OKC - Five-peat! Final summary

[Phil89]

2/7/10

Off-season news update



Oklahoma City has today confirmed that they have opted not to offer new contracts to Grant Hill and Ryan Gomes.
The news comes days after fellow Thunder players Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson announced their retirements.
The club said in a statement, "We would like to thank them for their contribution during our latest successful championship run."
It also said, "We feel that these players didn't fit our overall team youth policy. We wish them the best of luck in finding new clubs."
Hill had signed as a free agent for the Thunder's playoff campaign, whilst Gomes joined them as part of the Blake Griffin trade.

[Phil89]

I just noticed that this dynasty has now had more replies than my old one. Interestingly though they are both at the same point (end of season 3).

[Andrew]

Congrats on the title! Another close one in the deciding game, but still a decisive series victory given the strength of the Heat. Glad to see Grant Hill get his ring.

[Phil89]

**/7/12

Some interesting names in the free agent pool this year



With the NBA off-season now under way the free agency picture has become clearer. It's looking to be the best pool of players available in years.
Western conference finalists Portland are still reeling after Chris Paul and Gerald Wallace decided not to sign extensions, just one year after joining the Blazers.
Luckily for them though they do still have LaMarcus Aldridge, Emeka Okafor and Brandon Roy. But they won't have any cap room to add much depth.
Another team counting the cost of free agency is Minnesota. They have lost two of their starters in Michael Beasley and Martell Webster.
The Celtics will be looking to add some height after failing to re-sign Kevin Garnett and Nene. Chicago will be looking for a new PG after losing CJ Watson.
Perhaps the team hardest hit is Houston. They lose their franchise player Kevin Martin. They will be hoping for the top pick in next weeks draft lottery.
The stand-out of the draft class is West Virginia shooting guard Jan Richards. The Rockets will need pick one to get him as a replacement for K-mart.
Veterans available include Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups.

The following are notable players that have either opted out of re-signing with their clubs or were not offered new contracts:

Centers
Nene, Robin Lopez, Jermaine O'Neal, Joel Przybilla, Omer Asik, Zaza Pachulia, Dan Gadzuric, Shelden Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, Josh Boone

Power Forwards
Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Lamar Odom, Michael Beasley, Brandan Wright, Marreese Speights, Jordan Hill, Nenad Krstic, Kris Humphries

Small Forwards
Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Austin Daye, Corey Maggette, Terrence Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Ryan Gomes, Chase Budinger
Al Thornton, Donte Greene, Grant Hill, Ryan Gomes, Earl Clark

Shooting Guards
Kevin Martin, Louis Williams, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Kyle Korver, Tracy McGrady, Mickael Pietrus, Sonny Weems, Brandon Rush
Martell Webster, Tony Allen, DeMar DeRozan, Keith Bogans, Carlos Delfino

Point Guards
Chris Paul, Devin Harris, Steve Nash, Ramon Sessions, Jose Calderon, Eric Maynor, Goran Dragic, CJ Watson, Daniel Gibson
Jeff Teague, Ronald Murray, Mike Bibby, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Carlos Arroyo, Chauncey Billups, Jason Williams, Jannero Pargo
Roger Mason, Sebastian Telfair, Gary Neal

[Andrew]

That is a pretty good free agent crop, as always it'll be interesting to see where some of the bigger names go. Any chance you'll try to pick up one or two of those vets to try to get them a title (or perhaps one last title, as the case may be)?

[Phil89]

I'll definitely be looking to strengthen my bench with a free agent or two. Not sure if it'll be any of those older guys though.
My strategy has always been youth and there could be some good players available if they all settle for MLE deals like in the last couple of seasons.

Maybe a backup shooting guard and a replacement for Shaq.

[Phil89]

2/7/12

Draft Lottery & Top 10 Prospects

Lottery Chances

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2012 NBA Draft Order




HOU - 1st ↑1
CLE - 2nd ↑1
NOH - 3rd ↑4
PHI - 4th ↓3
DEN - 5th ↓1
ATL - 6th ↓1
WAS - 7th ↓1
MIN - 8th -
MEM - 9th -
LAC - 10th -
CHA - 11th -
TOR - 12th -
PHX - 13th -
MIL - 14th -


Philadelphia's plan of exploding their roster and subsequently finishing with the worst record in the league hasn't worked out as well as they'd have liked.
They've slipped to the 4th pick despite having the best chance of gaining the top pick. They'll have to concentrate on free agency to improve their team.
After finishing bottom of the western conference for the past two seasons, Houston have finally gotten some luck. Gaining the top pick in the lottery.
They suffered exactly the same fate as the 76ers last season when they fell to the 4th pick after having the most chances in the lottery.
A year after rising from 6th to 1st, Cleveland have done it again this year. Though not as dramatic, they will be happy moving from 3rd to 2nd.

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Mock Draft

[Andrew]

Wow, Philly got screwed.

[Phil89]

24/7/12

2012 NBA Draft

Top 10 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft


1.) Houston Rockets - Jan Richards - 20 - United States - SG - 195cm - 102kg - West Virginia - (83)
NBA Comparison: Kobe Bryant


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2.) Cleveland Cavaliers - Brodie Bailey - 19 - Scotland - SG - 198cm - 94kg - St.Louis - (69)
NBA Comparison: Manu Ginobili


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3.) New Orleans Hornets - Lee Alsten - 24 - United States - PG - 182cm - 78kg - Boston College - (71)
NBA Comparison: Chris Paul


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4.) Philadelphia 76ers - Damon MacDonald - 22 - United States - SF - 208cm - 98kg - Auburn - (62)
NBA Comparison: Andrei Kirilenko


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5.) Denver Nuggets - Emmet Anderson - 19 - Mexico - C - 208cm - 113kg - Cincinnati - (64)
NBA Comparison: Andrew Bogut


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6.) Atlanta Hawks - Luc Braun - 24 - United States - PG - 193cm - 105kg - Wake Forest - (60)
NBA Comparison: Baron Davis


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7.) Washington Wizards - Jason Palmer - 21 - United States - SG - 195cm - 85kg - Indiana - (62)
NBA Comparison: Rudy Fernandez


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8.) Minnesota Timberwolves - Alvin Moller - 21 - United States - SG - 190cm - 78kg - West Virginia - (62)
NBA Comparison: Jason Terry


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9.) Orlando Magic - Raphael Armstrong - 21 - Puerto Rico - PF - 210cm - 113kg - North Carolina - (65)
NBA Comparison: Chris Bosh


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10.) LA Clippers - Ernie Moller - 23 - Puerto Rico - PG - 187cm - 89kg - Louisiana Tech - (74)
NBA Comparison: Steve Nash

