These are my rankings of the Top 5 moves of the NBA Offseason so far.
(These are all opinions I would love to hear yours in the comments!)
#5 - Marcus Smart to Rockets
To begin our list we are gonna be talking about the only Free Agency signing which made my list. This move by the Rockets I firmly believe is a steal for them. Marcus Smart is a great defender coming off one of the better seasons he has had in quite some time. For a team which significantly struggled against him in the Playoffs to be able to snag him on a 2 year $13 Million dollar deal is something which should not be overlooked. This Rockets team will be running it back with the same core so reloading the bench depth is critical in being able to change the outcome in the playoffs. Smart is a player who off the bench or in a pinch start can get efficient time and be an impact on the court.
#4 - Kawhi to the Raptors
The Return for the King of Toronto. The Klaw coming back to Canada seemed like it was inevitable after a lackluster time when he went to the Clippers. Kawhi coming off his best season since he was last with the Raptors is looking for one last chance to dance with a contending team and gets his wish with this trade. The only reason this is not higher on my list is the package the Raptors had to give up was rather valuable for Kawhi. I do have worries about who will be able to fill in the gaps around him on this team if they truly wanted to make a run in a wide open Eastern Conference.
#3 - Ja to Blazers
I know, I know, I know! Everyone before this trade was screaming about how "JA IS WASHED!" and "HE IS A LOCKER ROOM CANCER!" I don't disagree with these statements... BUT I will say for the price this was a slam dunk for the Trailblazers. Ja is 1 year removed from being a really good piece and 3 years removed from being considered a legit superstar with franchise level talent. He has had some off the court issues recently but for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray this is a slam dunk trade. At worst this doesnt work out for them and they move on from this experiment, BUT at best you got a franchise level talent for pennies on the dollar and can start to build around him to contend in the West. If the Trailblazers can trade some guards they can see what they have with Ja to truly get a scale on if he can have an impact long term.
#2 - Giannis to the Heat
The Trade FINALLY happened. After rumors for months of a Giannis trade it finally happened and... it was alright. The Heat were the winners of the sweepstakes for Giannis trading an arm and a leg for him and Bobby Portis (yay Bobby). The Heat gave up Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 firsts, a pick swap, and a second... so a lot. At first I looked at this trade and was on the side of the Bucks getting young talent and being able to cash in on a player who did not want to be there anymore. I sat with this for a couple of days now (9) and I have came to the conclusion... The Bucks lost this trade... BAD. At the end of the day this is a 2x MVP who has been a consistent threat to anyone he plays against and delivered the first title to The Bucks since 1971. He was the franchise guy and trading him for people to develop doesn't make any sense. The Heat might not be contender next year (they might I am still torn on that), but at the end of the day they still benefited way more from this as they are a team that can compete versus becoming something which might happen. The Bucks traded something which was already good for something which might be good.
Honorable Mentions
Tim Hardaway Jr. to Heat (FA) - Good move to get a shooter to surround Bam and Giannis while being on a very reasonable deal.
Melo to the Timberwolves (Trade) - Gave up a lot but this team is gonna be dangerous in the West. Big moves for big results?
Mitchell Robinson to Celtics (FA) - The good move they made on July 1st. Reasonable contract and just what they needed last year.
Kelly Oubre to Pacers (FA) - Kinda passed over but he is gonna fit in nice on the bench for a team which is gonna be much healthier and ready to contend next year.
Tobias Harris to Spurs (FA) - Very expensive contract but honestly will be good Vet presence and hopefully a key piece off the bench for the title runner-ups.
#1 - Jaylen Brown to Sixers
I have had exactly 7 hours with this trade and this is gonna be the most impactful move of free agency. This move by the Celtics is straight out of 2k levels of bad. First the Sixers are able to get a Finals MVP and legit superstar in Jaylen Brown to pair with Maxey, Edgecombe, and Embiid who when all healthy playing in the playoffs beat the Celtics as a 7 seed. You might think they had to give up an arm and leg for a deal to weaken the 2 seed in the SAME CONFERENCE, but no instead they ship Paul George's terrible contract which allowed them very little cap room, only 2 firsts, and 2 seconds... The Celtics got almost nothing for someone who didn't have to leave. This team was a title contender with Tatum and Brown and now I don't know what the Celtics are in the grand scheme of the NBA or even the East. Here is what I do know, the Sixers will be much better now. This core has much less faults and with health could easily win the East and contend for a title. One team got way better and the other traded away a franchise player for a bad contract.
I loved making this list if you wanna see more please drop a like on the post and comment your opinions below.
[This list was made on the night of July 1st so anything after (cough cough Lebron James) will not be considered.]
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