由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
Chris Herring, ESPN高级作家 2024年5月28日，美国东部时间上午8:00
随着NBA总决赛只剩下几天时间，其他28支球队已经将注意力完全转移到为下个赛季做准备，从可能疯狂的自由球员期和休赛期开始。当他们观看最后两支球队争夺奥布莱恩杯时，每支球队都在试图弄清楚需要进行哪些调整（或大修）才能达到即将到来的“胜者为王”的舞台。
距离自由球员期仅剩33天，以下是球队应该进行的10项重磅交易和运作，以解决他们的组织缺陷和阵容漏洞。
费城76人签下勒布朗·詹姆斯
在又一次季后赛早早出局后——以及另一场超级球星中锋乔尔·恩比德遭遇伤病困扰的赛季——费城需要增加一名大牌球星，希望能够在发展道路上更进一步。
ESPN的布莱恩·温霍斯特报道称，76人希望签下九届全明星球员、双向锋线球员保罗·乔治，但乔治目前似乎对留在洛杉矶快船并不热衷。（当被问及是否愿意长期与卡哇伊·莱昂纳德和詹姆斯·哈登一起打球时，他说：“如果情况允许，当然。”）
但如果费城签下勒布朗呢？
这将需要詹姆斯选择退出他与湖人签下的一年5140万美元的合同（上周西决期间，里奇·保罗在播报中已经将詹姆斯称为自由球员）。在詹姆斯和安东尼·戴维斯自2019-20赛季联手以来最健康的赛季之后，詹姆斯可能觉得与紫金军团一起赢得另一座总冠军的可能性不足。
如果他得出这样的结论，他可以做的远比加盟76人更糟糕，76人不仅拥有大量的薪资空间（他们可以给詹姆斯提供一份为期三年总计1.57亿美元的最大合同），还有2022-23赛季的MVP恩比德，以及23岁的速度型球员泰瑞斯·马克西，马克西将在今年夏天成为受限制的自由球员，这意味着76人可以匹配对他提出的任何报价。詹姆斯在本赛季季后赛期间，在他与JJ·雷迪克主持的“Mind the Game”播客中，特意赞扬了马克西。“你无法防守他，因为他他妈的永远不会累”，詹姆斯谈到在2月份参加了他的首个全明星赛的马克西。（另一个不可忽视的事实：76人拥有今年选秀大会的第41顺位，理论上他们可以使用它来选詹姆斯的儿子布朗尼。）
詹姆斯将取代托拜亚斯·哈里斯，哈里斯在费城从未成为第三或第四选择，并且很可能在他与尼克斯在2024年季后赛首轮被淘汰后，结束了他在76人的生涯。詹姆斯创造的个人进攻远超哈里斯，哈里斯经常站在角落。在本赛季季后赛中，只有34.8%的詹姆斯内线得分来自助攻，而62.5%的哈里斯二分球来自队友的帮助。詹姆斯也刚刚完成了职业生涯中最好的三分球赛季（41%）；他在赛季中调整了投篮姿势，使肩部更好地与篮筐平行。
詹姆斯也将帮助76人打得更快，特别是当行动缓慢的恩比德不在场的时候。詹姆斯在快攻得分上排名联盟第二，总计363分。马克西以280分排名第五，紧随其后。
播放2:24
为什么史蒂芬·A认为勒布朗不会测试自由球员市场
史蒂芬·A·史密斯分析了勒布朗·詹姆斯在本赛季休赛期会留在湖人的原因。
俄克拉荷马城雷霆签下克莱·汤普森
在赛季下半段，许多球队——包括休斯顿和菲尼克斯——大胆地向雷霆证明了他们会让第三年后卫乔什·吉迪在弧顶无人盯防的情况下投篮。
逻辑很简单：俄克拉荷马城是联盟中最难防守的球队之一，因为他们的空间很好，所以你必须选择你的毒药。 opposing teams hoped, was to more or less ignore Giddey, who’s been a subpar 3-point shooter throughout his career.
