After the NBA Finals end and a champion is crowned, the work and preparation for next season begins. Some teams trade to add new superstars to their roster or get young and exciting talent during the draft. But some teams make moves contrary to their goal of improving the team for next season — these teams can be known as bobbleheads.
The Milwaukee Bucks
After finishing with a 48-34 record last season, the Bucks hoped to be able to make a deep playoff run or even be a dark horse team for a title. But after a disappointing first-round exit to the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks front office decided they needed to make some moves.
And they were right that a change had to be made. The Bucks have been stuck in perpetual mediocrity after their championship in 2021. But the moves that occurred weren’t the ones that were needed.
The Bucks chose to waive Damian Lillard — one of the best point guards in the league — in order to stretch out his remaining $113 million contract over five years instead of two years if he remained with the team.
Not only does this move leave the Bucks without a true second star to go along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, it also barely frees up enough funds to find a suitable replacement.
While the Bucks did make some positive moves, with the signing of center Myles Turner and contract extensions for some of their key pieces last season, it’s not enough to replenish their losses of Lillard and former starting center Brook Lopez.
Golden State Warriors
While teams like the New Orleans Pelicans have made some risky moves during the offseason — like trading away their future draft picks for unproven rookies — the Warriors have barely made any moves this offseason. They got two rookies late in the second round of the draft, but no other roster changes have yet been made.
As one of the oldest teams in the league, and — similar to the Bucks — having sputtered out in the playoffs the last few years, the Warriors should be looking to make moves in order to pair the aging Stephen Curry with someone to maximize the last few years of his career but also build a young core for when he eventually retires.
The Warriors’ earlier solution to this problem was to add Jimmy Butler midway through the season. And while that trade still hasn’t developed enough to judge, Butler is 35, only two years younger than Curry.
If the Warriors don’t start the season out strong, then they should look to make some drastic mid-season moves in order to secure the team’s future.
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The Boston Celtics
This off-season was full of hard decisions for the Celtics. With star Jayson Tatum out for the season with an Achilles tear and a roster that would cost the team an exorbitant amount of money, the Celtics realized that there wasn’t much chance of competing this season.
They traded away Kristaps Porziņģis and lost veteran Al Horford, which means the team has gotten remarkably smaller. They also lost one of the best defensive guards there is, in Jrue Holiday. But those losses do mean that the team is now in a much better financial situation going into the season and isn’t at risk of second apron penalties.
While the Celtics made some tactical and forward-thinking decisions, it is unlikely they will be able to replicate anything close to the success they had in the previous two seasons.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey