The 2023–24 NBA season, which is the 78th regular season in the league’s illustrious history, returns in less than a fortnight, and like the 77 seasons before it, this incoming campaign promises to be a thrilling one.
Like every other sports business, players come and go, and the NBA is no different, as a barrage of trades have gone down amongst different franchises as they all continue to look for pieces to fit into their projects with the sole aim of being crowned NBA Champions.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics made a lot of pivotal moves during the offseason, and Afrosport takes a look at some of the top trade deals ahead of the new season and their respective impacts on the players and teams.
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers – Milwaukee Bucks)
Lillard’s move to the Milwaukee Bucks brought an end to a summer-long debate on where the seven-time All-Star would end up after he requested a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers after eleven seasons.
Arguably one of the best point guards in the league, he was involved in a three-team trade between the Bucks, Suns, and Trail Blazers, which saw the likes of Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Jusuf Nurkic, and Grayson Allen all move places.
Lillard had his best scoring season in the NBA last time out, averaging 32.2 points per game across 58 games, along with 7.3 assists, 46.3% FG%, and 37.1% from 3-pointers. The 33-year-old has yet to win a championship, and although he initially wanted to go to the Miami Heat, the potential of him teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez will definitely cause problems for not just teams in the Eastern Conference but also across the whole league.
Jrue Holiday (Portland Trail Blazers – Boston Celtics)
Jrue Holiday, who heads into his 15th season in NBA, will be donning his fourth different jersey having previously played for the like of the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Holiday was part of the deal that brought Lillard to the Bucks – he was traded to Portland. However, the 33-year-old was in turn moved to the Boston Celtics, who had initially lost star point guard and leader Marcus Smart earlier in the offseason.
A two-time All-Star and arguably the best defensive guard in the league, Holiday’s move to the Celtics saw them forfeit Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and two future first-round draft picks to Portland. In the prolonged absence of Khris Middleton last season, he took on more offensive duties and was the second leading scorer for the Bucks, averaging 19.3 points per game, 7.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards – Phoenix Suns)
In Bradley Beal, the Phoenix Suns get a proven leader and an all-round scorer who is comfortable scoring at all three levels. The 30-year-old exercised his no-trade clause and was traded along with Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd to the Suns in a deal that saw Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four first-round pick swaps, and six second-round picks go the other way.
Beal teams up with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, forming a big three in the city of Phoenix ahead of the new season as the franchise looks to win its first ever championship. The three-time All-Star is a walking bucket who has averaged over 20 ppg in seven of his eleven seasons in the league and over 30 ppg in back-to-back seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21).
Chris Paul (Washington Wizards – Golden State Warriors)
Chris Paul, nicknamed “Point God”, is the most experienced point guard in the league at the moment as he enters his 19th season in the NBA.
At 38, he is the third oldest player in the league, and therefore, he is not bereaved of experience or technical excellence. The 12-time All-Star has yet to win a championship, and his trade from the Wizards to the Golden State Warriors can actually put an end to his hunt for a ring, with the San Francisco-based franchise being the most successful NBA team in the last decade.
Paul has seen it all in the league, and together with the lethal hands and basketball IQ of four-time champion Stephen Curry, they could form the best backcourt league-wide. The veteran can score at all levels, lead the team, run an offense, and also pick a pass, and his value in the “non-curry” minutes will be so important for the Warriors.
Kristaps Porzingis (Washington Wizards – Boston Celtics)
Latvian big man Porzingis, who enters his ninth season in the league, will be playing for his fourth team having being trade from the Wizards to the Celtics in a three-team trade deal that saw Marcus Smart go to the Memphis Grizzlies and Tyus Jones head to Washington.
Boston also received a 2023 first-round pick and a top-four-protected 2024 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors) from the Grizzlies while Washington got Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and Boston’s 2023 second-round pick.
Porzingis’ presence provides both great paint defence for Celtics and also perimeter shooting as the 7-foot-3 one-time All-Star can let it fly from beyond the 3-point arc, averaging 35.8% in his career so far.
Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics – Memphis Grizzlies)
Marcus Smarts was shockingly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade that involved Porzingis and Jones. The 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year was an integral part of the Celtics team for nine seasons, helping them to the Eastern Conference Finals a few times and also to the NBA Finals once.
Smart’s addition to the relatively young Grizzlies roster provides them with a veteran presence and leadership, as well as an individual who is hardworking, has grit, and has a high basketball IQ. The-29-year-old also has a vital role to play for the Grizzlies, who will be without star guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season due to suspension, and will be in of a player to step up in his absence.
An integral part of the Warriors team that won the NBA Championship in 2022, Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards along with Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins and draft picks in exchange for Chris Paul.
The 24-year-old guard averaged 20.4 ppg for the Warriors last season, the third most in the team, amid the controversial incident that happened between him and forward Draymond Green during last year’s training camp.
Although he endured a poor outing in the playoffs last season, moving to a team with less pressure could turn out to be the right move for the Milwaukee native, who is as lethal as they come from both the 3-point line and the mid-range. Also, if his last season’s averages of 43% from the field and 33.6% from beyond the arc are anything to go by, Poole, who is expected to lead the Wizards offense, can become one of the best scorers in the league and, in turn, make his first All-Star selection.
