It goes without saying that this NBA offseason has been one of the wildest in recent memory. With a ton of player movement in free agency, high profile trades taking place and ones yet to be made, and teams reshuffling their rosters, there's no knowing what's still to come. On the other hand, there's already been a ton of craziness to take into account. Nonetheless, in this post we'll be taking an in-depth look at the biggest transactions that have taken place up to this point. So without further ado, let's now discuss the most impactful moves of the 2022 NBA offseason, ranked.
Most impactful moves of the 2022 NBA offseason
7. Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks
During the early goings of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Jalen Brunson stepped his game up immensely and filled the void for Dallas as the Mavs were forced to battle without Luka Doncic. With their franchise superstar sidelined with a calf strain, Brunson rose to the occasion and had a star turn for the Mavericks that put the entire league on notice.
In 18 postseason games for the Mavericks, Brunson posted averages of 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field and 80% from the charity stripe. After choosing to leave Dallas for the bright lights of New York City, Brunson has earned a massive pay increase (four-year, $104 million) while also getting to take on more responsibility.
As the Knicks new point guard of the future, Brunson fills a major area of need for the Knicks who have been in dire need of a quality floor general for quite sometime. Not to mention Brunson has proven himself as an elite two-way guard that can control the pace of the game. He'll also be an enormous upgrade from the disappointing play of Kemba Walker.
With RJ Barrett's continued rise to stardom, Mitchell Robinson back with the team, and Obi Toppin's continued growth and development, the Knicks are starting to build something special in The Big Apple. Whether or not this will translate into postseason success still remains to be seen, but with the young talent their bringing together, the future is starting to look bright for the Knicks.
6. Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks
After boasting a relatively thin frontline for the past few seasons, the Mavericks finally struck gold this offseason by trading for Christian Wood. During his time with the Houston Rockets, Wood established himself as an elite two-way combo big who can stretch the floor with his well-rounded offensive game. Add to that his stellar rebounding and low-post presence that will do wonders for Dallas and help them out a ton on both ends of the court.
Wood will also be able to run a merely unstoppable pick-and-roll game with Luka Doncic who continues to get better each season. Wood's selfless team-first mentality and versatile play will allow the Mavs to run all kinds of crazy schemes. It'll also give them one of the bigger starting lineups in the NBA. This could be one move that takes Dallas to the next level during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
5. Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Coming off their first playoff berth in nearly two decades, the Minnesota Timberwolves went all in this NBA offseason by trading for All-Star center and 3-time NBA DPOY Rudy Gobert. After the Utah Jazz endured another shortcoming in this year's playoffs, it seemed that Gobert's time with the Jazz was coming to an end and the writing was on the wall. In Minnesota, Gobert will able to form a lethal superstar trio with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns while helping to lead a youthful and athletic squad on a deep postseason run.
Plus a big man tandem of KAT and Gobert will be an absolute nightmare for opposing teams to handle on a nightly basis. All of a sudden, the Timberwolves have shifted to win-now mode and with the addition of Gobert they've definitely raised their expectations ahead of the 2022-23 NBA year.
4. John Wall to the LA Clippers
Hoping for a bounce back year after a few injury-riddled seasons, John Wall looks to bring an exciting new element to the LA Clippers' backcourt. Having Wall play off of a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be absolutely mesmerizing and catapult them to the top of the Western Conference. At full strength, Wall truly is a force of nature not to be taken lightly.
His speed, agility, and stellar ball-handling abilities will make the Clippers a more cohesive unit. It still remains to be seen if he'll be able to stay healthy throughout the entirety of the upcoming NBA season, but his playmaking and athleticism are next level when he's at full strength. His presence at the point could be the ultimate difference maker for a Clippers squad seeking their first title in league history.
3. Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green to the Golden State Warriors
Looking to repeat as NBA champions in 2023, the Golden State Warriors have managed to recover nicely in the offseason despite losing key rotation players during 2022 NBA Free Agency. The losses of Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Nemanja Bjelica will definitely hurt the Warriors some.
However, the recent signings of Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green complete their roster while paving the way for their younger players to flourish and earn more meaningful minutes. The additions of Green and DiVincenzo also give the Dubs some insurance at the guard and forward spots that'll add some quality depth for them come playoff time.
2. Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari to the Boston Celtics
The addition of Malcolm Brogdon is the ultimate game-changer for the Boston Celtics and could be just the move they need to earn them a second straight NBA Finals appearance. As a member of the 50-40-90 club, Brogdon has established himself as one of the league's most prolific scoring point guards in the NBA. His court awareness, high-IQ playmaking, and overall feel for the game will open up more scoring opportunities for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
This in-turn will simplify things for the Celtics allowing them to run a more fluid system. Plus this gives the C's another defensive-minded guard who can take some of the playmaking and ball-handling duties off of Marcus Smart. Add to this the arrival of Danilo Gallinari who will bring another wide body that can score with the best of them and give them more rebounding. As they aim to win their first NBA championship since 2008, these are two new additions who could help bring the gold back to Bean Town.
1. Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks
With the Hawks gearing up for another deep playoff run and doing everything they can to get more help for Trae Young, trading for Dejounte Murray was a huge step in the right direction. Not only does this give them one of the most dynamic backcourts in the league, but it also gives them their star pairing of the future. Murray's an efficient combo guard that'll be able to take some of the offensive load off of Young's plate.
This'll also allow Young to spend more possessions playing off-ball and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. Murray's defensive prowess will help Young to improve his play on that end of the floor. Murray will also help them out on the boards and give them another All-Star caliber player who can come through for his squad in the clutch.
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