Brooklyn Nets 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Brooklyn Nets

2018-19 Record:  42-40, lost to the Sixers in first round of playoffs

Key additions:  Kevin Durant (free agency), Kyrie Irving (free agency), DeAndre Jordan (free agency), Garrett Temple (free agency), Wilson Chandler (free agency), Taurean Prince (trade)

Key departures:  D'Angelo Russell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allen Crabbe, Jared Dudley, DeMarre Carroll, Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier

The lowdown:  The remarkable climb of a franchise left in ruins by a disastrous trade four years ago continued in earnest when the Nets reached the playoffs. This was a culmination of clever work by GM Sean Marks and a solid coaching job by Kenny Atkinson, and of course, the effort from a batch of hungry and scrappy players most of whom carried mild credentials.

It was a breakout season for Russell, the young point guard who showed maturity and a deadly jumper while earning an All-Star berth. That, symbolically, was yet another step in the right direction the franchise has taken since surrendering its future to the Boston Celtics in the ill-fated Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade.

Russell averaged 21.1 points and seven assists per game and ranked in the top 25 in fourth-quarter scoring. The club received a scare when swingman Caris LeVert, who started strongly, crashed early in the season with a gruesome-looking leg injury initially. However, LeVert eventually returned to the lineup by playoff time. Joe Harris led the league in 3-point shooting (47.4%) and won the Three-Point contest. Center Jarrett Allen made big strides defensively and became an internet sensation because of his rim-denying blocks against a handful of stars. And Spencer Dinwiddie, who shared the playmaking chores with Russell, transformed from a journeyman into a Sixth Man of the Year candidate with a career season, averaging 16.8 ppg and 4.6 apg.

The Nets added to their uplifting season by taking the opening game of their playoff series against the Sixers. Strangely enough, bigger surprises and prizes awaited them in the offseason as 2018-19 was undoubtedly a turning point for Brooklyn.

Summer summary:  After showcasing Julius Erving to the world and winning a pair of ABA titles with him in the 1970s, the Nets franchise never attached itself to that level of star power again. Sure, they had a taste here and there: prime Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, post-Toronto Vince Carter and maybe a few others. Only four times did the Nets make the cover of Sports Illustrated, for example, but it was for Derrick Coleman’s petulance, Kidd's excellence, Kenyon Martin’s snarl and earlier this decade when the mag bravely predicted the Nets (with an aging Garnett and Pierce) were title favorites. 

Well, times have a’changed.

In a dizzy and a doozy of an offseason, the Nets bagged not one, but two franchise players in their primes with championship pedigree. Irving and Durant shook the league by arriving to Brooklyn in a package deal through free agency, a development that would’ve been met with laughter had you suggested it just years ago. It’s the offseason the New York Knicks aimed for but will stare at across the East River in envy.

Credit Marks for largely making this happen. He has become one of the NBA's best GMs after inheriting a mess and creating an organization that appealed to a pair of elite talents. Durant and Irving saw what we saw: a club with a good young core, steered by a respectable coach and led by a GM who can take a thread of polyester and churn it into silk.

There’s a hitch, as you know. Durant, the two-time Finals MVP, is recovering from offseason Achilles surgery and there’s the likelihood of him sitting the entire season. Even that worst-case scenario would be OK with the Nets, who have no urgency to take risks with arguably the NBA's best player. 

As for Irving, he’s coming off a season where once again he solidified his place among the league’s premier point guards … and also fed his reputation for being quirky and moody. It was that kind of season with the Celtics, where Irving displayed poor leadership skills and couldn’t push the Celtics into The Finals. He quickly prepared an exit strategy -- one that was endorsed by Celtics fans -- which led him to linking up with Durant and seeking a new frontier and beginning.

Durant and Irving made the Nets the co-winners of the Best Offseason Award, which they split with the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George LA Clippers. Brooklyn seems poised for another big jump in its redevelopment and it arriving in 2019-20 depends largely on Durant. But even if Durant sits out this season, Irving has every incentive to give the Nets what he didn’t give the Celtics last season.

