NBA training camps begin next week, which means this is the point of the summer where you start saying “oh yeah, I forgot that team got that guy.” Here’s a quick division by division primer to remind you how the offseason went and get you ready for the NBA season.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Milwaukee Bucks
Added: Robin Lopez, Malik Beasley, TyTy Washington (two-way), Chris Livingston (draft), Adrian Griffin (head coach)
Lost: Jevon Carter, Joe Ingles, Wesley Matthews, Mike Budenholzer
FanDuel win total over/under: 53.5
The big picture story heading into camp: The Bucks are running it back, albeit with a new head coach. Budenholzer took the bullet for Milwaukee’s disappointing first-round loss to Miami, and Griffin is going to be tasked with leading the (mostly) same cast of characters back to the promised land. He has a long history in the NBA as a role player and assistant coach, so if there's any kind of first year coach that can have some success, it’s him. But the Bucks are old and expensive, and because they’re $3 million over the second apron, there won’t be much tinkering to be done. So either Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez can play like their old selves, or there will be some pressure to make a big move. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s chirping about being willing to leave if the championship window is closed just adds weight to the Sword of Damocles hanging over the Bucks’ head.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Added: Max Strus, Georges Niang, Ty Jerome, Tristan Thompson, Damian Jones, Emoni Bates (draft, two-way), Craig Porter, Jr. (two-way), Isaiah Mobley (two-way)
Lost: Robin Lopez, Danny Green, Dylan Windler
FanDuel win total over/under: 50.5
The big picture story heading into camp: The Cavs added help at their weakest spot when wing shooters Strus and Niang came on board. The Cavs were a strong defensive team behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and they have dynamic scorers and playmakers in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. There is pressure in Cleveland, though, with Mitchell only having two years remaining on his deal and questions about whether he’ll stay. That adds some urgency for the Cavs to make a deep run now.
Chicago Bulls
Added: Jevon Carter, Torey Craig, Onulap Bitim (two-way), Adam Sonogo (two-way), Julian Phillips (draft)
Lost: Patrick Beverley, Derrick Jones, Jr.
FanDuel win total over/under: 37.5
The big picture story heading into camp: Who are these guys? They're running back a 40-win team, seemingly hoping to find temporary solutions until Lonzo Ball can come back (theoretically) next season. The Bulls feel like a team mesmerized by a few months of success before Ball’s injury and handcuffed by how long it has taken for him to come back. One big question hanging over the team is what they’ll do with DeMar DeRozan, who just turned 34 years old and is entering a contract year. He’s still a two-point master with a knack for getting fouled, but is committing long-term to him the way Chicago wants to go? The Bulls are truly one of the league’s more confusing teams.
Indiana Pacers
Added: Obi Toppin, Bruce Brown, Isaiah Wong (two-way), Oscar Tshiebwe (two-way), Kendall Brown (two-way), Jarace Walker (draft), Ben Sheppard (draft)
Lost: Oshae Brissett, Chris Duarte
FanDuel win total over/under: 38.5
The big picture story heading into camp: The Pacers enter the season as one of the consensus darling picks to do well. People will gush about Orlando and OKC, but the Pacers are drawing some eyeballs as a team to watch. Tyrese Haliburton is a star in the making, Benedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard are expected to build on solid rookie seasons, and new additions in Toppin and Bruce Brown add some nice depth and toughness to the team. They have talent at every position that can make for a tough night for anyone that steps into their gym. The real question for the Pacers is whether they can get linear progression from all the guys who impressed last season, or if a few of these guys will be hit with a step backwards as the league starts to figure them out.
Detroit Pistons
Added: Joe Harris, Monte Morris, Ausar Thompson (draft), Marcus Sasser (draft), Jared Rhoden (two-way), Malcolm Cazalon (two-way)
Lost: Corey Joseph
FanDuel win total over/under: 28.5
The big picture story heading into camp: The Pistons aren’t going to win a lot of games, but they could be tough to beat. Cade Cunningham has recovered from his shin injury that limited him to 12 games last season. There's a ton of young talent with one, two, or three years of experience and very intriguing rookie Ausar Thompson that can mesh on some nights to look great and make tons of mistakes to look terrible on others. Harris and Bojan Bogdanovic can help space the floor and Isaiah Stewart is still around to provide some toughness. The rebuilding process rolls on, but there's enough talent there to make life difficult on opponents.