(Bleacher Report)
The crazy 2019-2020 NBA bubble season finally wrapped up as the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th championship in their team’s history. It is now time to look ahead to the offseason and take a look at the biggest storylines to keep an eye on.
Giannis’s Future in Milwaukee- The future of the Greek Freak is the biggest question around the NBA this offseason. The top-seeded Bucks losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat has led to questions as to whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in Milwaukee long-term or not. This was the second year in a row that Giannis and the Bucks have disappointed in the playoffs, after blowing a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champion Toronto Raptors last season as well. Giannis will not be a free agent until after the 2020-2021 season. However, he is eligible this offseason for a max contract extension if offered, or he can just decline it. It does not make sense for Giannis to sign the max contract now considering that Milwaukee has gone backwards in their pursuit of a championship. In addition, the Bucks have not done a good job surrounding Giannis with a good supporting cast. If the reigning back-to-back Final’s MVP declines the max contract extension, it puts pressure on the Bucks to make him happy and do as much as they can to try to convince Giannis to stay long term. However, for Giannis, declining the extension keeps him in Milwaukee short-term while also keeping his options open. It is worth noting that Giannis has said that there is no way he will be requesting a trade from the Bucks.
For the Bucks, if Giannis decides not to sign the long-term extension, then Milwaukee is in a tough situation where they can either ride it out and hope that Giannis does not leave in free agency. On the other hand, they can trade him, so they are guaranteed to get something in return for him and do not lose him for nothing. The Bucks are at a bigger risk of losing him because they are in a small market and free agents typically are not running to small market teams. An example of this is when free agents were not rushing to play with LeBron James in Cleveland after he had won in 2016.
Victor Oladipo’s Future in Indiana- Victor Oladipo had an all-star season in 2017-2018. As basketball-reference.com points out, he averaged 23.1 points, 4.3 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.1 threes per game. On top of that, he had an above average true shooting percentage of 58%. However, come the 2018-2019 season, Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon injury in his right knee that kept him out of action for just over 12 months. When he finally came back this past season, he only played in 19 games and averaged only 14.5 points per game with only a 50.6 true shooting percentage which is about six points below the league average. Meanwhile, while Oladipo was out Myles Turner turned into an all-star, Malcolm Brogden took over the ball handling duties, and T.J. Warren took over a lot of the scoring responsibilities. This now leaves Oladipo in a situation where he will likely be on the move.
However, considering that Oladipo is entering the final year of his contract and has been unable to stay on the court, it would not make sense for teams to be rushing to trade for the 28-year-old. One team that has been rumored to have interest in Oladipo is the Miami Heat. Miami is coming off an unexpected run to the NBA finals. It would not make much sense for them to get rid of their young talent like Tyler Herro for a guy that could very well be a one-year rental. As Zach Harper of The Athletic reported, “It’s just hard to see Herro involved unless they’re acquiring Giannis or Beal.” According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, another team that has popped up in connection to Oladipo are the Milwaukee Bucks. “I’ll give you a team I’m keeping an eye on with Victor Oladipo, Milwaukee. Just keep an eye on them. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m keeping an eye on them.” It is worth mentioning that Bledsoe and Brogden played together in Milwaukee and Bledsoe could very well be a player that would be heading back to Indiana in a possible trade.
(CBS Sports)
For Milwaukee, Oladipo could be the make-or-break player to pair with Giannis as a last chance opportunity to keep the “Greek Freak” long term in Milwaukee. In addition, assuming Oladipo can get back to his regular self, he could also serve as a good defensive replacement for Bledsoe and score more often considering he is bigger and two years younger than Bledsoe. There is no guarantee that Oladipo can get back to his 100% self, and then the worst case for the Bucks would be for Oladipo and Giannis to both leave as free agents in 2021 and then Milwaukee would have plenty of cap space to easily transition into a rebuild.
Another team that has surfaced in the Oladipo trade possibilities are the New York Knicks. The Knicks are reportedly looking to trade for a star player to try to speed up their rebuilding process. New York has a lot of possible trade assets including Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina and their two first round picks in 2021 and 2023 from the Dallas Mavericks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. However, this might not be the best route for the Knickerbockers to go considering that Oladipo could very well be a one-year rental. On top of that, they are not the only team that would have interest in him and there will be better offers available for him. In addition, this type of move has the old Knicks’ fingerprints all over it -- getting a player that is past his prime and will wind up not living up to expectations.
What do the Celtics do? – The Boston Celtics fell short of reaching the NBA Finals as they lost in six games to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. One big hole that was clear throughout their series versus Miami was the need for another center. The only way the Celtics can make a trade though is if another team is willing to take on the remaining $34.2 million on Gordon Hayward’s contract (assuming he picks up his player option). One name that has continually made its way around is Myles Turner. The Pacers have two expensive centers and will likely only keep one. Turner’s ability to protect the rim and shoot make him a good fit in Boston considering that a lot of Brad Stevens’ centers have been able to shoot (Al Horford, Aron Baynes, and Daniel Theis). It has also been reported that the Pacers have interest in Hayward, who is ironically from Indiana. Since Turner can shoot and is only 24 years old, acquiring him should be the Celtics top priority.
Another player that has popped up for the Celtics as another possibility is Steven Adams. The Thunder are heading towards a rebuild and Adams will likely be available in a trade. While he cannot shoot, he makes up for it with his rebounding. Hayward does not fit OKC’s rebuilding plan which would likely make this a three-team deal with a team that would be willing to take on his contract and see more value in him.
Do the Nets trade for a third star? -When the Nets signed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant the original thought was that they would trade their young players for a proven star to complete a Big Three. However, a couple of things have happened since then: Bradley Beal, who has been linked to a lot of potential trades, will likely not be moved out of the nation’s capital since he has said he has no interest in getting moved and would rather ride it out with the rebuilding Wizards. This would leave the Nets with limited options for a third star because outside of Beal there are not that many players available that would make as big of a difference. In addition, it does not make much sense for Brooklyn to give up all of their young talent and depth for an average third star. Also, it does not make sense to trade for a third star now that Caris LeVert blossomed into that third star and can put up all-star type of numbers when Kyrie and KD return as he wound up averaging 18.7 points this past season.
Should the Warriors trade the second pick in draft? – The Warriors will have both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back for the start of the upcoming season. With that in mind, it is clear that Golden State is still in a win-now mode and trying to challenge the Lakers in the Western Conference. Considering that the Warriors have the second pick in the draft and this draft is not as strong as others in the past, it would be wise for Golden State to trade down and acquire another star player. Some teams to keep an eye on who the Warriors could trade with if they decide to trade back are the New York Knick at number eight, the Washington Wizards at number nine, or the Phoenix Suns at number ten. Both the Knicks and the Suns have an extra first round draft pick so Golden State could use that as a way to update its roster with fresh talent. Another possible trade idea for the Warriors would be to trade the second pick along with Andrew Wiggins to Indiana for either Myles Turner or Victor Oladipo. The Pacers cannot keep both of them on their roster because if Indiana resigns Oladipo, then Turner would be the odd man out since it would be too much for their salary cap. The Pacers would be getting back the second pick in the draft and a young player in Wiggins that was starting to find himself before he got traded to Golden State for a team that will likely be heading towards a rebuild.
It will be very interesting to see how the NBA offseason plays out.