NBA Rumors: Ranking the 10 best and most impactful moves of the NBA offseason thus far after the NBA Draft and Free Agency.
The 2023 NBA offseason is not over yet but with the NBA Draft and the first few waves of Free Agency in the books, we’re getting to the point where the majority of the big moves have already been made.
With NBA Summer League underway, soon the NBA dog days of August will be upon us, and the basketball universe as a whole will be counting the days down until training camps open. Even though there could still be a couple of more big moves made, this is a good time to take a step back and reflect on what has already been done this summer.
Ranking the best and most impactful of the 2023 NBA offseason thus far
(Honorable mention) 10. Miami Heat getting Damian Lillard to demand a trade only to them
There’s still no guarantee that the Miami Heat will be able to acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers but the fact that they even have a shot to do so is amazing considering many believed they were dead in the water after inactivity at the NBA Draft and after losing both Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency.
Not only did Lillard request a trade but he named the Heat as the only team he wanted to be traded to. He’s followed that up by making life difficult for the Blazers as they scour the rest of the league in an attempt to prompt a bidding war.
Again, there’s no guarantee that the Heat is able to trade for Lillard but they’re at least in a good position to have a chance. And if Lillard does end up on the Heat, they may be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. If this move were to get completed, this probably goes to the top of the list.
But, for now, it’s simply worthy of an honorable mention.