NBA: 2018 Transactions Tracker

Nets Trade For Dwight Howard (June 20): Dwight Howard has been dealt for the second straight offseason, this time to the Brooklyn Nets. Apparently the Charlotte Hornets were done dealing with Howard and his ever apparent locker room issues, so they decided to move on from him altogether. The Nets will now boast a lineup of D'Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and Howard, with a couple of spots left to fill, unless they decide to buy him out which is very possible. With this deal, Brooklyn gets rid of the horrible Timofey Mozgov deal, which means they have room to sign two max players either this offseason or next. Howard's career has seemingly gone downhill since his exit from the Orlando Magic organization.

Suns Select DeAndre Ayton (June 21): With the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Suns decided to go with DeAndre Ayton out of Arizona. He was arguably the best player in the nation last year, as he won Pac-12 Player and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Ayton put up an incredible 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game and has the ability to score from all over the court. He will be paired up with Devin Booker in Phoenix and all of a sudden, the organization is on the up-swing. Ayton may very well turn into an All-Star player and Booker seems to already be on that path. Phoenix got their guy and will continue to build around him, Booker, and Josh Jackson. The Suns had the worst record in the league and this was their first ever top pick.

Kings Select Marvin Bagley III (June 21): The Kings were flirting with taking the likes of Luka Doncic and Mo Bamba, but they decided to put their faith into the former-Duke product: Marvin Bagley III. He broke the record for most double-doubles in ACC history with 24 of them, and was able to show the country that he has an elite offensive repertoire. Sacramento has an extreme amount of young players who haven't exactly panned out, but it's obviously too early to tell. They have guys like De'Aaron Fox, Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson, and Frank Mason, and Bagley will be added to that bunch. He'll see a ton of minutes in his rookie year, and will join former Duke player Harry Giles within the Kings organization.

Mavericks Trade For Luka Doncic (June 21): It was possible for that Doncic was going to be drafted No. 1 to the Suns, but they passed on him, as did the Kings. So he fell to the third pick, and the Atlanta Hawks snatched him up. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, though, the Hawks and Dallas Mavericks decided to swap picks No. 3 and No. 5. The Mavericks wanted Doncic, so they moved up in the draft to grab him. Doncic averaged 16.1 points and 4.4 assists on 58.3 percent shooting and a lot of people believe that he can become the best player from this draft class. The Mavericks all of a sudden have a quick rebuild on their hands with Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr., as well as Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki.

Grizzlies Select Jaren Jackson Jr. (June 21): It was reported by ESPN that the Grizzlies wanted Jackson Jr., but it was him who was holding up the process by not releasing his physical at first. Once the physical was turned in, Memphis knew that he was their pick. Jackson didn't play as much as a lot of these prospects, especially since he was playing with older players Miles Bridges and Nick Ward. But there is obvious talent there and a lot of teams think he is going to be one of top two or three players because of his upside. He can score from different areas, but his best ability is on the defensive end. He moves his feet well and with a long wingspan, is able to block a ton of shots. He'll join Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

Hawks Trade For Trae Young (June 21): We initially had Trae Young going just outside of the top five to the Orlando Magic at No. 6, but the Hawks decided to trade back (and get an extra future pick) with the Dallas Mavericks because they knew Young would still be available with the fifth slot. It's a pretty good idea to go with a guy that led the NCAA in points and assists for the first time in history. I think his game fits even better in the NBA as it did in college, so expect a lot from this guy. He has nearly unlimited range and great vision, and if his defense can improve, he'll be an all-around guard. The Hawks drafted John Collins last year to begin their rebuild. He put up 27.4 points and 8.7 assists last year.

Thunder Re-Sign Paul George (July 1): The Oklahoma City Thunder have pulled off the impossible and have re-signed Paul George, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. George is the second best free agent available this offseason, behind only LeBron James, and it seemed like the only possible destinations were either the Los Angeles Lakers or returning to the Thunder. Most people, including us, believed he would head home to his Lakers, but apparently Russell Westbrook has convinced him that the Thunder can compete. We'll see how this impacts LeBron's pending decision. The Thunder's projected lineup is Westbrook, Andre Roberson, George, Carmelo Anthony, and Steven Adams.

