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Key: Call of the West
As it stands in the NBA right now, it’s the Warriors – and everybody else.
Sure, you could say that the Rockets were a Chris Paul injury away from knocking off the World Champs. But haven’t we heard that “almost” story in three of the last four years? The only time the script got flipped, it was the Wine & Gold – winning three straight Finals contests and literally taking the NBA title in 2016.
But two years ago, in an article just like this one, you read about the rich getting richer – with former MVP Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City for the Left Coast. That move put the Warriors on a different level and, with the signing of Boogie Cousins this offseason, it doesn’t look like they’re in for a recession any time soon.
Other contenders shored up their rosters and others might’ve even taken a step backwards. But there’s no doubt that the class of the Conference still resides on the Barbary Coast.
But the calendar just turned to August and there’s still plenty of free agents still out there. And if certain teams have stood pat this summer, there’s little doubt that they’re setting up for NEXT summer’s bonanza. Players with player options for 2019 include Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Goran Dragic, Al Horford, Julius Randle, Marc Gasol and Jonas Valanciunas.
Players set to become free agents outright include Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Darren Collison and Tobias Harris.
So if all seems quiet on the Western front right now, it’s only the calm before next summer’s storm.
But there’s still plenty of movement to cover – with plenty more on the way. And with that in mind, here’s today’s Division-by-Division breakdown of who went where and why in the Western Conference so far this summer ...
Pacific Whim
GOLDEN STATE
That collective groan you heard across the NBA on July 6 was the sound of 29 other teams when DeMarcus Cousins – arguably the best pure big man in the league when healthy – signed a one-year deal with the NBA Champs. Before rupturing his left Achilles’, the 27-year-old was averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.65 steals and 1.58 blocks in 48 games before the injury.
What makes it that much more aggravating for the rest of the Association is that Golden State can afford to sit Boogie as long as they want. On the negative side, he might be just a one-year rental for Dubs. But they can probably live with that.
Without a need for much fine-tuning after adding Cousins, the Warriors inked stretch-4 Jonas Jerebko, while losing free agents, Zaza Pachulia to the Pistons and “Shaqtin’ a Fool” Lifetime Achievement Award winner JaVale McGee to the Lakers.
L.A. CLIPPERS
In terms of the aforementioned teams possibly lying in the weeds for next July’s free agent bounty, you might want to add the City of Angels’ other team to that list.
The ultra-competitive Steve Ballmer doesn’t like coming in second place, and he didn’t bring The Logo into the fold to win 42 games a year. Couple that with the new arena Ballmer intends to build in Inglewood (along with Tobias Harris’ rejection of an $80 million extension) and we could see the Clippers swinging for the fences in about 11 months.
As for the upcoming season, the Clippers lost one of the biggest names on the market when DeAndre Jordan (finally) signed with the Mavericks as a free agent.
But they did as well as they could to fill the gap -- sending Austin Rivers to Washington in exchange for durable big man Marcin Gortat. They also inked Mike Scott and stole Luc Mbah a Moute back from the Rockets, both as free agents.
With their pair of first round picks, the Clips bolstered their backcourt, tabbing PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 out of Kentucky and SG Jerome Robinson at No. 14 out of Boston College.
L.A. LAKERS
This offseason, the Lakers were able to completely remake their roster without having to make too many painful decisions on their young core – signing free agents LeBron James, Michael Beasley, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson – with the most painful loss coming from Julius Randle’s free agent defection to New Orleans.
LeBron automatically elevates the Lakers as contenders in the West – but do they have enough to catch the Rockets, Thunder and Warriors? And can L.A. weather the nightly pounding of the Western Conference?
Who cares!
The Lakers also drafted sweet-shooting big man Moritz Wagner with the 25th overall pick out of Michigan.
SACRAMENTO
It’s been a dozen years since the Kings have finished better than 11th in the Western Conference and, unfortunately for them, the Conference has continued to get better and they haven’t.
Last year, they drafted De'Aaron Fox out of Kentucky and Justin Jackson from North Carolina and each had less-than-spectacular rookie campaigns. Sacramento continued building through the Draft this summer, tabbing Marvin Bagley III out of Duke with the No. 2 overall pick.