这就是雷霆在季后赛中会面临的考验。在面对实力逊色的鹈鹕时，这一点并不重要。但达拉斯独行侠在赛季最后15场比赛中拥有联盟最好的防守，他们收紧了防守。在那轮半决赛中，当吉迪上场时，雷霆每百回合仅得到95.5分（如果算进常规赛，这个数据将是联盟最差的进攻）；当他被替换下场时，进攻猛增至每百回合得到116.5分（这个数据将跻身联盟前十的进攻）。因此，随着系列赛的进行，吉迪的上场时间减少了，主教练马克·戴格诺特在第五和第六场比赛中将他安排替补上场。
所有这些都解释了为什么像汤普森这样的顶级射手在这里会有很大帮助。毁灭性的伤病削弱了他2019年入选最佳防守阵容时拥有的横向移动能力。投篮数据也下降了，但这只是相对的批评。
即使他在过去一个赛季的三分球命中率略低于39%，这位34岁的球员仍然投进了268个三分球。（之前那个赛季，他以41.2%的三分球命中率，投进了联盟最多的301个三分球。）根据第二频谱的数据，吉尔杰斯-亚历山大已经投出比卢卡·东契奇之外任何人都更长的传球距离，因为他的活动空间很大。（雷霆也像金州勇士一样，利用他们的后卫进行无球掩护。）汤普森会放大这一切。
他需要相当大的激励才能离开勇士队，勇士队似乎已经决定用他们的冠军阵容再做最后一次冲击。但雷霆队——由于年轻球员众多，他们在真正需要担心残酷的奢侈税门槛之前，还有几年的时间——可能会为汤普森设计一份比勇士队愿意接受的合同，包括更长的合同期限。
洛杉矶湖人签下保罗·乔治
如果湖人失去了詹姆斯，他们会迅速采取行动来维持球队阵容，这并不令人意外。最明显的方法就是签下乔治，即使他年满34岁，他仍然是联盟中最好的双向球员之一。他在防守端每场比赛的抢断次数排名前十，同时还以每场近8次的三分球出手，创造了职业生涯最高的三分球命中率（41.3%）。
目前还不清楚快船——他们已经同意与莱昂纳德签署一份略低于顶薪的三年的续约合同——是否想签下乔治。费城询问报报道称，快船不愿提供如此高的报价，到目前为止，他们给出的报价低于顶薪。（值得注意的是：哈登也是今年夏天的一名自由球员。）如果湖人愿意花钱，所有这一切都可能给湖人创造一个机会。
除了金钱，乔治通过减少作为主要控球手的负担，保持了自己的身体——并且打出了自2018-19赛季以来最多的比赛（74场）。随着哈登加盟快船，乔治在本赛季带领快船开始进攻的次数下降了47%，每场比赛只有10.6次，根据第二频谱的数据。
所有这些都引出了下一个问题：如果詹姆斯离队，控球后卫丹吉洛·拉塞尔又是一名自由球员，那么谁将掌控湖人的进攻？
湖人交易得到特雷·杨
如果湖人失去了詹姆斯，并用乔治代替他，而乔治已经习惯了减少控球，那么湖人应该找到一个愿意更多控球的球员。
杨过去两个赛季在亚特兰大与德章泰·穆雷分享控球责任，他符合这个要求。他的效率可能会下降；特别是在三分球方面，但他也是一名组织者，他的突破会为戴维斯创造轻松的投篮机会，戴维斯将立即成为杨合作过的最好的大个子。你可以想象防守球员在试图破解杨-戴维斯挡拆配合时，以及确定杨是在投抛投（根据第二频谱的数据，他在抛投次数方面排名联盟第98百分位）还是给戴维斯传球时，会多么困惑。
尽管如此，杨不是一名自由球员。想要得到他，这意味着湖人要决定放弃选秀权和一些非常优秀的球员：后卫奥斯汀·里弗斯、前锋八村塁，以及加布·文森特或贾雷德·范德比尔特其中一人。
拉塞尔在交易截止日前被湖人留下，因为他当时正处于职业生涯中最热的投篮状态，他需要选择退出合同，才能让杨成为湖人球员。
奥兰多魔术签下丹吉洛·拉塞尔
在魔术首轮被淘汰后，魔术球星保罗·班切罗被问到球队需要哪些方面才能更进一步。
他迅速确定了一个。“需要一个能组织进攻，并且可靠的球员，”他说。“我们有很多可以得分和创造机会的球员。我，弗朗兹[瓦格纳]和杰伦[萨格斯]。[但是]如果可以的话，我宁愿成为进攻的核心，而不是控球后卫。”
班切罗有机会成为球队自德怀特·霍华德之后的第一位超级巨星，得到一个可以组织进攻的人将会让他长期感到开心。
拉塞尔可能不是那个符合所有要求的人，但魔术队本赛季的三分球命中数联盟倒数第一，只有903个，他们非常需要投篮。27岁的拉塞尔在上个赛季不仅投进了226个三分球，而且命中率达到了41.5%。拉塞尔还是一名优秀的传球手，场均助攻超过6次，助攻失误比为3比1。
芝加哥公牛签下克里斯·保罗
上周，朗佐·鲍尔说，他认为自己能够在因左膝手术后的反复挫折而缺席了过去两年半的时间后重返赛场。
对于芝加哥公牛来说，这是一个好消息，因为自从鲍尔第一次受伤后，公牛就一直表现平庸。在鲍尔于2022年1月中旬受伤之前，这支球队是东部联盟的第一名，他们在鲍尔的聪明的前场传球帮助下，在快攻中取得了成功。公牛凭借着防守压迫对手的收尾阵容，赢得了许多比赛。
即使鲍尔能够在接受了半月板移植手术后重返赛场，公牛也需要一个组织者，要么作为首发球员，帮助鲍尔逐渐恢复状态，要么作为他的替补，打一些像样的分钟数。还有什么比保罗更合适的人选呢？即使他接近40岁，他仍然是一名可靠的进攻球员。
