As the summer ends, there is more drama in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets will not be trading Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, as both players are staying in Barclays Center. Joe Tsai and the rest of the Nets management met with Kevin Durant earlier this week, and both parties will move on from the trade talks. The goal is that Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the Nets will play together in the 2022-2023 NBA season. Steve Nash will continue to coach the Nets, and Sean Marks will continue his role as General Manager of the Nets. In the Western Conference, the LA Lakers traded Talen Horton Tucker and Stanley Johnson to Utah. Utah traded Patrick Beverley to the Lakers, which could be considered an upgrade for the Lakers. Beverley is known to be a good defender, and he adds some impressive 3-point shooting. One big question is how will Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley be on the same team. In the past, both players did not mesh well when they were on different teams. With Darvin Ham as the new coach in LA, Westbrook's role will change. Coach Ham has made it very clear to Westbrook that he needs to have a much better season than last year. Lebron James agreed to a two year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-2025 season with the Lakers. This news is great for the Lakers, and the team should have their main goal be to make the NBA playoffs in the upcoming season. Lebron James could become the all-time scoring leader, if he surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's current record. With the start of the upcoming season about two months away, there are some familiar names that could contend for the title. The top five teams are the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and LA Clippers for winning the NBA championship. As a Phoenix Suns fan, the team has to bounce back from their 2nd round loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns will open their season at home against the Mavericks on October 19. Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton plus the rest of the Suns team are looking forward to the rematch. In this penultimate paragraph, let's continue with the Suns. Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges have a big opportunity to help the team get back to the top of the Western Conference. Coach Williams should start with expanding the roles of Johnson and Bridges. Johnson shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season. Mikal Bridges should continue to be a stellar defender, as he was second in Defensive Player of the year award in 2021-2022 season. In closing, the upcoming NBA season should be another exciting one. The Suns and the Lakers have to improve this year, and different sportsbooks are picking LA as 10-1 odds to win the NBA championship. Will Russell Westbrook stay with the Lakers? Let's hope he has a better NBA season with less turnovers, for the Lakers. Good day everyone!
