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The recent offseason saw some of the most famous NBA players change teams and involved some shocking signings. Some of them were voluntary decisions while some of them were not, and players were traded by their respective franchises.
Even though there were a lot of players that moved to new teams, these ten athletes are big-name players and their moves caught the entire NBA world by surprise.
We are at the quarter-mark of the NBA 2018-19 season and are still getting used to watching these players in their new threads. Throughout the course of this article, let us take a look at ten popular players who changed teams in the recent off season.
#10 Vince Carter (Sacramento Kings to Atlanta Hawks)
Vince Carter signed with the Sacramento Kings, a one-year $8 million deal last year. He provided them some valuable minutes coming off the bench.
Playing in his 21st NBA season, Carter signed a one-year $2.4 million veteran minimum deal with the Atlanta Hawks this offseason. In the game against Toronto Raptors, the 41-year old scored a career-high 14 points but the Hawks could not get the win. He is currently the oldest player in the NBA and we are not sure if this year will be his last..
#9 Jamal Crawford (Minnesota Timberwolves to Phoenix Suns)
Jamal Crawford is a three-time Sixth Man of the Year and is widely regarded as crossover king because of his handles. After spending one year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Crawford chose to sign a one-year $2.4 million deal with the Phoenix Suns. A team filled with young talent, the Suns needed a veteran presence, and that is exactly what they got in the form of Crawford.
#8 Dwight Howard (Brooklyn Nets to Washington Wizards)
After an illustrious career with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard has been part of several franchises and never really found a home. After getting waived by the Brooklyn Nets last year, Howard signed a two-year deal with a player option with the Washington Wizards. However, he played in only nine games for the franchise, and was recently ruled out for two to three months after a spinal surgery.
#7 Isaiah Thomas (Los Angeles Lakers to Denver Nuggets)
After a sensational 2016-17 season where he carried his team to Eastern Conference finals on his back, Isaiah Thomas was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason.
After a string of poor performances, he was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In March, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after having surgery to his right hip. Thomas, who was then a free agent, chose to sign with the Denver Nuggets in a one-year, $2 million deal.
#6 DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers to Dallas Mavericks)
After spending 10 years with the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that drafted him in 2008, DeAndre Jordan left the team in free agency and joined the Dallas Maverick on a 1-year $24 million contract.
#5 Carmelo Anthony (Oklahoma City Thunder to Houston Rockets)
When the 10-time All-Star was traded to Oklahoma City Thunder, everyone expected them to go deep in the playoffs because of the so-called Big 3 (Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony).
However, that did not happen, and the Thunder lost in the first round of playoffs to Utah Jazz in six games. Anthony then chose to join the Houston Rockets in the offseason to enjoy some post-season success, but the same story repeated, and he parted ways with the franchise after featuring in just 10 games.
#4 DeMar DeRozan (Traded from Toronto Raptors to San Antonio Spurs)
DeMar DeRozan has definitely been one of the star players of Toronto Raptors from the day he entered the league and the team enjoyed a great success under his leadership. After getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight year, he was traded along with Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first-round pick. The trade caught everyone off guard and DeRozan felt betrayed by the franchise.
#3 Kawhi Leonard (Traded from San Antonio Spurs to Toronto Raptors)
In the DeMar DeRozan trade that sent him to San Antonio Spurs, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Kawhi Leonard, was sent to Toronto Raptors along with teammate Danny Green. Kawhi finally got what he wanted - a trade that sent him out of San Antonio. The Raptors started the season hot and are currently leading the league with 21-6 record.
#2 DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans to Golden State Warriors)
The league turned upside down in the off-season when All-Star DeMarcus Cousins chose to sign a one-year deal with the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. The 28-year old's season came to an early end when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his left leg in the final seconds of the game against the Houston Rockets. He signed a one year, $5.3 million deal with the Warriors in the offseason.
#1 LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers to Los Angeles Lakers)
This was probably the most shocking one. Even though there were a lot of rumors throughout the 2017-18 season about LeBron James potentially signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, not a lot of people took it seriously because of various reasons. However, in a move that caught everyone by surprise, LeBron signed a four-year, $153.3 million deal to join one of the most iconic franchises of all-time.
