The Bulls have done it again in this ongoing NBA free agency. After failing to make it to the playoffs last season despite doing so well in the previous trade deadline, Chicago reloaded by bringing in some viable pieces.
The 2020 NBA finalists in the Heat and the Lakers, on the other hand, have also strengthened their respective lineups after their first round exits last postseason and they have emerged as top contenders once again.
Here at SBOTOP, we keep tabs on your favorite NBA teams and players by examining the biggest winners and losers of the offseason so far.
Winner: Bulls
Arturas Karnisovas and co. should be given props for how aggressive they’ve been during free agency.
With the team built around Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls decided to first add depth at the PG spot and they got it in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
Lonzo Ball was acquired from the Pelicans via a sign-and-trade in exchange for Garrett Temple, Tomas Satoransky, a 2024 second-rounder, and cash considerations.
Meanwhile, Alex Caruso finds a new home in Chicago and he’ll add defence and athleticism at the backcourt.
The biggest move that the Bulls made, however, was their sign-and-trade for the Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan.
In exchange for the midrange specialist, who was considered as one of the top FAs available, the Bulls gave up a 2025 first-rounder, two second-rounders, and veteran forward Thaddeus Young.
DeRozan will undoubtedly help ease the scoring load off of Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, while Lonzo Ball’s assists numbers should go up given the passing options available to him.
These additions will unlock a whole new dimension to the Bulls’ offence, making them one of the dark horses for the 2021/22 season.
Loser: Pelicans
The Pelicans may be headed for another lottery year given their underwhelming transactions during free agency.
New Orleans’ main priority was to shed salary in order to create room for a potential big free agent to complement Zion Williamson, but things haven’t gone according to plan.
All they got so far was Devonte Graham, Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, Jonas Valanciunas, and a couple of future draft picks.
Devonte Graham and Jonas Valanciunas should come in and contribute right away, but the same can’t be said for Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple.
Although we can commend the Pelicans for clearing cap space this summer, their NBA 2021 odds of contending for a playoff spot next season look bleak.
Winner: Heat
The Heat have probably heard all of their critics after a subpar campaign following an NBA Finals stint last 2020, which is why they went out to make a big splash this summer.
Kyle Lowry was one of the best free agents available and Miami secured his services via a three-year, $85-M deal.
Along with the acquisition of the greatest Toronto Raptor ever, the Heat also managed to lock up Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson via lucrative extensions while adding PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris as well.
Compared to their losses of Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, and Trevor Ariza, it is clear that the Heat look significantly better now than they did last term.
Winner: Lakers
The Lakers are also the big winners in this free agency since they’ve formed a new superteam.
Los Angeles made the biggest NBA 2021 news when they traded for Russell Westbrook, which is a massive upgrade at the PG position.
Being the superstars that they are, the trio of Westbrook, Davis, and James make up for a huge chunk of the Lakers’ salary cap and they had little room to fill out their roster.
The credit goes to Rob Pelinka for adding seven more free agents on short-team deals in Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, and Kendrick Nunn for only $15-M total.
At the same time, young stud Talen Horton-Tucker agreed to extend his stay in Hollywood via a three-year, $32-M deal.
Many pundits worry that the current Lakers’ roster is too old to compete for a championship, which should be their main motivation this upcoming season.
Loser: Dennis Schroder
Dennis Schroder should’ve stayed a Laker today if only he tempered his expectations.
The German international made a monumental mistake when he turned down a reported four-year, $84-M extension from the Lakers since he thought that he could make more this summer.
Unfortunately for Schroder, the market has dried up for him and he remains unsigned although there are other teams out there who can benefit from his skillset.
As of the moment, his best option is to find the right role while taking a huge discount on a short-term deal and hope that a friendlier marketplace awaits in 2022.
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