The Kings also added Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell as free agents and traded for Ben McLemore – who they originally drafted with the 7th overall pick back in 2013.
PHOENIX
In terms of building through the Draft, the Suns are coming off what they hope is a home run this past June – selecting versatile big man DeAndre Ayton from Arizona with the top overall pick and swinging a deal for Villanova’s Mikal Bridges at No. 10. Ayton and Bridges will join a talented young lineup that’ll include the re-signed Devin Booker and sophomore Josh Jackson as Phoenix attempts to rebuild from the ground, up.
The Suns had a pair of insignificant losses this offseason – trading Jared Dudley to the Nets and allowing Elfrid Payton to walk on a free agent deal with New Orleans. But they also made some minor veteran moves that should help their young core – bringing in 3-and-D specialist Trevor Ariza as a free agent while acquiring center Richuan Holmes (from Philly) and forward Darrell Arthur (from Brooklyn).
Texas Twister
HOUSTON
The Rockets might still land Carmelo Anthony, who’s still out there in the NBA ether after being granted a trade from Oklahoma City and subsequent release from Atlanta. But they might’ve been better off this upcoming season if they’d just been able to retain their roster from last year.
The two biggest losses were Trevor Ariza – who inked a free agent deal with Phoenix – and Luc Mbah a Moute – who returned to the Clippers. Both were key two-way components of a Houston squad that won a league-best 65 games and came within one win of dethroning the Warriors this past June.
They signed another long, rangy guard in Michael Carter-Williams, but the jury will be out for a while as the Rockets attempt to replicate their success from a season ago.
NEW ORLEANS
The Pelicans are in an interesting spot. They’re coming off an excellent 2017-18 campaign – overcoming the loss of DeMarcus Cousins halfway through the season and still making an impressive run to the Western Conference Semifinals.
But Cousins and Rajon Rondo have departed for the Coast via free agency, leaving New Orleans with a pair of holes in the rotation. To their credit, New Orleans rebounded quickly – taking advantage of the Lakers’ salary cap situation with the signing of forward Julius Randle and prying Elfrid Payton away from Phoenix to join Jrue Holiday in the backcourt.
SAN ANTONIO
Could this be the end of Camelot?
Think about this: Last year was the first season since 1998-99 that the Spurs won less than 50 games.
Most franchises would kill for a 47-win season like San Antonio posted last year, but expectations are different down in south Texas. And with the departure of Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tony Parker, the only remaining vestiges of the Spurs’ Championship-winning squad from 2013-14 are Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills.
Tony Parker will certainly look strange in Charlotte colors next season, leaving San Antonio after 17 seasons and four Championships with the Spurs. Kyle “Slo-Mo” Anderson also departed (for Memphis), meaning the eagerly awaited foot-race between he and retired Spurs legend, Tim Duncan, will never take place.
The Leonard Saga had stretched through last season and into the summer before Toronto pulled the trigger on the biggest deal of the offseason – acquiring arguably the game’s greatest two-way player in a deal that sent four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, impressive third-year center Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first rounder to San Antonio.
The Spurs also brought back Marco Belinelli on a free agent deal as well as inking veteran forward Dante Cunningham. They also drafted uber-athletic shooting guard, Lonnie Walker IV, with the 18th overall pick out of Miami.
DALLAS
It only took them two offseasons, but the Mavericks finally got their man, DeAndre Jordan.
Seems like a long time ago – (but it was only the summer of 2016) – that the Mavericks and Clippers were locked in one of the weirdest free agent tug-o-wars in recent memory. Eventually, Jordan decided to rejoin his Lob City teammates and return to Tinseltown. But this summer, Mark Cuban was finally able to pry the All-Star big man away from L.A.
The Mavericks lost a couple minor pieces through free agency – including Seth Curry, Yogi Ferrell, Nerlens Noel and Doug McDermott – but had what they hope was an excellent draft night – landing Euro legend Luka Doncic in a deal with Atlanta.
Dallas probably won’t challenge the alpha dogs out West, but the additions of Jordan and Doncic to Dirk Nowitzki’s twilight tour should make the Mavericks interesting after a post-title era in the shadows.