Brooklyn's price for progress (besides a ton of money) was sacrificing Russell, whose value to the club dipped once Irving signed up. Yet he was the only significant loss for Brooklyn. It refused to extend Hollis-Jefferson’s rookie deal and erased another obsolete player by tossing Crabbe (and his $18 million contract) to Atlanta to free up money for Durant and Irving.

In the Crabbe trade, the Nets had to send a pair of first-rounders to the Hawks, but that was a small price. In that trade, though, Brooklyn also got a developing swingman in Prince. He brings solid 3-point shooting (39% last season) and can team with Harris to give Brooklyn good court spacing.

As a bonus, the Durant-Irving package came with Jordan, their buddy and an established rebounding and shot-blocking veteran who gives depth at center. Allen will likely remain the starter, but Jordan provides frontcourt insurance at this stage of his career.

The summer was downright seismic for Brooklyn, and in time, the Nets can position themselves for a sharp rise in the Eastern Conference. With Durant and Irving, they have the necessary stars, and in Dinwiddie, LeVert and Allen, the required supporting cast. The degree of immediate improvement depends on Durant’s recovery, yet there’s no mistaking where the empire state of mind lives when it comes to basketball in New York.

Detroit Pistons 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Detroit Pistons

2018-19 Record:  41-41, lost to the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs

Key additions: Derrick Rose (free agent), Markieff Morris (free agent), Tony Snell (trade), Sekou Doumbouya (draft)

Key departures: Ish Smith, Jon Leuer, Wayne Ellington

The lowdown: Blake Griffin rediscovered what it looked and felt like to live among the league’s upper-echelon players. The climb for his team, however, proved to be a bit more complicated. The Pistons did reach the playoffs by squeezing out the final spot in the East and then got swept for the trouble, which means while Detroit is finally peering out of the rubble left behind by the Stan Van Gundy era, the club seems far from challenging for anything special.

The bounce-back season for Griffin, seemingly at the peak of his powers in this first full season with Detroit, could chiefly come down to health: Griffin played 75 games and showed the kind of burst and aggression that marked his time with the Clippers. While initially stung after being sent from sunny L.A. to the chilly Midwest the previous season, Griffin made peace with the change, channelling that anger into something positive and productive. As a reward, he earned All-Star recognition by averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists -- ppg and assist numbers well above his career averages. However, old knee issues flared and dogged Griffin late; he missed the last week of the regular season and sat the first two games of the first round against the No. 1-seeded Bucks, costing the Pistons any chance of pulling a surprise.

Speaking of health, the Pistons were thrilled to get a full 82 from point guard Reggie Jackson, whose injury issues plagued the two seasons prior, helping doom Van Gundy, who acquired him. Jackson looked fresh and shot a career-best 36.9 percent from deep. The other Mr. Reliable was, of course, center Andre Drummond, who averaged a league-high 15.6 rebounds with 17.3 points and active defensive. The Pistons went 7-10 down the stretch mainly because the help was inconsistent. They hoped for significant improvement from Luke Kennard but the second-year forward, while a solid shooter with range, never established himself as a major-minutes player. Overall, coach Dwane Casey’s first year was respectable and there appeared to be a basketball pulse throbbing inside Little Caesars Arena, which still had that new-car smell.

Summer summary: Without a difference-making draft pick or much money to serenade a top-flight free agent, the Pistons’ summer was all about getting their best player fit for the future. And that meant surgery for Griffin.

The arthroscopic procedure was necessary for a player who broke down in April and was clearly in need of medical help. This might be of concern for the Pistons given that it's not Griffin’s first rodeo with his knees. At some point, the tread wear will prove costly for a player on a max contract, yet Griffin had a full summer to rest and recover and both player and team are optimistic that he’ll return to the level he reached last season. Whether he plays 75-plus games is another story.

Derrick Rose, the veteran guard who signed a two-year deal for $15 million, certainly could relate. And in that sense, Griffin can brainstorm with former Kia MVP Rose, who went through far worse, yet appears to have finally found a comfortable middle ground between his knee injuries and his previous peak.