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Age	Position	Height	Weight	College	NBA Comparison	Rating
11	Charlotte	Quint Sanderson	23	PG	185 cm	90 kg	Kansas State	Mo Williams	69
12	Toronto	Fredrik Axel	25	SG	198 cm	89 kg	Michigan	Rudy Fernandez	60
13	Phoenix	Colman Johnson	20	PG	187 cm	95 kg	Oklahoma	Derrick Rose	71
14	Philadelphia	Rodney Keane	23	PG	185 cm	75 kg	Iowa	Rajon Rondo	68
15	Detroit	Karl O'Farrell	21	C	213 cm	127 kg	UCLA	Andrew Bynum	62
16	Dallas	Harvey Taylor	24	SG	205 cm	95 kg	Purdue	Mike Miller	62
17	Chicago	Walt O'Shea	22	PG	198 cm	89 kg	Washington	Rodney Stuckey	59
18	Sacramento	August Vick	24	SG	200 cm	95 kg	Washington	Anthony Parker	62
19	Utah	Darren Ridley	23	SF	195 cm	105 kg	Arizona State	Caron Butler	66
20	Indiana	Andrew Mills	19	SG	198 cm	91 kg	Alabama	Raja Bell	59
21	Boston	Archibald Wainwright	23	C	205 cm	104 kg	Utah	Stromile Swift	59
22	Orlando	Inaani Chidzero	22	PF	210 cm	109 kg	Cameroon	LaMarcus Aldridge	60
23	Atlanta	Grant Richter	25	PF	203 cm	102 kg	Memphis	Andrea Bargnani	67
24	New York	Valentino Moretti	21	SG	198 cm	82 kg	Czech Republic	Jamal Crawford	61
25	San Antonio	Nicholas Robin	22	SF	198 cm	99 kg	Oregon	Shawn Marion	64
26	New Jersey	Luc Blair	19	C	218 cm	117 kg	Jacksonville	Joel Przybilla	58
27	Portland	Lino Cheaney	20	PG	175 cm	81 kg	St. Johns	Nate Robinson	66
28	Golden State	Julian Wolf	24	SG	200 cm	81 kg	Georgia	Larry Hughes	61
29	Miami	Dirk Alexander	21	C	215 cm	123 kg	Turkey	Eddy Curry	57
30	Toronto	Chuck Anderson	22	SG	198 cm	96 kg	Arizona State	Michael Finley	57

Second Round

Pick	Team	Player	Age	Position	Height	Weight	College	NBA Comparison	Rating
31	Atlanta	Conrad Patel	22	PF	203 cm	107 kg	Kentucky	Al Harrington	58
32	Houston	Ben O'Callaghan	21	C	210 cm	106 kg	West Virginia	Nazr Mohammed	58
33	Cleveland	Victor Dunne	20	SF	203 cm	107 kg	Georgia	Richard Jefferson	63
34	Denver	Jere Savin	23	C	205 cm	111 kg	Hungary	Andris Biedrins	61
35	Atlanta	Carl Foster	20	PG	182 cm	72 kg	Tennessee	Rafer Alston	66
36	Washington	Vincenzo Connolly	21	SF	198 cm	99 kg	Duke	Shane Battier	60
37	New Orleans	Alexandre Carlos	23	PG	185 cm	91 kg	Duke	Jordan Farmar	64
38	Minnesota	Leon Benjamin	22	C	203 cm	111 kg	Temple	Nick Collison	55
39	Orlando	Jeremy Armstrong	21	PG	187 cm	85 kg	Villanova	Andre Miller	62
40	LA Clippers	Sebastian Sampson	22	C	210 cm	111 kg	Texas	Jeff Foster	56
41	Charlotte	Anthony Alsten	21	PG	180 cm	80 kg	Oregon State	Michael Conley	60
42	Toronto	Brandon Shaw	25	SG	193 cm	91 kg	Taiwan	Kyle Korver	57
43	Phoenix	Bruno Cameron	21	SF	198 cm	98 kg	UNC Charlotte	Corey Maggette	60
44	Oklahoma City	Rolf Young	22	SF	210 cm	100 kg	LSU	Mike Dunleavy	59
45	Detroit	Allen Dowel	24	SF	198 cm	93 kg	Kansas	Morris Peterson	59
46	Dallas	Matthew North	21	PG	203 cm	102 kg	West Virginia	Marko Jaric	60
47	Chicago	Casper Brennan	21	PG	185 cm	83 kg	Oregon	Daniel Gibson	54
48	Sacramento	Walt Moran	23	SG	203 cm	98 kg	Canisius	Michael Finley	56
49	Utah	Vic Kelly	22	PG	198 cm	85 kg	Florida	Roger Mason	56
50	Indiana	Gregory Flynn	23	PG	180 cm	67 kg	Cincinnati	Brevin Knight	58
51	Boston	Alexander Fitzpatrick	22	C	208 cm	115 kg	Boston College	Jeff Foster	59
52	Orlando	Cam Parrish	24	C	215 cm	120 kg	Texas	Desagana Diop	54
53	LA Lakers	Brunon Wozniak	23	PF	208 cm	113 kg	Italy	David Lee	59
54	New York	Jamie Becker	23	SG	200 cm	91 kg	Louisville	Anthony Parker	60
55	San Antonio	Marcos Carlos	22	PF	205 cm	110 kg	Michigan	Kenyon Martin	58
56	New Jersey	Kevin Hogan	23	C	210 cm	119 kg	Wake Forest	Jake Voskuhl	54
57	Portland	Cam Murray	23	SF	198 cm	92 kg	Oregon State	Bruce Bowen	50
58	Golden State	Dean Williamson	19	SF	203 cm	90 kg	Connecticut	Morris Peterson	52
59	Miami	Sebastian Bender	24	C	205 cm	96 kg	Arizona	Stromile Swift	55
60	Oklahoma City	Crawford Mayer	21	C	208 cm	128 kg	George Mason	Kwame Brown	56

Draft Highlights

Steal of the Draft:
#28 - Julian Wolf - Golden State Warriors

Most NBA Ready:
#1 - Jan Richards - Houston Rockets

Highest Potential:
#1 - Jan Richards - Houston Rockets

Questionable Pick:
#17 - Walt O'Shea - Chicago Bulls



Top pick: Jan Richards will play for the Houston Rockets.




Joining the Dynasty: New Thunder players Rolf Young & Crawford Mayer.

Thunder turn down offers



According to insiders close to the organisation, Oklahoma City are believed to have rejected two trade offers during trade day.
The first offer was from New Orleans. They allegedly offered up shooting guard Marcus Thornton for center Brook Lopez, but were quickly shot down.
The second trade was quite ambitious from New Jersey. They offered Anthony Morrow and Jason Thompson for superstar Kevin Durant.
As far as the Thunder were concerned they could have added Deron Williams and it still wouldn't have been enough to make them give up Durant.

[Justine.]

Bailey and Richards looks like twins

[Phil89]

12/8/12

Free Agency Summary




* = S&T

Atlanta
Re-Signed
*Josh Smith - 26 - SF - $29.61m - 2 years
Chris Kaman - 30 - C - $63.03m - 4 years
*Yi Jianlian - 25 - PF - $17.10m - 2 years
*JJ Hickson - 24 - PF - $15.73m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Zaza Pachulia (Memphis)
Jeff Teague (Dallas)
Dirk MacDermott (Free Agency)
Eli Guerin (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Chris Kaman - Josh Smith - Joe Johnson - Jamal Crawford - Kirk Hinrich

Boston
Re-Signed
Jamario Moon - 32 - SF - $7.06m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Ramon Sessions - 26 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Nene (Minnesota)
Kevin Garnett (Free Agency)
DeMarcus Nelson (San Antonio)

Projected line-up: Othello Hunter - Troy Murphy - Von Wafer - Ramon Sessions - Rajon Rondo

Charlotte
Re-Signed
-

Free Agents Signed
Louis Williams - 26 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year
Tim Duncan - 36 - PF - $442k - 1 year
Aaron Miles - 29 - PG - $442k - 1 year

Released
Stephen Jackson (Free Agency)
Joel Przybilla (Free Agency)
Gerald Henderson (Free Agency)
Matt Carroll (Free Agency)
Desagana Diop (Free Agency)
Morgan Jackson (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Abdullah Aswad - Carl Landry - Leandro Barbosa - Louis Williams - DJ Augustin

