Charlotte Hornets
As Free Agency approached this summer, it became more and more obvious that things were not going to go Charlotte’s way. Hornets fans should be used to this though as the relatively new franchise has struggled almost every year since its inception in 1988. Much of the blame can be placed on team owner Micheal Jordan (GOAT player but currently trending towards WOAT owner) whose ineptitude for drafting and signing players has held the Hornets in basketball limbo (too good to tank, too bad to compete) throughout his tenure. It didn’t take long for Jordan to strike out again this summer as Kemba Walker agreed to sign with the Celtics a day before free agency even began after it was reported that the Hornets were unwilling to give him the contract he wanted. This move really left me confused. Walker signed in Boston for 4 years, $141m, a contract that Charlotte definitely could have afforded, especially after it was reported that he offered to take a discount to stay with the franchise. Walker had more than earned it as well. He’d been severely underpaid as the Hornets star, earning only $59m (the use of the word “only” here is subjective to an NBA player’s salary of course. I wish I was “only” making that much) over eight years there on his way to becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. In the end, it seems like Jordan just low balled him. Whether he did that to begin a rebuild or if it was just another one of his mistakes as owner is still up in the air.
What’s even more ridiculous than all this is that the Hornets essentially replaced Walker with Terry Rozier, who’s coming off an abysmal year. It’s possible that the team sees potential in Scary Terry, a young player who did have an impressive run in the 2018 playoffs, and in most circumstances he would be a promising project to take on during a rebuild but the contract he was signed to was just ridiculous. Charlotte signed Rozier for 3 years, $58m, which is about as much as they’ve paid Walker over the course of his entire career. This signing is just insane. The teams already paying Nicolas Batum over $50m through the next two years which is bad enough. Rozier’s contract just backs them into a corner even more. To add onto Charlotte’s misery, Jeremy Lamb, who was the only other scorer on the team, left as well. This leaves about 35+ shots to go around, of which Rozier will likely take about 17-20 of. It’s going to be a rough year in Charlotte and with it not being a very attractive free agency destination on top of Jordan being a historically terrible drafter, it may end up being a few rough years there. Rougher than usual at least.
I'm really afraid that Terry is only going to be scary to Hornets fans next season
Chicago Bulls
Very very quietly, the Bulls have made some really great moves this summer that’ve left them with a pretty solid squad. Chicago drafted Coby White, a tall point guard with an even taller haircut, in addition to Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky who both came over in free agency. Sure none of those names really jump off the screen but the team didn’t really need star power, they have plenty of that between Zach Lavine and Lauri Markannen. What they needed was veterans to balance out the youth of the team. Young should be great for this as an 11 year player who’s always seemed to improve each team he’s been on. He won’t go out and dominate in any one aspect but he’s always been one of the league's best glue guys, meaning he’ll slot into the lineup without any trouble and provide a little bit of everything for the team. Satoransky also gives them a pretty reliable point guard, though that position is a bit of a mess for the Bulls right now.
Chicago had five point guards on the roster last season (I’m counting Lavine here since he was generally the primary ball handler). This offseason they added two more in White and Satoransky. Now, if you’re still following along, that brings us to a grand total of SEVEN point guards, which I classify as a whole bunch. What makes this even more strange is that there’s not even a real clear cut starter. Kris Dunn started last year when he was healthy but young players like him that don’t show a ton of improvement rarely keep their starting spots when a vet like Satoransky comes in. So when the team picked him up you were probably saying something like, “Ok well Satoransky was obviously brought in to mentor Dunn on how to be a solid pass first point guard and a guy who can thrive besides Lavine and Markannen who are both very ball dominant players so this should be a very effective signing so long as the team doesn’t add anymore guards to the mix” but then you remembered that the Bulls drafted White as well and I’m sure that threw you for a loop because he’s just as much of a project as Dunn is and none of the three guys are strong enough shooters to play together because that would be a disaster. I think we all felt that way after the blockbuster Tomas Satoransky signing though. In the end, I could see one of the three being used as trade bait to fill out the roster, with Dunn being the most likely. White seems to have more upside and I don’t think Dunn has shown enough in the league so far for a team with so many guards to hold onto him.