Four years ago, Rose seemed hobbled and finished, but last season with the Timberwolves presented the long-awaited resurrection: Rose memorably dropped a career-high 50 in an effort that reduced him to tears. And it wasn’t just a one-game wonder. Rose was surprisingly and consistently solid and sturdy for Minnesota. He averaged 18 points with a renewed ability to create efficient shots, firing at a 48.2 percent clip.If there’s more of this in the tank for a player who’s an old 30, the Rose signing should prove solid value, offering the Pistons more backcourt depth and another weapon to keep defenses from shadowing Drummond and doubling on Griffin.

Speaking of value, Detroit grabbed a Morris twin to add front-line depth and swung a trade for Snell. The Snell trade didn’t cost the Pistons much value (Leuer) and there could be upside, but only if Snell can finally meet the expectations that Milwaukee had for him when the club gave a role player a surprising ($10 million per) extension two years ago. Snell could be a floor spacer, and -- at 27 -- is in his prime. Whether he can justify sixth-man minutes will be the issue for someone whose playing time dropped to just 17 mpg in the back end of the rotation last season.

The Pistons' first rounder, just like the team’s season, fell smack in the middle. There are hardly any guarantees with the 15th selection, where you often just hope someone on your draft board falls into your lap. The Pistons were high on Doumbouya, who doesn’t turn 19 until December. A springy, 6-foot-9 forward with physical gifts, Doumbouya has three years of pro ball in his rearview after his French League stint. Can he become the next Pascal Siakam?

The Pistons didn’t do anything seismic this summer that will drastically change the team’s fortunes overnight. They are perhaps stuck in the dreaded middle, and if it’s any consolation, at least they’re not drifting in reverse.

Sacramento Kings 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Sacramento Kings

2018-19 Record:  39-43, did not qualify for the playoffs

Key additions:  Trevor Ariza (free agency), Cory Joseph (free agency), Luke Walton (coach)

Key departures:  Willie Cauley-Stein, Frank Mason, Dave Joerger

The lowdown: For the first time in at least a decade, there was optimism waiting to greet the Kings at the finish line of yet another losing season. No, the Kings didn’t reach the playoffs, but yes, they dropped delicious hints of a sustainable future. Much of this was generated by a young core that showcased some fine moments and entertained inside the team’s high-tech new palace of a home arena.

De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield were the principles, meshing well as a backcourt and putting defenses on alert with their playmaking, mature shot selection and a level of composure in tense moments that’s rare for players in their early 20s. The Kings could turn to either player to take charge and make an impact, and they often delivered. Hield shot 42.7 percent from deep, while Fox averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 assists in a vastly more consistent second pro season.

They were joined by Marvin Bagley III -- the No. 2 overall pick in 2018 -- who struggled early with injuries and the transition from college to big-boy basketball, not to mention coming off the bench for the first time in his life. Yet Bagley eventually found a productive groove on a team lacking talented bigs. And then there was Bogdan Bogdanovic, who had solid moments as the sixth man. The Kings were among the league’s more pleasant surprises; in early March they had a winning record and an outside shot at making the playoffs. That was progress for a franchise that was derisively known as the "Kangs", one that always seemed buried by poor front office decisions and players who lacked the desire or talent or both to elevate Sacramento into the land of the respected.

Walton left a bizarre season with the Lakers, who crashed and burned in LeBron James’ first season. Fair or not, part of that was laid at the feet of the young coach. Actually, Walton was the least dysfunctional part of that experience; he maintained a calm composure amid the madness. He also maintained a decent standing around the league, evidently, and that’s why his stay in the unemployment line lasted mere seconds.

At least in the short term, this appears a win-win for Walton and the Kings. Both are searching for stability and respect and maybe they’ll find it together.

Otherwise, Kings GM Vlade Divac kept his dealing to a minimum with regard to personnel matters. The Kings’ first-round pick belonged to the Celtics, so much of their movement was done with a design for continuity.

They spent relatively cheaply, adding veterans to lend experience and supporting roles for the upcoming season. Ariza, Dedmon and Joseph are all on short-term contracts, as the Kings eye the approaching time when they’ll need to give rich extensions to Hield, Fox and perhaps Bagley as well.