Chicago
Re-Signed
*Ronnie Brewer - 27 - SG - $51.00m - 4 years
*Taj Gibson - 27 - PF - $18.04m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Goran Dragic - 26 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year
Brandan Wright - 25 - PF - $442k - 1 year
Sam Young - 27 - SF - $442k - 1 year

Released
CJ Watson (Memphis)
Tim Duncan (Charlotte)
Kyle Korver (New Jersey)
Omer Asik (Detroit)
Dave Brown (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Taj Gibson - Carlos Boozer - Luol Deng - JR Smith - Goran Dragic

Cleveland
Re-Signed
-

Free Agents Signed
Chris Paul - 27 - PG - $6.69m - 1 year
Kevin Martin - 29 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Ramon Sessions (Boston)
Marreese Speights (Golden State)
Daniel Gibson (Free Agency)
Frank Palmer (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Spencer Hawes - Anderson Varejao - Vincenzo Carlos - Kevin Martin - Chris Paul

Dallas
Re-Signed
Rodrigue Beaubois - 24 - PG - $41.72m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Gerald Wallace - 30 - SF - $5.85m - 1 year
Jeff Teague - 24 - PG - $442k - 1 year
Luther Head - 29 - SG - $442k - 1 year

Released
Ronald Murray (Free Agency)
Mike Bibby (Free Agency)
Alexis Ajinca (Free Agency)
Eddie Keates (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Tyson Chandler - Craig Smith - Gerald Wallace - Rodrigue Beaubois - Jose Barea

Denver
Re-Signed
Ty Lawson - 25 - PG - $39.84m - 4 years
Julian Wright - 25 - SF - $34.67m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Timofey Mozgov (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Al Harrington - Joakim Noah - Wilson Chandler - Arron Afflalo - Raymond Felton

Detroit
Re-Signed
*Will Bynum - 29 - PG - $41.56m - 4 years
*Jason Maxiell - 29 - PF - $36.16m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Robin Lopez - 24 - C - $5.85m - 1 year
Carlos Delfino - 30 - SG - $442k - 1 year
Omer Asik - 26 - C - $442k - 1 year
Leon Powe - 28 - PF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Jason Kidd (Memphis)
Tracy McGrady (Free Agency)
Austin Daye (Free Agency)
Richard Hamilton (Retired)
Brent Bradley (Free Agency)
Victor Carlos (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Robin Lopez - Charlie Villanueva - Jason Maxiell - Ben Gordon - Rodney Stuckey

Golden State
Re-Signed
Stephen Curry - 24 - PG - $47.45m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Marreese Speights - 25 - PF - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Mickael Pietrus (Miami)
Dorell Wright (Memphis)
Logan Price (Free Agency)
Glenn Graham (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Andris Biedrins - Marreese Speights - David Lee - Monta Ellis - Stephen Curry

Houston
Re-Signed
*Marcus Williams - 26 - PG - $32.13m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Baron Davis - 33 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year
Corey Maggette - 32 - SF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Kevin Martin (Cleveland)
Sonny Weems (Free Agency)
Jordan Hill (Free Agency)
Willie Dean (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Luis Scola - Chuck Hayes - Corey Maggette - Jan Richards - Marcus Williams

Indiana
Re-Signed
Darren Collison - 25 - PG - $46.44m - 4 years
Dahntay Jones - 31 - SF - $47.74m - 4 years
*Tyler Hansbrough - 27 - PF - $34.95m - 4 years
Jesus Carlos - 27 - SG - $6.55m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Carlos Arroyo (Free Agency)
James Singleton (New Jersey)

Projected line-up: Roy Hibbert - Mike Dunleavy - Danny Granger - TJ Ford - Darren Collison

LA Clippers
Re-Signed
Mo Williams - 29 - PG - $68.91m - 4 years
Serge Ibaka - 23 - PF - $21.88m - 2 years
Aleksandar Pavlovic - 28 - SG - $4.78m - 1 year
Colton Sampson - 24 - PF - $9.09m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Chauncey Billups (Free Agency)
Pete Bonner (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Serge Ibaka - Kevin Love - Declan Giles - Eric Gordon - Mo Williams

LA Lakers
Re-Signed
Andrew Bynum - 25 - C - $33.45m - 2 years
Brandon Jennings - 23 - PG - $45.06m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Terrence Williams - 25 - SF - $5.85m - 1 year
Ersan Ilyasova - 25 - SF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City)
Rodney Dowel (Free Agency)
Gabriel Alexander (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Andrew Bynum - Pau Gasol - Ron Artest - Kobe Bryant - Brandon Jennings

Memphis
Re-Signed
Jameer Nelson - 30 - PG - $52.50m - 4 years
Brandon Bass - 27 - PF - $55.17m - 4 years
Luc Mbah a Moute - 26 - SF - $32.81m - 4 years
Archibald Fenwick - 25 - PG - $1.73m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
CJ Watson - 28 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year
Dorell Wright - 26 - SG - $442k - 1 year
Jason Kidd - 39 - PG - $442k - 1 year
Zaza Pachulia - 28 - C - $442k - 1 year
Anthony Tolliver - 27 - C - $442k - 1 year

Released
Jermaine O'Neal (Free Agency)
Ersan Ilyasova (LA Lakers)
Brandon Rush (New York)
Jason Williams (Free Agency)
DeMarre Carroll (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Marc Gasol - Brandon Bass - Rudy Gay - OJ Mayo - Jameer Nelson

Miami
Re-Signed
-

Free Agents Signed
Mickael Pietrus - 30 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Robin Lopez (Detroit)
Nenad Krstic (Milwaukee)
Jannero Pargo (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Udonis Haslem - Chris Bosh - LeBron James - Dwyane Wade - Mario Chalmers

Milwaukee
Re-Signed
*Derrick Rose - 24 - PG - $26.57m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Ryan Gomes - 30 - SF - $442k - 1 year
Jose Calderon - 31 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year
Nenad Krstic - 29 - PF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Louis Williams (Charlotte)
Lamar Odom (Sacramento)
Luther Head (Dallas)
Jon Brockman (Free Agency)
Benedict Clarke (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Andrew Bogut - Nenad Krstic - Michael Redd - Andre Iguodala - Derrick Rose

Minnesota
Re-Signed
Zach Randolph - 31 - PF - $57.60m - 4 years
Jonny Flynn - 23 - PG - $41.92m - 4 years
Antawn Jamison - 36 - PF - $2.51m - 1 year
Curtis Jerrells - 25 - PG - $33.04m - 4 years
Wayne Ellington - 25 - SG - $8.94m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Nene - 30 - C - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Martell Webster (Phoenix)
Michael Beasley (San Antonio)
Jacob Robin (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Nene - Zach Randolph - Wesley Johnson - Sergio Rodriguez - Jonny Flynn

New Jersey
Re-Signed
Deron Williams - 28 - PG - $72.31m - 4 years
Anthony Morrow - 27 - SG - $45.42m - 4 years
*Jordan Farmar - 25 - PG - $50.11m - 4 years
*Jason Thompson - 26 - PF - $38.87m - 4 years
*Johan Petro - 26 - C - $8.60m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Kyle Korver - 31 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year
James Singleton - 31 - PF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Terrence Williams (LA Lakers)
Chase Budinger (Portland)
Kris Humphries (Free Agency)
Dan Gadzuric (Free Agency)
Joshua O'Callaghan (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: James Singleton - Jason Thompson - Jeff Green - Anthony Morrow - Deron Williams

