Warriors Targeting Bulls' Robin Lopez?

Robin Lopez could find himself competing for a championship this season. The Golden State Warriors are interested in acquiring the Chicago Bulls center, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

In the wake of Damian Jones’ pectoral tear—a potentially season-ending injury—the Warriors are in need of a big man. Jones will undergo surgery to repair the torn left pectoral muscle he suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. He started at center in 22 of the 24 games he played in this season, averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes per contest.

Lopez’s minutes have been scaled back this season with the Bulls rebuilding and focusing on playing the team’s younger guys. The 7-foot Lopez, 30, could use a change of scenery. He is a free agent at season’s end, making him an appealing trade option. The Bulls could simply just buy out Lopez's contract, freeing him to sign with the team of his choice.

The Warriors are reportedly interested in Robin Lopez. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While Lopez has not seen significant playing action, he was praised earlier in the season for his “professionalism” and was called a “great mentor and great example” to the Bulls' young players by Fred Hoiberg, the now former Bulls coach who was fired on Monday.

Lopez could beef up the Warriors’ front-line, which is still awaiting the debut of four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who signed with Golden State in the offseason.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Cousins is “making strides” and is practicing fully with the team. Previous reports have suggested that Cousins could return in late-December or January. Given that he is practicing regularly, that seems like an accurate timeline.

The Warriors recalled Marcus Derrickson from the G-League to add help in the frontcourt, but he is more of a power forward/4. With Draymond Green currently injured, Kevin Looney has been thrust into the starting center role for the Warriors with Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko getting minutes at the 5 off the bench. But Green, Looney, Bell and Jerebko aren't true 5's and are all better suited at the 4.

Lopez would provide the Warriors with a legitimate center. He could be useful in the interim and see decent minutes—at least until Cousins regains his health.

Myles Garrett Rips Kevin Durant for Joining Warriors, Riding 'Somebody's Coat Tails for a W'

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett looks down upon Kevin Durant for taking the easy path to winning a championship. Garrett explained his frustration with Durant for joining the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016, fresh off the team’s record-setting 73-win season.

“KD broke the league,” Garrett said on Thursday in an interview with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan when asked if he watched this year's NBA Finals.

“You hopped onto a 73-9 team and he took the easy way out in my mind,” Garrett said.

Myles Garrett says Kevin Durant broke the NBA by signing with Golden State. (Ron Schwane)

Garrett wisely pointed out that Durant signing with the 73-win Warriors—who narrowly defeated Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals—is not comparable to LeBron James joining the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010. James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency because the talent around him was subpar (Mo Williams was the second-best player on the 2009-10 Cavaliers!?!), unlike Durant who was playing alongside future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook. James went to Miami, which had lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2010, to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Durant signed with a Golden State team that had already maintained significant success without him, winning the title in 2015 and reaching Game 7 of the Finals in 2016.

“It's different when LeBron left. He went to [Miami to join] Wade and Bosh but it wasn't something that was already guaranteed, something you already knew was going to have immediate success. [James] had to gel and work things into place.”

The Warriors have won two straight titles with Durant. Garrett, the first overall selection of the 2017 NFL Draft, is not surprised by Golden State’s dominance.

“They were 73-9 before and you put the second-best player in the world on an already all-time great team and of course you're going to have success, pretty easy success. Anyone can have an off night and they can still find a way to win.”

Game 3 of the Finals supports Garrett’s assertion. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggled to get anything going offensively that night. Curry (11 points) had a horrific shooting night—missing 13 of 16 shots, including nine of his 10 three-point attempts—while Thompson was held to 10 points. But Durant bailed out his teammates with an otherworldly performance, scoring 43 points (15-of-23 shooting) with 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Now a two-time Finals MVP, Durant has played tremendous in each of the past two postseasons with the Warriors. But the fact remains that Durant is dominating on a roster that was already a powerhouse without him.

A competitive drive would prevent Garrett from ever hopping onto the best roster in the league just to win a championship, he says.

“If I were him I would've never made a move like that in the first place,'' he said. “Me, I'm too competitive to try and ride on somebody's coat tails to get a W. But for him, you might as well stay at the spot you're at now. There's no point in leaving since you've already taken that moniker where he's been called the snake and cupcake and all that. You might as well stay and just keep on winning.”

