From trades to free agency contracts, things have been very busy lately in the NBA, with several superstars changing teams and many basketball players also being reunited with old acquaintances.
Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall
The Houston Rockets decided, on the advice of James Harden, to look during the offseason at potential players who could make a difference in the future of the Rockets. After a long period of vague rumors, on 3 December the Rockets managed to put together a trade with the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a 2023 draft pick. Westbrook asked for a trade earlier this season, and so did fellow Rockets star James Harden. This came after the Rockets had moved on from coach Mike D'Antoni. Harden’s trade request was based on his wish to join his former teammate Kevin Durant at the Brooklyn Nets, while Westbrook wanted another chance to become a true floor general and primary ball handler. In Washington he should get that chance.
LiAngelo Ball signs with the Detroit Pistons
Although LiAngelo may not be one of the best-known Ball brothers, after his time with OKC Blue in the NBA G League he has proven that he deserves a spot in the NBA. The Detroit Pistons saw potential in LiAngelo and decided to give him a 1-year contract. Signing LiAngelo also means that LaVar Ball’s promises have come true: in an interview after Lonzo Ball was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers he said that his other 2 boys would also get a spot in the NBA and as of 2 December that is official. This also makes the Ball brothers the youngest trio playing professional basketball in the NBA. Are you a fan of the Ball family? Then you have plenty of choice in the NBA Store, because all 3 brothers play for 3 different teams.
LeBron and Davis both return to the Lakers
The future of the Los Angeles Lakers was also unclear to some extent for a while, but on 3 December Anthony Davis signed a 5-year contract for a salary of €190M. This was mainly because LeBron had already decided on the evening of 1 December to extend his contract by 2 years, which gave Davis a nudge in the right direction. After the additions of Marc Gasol and Dennis Schroder, it seems that lately only positive news has been coming the Lakers’ way. We are curious whether they can go back-to-back this year and bring another trophy home.
Kelly Oubre Jr. on his way to San Francisco
After a turbulent offseason for Kelly Oubre Jr., it looks like he has finally found his final destination. Oubre Jr. was traded on 16 November in the Chris Paul trade, which meant he had to leave the Phoenix Suns and became a player for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But on 19 November the Golden State Warriors decided to propose a trade to the Thunder, which they accepted. The trade included 2 future draft picks in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr. With this trade, the Warriors make sure they have a starting small forward next to Andrew Wiggins.
Gordon Hayward lands surprising multimillion deal
Hayward is a Charlotte Hornet in one of the most surprising signings of the 2020 NBA free agency. Instead of returning to the Boston Celtics for the final year of his contract, Hayward opted for free agency and signed a four-year contract worth 120 million with the Charlotte Hornets, who had been pursuing him since 2014. The one-time All-Star explained his decision to leave the Celtics and join the Hornets, who have a young roster, have not made the playoffs in the past four seasons and have not won a playoff series since the NBA brought a franchise back to Charlotte in 2004-05.
“I have never forgotten the commitment and the potential that Michael Jordan (Hornets owner) and the organization saw in me years ago when they offered me a contract and I had signed it to come here back then, but in the end I was signed by the Utah Jazz,” Hayward said on Tuesday at his first media day with Charlotte. “That was definitely one thing, but also more than that, just the whole vision the organization has, both the front office and Coach Borrego, of where this team could go, where they could get to, how they thought they could use me and the impact they thought I could have.”