他第一次在职业生涯中作为替补球员效力于金州勇士队——勇士队可能会选择放弃他，以避免在他留在阵容中后，在他6月28日合同生效时，支付他3000万美元的薪水——他的整体命中率为44%，三分球命中率为37%，每场比赛出手近5次。保罗的助攻失误比是NBA历史上所有出场超过1000场的球员中最好的，本赛季再次达到5.17比1的惊人数据。
他不会成为公牛队的长期答案，公牛队在整个阵容方面有很多问题需要回答。（其中包括：34岁的自由球员德马尔·德罗赞今年夏天会回归吗？22岁的受限制自由球员帕特里克·威廉姆斯呢？还有扎克·拉文的交易传闻？）但让公牛后卫位置变得稳定，对于一支突然意识到优秀控球后卫的重要性球队来说，将是一个优势。有了保罗，无论他是首发还是替补，公牛都会变得更好。
洛杉矶快船签下詹姆斯·哈登
快船在得到哈登后，在阵容中加入了他的首五场比赛中输掉了比赛，然后在接下来的几个月里，球队找到了节奏，成为了联盟中最好的球队之一。
仅凭这一点就足以让快船留下哈登，即使赛季的结局是如此。哈登，尽管他总是很自信，但当他处于最佳状态时，他仍然可以成为一支完整的进攻。他让队友们轻松了不少；当哈登主导进攻时，莱昂纳德和乔治在场上效率非常高。
快船在未来会成为一支争冠球队吗？这个问题仍然与莱昂纳德在季后赛时的健康状况息息相关。但哈登仍然可以保持高水平的发挥很长一段时间，这对快船来说就足够了，他们应该在本赛季休赛期留住这名自由球员。
圣安东尼奥马刺交易得到达里厄斯·加兰德
联盟未来的一个重大问题集中在圣安东尼奥马刺队身上，以及谁最终将成为即将成为超级巨星的维克多·文班亚马的控球后卫。
24岁的加兰德可能是一个很好的选择，尽管他这个赛季表现不佳。人们不禁要问，他和多诺万·米切尔这样的另一位明星后卫一起打球，是否会发挥出他的最佳状态，以及当埃文·莫布利和贾雷特·阿伦同时在场时，骑士队的进攻空间是否理想。（如果骑士队在试图说服米切尔签下续约合同的同时，也要面对这些问题，他们可能会寻求交易加兰德和/或阿伦。）
如果马刺队交易得到加兰德，他们会押注他不仅会让文班亚马的生活更轻松，而且还会让他恢复到曾经的全明星球员的状态，因为他会获得更多的控球机会。值得称赞的是，加兰德在因颌骨骨折缺席了19场比赛后复出，他在全明星赛后投进了84个三分球，排在联盟第十位。在这段时间里，他的三分球命中率接近40%。
即使加兰德只打了57场比赛，他仍然以58次直接传球进入禁区，排在联盟第十位。作为参考，马刺队后卫特雷·琼斯尽管比加兰德多打了20场比赛，但他本赛季只送出了37次这样的传球。加兰德在作为主要控球手操控防守方面的经验，将帮助圣安东尼奥。
尽管如此，马刺队需要做一些调整才能接手加兰德的合同。马刺队今年夏天大约有2000万美元的薪资空间，这意味着他们可能需要交易掉像替补中锋扎克·科林斯这样的球员——他的合同将在未来两年平均每年1800万美元——才能吸收加兰德高额的薪水。
华盛顿奇才交易得到贾雷特·阿伦
上个赛季对于华盛顿奇才队及其球迷来说，无疑是一个令人难忘的赛季——如果活塞队没有创造联盟单赛季连续失利场次纪录，这个赛季可能会受到更多批评。
华盛顿在赛季中期解雇了主教练韦斯·昂塞尔德二世。在这样做之后，他们仍然一度创造了单赛季连续16场失利的记录，追平了球队纪录。在连续失利的过程中，乔丹·普尔表现糟糕，以至于他在主场被嘘声包围，并且在比赛中被罚出场，而且一分未得。情况糟糕到后来，代理主教练布莱恩·基夫决定将普尔——他的合同在未来三年将获得近9600万美元——安排替补上场，这一决定持续了12场比赛。
所以，不用说：有很多事情需要改进。其中之一就是篮下防守，奇才队在联盟中排名第三差，他们允许对手在篮下投篮的命中率比赛季平均水平高出将近3个百分点。（值得注意的是：在交易截止日前，华盛顿交易掉了中锋丹尼尔·加福德，他为独行侠带来了很大的帮助。这使得奇才队需要一名中锋。）
这就是阿伦可以明显帮助球队的地方。这位曾经的全明星球员让对手的投篮命中率比他们的平均水平低7.5个百分点——在至少上场50场比赛，并且每晚防守至少4次这样的投篮的球员中，这是联盟前15的最佳表现之一。
阿伦的合同非常合理，每年仅2000万美元，这意味着奇才队很可能需要放弃一些选秀权才能达成交易。
孟菲斯灰熊交易得到米切尔·罗宾逊
过去几年，孟菲斯灰熊队最健康的迹象之一就是进攻篮板球。
在2020-21赛季、2021-22赛季和2022-23赛季——灰熊队在这三个赛季都进入了季后赛——孟菲斯队分别在进攻篮板球百分比排名中位列第四、第一和第六。这是球队进攻的一个重要来源，因为当贾·莫兰特突破到篮下时，防守球员会非常集中地防守他。即使莫兰特错过了他的高难度上篮，防守球员在试图阻止他的过程中，经常处于非常不利的位置，无法抢到防守篮板。因此，莫兰特收集了无数的“科比助攻”，或者是在快攻中迅速补篮得分。
在本赛季，由于莫兰特首先被停赛，然后又因赛季报销的肩袖撕裂而缺席，所以他们没有机会这样做。但即使他打了更多比赛，球队也缺少了受伤的中锋史蒂文·亚当斯，他是灰熊队最好的进攻篮板球手。