MEMPHIS
If the window hasn’t closed on the Grizzlies, they’re scrambling to prop it open as the clock continues to run on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley’s careers in Memphis. In 2012-13, they reached the Conference Finals against San Antonio, but it’s been downhill since – bottoming out last season when the Grizz won just 22 games – missing the postseason for the first time since 2009-10.
The loss of Tyreke Evans – who had the best season of his career last year with Memphis but signed with Indiana this summer – definitely won’t help. The Grizzlies are still strapped by Chandler Parsons’ contract and would love to see him return to the form of his Dallas days if they’re unable to move it.
In the meantime, Memphis made some minor moves this summer – inking Kyle Anderson and Omri Casspi to free agent deals and acquiring Dakari Johnson and Garrett Temple in a pair of trades.
But Memphis’ most significant move this offseason was drafting Jaren Jackson Jr. out of Michigan State with the No. 4 overall pick in this past June’s Draft.
Key: HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS
PORTLAND
Almost like the West Coast version of the Washington Wizards, the Blazers seem resigned to build around their All-Star backcourt – even if it means continued postseason frustration. Portland has reached the Playoffs in each of the last five seasons, but they’ve been swept out of the First Rounds in the past two and haven’t won more than a single game in the Second Round over that span.
Portland essentially stood pat this summer as well – signing a pair of role players in Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas. They lost reserve big man Ed Davis and point guard Shabazz Napier, both as free agents to the Nets.
OKLAHOMA CITY
If there’s one squad that’s completely nonplussed by anything Golden State does, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors don’t phase Russell Westbrook and Co., and even though their Playoff run has struck midnight in the First Round the past two seasons, they reached the Conference Finals in four of the previous five.
OKC considers itself right there with Golden State and Houston and they bring an aspect of physical toughness and aggression that those two contenders simply do not. And if opponents thought they might get a break when Westbrook leaves the floor this year, they’ll quickly find out that Dennis Schroder – acquired in a trade with Atlanta – is almost as feisty.
The Thunder also acquired third-year swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from Philly and little-used sophomore forward Abdel Nader from Boston; inking Nerlens Noel as a free agent as well.
Carmelo Anthony was shipped out in a trade with Atlanta and Nick Collison – the NBA’s last active link to the SuperSonics – called it a career after 14 seasons in Seattle and Oklahoma City.
UTAH
The Utah Jazz are the NBA’s version of the hermit kingdom – they don’t really care what happens outside of the borders of Salt Lake City and can make life miserable for any opponent that crosses said border.
Want an example?
Here are the free agents that the Jazz – who won 48 games last season and gave both Oklahoma City and Houston hell in the postseason before bowing out – signed over the course of this summer: Jairus Lyles and Naz Mitrou-Long.
They lost Jonas Jerebko to the Warriors. And with the 21st pick in this past Draft, tabbed controversial Duke guard Grayson Allen, who had a stellar Summer League showing this past July.
MINNESOTA
Last year at this time, the sexiest pick in the Western Conference was the Minnesota Timberwolves – fresh off a Draft night deal for Jimmy Butler and fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign for the Big KAT – Karl-Anthony Towns – and a promising sophomore showing from Andrew Wiggins.
Tom Thibodeau’s squad met expectations during the regular season, winning 47 games and reaching the Playoffs for the first time in 13 years. But they were handed the gentleman’s sweep by Houston in the First Round and go into the current campaign knowing that Butler will be an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason.
The Wolves didn’t exactly set the sports world on fire this offseason – signing Anthony Tolliver to a free agent deal and drafting shooting guard Josh Okogie with the 20th overall pick out of Georgia Tech.
DENVER
Mike Malone’s Nuggets missed the Playoffs for the fifth straight season – falling a game short on the final night of the campaign. But there’s no question that Denver has something good brewing in the Rockies.
Even considering their successful season, the Nuggets were active over the summer – inking Isaiah Thomas to a free agent deal and rolling the dice on Michael Porter Jr. – once considered a potential No. 1 overall – with the 14th pick of the Draft out of Missouri.
The Nuggets dealt a former fixture at forward, Kenneth Faried, to the Nets and sent Wilson Chandler to the Sixers. But they retained their prized big man, Nikola Jokic, with a contract extension and – fans in Cleveland can rejoice – did the same with perennial Cavs-Killer, Will Barton, keeping him tucked away in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.