The Spurs made the biggest free agent splash of them all, adding Lamarcus Aldridge
In a conference where if you aren’t improving then you are drastically declining, we saw a handful of teams make big splashes this offseason. Let’s take a look at which teams in the Western Conference made enough moves to improve their club and in the process positioned themselves as contenders for the 2015-16 season.
Be sure to check out our NBA News Desk 
Los Angeles Clippers
What’s the best way to get the sour taste out of your mouth of blowing a 3-1 series lead in the second round of the playoffs to the Houston Rockets? How about creating chaos in free agency and stockpiling versatile All-Star veterans to form one of the deepest teams in the league?
They started out by trading away Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes to the Charlotte Hornets for Lance Stephenson. Stephenson was in need of a change after signing a three-year deal for $27 million and not living up to the hype last year. He averaged 8.2 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, all significantly lower than his previous year with Indiana. But with his minutes down and a team he couldn’t find a role with, it was a matter of time before Stephenson was traded. Now with the Clippers, he offers a high-risk, high-reward move that can jump-start a roster that has been good but not good enough to get past the second round of the playoffs.
By trading away Matt Barnes they created a void that needed to be filled. Enter Paul Pierce and the opportunity to be reunited with his old coach Doc Rivers for one last run before retirement. Pierce isn’t in All-Star form anymore and his game is on the decline but that doesn’t mean he still can’t hit the big shot when needed. With a roster so deep, Pierce wont be asked to put in big minutes and this will allow him to be fresh come playoff time when the Clippers will need him the most.
Rounding out their free agency this summer, the Clippers managed to take Deandre Jordon hostage until he decided to re-sign, brought back Austin Rivers and capped it off by signing Josh Smith, Wesley Johnson, Cole Aldrich and Pablo Prigioni. Prigioni adds a much needed backup point guard to a team that struggled to find someone to take control while Chris Paul was out. Rivers handled most of those duties last year but he doesn’t bring the veteran leadership on the court that Prigioni does. Smith will bring a versatile stretch option while the Clipper bigs get rest. Smith shot 38% from three-point last season and this will allow the Clippers to let Paul work the pick and roll while having plenty of options. Smith also brings someone who can rebound as well as dish it out when needed.
What do all these moves mean for the Clippers now? It means they have established themselves as the deepest team in the league, but that comes with issues for Doc Rivers. How do all these players get time and how do they co-exist together as a unit? No doubt that this team is set to go up against the Spurs and Warriors and gives Rivers many options to match up to certain styles that teams might throw his way. If Rivers can keep all these egos happy then this is the most dangerous team in the league.
San Antonio Spurs
In a league defined by its biggest and brightest stars, the Spurs always went under the radar in free agency and never emptied their pockets. With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili nearing the end of their careers and that championship window starting to close, the Spurs decided it was time to make a splash and a big one they made. The Spurs went out and got the biggest free agent on the market in LaMarcus Aldridge and then proceeded to get David West to take a $11 million pay cut and come on board for the veteran’s minimum. Re-signing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green as well as trading for a quality point guard in Ray McCallum keeps that championship window open for a few more years.
With Aldridge the Spurs find a true replacement whenever Tim Duncan decides to hang it up. The arrival of Aldridge is expected to improve the Spurs offense, for obvious reasons. Aldridge is a fantastic mid-range shooter, and with how the game is played today is a huge advantage for a big. The biggest beneficiary of Aldridge’s arrival is going to be Parker. Parker thrives off of the pick and roll and with Aldridge screening he should force defenses to adjust or live with Aldridge killing them from mid-range. If the focus comes to Aldridge then it will allow Parker to attack the paint.
Not only did they snag the biggest free agent on the market but they also had the steal of the offseason. With West wanting to be in the best position he could to get to the finals and a shot at a title he decided it was worth leaving $11 million on the table. West wont be a starter but will be a huge contributor to the Spurs frontcourt alongside Duncan, Aldridge and Boris Diaw. His addition will help with the departure of Tiago Splitter and Aron Baynes, and provides another capable player to help keep the minutes off Duncan.
With all the big men they acquired this free agency, Parker’s health is one of the biggest factors for this team to make a run deep into the playoffs. In case he isn’t the healthiest, they went out and traded for McCallum who will provide a good insurance policy to play along side Parker and Patty Mills. McCallum averaged 6.9 points and 2.7 assists during 20.7 minutes of play last year and has shown he is more then capable of taking over the starter’s role as he did for the Kings.
The biggest weakness the Spurs will have to address is with the Aldridge signing they had to trade away Tiago Splitter to make room financially. This leaves a gaping whole at the center position and will draw in Aldridge to play a little more in the paint then to be positioned out by the top of the key where he thrives the most. This is where having a future Hall of Fame coach like Greg Popovich comes in. Over the years Popovich has done so much more with half the talent he has this year and a weakness at the center position will be no problem for him to overcome. The Spurs are going to go into this season as one of the favorites in the Western Conference, as they should. The Clippers and Rockets made some big moves in improving their teams this year in the attempt to dethrone the champion Golden State Warriors. However bringing in major talent while keeping your already-impressive team intact rounds out a dangerous top four in the West.