Rockets Re-Sign Chris Paul (July 1): It was clear that the Rockets wanted to hold on to Paul and after going 65-17 last year and reaching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Rockets went 11-6 in the NBA Playoffs and came within one game of the NBA Finals, which would have been Paul's first. He averaged 18.6 points and 7.9 assists per game last year with Houston and will be signing a deal for four years worth a total of $160 million. We thought Houston would hang onto their point guard, and it's now official, according to multiple reports. The Rockets will likely try to make a run at signing LeBron James, but without him, their lineup of Paul, James Harden, Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker (or Trevor Ariza), and Clint Capela is dangerous.

Mavericks Sign DeAndre Jordan (July 1): The Dallas Mavericks were just moments away from signing DeAndre Jordan way back in the summer of 2015, before his Los Angeles Clippers teammates "talked him" into staying for another run at a conference finals. They weren't able to do so and now three years later, Jordan has decided the Mavericks is where he wants to play. Jordan put up 12.0 points and 15.2 rebounds per game last season, and has now led the NBA in rebounds twice. He has also made one All-Star appearance, and immediately upgrades this Dallas roster. However, the Mavs were just 24-58 last year. Dennis Smith Jr., Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki, and Jordan is a much improved roster, though.

Suns Sign Trevor Ariza (July 1): Ariza has gotten used to playing in the NBA Playoffs virtually every year as he has made deep postseason runs with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and others. He earned his only ring with the Lakers. After being a starter on the Rockets for the last couple of years, Ariza has decided to sign elsewhere. His choice is the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix had the worst record in the NBA last year at 21-61, but should be considerably better with the additions of DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and now Ariza. He averaged 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last year, as Houston reached the conference finals. Phoenix now has a budding lineup of Elfrid Payton, Devin Booker, Ariza, Marquese Chriss, and Ayton.

Lakers Sign LeBron James (July 1): James is the best player in the world and for the third time in his career, he has had the chance to pick where he plays. James has decided to sign a four-year deal worth $154 million with the Los Angeles Lakers, with the final year being a player option. James averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game and finished second in the MVP race last year. We aren't quite sure what this roster will look like next season, but so far the Lakers boast a lineup of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma (or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), James, Brandon Ingram, and Javale McGee. They will also attempt to sign guys like Clint Capela, Demarcus Cousins, and Jabari Parker, all of who would likely start.

Magic Re-Sign Aaron Gordon (July 2): Gordon had a great year last season, averaging 17.6 points and 7.9 boards per game, and was a near NBA All-Star. It's clear that his game is adjusting to the league better as he gets more experience and he should be a 20+ points per game scorer within two seasons. It was believed by many that he was a sure bet to re-sign with the Orlando Magic, the team who drafted him, and that has come true. The Magic aren't a very good team, as they went just 25-57 last year, and had the second worst record in the Eastern Conference. However, Gordon is their star player and they will continue to build around him. They'll start D.J. Augustin, Evan Fournier, Gordon, Nikola Vučević, and Mo Bamba.

Jazz Re-Sign Derrick Favors (July 2): Favors was a starter on the Utah Jazz last season, who went 48-34 last year and earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference. The Jazz were able to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round, 4-2, before losing to the Houston Rockets in the conference semifinals. Favors had a pretty good year, going for 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per outing. He also had a PER of 18.82. Favors is a solid player, and has continued to fill a nice role in Utah. The Jazz look like they'll be one of the 10 best teams in the NBA heading into next season with virtually their entire team returning. Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Favors, and Rudy Gobert make for a pretty good lineup.

Warriors Sign Demarcus Cousins (July 2): Cousins is joining a team that is already established as one of the greatest teams to ever hit the hard wood. The Golden State Warriors went 58-24 last year in the regular season, before earning a 16-5 record in the NBA Playoffs and won their third title in four seasons. So what do they go out and do? Sign a four-time NBA All-Star who averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game! Cousins is one of the best big men in the game and is now added to a team that already has four current All-Star level players. I don't think anyone wants to face a lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Cousins. This is a huge splash in free agency.

Thunder Trade Carmelo Anthony (July 19): Carmelo Anthony, 10-time NBA All-Star and 2013 NBA Scoring Champion, has been traded for the second time in two years. He was dealt at the end of last summer to the Oklahoma City Thunder after requesting a trade from the New York Knicks. It was previously reported just a couple of weeks ago that the Thunder were looking into getting rid of Anthony after just one season with the organization. Oklahoma City constructed a team that they believed could compete with the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Houston Rockets, but they never quite clicked. Dennis Schroder, who put up 19.4 points last year, will head to OKC. Anthony will likely sign with the Houston Rockets or Miami Heat.

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.