考虑到上个赛季的失利和球队的财政状况，灰熊队将亚当斯交易到了休斯顿。在莫兰特和亚当斯缺席的情况下，灰熊队本赛季在进攻篮板球百分比排名中跌至第13位。
罗宾逊登场，在赛季中期因脚踝手术缺席了50场比赛后，他的首发位置基本上被伊赛亚·哈特斯坦取代，他应该可以进行交易。他是联盟顶级进攻篮板球手之一，在2021-22赛季的进攻篮板球率排名联盟第二，在2022-23赛季排名联盟第一。（如果算上本赛季，他的进攻篮板球百分比排名将是第二，但由于只打了31场比赛，他不符合联盟统计榜的资格。）但纽约队预计会为哈特斯坦腾出更多资金，哈特斯坦也是一名优秀的篮板球手，但他也拥有一名大个子球员难以拥有的传球能力。
交易罗宾逊及其每年1500万美元的薪水，唯一的障碍是孟菲斯队几乎肯定需要送出相同金额的薪水——可能是射手卢克·肯纳德——才能达成交易。孟菲斯队预计将超过第一个奢侈税门槛，作为一支小市场球队，他们可能不想为了在篮板上有所提高，而加深自己的财务困境。
尽管如此，得到一名像罗宾逊这样的篮板球手和空中接力威胁，将是帮助灰熊队重回上个赛季受伤之前状态的稳健步骤。
点击查看原文：LeBron to the Sixers? Chris Paul to the Bulls? 10 NBA offseason trades and moves that should happen
LeBron to the Sixers? Chris Paul to the Bulls? 10 NBA offseason trades and moves that should happen
Chris Herring, ESPN Senior WriterMay 28, 2024, 08:00 AM ET
With the NBA Finals just days away, 28 other teams have now shifted their focus solely on preparing for next season, starting with what could be a wild free agency period and offseason. As they watch the final two teams fight for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, each is trying to figure out what tweaks (or overhauls) are necessary to reach the winner-take-all stage that’s about to unfold.
With free agency just 33 days away, here are 10 blockbuster trades and moves teams should make to address their organizational shortcomings and roster holes.
Philadelphia 76ers sign LeBron James
After yet another early playoff exit – and another campaign in which superstar big man Joel Embiid dealt with injury issues – Philadelphia needs to add a big star in hopes of taking the next step in its evolution.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported the Sixers would love to add nine-time All-Star and two-way wing Paul George, who so far has seemed lukewarm on the prospect of staying with the LA Clippers. (“Yeah, if it works that way, absolutely,” he said when asked about the potential of signing to play with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden long term.)
But what if Philly landed LeBron instead?