New Orleans
Re-Signed
Rashad McCants - 28 - SG - $20.51m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Al Thornton - 28 - SF - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Donte Greene (Philadelphia)
Andre Miller (Retired)
Shelden Williams (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: David West - Al Thornton - Trevor Ariza - Rudy Fernandez - Marcus Thornton

New York
Re-Signed
Michael Conley - 25 - PG - $41.35m - 4 years
Anthony Randolph - 23 - SF - $442k - 1 year
Toney Douglas - 26 - PG - $442k - 1 year
Joel Anthony - 30 - C - $9.27m - 2 years
*Tiago Splitter - 27 - C - $33.71m - 4 years
Renaldo Balkman - 28 - SF - $16.44m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Brandon Rush - 27 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Aaron Miles (Charlotte)
Nicolas Abas (Free Agency)
Bobby Meyer (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Ronny Turiaf - Amare Stoudemire - Carmelo Anthony - Brandon Rush - Michael Conley

Oklahoma City
Re-Signed
Blake Griffin - 23 - PF - $67.89m - 6 years
James Harden - 22 - SG - $41.07m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Eric Maynor - 25 - PG - $23.42m - 4 years
Tony Allen - 30 - SG - $1.15m - 1 year

Released
Shaquille O'Neal (Retired)
Grant Hill (Free Agency)
Allen Iverson (Retired)
Ryan Gomes (Milwaukee)

Projected line-up: Brook Lopez - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - James Harden - Russell Westbrook

Orlando
Re-Signed
*Dwight Howard - 26 - C - $78.55m - 4 years
JJ Redick - 28 - SG - $55.86m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Tony Allen (Oklahoma City)
Earl Clark (Free Agency)
Derek Fisher (Retired)

Projected line-up: Dwight Howard - Andrei Kirilenko - Jason Richardson - JJ Redick - Gilbert Arenas

Philadelphia
Re-Signed
*Jrue Holiday - 22 - PG - $20.41m - 2 years
Kelenna Azubuike - 28 - SG - $47.25m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Devin Harris - 29 - PG - $64.05m - 4 years
Donte Greene - 24 - SF - $5.85m - 1 year
DeMar DeRozan - 23 - SG - $442k - 1 year

Released
Corey Maggette (Houston)
Hasheem Thabeet (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Derrick Brown - Donte Greene - Evan Turner - Jrue Holiday - Devin Harris

Phoenix
Re-Signed
Chris Douglas Roberts - 25 - SG - $16.62m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Martell Webster - 25 - SG - $5.85m - 1 year
DJ White - 26 - PF - $442k - 1 year

Released
Steve Nash (Portland)
Al Thornton (New Orleans)
Marcel Vaughan (Free Agency)
Cole MacDonald (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Hakim Warrick - Channing Frye - Jared Dudley - Martell Webster - Aaron Brooks

Portland
Re-Signed
Delonte West - 29 - PG - $20.90m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Steve Nash - 38 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year
Roger Mason - 32 - PG - $442k - 1 year
Chase Budinger - 24 - SF - $442k - 1 year
Josh Boone - 27 - C - $442k - 1 year

Released
Chris Paul (Cleveland)
Gerald Wallace (Dallas)
Keith Bogans (Free Agency)
Jason Terry (Retired)
Sherman Homer (Free Agency)
Allen Schulze (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: LaMarcus Aldridge - Emeka Okafor - Nicolas Batum - Brandon Roy - Steve Nash

Sacramento
Re-Signed
Tyreke Evans - 23 - PG - $44.50m - 4 years
*Beno Udrih - 30 - PG - $46.42m - 4 years
Omri Casspi - 24 - SF - $32.86m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
Lamar Odom - 33 - PF - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Sebastian Telfair (Utah)
Carlos Delfino (Detroit)
Jud Peters (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Yao Ming - Samuel Dalembert - Omri Casspi - Tyreke Evans - Beno Udrih

San Antonio
Re-Signed
*DeJuan Blair - 23 - C - $39.94m - 4 years
Tayshaun Prince - 32 - SF - $442k - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Michael Beasley - 23 - PF - $5.85m - 1 year
DeMarcus Nelson - 27 - PG - $442k - 1 year

Released
Manu Ginobili (Free Agency)
Ray Allen (Free Agency)
Gary Neal (Free Agency)
Augustus Eaton (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: Al Horford - Michael Beasley - Cameron Hunter - Marco Belinelli - Tony Parker

Toronto
Re-Signed
*Jarrett Jack - 29 - PG - $52.51m - 4 years
Jerryd Bayless - 24 - PG - $18.25m - 2 years
Kendrick Perkins - 27 - C - $44.49m - 4 years
Kyle Weaver - 26 - PG - $19.15m - 4 years
James Johnson - 25 - SF - $4.25m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Jose Calderon (Milwaukee)
DeMar DeRozan (Philadelphia)
Roger Mason (Portland)

Projected line-up: Kendrick Perkins - Tyrus Thomas - Linas Kleiza - Jerryd Bayless - Jarrett Jack

Utah
Re-Signed
Al Jefferson - 27 - C - $34.65m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Sebastian Telfair - 27 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year

Released
Devin Harris (Philadelphia)
Goran Dragic (Chicago)
Raja Bell (Retired)

Projected line-up: Al Jefferson - Derrick Favors - Paul Millsap - Randy Foye - Sebastian Telfair

Washington
Re-Signed
Rashard Lewis - 33 - SF - $30.23m - 2 years
Courtney Lee - 27 - SG - $17.10m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Brandan Wright (Chicago)
Rocco Jeffries (Free Agency)

Projected line-up: JaVale McGee - Andray Blatche - Rashard Lewis - Nick Young - John Wall

[Phil89]

Bailey and Richards looks like twins

Yeah, gotta love the generated players. At least they don't have afros and 1970's moustaches though.

Btw, free agency isn't quite the end of the off-season roster changes. Teams may be doing some trades to even the league out and refresh things a little bit.

[Houndy]

Wow, shaking up the league with all these signings.... I LOVE IT

[The X]

Nice off-season coverage. Looks like only you & Philly had cap room. Is that really the case?

Nice pickups in Maynor & Allen. That's a nice backup backcourt

[kibaxx7]

Manu retiring. That was a hell of a ride.

Despite CP3 leaving, that Blazers starting 5 still looks pretty good, so does Crash joining Dallas and also the Rockets lineup.

[Phil89]

Nice off-season coverage. Looks like only you & Philly had cap room. Is that really the case?

Nice pickups in Maynor & Allen. That's a nice backup backcourt

Well I haven't had cap room for a couple of seasons. I just really wanted to re-sign Griffin and Harden. I was already over the cap so it didn't bother me.

The 76ers had about $40m in cap room, but re-signed Holiday + Azubuike for $22m, then spent the rest signing Harris to a huge contract. The Harris deal was the first deal done in the free agent signing screen. Guys like Chris Paul, Gerald Wallace, Kevin Martin and Nene were all available. To be fair though, Harris is rated higher than all of them on this game.

First off-season there were a fair few big money deals signed, but last season the only deals signed were MLE or minimum contracts.
Every team is over the cap and the free agents settle for MLE contracts, usually after the first couple of rounds. Which is what happened this year after Philadelphia signed Harris. I can't see this changing in the years to come either.

They really need to fix how cpu teams manage their rosters in future games. It's the same with rookies. 90% of those drafted will just be released after a couple of years, having done nothing but sit on inactive list.

