NBA Trades & Free Agency: 5 most under the radar moves of the off-season
The 2019 NBA Free Agency was one of the most entertaining off-season spectacles that the NBA has to offer, with a large number of players, who had become free agents, signed up with rosters and drastically changed the landscape of the NBA.
This year, there were a large number of marquee signings available for teams to choose from, with Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker among others, available to be courted by other franchises.
With the majority of the limelight on the superstar players, a lot of superb signings happened under the radar, which probably altered the course of that franchise. Here are 5 such under the radar player movements that you probably did not notice.
#5 Derrick Favors to the New Orleans Pelicans (Traded by the Utah Jazz)
Derrick Favors time as a Utah Jazz finally came to an end after the Jazz traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans for 2 second round draft picks. The Pelicans, in turn, received a player who is entering his prime and has shown significant improvement each year given enough time to play.
Favors was a really good player for the Utah Jazz last season and his skills as a hard rebounder and defensive presence next to Rudy Gobert is what gave the Jazz an edge over other teams in the Western Conference. Favors averaged 11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last season.
His performances last season is what led to the New Orleans Pelicans getting him on the cheap this season. He will be a stable presence on the court alongside the rookie big men in Zion Williamson and Jaxson Hayes. His defensive stability too will set a line as to where the other players in the team need to improve in order to be as good as him on that end.