After a season that saw the Boston Celtics reign victorious as world champions, the National Basketball Association (NBA) allowed teams to negotiate contracts with free agents outside their current team on June 30, 13 days after the conclusion of the NBA finals and three days after the NBA draft.
Kicking off free agency was a set of trades. One included guard Mikal Bridges being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to their cross-town rival the New York Knicks for a set of players and a whopping five first-round picks. The second was guard Dejounte Murray being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the New Orleans Pelicans, which would team him up with Zion Williamson.
After the fiery start to free agency, many teams decided to join in on the action, whether it be through marginal or major moves. One of the biggest moves in free agency saw long-time Clipper guard Paul George packing his bags and heading east to join the Philadelphia 76ers. George found himself among the NBA’s top 10 highest-paid players after signing a 4-year, $212 million contract.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers entered a bidding war for long-time Golden State Warriors guard, Klay Thompson who for the first time in his career found himself in search of another team. Ultimately, he decided to leave California and join forces with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Sacramento Kings bolstered their veteran presence by adding guard/forward Demar Derozan, who will be entering his 16th season and has averaged 21.2 points per game over the span of his career.
Other teams made moves to smooth out their edges, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s trade for defensive specialist Alex Caruso. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ addition of veteran Joe Ingels and the Golden State Warriors’ addition of Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield, just to name a few.
Much to some fans’ dismay, teams such as the Lakers and Miami Heat have yet to make any major moves thus far.
Free agency is still ongoing with the possibility of more fireworks. Players still out there on the open market may be willing to take less for the chance at a championship and teams may be willing to make their players available for trade.
With the season approaching in October, every team will certainly look to see what they can do to capture what the Boston Celtics did this year, the illustrious title of NBA Champions.
Joel Molina is a contributor and may be reached at [email protected].
