There have been plenty of fireworks during the 2021 offseason.
From blockbuster trades to notable free agents changing teams, the
30 teams around the Association have given us plenty to talk
about.
Recently, our staff discussed this summer's most underrated
moves. Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the
best offseason?
Nekias Duncan: They’re another minor move away from rounding
out the roster, but I think the Heat were pretty big winners. Being
able to snag Kyle Lowry without giving up a pick or their best
prospect is a win. Adding frontcourt depth, young (Omer Yurtseven)
and old (P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris) was smart. Bringing back
Victor Oladipo on the minimum is the kind of low-risk, moderately-high-reward
move that could swing some games in the second half of the
season.
Alex Kennedy:
After being super aggressive at last year's trade deadline, Nikola
Vucevic told me that the Chicago Bulls
"sent a strong message to the rest of the league that they really
want to win now." This offseason, they doubled down and were
even more active — adding Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Alex
Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu to their core of
Vucevic, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Coby White and
Lauri Markkanen (RFA). Prior to
the Vucevic trade, there was a month-long stretch where LaVine was
averaging nearly 33.0 points. While it was incredible to watch
LaVine put the team on his back, it was clear that he needed help.
Now, just five months later, the roster looks completely different
and the supporting cast is significantly better. This is the most
talent that LaVine and Vucevic have ever had around them, and
Chicago seems like a lock to make the playoffs for the first time
since 2016-17 (and perhaps win a series for the first time since
2014-15). Last year, LaVine told me that he's "extremely
hungry" to make his postseason debut and now it's absolutely within
reach. (Also, getting Derrick Jones Jr., a lottery protected
first-rounder and a future second-rounder back in the Lauri
Markkanen sign-and-trade is a win.)
Jackson Frank:
The Heat acquiring Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker, while retaining
Victor Oladipo, give them the nod in my eyes. They went from a
first-round out to a team that could make a deep playoff run. Lowry
is a fringe All-Star and offers significant offensive
versatility that should help reignite a stagnant attack.
Tucker, although circumstantial defensively and rather limited
offensively, remains a useful rotational big who helps maintain
Miami’s defensive ethos. Oladipo’s offense is highly dependent on
his jumper these days, but the defense was quite good last season
and he clearly seems to want to be in Miami. Health is a looming
question mark, but he can help them when out there.
Jesse
Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason
with Dennis Schroder hoping to leverage the team’s limited cap
flexibility into a $100 million contract. The Lakers passed on
Schroder, opting to trade for Russell Westbrook, re-sign Talen
Horton-Tucker and fill out the roster with solid veterans on
minimum deals (including Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor
Ariza, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington). The Lakers even snagged
a few talented, younger players with upside in Malik Monk and
Kendrick Nunn. L.A. loses some points for reportedly not doing much
to re-sign Alex Caruso, but the team added significant depth. Age
will be an issue for this roster, but the talent and depth are
there for another championship run.
Spencer Davies: This
may be an unpopular opinion since all of their additions came via
trades, but the Washington Wizards intrigue me as a playoff
contender in the Eastern Conference. Spearheaded by the acquisition
of Spencer Dinwiddie — who should fit like a glove next to Bradley
Beal and take some of the playmaking load off the three-time
All-Star — the team has retooled well.
Something tells me that Kyle Kuzma will be able to breathe a little
easier in D.C., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is easily the best
sniper with defensive upside that Washington has thrown out there
in years. Montrezl Harrell is going to be highly motivated after
being dealt away, and perhaps he can develop a rapport with Aaron
Holiday as a part of an energetic second unit. Let’s not forget
that Deni Avdija and Thomas Bryant will return at some point from
their injuries too. Throw in a growing Rui Hachimura and Daniel
Gafford — plus a new head coach in Wes Unseld Jr. — and the Wizards
have some real firepower and could make a solid push.
Imman Adan: It’s
definitely the Nets; they managed to get better despite already
being the favorites. However, I’m going with the Miami Heat because
they got their guy — Kyle Lowry — and didn’t have to give up very
much to get him. They also managed to pick up P.J. Tucker and, if
he has anything left in the tank, he can help fill the void Jae
Crowder left.
Evan Sidery: Although it remains to be seen how exactly all
the new parts fit together, credit to the Chicago Bulls for finally
going for it. Lonzo Ball is a perfect backcourt complement for
Zach LaVine, while DeMar DeRozan provides a legit scoring punch as
well. If 2020 No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams takes a leap —
and Summer League is showing that’s a strong possibility — Chicago
looks the part of a top-six team in the Eastern Conference. Ever
since Derrick Rose’s prime, Chicago has been yearning for a
competitive team. In 2021-22, they have an opportunity to make
noise.
Ethan Fuller:
The Miami Heat reeled in the biggest available free-agent name in
Kyle Lowry without giving up a treasure trove of talent. Sure,
Precious Achiuwa is a tough loss for an aging team, but Lowry is a
clear upgrade over Goran Dragic in the short-term. The Heat also
signed two underrated additions in P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris
without losing rotation players of consequence. Miami is older,
more expensive and potentially injury-prone, but the squad is also
more talented and more potent as a defensive unit.
Drew Maresca: Shockingly, the Washington Wizards. Most
importantly, they got out from under Russell Westbrook’s contract,
swapping Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and
Montrezl Harrell. They also added Spencer Dinwiddie, who better
complements Bradley Beal than Westbrook did — a hugely important
aspect of his addition. If Dinwiddie bounces back to his old self,
the Wizards will compete for a playoff spot in a newly competitive
Eastern Conference — and that might enough to convince Beal to
extend.
Chris Sheridan: It is
a close call between the Nets, Heat and Lakers... so close that I
am going to make it a three-way- tie. I absolutely love Brooklyn's
acquisition of Patty Mills. He is a fourth star, if you ask any
Australian. They needed a second perimeter defender aside from
Bruce Brown, whom they were lucky to keep, and they needed someone
off the bench to replace Jeff Green. Miami got Kyle Lowry, which is HUGE, along with
Markieff Morris on a one-year deal, which should incentivize him to
play to his full potential. Also, they got P.J. Tucker, which I
feel is the offseason's most underrated
move. For the Lakers, acquiring Russell Westbrook may go down
in history as the biggest and best move they could have ever made
to facilitate another championship run with LeBron James. He is a
vast upgrade over Dennis Schroder, who ended up being too greedy
for his wallet's own good. The other role players the Lakers added
seem to fit nicely, especially Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and
Wayne Ellington for perimeter shooting and Dwight Howard for
messing with the minds of opposing centers. They will miss Alex
Caruso's defense (and it remains to be seen who can provide that),
but they had an impressive offseason.
Jannelle Moore:
The Lakers had the best offseason because they knew they didn’t
have much salary-cap space, but they got creative and still managed
to land a star in Russell Westbrook. Many people doubted whether
the Lakers could make a splashy move, but they managed to pull off
a blockbuster trade with the Wizards. Carmelo Anthony and the role
players they brought in were great additions as well.