NBA free agency started with a bang as most of the top free agents were signed within the first three days. There are still good free agents waiting to be signed, however, most of the best free agents have found a home for the upcoming season. Here are five takeaways from NBA free agency thus far.
Lakers-Nets Finals Feels Imminent
There is no question that the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are two of the most talented teams entering the 2021-2022 NBA season. Both teams failed to make even a conference finals appearance last season, mainly due to injuries, and were aggressive to improve their respective teams this offseason. The Lakers now have a big three after trading for Russell Westbrook, and added a lot of veteran talent including Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, and Carmelo Anthony. The Lakers were also able to add younger talent in Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn to pair with their veterans. The Nets resigned key contributors Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown while also adding veterans Patty Mills and James Johnson to boost their bench depth.
Both teams are now very deep and have a lot of star power to lead the way to a finals appearance. As long as both teams can stay healthy come playoff time it would be hard to imagine any other team beating the Lakers or Nets in a seven game series. The finals matchup everyone expected to see last year is very likely the finals matchup we'll witness this season.
Bulls are Tired of Rebuilding
The Bulls have missed the playoffs the last four seasons and have proved that they're tired of being in the draft lottery. This is proven by the acquisitions of Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan through sign and trades with the Pelicans and Spurs respectively. Dating back to last season's trade deadline the Bulls have acquired Nikola Vučević, Lonzo Ball, and DeMar DeRozan, and there is still more talent they can add. This is an important year for the Bulls who are trying to give Zach Lavine a reason to resign with them by proving they can be a winning team since he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the coming season. Dating back to last season's trade deadline the Bulls have now added Vučević, DeRozan, and Ball to their roster in an attempt to return to the playoffs. Anything less than a playoff appearance this season will be considered a bust by the Bulls and they have proven that through the moves they have made.
Pelicans Point Guard Situation is Still a Mystery
The New Orleans Pelicans made it very clear that they were going to pursue Kyle Lowry in free agency this offseason, however, the Miami Heat beat the Pelicans in signing Lowry. Instead of resigning Lonzo Ball to fill their need at point guard the Pelicans let him go to the Bulls in a sign and trade. The Pelicans also sent Eric Bledsoe to the Memphis Grizzlies which left the organization without a reliable starting point guard. The Pelicans did acquire Devonte' Graham through a sign and trade, however, Graham's play style does not fit what the Pelicans currently need in a point guard especially compared to what they lost in Lonzo Ball. Also, the Pelicans' rising superstar Zion Williamson is not happy that the team did not bring Lonzo Ball back which already puts a rift between the team and their young star. If the Pelicans wish to avoid Williamson requesting a trade in the near future they will have to find a suitable replacement at the point guard position that can help them win now and will make Williamson happy.
Knicks Trying to Build on Newfound Success
The New York Knicks made the playoffs after missing them the previous seven seasons. Building on this the Knicks resigned Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, and Alec Burks and extended first time all-star Julius Randle. They were also able to bring in Taj Gibson, Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker to surround their team with more talent in hopes of making a deeper playoff run. The Knicks want to prove this was not a fluke and that Knicks basketball is finally back. The Knicks still have a lot of young talent that they can develop while being a competitive team as they build to be championship contenders. The additions of Fournier and Walker can be what the Knicks need to advance to the second round, and potentially further. The Knicks still are not championship contenders, however, the organization is moving in the right direction by giving their young players a chance to gain playoff experience. New York Knicks fans finally having something to be excited for moving forward, and the organization finally has a direction it's building towards.
Spurs Have Entered Full Rebuild
After missing the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in the organization's history, the San Antonio Spurs are in full rebuild mode. The Spurs let veterans Rudy Gay and Patty Mills walk in free agency while completing a sign and trade to send DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls. The Spurs did acquire veterans Doug McDermott and Thaddeus Young, however, the Spurs appear to be fully committed to developing their young players. The new veterans will not command a lot of minutes but can be a good locker room presence while giving the young players advice to improve their game. These veterans also have trade value if the Spurs decided to move on from them by the trade deadline. The Spurs have been the NBA's model franchise of consistency, but now they will need to go through a rebuild if they hope to capture their sixth championship one day.
Like everything in life, anything can happen in the NBA which means some of these moves that were made could prove to be costly for the organization or they could prove to be very beneficial. This season could have huge impacts on each team mentioned depending on whether things go the way they want them to.
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