After a rough season last year with injuries and coaching drama, I think the Bulls are set up well to bounce back. I don’t think the team is ready to push for a playoff spot just yet though. Their best efforts would probably only earn them a 7th or 8th seed at best before a short playoff berth. Chicago’s probably best off with tanking another year while Lavine and Markennen continue to develop chemistry together. Hopefully with another year of experience under the young guys belts they should be ready to compete in 2021.
I don't think Markannen gets talked about enough as an up and coming young player. Sure he wasn't incredible in his rookie year like some guys but he was putting up games like these pretty consistently last season
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have done absolutely nothing in free agency this summer. After drafting Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr, Cleveland has been very quiet. This is all par for the course for any team entering just the second year of a rebuild though, especially with one that was triggered by a Lebron James shaped hole in the roster. The team will have to prioritize their young talent for the next few years and hope they can draft a star because the city doesn’t exactly have big name free agents begging to sign. This is why I think the Darius Garland pick was interesting. Garland is a 6’2 scoring point guard who was taken fifth overall by the Cavs just a year after they drafted Colin Sexton, another 6’2 scoring point guard. I don’t imagine the two of them will play together due to their size, though the Cavs were already the worst defensive team in the league by far last year so maybe they’re just giving up on that part of the game. Though it’ll likely be an awkward fit this year, it’s always smart to take the best player available to you when you’re in the early stages of a rebuild. Cleveland likely made this move knowing they could trade either of the two guards at any time.
You also have to assume that Kevin Love will be dealt in a trade at some point as well, though who knows when that could happen. Love likely would have been traded at some point last year but was injured nearly the whole season. These nagging injuries are really starting to pile up for Love and he’s not getting any younger, which might be why teams haven’t been jumping to trade for him. Still, he’s worth at least a few picks and a few assets, which is just what Cleveland wants. He also might be the only guy in the league who’s proven himself to be a decent first option, a good second option, and a great third option in just the last few years. I’d hate to see his talent go to waste on a tanking team like the Cavs.
Sexton is one of the few players on the Cavs roster who can actually score so I don't think it would make much sense to trade him just to help Garland fit in. It'll be interesting to see what Cleveland does there.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons gained some scoring depth this offseason by picking up Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris on some very team friendly deals (2 years, $15m for Rose and 1 year, $3.6m for Morris). Both guys should give the team some punch off the bench, which was probably their biggest issue last season. The Pistons bench was atrocious last year, bleeding points whenever Blake Griffin or Andre Drummond had to sit. This lead to Griffin playing some pretty heavy minutes (35 mpg was his most since the 2014 season) which lead to his knee swelling late in the season which kept him out for most of the Piston’s (short) playoff run. With Morris coming in, Detroit can afford to rest Griffin a bit more. I expect to see him get the load management treatment that we saw with Kawhi this past season. Morris should be a great addition to the team just as insurance for Griffin. Anything else that he can contribute off the bench is just the cherry on top of a great deal for Detroit.
I think the Rose signing sort of flew under the radar as well. Rose had a resurgent year in Minnesota last season and he might be the best version of himself that he’s been since his injuries. He almost even won Sixth Man of the Year, an award he’s likely to compete for again this year coming off the bench in Detroit. Reggie Jackson will continue to start over Rose at first, but I think that he’s in an opportunity to take that starting spot from him. Jackson has been on the decline for the last couple of years and is coming off another bad season. To me, he seems like the type of player whose perfectly fine with what he’s doing and Rose seems hungrier than ever. He continues to play with a chip on his shoulder, which you kind of have to if you’re going to get through all the rehabbing and doubt that he has, and will add some fire to the Piston’s locker room. I expect Jackson to either be traded or moved to the bench in place of Rose by the end of the season.
You have no soul if you didn't get even the tiniest bit emotional during this post game interview.
Indiana Pacers
It’s been an insane offseason in Indiana this summer and no one has really talked about it because they don’t have news in Indiana or something, I don’t know. First off, starting guard Tyreke Evans was banned (BANNED!) from the NBA due to a violation of the league’s anti-drug policy (which really explains his play last season), which has happened only a handful of times before. Then, as if trying to top how random that story was, starting point guard Darren Collison announced his retirement from the NBA at just 32 stating that he’d rather pursue his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness, which just sounds like a joke that someone who doesn’t like Darren Collison would tell. Don’t forget that on top of all this, Victor Oladipo still hasn’t been given a timetable for his return. So in one season the Pacers lost their star player and subsequent starting backcourt to a devastating knee injury, drugs, and those guys who go door to door around your neighborhood. Rough times in Indiana.
