Wow.
This summer might just be the wildest one in the NBA I have ever been alive for. Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Demarcus Cousins, D’Angelo Russell, Jimmy Butler, and Kemba Walker, among others, will all be playing for new teams this season.
Let’s dive into it…
Winners
The Los Angeles Clippers
With the addition of both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers are shaping up to be a true contender this year. They house an impressive defensive trio of Kawhi, PG, and Patrick Beverley that will stifle offensive attacks of any kind. It would be an understatement to say it’ll be difficult to score on them.
The Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have picked up Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving from Free Agency which boosts their chances of a championship in the near future.
They’ll probably have to wait a year or two until KD recovers from his gnarly right achilles injury he suffered during the Finals. Then, they could be a real threat to the East and to the Bucks, who are undoubtedly favorites in the East this year.
The Los Angeles Lakers
With the major additions of Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins, and Danny Green, the Lakers are boast a lethal starting five. My only concern for the Lakers is their health, and Lebron being mobile enough to guard the swift opposing point guards up and down the three point line. Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see how the battle of LA plays out.
NBA Fans
With the Warriors superteam disbanding, opportunities for other teams to take control are popping out of seeming nowhere. Fans should be happy that there is so much new, exciting competition in the Association. It’s going to be a great year for the fans. Except for Warriors and Hornets fans. Ouch.
The Toronto Raptors
Although they lost their star player, they won a championship — their only championship ever. It was so so worth it for Toronto, even though they’ll drop significantly in the standings next year.
Losers
You can’t win ’em all.
The Golden State Warriors
The departure of KD and Demarcus Cousins hurt the Warriors, but Klay Thompson’s torn ACL in the Finals yielded close to the worst possible ending for them. It almost certainly translates into a standings plunge.
The Charlotte Hornets
Kemba Walker’s absence will hurt the Hornets on a major level. It seems that there is no hope on the horizon, and that they are back to their losing ways. They haven’t had a winning season in three years, and unfortunately it looks like that streak will continue.
The San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are currently tied for the record of Most Consecutive Playoff Appearances (22 seasons). This season will certainly put that record to the test. With no major additions, the Spurs seem due for a drop in the standings as well. But will it be enough to knock them out of playoff contention? Only time will tell…
The Phoenix Suns
The last time the Suns made the playoffs was in 2010. Almost 10 years later, it looks like they are not going to for another 10 years. Their only spark of hope is the 6th pick of the draft Jarrett Culver out of Texas Tech. But will he be enough? I doubt it.
Whatever happens this season, it will be interesting.
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The Ballers' Blog 
Although the Warriors will undoubtedly drop in the standings, they still have a top 3 player in the league in Stephen Curry, as well as great defensive studs in Green and Thompson (who is scheduled the return midway through the season). With the almost certain departure of Kevin Durant, the Warriors have very possibly WON free agency. In getting a top 20 player in the league, DeAngelo Russel, and rejuvenating a bench that was mostly old veterans, to now a much younger and potentially filled bench, the Warriors certainly did not lose in free agency.
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I get that, but I think potentially it could be difficult when adding another talented guard. Ideally they sign a big man to make up for losing KD and Cousins. I understand your point though.
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In regards to the 2019-2020 champs, the LA Lakers, I don’t know why some analysts place them as a fifth seed in the west. I get that their health is a concern, but they are so stacked. The Clippers did come up out of nowhere and are real contenders, for possibly the first time in franchise history. But since there can only be one team in LA, I have to root against the Clippers. As for Golden State, I hope they put something together and are able to compete at a high level given they have the only unanimous MVP— Steph Curry. Next season is going to be WILD!
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