The Five Smartest Moves of the 2014 NBA Offseason

I’m going to shatter your expectations and write this entire article without mentioning Lebron James. If you’ve watched ESPN at all in the past, let’s say, decade, I think you’ve had your fair share of Lebron coverage. And while his return to Cleveland has clearly been the highlight of the NBA offseason, I’ve found a way around putting it on the list. Notice how I used the word “smartest”. I’m not glorifying the Cavaliers for having superlative judgement in their acquisition of Lebron. James Dolan has the ability to make that decision. If James Dolan can do it, it’s not ingenious. That’s something I call the “Dolan Rule”--spread the word, let’s make it a thing. I’m looking for the five most clever and strategic moves by an organization this offseason. So allow me to stop talking about the man and get this list started.

5. Chicago Bulls: Signing Pau Gasol They lost out in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, but Chicago still found a way to improve this offseason by grabbing Pau Gasol. The 13-year veteran, four-time All-Star, and two-time NBA Champion will take over for Carlos Boozer as the big man alongside Defensive Player of the Year winner Joakim Noah. The Bulls will get Derrick Rose back, and with the addition of Doug McDermott, they have a lot of talent. Talent only gets you so far, though, so signing a proven winner really means everything for Chicago. A healthy Rose can mean one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference for the Bulls. Expect Gasol to be an integral part of their postseason run.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Trading For Kevin Love Love is a great talent, and has the potential to lead the Cavs to an NBA Championship, so of course I have to mention this trade. Still, for reasons I will explain later, it was not a move deserving to be at the top of the list. The other end of the trade will make an appearance at a higher spot, but for now, let’s focus on the positives. This man has averaged a double-double for the past five seasons. Put those numbers next to the numbers of “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, add one of the best Point Guards in the league to the mix (Kyrie Irving), as well as top 3-point shooters (Mike Miller/James Jones), my vote for the league’s most underrated player (Dion Waiters) and a good amount of other tools around them (Shawn Marion, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao), and--well--wow. On the other hand...

3. Minnesota Timberwolves: Trading Away Kevin Love Kevin Love is in the last year of his contract. And he was NOT signing with the Wolves again. Another year in Minnesota would maybe amount to a low playoff seed and a first round exit in the playoffs at best, so getting value for K-Love while they still could was brilliant. Even more brilliant was the value they were able to get for him. In exchange for an albeit remarkable player--but that would only stay with them for one more year and failed to lead them to the playoffs in all six seasons he spent there--Minnesota received: Andrew Wiggins - An absolute home-run for the Wolves, who were able to lock down the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins doesn’t share the same mindset as Love, as he’s excited about the opportunity to play on “whichever team wants [him].” He will step into Kevin’s old spot as Minnesota’s franchise player, but with better pieces around him, I’d expect Andrew to accomplish more for the franchise during his career than K-Love did. Anthony Bennett- This first overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft shows us a combination of size and mobility that should excite fans in the Twin Cities. He put up a poor rookie campaign, however he didn’t go a game in the 2014 Summer League without scoring double-digits, while averaging 8 rebounds as well. Thaddeus Young- And finally, add a man who averaged 17.9 PPG last season. After the strongest statistical season career, Young will bring a lot to the table--including much-needed playoff experience--at Small Forward for the Wolves. All that (and a $6.3 million trade exception) for a guy they would’ve only had for one more season. Ricky Rubio, smile.

2. Golden State Warriors: Keeping Klay Thompson SPOILER ALERT: The Golden State Warriors will be the most improved team in the Western Conference, and will make their way to the Conference Finals for the first time since Rick Barry led them that far in the 1975-76 season. All because they knew they didn’t need to shake their team’s foundation, but just add a few more pieces and be patient. When most people hear Klay Thompson’s name, they think “Splash Brother”, or “the guy that helps Steph Curry out a little bit”. First, yes, Klay is a knock-down shooter who becomes a more effective scorer every day. In his three NBA seasons, he’s averaged 12.5 PPG, 16.6 PPG, and 18.4 PPG, respectively. Notice a trend? But what makes Klay so invaluable is his defense. He’s beginning to rightfully be regarded as the best two-way Shooting Guard in the game. His capability to lock down forwards just as well as he can guards is a talent unmatched by any other man at his position today. And yeah, K-Love is great and would’ve made this team even scarier on offense, but it wouldn’t have made them a better team. They already have David Lee--who is a less-talented version of Love, but can do a lot of the same things. While Love would’ve been an improvement at that position, the downgrade at Shooting Guard would have been so dramatic that it would’ve sent Golden State on a path similar to the one they’ve been on for the last few decades--a path with no appealing destination. The Warriors will now benefit from the presence of Shaun Livingston and Head Coach Steve Kerr. While many people think they missed out by not grabbing Love, I think their commitment to Klay Thompson will get them a championship within the next three seasons.

1. Washington Wizards: Signing Paul Pierce I’m not going to make any crazy claims about the Wizards success this season, but this list is about the smartest moves of the offseason, and Pierce is the perfect fit in Washington. I hated Brooklyn’s decision to give up so much for him and Garnett (refer to my blog post last April praising the Celtics for offloading them). And I’m realistic about his shortcomings as far as what is left in the tank. But when I looked at Washington’s roster at the end of last season, I saw that they had athletes that I viewed as top-10 guys at their positions at every spot but Small Forward (John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene, Marcin Gortat). I also saw that young leaders were struggling to really carry the load and get past other veteran leaders in the playoffs. Enter Paul Pierce. The Wizards killed two birds with one stone in getting a solid Small Forward and one of the most experienced veterans in the league in Paul Pierce. It’s the perfect fit for Paul, who can complement John Wall very well as a leader, and perhaps make the Wizards a serious contender in the Eastern Conference this year. I wouldn’t set my expectations too high for Washington, but as far as moves that actually make too much sense, put this one at the top of your list.