AN OFFSEASON RECAP - NBA

Nicholas D'Agostino

With the NBA regular season right around the corner it’s time to take a look back at the biggest moves during the offseason. Almost every NBA offseason has lots of player movement that tends to leave fans shocked, surprised and excited.

First, a big move that happened near the end of the offseason was former Jazz star Donovan Mitchell getting moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade. This unexpected move sent a package of rising star Collin Sexton and a boatload of picks to the Jazz for Donovan Mitchell.

The three time All-Star will be joining a very young and exciting Cavs team who have aspirations of becoming a playoff team. Last year the Cavs took a big step in the right direction as they finished with an overall record of 44-38. Mitchell will only help their chances of becoming a playoff team as he is one of the game's star players.

Last season Mitchell averaged 25.9 points per game to go along with 5.3 assists per game.

Another massive move that also involved the Jazz was a trade that sent longtime Jazz player Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a package centered around Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly and 4 1st round picks. Gobert is one of the most impactful centres in the game and he instantly makes the T-Wolves a better team.

The three-time All-Star should play at an All-Star level for the Wolves but my only concern is how well he will team up well with Karl-Anthony Towns. Those are two big men who look for touches in and around the paint and I'm just not sure if they will be that effective when playing together. Either way Gobert brings elite defence and rebounding skills.

With the additions of other good role players like Kyle Anderson and Eric Paschall the Timberwolves should be in a good position to compete for the playoffs.

The other big move this offseason was Dejounte Murray getting traded to the Atlanta Hawks. The Spurs sent Murray to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and three first round picks. Dejounte Murray really broke out last year as one of the league's most underrated guards.

Murray was a first time All-Star last season as he averaged 21.1 points per game and 9.2 assists per game. His passing ability should work well within the Hawks system as they have some nice shooters like Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

This deal could really turn out well for the Hawks if their newly formed backcourt can develop some chemistry with each other and carry the offence when needed. Both are All-Star guards who can learn from each other and make each other better. As the Hawks are looking to make the playoffs this year, Murray and Young will need to be their best players each and every night.