It’s hard to argue with any of Garrett’s criticism for Durant.

Durant undoubtedly took the easiest path to a championship. While a member of the Thunder, Durant almost dethroned the Warriors with the help of superstar teammate Russell Westbrook. Leaving the Thunder for the Warriors—a month removed from the teams’ seven-game Conference Finals showdown—was a snake move, no matter how you spin it.

Garrett, who shined with Cleveland when healthy (11 games played) in his rookie season, is preaching to the choir of many NBA fans who are upset with Durant. The media far too often coddles Durant, who spited his former Oklahoma City teammates and coaches passive aggressively with burner Twitter accounts, while also whining about the criticism sent his way for his move in free agency.

It’s refreshing to hear a fellow professional athlete speak out against Durant, who has coasted to consecutive championships.

Rockets' Role Players Shrink in Game 1 Loss

The Golden State Warriors demonstrated on Monday night why it is such a grueling task to defeat them come playoff time. The opposition must execute close to perfection. The Houston Rockets failed to do that in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and now face a must-win contest on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.

James Harden, expected to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player, performed at an MVP level—but so did Kevin Durant in the Warriors' 119-106 victory. While Harden scored a game-best 41 points, Durant recorded 37 of his own. Chris Paul, who posted 23 points, 11 rebounds and two steals, was on par with two-time MVP Stephen Curry (18 points, eight assists, two steals and one block).

Review of the game tape and a quick glance at the box score shows that both teams’ superstar duos came to play and essentially offset one another other. But the remaining cast of the Warriors severely outplayed Houston’s. There lies the problem for the Rockets. They don’t have the depth of talent to go neck-and-neck with the Warriors. No NBA team does.

On a night where the Rockets needed Clint Capela (who is far more than just a role player, as these playoffs have shown, but still clearly playing third fiddle to Harden and Paul) to dominate on both ends, he was instead held in check. Houston's center scored just 12 points (mostly off alley-oops) and had just six rebounds—the same amount as Curry.

P.J. Tucker, fresh off scoring 19 and 15 in his last two playoff contests, respectively, had one measly point. He missed all three field goal attempts and went 1-of-3 shooting from the charity stripe. Luc Mbah a Moute couldn’t muster a single point on 0-for-6 shooting, while Trevor Ariza registered just eight points.

Trevor Ariza struggled mightily against the Warriors in Game 1. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)

The aforementioned forwards need to hit outside jumpers for Houston to have a chance this series. Tucker, Mbah a Moute and Ariza went a combined 1-for-9 from behind the arc. They didn’t make an impact on the glass (11 rebounds combined) and had no answer for Durant.

Ariza picked up his fifth foul less than three minutes into the second half. Tucker ended up spending the most time guarding Durant, who used his height to shoot over the top of Tucker. Mbah a Moute actually has the length to defend Durant, but struggled against him in limited chances and put forth a brutal overall showing—as evidenced by his game-worst minus -14 in 20 minutes of action.

Eric Gordon was the only non-star to deliver on offense for the Rockets. The 2017 Sixth Man of the Year had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. However, he turned the ball over four times, struggled on the defensive end and posted a minus-10.

So while Houston relied on Capela, Gordon, Tucker, Mbah a Moute and Ariza to aid its superstar duo, Golden State leaned on the likes of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala to compliment its superstar pair. Advantage, Golden State.

Thompson had a field day, hitting six treys en route to a 28-point showing, while Green delivered his typical all-around offensive performance (five points, nine rebounds, a team-high nine assists) and stellar defense, which included a couple of steals and blocks.

Iguodala didn’t have nearly the statistical output as Thompson and Green, but his insertion into the starting unit (their “death lineup”) caused all sorts of problems for the Rockets, who were forced to sit Capela during some important stretches of the game to combat Golden State’s smaller unit.

The Rockets are counting on guys outside of Paul and Harden to come through in Game 2. If they don’t, the Rockets will likely be staring at an 0-2 series deficit, which all but ends their upset hopes.