Manu retiring. That was a hell of a ride.

Despite CP3 leaving, that Blazers starting 5 still looks pretty good, so does Crash joining Dallas and also the Rockets lineup.

Actually Ginobili is still playing, but the Spurs just didn't offer him a new deal. He's sitting in the free agent market with Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.

[kibaxx7]

Oh, my bad. I read his name in the retirees post.

[Phil89]

No worries. You probably should have also read "Those deciding to carry on their NBA careers include" in the same post though.

[Andrew]

Tremendous offseason coverage so far. The Draft wasn't particularly good to you but with lower second round picks, you weren't really in a great position to be a major player. Looks like the Hornets drafted quite well, given their earlier trade of Chris Paul. The Blazers sure missed out there, though I'm guessing the acquisition of Nash softens the blow a bit in the short term. Cleveland and Dallas probably made the biggest moves in free agency, excluding teams who retained their stars.

[Phil89]

Thanks. I try to put more effort into my off-season articles/summaries every season. I must admit it's not a fun process, but I like how it all turns out.

I've still got an off-season trade summary and a season preview to post. Then I can get the new season started with a trip to Phoenix.

[Andrew]

The offseason and monthly recaps can be a bit tedious to do, especially when you're on a console and have to put a bit more effort in when it comes to getting screenshots. They've come out great though.

Interested to see what else the offseason has in store, before the campaign for four in a row.

[Phil89]

I'm not sure if I did too much trading, but I figured that after 3 years of Heat and Thunder dominating it was time to shake things up a bit.
And of course I had to involve my team in a couple of deals too.

I think that although I may have weakened the depth of my team a bit, I have added a player that I've always wanted to have on my team and I'm really happy with that. It also gives my rookies some more playing time off the bench.

Will post the summary soon.

[Phil89]

1/10/12

Summary of all off-season trades from around the league



It was quite a busy off-season around the league as teams try to position themselves for success in the upcoming season.

Hill gets his wish to return to San Antonio



Oklahoma City receive
DeJuan Blair - 23 - C - $39.94m - 4 years (80)

Projected line-up:
Brook Lopez - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - James Harden - Russell Westbrook
Bench options:
Andrea Bargnani, Eric Maynor, Marvin Williams, DeJuan Blair, Tony Allen





San Antonio receive
George Hill - 26 - PG - $31.99m - 3 years (84)

Projected line-up:
Al Horford - Michael Beasley - Cameron Hunter - Marco Belinelli - Tony Parker
Bench options:
George Hill, Richard Jefferson, Tayshaun Prince, Matt Bonner, DeMarcus Nelson


Oklahoma City are no strangers to making roster changes and interestingly they decided to pull the trigger again, trading George Hill back to San Antonio.
It's rumoured that Hill actually requesting to be traded after feeling his playing time would be compromised after Harden re-signed and Maynor re-joined.
New addition Tony Allen will seemingly benefit from this deal, taking over Hill's presumed position as backup shooting guard behind Harden.
The Thunder had been looking for a backup center after releasing veteran Shaquille O'Neal after last season's successful playoff campaign.

San Antonio were happy to take Hill back as they needed a long term replacement for Tony Parker. Hill knows their system too, which is a bonus.
With Michael Beasley signed to take over the power forward spot, Blair was going to have to fight with the likes of Bonner and Prince for playing time.
One way of looking at it is that they've basically traded Blair for Al Horford. Considering Horford's impressive season last year, it certainly is an upgrade.

-----

Heat make a change after another Finals series defeat



Miami receive
Channing Frye - 29 - PF - $13.20m - 2 years (80)
Earl Watson - 33 - PG - $5.21m - 1 year (67)

Projected line-up:
Channing Frye - Chris Bosh - LeBron James - Dwyane Wade - Mario Chalmers
Bench options:
Mickael Pietrus, Acie Law, Mike Miller, Earl Watson





Phoenix receive
Travis Outlaw - 28 - SF - $7.00m - 1 year (82)
Udonis Haslem - 32 - PF - $4.00m - 2 years (74)
Heat's 2013 first round draft pick

Projected line-up:
Hakim Warrick - Travis Outlaw - Jared Dudley - Martell Webster - Aaron Brooks
Bench options:
Chris Douglas Roberts, Udonis Haslem, Josh Childress, Marcin Gortat, DJ White


Miami have resisted the urge to make major changes after losing in the Finals for the third straight season, only making one deal.
In what seems to be a case of quality over quantity, they've traded Udonis Haslem and Travis Outlaw to Phoenix for Channing Frye.
One of the problems for the Heat over the past few seasons is the lack of scoring help for their 'big three'. They hope adding Frye will remedy this.
Another reason they did this deal was the fact that Frye is a scoring big man. He can take pressure off Bosh, who can focus more on defense.

Although the Suns lose their top scorer, they do get more depth and a first round draft pick. They will be looking to make the playoffs this season.
Now that they are entering the post-Nash era, they will be looking for guys like Brooks, Webster and Dudley to take their games to the next level.
Four of their starters are in their mid-twenties and seemingly entering the peek of their careers. It could be a good season for Phoenix.

-----

Magic bite the bullet and trade Dwight to New Jersey



New Jersey receive
Dwight Howard - 26 - C - $78.55m - 4 years (92)
Ryan Anderson - 24 - PF - $4.40m - 1 year (72)
Daniel Orton - 22 - PF - $2.60m - 2 years (70)

Projected line-up:
Dwight Howard - James Singleton - Jeff Green - Anthony Morrow - Deron Williams
Bench options:
Daniel Orton, Ryan Anderson, Kyle Korver, Chris Quinn, Nick Collison





Orlando receive
Jordan Farmar - 25 - PG - $50.11m - 4 years (83)
Jason Thompson - 26 - PF - $38.87m - 4 years (81)
Johan Petro - 26 - C - $8.60m - 2 years (72)
Net's 2013 first round draft pick

Projected line-up:
Johan Petro - Jason Thompson - Jason Richardson - JJ Redick - Gilbert Arenas
Bench options:
Chris Duhon, Hedo Turkoglu, Andrei Kirilenko


One of the biggest stories of last season has finally come to a conclusion. Dwight Howard has left Orlando to join the Nets in a sign-and-trade deal.
The superstar center will join Deron Williams, Jeff Green and Anthony Morrow in Brooklyn on a Nets' team that can now seriously challenge Miami.
Owner Mikhail Prokhorov has delivered on his promises of making the Nets relevant again. They will hope for a repeat of their 2nd seed finish next year.

Orlando tried everything to convince Howard to stay, but in the end they couldn't offer him the one thing he wanted; a shot at the title.
They did however convince him to do a sign-and-trade deal so that he would earn more money. This also meant that they didn't lose him for nothing.
All things considered they did alright. They got reigning sixth man of the year Farmar, a solid forward Thompson, a backup center Petro and a first round pick.
It's expected that Orlando may well go on to make further deals as they attempt to refresh their roster after Howard's departure.

