One-month mark

Free agency in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has reached the one-month mark and so far it has been eventful, marked, among other things, by weighty player movements.
One of the first to take place was that involving superstar and legend LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers after four fruitful years back in Cleveland that saw him lead the Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016.
A lot of talk already circulated that “The King” was on his way out Cleveland even before last season ended and it became official early when free agency opened.
No way to look at James’s move but in preparation as well for a career post-basketball. Considering his stature, Los Angeles should provide him with more opportunities on various platforms than Cleveland.
Basketball-wise, his presence in La-La Land makes the Lakers a force to contend with come next season after years of struggles after Kobe Bryant left.
Joining James in Los Angeles are Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee, playing in tandem with the young guns of the team Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram.
Another noteworthy movement was the swap between the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors that had former finals most valuable player Kawhi Leonard going North and All-Star DeMar DeRozan heading to the Alamo.
So much emotion was involved in the deal with issues on commitment and loyalty, or lack thereof, thrown left and right.
Leonard had reservations going to Toronto at first but seemingly has committed himself there at least for a year.
If the Raptors and “The Claw” get their act together then there is a strong chance that they may be able to finally go over the hump in the Eastern Conference, with Leonard joining forces with All-Star Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka and Toronto’s solid reserve crew.
DeRozan is no Leonard but his offensive explosiveness in particular should be a boon to the transitioning Spurs.
One of the left moves to date was All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hooking up with the already-loaded reigning world champions Golden State Warriors. He said his decision was fueled by feeling “insulted” with no offers given to him, even by his former team New Orleans, and now the rest of the NBA could potentially pay for it.
Another surprise move was that of Trevor Ariza leaving Western Conference finalist Houston for tail-ending Phoenix.
Former All-Stars Dwight Howard, Isaiah Thomas and Tony Parker had also moved.
Howard was traded by Charlotte to Brooklyn before being released. He has since hooked up with the Washington Wizards where I think he can still contribute, provided he is used properly relative to the talent of resident stars John Wall and Bradley Beal.
The whirlwind that has hit the career of Thomas of late continued, landing him in Denver this time around. He was an All-Star in Boston, had high hopes for in Cleveland last season but slumped to the Lakers. With the Nuggets, he should shore up their guard rotation but not necessarily on an All-Star level.
Parker ended years of service with the Spurs to play for Charlotte, where he would be a veteran presence but possibly with more playing time than what he had with San Antonio last season.
DeAndre Jordan is headed to Dallas after reneging on a verbal commitment to play for the Mavericks a couple of years back and he should provide steady presence in the paint.
Young guns Jabari Parker and Julius Randle signed up with new teams with the former signing up with rebuilding Chicago and the latter joining New Orleans, possibly cushioning the impact of the loss of Cousins.
Also have moved are Vince Carter (Atlanta), Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee), Nerlens Noel (Oklahoma City), Elfrid Payton (New Orleans), Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia (Detroit), Michael Carter-Williams (Houston), Wilson Chandler (Philadelphia) and Tyreke Evans (Indiana).
With these movements and more still come, including the about-to-be-completed move of former All-Star Carmelo Anthony to Houston from Oklahoma City by way of Atlanta, the landscape of the NBA is once again altered.
And with it, fans are left with more story lines to look forward to come next season.
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com