Speaking of that, they spent rather lavishly to keep Harrison Barnes, who got four years and $85 million. Barnes was a third- and sometimes fourth-option on the club last season, so a $20 million-plus-per-year extension was met with surprise around the league. But swingmen are at a premium in today’s NBA and there’s no up-and-comer ready to take Barnes’ spot in the rotation.

Finally, the Kings erased the last remaining big mistake on the club by refusing to keep Cauley-Stein. He was a lottery pick three years ago but, like most Kings’ picks, did little of value and couldn’t inspire confidence beyond his rookie contract. It was yet another embarrassing episode by the Kings but maybe those are fewer in the future. Ultimately the Kings must find a capable big man; until then, Dedmon seems capable of being the bridge.

By keeping their movement to a minimum, the Kings believe the best way to improve next season is through organic growth, rather than a shakeup. The Kings have had plenty of those in the last several years, so this new and bold path comes as a tremendous relief. Sacramento can exhale. The new four-letter word being tossed around in town is “h-o-p-e.”

Miami Heat 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Miami Heat

2018-19 Record:  39-43, did not qualify for the playoffs

Key additions:  Jimmy Butler (free agent), Tyler Herro (Draft), Meyers Leonard (trade)

Key departures:  Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Dwyane Wade

The lowdown: The state of mediocrity in the wake of the Big Three era continued for a fourth straight season as Miami once again showcased a brand of basketball that was neither rich nor ruinous, stellar nor embarrassing. The Heat simply stayed locked in the middle, and the only ripple of interest was generated by the season-long sayonara for Wade, one of the most beloved players in team history.

Whenever the action in the games wasn’t dramatic, the attention drifted toward the final buzzer, when Wade swapped jerseys with a chosen opposing player. Wade’s send-off season was rather decent on the court as he showed the level of spring and zest that wasn’t always apparent in the preceding years. He averaged 15 points per game and was often the Heat’s first option when games were on the line. Otherwise, the core of the Heat was none too spectacular.

Miami had no All-Stars other than Wade (who, along with Dirk Nowitzki, was an honorary choice by the commissioner) and lacked an intriguing young talent on the rise. Richardson had moments and led the club in scoring (16.6 ppg). Because of injury, Goran Dragic was limited to 36 games and Dion Waiters to 44, and their absences likely weighed down the Heat’s ability to rise in the standings. The other players on the roster commanding high salaries -- Whiteside, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk -- delivered so-so results. In an ideal situation, those players would be the supporting cast for a superstar. In the end, the Heat flirted with a playoff spot yet came up short in a conference that lacked strength beyond the top five teams.

Summer summary:  Team president Pat Riley has spent his five-decade career surrounded by stars. When he wasn’t playing next to them (Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor) or coaching them (Wade, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal) he was busy finding them as an executive (LeBron James, Chris Bosh). In short, Riley cannot go very long or far without one.

And so the long-time Heat president made it a mission this summer to find a replacement for Wade, the last remaining piece of a club that won a pair of championships this decade, and that journey led to him to Butler.

Butler wasn’t the only twinkle in Riley’s eyes as he tried to get Russell Westbrook from Oklahoma City in a trade and inquired about Kyrie Irving in free agency. When those nibbles went nowhere, Riley and the Heat settled, to use a word, on a player whose talent is obvious yet hasn’t reached the promised land in his career.

That’s the summation regarding Butler. He’s one of the league’s better two-way players, someone who takes equal pride in accepting tough defensive assignments and also demanding the ball on offense. He’s hard-working, takes care of his body and is rather durable given his workload and minutes. Over the last five seasons, Butler has averaged 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, proof of his all-around impact.

Yet Butler has never really been in the leading-man role he now has with the Heat. Nor has he reached The Finals. Therefore, on the basis of those credentials, Butler doesn’t necessary qualify as an A-list star.

