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The NBA offseason will move at lightning speed this time around, as the league has to adjust to the draft, free agency, training camp and preseason before the regular season begins on December 22. The NBA Draft is just around the corner. on November 18, with free agency beginning two days after November 20. While the free agency market will not be as strong this offseason as teams prepare for the biggest names to be available in 2021, the commercial market is expected to be incredibly active.
Now that the moratorium on transactions has been lifted in the league, trades can now be made official and teams are beginning to negotiate players and picks to better position themselves for the upcoming season. Here are the latest trades that have been reported in the league.
Holiday, 30, is one of the best defenders in the league and one of the best players in the commercial market. He’s one of the few guards in the league that doesn’t represent a demotion to Bledsoe when it comes to perimeter defense, and his size makes him more versatile. More importantly, Holiday is a massive upgrade on the other end of the court. For two consecutive seasons, Milwaukee’s dominant offense in the regular season has been strained and predictable against elite playoff defenses. He needed more play, and Holiday provides just that, while only strengthening his defensive identity first. Last season he averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds for the Pelicans.
Hill was one of the best reserves in the league last season, and the Bucks have sacrificed some depth by trading two rotation players for one. That’s a problem the front office must resolve as the offseason progresses, as does the need for more shots. Holiday is a decent but not great shooter, which is part of the field on this Milwaukee list. Hill was an exception to that: He made an extraordinary 46 percent of his 3s last season.
Covington will be a welcome addition to the Blazers, who lacked depth on the wings all of last season after the departure of Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless. The NBA’s prototype modern 3-and-D wing, the 6-7 Covington is a 36 percent career 3-point shooter who should be able to open the floor for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in a Portland offense that finished third in efficiency last season at 113.2 points per 100 possessions.
The Rockets re-acquired Ariza, who averaged 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range in four seasons with Houston from 2014-2018. However, Ariza may not want to research Houston real estate just yet. If the Rockets are truly committing to rebuilding, he’s a strong candidate to become a contender given his championship experience.
Phoenix has positioned itself as a team that could fight for playoff positioning next season after acquiring Chris Paul from the Thunder in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. . Paul will meet with head coach Monty Williams, who coached him in his early days with New Orleans. The veteran shooting guard will provide the Suns with the leadership they desperately needed. With Paul installed as starting point guard, he will take some of the offensive load off Devin Booker, who will finally be able to realize his full potential under Paul’s guidance.
For the Thunder, this is the second trade the franchise has made so far this offseason, but this time, the return of Oubre, Rubio, Jerome and Lecque gives them young pieces for the future.
After being crowned champions within the NBA bubble, the Lakers are already making moves to ensure they can defend their crown for the 2020-21 season. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles will send Danny Green and the 28th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Dennis Schroder. The veteran shooting guard gives LA another player he can create for himself, which should help strengthen the bench when LeBron James and Anthony Davis need a break. It also bolsters the Lakers’ defense if they don’t re-sign Rajon Rondo, who reportedly opted out of his $ 2.6 million player option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Schroder’s deal expires after this upcoming season, so it also allows LA to be flexible for 2021.
For the Thunder, moving Schroder indicates that this team is completely rebuilding ahead of the 2020-21 season. Regaining a first-round pick only adds to the pool of draft picks OKC has accumulated over the past two years, and the Thunder may now trade Green to another contending team for another draft pick, or perhaps a young prospect .
The Nets reportedly like the defensive toughness Brown can bring to their squad, while the Pistons will get Musa, who was selected 29th in the 2018 NBA Draft. by Wojnarowski. Musa never found his place in the Nets organization, but he will have more opportunities to prove himself with a Detroit team that is rebuilding.
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