The 2019 NBA offseason was a wild one. The regular season is now over a quarter of the way done, giving us insight on who is and who is not in the hunt for a championship. Some teams are still a few years away and in the middle of rebuilding. Others just needed to add one, or two, players this past offseason to improve their odds. Many players moved teams in the offseason, but which ones have been the most beneficial for their new team? Here are the best offseason acquisitions of 2019.
LA Clippers: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
Let’s get one of the bigger ones out of the way. By signing Leonard and trading for George, the Clippers went from a surprise playoff team from last year to one of the favorites to win it all. Both Leonard and George have had an immediate impact on the Clippers and is must watch basketball. The Clippers also have some great role players to begin with, and adding two All-Stars to the mix has had one of the biggest positive impacts on any team in the league.
LA Lakers: Anthony Davis
Say what you will about the Lakers or LeBron James, but adding Davis to the squad greatly elevated the Lakers to championship favorites. They gave up a lot for Davis, but if it brings a championship it will all be worth it. The only really major asset that was given up was Brandon Ingram, but is growth was stinted by James’ shadow. There is still questions of how Davis will perform in the playoffs. Davis is not a first option on a championship team, but he is probably the greatest second option in the league.
OKC Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook may have been the larger names associated with the Houston and OKC trade, but the Thunder landing SGA was one of the biggest wins of the entire offseason. SGA is a young, talented guard who will is the future of the rebuilding Thunder. Along with the vast number of picks the Thunder acquired, the future is looking bright in OKC.
Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker
There was an obvious problem in the Celtics locker room, and its name was Kyrie Irving. Irving disrupted everything good the Celtics young core built up the previous year. Enter Walker, Irving’s replacement and a much better team leader. The ball is moving much better between the players. Everyone seems happy and the record shows. Walker’s playmaking is greatly helping the development of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics have a much better chance of winning a title with Walker than Irving, and signing Walker should be considered by all as a massive upgrade rather than a loss.
New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Ingram
Ingram rounds out the best offseason acquisitions, and may be one of the most intriguing. The Pelicans may not have that great of a record, but Ingram has found space to spread his wings. LeBron did no favors for Ingram’s progress, but he now looks deserving of being selected second overall. Ingram will continue to grow as a scorer and playmaker. Imagine when Zion Williamson comes back he has a player like Ingram to feed off of? Pelicans basketball is going to be fun to watch in the future.