Miami and Riley weren’t being picky about that. They needed a centerpiece and the feeling was mutual with Butler, who only seriously considered signing with the Heat this summer after his lone season with the Sixers. Unlike Kawhi Leonard or LeBron, however, Butler wasn’t successful in getting a co-star to join him in Miami.

Not that Riley didn’t try. He was in the mix for Westbrook once OKC decided to part with the former Kia MVP. But Riley wasn’t willing to sacrifice the Heat’s future for Westbrook, at least not enough to compete with the Rockets’ successful offer.

The Heat are high on Herro, the No. 13 pick who is a shooter with range that looked impressive in Summer League. If Herro starts quickly this season, he could make one of the Heat’s veterans -- such as Waiters -- expendable.

By participating in the four-team trade that brought Butler to Miami, the Heat were able to finally dump Whiteside and his bloated contract. Whiteside was a disappointment almost from the moment he received an extension that averaged $24 million a season. He and that contract quickly became outdated. Whiteside is a non-flexible low-post center in a league that spreads the floor, and he’s a complex personality to boot.

In the deal, the Heat sacrificed Richardson, a team favorite, and added Leonard, who’s the exact opposite of Whiteside. Leonard brings reliable 3-point shooting (45% last season) and is coachable, meaning he won’t bristle if coach Erik Spoelstra benches him in fourth quarters (as he often did to Whiteside).

Leonard’s time in Portland was solid yet unspectacular, but he ended his time there with a bang (30 points, 12 rebounds in a Game 4 series-ending loss in the Western Conference finals).

The summer was successful if only because Riley got his man, someone who’s not a superstar yet clearly a solid player who instantly becomes the Heat’s lead singer. Miami is now banking on a healthy return from Waiters and Dragic, and that might be enough to put the Heat back among the playoff eight.

Charlotte Hornets 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Charlotte Hornets

2018-19 Record:  39-43, did not qualify for the playoffs

Key additions:  Terry Rozier (free agency), PJ Washington (Draft)

Key subtractions:  Kemba Walker, Frank Kaminsky, Tony Parker, Jeremy Lamb

The lowdown: The Hornets lived most of last season on the fence, with one foot in playoff contention and the other on a banana peel. They were turbocharged by Walker, who had the best season of his career, an All-Star effort that started strongly then dipped somewhat in midseason when he seemed weary from the load.

Walker averaged 25.6 points per game and made 35.6% of his 3-pointers, proving too slippery for most defenders. He had consecutive games of 60 and 43 points, then hit 47 twice and finished the regular season with a 43-point game. He was durable as well, playing 82 games and while ranking 17th in fourth-quarter minutes played. For someone in the final year of his contract, Walker couldn’t have chosen a better time to produce at a high level.

He was joined on occasion by Lamb, who was a solid co-star and, like Walker, playing for money. They were the bright spots for the Hornets, who once again were doomed by under-achieving players (some of whom are on bloated contracts). Disappointing results from the team's most recent first-round picks, Malik Monk and Miles Bridges, were prevalent as well. The swingmen at times looked like future stars -- and at other times, like nothing more than rotational players.

Injuries and lackluster play haunted Kaminsky, Cody Zeller and Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, too. That lack of growth destroyed the spirit of the franchise, and their contracts -- along with Nicolas Batum’s -- stifled the salary cap, putting the club at a disadvantage while negotiating with Walker and Lamb.

Summer summary:  In the end, the best player in franchise history left as a free agent. Walker did so because the Hornets couldn’t afford (or didn’t want) to pay him the max and he saw them as a dead end. Even worse, Walker and his family loved Charlotte and wanted to stay.

But could you blame him? Why would an elite player accept below market value to play for a club stuck in mediocrity, no thanks to the poor contracts given out to lesser players? It didn’t make sense, so Walker read the tea leaves and found salvation (and plenty of cash) in Boston, leaving the Hornets with a massive void to fill.

The Hornets’ bigger mistake was their refusal to trade Walker at the 2018-19 deadline to get at least something in return. By keeping him past the deadline, the Hornets avoided the embarrassment of not having Walker represent them in the All-Star Game, which was in Charlotte, and they kept their faint playoff hopes alive with him. But that decision was costly in the end, and you can’t find many GMs these days who’ll allow their franchise player to leave without a return.

