LeBron became a Laker. Boogie Cousins joined the Golden State Warriors and sent the NBA community into a frenzy.
While these two players changing guards has certainly dominated the NBA free agency news over the past week, they weren’t the only moves that have been made.
While most of the NBA analysts and podcast hosts have been clamoring about these two moves specifically, news of some of the other players who signed new deals has fallen through the cracks.
I’m here today to keep you in the loop so that when October rolls around and the 2018-2019 NBA season gets underway, you aren’t surprised to see new faces in new places.
Let’s quickly take a look at 5 offseason free agent acquisitions that will positively impact their new teams in a big way.
Despite the Warriors and the Lakers garnering all the offseason attention in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks have quietly been adding pieces that have thoroughly improved this ball club. We already know about last year’s rookie sensation point guard Dennis Smith Jr., and we know Dirk Nowitzki will be back in a Mavs uniform.
Dallas turned heads when they traded up to draft Luka Doncic, but guess what, ladies and gentlemen?
The biggest move that Mark Cuban has made this summer was bringing in the Los Angeles Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan.
DeAndre teased the fans in Dallas back in 2015 when he agreed to join the team, only to be lured back by the Clippers organization in the final seconds when they forced a change of heart.
It’s an expensive deal, clocking in at over $24 million for one year, but DeAndre Jordan coming to Dallas should finally propel this team back into the playoffs, a place the Mavericks have been absent from the past two seasons.
The 7-footer who grew up in Houston has been a force at the rim for several years now, posting a whopping 15.2 rebounds per game while shooting an incredible 65.5% from the field last season.
Jordan brings the toughness and physicality that this Mavericks squad has been lacking, and I expect this team to play much more disciplined under Rick Carlisle this coming year.
I can’t call them title threats because of the superstardom in this Conference, but I expect this team to make a big leap and at least make the postseason. If they get there, adding Jordan will have been the biggest reason why.
Believe it or not, the Washington Wizards will be Dwight Howard’s fourth team in four years. After a torrid start to his career in Orlando, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Dwight. He played for the Lakers and Rockets before short stints with Atlanta and Charlotte.
After being traded from the Hornets to Brooklyn before the draft, Howard and the Nets have agreed to a buyout that will allow the first-overall pick from the 2004 NBA Draft to join the Washington Wizards.
Dwight may not be the player he was back in Orlando, but this dude is a still a physical specimen who can add a lot of value to Scott Brooks’ squad.
Dwight averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game a season ago. He is a career 58.3% shooter from the field, and he can still block plenty of shots.
I think running the floor with the likes of John Wall and Bradley Beal could inject some youth into the 32-year-old legs of Dwight, and I think this move puts Washington back on course to make a run in the Eastern Conference.
Continue following along below to read about another recent acquisition that should help this team progress even further.
Once a top-5 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Jeff Green has become somewhat of a journeyman in this league. When he signed his deal to play in the nation’s capital for the upcoming season, it marked the 7th franchise he will have played for.
This time around, he should feel right at home, and the fans will welcome him, as Green starred as a collegiate player at nearby Georgetown from 2004-2007.
I’m not entirely sure why this guy has played “musical chairs” so much over the past 10 seasons, because the 6’9” swingman can add lots of value to teams in this league. He’s athletic and plays solid defense, and he can also shoot the 3 and finish around the basket.
John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter Jr. are already inked in at the starting 1-2-3, but I’m not sold that Markieff Morris will play the big minutes down the stretch at the 4 position.
I think we could see Green in there come crunch time, just as we did in Cleveland during their most recent postseason run.
In fact, Green was one of the few players on the Cavaliers roster aside from LeBron James who actually excelled and rose to the occasion.
Jeff has the experience of playing in big games and has proven he can perform on the biggest stages. This was an intelligent signing for GM Ernie Grunfeld and one that should help vault the Wizards back to one of the top 4 teams in the East.
The Phoenix Suns haven’t been good for a long time. They haven’t cracked the postseason since 2009-2010 when they were led by guys named Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire. They finished dead last in the Western Conference the past two seasons.
Things needed to change in Phoenix, and this year might be the start of the tide shifting in the right direction. They selected Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick in the draft, plus swapped picks with Philly. This allowed them to nab a total stud in Mikal Bridges, who will step in and play right away.
They are finalizing their max-deal with Devin Booker, so the missing piece was to add a savvy veteran who can bring some leadership to this young core of talent.
Enter Trevor Ariza, a stout two-player who averaged more than 12 points and 5 rebounds per game during the past four seasons he spent playing in Houston.
General Manager Ryan McDonough had been keen on bringing in the 33-year-old skilled veteran to help teach the young guys the ropes and help them understand what it takes to be a professional.
Ariza can be trusted as a shooter, as he has consistently been an efficient outside threat in this league, not to mention that he shot over 85% from the charity stripe last season.
After a lot of unintriguing basketball in Arizona, fans in Phoenix finally have a roster to get excited about. Look for Trevor Ariza to be a big reason why this team takes a leap up the standings.
Before you scratch your head as to why I included this move, you should really look back at what Tyreke Evans did last season in Memphis.
Tyreke had a bit of an epiphany, coming to life and playing really good basketball. The former 4th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft averaged more than 19 points for the Grizzlies last year while dishing out 5.2 assists and grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game.
It is a one-year deal that will pay Evans $12 million, and I project Evans being a good fit in Indiana. We saw this team take LeBron James and the Cavs to the brink in an exhilarating 7-game series in this past season’s first round of the playoffs.
It seems that with LeBron gone, Boston and Philly are getting all the attention in the East, and rightfully so. But watch out for this Pacers team, because flying under the radar is exactly where they like to be.
I expect Tyreke to have a big role with his new team that already has a big-time player in Victor Oladipo and a rising big man in Myles Turner.
Evans should plug right in as a valuable wing player and provide HC Nate McMillan plenty of leadership and depth. The floor for this team will be a postseason berth.
The ceiling is yet to be determined, but I think they could make some serious noise come next June.
The recent news of LeBron landing in LA and DeMarcus Cousins ending up in Golden State is certainly earth-shattering in the tightknit NBA circle.
Because these two moves have dominated the headlines, I wanted to provide all of you NBA enthusiasts with a short but organized blog that covers some of the other important moves that have been made during this “feeding frenzy” of an offseason.
The 5 moves I discussed might not be enough to ascend the respective teams straight to the NBA Finals, but they are moves that made lots of sense. They are moves that will help these teams grow.
No matter how good a fit looks on paper, we still have to watch the games unfold and let time play out. I’ll be watching closely to see how these new additions mesh with their new squads, but I presume it goes over quite favorably.
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