Los Angeles Lakers
This article is about teams that have improved and that does not necessarily mean teams that have become contenders. The Lakers would fit into this category as they have made a great deal of moves that have helped the team improve over last year, but by no means are they ready to win a championship. First things first, they get back two guys in Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle who missed the majority, if not all, of last season. Right off the bat you improve your team when you get a top 10 pick in Randle as well as a 17-time All-Star in Kobe back from injuries. They went into the draft and got possible franchise player in D’Angelo Russell as well as energetic players in Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown. They struck out on landing any big free agents but settled for Lou Williams, Brandon Bass and trading for Roy Hibbert.
With the second pick in this year’s draft, many people thought the Lakers would go big and select Jahlil Okafor. However, Los Angeles decided they wanted to go small and build around D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State. Russell displays excellent court vision and shot an impressive 41.1 percent from three-point range while averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last year for the Buckeyes. With Kobe nearing the end of his career the Lakers have put into place a duo of Russell and Jordan Clarkson to play in the backcourt for many years to come.
The Lakers went into free agency with sites set on trying to lock up one of the top free agents such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love or Greg Monroe. They were never able to get a meeting with Love, Aldridge gave them a second look but decided to chase a ring with the Spurs and Monroe signed with the Bucks. This left the Lakers going to plan B and bringing in Lou Williams and Brandon Bass. With Wiliams you get instant offense combined with high-volume shooting to come off the bench. For a 27-year-old, he brings great leadership to the team and will give them consistent offense which is something they lacked last year off the bench. The issue that presents itself with Williams is how does he work with coming off the bench with Nick Young and how will he work with Kobe, who both love to shoot the ball. Brandon Bass is another value move by bringing him in on a two-year, $6.1 million contract which is a steal for the rate power forwards are going. Bass averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor. The downside of the Bass move is that it will take minutes away from Randle and Nance Jr., which might be a roadblock to their development.
To get the big man they had been looking for they decided to go out and trade for Hibbert. Hibbert was in need of a change as he struggled last year and at times found himself benched. What Hibbert thrives at is his defense as a year ago he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year. The Lakers had been missing a big man who could anchor a defensive end, and Hibbert should immediately help improve the 29th ranked defense in the league last year. Hibbert isn’t known for his scoring, but when you have scorers like Kobe, Williams and the potential of Russell, then you can live with that. Hibbert is due $15.5 million this year but the Lakers only had to give up a second-round pick and he becomes a free agent after this year, so if this marriage doesn’t work out then the Lakers have plenty of flexibility going into next offseason.
Overall they got a possible franchise star Russell, two other rookies with potential in Nance Jr. and Brown, and have plenty of cap space preserved for future runs at high-profile free agents. They also brought in a few free agents and get Kobe and Randle back from injuries. They aren’t going to challenge the Warriors for the top spot, but they should be competitive enough that they won’t be an embarrassment.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets didn’t make a big push like they have in recent years, as they focused on re-signing key players from last year. First priority was signing Patrick Beverely to a four-year, $25 million contract. This is a steal for the Rockets considering the Pistons gave shoot-first point guard Reggie Jackson a five-year, $80 million contract. Beverley is one of the league’s best defenders while being able to let James Harden do what he needs to do in the backcourt. The Rockets also managed to re-sign small forwards Corey Brewer and K.J. McDaniels. Brewer was a key piece to their Western Coference Playoff run last year.
The biggest noise the Rockets made this offseason was trading for Ty Lawson. With Lawson, they get better on offense while giving Harden a second playmaker in the backcourt. When healthy and focused, Lawson was a top 10 point guard and the combination of him and Harden playing together can give teams fits. The only downside of this deal is he has to split time with Beverley and Lawson is not a superior defender. This deal is well worth the defensive drop-off, as an offense that can score at will just got a little bit stronger.
The Rockets did lose Josh Smith to the Clippers and at first it seems like its a huge loss for them. Smith has such a versatile game that he was able to adapt to a fast-paced offense or slowing things down. With the departure of Smith, it doesn’t crowd up the Rockets’ front court and that creates more minutes for Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones, and Donatas Motiejunas.
In the draft, most thought the Rockets would add depth at point guard but they decided to go for a versatile forward in Sam Dekker. At 6’7”, he has the ability to defend multiple positions and will give the Rockets an offensive player off the bench who can shoot the ball, which they desperately lacked last year. His defense needs a little work, but his game should fit around Harden’s and he should have the opportunity to knock down a lot of threes.
As the No. 2 seed last year and following a trip to the Western Conference Finals it would be hard to say the Rockets could improve, but they kept the roster intact and added players that can fit in and make an impact. They were able to keep their defensive identity while bringing in players that can help contribute offensively with Lawson and Dekker. The Western Conference is loaded this year and these moves should keep them as a top-four team.
Most Improved NBA Teams: Eastern Conference
Jamison Malasko is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Jamison, check out his archive and follow him @TheRealJaymo21.