How Rockets Can Upset Warriors

The Houston Rockets won a league-best 65 games in the regular season and have lost just two games this postseason, but will enter the Western Conference Finals as underdogs against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are listed as -185 favorites to win the series, according to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas. However, the Rockets are currently favored to win Game 1 of the West Finals on Monday night in Houston.

Oddsmakers shouldn’t be ostracized for leaning towards the Warriors over the top-seeded Rockets. Golden State, after all, has posted a 24-3 record over the past two postseasons and has yet to even partake in a series longer than five games since Kevin Durant ditched Oklahoma City for the heavyweight Warriors.

Although it’s tough to foresee the Rockets dethroning the Warriors, here are three factors that could make it possible:

Chris Paul Outplays Stephen Curry

Advancing to the conference finals for the first time in his career, Chris Paul needs to perform at the same superstar level as he did against the Utah Jazz last round. Paul scored 41 points in the Rockets’ series-clinching victory over the Jazz, shooting 13-of-22 shooting from the field—including 8-of-10 from three-point land—and added 10 assists (zero turnovers) with seven rebounds and a steal.

Chris Paul will go head-to-head against Stephen Curry. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)

Paul is certainly capable of outshining two-time MVP Stephen Curry on the big stage. For all the negativity associated with CP3 and his lack of team playoff success, he ranks fifth all-time in postseason assists per contest. Paul, a seven-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, must be physical against Curry, particularly when guarding him away from the ball. The more off-the-ball pressure Paul can provide, the less pick-and-roll opportunities will be available for Curry, who is all but unstoppable in the two-man game on offense.

Clint Capela Maintains Dominance

Clint Capela, a restricted free agent this summer, was a borderline All-Star during the regular season and has shined thus far in the postseason. Houston’s center outplayed his counterparts Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert in successive series. The 7-footer will be challenged, though, by Golden State’s “death lineup,” which features Draymond Green at center.

The Warriors will likely open with their small-ball lineup as they did at the end of their last series against the New Orleans Pelicans. In the past, centers have been pushed off the floor by the quickness of this lineup because it steers the opposing big men away from the hoop. Capela is shifty for a player his size and possesses the ability to keep up with the Warriors’ fast-paced offense. Furthermore, Capela can overpower any player on Golden State’s roster and can be particularly effective in the post versus the death lineup. If things going according to plan, Capela will defend the Warriors’ smaller players well and dominate the paint on offense as he done all playoffs long.

Mbah a Moute and Tucker Play Strong Defense, Hit 3s

The Rockets will rely on Trevor Ariza on defense against Durant to start the game. But offseason additions Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker will be tasked with guarding the superstar forward for portions of the contest as well. Mbah a Moute provides more length against Durant, while Tucker is a more physical defender. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey constructed his roster to match up with the Warriors—even admitting he was obsessed with beating the champs—and brought both players to Houston with an eye on slowing down Durant by bodying him and forcing him to take difficult jump shots.

Mbah a Moute and Tucker are both defensive specialists who don’t provide much offense. As Golden State hones their defense on James Harden, Paul and Capela, forwards Mbah a Moute and Tucker will be often left alone on the perimeter to shoot threes. Tucker has been effective from behind the arc this postseason, making 22-of-48 (45.8 percent) of his 3s. Mbah a Moute missed the first round and made just two of his 10 3s versus the Jazz, but the 31-year-old did hit a career-high 63 three-pointers in the regular season, despite missing 21 games to injury. When Harden and Paul penetrate to the basket, Mbah a Moute and Tucker will be the open men who need to make shots to keep the Warriors’ defense honest and limit their double-teams.

Rockets Sign Luc Mbah a Moute, Adding Another Player to Match Up with Warriors

                With the Golden State Warriors retaining their core players this summer—re-singing Finals MVP Kevin Durant, giving two-time league MVP Stephen Curry a supermax contract and re-upping Andre Iguodala—while also bolstering the bench with the additions of Nick Young and Omri Casspi, the defending champions will be heavy favorites to win the title next year. For other title hopefuls, the most prudent move is to construct their roster to match up with the heavyweight Warriors. The Rockets—who traded for nine-time All-Star Chris Paul at the start of free agency—have done exactly that this offseason and Sunday’s signing of free agent combo forward Luc Mbah a Moute is further proof.