Once Walker bailed, it got real interesting: Charlotte landed Rozier via a sign-and-trade deal that pays him $58 million over three seasons. That’s almost $20 million a season for Rozier, who only started 30 games in four seasons with the Celtics (and regressed last season overall). He is a career 38% shooter and has never averaged three assists per game. Rozier is an intense defender, but lacks the size to guard multiple positions. His high point was the playoffs two seasons ago when he replaced an injured Kyrie Irving and became "Scary Terry," the unexpected menace.

Rozier's signing was met with almost universal shock given that point guards are plentiful in the NBA (and each Draft produces a handful more). Unless the player is stellar, GMs don’t usually break the bank for them. Rozier was also rather mediocre last season, and while the return of Irving to the Celtics’ lineup perhaps had something to do with that, there was no significant growth from the 25-year-old.

Finally, the Hornets under owner Michael Jordan’s watch have made a habit of gambling (and losing) financially on promising players. This move seemed to be more of the same. The proper approach would be to judge the Rozier signing after a reasonable amount of time and then decide if the Hornets blew it again.

But at the moment, this doesn’t pass the smell test.

The Hornets didn’t aggressively try to re-sign Lamb. That was partly the cost of doing business with Rozier, but mostly because Monk seems ready for more minutes. The club remains high on Monk, who brings many of the same attributes as Lamb and can use the upcoming season to develop.

With the No. 12 pick, the Hornets drafted Washington, who arguably was Kentucky’s best player last season. He’s a combo forward with length and moves well on the floor. He nearly entered the 2018 Draft, but limitations from a broken little finger hampered his progress. 

The plight of the Hornets might be best summed up by Kaminsky. They drafted him No. 9 overall in 2015 and turned down four first-round picks from the Celtics to do so. Yet Kaminsky never distinguished himself in Charlotte and was eventually dropped in the rotation late last season under new coach James Borrego.

Once again, the Hornets wound up with nothing for a wasted lottery pick. Kaminsky signed with Phoenix as a free agent, earning just the exception.

The Hornets are beginning another rebuilding plan, putting their faith and future in the hands of Washington, Rozier, Monk and Bridges. Is this the time they finally get it right?

Los Angeles Lakers 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Los Angeles Lakers

2018-19 Record: 37-45, did not qualify for the playoffs

Key additions: Anthony Davis (trade), DeMarcus Cousins (free agency), Avery Bradley (free agency), Danny Green (free agency), Jared Dudley (free agency), Dwight Howard (free agency), Frank Vogel (coach)

Key departures: Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Luke Walton, Magic Johnson

The lowdown: Injuries and drama conspired to tag-team and destroy any chances of LeBron James’ first season in L.A. becoming a success by any measure. It was an all-around debacle for a franchise with steep hopes, especially with a superior (if aging) talent in LeBron, who suffered the most significant injury of his career. A persistent and stubborn groin issue limited him to 55 games, and once it happened on Christmas Day, the Lakers were done for all practical purposes. When he returned, they were reeling from the fallout of the failed attempt to steal Davis from the Pelicans at the trade deadline and never mustered any chemistry or determination to save their season.

There were rumblings inside about Walton’s coaching, which was raised publicly by team president Magic Johnson before the holidays. Ball suffered an ankle injury and was held to 47 games while Ingram developed a blood clot that ended his season after 52 games. By springtime, the Lakers were a shell of their opening night dreams and roster. The personnel moves made by Johnson the previous offseason provided mixed results, with Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley proving especially useless. Then Johnson abruptly quit on the final day of the season. The club had no shooters, LeBron lost the will to play defense and for the sixth straight season the Lakers failed to make the playoffs, a haunting stretch for a club with 16 banners and a proud history of excellence, global recognition and star appeal.

Summer summary: There was only one goal on the checklist and one job for the Lakers to do this offseason, so from that perspective, consider it mission accomplished. Davis is that good and that much of a problem-solver.