-----

Bobcats give up Diaw to gain some height



Charlotte receive
Tiago Splitter - 27 - C - $33.71m - 4 years (77)
Ike Diogu - 29 - PF - $6.11m - 3 years (69)

Projected line-up:
Abdullah Aswad - Carl Landry - Leandro Barbosa - Louis Williams - DJ Augustin
Bench options:
Jodie Meeks, Tiago Splitter, Aaron Miles, Tim Duncan, Shaun Livingston





New York receive
Boris Diaw - 30 - SF - $37.02m - 3 years (81)

Projected line-up:
Ronny Turiaf - Amare Stoudemire - Carmelo Anthony - Brandon Rush - Michael Conley
Bench options:
Boris Diaw, Toney Douglas, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Randolph, Joel Anthony


One thing Charlotte have been lacking in recent seasons is a solid center. They hope that Tiago Splitter can be that man for them.
Giving up Diaw wasn't a tough decision after they recently signed free agent Louis Williams. A move which saw Diaw relegated to the bench.
With a core of Landry, Barbosa, Williams and Augustin, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan feels his team can make the playoffs this season.

The Knicks are pushing for a finals berth in an increasingly competitive eastern conference. Adding Diaw could help them take that step.
With their 'big three' of Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Conely, they already have the capability to go deep into the post-season.
They are hoping that Diaw can be the bench scorer that they lacked last season when they were eliminated by the Nets in the conference semis.

-----

Celtics bring in Dalembert to fill hole at center



Boston receive
Samuel Dalembert - 31 - C - $29.31m - 2 years (81)
Sean Williams - 26 - PF - $4.79m - 1 year (75)

Projected line-up:
Samuel Dalembert - Troy Murphy - Othello Hunter - Von Wafer - Rajon Rondo
Bench options:
Ramon Sessions, Sean Williams, Jamario Moon, Paul Pierce





Sacramento receive
Nate Robinson - 28 - PG - $33.76m - 3 years (79)
Glen Davis - 26 - PF - $25.22m - 3 years (77)

Projected line-up:
Yao Ming - Lamar Odom - Omri Casspi - Tyreke Evans - Beno Udrih
Bench options:
Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Francisco Garcia, DeMarcus Cousins


After losing bigs Nene and Kevin Garnett to free agency, the Celtics were looking for a new center and have found one in Samuel Dalembert.
They've been treading water for the past couple of seasons and now with only Paul Pierce left from their 'big three' they needed to change things up.
With Rajon Rondo as their only real all-star calibre player, the Celtics don't really look like being a force this season. They could still make the playoffs though.

With Yao owning the center spot and DeMarcus Cousins and newly signed Lamar Odom competing for power forward, Dalembert was surplus for the Kings.
After making the conference semis for the last two seasons, the Kings were looking to add some depth to help them take a step further.
Robinson and Davis will give them some added playoff experience and a winning mentality off the bench and hopefully help them on the court as well.
Trading Dalembert will free up more minutes for Cousins and give him the opportunity to develop into a powerful big man for the Kings.

-----

Magic send Duhon to Phoenix for future draft pick

Orlando receive
Suns' 2013 1st round draft pick

Projected line-up:
Johan Petro - Jason Thompson - Jason Richardson - JJ Redick - Gilbert Arenas
Bench options:
Hedo Turkoglu, Andrei Kirilenko, Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro





Phoenix receive
Chris Duhon - 30 - PG - $3.88m - 1 year (85)

Projected line-up:
Hakim Warrick - Travis Outlaw - Jared Dudley - Martell Webster - Aaron Brooks
Bench options:
Chris Duhon, Chris Douglas Roberts, Udonis Haslem, Josh Childress, Marcin Gortat, DJ White


This deal is another step in Orlando's squad overhaul. They felt that they didn't need Duhon with Arenas and Farmar now playing point guard.
They shed some salary and gain more options in the draft next year. It doesn't look like this is the last deal they will do this off-season either.

For Phoenix this deal is all about getting a solid backup point guard for Aaron Brooks. Something they've needed after Steve Nash left for Portland.
With the hope that they will make the playoffs this year, the Suns probably felt that their draft pick wouldn't have gotten them a good player anyway.

-----

Bulls and Kings complete guard swap



Chicago receive
Beno Udrih - 30 - PG - $46.42m - 4 years (80)

Projected line-up:
Taj Gibson - Carlos Boozer - Luol Deng - JR Smith - Beno Udrih
Bench options:
Sam Young, Brandan Wright, Goran Dragic, Rasual Butler





Sacramento receive
Ronnie Brewer - 27 - SG - $51.00m - 4 years (83)

Yao Ming - Lamar Odom - Omri Casspi - Ronnie Brewer - Tyreke Evans
Bench options:
Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Francisco Garcia, DeMarcus Cousins


Chicago have acquired an experienced point guard as they look to get back to the top end of the competition after their recent struggles.
Udrih is a good pickup for them as he has been in great form in the last few seasons, finishing in the top 20 for scoring and assists regularly.
He shouldn't have much trouble settling in at his new team as fellow Slovenian Goran Dragic recently joined them as a free agent.

This deal allows the Kings to play Tyreke Evans at his favoured point guard position. Brewer will be their starting shooting guard.
They are said to have also liked the fact that Brewer is three years younger than Udrih. Which is good news for their future.

-----

Hawks, Pacers and Hornets agree to six player deal



Atlanta receive
David West - 32 - PF - $43.05m - 3 years (86)
Tyler Hansbrough - 27 - PF - $34.95m - 4 years (76)

Projected line-up:
Chris Kaman - David West - Josh Smith - Joe Johnson - Kirk Hinrich
Bench options:
Thaddeus Young, Tyler Hansbrough, JJ Hickson, Trevor Booker





Indiana receive
Jamal Crawford - 32 - SG - $32.06m - 2 years (80)
Jason Smith - 26 - PF - $9.31m - 2 years (72)

Projected line-up:
Roy Hibbert - Mike Dunleavy - Danny Granger - Jamal Crawford - Darren Collison
Bench options:
Jason Smith, AJ Price, Dahntay Jones, Fredrik Price




New Orleans receive
TJ Ford - 29 - PG - $26.45m - 2 years (82)
Yi Jianlian - 25 - PF - $17.10m - 2 years (75)
Hawks' 2013 1st round draft pick

Projected line-up:
Yi Jianlian - Trevor Ariza - Al Thornton - Rudy Fernandez - Marcus Thornton
Bench options:
TJ Ford, Rashad McCants, Pops Mensah-Bonsu


Atlanta have decided to shake things up a bit after suffering in mid-table obscurity for the last few seasons.
Trading Crawford means that Josh Smith and Joe Johnson can play in their favoured positions with West taking over the power forward role.

Jamal Crawford will hope his move to Indiana and a starting spot will allow him to get rid of his unwanted 'perennial sixth man' tag.
This deal also helps the Pacers get players playing in their natural positions. Ford had been playing shooting guard for them last season.

New Orleans get a backup point guard in Ford, a tall that can fill in at center in Yi and a future first round draft pick.
Ford gives them a natural point guard. Currently they have Marcus Thornton playing out of position to make room for Rudy Fernandez.

-----

Orlando continue squad makeover



Detroit receive
Andrei Kirilenko - 31 - SF - $14.84m - 1 year (80)
Harvey Dixon - 23 - PG - $1.68m - 2 years (68)
Nets' 2013 1st round draft pick (via Orlando)
Blazers' 2013 1st round draft pick

Projected line-up:
Robin Lopez - Charlie Villanueva - Jason Maxiell - Ben Gordon - Rodney Stuckey
Bench options:
Andrei Kirilenko, Omer Asik, Carlos Delfino, Leon Powe





Orlando receive
Greg Oden - 24 - C - $16.80m - 2 years (80)
Greg Monroe - 22 - PF - $7.07m - 2 years (71)

Projected line-up:
Greg Oden - Jason Thompson - Jason Richardson - JJ Redick - Gilbert Arenas
Bench options:
Johan Petro, Jordan Farmar, Greg Monroe, Hedo Turkoglu





Portland receive
Will Bynum - 29 - PG - $41.56m - 4 years (84)
Corey Fitzgerald - 24 - PF - $2.52m - 2 years (67)

Projected line-up:
LaMarcus Aldridge - Emeka Okafor - Nicolas Batum - Brandon Roy - Will Bynum
Bench options:
Delonte West, Steve Nash, Roger Mason, Abram Baxter, Josh Boone, Chase Budinger


Detroit get a big expiring contract and a backup small forward. They also get two future first round draft picks in this deal.
They could be positioning themselves for a run at some big free agents next year with big expiring contracts like Gordon, Villanueva and Kirilenko.

