This season was full of sorrow and tears for certain fans, but for others it was a slam dunk! The Suns made it to the finals, the Bucks won their first championship since 1971, some great draft picks, and some so-so trades. The trades were a pretty big deal this year, as big and old as others in the past? No. But there were good trades mixed in with the “what the heck were you thinking” trades. One of the biggest trades was the Westbrook trade, but the logistics of the trade were… well let’s just say not great. The Lakers definitely needed a big three if they want to win a championship this year, but Westbrook might not have been the one they needed. Lebron, great basketball player, good play maker, strong man down low, but will he work good with Westbrook? If you really think about it, they are both going to want the ball, they are both going to want to score, then if you throw Anthony Davis in with them, they might as well just go for an all-out fight for the ball. I definitely agree that the Lakers needed to trade something around in there, just not how they traded. Kyle Kuzma, Caldwell Pope… they scored this year, they had good stats, they weren’t part of a super team, that is for sure, but they did have some good contributions to the team.

Another team that has some good trades this year… your very own Phoenix Suns! Landry Shamet was traded from Brooklyn Nets, is expected to be a back-up shooting guard for Devin Booker, and had a point average of 9.3. This wasn’t necessarily needed, because that wasn’t really a problem last year, but who they gave to Brooklyn Nets was pretty good. Jevon Carter did not play much, and had some low stat lines, so trading for a much better player, will definitely help out Devin Booker. The best play for the Suns this year, was not a trade, just signing free agent Javale McGee, soon to be back-up player for Deandre Ayton. This was probably, in my opinion, the best decision for the Suns this year, because Deandre Ayton desperately needed a big man to back him up. When he got tired, the only good option was Dario Saric, but he tore his ACL before the finals, so that was out. Then they were in search of a new player, and Javale McGee was ready and willing, so this year is looking a bit better for the Suns.

Bulls also got Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan, who they desperately needed, not making the finals last year. The Bulls ranked eleventh in the NBA for the past two years, and haven’t made a finals since 2017. The point guard last year for the Bucks was Coby White, who averaged 15.1 points per game, but since he’s a point guard, that isn’t what we need to look at, its the assists. Coby White averaged 4.8 assists per game, while Lonzo Ball averaged 5.7, so keeping White as a back-up, and adding Lonzo as the starter will be quite a bit better for the Bulls. DeMar DeRozan, a power forward, will most likely bump Patrick Williams back to back-up which will go a lot smoother for the Bulls, if DeRozan can play similar, if not better, than last year. So far the Bulls are looking at a better season than last year; they now have a better play maker and scorer, most likely not championship worthy, but certainly better.

Last but certainly not least, Patrick Beverly. He is certainly a whole thing all on his own. Although he isn’t the first one to trade multiple times in one offseason, it does seem like no teams want him. Currently, he has been traded from the Clipppers to the Grizzlies, and then to the Timerwolves. We can all agree that Patrick Beverly is a very aggressive player, and is very easily angered, but his averages are not that high. He averages 7.5 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and blocks, so he’s definitely not the best in the league. In this coming season he will be suspended for the first game of the season. Not the worst possible way to start the season, but certainly not the best.

All considered, the biggest steal of this year’s offseason would definitely be the Chigaco Bulls, because although it doesn’t make them a super team or anything, it makes them better, and honestly makes the most sense. Get ready to rally basketball fans, it’s going to be a great year!