Putting aside, for the moment, the price the Lakers paid for Davis, he brings instant credibility, has the unique skills to restore the winning atmosphere at Staples Center, and will arguably be the most talented teammate LeBron has ever had -- which is important with James starting his 17th NBA season.

Davis is perfect for LeBron in so many ways. For a star and talent of his magnitude, Davis’ ego is refreshingly submerged. Meaning, he’s not flustered by the fine print that comes with playing in LeBron’s shadow. Davis hasn’t shown a great desire for attention and seems quite willing to be a co-star in this instance.

Also, Davis’ style of play is very accommodating. He’s highly efficient on offense and doesn’t need 25 shots to score 25 points. His elite defense brings the ability to bail out teammates, LeBron included, for their mistakes. Davis is the rare star who can take command of a game, or go with the flow, and be comfortable in either role.

Finally, this is the biggest plus: Davis is just 26. This is more his team than LeBron’s, if only because, assuming LeBron retires at the end of his contract in two years, Davis will likely still be around. Davis didn’t sign a contract extension once the Lakers made the trade, but consider that a matter of business; there’s no way the Lakers would deliver a massive package for Davis without some assurance from the player that a new contract will be negotiated next summer.

The only question is about Davis’ ability to rise in the postseason. He’s only had two chances to do so -- and in those 13 games, he averaged 30.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. Even so, his inability to carry the Pelicans to more than a pair of playoff berths in six seasons was surprising. But he doesn’t need to carry the Lakers or feel the same amount of pressure, at least not this season. (Unless, of course, LeBron becomes injury prone.)

The Lakers had little leverage in the Davis talks because they must win now, before LeBron’s health or contract expires, and the Pelicans knew this. That’s why L.A. had to fork over its future. Ball, Ingram and Hart, three-fourths of a young core that included Kyle Kuzma, are gone, along with a batch of future first-round picks that, in a worst-case scenario, will cripple the club if hard times lie ahead. But that was the price of doing business to get a true game-changer.

With Davis in the fold, the Lakers under new chief Rob Pelinka took a different approach to building the supporting cast than they did under Johnson. Pelinka acquired shooters (Green, Dudley and Troy Daniels). None are among the NBA’s elite, but it was the best the Lakers could do after their failed push to sign Kawhi Leonard.

He also signed Cousins, initially hoping the big man, nearly two years removed from Achilles surgery, would regain his confidence and his game. But, ouch: Cousins never made it to training camp. He suffered an ACL injury during summer workouts and after surgery will likely miss the entire season. It was a major blow to Cousins -- again -- and a potential one to the Lakers. They do have JaVale McGee back. And then there’s Dwight Howard, on hand for a second tour, who suited up for four teams in five years since first leaving the Lakers in 2013. He’s certainly humbled, but can he help, or will he generate drama? That is the concern, and because of that, his contract is non-guaranteed.

Meanwhile: Walton's days were numbered. And he wasn’t particularly upset at being fired since the job of coaching the Lakers and an aging superstar wore on him, and also because he was immediately snapped up by the Kings.

The Lakers chose Vogel, who had successful seasons in Indiana. Unlike Walton, Vogel comes with experience and like Walton, an even temperament for a job that’ll be pressurized.

A bigger surprise than the choice of Vogel was the choice of his top assistant, Jason Kidd. This instantly gave NBA observers a license to declare Kidd the coach-in-waiting, especially if the season goes south again. While that may not be true, drama followed Kidd at his only two head coaching stops, Brooklyn and Milwaukee, and he makes no secret of his desire to get another shot.

By hiring a proven coach and trading for Davis, the Lakers made clear their goal of going for the grand prize, which they should; such is the byproduct of having LeBron on the team and being on the clock. The roster is mainly loaded with win-now players such as Green, McGee, Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo.

Davis made this possible, and now it’s up to a transformational player to transform the Lakers back to being a team equipped to play in June. 

