The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks have emerged as the biggest winners of the NBA offseason, shaking up the league with their aggressive moves.
The Celtics, now led by Brad Stevens in a front office role, made early headlines by trading Marcus Smart to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, bolstering their frontcourt significantly. They didn’t stop there, as they also orchestrated a game-changing trade to bring Jrue Holiday into the fold.
On the other hand, the Bucks further strengthened their roster by trading for Damian Lillard, providing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with a reliable 30-point scorer and elite shooter.
According to Bill Reiter of CBS Sports, the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly concerned about falling behind their conference rivals after these major moves.
Both teams had shown significant interest in acquiring Damian Lillard, with the Miami Heat pursuing a deal for weeks. The Heat allowed several key rotation players to leave in free agency with the intention of making cap space for the multi-time All-Star.
Meanwhile, the Sixers’ prolonged negotiation with James Harden limited their ability to make significant offseason moves. They had the potential to pursue the best possible deal for Harden and restructure their roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but their approach was different.
With the Celtics and Bucks getting substantially better, it will be a tough challenge for any other team in the Eastern Conference to stand in their way as they strive for a spot in the Conference Finals.
