Pacific Division: Biggest move each team made during the offseason

Gilbert McGregor

Pacific Division: Biggest move each team made during the offseason image

The Pacific Division is home of perhaps the most interesting group of teams in the NBA. Last season, as the division's lone representative in the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors won their second consecutive title.

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On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Phoenix Suns (21-61) were owners of the league's worst record and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Sandwiched in the middle were the Sacramento Kings (27-55), Los Angeles Lakers (35-47) and Los Angeles Clippers (42-40), who are all in various stages in rebuilding (or retooling) their rosters.

As the goal in each offseason is to improve, let's take a look at the best move from each Pacific Division team…

Los Angeles Lakers

Biggest move: Signing LeBron James

This one should be pretty clear. The Lakers have added the league's best player to a roster that features the young talent of Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.

At 33, LeBron is somehow still in his prime – last season, the 14-time All-Star averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. In the 2018 playoffs, James tied a postseason record with eight 40-point games, including a 51-point outburst in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Prior to free agency, James made it clear that he is still in "championship mode." There isn't a better candidate to groom the Lakers' young talent than the three-time Finals MVP.

Golden State Warriors

Biggest move: Signing DeMarcus Cousins

Is it even possible for a back-to-back champion with four All-Stars to make a move to improve in the offseason? The Warriors certainly did.

In adding perennial All-Star Cousins, Golden State picked up one of the top three centres in the league. Before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in January, Cousins was averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. The 6-foot-11 centre was also knocking down over two 3-pointers per game at a 35.4 percent clip.

There shouldn't be a rush for Cousins to return to action, but once he does, he will add a dimension the Warriors have never had in the Steve Kerr era. Cousins' size and shooting ability make him the perfect modern-day centre. He should command a double team on the block, but his passing ability will allow him to find either Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry, who will be sure to make defenders pay for doubling. 

Phoenix Suns

Biggest move: Drafting Deandre Ayton

Whether or not Ayton will become the generational talent he has the potential to be is yet to be seen, but Phoenix's No. 1 overall pick is sure to bring excitement to the Valley of the Sun this season.

Ayton's 7-foot-1 frame coupled with his reported 43.5-inch vertical leap makes for a unique combination of size and athleticism. In his lone season at the University of Arizona, the Bahamian centre averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, recording a double-double in 24 of the Wildcats' 35 games.

While the knock on Ayton is his defence, the 20-year-old has plenty of time to improve on that end of the floor. Factor in 21-year-olds Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss and Mikal Bridges, and the Suns now have one of the more exciting young cores in the NBA.

Sacramento Kings

Biggest move: Drafting Marvin Bagley III

You could argue that Bagley was the best player in college basketball last year.

The 6-foot-11 do-it-all forward averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds while shooting 61.4 percent from the field in his lone season at Duke. Bagley set an ACC record by recording 22 double-doubles as a freshman, and earned both ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honours.

Bagley provides a much-needed offensive punch for the Kings, who averaged a league-worst 98.8 points per game in the 2017-18 season. The rookie should be Sacramento's clear-cut No. 1 option from day one and could lead all rookies in scoring.

Los Angeles Clippers

Biggest move: Drafting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It's been a busy offseason for the Clips, but their biggest move was acquiring their point guard of the future on draft night.

At 6-foot-6, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be a matchup nightmare for smaller guards and will have the defensive versatility to switch onto other positions once he adds to his wiry 180-pound frame. Playing alongside tenacious defenders in Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley will do wonders for Gilgeous-Alexander as he adapts to the NBA game. 

If the Hamilton, Ont. native's Summer League output is any indication (19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game), LA will smoothly transition into a new era of basketball.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.