It would require James to opt out of the one year and $51.4 million he has left on his Lakers deal (Rich Paul already referred to James as a free agent during a Western Conference finals broadcast last week). After a season in which both he and Anthony Davis were the healthiest they’ve been as a duo since teaming up in 2019-20, James might feel like there isn’t enough upside to win another title with the purple and gold.
If he reaches that conclusion, he could do far worse than the Sixers, who not only have a boatload of cap space (they could offer James a max of three years for $157 million) but also Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP, and 23-year-old speedster Tyrese Maxey, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the 76ers can match any offer made to him. James made a point to praise Maxey earlier this postseason on his “Mind the Game” podcast with JJ Redick. “You can’t get a hold of him [defensively] because the motherf—er don’t get tired,” James said of Maxey, who played in his first All-Star Game in February. (Another thing not to be ignored: The Sixers have the No. 41 pick in this year’s draft, and they could theoretically use it to take James’ son Bronny.)
James would be replacing Tobias Harris, who never panned out as a third or fourth option in Philly and likely closed out his Sixers tenure with a scoreless performance when Philly got eliminated by the Knicks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. James creates far more offense on his own than Harris, who too often stands in the corner. Just 34.8% of James’ buckets from inside the arc this postseason were assisted, while 62.5% of Harris’s 2s stemmed from the courtesy of a teammate. James is also coming off the best perimeter shooting season of his career (41%); one in which he tweaked his shot to square his shoulders with the basket better.
James would also help the Sixers play faster, particularly if and when the plodding Embiid isn’t on the floor. James finished second in the NBA in fast-break points with 363. Not far down on the list, in fifth, was Maxey, with 280.
play2:24
Why Stephen A. doesn’t see LeBron testing free agency
Stephen A. Smith breaks down why LeBron James will stay with the Lakers this offseason.
