Biggest Winners

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers had the best off season that nobody is talking about. Since the season ended, there have not been as many superstars changing teams as last year. The Lakers, however, made the exact moves they needed to make. Although they lost key role players like Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, they made up for that by signing Marc Gasol for cheap, trading Danny Green, and most vitally, picking up Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder. The Lakers didn’t need to make massive moves to trade for a super star like Demar Derozan as they’re coming off their championship run. I think that the Lakers played their cards perfectly for Lebron’s third year in the city, and it sets them up perfectly for a possible championship repeat.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder had the perfect off season to rebuild their team. Although they managed to sneak into the playoffs last season, the likelihood that their success would have replicated is slim to none for next season. The reason their off season was so successful was the fact that they’re fixing their eyes on the future. The Thunder are choosing to build around their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is just 22 years old and made an appearance in the rising stars game in the 2020 season. Another big decision they made in regards to their future was the trading away of former all-star, Chris Paul. The idea of paying Paul upwards of $40 million on a team that needs a rebuild isn’t smart so the fact they managed to get young players and draft picks in return for Paul is a perfect move for their team. Although they won’t be very strong this season, their plans for the future seem very bright.

Biggest Losers

1. Golden State Warriors

Although it wasn’t their fault per say, the season ending injury of Klay Thompson puts the Warriors in a very tough situation. Their team is a complete shell of what it once was back in the peak of their dynasty. The selection of James Wiseman was a smart one for them as they needed an aggressive big to help in the pick and roll with Steph Curry but it also fills the only spot left for them with the exception of the new hole with Klay Thompson. There is a massive problem with rookies this year as their immediate success won’t be nearly as noticeable as rookies in years past due to the fact that rookies now have a mere 6 weeks after the draft with their teams to prepare rather than the normal 3 months in most off seasons. I think the Warriors remain title contenders without a doubt simply because they have Steph Curry, but there is a lot of uncertainty on how guys like Andrew Wiggins, James Wisemen, and Draymond Green can step up in a big statement year for this team as a whole. 

1. Charlotte Hornets

The biggest problem that the Hornets faced this off season was the clashing idea of whether they want to rebuild their team or not. I love the selection of Lamelo Ball as his ceiling is massive for the current NBA but signing Gordon Hayward for $120 million was very confusing. He hasn’t proven much in Boston from his last contract and somehow turned one all-star appearance into over $200 million from Boston and now Charlotte collectively. They did sign some role players, which was a smart move, but the amount of money that they spent to try and improve their team was questionable. They’re nowhere near good enough to compete for a title, but they also don’t have all the pieces they need yet to start rebuilding and this “middle of the pack” area in the NBA is the worst place to be in. I think that the Hornets need to either try to trade for a real star and make a push to begin and try and compete, or they need to drop everything they’re doing and let everything surround their new rookie Lamelo Ball.