Joe Johnson to Brooklyn
You could call this a panic move on Brooklyn's part, who must have been terrified they'd start the season with
Gerald Wallace as their best player, but it actually make a ton of sense and caused Deron Williams to re-sign, which will give Brooklyn on of the better backcourts in the NBA. This hurts their chances of trading for or signing Dwight Howard, but that door isn't completely closed. Even without Howard, if the Nets can resign Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries, Brooklyn will have a very good starting lineup and can threaten to be a top 4-5 seed next season. But perhaps more importantly for a team moving into a new city and arena, this will ensure that the fans come out consistently. For Atlanta, this marks the end of an era and also removes Johnson's massive contract from Atlanta's salary. Combine that with Atlanta's trade of Marvin Williams for Devin Harris and Atlanta all of a sudden has a ton of cap space as well as the assets to make a run at Dwight Howard, then sign Chris Paul in the summer of 2013. Of the players Atlanta acquired, only Anthony Morrow is likely to be much of a contributor, though Jordan Williams might be slotted as a backup center. The rest of the players will either be bought out, traded, or just sit out the rest of their expiring deals on the Atlanta bench.
Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry to Boston
Garnett resigning was expected, especially after he showed last year he can still play at a high level but what will really help Garnett is that Boston now has Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo, Brandon Bass, and a healthy Jeff Green to provided depth, meaning Garnett can play less minutes during the regular season and even get nights off, much like San Antonio does with Tim Duncan. The Jason Terry signing is a crucial one for Boston because of his ability to create his own shot, something Ray Allen didn't do and few Celtics can consistently do. Terry's ability to score should add a boost and new dimension to a Boston offense that can really struggle to score. The one concern I have with this signing is that Boston's top backcourt players of Terry, Rajon Rondo, and Avery Bradley stand 6-2, 6-1, and 6-2 respectively, giving them a very small backcourt. Expect them to sign a bigger wing player, such as Mickael Pietrus, Carlos Delfino, or C.J. Miles.
Steve Nash to the Lakers
In perhaps the most unexpected move of the offseason so far, the Los Angeles Lakers have traded for Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade from Phoenix, who will receive first round picks in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2012 and 2014. For the Lakers, Steve Nash becomes their best point guard since Magic Johnson and it isn't really even close. Nash will be a big boost the Lakers offense both with his scoring and passing, however that's provided L.A. allows him to play with the ball in his hand and run the pick and roll, which is a big switch from past Lakers point guards, who usually just spot up. And if Nash is allowed to play with the ball in his hands, how will Kobe Bryant coexist with that? The answers to these questions will determine whether the Lakers are contenders again, or continue their slide. Also, Nash doesn't help with the glaring mismatch of athleticism the Lakers face against their top Western Conference competition, the Thunder or the struggles they have with quick, athletic point guards. Obviously, Nash will be an upgrade, but just how much of an upgrade will be determined more by factors other than Nash's ability. For Phoenix, this gives them some picks to aide their rebuilding process and the certainty that they need to move on from Nash, which they've done by agreeing to terms with Goron Dragic, who played from them in the past as Nash's backup. Phoenix also signed Eric Gordon to a max offer sheet (which New Orleans is sure to match) and signed Michael Beasley, who will be slotted as the starting small forward, though whether that's a good thing remains to be seen. Phoenix still needs to find at least two more guards, as they currently have nothing at the shooting guard position.
In perhaps the most unexpected move of the offseason so far, the Los Angeles Lakers have traded for Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade from Phoenix, who will receive first round picks in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2012 and 2014. For the Lakers, Steve Nash becomes their best point guard since Magic Johnson and it isn't really even close. Nash will be a big boost the Lakers offense both with his scoring and passing, however that's provided L.A. allows him to play with the ball in his hand and run the pick and roll, which is a big switch from past Lakers point guards, who usually just spot up. And if Nash is allowed to play with the ball in his hands, how will Kobe Bryant coexist with that? The answers to these questions will determine whether the Lakers are contenders again, or continue their slide. Also, Nash doesn't help with the glaring mismatch of athleticism the Lakers face against their top Western Conference competition, the Thunder or the struggles they have with quick, athletic point guards. Obviously, Nash will be an upgrade, but just how much of an upgrade will be determined more by factors other than Nash's ability. For Phoenix, this gives them some picks to aide their rebuilding process and the certainty that they need to move on from Nash, which they've done by agreeing to terms with Goron Dragic, who played from them in the past as Nash's backup. Phoenix also signed Eric Gordon to a max offer sheet (which New Orleans is sure to match) and signed Michael Beasley, who will be slotted as the starting small forward, though whether that's a good thing remains to be seen. Phoenix still needs to find at least two more guards, as they currently have nothing at the shooting guard position.
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