1. Andre Drummond signing with the Brooklyn Nets
Say what you will about the Brooklyn Nets and there only being one basketball but the fact of the matter is that most of the time star power wins championships and the Nets have the most star power in the league.
Blake Griffin does not really move the needle that much for the team but does give them a solid depth option. If Griffin can be 80% of what he was two seasons ago then the Nets just picked up a really good bench asset.
The move that would really put the Nets over the top is signing Andre Drummond, if he was bought out, of course. Drummond is a classic case of a box-sheet stuffer that is not as impactful as his stat line indicates but he still is valuable to the Los Angeles Lakers, and subsequently, the Brooklyn Nets.
The one advantage that the Los Angeles Lakers have over the Nets is their size, particularly Anthony Davis. The Nets, as currently constructed, are likely going to have to play a lot of small-ball center with Kevin Durant.
While Durant is a good defender, I am not sure how well he will do in guarding Anthony Davis. Furthermore, this could lead to the Philadelphia 76ers ending the Nets’ run prematurely if Joel Embiid just feasts on the team.
Drummond solves that issue and gives the team two decent rim protectors in Drummond and DeAndre Jordan that can stagger minutes and lower the mismatch against teams like Philly or LA.
Plus, it hurts the Lakers as they then would not be the ones signing Drummond.