The Knightly News

Ismail Sy

Sports Editor

The NBA offseason has begun. With the draft concluding on Wednesday night, the offseason fun can now begin. This is a shorter offseason compared to years past, due to the late end to the NBA season that was affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. That does not mean that there will not be some big moves made by teams this offseason. We are setting up for a huge change in the NBA! Without further ado, here are my three off-season questions:

1. Will James Harden be traded?

There have been a lot of rumors flying around about the Rockets trading their star guard James Harden. Harden has reportedly requested a trade, and wants to play with Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. The Rockets are not obligated to trade him there, or to trade him at all, but when a superstar is unhappy with the current situation, that most likely means he is done playing for the franchise. However, I think Houston will NOT trade James Harden this offseason. I think they wait to find the best deal possible, as Harden is an elite NBA player who has averaged over 30 points a game the last three seasons, and a former MVP. They should hold out, and wait for the best deal possible so they can jumpstart their rebuild.

2. Will the OKC Thunder make a move for a star?

It’s no secret that the Oklahoma City Thunder are in a rebuilding phase. In the last year and a half, they have acquired 17 first round picks, which is an insane amount of picks. Could they be stockpiling to get future young players? Maybe. Or does general manager Sam Presti have something up his sleeve? You do not just have 17 first round picks lying around to use them on just young players. A bigger move must be in his mind. The Thunder are coming off of a Cinderella-like playoff run so could they make a push to be even better next season despite trading key contributors Chris Paul and Dennis Schroeder? Only time will tell, but my gut tells me that they’ll make a move for a star.

3. What will the Clippers do after a disappointing season?

The Clippers were the NBAs most disappointing team last season. They went from championship favorites to losing to the Denver Nuggets in the second round. They blew a 3-1 lead in the process. Even with all the talent they had in Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George they failed to get the job done. Now they are in the off-season looking to make some moves. The question is will they blow up the roster or look to add to some holes in the roster? I think they will look to add a playmaker, and a rim protector. Those are the two biggest holes on the roster, and if the Clippers want to go to the finals for the first time in franchise history, they need to address these key holes. Especially in a loaded western conference, a good off-season for the Clippers is key.

The off-season is one of the most exciting things about the NBA. I cannot wait to see the moves that happen, and which teams get better.

Picture Source: Getty Images/Ringer illustration