NBA Rumors: As the holiday season arrives, we explore one overlooked or unlikely move or player that every team in the NBA should be thankful for.
The deeper we get into the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the more we're learning about what may lie ahead for each team. We may not have a strong handle on what every team is or isn't so far this season but, generally speaking, there is plenty that can be learned through the first 15-20 games of the season. And that's pretty much where we stand at this point in the season. The big mystery heading into the holiday season revolves around what trends will remain and which will break heading into the new calendar year.
It's safe to say that we're going to learn a lot about many teams as we enter the next few weeks of the season. But without getting too ahead of ourselves, this could also be considered a good time for each team to take a step back and analyze what they have - not what they don't. In our yearly series, we explore one underrated move or player that each organization in the NBA should be thankful or grateful for this holiday season.
Atlanta Hawks
Thankful for: The move for Dyson Daniels
To many, Dyson Daniels was viewed as a "throw-in" as part of the Dejounte Murray trade to the New Orleans Pelicans. However, the argument could be made that Daniels has been one of the best players on the Hawks this season. So much so, the Hawks should be eternally grateful for his presence on the roster. Daniels is quickly emerging as a great fit next to Trae Young and he's already certainly a better fit than Murray ever was (no offense). If Daniels remains on this trajectory, it's only a matter of time before he becomes a household name in the league.
Boston Celtics
Thankful for: Brad Stevens, the general manager
The Boston Celtics are currently the defending NBA Champions and are the overwhelming favorites to win it all again this season. One of the bigger reasons why the Celtics are in such a great position is because of the greatness of Brad Stevens, the general manager. For as good of a coach as Stevens was during his time in Boston, he's been an even better front-office executive. At this point, there's a strong argument to be made that Stevens is a better executive than he was a head coach. But I suppose that's a different argument for another day. The Celtics should be eternally grateful for Stevens' move to the front office.