Oklahoma City Thunder sign Klay Thompson
Throughout the second half of their season, a number of teams – Houston one night, Phoenix another – boldly showed the Thunder they were going to dare third-year guard wing Josh Giddey to shoot by leaving him wide open at the arc.
The logic was simple: With Oklahoma City, one of the league’s most unguardable teams because of its spacing, you have to pick your poison. The solution, opposing teams hoped, was to more or less ignore Giddey, who’s been a subpar 3-point shooter throughout his career.
That was the test OKC knew it would face come playoff time. It didn’t matter as much against the overmatched Pelicans. But the Dallas Mavericks, who had the league’s best defense for the final 15 games of the season, tightened the screws. In that semifinal round, Oklahoma City scored a paltry 95.5 points per 100 possessions with Giddey playing (a rate that would’ve ranked worst in the league among regular-season offenses); with him benched, the offense surged to 116.5 points per 100 possessions (a rate that would’ve ranked in the NBA’s top 10 offenses). As such, Giddey’s playing time diminished as the series went on and coach Mark Daigneault resorted to bringing him off the bench for Games 5 and 6.
All of which explains why a knockdown shooter like Thompson would make a lot of sense here. Devastating injuries have sapped the lateral ability he had when he was named to All-Defensive Team back in 2019. The shooting numbers are down, too – but that’s a relative critique.
Even if he was a hair under 39% from 3 this past season, the 34-year-old still canned 268 triples. (The season before, when he hit 41.2% of his 3s, Thompson drained a league-best 301.) Gilgeous-Alexander was already throwing kickout passes a longer average distance than anyone outside of Luka Doncic, per Second Spectrum, because of how much space he had to work with. (Oklahoma City also uses its guards to screen off the ball in a way that’s similar to what Golden State does.) Thompson would amplify all that.
He would need considerable incentive to leave the Warriors, who seem set on making one last push with their championship core. But perhaps the Thunder – who still have a couple years before they realistically need to worry about the punishing luxury tax aprons due to their youth – would construct a deal with Thompson that includes more years than Golden State would agree to.
Los Angeles Lakers sign Paul George
If the Lakers lose James, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them move extremely quickly to hold things together. The clearest way to do so would be maxing out George, who, even at 34, still stands out as one of the NBA’s best two-way players. At three deflections per game on defense, he ranked among the league’s top 10 in that regard, while also logging a career-best mark from three-point range at 41.3% on nearly eight tries per game.
It’s not clear that the Clippers – who agreed to a slightly less than max extension of three years with Leonard – want to max out George. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Clippers were reluctant to go that far, and have so far offered him less than that. (Also of note: Harden is also a free agent this summer.) All of which might present an opening for the Lakers if they’re willing to spend.
Beyond mere money, George preserved his body – and played in the most games he’s played (74) since the 2018-19 campaign – by not having to create as much as a lead ball handler. With Harden joining the Clippers, George brought the ball up the floor to start the Clippers’ possessions 10.6 times per game this past year, down 47% from the season before, according to data from Second Spectrum.
All of which gets into the next question: Who will be running the Lakers’ offense if James is gone, and point guard D’Angelo Russell is a free agent?
Lakers trade for Trae Young
If Los Angeles loses James and replaces him with George, who’s settled into handling the ball less, the Lakers would be wise to find someone who takes no issue with handling it more.
Young, as someone who shared ballhandling responsibility with Dejounte Murray the past two seasons in Atlanta, fits that bill. His efficiency can wane; particularly from deep, but he’s also a playmaker whose penetration would create easy looks for Davis, who would immediately become the best big Young has ever played with. You can already imagine how confused defenders will be in trying to decipher Young-Davis pick-and-rolls, and ascertaining whether Young is shooting floaters – he ranked in the league’s 98th percentile, per Second Spectrum, in terms of how often he attempted them – or throwing lobs for Davis.
All that said: Young isn’t a free agent. Acquiring him would mean the Lakers deciding to part ways with draft picks and a handful of very solid players: guard Austin Reaves, forward Rui Hachimura and one of either Gabe Vincent or Jarred Vanderbilt.
