Some impactful trades and signings are paying off for some teams.
The Bulls 's offseason moves are already paying off early in the season.
This season has only been over a month, and the strength of each team in the league has begun to slowly emerge. It's too early to make broad assumptions about players and teams and where they will go.
But it's not too early to find out about teams that made a lot of moves in the offseason to improve their chances of seeing improvement. In that sense, in some cases the rewards come quite quickly.
Through trades and free agent signings, as well as preventing their own players from leaving, a handful of teams have managed to sidestep the salary cap problem, address weaknesses, plug holes, and put themselves in a better competitive position.
Here are the five teams that have helped themselves the most through offseason trades and signings so far, in order:
1. Washington Wizards
Should we consider Wizards as championship contenders this season?
You have to understand that Westbrook's trade in the offseason changed the fate of this Wizards team. Just a few years ago, the Wizards were still troubled by John Wall's big contract. The team lacked depth, had problems with flexibility, and consistently performed mediocrely in the NBA.
Now? Their salary cap is favorable, they have manageable assets to retain or trade, and this season, they are in the top five in the East.
Things happened so fast. Tommy Sheppard made two shrewd moves as general manager. The first was to trade Wall for Russell Westbrook - which allowed the Wizards to enter the postseason last season. game -- and then immediately shipped Westbrook to the Lakers before his value plummeted, and in return got a lot of quality (and far less salary-cap-restricted) players.
So:The Washington Wizardsare winning because of the additions of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. A very useful rotation player who also brings a winning attitude, something the Wizards have been missing the past few years. Kuzma seems motivated to rediscover the form he had in previous seasons, now that he is out of the shadow of LeBron James. Two seasons ago, Harrell won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and now he appears to be back to that level. He's also fighting for a new contract, so there's extra motivation. No matter what role the Wizards need him to play, Pope still has a good scoring ability.
But the Wizards' offseason isn't limited to one trade. Sheppard also spent a lot of money on Dinwiddie to fill the point guard vacancy. In the early stages of their on-court relationship, Dinwiddie seemed like the ideal partner for Bradley Beal .
Finally: Wizards hire Wes Unser Jr. as coach. This is his first time as a head coach, but as the son of a Washington Wizards legend, he's been in the game his entire life, and his adaptable personality is clearly a hit in the locker room. Plus, you can't question the Wizards' early results.
The challenge for Shepard is whether to give Beal a big extension compared to the one he traded away at the deadline -- knowing that Beal's efficiency and impact have declined this season. . Do the Wizards really want a star in his 30s with a max salary?
2. Chicago Bulls
Find out what makes the talented duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan so special .
Do you want to prove that the Chicago Bulls' offseason operations are the best? Very close to this argument. However, unlike the Wizards, the Bulls spent a lot of money in the free agent market, and basically it is difficult for the team's lineup to make major changes in the next few years.
No matter what: The Chicago Bulls got a solid return on DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso without any regrets, most impressive The signing is DeRozan , as he seems ready to return to Los Angeles and join the Lakers. The Bulls came with a bucket of cash and a vision, and convinced him that joining Chicago was worth it. In response, DeRozan had the best season of his career, averaging 26 points per game, and more importantly, he worked well with Zach LaVine .
Ball is playing the best performance of his career at a very high efficiency. His three-point shooting percentage is much higher than when he first entered the league, when his three-point shooting percentage was problematic. At the same time, Caruso brought defensive and offensive capabilities to the Bulls and quickly became the most popular player in the Manchester United center.
Moreover, the Bulls acquired Derrick Jones Jr., who brings the elastic athleticism needed on the fast break and a long-armed defender who can be used on the outside.
In a relatively short period of time, the Bulls gave LaVine a good partner, strengthened the point guard position, and added a bench lineup, allowing the Bulls to stand out among the Eastern Conference combinations. Again: They bolstered their rotation with offseason signings, and they didn't make a critical mistake.
3. Brooklyn Nets
Candace Parker believes that Patty Mills is the best replacement for Brooklyn Nets when Kyrie Irving leaves the team.
You're definitely asking: How does a team that lost Kyrie Irving end up on this list? Well, considering the limited flexibility last offseason, the Nets 's offseason operations is perfect, and it's one of the reasons they can afford Kyrie's absence (Kevin Durant is another reason).
Imagine where they would be without LaMarcus Aldridge and Patty Mills?
Both are financial additions to the salary-cap-constrained Nets There was really no other choice - they were suddenly asked to do more, and both men performed better than expected.
Aldridge retired last year due to a heart attack, then changed his mind and decided to come back. After the Nets lost DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen in the James Harden trade, the center position became an issue. Aldridge averaged 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is a capable substitute player. When Blake Griffin struggled in his starts and fell out of the rotation, his value increased.
4.Miami Heat
Look at Kyle Lowryhow he has shown his versatility so far in miami.
Miami always seems to be looking for help, and last summer was no exception. They added two veterans with championship experience-Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker. By every possible metric, they fit Heat 's personality well and gave Heat an extra layer of toughness.
Neither is the most critical player on the roster; this team is still made up of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. In addition, Lowry and Tucker are already in the later stages of their careers. From a regular season perspective, no one thinks that both of them can achieve amazing results.
That's not the point of signing them. The Heat are ambitious this season and see themselves as the biggest threat to the Bucks and Nets in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, the true value of Lowry and Tucker will be revealed when the playoffs begin. Lowry is a steady and smart point guard who usually makes the right decisions. Tucker remains an elite one-on-one defender who can contain taller players. If this happens again in the playoffs, he will be tasked with defending Durant .
5. Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are still the favorite team in the Eastern Conference to compete for the championship.
It is always difficult for the defending champion to make great progress in the offseason after winning the championship, especially for a championship team with three players making more than $30 million in annual salary.
But the Bucks have found a way to get slightly better this season, which is a testament to their creativity and unwillingness to stand still.
General manager Jon Horst's big move was convincing Bobby Portis to re-sign, skipping the free agency process where he could potentially get a higher offer elsewhere. Portis played a huge role in the championship run, providing energy and maturity in the paint and becoming a fan favorite. Portis is averaging over 15 points and eight rebounds per game and has been promoted to the starting lineup, where he has performed even better in the absence of Brook Lopez.
Another helper is Grayson Allen . He suddenly became a very good catch-and-shooter, shooting 42 percent from the floor and looking much better than he did with the Grizzlies last season. Allen also fills the role of Donte DiVincenzo, who is still recovering from a foot injury.
Plus George Hill and Rodney Hood , they provide help to the big three of Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton . Once DiVincenzo and Lopez are healthy, you could argue that the Bucks are deeper, if not better, this season than last season's championship-winning roster.
