Did Eastern foes close gap on the Cavaliers?
The Western Conference loaded up, but the Golden State Warriors did what they had to in free agency to keep distance between themselves and the rest of the conference.
The East didn’t get the stars that the West did, but the Boston Celtics tried to close the gap on the Cleveland Cavaliers by adding All-Star Gordon Hayward.
Through trades and the first five days of free agency, here’s how the landscapes in the East has changed as it relates to the defending conference champions:
Boston Celtics
Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers’ path to the NBA Finals won’t be as easy now that the Boston Celtics have reached a deal with All-Star forward Gordon Hayward.
Hayward makes Boston better. He gives them another quality scoring option from the perimeter, and a Hayward-Isaiah Thomas-Al Horford trio is a strong base.
But is it enough – along with some depth and promising young talent – to beat the Cavaliers in a seven-game series? The addition of Hayward closes the chasm between the Celtics and Cavs, but a gap still exists.
In the past three seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost five Eastern Conference playoff games, including one to the Celtics in the conference finals in May. The Cavs won that series in five games, and in their four victories, they won by an average margin of 25.8 points.
Does Hayward make up that difference? And keep in mind, the Celtics still need to make roster subtractions, in addition to pulling their qualifying offer for big man Kelly Olynyk, to give Hayward his max salary.
While Cleveland hasn’t made major improvements in the offseason, it’s still the favorite to win the East. The Cavs have played in three consecutive Finals, and LeBron James’ teams have dominated the East, playing the past seven NBA Finals. Next season, it’s a strong possibility James makes his eighth consecutive Finals appearance.
But the Hayward deal is not just about one season for the Celtics. It’s a long-term commitment to be a championship-caliber team three, four seasons from now.
Brad Stevens is a talented young coach, and beyond that All-Star trio, the Celtics have: guard Avery Bradley; guard Marcus Smart; forward Jae Crowder; guard Terry Rozier, the No. 16 pick in the 2015 draft; forward Jaylen Brown, the No. 3 overall pick in 2016; forward Jayson Tatum, the No. 3 overall pick in 2017; and forward Semi Ojeleye, the No. 27 pick in the 2017 draft.
Boston also has Brooklyn’s first-round pick in 2018, its own first rounder in 2018 and several protected first-round picks over the next two drafts.
Now, not all those players will be with Boston next season or the following season. Next summer, Thomas and Bradley will be unrestricted free agents and Smart a restricted free agent. The Celtics have financial and roster decisions to make, but they are in a great spot.
The rest of the East
The Toronto Raptors, who finished tied with Cleveland for second place in the East behind Boston, retained All-Star guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Serge Ibaka.
That’s the status quo for now, but president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster are searching for roster improvements.
The Washington Wizards made mild upgrades and should be better as guards John Wall and Bradley Beal and small forward Otto Porter improve. That still might not be enough to beat either Cleveland or Boston in the playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks are another team on the rise, and with forward Jabari Parker and guard-forward Khris Middleton healthy – and if the rest of the roster can remain healthy – forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could help push the Bucks into the top four in the conference.
With the Atlanta Hawks (forward Paul Millsap left in free agency), Indiana Pacers (they traded forward Paul George) and Chicago Bulls (they traded forward-guard Jimmy Butler) reshaping their rosters, that leaves opportunities for other teams to reach the playoffs.
Miami, Detroit, Charlotte and perhaps Philadelphia could make the playoffs depending on what happens in the rest of free agency.