Last time on The New Millennium, Jason Richardson and Jamaal Teague led the Nets to their third title in six years, becoming the first team in this series to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy three times. Now, the offseason is upon us and changes are coming.
Player Retirements
Biding farewell to the NBA this year were the likes of Shawn Marion, Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Jamal Crawford, Jayden Stafford, Mike Miller, Coty Porter and Quinn Park. Brand would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Draft Lottery
The Bucks and Kings are two teams that have not fared well in recent years, but smart trading may have changed their fortunes. The Bucks got the first pick from the Raptors, while the Kings will draft second thanks to the Clippers. The Bucks will also have the third pick, the Kings have the fourth and the interloper Cavaliers pick fifth. Sacramento also has the eleventh, fourteenth and twenty-ninth picks, making this an incredibly busy draft for them.
- The Sacramento Kings trade the 2015 4th and 29th picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for SF Joe Johnson(93 OVR)-
Eager to begin rebuilding in earnest, the Lakers trade away their best player in Joe Johnson, who now gets a fresh start in Sacramento, who still have the 2nd, 11th and 14th picks. Johnson is now 34, and is signed on for 4 more years on a massive deal. It is a risky deal for the Kings, but one they hope will kickstart a speedy rebuild.
2015 NBA Draft
1. C Karl-Anthony Towns, Milwaukee Bucks(Milwaukee will now attempt to build around KAT)
2. SG Devin Booker, Sacramento Kings(A very good fit to go alongside Joe Johnson)
3. PF Kristaps Porzingis, Milwaukee Bucks(Now that's a very scary looking frontcourt)
4. SG Theo Watts, Los Angeles Lakers
5. SG Mario Hezonja, Cleveland Cavaliers(Cleveland, what are you doing?)
6. C Myles Turner, Los Angeles Lakers(Good value pick)
7. PG D'Angelo Russell, Phoenix Suns(A solid replacement for John Wall)
8. C Jahlil Okafor, Denver Nuggets
9. PF Frank Kaminsky, Washington Wizards(They probably think he's the next Dirk. That's hilarious)
10. PG Emmanuel Mudiay, New Orleans Pelicans
11. C Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings(Another player goes back to his irl team)
12. PF Trey Lyles, Miami Heat
13. SF Justise Winslow, Charlotte Hornets
14. PG Tyus Jones, Sacramento Kings
15. SF Josh Richardson, Houston Rockets
18. PG Andrew Harrison, Portland Trail Blazers
21. SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Utah Jazz
23. PG Terry Rozier, Los Angeles Clippers
24. PG Jerian Grant, Utah Jazz
25. PG Delon Wright, Boston Celtics
27. PF Bobby Portis, Indiana Pacers
28. SF Stanley Johnson, Dallas Mavericks
29. SF Justin Anderson, Los Angeles Lakers
30. C Richaun Holmes, New Jersey Nets
32. SG Pat Connaughton, Los Angeles Clippers
33. SG Cedi Osman, Vancouver Grizzlies
34. SF Norman Powell, Sacramento Kings
38. SF Sam Dekker, Los Angeles Lakers
40. SF Kelly Oubre Jr., San Antonio Spurs
42. PF Kevon Looney, Atlanta Hawks
43. PF Jordan Mickey, Houston Rockets
46. PG Cameron Payne, Minnesota Timberwolves
Free Agency
Here are the players that switched teams in free agency:
PF Orlando Barbosa(85 OVR), Cleveland Cavaliers, 3 years, 37 million dollars
C Brandan Wright(85 OVR), Vancouver Grizzlies, 4 years, 46 million dollars
PG Ross Dillon(85 OVR), Charlotte Hornets, 4 years, 38 million dollars
PF Drew Gooden(85 OVR), Los Angeles Lakers, 4 years, 56 million dollars
PG Raymond Felton(85 OVR), Los Angeles Lakers, 4 years, 33 million dollars
2016 Draft Preview
Right now, the undisputed top pick appears to be Ben Simmons, though I've learned not to put too much stock into the early season mock drafts. There are a lot of guards scheduled to go after him, including Kris Dunn, Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, Buddy Hield and Jamal Murry, in addition to Brandon Ingram. This seems to be a very weak draft for quality big men, with the top projected forward being Skal Labissiere outside of the lottery.
Top Unsigned Players
(Henry's Note- At this point, most teams are having tons of cap issues, meaning lots of top players will not be signed in free agency. Let's take a look at who is still left)
PG John Wall(93 OVR)
SG Lenny Park(91 OVR)
SG Lou Williams(90 OVR)
SF Gordon Hayward(90 OVR)
SG Edwin Russell(89 OVR)
SF Danilo Gallinari(88 OVR)
SG Danny Green(88 OVR)
PG Ricky Rubio(87 OVR)
SG Jimmy Butler(87 OVR)
PF Derrick Favors(86 OVR)
PG Jerryd Bayless(85 OVR)
SF Evan Turner(85 OVR)
PF Al-Farouq Aminu(85 OVR)
SF Brandon Rush(85 OVR)
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