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This time around, the NBA offseason will move at lightning speed as the league must adapt to draft, free agency, training camp and preseason, all before the regular season begins on December 22. The NBA Draft is just around the corner on November 18th, with the free agency kicking off two days later on November 20th. While the free agency market won’t be as robust this offseason as teams brace for the availability of bigger names in 2021, the commercial market should be incredibly active.
Now that the moratorium on transactions has been lifted across the league, trading can now be formalized and teams are starting to negotiate players and choices to better position themselves for next season. Here are the latest exchanges that have been reported throughout the league.
Bucks acquires Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James from the Kings for Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova and DJ Wilson
Bogdanovic, 28, will be joining the Bucks with a new contract, the terms of which have yet to be disclosed. Milwaukee will also receive winger Justin James in the deal.
With this move and the previously announced Jrue Holiday deal, the Bucks made their big hit. Bogdanovic has seemed like a logical target since he decided not to re-sign Malcolm Brogdon last summer, as he brings an eye-catching combination of shooting and direction to a roster that needs both. Milwaukee was short on creators even when it had Brogdon, and Bogdanovic will add some juice to a bout that was nearly unstoppable in the regular season but could become stagnant by the time of the playoffs.
Holiday, 30, is one of the best defenders in the league and one of the best players on the market. He’s one of the few guards in the league who doesn’t represent a downgrade from Bledsoe when it comes to perimeter defense, and his size makes him more versatile. More importantly, Holiday is a huge upgrade on the other side of the field. For two consecutive seasons, Milwaukee’s dominant offense in the regular season felt crooked and predictable against elite playoff defenses. He needed more directing, and Holiday delivers just that, only strengthening his defensive identity. Last season he averaged 19.1ppg, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds for the Pelicans.
Hill was one of the league’s top reserves last season, and the Bucks sacrificed some depth by swapping two rotation players for one. This is a problem for the front office to solve as the off-season progresses, as well as the need for more shots. Holiday is a decent but not great shooter, which is the norm on this Milwaukee list. Hill was an exception – he made a whopping 46 percent of his three last season.
Covington will be a welcome addition to the Blazers, who have lacked wing depth all last season following the departure of Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless. The prototype of the modern NBA 3 and D winger, the 6-7 Covington is a 36% career 3-point shooter that should be able to clear the floor for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in a Portland bout that finished third in terms of efficiency last season to 113.2 points per 100 possessions.
The Rockets regain Ariza, who has averaged 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals while firing 36% off the 3-point arc in four seasons with Houston from 2014-2018. However, Ariza may not want to look into Houston real estate just yet. If the Rockets are really working towards a rebuild, he is a strong candidate to be turned into a contender given his experience in the league.
Phoenix has positioned themselves as a team that could contend for playoff placement 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 reunite with head coach Monty Williams, who coached him in his early days with New Orleans. The veteran guard will provide the Suns with the leadership they desperately need. With Paul installed as the starting point guard, he will take some of the offensive load off Devin Booker, who may finally be able to realize his full potential under Paul’s guidance.
For the Thunder, this is the second swap the franchise has performed so far in the off-season, but this time, the return of Oubre, Rubio, Jerome and Lecque offers them young pieces for the future.
After being crowned champions in 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 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft for Dennis Schroder. The veteran guard gives LA another player he can create on his own, which should help strengthen the bench when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in need of rest. It also strengthens the Lakers backcourt if they don’t sign Rajon Rondo again, who has reportedly given up his $ 2.6 million player option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Schroder’s deal expires after next season, so it also allows LA to be flexible for 2021.
For the Thunder, Schroder’s move signals that this team is about to completely rebuild ahead of the 2020-21 season. Recovering a first-round pick simply adds to the stock of draft picks OKC has amassed over the past couple of years, and the Thunder can now also turn Green into a different contender team for another draft pick, or perhaps a young prospect.
The Nets reportedly like the defensive toughness Brown can bring to their team, while the Pistons will get Musa, who was selected 29th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, for Wojnarowski. Musa has never found his base in the Nets organization, but he will have more opportunities to prove himself with a Detroit squad that is undergoing rebuilding.
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