Which Teams Made the Best Moves this NBA Offseason?

With the 2010 free agency period just one year away, teams took the time to prepare their teams for the possible addition of top-notch superstars such as Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade, just to name a few.

As a result, 2009 proved to be one of the best off-seasons in NBA history as the league’s best teams seemed to get better.

San Antonio started the off-season by acquiring Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks. Jefferson averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 boards for the Bucks last season and will be able to take some pressure off of veteran All-Stars Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan. Being under 30, Jefferson brings youth to a very veteran Spurs team.

The Spurs also acquired former All-Star and Detroit Pistons forward, Antonio McDyess. McDyess offers another solid post presence with his scoring and rebounding ability. Last season, McDyess averaged 9.6 points and 9.8 boards and had a 26-point, 10-rebound performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.

At 34, he is nearing the end of his career, but McDyess can still serve as a solid bench player to support Tim Duncan.

San Antonio also benefitted from the draft by adding former Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair who slipped all the way down to the second round after being projected as a lottery pick. The Spurs also added University of Miami standout Jack McClinton with the 51^st overall pick.

With their off-season moves, the Spurs put themselves in a very good position to compete against the Los Angeles Lakers for the top spot in the Western conference.

After the champagne baths ended and the parade was concluded, the Los Angeles Lakers had to worry about their free agency situation. The defending champions had to decide whether or not hey were going to keep forwards Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

They lost Ariza to Houston in what was essentially a trade for All-Star Ron Artest. Several weeks later, they were also able to re-sign their versatile big man Lamar Odom. Odom has served as the Lakers’ X-factor over the last few years and been crucial to the team’s success with his all-around skill set.

Artest, who averaged 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Rockets last season, is arguably one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. In adding him, the Lakers have two proven perimeter defenders between him and Kobe Bryant. This frees Bryant up on the defensive end, as Artest will more than likely take on the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

On paper, these moves make the Lakers a much better team than they were last season. But this game isn’t played on paper; it’s played on the court. The Lakers risk a decline in team chemistry by brining in Ron Artest, who has been known over the years as being a very unpredictable player.

If Artest stands by what he said during last year’s playoffs about the old, irrational Ron Artest being gone, then the sky is the limit for this promising franchise.

The Orlando Magic lost a crucial part from last year’s run to the NBA finals in Hedo Turkoglu. Serving as the team’s primary ball handler, Turkoglu averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 boards for the Magic and hit plenty of key shots down the stretch in playoffs.

At first, it seemed like a big loss for the defending Eastern Conference champions, but Orlando was able to snag a few replacements to help them make another finals appearance in 2010.

Vince Carter was the biggest addition for the Magic this off-season, bringing his 20.8 points and 4.7 assist regular season average to an already established offense. Carter’s 38.5 percent average from long-range is likely to increase on a team that led the league in 3-point percentage last season. And with Dwight Howard demanding attention in the post, Carter should most likely receive a lot more open looks.

One surprise free agent signing was that of formerly retired point guard Jason Williams. Williams provides veteran leadership and championship experience to a team that has never won a title.

Averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 assists in his last season with the Miami Heat in 2008, Williams could serve as a mentor for All-Star guard Jameer Nelson and share time off the bench with fellow veteran Anthony Johnson.

The Magic also acquired former Dallas big man Brandon Bass and were able to keep backup center Marcin Gortat to solidify their frontcourt. Orlando has a good chance to repeat as Eastern Conference champions and compete for the franchise’s first NBA title.

Cleveland’s big trade for 15-time All-Star and 3-time Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal gave the team the motivational slogan “win a ring for the King.” O’Neal will be the Cavaliers’ first true post presence of the LeBron era.

Although nearing the end of his career, O’Neal had a resurge last season making his fifteenth All-Star game while averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds as a member of the Phoenix Suns.

The Cavaliers also added athletic swingmen Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to further expand their depth. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers will improve on winning 66 games last season when they didn’t have a dominant big man.

The 2009 off-season was a time where the league’s elite teams reloaded their rosters for the upcoming season.

Last year was arguably one of the best seasons in recent NBA history. With the moves made by these teams this summer, the 2009-2010 season could be just as good, if not better.