NBA Free Agency 2018 Recap: The Biggest Moves

The NBA offseason is over and another fun-filled, nerve wrecking NBA (National Basketball Association) season is staring at our faces. The buzz revolving this season can be felt all over the world. Unlike the last season, this season promises plenty of surprises, fun match-ups, and intense competition. An extra dose of excitement has been added this year because of a plethora of free agency moves among players coupled with a pursuit for a Three-Peat by the Golden State Warriors.

What a crazy NBA Free agency this was. From the first day to the last it kept everyone on their toes. One after other, shocking news kept coming, each one better and more surprising than the previous one.

Playoff P to Oklahoma City Thunder ( OKC)

Paul George in the team's season opener at Oracle Arena.

It all kick started with Paul George resigning with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a $137 million deal over a period 4 years. Born in Palmdale, a city 50 miles away from Los Angeles, George was expected to sign with his hometown team he had always aspired to play with; the Los Angeles Lakers. But instead, he chose to be in the Great Plains in Oklahoma away from the glitter of LA.

The King goes to the Entertainment Capital of the World

After the 1st big name got ticked off the charts on Day One, more shocking news followed. When the clock hit 12.01 a.m, Twitter exploded with the biggest news of the free agency. "The King" and arguably the best player in basketball, LeBron James, agreed to sign with the Lakers for a cool $154 million over 4 years.

In doing so, he put an end to a historic run for Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team. A run which gave the franchise its first NBA title and brought back a title to the city of Cleveland after 52 years. This news instantly skyrocketed Lakers chances of winning the NBA title.

Warriors get one up on other teams

While all the chaos was ensuing, the defending champions Golden State Warriors were slowly and quietly pulling off a heist. With Paul George and LeBron James already committing to their teams, there was widespread speculation that this year the Warriors title defense was going to be tough.

The Warriors were already a loaded team with 4 All-Stars; what else can you want? Just as this thought was making a home in everybody's mind; BAM! Warriors and their management pulled another rabbit out of their hat. They signed DeMarcus Cousins for a mid-level exception contract of $5.3 million. Just to put things into perspective, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 5.4 assists and 12.9 rebounds per match whilst making it to the All-Star Team. So the Warriors starting 5 are all All-Stars; a thing never deemed to be possible in modern NBA

The Kawhi Leonard Saga:

Another sizeable event which took place was the whole fiasco of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard a 2-time Defensive Player of the year and 2014 NBA Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player) was traded to the Toronto Raptors from San Antonio Spurs. Kawhi played only 8 games the previous season despite being cleared by the Spurs medical staff. According to Kawhi his injury had not healed completely and did not want to risk it further. With both sides unable to find a solution to the problem the amount of tension was visible. Unhappy with the way his injury was handled eventually Kawhi demanded a trade.

The whole migration of NBA top-shelf players has set up the season beautifully. Will the Warriors reign supreme again? Will the best player in the game lead the most followed team to a title quest? Or will an underdog upset the apple cart? All the answers lay ahead in the upcoming season.

So Ladies and Gentleman, after this crazy offseason get ready for the show! Get Ready for 6 months of pure, raw, unadulterated entertainment. Be sure to watch the NBA season! IT HAS ARRIVED.