Russell, who the club held onto at the trade deadline as he was in the midst of the hottest shooting stretch of his career, would need to opt out in order for Young to become a Laker.
Orlando Magic sign D’Angelo Russell
After Orlando’s first-round elimination, Magic star Paolo Banchero was asked what elements the team needed to take the next step.
He quickly identified one. “Having a guy who can set the table and be reliable,” he said. “We have a lot of guys who can make shots and make plays. Me, Franz [Wagner] and Jalen [Suggs]. [But] I would rather be more of an offensive hub than the point guard, if that makes sense.”
Banchero has a chance to be the organization’s first superstar since Dwight Howard and getting someone to organize the offense would keep him happy over time.
Russell might not be the guy who checks all the boxes, but the Magic, last in the NBA with just 903 3s this season, are desperate for shooting. Russell, 27, is coming off a campaign in which he not only hit 226 of them, but did so at a 41.5% clip. And Russell is a good passer who averaged better than six assists per game while sporting a 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Chicago Bulls sign Chris Paul
Last week, Lonzo Ball said he thinks he’ll be able to return to play after missing the past two and a half seasons with repeated setbacks to his surgically repaired left knee.
That would be fantastic news for the Chicago Bulls, who have been mediocre since Ball first went down with the injury. Before Ball got hurt back in mid-January 2022, this was a first-place team in the Eastern Conference, one that thrived in transition with Ball’s smart hit-ahead passes. Chicago won games late with closing lineups that surprised opponents by tightening the vise defensively.
Even if Ball is able to come back now that he’s had a meniscus transplant, Chicago is going to need a table setter, either to serve as a starter as Ball eases into things or to relieve him and play decent minutes. And who better to do that than Paul, who, even as he nears the age of 40, is still a solid offensive player.
He came off the bench for the first time in his career with Golden State – which could opt to waive him to avoid having to pay him his $30 million salary that becomes guaranteed if he remains on the roster June 28 – and shot 44% overall and 37% from 3 on nearly five tries per game. Paul’s assist-to-turnover ratio, the best in NBA history among players who’ve logged 1,000 games, was stellar again this season at 5.17-to-1.
He wouldn’t be a long-term answer for the Bulls, who have a ton of questions to answer about their roster at large. (Among them: Will 34-year-old free agent DeMar DeRozan be brought back this summer? How about 22-year-old restricted free agent Patrick Williams? And what about the trade chatter with Zach LaVine?) But giving them stability at guard will be a plus for a team that abruptly learned just how much good point guard play matters. Having Paul would make them better, whether it’s as a starter or off the bench.
LA Clippers sign James Harden
After the Clippers acquired Harden, they lost their first five games with him in the lineup before becoming arguably the league’s best team for the next few months, once the group hit a rhythm.
That alone is enough to bring Harden back, even with the way the season ended. Harden, for all his bravado, can still be an entire offense unto himself when he’s at his best. He makes things so much easier for his teammates; Leonard and George were tremendously efficient on the floor when Harden ran the show.
Will the Clippers be a championship contender going forward? That question still has everything to do with Leonard’s health come playoff time. But Harden can still perform at a high level for long stretches, and that should be enough for the Clips to bring the free agent back this offseason.
San Antonio Spurs trade for Darius Garland
One of the bigger questions for the future of the league centers on the San Antonio Spurs, and who will ultimately serve as soon-to-be superstar Victor Wembanyama’s floor general.
Garland, still just 24 years old, could be a great fit despite his down season. It’s fair to wonder whether he’s best utilized sharing the ball so much with another star guard in Donovan Mitchell, and whether Cleveland’s spacing on offense was ideal by having both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the floor together. (It wouldn’t be surprising if the Cavs, facing those same questions as they try to convince Mitchell to sign an extension, seek to move Garland and/or Allen.)
Should the Spurs deal for Garland, they’d be banking on him not only making life easier for Wembanyama, but also on a return to form for the one-time All-Star as he generates more ballhandling opportunities. To his credit, Garland performed far better after returning from a 19-game absence that stemmed from a fractured jaw, hitting 84 triples – 10th best in the NBA – after the All-Star break. He connected on almost 40% of his tries from deep in that span.