                An elite wing defender who shot a career-best 39 percent from three-point territory last season, Mbah a Moute is one of the most underrated players in the league. The 30-year-old Cameroonian small forward spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, earning 61 and 76 starts in the past two years, respectively. For all the awful moves Doc Rivers has made as the president of basketball operations for the Clippers, signing Mbah a Moute was a clear-cut home run. Mbah a Moute received an invite to the Clippers' training camp in 2015 and impressed the team enough to give him a guaranteed 1-year contract. He re-signed with the Clippers last offseason on a 2-year deal which held a player option for the second season. After declining his $2.3 million option last month, he has agreed to join a Rockets squad that has been busy this offseason in their title pursuit.

Luc Mbah a Moute became a catalyst for the Clippers' defense the past two seasons.  Kyusung Gong (Zuma Press)

                 Inking the defensive-minded Mbah a Moute to a veteran minimum deal is a steal for the Rockets, who are building one of the league’s strongest benches. While Mbah a Moute is a limited offensive player unable of creating his own shot, the 6’8” forward is capable of defending the likes of Durant and Iguodala. 

                Mbah a Moute joins the 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year, Eric Gordon, among the Rockets reserves—along with Nene Hilario and the newly-signed P.J. Tucker. Tucker is another forward who prides himself on his tenacious defense. Tucker provides more on the offensive end than Mbah a Moute, however Mbah a Moute might be Houston’s best option to guard Durant because of his length.

                Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes his team has "closed the gap" on the Warriors. Coming off a 55-win season, the Rockets do appear, on paper at least, to be the biggest threat to Golden State. They have two of the 10 best players in the league with MVP runner-up James Harden and superstar point guard Chris Paul in the backcourt. The team has also been linked to trade rumors for 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony all offseason. If Houston is able to land Anthony, they would feature three All-Stars in the starting five and potent backups. 

With James Harden and Chris Paul, the Rockets have arguably the NBA's most talented backcourt. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

                         The NBA Finals underscored the importance of a deep bench. The Warriors exposed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lack of depth as Golden State’s reserves dominated their counterparts all series long.

                 In order to take down the Warriors, a team not only needs star power in the starting unit, but also capable, gritty role players off the bench who are willing to sacrifice individual accomplishments and do the little things on the court that the Warriors’ backups—Iguodala, Shawn Livingston, JaVale McGee and David West—did in their championship campaign last season. With Tucker and Mbah a Moute on board in Houston, the Rockets are following the most practical blueprint to go head-to-head with the Warriors and now serve as the most-feared challenger to dethrone the reigning champions.

5 Winners of 2017 NBA Offseason

                The 2017 NBA offseason has been an intriguing period, to put it lightly, after the league experienced its most lowbrow postseason in recent memory. With trades galore—some taking place before (and during) the NBA Draft and others occurring during the free agency frenzy—player movement has been abundant as the competitive landscape has again been remolded. Here’s a rundown of the five winners of the offseason.

Golden State Warriors

                The Warriors won the offseason for the second straight year. A summer removed from winning the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, the NBA champions re-signed Andre Iguodola to a three-year contract, gave two-time MVP Stephen Curry a supermax contract, retained Durant on a discount deal, kept backups Shaun Livingston and David West, brought back veteran starting center Zaza Pachulia and added guard Nick Young and forward Omri Casspi.

Shaun Livingston (left) and Andre Iguodala (right) re-signed with the NBA champion Warriors. (Russell Yip/The Chronicle)

                Curry, Durant, Iguodala, and Livingston have all proven their worth to the Warriors—so too have Pachulia and West, in limited roles, something Young and Casspi could do next season. Young shot 40.6 percent from three-point range last season and will get plenty of open looks on a loaded Golden State offensive attack. Casspi, inked to a veteran minimum contract of $2,106,470, can be slotted at both forward positions, shoots the three well and has the length to play reasonable defense. He dealt with injuries most of last year, but the season prior he registered career-high averages in points (11.8), rebounds (5.9), minutes (27.2) and 3-point percentage (40.9).

              It’s hard to imagine the Warriors not capturing a second consecutive title next season. They are far better than the second-best team in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have done nothing to close the huge talent gap between the defending champion Warriors.

Boston Celtics

                Securing the No. 1 seed in the East was a huge accomplishment for the upstart Celtics, but they were clearly overmatched in the Conference Finals by the Cavaliers. While Cleveland remains the favorite to return to the Finals, Boston could give the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champs a run for their money. The Celtics signed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward—who has "unfinished business" to accomplish with his college (Butler University) coach and current Celtics head coach Brad Stevens—in free agency and now have a second scorer to take some of the burden off electric guard Isaiah Thomas.

                Trading Avery Bradley—a free agent in 2018—was a tough, but necessary move by President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. In shipping Bradley to the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics netted Marcus Morris, a lengthy defender who, in the past, has guarded LeBron James as well as any player possibly can.

                Though the Celtics relinquished the top pick to the Philadelphia 76ers via trade, they got their man in Duke forward Jayson Tatum with the third overall pick and collected an additional high lottery pick (the Los Angeles Lakers’ pick in 2018 if the selection falls anywhere from No. 2 through No. 5 in the Draft, and if not, the Sacramento Kings’ pick in 2019) and retained their deep cache of future draft picks.

                Jaylen Brown earned playoff minutes last season and could serve as a crucial piece to Boston’s team in 2017-18 and beyond. And if LeBron opts to bolt Cleveland in the summer of 2018, the Celtics could rule the East for the foreseeable future.

Oklahoma City Thunder

                The Thunder pulled off the shocker off the offseason by acquiring Paul George…for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Even if George is just a 1-year rental and leaves for Los Angeles next summer, this deal is 100 percent worth it. The Thunder scraped Oladipo’s bloated contract and picked up one of the league’s best players all in one single move.

                With George on the Thunder, NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, fresh off averaging a triple-double for the 2016-17 campaign, now has a superstar teammate again—merely a year after Durant ditched town in taking the easiest path imaginable for a title by joining the 73-win Warriors.

                Adding forward Patrick Patterson and re-upping defensive stalwart Andre Roberson to a three-year, $30 million contract was icing on the cake for Oklahoma City, which is now in the conversation with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets for the second-best team in the West.

Paul George and Andre Roberson are now teammates in Oklahoma City. (Brian Spurlock/USA Today Sports)

Houston Rockets

                Speaking of the Rockets, the 55-win franchise acquired Chris Paul, a top-10 player in the league and now-former Los Angeles Clippers superstar point guard.

                Though it cost the Rockets NBA All-Defense First-Team member Patrick Beverly, the 2015 Sixth Man of the Year (Lou Williams) and frontcourt youngsters Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, this trade is a home run for Houston, which now has a juggernaut 1-2 punch of James Harden and Paul that is every bit as talented as any duo in the league.

                The logistics of a Harden-Paul duo—two players who love to have the ball in their hands—shall be interesting. But it was clear last year that Harden deserved more help after the NBA’s assist leader looked absolutely gassed in the team’s second-round postseason defeat at the hands of the Spurs.

                The Rockets are rumored to have interest in 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony. This trio would be full of star power, and while Anthony really feigns holding onto the ball, the hope is he can be utilized as a power forward who is switch-impervious in the pick-and-roll with Harden and Paul.

Minnesota Timberwolves

                The Timberwolves look destined to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004. They landed Jimmy Butler in a Draft Night trade with the rebuilding Bulls. Butler rejoins forces with Tom Thibodeau, who coached the three-time All-Star in Chicago.

Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler will be reunited in Minnesota. (Tom Zanine/USA Today Sports)

                Minnesota also added Jeff Teague, a formidable point guard who is two years removed from an All-Star Game appearance, and signed veterans Taj Gibson and Jamal Crawford.

               Adding Crawford, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year nearing the end of his career, adds a needed three-point maker, but the shooting-deprived Timberwolves still need more guys to hit buckets from the outside on a consistent basis to join the likes of the elites in the West. With that said, Karl Anthony-Towns, Butler and Andrew Wiggins are a trio to be feared for years to come and gives a Minnesota franchise its first real excitement since trading away Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007.

