next season as he enters Free Agency on July 1st. Heavy recruitment has come from the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Houston Rockets. Rumor has it L.A is a favored choice, and as a side note, LeBron has recently built a new, very expensive home in L.A. This could mean something; it could not. Another factor in this movement could be the expressed wants of Kawhi Leonard to be moved to L.A from San Antonio, and rumors of OKC Thunder forward Paul George eyeing L.A. as a destination.

However, it is likely that George will remain in Oklahoma City alongside MVP Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Also, the San Antonio Spurs organization has stated that trade advances for Kawhi Leonard will only proceed with Eastern Conference teams. So even though this L.A superteam, even with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram, is improbable, it is still an exciting possibility. Favorites for The King’s decision are unclear, and fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting his choice.

Lastly, looking forward to next season, the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics are looking to be the top dogs. Coming of winning their 3rd title in 4 years, the big three of Curry, Thompson, and Durant will remain a force to be reckoned with. However, the Celtics are also coming off of a deep playoff run. With Rozier, Brown, Tatum, Smart, Morris, and Horford, and regaining top-tier athletes in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the Celtics are definitely going to be top level competitors once again. Even without Irving and Hayward, the Celtics were able to push LeBron to his max. However, even with the Warriors and Celtics looking in shape to dominate once again, the Houston Rockets are always lingering in the West and LeBron James’ decision will also be a massive wild card.

The NBA Draft

On June 21st, the 2018 NBA Draft was held. The first overall selection, made by the Phoenix Suns, was DeAndre Ayton, a Center out of the University of Arizona. The Suns struggled immensely last season, finishing only 21-61, with only guard Devin Booker to lean on offensively. Adding Ayton down low can provide Booker with another offensive powerhouse, as well as another defensive leviathan on the opposite end of the court. Drafted second overall by the Sacramento Kings was Marvin Bagley III, out of Duke. Bagley is a ginormous offensive motor added to the Kings, as well as a strong rebounder on both ends. This season, Bagley is hoping to fill the depressing void left in Sacramento’s heart by DeMarcus Cousins. Next, at third overall, came Luka Doncic, the Slovenian star. Doncic declared for the NBA Draft and came to America after winning MVPs and championships left and right in Slovenia, where he even started pro ball at age 13! Doncic was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, and looked to be a good fit there, but he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks struggled to say the least last season, but Doncic said he was excited to team up with Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavericks and try to produce a more productive ‘18-’19 NBA season. 4th came Jaren Jackson Jr., out of Michigan State. Jackson was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, and is maybe one of the most defensively productive big men in the Draft, excelling at rim defense and rebounding. He could improve his offensive impact, but paired up with Marc Gasol down low, Jackson looks to pull the Grizzlies to a much higher level of competition again next season. Finally at 5th came the on-fire guard Trae Young from Oklahoma. Young was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks, but then he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were within the group of teams struggling at the feet of super teams last season. However, the record setting* guard from Oklahoma, teamed up with Dennis Schröder and Kent Bazemore, is going to try his best and work his hardest to set Atlanta straight again after their 24-58 record last season (*The record Young set was to become the first player ever in NCAA history to be the league leader in averaged points AND assists).

In Conclusion

In conclusion, this summer is going to be momentous...dramatic, even. The King has a decision to make. A big one. One that will greatly affect the league as a whole. Other teams are considering trades and player movement, and even today, Lance Stephenson was rejected by the Indiana Pacers! The draft produced some high caliber players, but are they good enough to pull these struggling teams out of the depths? Mutual feelings are shared throughout the league by the fans, managers, players, coaches, and everyone in between of excitement and dread for the outcome of this summer and the commencement of the 2018-2019 NBA season.