Orlando continue their off-season reshuffle by adding two big men to their team. Oden could be the perfect replacement for Dwight Howard if he stays fit.
Monroe adds a young forward with potential that could end up challenging fellow newcomer Jason Thompson for the starting power forward spot.

Portland look to fill the hole left by Chris Paul by getting Bynum. An interesting deal considering they already have Nash, West and Mason.
They perhaps decided to cash in on Oden whilst he still had some currency. His injury history is well documented and it was time to move him on.

-----

Philadelphia even out roster with help from Lakers and Timberwolves



Los Angeles receive
Jrue Holiday - 22 - PG - $20.41m - 2 years (82)
Derrick Brown - 25 - PF - $13.00m - 3 years (71)

Projected line-up:
Andrew Bynum - Pau Gasol - Terrence Williams - Kobe Bryant - Brandon Jennings
Bench options:
Jrue Holiday, Mardy Collins, John Salmons, Ersan Ilyasova, Ronnie Price, Derrick Brown





Minnesota receive
Ron Artest - 32 - SF - $7.73m - 1 year (79)
Daequan Cook - 25 - SG - $4.91m - 1 year (75)

Projected line-up:
Nene - Zach Randolph - Ron Artest - Luke Ridnour - Jonny Flynn
Bench options:
Daequan Cook, Curtis Jerrells, Antawn Jamison, Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson





Philadelphia receive
Sergio Rodriguez - 26 - PG - $28.04m - 3 years (80)
Darko Milicic - 27 - C - $5.00m - 1 year (76)

Projected line-up:
Darko Milicic - Donte Greene - Kelenna Azubuike - Evan Turner - Devin Harris
Bench options:
Sergio Rodriguez, DeMar DeRoZan, Wesley Matthews, Chase Powell


The Lakers make this move with the idea in mind that Kobe is 34 and coming towards the end of his career and they will have to replace him.
Although not a direct positional replacement for Bryant, Holiday can certainly develop a back court partnership with Brandon Jennings in the future.
This deal allows the young guard to return to his home state. Which should be an important factor in retaining him when his contract expires.

Minnesota add another powerful player in Ron Artest. He will link up with Nene and Zach Randolph in a scarily powerful front court.
They also get a decent bench scorer with Cook. He can come on and add a real perimeter threat and spread the defense for the big men.

Philadelphia get a big man to replace the departed Hasheem Thabeet, who was not re-signed. They also get a solid backup point guard.
After only being able to attract Devin Harris to sign with them, they could be looking to make some more moves to rebuild their squad.

-----

Thunder agree to Bucks proposal



Oklahoma City receive
Derrick Rose - 24 - PG - $26.57m - 2 years (91)
Michael Redd - 33 - SG - $36.87m - 2 years (77)
Nenad Krstic - 29 - PF - $442k - 1 year (74)

Projected line-up:
Brook Lopez - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - James Harden - Derrick Rose
Bench options:
Nenad Krstic, Michael Redd, Tony Allen, Eric Maynor, DeJuan Blair, Eric Bledsoe





Milwaukee receive
Russell Westbrook - 23 - PG - $45.14m - 4 years (86)
Andrea Bargnani - 27 - PF - $33.75m - 3 years (83)
Marvin Williams - 26 - SF - $9.08m - 1 year (80)

Projected line-up:
Andrew Bogut - Andrea Bargnani - Marvin Williams - Andre Iguodala - Russell Westbrook
Bench options:
Jose Calderon, Aaron Gray, Joey Dorsey, Ryan Gomes


Oklahoma City have perhaps just put together the most exciting threesome in the league, if not NBA history. Griffin, Durant and Rose.
The marketing potential of having 3 of the leagues most promising stars in their team will be a massive financial boost for the Thunder.
As a small market team they need to find extra ways of generating revenue to compete with the big teams from LA and New York.
As good as getting Rose is, the Thunder do lose two very good bench players and also take on Michael Redd's monster contract.

Milwaukee may even come out ahead in this deal as it fills out their roster nicely, which they've needed to do after losing Odom and Louis Williams.
According to sources it was actually the Bucks that initiated this deal as they were not confident of re-signing Rose in two years time.
They felt that Westbrook wasn't too dissimilar to Rose and that with a 4 year contact, he offered much more long term security for them.
With Odom and Williams leaving as free agents recently the Bucks had needed more depth. This deal gives them 5 good starters.

-----

Hawks and Spurs pull off surprise deal



Atlanta receive
Tony Parker - 30 - PG - $32.51m - 2 years (88)
Marco Belinelli - 26 - SG - $27.00m - 3 years (81)

Projected line-up:
Chris Kaman - David West - Joe Johnson - Marco Belinelli - Tony Parker
Bench options:
Kirk Hinrich, Tyler Hansbrough, Thaddeus Young, Trevor Booker





San Antonio receive
Josh Smith - 26 - SF - $29.61m - 2 years (89)
JJ Hickson - 24 - PF - $15.73m - 2 years (75)

Projected line-up:
Al Horford - Michael Beasley - Josh Smith - Cameron Hunter - George Hill
Bench options:
Richard Jefferson, JJ Hickson, DeMarcus Nelson, Tayshaun Prince, Matt Bonner


Atlanta have pulled the trigger on a slightly strange deal. Giving up bigs Smith and Hickson for smalls Parker and Belinelli.
They must have felt that they were already well stocked in the big man department with Kaman, West, Young and Hansbrough.
Parker's standout performance in the playoff series against the Thunder must have really caught the eye of the Hawks coaching staff.

The Spurs did this deal after regaining George Hill from the Thunder. They saw him as their future point guard and Parker as tradeable.
Smith will be reunited with former team mate Al Horford. They will hope to bring more success to the Spurs than they did the Hawks.
Sending Belinelli to Atlanta also lets promising second-year rookie Cameron Hunter slide into the starting shooting guard position.
San Antonio now have a relatively young line-up that could well become a serious challenger in the western conference in the next few years.

-----

Houston decide to get Richards some help



Houston receive
Nick Young - 27 - SG - $18.44m - 2 years (80)

Projected line-up:
Patrick Patterson - Chuck Hayes - Nick Young - Jan Richards - Marcus Williams
Bench options:
Kyle Lowry, Baron Davis, Corey Maggette, Roko Ukic, Jesse Stearn





Washington receive
Luis Scola - 32 - PF - $21.26m - 2 years (76)

Projected line-up:
JaVale McGee - Andray Blatche - Rashard Lewis - Courtney Lee - John Wall
Bench options:
Josh Howard, Luis Scola, Jordan Crawford


After losing Kevin Martin to free agency, the Rockets were given a lifeline in the draft. Now they are trying to build around Jan Richards.
Trading veteran forward Luis Scola to Washington for youngish swingman Nick Young is the first step in assembling a competitive roster.
They obviously feel that it would be unfair on Richards to put him under so much pressure in his rookie season. He needs some help around him.

