(Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
This year’s free agency period in the NBA has been somewhat slow and uneventful, in part because of a lack of impact-making free agents available, and because the league’s salary cap has become even more restrictive.
But several teams have managed to significantly upgrade their rosters and therefore increased their chances of winning it all this coming season.
Tim Bontemps told ESPN Radio that the Oklahoma City Thunder have not only had the best offseason in the league but are now the “massive favorites to get out of the West.”
“Massive favorites to get out of the West.”@TimBontemps says the @okcthunder have had the best NBA offseason pic.twitter.com/kCH1eQZfPd
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) July 5, 2024
The Thunder started things off by trading away Josh Giddey, an up-and-coming 6-foot-8 shooting guard, to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso, a guard who has been named to the league’s All-Defensive team in each of the past two seasons while also improving his 3-point shooting.
Caruso not only will bring those skills, but also championship experience, grit and hustle to a young Thunder squad.
Oklahoma City then went out and signed free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks to add rebounding and defense, not to mention depth and insurance behind Chet Holmgren.
The Thunder already have earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, doing so this past season, but after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, they are looking to take yet another step forward.
Though the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that knocked out the defending champion Denver Nuggets, also could get better this coming season, a few other teams in the West arguably have gotten worse.
With continued internal improvement from young stars such as Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the Thunder very well could reach the 2025 NBA Finals.
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