Teams rebuilding
It’s a great time to be a hoops fan. The National Basketball Association just crowned a new champion, and yet those casting a moist eye on the hardware are already scrambling to get ahead. If there’s anything developments in the last few days have proven, it’s that the offseason no longer exists. Ahead of the rookie draft, the Celtics and Sixers swapped picks, the Cavaliers aimed to acquire another vital cog while letting go of their principal dealmaker, the Pacers and Bulls got busy, the Hawks greenlit a rebuild, and the Spurs and Rockets moved to fortify already-loaded talent bases.
Needless to say, much of the flurry of activity stems from the standard set by the champion Warriors, who are themselves keen on preserving their position atop the pecking order. Among their intentions: get Finals Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant to accept less money in an effort to pool enough resources to keep supersubs Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston in the fold. Across the bay, the Lakers have likewise been busy, shedding the albatross of a contract of the scrub formerly known as Timo Mozgov and bidding disappointing D’Angelo Russell goodbye to pave the way for the arrival of Lonzo Ball, extra baggage (read: father LaVar) and all. Not to be outdone, the Clippers got living legend Jerry West to be the right hand of owner Steve Ballmer, hopefully triggering the retention of would-be free agents Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
All the news has come in a swarm, compelling longtime followers and casual observers of the sport alike to stay plugged in lest the context of the information be lost on them. For instance, they understand that franchises are already looking to next year, when LeBron James will again be able to change addresses. It’s why the Lakers now boast of the Logo, whose previous successes include the pairing of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. And it’s why the Lakers are clearing cap space. They’re both cognizant of the intrinsic pull of La La Land to the four-time MVP, who has business interests and a residence in the area.
That West and Magic Johnson (and, yes Rob Pelinka) are front and center speaks to the capacity of respected names to open doors. David Griffin did exactly that, and now Dan Gilbert feels Chauncey Billups can do the same. This time next year, they’re crossing their fingers that when James listens to them, they’ll have the requisite ammo to convince him of the legitimacy of their title aspirations. Which, in a nutshell, means they’ll have to be as good or better than the Warriors with him at the forefront. A tall order? Perhaps. Then again, destiny invariably begins with a dream.
ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG If there’s anything developments in the last few days have proven, it’s that the offseason no longer exists. Ahead of the rookie draft, the Celtics and Sixers swapped picks, the Cavaliers aimed to acquire another vital cog while letting go of their principal dealmaker, the Pacers and Bulls got busy, the Hawks greenlit a rebuild, and the Spurs and Rockets moved to fortify alreadyloaded talent bases.