Lillard, Giannis hoping to become NBA's most dangerous duo in Milwaukee
As usual, a new NBA season continues the trend of "Stars on the Move," so before any games begin, let's review the status of superteams.
The biggest move was Damian Lillard finally leaving Portland and landing in Milwaukee with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard has been extremely productive, averaging 32.2 points in 58 games last season, with little to show for it beyond one trip to the conference finals in 2019.
So this is his chance to work with a solid supporting cast, but Milwaukee's window of success won't last long. Lillard is 33, Khris Middleton 32 and starting center Brook Lopez is 35.
To make room for Lillard, the Bucks had to move Jrue Holiday and he eventually landed in Boston, along with another interesting newcomer, Kristaps Prozingis. Those two players join all-stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
As is usually the case, these superteams sacrificed depth for high-priced stars and the Celtics are the prime example. Marcus Smart (Memphis), Grant Williams (Dallas), Robert Williams (Portland) and Macolm Brogdon (also Portland) have left town. Al Horford, Derrick White and Luke Kornet are still around.
Speaking of depth, Phoenix made its big move at last year's trade deadline, landing Kevin Durant from Brooklyn. Noticing they only had two stars, the Suns traded for Bradley Beal this summer to join Durant and Devin Booker, the only player left from Phoenix's 2021 NBA Finals roster.
The Suns have a collection of role players in supporting roles, but no true point guard - former Bull Cam Payne is now with Milwaukee - and Jusuf Nurkic is likely the starting center.
Chris Paul, 38, ended up with Golden State, so another storyline is if the Warriors' aging Big Three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green can thrive with a new partner. Jordan Poole couldn't fit in and was sent to Washington.
Defending champion Denver is largely the same, but lost a couple of key reserves in Bruce Brown (Indiana) and Jeff Green (Houston). The two Los Angeles teams didn't do much this summer. Does LeBron James have another playoff run left at 39 or was last year's trip to the conference finals the final run? The Clippers are starting the season with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy, which has potential if things stay that way.
The next all-star on the move could be James Harden. Not long ago, Harden said he'd been trying to force his way to Philadelphia to play with Joel Embiid, but now wants out. Or maybe he'll go ahead and start the season with the 76ers. Either way, teams are going to be wary about giving up three or four first-round picks for a star who's likely to ask for a trade in a year or two.
When the season begins this week, the most glaring absence will be Memphis' Ja Morant. He seemed ready to make an MVP run at times, but will serve a 25-game suspension for the second instance of flashing a gun on social media. The Grizzlies also lost center Steven Adams for the season with a knee injury and gave up on flagrant foul specialist Dillon Brooks, who signed with Houston.
Memphis brought in both Smart and Derrick Rose to fill in for Morant, but making the playoffs in an improving Western Conference could be a chore.
One bright spot for the NBA is a new rookie sensation has arrived with the debut of San Antonio's 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama. He looked lost in summer league, then seemed unstoppable in preseason.
Injuries are always a concern, especially with thin-framed 7-footers experiencing NBA life for the first time. As evidence, the Bulls will see the delayed debut of 7-foot-1, 195-pound Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in 2022, when they host Oklahoma City in Wednesday's opener at the United Center.
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