NBA Summer Forecast: 2015-16 Western Conference Standings

1. San Antonio Spurs

Players Added

Via draft:

Center Nikola Milutinov (No. 26)
Center Cady Lalanne (No. 55)

Via free agency:
Forward/Center LaMarcus Aldridge (from Blazers)
Guard Jimmer Fredette (from Pelicans)
Center Boban Marjanovic (from Serbia)

Forward David West (from Pacers)

Via trade:

Guard Ray McCallum (from Kings)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Forward/Center Aron Baynes (to Pistons)

Guard/Forward Marco Belinelli (to Kings)

Guard Cory Joseph (to Raptors)

Via trade:

Center Tiago Splitter (to Hawks)

2. Los Angeles Clippers

Players Added

Via draft:

Forward Branden Dawson (No. 56)

Via free agency:

Center Cole Aldrich (from Knicks)

Forward Paul Pierce (from Wizards)

Forward Wesley Johnson (from Lakers)

Forward Josh Smith (from Rockets)
Guard Pablo Prigioni

Via trade:

Guard/Forward Lance Stephenson (from Hornets)

Players Lost

Via trade:

Forward Matt Barnes (to Hornets, who traded him to Grizzlies)

Forward/Center Spencer Hawes (to Hornets)

Waived:

Guard Lester Hudson

3. Golden State Warriors

Players Added

Via draft:

Forward Kevon Looney (No. 30)

Via trade:

Forward Gerald Wallace (from Celtics)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Guard Justin Holiday (to Hawks)

Via trade:

Forward David Lee (to Celtics)

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

Players Added

Via draft:
Guard Cameron Payne (No. 14)
Center Dakari Johnson (No. 48)

Via trade:
Rights to Forward Tomislav Zubcic (No. 56, 2012) (from Raptors)

Players Lost

Via trade:

Forward Perry Jones (to Celtics)

Guard Jeremy Lamb (to Hornets)

5. Houston Rockets

Players Added

Via draft:

Forward Sam Dekker (No. 18)

Forward Montrezl Harrell (No. 32)

Via free agency:

Guard Marcus Thornton (from Suns)

Via trade:

Guard Ty Lawson (from Nuggets)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Forward Josh Smith (to Clippers)

Via trade:

Forward Kostas Papanikolaou (to Nuggets) 

Guard Pablo Prigioni (to Nuggets, who waived him; Prigioni signed with Clippers) 

Forward Joey Dorsey (to Nuggets) 

Guard Nick Johnson (to Nuggets)

6. New Orleans Pelicans

Players Added

Via free agency:
Forward Alonzo Gee (from Blazers)
Center Kendrick Perkins (from Cavs)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Guard Jimmer Fredette (to Spurs)

7. Memphis Grizzlies

Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Jarell Martin (No. 25)

Forward Andrew Harrison (No. 44)

Via free agency:

Forward/Center Brandan Wright (from Suns)

Via trade:

Forward Matt Barnes (from Hornets (from Clippers))

Rights to Forward Janis Timma (No. 60, 2013 (to Orlando)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Center Kosta Koufos (to Kings)

Guard Nick Calathes (to Panathinaikos, Greece)

Via trade:

Forward/Center Jon Leuer (to Phoenix)

8. Phoenix Suns

Players Added

Via draft:

Guard Devin Booker (No. 13)

Via free agency:

Center Tyson Chandler (from Mavs)

Guard Ronnie Price (from Lakers)

Forward Mirza Teletovic (from Nets)

Forward Sonny Weems (from Moscow, Russia)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Forward Gerald Green (to Heat)

Guard Marcus Thornton (to Rockets)

Forward/Center Brandan Wright (to Grizzlies)

Via trade

Guard/Forward Reggie Bullock (to Pistons)

Forward Danny Granger (to Pistons)

Forward Marcus Morris (to Pistons)

9. Sacramento Kings

Players Added

Via draft:
Center Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 6)

Via free agency:

Guard/Forward Marco Belinelli (from Spurs)
Guard/Forward Caron Butler 
Center Kosta Koufos (from Grizzlies)
Guard Rajon Rondo (from Mavs)