Washington add an experienced forward to help JaVale McGee out. They have Josh Howard and Courtney Lee to take over from Young.

-----

Rockets continue to improve roster



Houston receive
DeAndre Jordan - 24 - C - $18.83m - 2 years (78)

Projected line-up:
DeAndre Jordan - Chuck Hayes - Nick Young - Jan Richards - Kyle Lowry
Bench options:
Baron Davis, Corey Maggette, Roko Ukic, Jesse Stearn





Los Angeles receive
Marcus Williams - 26 - PG - $32.13m - 4 years (79)
Patrick Patterson - 23 - PF - $4.61m - 2 years (69)

Projected line-up:
Serge Ibaka - Kevin Love - Declan Giles - Eric Gordon - Mo Williams
Bench options:
Marcus Williams, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Antoine Wright, CJ Miles, Shannon Brown, Patrick Patterson


Houston have continued their recent roster improvements by trading for Clippers backup center DeAndre Jordan.
The 6 ft 11 Houston native was behind Ibaka and Love in the pecking order and will welcome a starting role with his hometown team.
Trading Marcus Williams will give Kyle Lowry the opportunity to start and prove that he can be an effective playmaker for the Rockets.

The Clippers trade an unhappy reserve center for a decent backup point guard and a young power forward to replace Jordan on the bench.
Adding Williams gives them even more back court depth with the likes of Antoine Wright, CJ Miles and Shannon Brown already on the bench.

-----

Bulls focus on the short term with deal for Chandler



Chicago receive
Tyson Chandler - 30 - C - $29.21m - 2 years (81)

Projected line-up:
Tyson Chandler - Carlos Boozer - Luol Deng - JR Smith - Beno Udrih
Bench options:
Goran Dragic, Brandan Wright, Sam Young, Rasual Butler





Dallas receive
Taj Gibson - 27 - PF - $18.04m - 2 years (78)
Irwin Currie - 27 - C - $5.11m - 3 years (68)
Toby Hughes - 25 - PG - $7.01m - 3 years (65)

Projected line-up:
Taj Gibson - Craig Smith - Gerald Wallace - Rodrigue Beaubois - Jose Barea
Bench options:
Dirk Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood, Luther Head, Jeff Teague, Irwin Currie


Chicago have continued with their 'compete now' policy by trading for the Mavericks' dominant center Tyson Chandler.
He could be the powerful inside presence that the Bulls have been lacking since they traded Joakim Noah to Denver for JR Smith.
They now have five experienced starters and could be the dark horse in the eastern conference this season.

Dallas get a younger replacement for Chandler in Gibson and still have the experienced Brendan Haywood on the bench.

-----

Raptors agree deal with Pistons



Toronto receive
Rodney Stuckey - 26 - PG - $23.60m - 2 years (85)
Jason Maxiell - 29 - PF - $36.16m - 4 years (75)

Projected line-up:
Kendrick Perkins - Tyrus Thomas - Corey Brewer - Jerryd Bayless - Rodney Stuckey
Bench options:
Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Kyle weaver, James Johnson, Ed Davis





Detroit receive
Jarrett Jack - 29 - PG - $52.51m - 4 years (86)
Linas Kleiza - 27 - SF - $4.70m - 1 year (79)
Louis Amundson - 29 - PF - $12.69m - 3 years (71)

Projected line-up:
Robin Lopez - Charlie Villanueva - Andrei Kirilenko - Ben Gordon - Jarrett Jack
Bench options:
Louis Amundson, Omer Asik, Carlos Delfino, Leon Powe, Linas Kleiza


Toronto have decided to revamp their roster by trading Jarrett Jack for a younger point guard in Rodney Stuckey.
With all the talent in the eastern conference this season, the Raptors felt they had to change some things to be competitive.

Detroit get an experienced point guard to play beside Ben Gordon and allow him to focus on scoring rather than making shots for others.
They also add some much needed depth to their bench with Amundson and Kleiza. Both could be useful as impact players for the Pistons.

-----

Philadelphia get involved to add more height to their roster



Toronto receive
Evan Turner - 24 - SG - $11.62m - 2 years (81)
Chase Powell - 26 - PG - $7.41m - 2 years (72)

Projected line-up:
Kendrick Perkins - Amir Johnson - Corey Brewer - Evan Turner - Rodney Stuckey
Bench options:
Jason Maxiell, Jerryd Bayless, Kyle Weaver, James Johnson, Ed Davis, Chase Powell





Philadelphia receive
Tyrus Thomas - 26 - PF - $18.08m - 2 years (81)

Projected line-up:
Darko Milicic - Tyrus Thomas - Kelenna Azubuike - Sergio Rodriguez - Devin Harris
Bench options:
Donte Greene, DeMar DeRozan, Wesley Matthews


The Raptors continue their roster changes by acquiring promising young swingman Evan Turner from Philadelphia.
He will form a new younger looking back court for Toronto alongside fellow new recruit Rodney Stuckey.

Philadelphia add a rebounding big man to play alongside Darko Milicic. They still have DeRozan and Matthews on the bench.
This deal was a case of trading surplus with the Raptors having good big man depth and the 76ers having good guard depth.

-----

Thunder send Redd and Bledsoe to Orlando for Arenas



Oklahoma City receive
Gilbert Arenas - 30 - PG - $22.35m - 1 year (85)

Projected line-up:
Brook Lopez - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - James Harden - Derrick Rose
Bench options:
Nenad Krstic, Gilbert Arenas, Tony Allen, Eric Maynor, DeJuan Blair





Orlando receive
Michael Redd - 33 - SG - $36.87m - 2 years (77)
Eric Bledsoe - 22 - PG - $3.75m - 2 years (67)

Projected line-up:
Greg Oden - Jason Thompson - Jason Richardson - JJ Redick - Jordan Farmar
Bench options:
Greg Monroe, Michael Redd, Johan Petro, Hedo Turkoglu, Eric Bledsoe


Oklahoma City have rounded off their off-season business by getting rid of Michael Redd for Gilbert Arenas and his big expiring contract.
After re-signing James Harden and Blake Griffin they were looking to shed some wages and by trading Redd for Arenas they do that quicker.
It is likely that the Thunder will keep Gilbert around until the end of his deal as he does offer a fairly good scoring option off the bench.

Orlando are trying to regroup after Howard left and adding Redd will give them an experienced scorer as backup to Richardson and Redick.
With Arenas gone recently acquired Jordan Farmar will be able to start, with Eric Bledsoe now serving as backup point guard.
This deal also gives the Magic decent roster depth. Things are looking a lot more promising than they were just after Howard left.

[Phil89]

So basically my entire bench from last season is gone. I hated trading Westbrook but Rose is awesome, so it's ok.

Starters
Brook Lopez - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - James Harden - Derrick Rose


Bench
DeJuan Blair - Nenad Krstic - Al Cunningham - Rolf Young - Tony Allen - Eric Maynor - Gilbert Arenas


Inactive
Crawford Mayer

I was going through screenshots of my old dynasty recently and found a picture of what my team was like in season 4 (If I hadn't retired it).
Weirdly I had traded for Rose and signed Blair from free agency. Coincidentally I also had Love and Mayo on this game too.
I think it's fair to say my team now is less stacked than that one would have been.

[Andrew]

Whoa, a lot of wheeling and dealing there. Durant, Griffin, Rose should be an awesome big three, shame to see Westbrook go after three championships but that's a can't miss deal.