- Screenshot 2018-07-22 at 9.44.53 PM.png (9.65 KiB) Viewed 911 times
Kings
The Kings don't really belong in this section but a majority of their key players were acquired via trade. The big thing to note about the Kings is that their arguably most valuable assets, Haynes and Duren, were drafted. Then they've done a nice job adding pieces around those two core players through free agency (Jeremy Lamb) and trades (Kyrie and Harris).
Bucks
LOL. Dealin' Doug lives up to his name as 6 of the 7 players playing over 10 minutes a game were acquired via trade. Devin Booker is the lone drafted player. Don't get too comfortable, Dev.
SIGN ALL THE FREE AGENTS
Suns
The only surprise here is that more of this team wasn't signed in free agency. The default strategy in the Kevin Love years has been to trade draft picks, try their luck in free agency, and make the occasional trade. When this strategy has gone well, as it has in the past couple years (see Oladipo, Barnes, and Robinson), this team becomes an instant championship contender.
T-Wolves
After trading Otto Porter Jr., the T-Wiggins could be opting for the same avoid the tax, build around your superstar every year strategy that the Suns have used to much success. Bringing in Gobert (signing) and Pfeffer (trade), however should provide some nice consistency in the foreseeable future.
Bulls
Again, no surprise here. The Bulls have been very successful signing free agents essentially since Garbageman took over. However, three of their key five, Desantis, Westbrook, and Porter, were acquired via trade and the fourth was a draft pick (DSJ).
Draft and Develop
Jazz
The Jazz have equally as many drafted as trade-acquired players but we all know that drafting has been at the heart of the Jazz resurgence. Kight, Johnson, and Gebhart make a formidable core three. They have done a great job filling in the roster around these guys were signings (Drummond) and trades (Embiid, Shumpert, Lowry, Stark).
Nets
The Nets have a solid drafted core Buddy, Medina, and Chriss so I'm putting them here even thought they have acquired an equal amount of players through each of the three channels. They got Jennings and Warren in trades so they've done a nice enough job on that front. Free agent signings have been low impact.
Hawks
Let's see, this team acquired blue potential guys with draft picks 19 and 23 and green potential guys with draft picks 28 and 37. We must be talking about the Atlanta Hawks! I could rant about how these guys are so lucky blah, blah, blah, but I want to go on a different rant about team culture.
It isn't clear how this is represented in the game but I think it probably has something to do with cohesion and ownership approval. I think that success breeds success in this game and that the reason everything seems to go right for the Hawks is because Wig has done such a great job running this franchise over the years that the game rewards him for this. He has only missed the playoffs 6 times in 32 seasons. When you do a good job, the game rewards you. When you do a bad job, the game punishes you. I've often wondered if from 1997 to 2009 I made so many dumb decisions that the Blazers can't ever be completely turned around until I am no longer the GM. Even when my team gets really good and I maintain some consistency (I know, it seems like this never happened, think the Dirk, Shaq or Rose, Artest, Hunter or Rose, McCollum, Lamb, Ball, Faried years) my cohesion starts at bad every year, my ownership trust never gets above average, eventually I fail to keep winning, and then start all over again. Anyway, that makes me sound like a bit of a conspiracy theorist but there you have it.
