By Giorgos Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
The summer season may not include game action but the interest of the basketball fans remains undiminished. The reason? But the transfers, of course!
The hunt for the ring never stops and for this reason the general managers, in collaboration with the coaches, are trying to make the best possible deals. In recent months there were a lot of transfer “sagas” unfolding in the NBA and some of them created a lot of noise.
Eurohoops presents the 10 most important transfer moves of the summer with the main criterion being the players’ value as well as the impact they are expected to have on their new team…
11. Ricky Rubio (Utah Jazz)
2016/2017 stats: 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.7 steals
After six consecutive seasons in the NBA playing in the colors of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio will have to move, as the new season will find him in Utah. The Spanish guard was the 5th best passer in the league with an average of 9.1 assists, and Rudy Gobert should certainly feel particularly pleased about the fact he’s going to have such a good creator at his side.
In fact, the deal is characterized as excellent for the Jazz, as they traded a first round pick for next summer’s draft (2018). Rubio will be the team’s starting point guard with the hope that he’ll continue to impress in terms of creation.
10. Avery Bradley (Detroit Pistons)
2016/2017 stats: 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals
Avery Bradley’s move from the Celtics to the Pistons in exchange for Marcus Morris might prove to be one of the biggest steals of the summer. The 26-year-old guard is a highly talented player that will provide solutions in scoring (16.3 points) and at the same time apply a lot of pressure in defense.
In recent years, Bradley has been constantly improving, something that is clearly reflected in his numbers, and now, no longer in Isaiah Thomas’s shadow, he can find his best game. Boston’s people should also feel satisfied, since Marcus Morris (14 points – 4.6 rebounds) added depth in the frontline, while his low price tag (5 million) allowed the completion of important signings.
2016/2017 stats: 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Dwight Howard has been trying to find his good old self for many years, but this doesn’t mean that his transfer to the Hornets could go unnoticed. The massive center is getting ready for his 14th season in the NBA and the fact that, in all previous seasons, he completed the regular season with double-double averages is impressive.
It’s a given that he’s going to be Charlotte’s reference point in the paint, with Michael Jordan’s team giving up in exchange the charismatic shooter, Marco Belinelli (10.5 points), but also Miles Plumlee (2.4 points). For the record, Howard will receive the amount of 23.5 million dollars for the new season, with the hope that he will justify his contract.
2016/2017 stats: 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Rudy Gay is one of the new season’s big question marks. The 31-year-old forward suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last January, but if he manages to get back on the courts healthy, then Gregg Popovich has every reason to smile.
Besides, we are dealing with an excellent scorer who counts an average of 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in a total of 753 games he has played in the NBA. In fact, San Antonio’s people made an excellent deal with Gay, who came on as a free agent and whose contract provides for just $8 million in earnings.