Even with Garland playing in just 57 contests, he managed to rank 10th in the league with 58 passes directly into the restricted area. For context, Spurs guard Tre Jones, despite playing in 20 more games than Garland, finished the season with 37 such passes. Garland’s added experience with manipulating defenses as a lead ball handler would help San Antonio.
All that said, the Spurs would need to maneuver some in order to take on Garland’s deal. San Antonio has about $20 million in cap room this summer, meaning it might need to move someone like backup center Zach Collins – who’s set to make an average of $18 million over the next two seasons – in order to absorb Garland’s hefty salary.
Washington Wizards trade for Jarrett Allen
Last season was clearly one to forget for the Washington Wizards and their fans – and one that might have sparked more criticism if not for the Pistons tying the league record for consecutive losses in a season.
Washington parted ways with coach Wes Unseld Jr. midway through the campaign. After doing so, it still managed to lose 16 consecutive contests at one point, tying a franchise record. In the midst of the skid, Jordan Poole was struggling so much that he was booed at home in a game he fouled out of while going scoreless. Things were so sideways that interim coach Brian Keefe later elected to bring Poole, who is owed almost $96 million over the next three seasons, off the bench for a 12-game stretch.
So, needless to say: There are plenty of things that need fixing. Among them is rim protection, where the Wizards ranked third worst in the league by allowing opponents to shoot almost three percentage points better than their season averages when contesting their attempts near the basket. (Also of note here: At the deadline, Washington dealt away center Daniel Gafford, who’s been a boon for the Mavericks. It left the Wizards with a need at center.)
That’s where a player like Allen can clearly help. The one-time All-Star held opponents 7.5 percentage points beneath their averages – one of the league’s 15 best marks, among players who saw action in 50 games and defended at least four such shots per night.
Allen is on a good contract of just $20 million per season, meaning the Wizards would likely have to part ways with some of its draft picks in order to make a deal.
Memphis Grizzlies trade for Mitchell Robinson
One of the greatest signs of organizational health for the Memphis Grizzlies these past few years has been offensive rebounding.
During the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns – the Grizzlies reached the playoffs in each one – Memphis finished fourth, first and sixth in offensive rebound percentage, respectively. It’s been a strong source of offense for the team because of how defenses collapse on Ja Morant when he drives to the basket. Even when Morant misses his acrobatic layups, defenders are often so out of position in trying to stop him that they have no realistic chance of securing a defensive rebound. As such, Morant collects countless “Kobe Assists,” or makes that stem from quick putbacks.
There obviously wasn’t much opportunity for that this season, with Morant first suspended, then out with a season-ending labrum tear. But even if he had played more, the team was also without injured center Steven Adams, who’d been Memphis’ best offensive rebounder.
In gauging the lost season and the franchise’s finances, the Grizzlies traded Adams to Houston. Absent Morant and Adams, Memphis fell to a pedestrian 13th in offensive rebound percentage this season.
Enter Robinson, who more or less lost his starting role to Isaiah Hartenstein after missing 50 games following a midseason ankle surgery, and should be available in a trade. He’s one of the league’s premier offensive rebounding bigs, having finished second in the league in offensive rebound rate in 2021-22 and first in 2022-23. (He would have finished second in percentage this season, but with just 31 games played, he didn’t qualify for the league’s statistical leaderboard.) But New York will presumably want to have more money available for Hartenstein, who’s also a great rebounder but also has an innate passing ability for a big man.
The only caveat in trading for Robinson and his $15 million per year salary is that Memphis would almost certainly have to send out the same amount of salary – possibly someone like sharpshooter Luke Kennard – in order to make the deal work. Memphis is projected to be over the first apron, and as a small-market team, likely won’t want to deepen its financial position just to improve on the boards.
Still, acquiring a boardsman and lob threat like Robinson would be a solid step toward building the Grizzlies back into what they were before last season’s injury-marred mess.
via ESPN