Thad Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Cory Joseph each decided to leave more conventionally this summer through free agency. They all signed elsewhere (probably to avoid whatever gypsy curse has apparently been placed on the Pacers) which made room for the team to bring in a few new faces. Malcom Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb both agreed to deals with Indiana, likely with promises that they’ll be the new starting back court until Oladipo gets back. In terms of replacements, the Pacers couldn’t have done much better here. Sure, Brogdon’s deal (4 years, $85m) might look like a bit of an overpay but he had a breakout season with the Bucks last year shooting 50/40/90 until his injury. He’s got a lot of potential as a third option sort of player, and should help hold down the fort as the team begins the year without their leader. Lamb also comes in off of his best year in the NBA (15.5 ppg on 44% from the field) and will add a much needed three-point threat to the team, especially with Wes Matthews gone (he and Kyle O’Quinn left as well; essentially the whole team is gone).
A little bit of luck did eventually go Indiana’s way though. The Suns for some reason decided to give them TJ Warren for nothing but cash in a very Suns-esque type of move. Warren will likely start at small forward and give the team some scoring but more importantly he just gives the team a quality starter which is all they really need at this point. Finally, the Pacers signed back up point guard TJ McConnell from the Sixers. With these two joining third year man, TJ Leaf on the roster, I’m fairly certain Indiana now has all the TJs in the league. So at least they’ve got that going for them.
Before last season, Warren was an effective scorer solely because of his ability to cut and finish around the rim. He never had a reliable three point shot until last year when he all of a sudden developed into a sniper averaging 43% from three on over four attempts per game. Then Phoenix decided to trade him for cash...
Miami Heat
It’s hard to say what it is that Jimmy Butler really wants in a team. He started all that drama in Minnesota because he was unhappy with the young players and wanted to go to a situation where he could win but then when the Sixers (possibly the best team in the East now) tried to re-sign him he left for Miami, a team filled with young players without any real direction. Of course Butler’s decision was surely influenced by his former teammate and good friend Dwyane Wade (Fun fact: no one has ever spelled Dwyane Wade’s name correctly the first time) and maybe he just really wanted to play in a nice city like Miami. Whatever it is that happened, Butler can add Sixer fans to his list of fan bases that hate his guts after he hinted at re-signing with them but left anyways.
I see the addition of Butler to the Heat as going either one of two ways. His incredible work ethic might mesh well with the “hard work pays off” attitude of the team and he could really motivate the young players OR he could alienate the young guys and coaching staff as he’s done before and be involved in all sorts of senseless drama as the Heat hover around the 6th-8th seeds. I’m really torn on which outcome is most likely. Either way, I think Butler will have another all-star season and be the clear cut best player on the team, but it won’t be enough to take them far in the postseason. So basically he’s on the Bulls again.
Outside of Butler, Miami really didn’t pick up any new players (outside of Meyers Leonard who’ll challenge Kelly Olynyk for the resident “tall white guy who shoots threes” position) this season which is a good thing. Miami already has enough to sort out within the roster. With Hassan Whiteside gone, Bam Adebayo (who has my favorite first name in the league; Kentavious is a very close second) should start at center and really raise the energy level of the team. I like Bam as a sort of Deandre Jordan type who’ll run the floor all night and tire out the opposing team’s big men. It’s also still unclear what Goran Dragic’s role is going to be with the team because while he was out, Justise Winslow (Ok the Heat are really stacked first name wise between Bam, Justise, and Kelly) really thrived as an over sized point guard. With the league trending towards taller players at all positions, Dragic might be moved to the two guard or even to a role coming off the bench, which I think would work really nicely for an aging slasher like him (Wade excelled in this role last year). Finally, Dion Waiters should be fully healthy this season and hopefully in much better shape than last year. When he returned from injury last season he looked more like the player who ate Dion Waiters and his play really seemed to suffer from a lack of conditioning. With a healthy offseason behind him, he should be able to provide a spark off the bench, otherwise his time in Miami might not last much longer.
Winslow came into the league as a small forward but has somehow evolved into a point guard. His development really accentuates how the league has changed so much in just a short couple of years.