The NBA season came to a close with the Golden State Warriors winning the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. Once the celebrations ended, the Warriors and the NBA’s 29 other teams got back to work.  For players, that meant practicing harder than ever to try to improve their game to help their team, and for front offices, trading for key players that could put their team in contention for the NBA championship.  

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, for example, went big in the offseason. Both sent multiple future first-round picks and young prospects in exchange for All-Stars that could help their young cores get over the hump and make a deep run into the playoffs.  

It was a busy summer for the Utah Jazz, as their front office practically decimated the team in hopes of starting a rebuild.  On July 6, they sent off Rudy Gobert, an All-Star and one of the best defensive players in the league, to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Gobert will anchor down a team that includes De’angelo Russell, Karl Anthony Towns, and rising star Anthony Edwards.  Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Star, and has been named All-NBA Defensive first-team at the center position three times.  

“Minnesota hopes that this move will boost them to one of the top seeds in the West and possibly make a deep playoff run and I think that they will,” said senior Ryan Epstein.

The Jazz were not done yet, however.  All summer, the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz were in talks about the potential movement of 26-year old All-Star Donovan Mitchell.  The Knicks’ front office was looking for the all around scorer that could finally put their franchise in a position to contend in the Eastern Conference.  However, when the Knicks extended small forward RJ Barrett on Aug. 29, it complicated the trade.  Just a few days later, the Jazz dealt Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a heartbreaking move for Knicks fans.  

Both teams got exactly what they needed for their future. The Cavaliers got another young superstar to add to their great young core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, while the Jazz got a package of picks and players to help start their rebuild including Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps. Mitchell averaged 26 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one and a half steals per game in Utah last season, and he will try to boost Cleveland to possibly an Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals berth. 

“This trade instantly makes the Cavaliers contenders in the Eastern Conference,” said freshman Zach Miller.

While Cleveland and Minnesota were lower-tier playoff teams looking for their franchise player, the Celtics were a team that had previously made a deep run, but ultimately fell short.  When the off-season came, the front office in Boston made their move.  They sent a collection of reserve players, most notably Daniel Theis, and a first round pick to Indiana, in return for Malcolm Brogdon, a combo guard who is a good scorer and defender.  He will be a good complement to stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, as he is a versatile defender who can shoot the lights out.  Smart is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but in situations where the Celtics need to score, Brogdon will be their guy.  

“Brogdon definitely will have a chance to win Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench in Boston,” said freshman Ryan Krainman.

Fans tend to react to their favorite teams or their rivals making big moves and there is no doubt that fans of the Celtics, Wolves, and Cavs all think that these may be the moves for their team that really jumpstart their success.  It remains to be seen what these three teams can do in the regular and postseason, but they are definitely three teams to watch after their improvements this offseason.