Forward Quincy Acy (from Knicks)
Forward Duje Dukan (undrafted)
Guard Seth Curry (last played for D-League Affiliate of Magic)

Via trade:

Forward Arturas Gudaitis (from Sixers)

Forward Luka Mitrovic (from Sixers)

Players lost

Via free agency:

Forward Derrick Williams (to Knicks)

Center Ryan Hollins

Guard Andre Miller

Forward/Center Reggie Evans

Via trade:

Forward Carl Landry (to Sixers)

Guard Nik Stauskas (to Sixers)

Forward/Center Jason Thompson (to Sixers)

Guard Ray McCallum (to Spurs)

10. Utah Jazz

Players Added

Via draft:

Forward Trey Lyles (No. 12)

Guard Olivier Hanlan (No. 42)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Forward Jeremy Evans (to Mavs)

11. Dallas Mavericks 

Players Added

Via draft:
Guard Justin Anderson (No. 21)

Forward Satnam Singh (No. 52)

Via free agency:

Forward Jeremy Evans (from Jazz)

Guard John Jenkins (from Hawks)

Guard Wesley Matthews (from Blazers)

Guard Deron Williams (waived by Nets)
Center Samuel Dalembert (from Knicks)

Via trade:

Center Zaza Pachulia (from Bucks)

Players lost

Via free agency:

Forward Al-Farouq Aminu (to Blazers)

Center Tyson Chandler (to Suns)

Guard Monta Ellis (to Pacers)

Guard Rajon Rondo (to Kings)

Forward/Center Amar'e Stoudemire (to Heat)

12. Portland Trail Blazers

Players Added

Via draft:

Guard/Forward Pat Connaughton (No. 41, from Nets)

Forward Daniel Diez (No. 54, from Jazz)

Via free agency:

Forward/Center Ed Davis (from Lakers)

Forward Al-Farouq Aminu (from Mavs)

Forward Luis Montero (undrafted)
Guard Phil Pressey (waived by Celtics)

Via trade:

Forward Maurice Harkless (from Magic)

Guard/Forward Gerald Henderson (from Hornets)

Center Mason Plumlee (from Nets)

Forward Noah Vonleh (from Hornets)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Guard Arron Afflalo (to Knicks)

Forward/Center LaMarcus Aldridge (to Spurs)

Center Joel Freeland (to CSKA Moscow, Russia)

Forward Alonzo Gee (to Pelicans)

Center Robin Lopez (to Knicks)

Guard Wesley Matthews (to Mavericks)

Via trade:

Guard Steve Blake (to Nets, who traded him to Pistons)

Forward Nicolas Batum (to Hornets)

13. Minnesota Timberwolves 

Players Added

Via draft:

Center Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 1)

Guard Tyus Jones (No. 24)

Via trade:

Forward Damjan Rudez (from Pacers)

Players Lost

Via free agency:

Guard Gary Neal (Wizards)

Via trade:

Forward Chase Budinger (to Pacers)

14. Los Angeles Lakers

Players Added

Via draft:

Guard D'Angelo Russell (No. 2)

Forward Larry Nance Jr. (No. 27)

Forward Anthony Brown (No. 34)

Via free agency:

Forward Brandon Bass (from Celtics)

Center Robert Upshaw (undrafted)

Guard Lou Williams (from Raptors)

Via trade

Center Roy Hibbert (from Pacers)

Players lost

Via free agency

Forward/Center Ed Davis (to Blazers)

Guard Wayne Ellington (to Nets)

Guard Jeremy Lin (to Hornets)

Guard Ronnie Price (to Suns)

Forward/Center Jordan Hill (to Pacers)

Forward Wesley Johnson (to Clippers)

15. Denver Nuggets

Players Added

Via draft:

Guard Emmanuel Mudiay (No. 7)

Guard Nikola Radicevic (No. 57)

Via trade: 

Forward Kostas Papanikolaou (from Rockets)  

Forward Joey Dorsey (from Rockets) 

Guard Nick Johnson (from Rockets)

Players Lost

Via trade:

Guard Ty Lawson (to Rockets)

Waived:

Guard Jamaal Franklin