With the new NBA season on the horizon, it's safe to say that we can pretty much close the book on the 2018 offseason. In a summer that saw LeBron James leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time to head to the Los Angeles Lakers and the escalation of the Jimmy Butler drama in Minnesota, this offseason was one to remember. However, some of these moves made really came out of nowhere, and that's what I'm looking at today. Honorable mention goes to Michael Carter-Williams getting signed because...I mean, it's Michael Carter-Williams. So with that out of the way, these are the 5 most shocking moves of the 2018 offseason.
Toronto Raptors Trade Away DeMar DeRozan
When someone is arguably the greatest player in the history of a franchise, you'd assume that that player's spot on the roster is almost a guarantee for as long as that player wants it. That's what I imagine a lot of people thought about DeMar DeRozan. Drafted with the 9th pick in the 2009 draft, DeRozan would quickly develop into the Raptors' star player, followed by becoming one of the best players in the NBA. For his career, DeRozan has averages of 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a steal per game while shooting 45% from the field. On top of that, DeRozan is a four-time all-star and led the Raptors to their most successful period in franchise history, including a franchise-best 59-23 record this past season. A star player, a fan favorite, and someone who seemed completely loyal to the team, DeRozan looked set to continue to lead the Raptors, especially considering how he still had three years left on his contract. However, the Raptors had other ideas.
On July 18th, the Raptors agreed to a shocking deal with the San Antonio Spurs, agreeing to send DeRozan (along with Jakob Poltl and a 2019 first round pick) to the Spurs for their disgruntled star Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. While Leonard is one of the best players and defenders in basketball today, it was still shocking to see the Raptors part ways with the cornerstone of their franchise in DeRozan. Still, the deal looks very beneficial for both teams, as both were able to maintain an all-star caliber player on their roster while also receiving valuable role players. Still, not seeing DeRozan in a Raptors jersey this season was likely something no one expected.
Michael Porter Jr. Falls to 14th in the Draft
Just about one year ago at this time, the basketball world was incredibly hyped about the college basketball debut of Michael Porter Jr. Coming out of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington, Porter Jr. was considered one of the top prospects in the country. Playing under former NBA all-star and National High School Coach of the Year Brandon Roy, Porter Jr. would average an astounding 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game and led Nathan Hale to a perfect 29-0 record and a Washington Class 3A State Championship. A five-star recruit, Porter Jr. committed to play at Missouri under his father, the new assistant coach. At the time, Porter Jr was considered a potential #1 pick in the 2018 draft. However, we wouldn't get much of a chance to see Porter Jr. play for the Tigers.
Early in the first game of the season, Porter Jr. was injured and later ruled out for the rest of the year due to a lower back injury. He would end up returning for the SEC Tournament quarterfinals and the NCAA tournament but would come off the bench. Despite the lackluster freshman year, Porter Jr. would declare for the 2018 draft. While no longer considered the top pick, Porter Jr was still seen as one of the top players in the pool, with some sites even projecting him to go as high as the top five. However, several teams saw Porter Jr's health issues as too much of a liability and on draft night, he would slip all the way down to 14th in the draft, being selected by the Denver Nuggets. To see someone who, at one point, was considered the top player in the draft class fall so far in the draft was shocking, especially considering how he was still projected to go before the draft.
Paul George Re-Signs with the Oklahoma City Thunder
We'd been hearing the rumors for over a year; Paul George was going to be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers next season. Before the trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it seemed like George was heading to Los Angeles, and George has even said that La La Land was his preferred destination. It's not odd that George would want to play for the Lakers. Even though the team had gone just 26-56 for the 2016-17 season, the Lakers are still a big market & legendary team who had just added some young players with high potential like Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart. Additionally, George is a native Californian, having grown up and attended high school an hour from Los Angeles in Palmdale. However, George would end up on the Thunder and with an expiring contract on his side, it looked like George's time in OKC would be one-and-done, barring an NBA Championship win. When that didn't happen, George to the Lakers looked all the more certain. And then, all of a sudden, it wasn't.
In what has to be the only re-signing that no one really saw coming, George would re-sign with the Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal. Considering the Thunder's minimal improvement from the year without George, it really did look like George's time in OKC had run its course and that he would be heading over to Los Angeles, especially with the persistent rumors of LeBron James joining the team as well. However, not only did that not happen but George had not even arranged a meeting with the Lakers. George has said that he did want to play for the Lakers, he loved the situation in Oklahoma City. However, he has also said that he felt a little spurred when the Lakers weren't willing to make a deal for him the previous year.
Tony Parker Leaves the San Antonio Spurs
Like DeMar DeRozan, I'm pretty sure everyone expected Tony Parker to end his career with the team that he had spent the entirety of it with. Drafted with the 28th pick in the 2001 draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Parker would play with the franchise for 17 years. During that time, Parker would hold career averages of 15.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Additionally, Parker would make the all-star team six times, the All-NBA 2nd team three times, won four NBA Championships, and was named the Finals MVP in 2007. Like his teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, both of whom would spend their entire careers with the Spurs, Parker seemed untouchable and able to stay a member of the team for as long as he wanted. He was even able to survive his infamous cheating scandal with former teammate Brent Barry's wife, something that almost got him traded had he not just signed a four-year extension. That being said, what happened this offseason stunned everyone, especially Spurs' fans.
On July 23, Parker would sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets, thus ending his time in San Antonio. Out of all the signing made this offseason, this one has to be the most shocking (aside from one, which I'll be getting to very shortly), purely because of who it was and the history the player had with his former team. Parker had stayed with the team through the good and...well, there wasn't really any bad so...less good? The idea of seeing Parker in anything other than black, white, and silver is something nobody has likely even thought of. Parker will likely be backing up Kemba Walker on the Hornets barring a potential trade (something that has been heavily rumored) but the idea of seeing Parker on any team other than the San Antonio Spurs just doesn't feel right.
DeMarcus Cousins Signs with the Golden State Warriors
I mean...come on. Is this even fair at this point? Is it even fun at this point? The Golden State Warriors were already the best team in the NBA before this offseason, with four all-stars in their starting line-up. They had won three of the last four NBA Championship. Three seasons ago, they had posted the best record in NBA history, and that was before Kevin Durant slithered his way onto the roster. Was it even possible for the Warriors to get any better? Well, of course it was because the basketball gods are cruel and vengeful. We didn't even do anything to deserve vengeance, but we got it anyway. Every day that goes by they laugh at us more and more. I don't even know what I'm talking about at this point, but the Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins, and everything is awful now.
You can't blame the Warriors for wanting Cousins on their roster. While he is currently recovering from a torn left Achilles he suffered this past season, Cousins is still arguably the best center in the NBA today. This past season, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 47% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Additionally, Cousins is a four-time all-star and a two-time member of the All-NBA 2nd team with career averages 21.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game and career shooting percentages of 46% from the field and 34% from three-point range. However, the fact that the Warriors were able to secure Cousins for just $5.3 million is laughable. Apparently, Cousins didn't receive any outstanding offers from other teams, so the Warriors were able to grab the best center in the league for a bargain. Either way, it really didn't seem like the Warriors could get any better this offseason...but they did.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to share if you enjoy! Also, feel free to become a patron on my Patreon if you like what I do here and want to support the blog.
Comments
Post a Comment