Minnesota Timberwolves 2019 Off-Season Review

Today's team: Minnesota Timberwolves

2018-19 Record:  36-46, did not qualify for the playoffs

Key additions:  Jarrett Culver (Draft), Jake Layman (trade), Jordan Bell (free agency), Shabazz Napier (trade)

Key departures:  Tyus Jones, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Dario Saric

The lowdown:  The Wolves qualified as one of the bigger disappointments of the season, taking a step back from their playoff berth the previous season and seeing little to no growth among their young, reliable players. It’s always alarming when development hits a speed bump, and the Wolves studied the tea leaves and figured something was amiss. Chief among the concerns was the stagnation of swingman Andrew Wiggins.

Once considered the co-savior of the club and lavished with a max contract a year ago, Wiggins drifted and regressed in almost all areas: shooting, defense, impact and especially motivation. He simply did not radiate the intangibles a young player needs to become a star, and there’s realistic fear within the franchise that Wiggins, 24, will be nothing better than a support player.

On most nights, Minnesota mainly relied on Karl-Anthony Towns and the big man delivered more than not. He led the club in scoring (24.4 ppg), rebounds (12.4 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg) and shot 40% on 3-pointers. Still, he couldn’t carry the club. The Wolves also received a bounce-back season from Rose, who had a magical moment with his 50-point game in October against the Utah Jazz. Rose followed with three 30-point efforts and inspired hope that his hardship from injuries was finally in the past. He was a much better fit for the Wolves than Jimmy Butler, who was mercifully traded after 10 turbulent games.

Since Thibodeau also was the club’s personnel chief, the Wolves immediately conducted a search for a basketball operations leader once the season ended, yet another sign of instability by a franchise that has reached the playoffs only once since 2003-04.

Summer summary:  The Wolves entered the summer of 2019 cloaked in uncertainty, which is rather normal for them. It’s just that team owner Glen Taylor and Wolves fans figured the dark days were finally behind them, only to get an untimely visit last season. Which meant, changes were coming.

Taylor hired Gersson Rosas to lead the next era, and it was a decision that was applauded in NBA circles. Rosas, unlike Thibodeau, brings front office experience, having served 16 seasons with the Houston Rockets where he was tutored by Carroll Dawson and Daryl Morey, both respected GMs.

One of the first decisions was to retain Saunders as coach. This wasn’t an automatic decision as Saunders came to the job last season without any prior experience. Yet he held respect in the locker room, came from a solid bloodline and by keeping him, the Wolves maintained some sense of stability. Rosas and Taylor agreed that Saunders deserved more than a half-season.

Next, the Wolves moved up five spots in the Draft, sending Saric to Phoenix to do so, to get Culver. The Texas Tech guard, who boasts a mature game and decent shooting range, appears NBA-ready in terms of intelligence, toughness and size. Culver will compete with last year’s first-round pick, Josh Okogie, for the right to start at big guard.

Curiously, the Wolves saw the loss of not one, but two point guards when Rose signed with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent and the Wolves declined to match the  Memphis Grizzlies' $28 million offer sheet for fellow backup guard Jones. They added the journeyman Napier as a replacement, but Wolves will at some point have to look to upgrade the position significantly.

The other two additions were designed to improve the club’s front line depth. The athletic swingman Layman briefly flourished with the Portland Trail Blazers last season before losing ground in the rotation. Bell had a reasonable role in the Golden State Warriors’ rotation the last two seasons, but failed to show improvement ... which led to diminished minutes. Both are still young and come cheap, so there’s not much risk in giving them a second chance.

What Rosas didn’t do was trade Wiggins. That in itself would’ve been welcomed by Wolves fans, who have grown impatient and frustrated with him. Wiggins would have takers on the market despite a contract that’ll average nearly $30 million the next four seasons. However, the return for Minnesota would be rather disappointing. Given the choice, Wiggins stays for now.

The greater concern for Rosas is Towns and the potential for the All-Star center asking for a trade. Suddenly, this is becoming commonplace among those elite players around the league who don’t see progress with their current team. Towns, therefore, is the most likely candidate, from an outsider’s perspective, to pull an Anthony Davis.

In the meantime, the Wolves hope to keep adding to a young base to build assets. That might mean more trips to the Draft lottery, a place the Wolves once thought was finally in their rearview mirror instead of staring them in the face.