NCAA college basketball finishes with an absolute bang with March Madness every year and the NBA finals close out the professional season only a few months later. This means that from March through June every year, basketball fans are treated to some of the best action of the season at both the college and professional level.
NBA fans who love to bet had quite a wild playoff season. The Phoenix Suns were favorites who barely made it out of the first round and lost in the Conference semifinals. There were similarly high hopes for the Milwaukee Bucks, but they couldn’t compete with the Boston Celtics. Few people thought that the Golden State Warriors would be serious contenders for the Championship title, but anyone who bet on Steph Curry and his unstoppable combination of talent and ambition saw that odds mean nothing to him and his team.
If this coming season is the time for you to start betting, choose a betting guide that will direct you to the top sportsbooks that operate in your region. Many sports betting promotions come in the form of welcome bonuses for new customers, less commonly you’ll find sportsbooks that provide promo codes for bonuses.
Late June and early July are when fans can finally decompress after all that excitement. But just because the season is over doesn’t mean that there isn’t any basketball news to follow. From October to June the action is on the court, but from July to September everything is happening off the court.
The offseason is just starting but there have already been some big events — the biggest of which was the opening of the trading season. This article will look at what’s been happening in the conference rooms and board rooms that is going to set up the 2022-23 NBA season.
Free agency deals
On June 30th, the NBA’s Free Agency Moratorium began. From July 1st to 6th, teams cannot sign any players, they can only engage in negotiations. This is the period during the offseason that is the most filled with speculation, debate and discussion. Thankfully it only lasts for a week, otherwise the tension might be too much for all but the most seasoned pundits.
This year’s free agency period was particularly busy. On July 7th, we saw a wave of new contracts and deals being announced. This is the time when players whose contracts were on the verge of ending can make the choice to stay or to move along to a new team. This year, the majority of these returning contracts were for one or two years, but there was a handful of much more serious commitments.
The Chicago Bulls resigned Zach LaVine for a 5-year deal. The work he has put in for the Bulls has obviously been recognized by the team’s management. In a move that shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone, the Denver Nuggets chose to sign Nikola Jokic to a 5-year deal as well. The Serbian star’s contract is reportedly the richest deal in NBA history at $246m.
Summer League Championships
The NBA Summer League is an opportunity for coaches to experiment with different rosters. It’s also the primary opportunity for rookie players and G league players, the NBA’s minor league affiliates, to show that they have what it takes to snag a place on the team.
This year’s edition, stylized as NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, was held in Las Vegas from July 7th to 17th. All 30 NBA teams participated this year and each team played five games over the course of the tournament. The Portland Trailblazers beat the New York Knicks in the final to become the summer champions.
After their lackluster performance last year, this was a big surprise from the Trailblazers. They hadn’t even qualified for the playoffs last season. The presence of new head coach Chauncey Billups has apparently already begun to have a major impact on the team. It will be exciting to see how far they’ve come once the new season starts.
New uniforms
In terms of on the court style, the biggest news this offseason is the Cleveland Cavaliers new uniforms. They haven’t just had a minor update; the team has introduced a new logo and color scheme as part of their refreshed brand identity. The logos reference iconic Cavalier eras while still maintaining a modern and fresh feel. The Utah Jazz has also updated their uniforms, but those changes might not be for the better.
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