By: Drew Mandeville

Following The Denver Nuggets championship win, the NBA is preparing for the 77^th season and the narratives are intriguing. Basketball Reference.com has all the latest stats on players and games for The Squire and readers to observe. The NBA all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, is heading into year 21 and looks to chase greatness. 2023 first overall draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, heads to a storied franchise in San Antonio that has produced all-time greats like Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Golden State Warriors star, Stephen Curry, looks to make a run at his fifth NBA championship alongside 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, and fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, and new acquisition, Chris Paul, who arrived from Washington in a previous deal. However, plenty of teams have made moves to compete for the championship.

New free agents on teams will provide an entertaining race to the Finals this season. 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, joins the reigning DPOY in Jaren Jackson Jr. and a Memphis Grizzlies team that finished as the second-best team in the Western Conference, according to ESPN. Smart and company look to keep the Grizzlies in contention until Ja Morant’s return from a 25-game suspension.

The Boston Celtics are looking to make another deep run in the playoffs after trading Smart to Memphis in a three-team trade to bring in Kristaps Porzingis to bolster their rotation of big men. Among the Celtics, superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remain on roster, as well as five-time all-defensive team member and two-time all-star, Jrue Holiday. The Celtics look to win their 18^th championship to put them over the Los Angeles Lakers in the most NBA championships, and The Lakers also made big moves in the offseason.

The Lakers re-signed superstar big man, Anthony Davis; rising guard, Austin Reaves; defensive ace, Jarred Vanderbilt; athletic forward, Rui Hachimura; and savvy guard, D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers also brought in a talented group of free agents including Cam Reddish, Christian Wood, Jaxon Hayes, Taurean Prince, and former Miami Heat guard, Gabe Vincent. This supporting cast looks to help LeBron James in his quest to gain his fifth title and cement his legacy, similar to an aging superstar in Phoenix.

 The Phoenix Suns went all in on winning now with aging forward, Kevin Durant, by trading away Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in order to acquire guard, Bradley Beal, to make an offensively oriented big three of Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker, as the Suns make a push to win Durant his third NBA championship.

With the recent trade acquisition of seven-time-all-star, Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks gain another superstar to pair alongside two-time-MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and three-time-all-star, Khris Middelton. The Bucks have a new look to make the Finals for the first time since the 2021 season. The team traded point guard, Jrue Holiday, for Lillard and fired coach, Mike Budenholzer, to have a new-look team with Lillard and head coach, Adrian Griffin.

With the heavy impact of the NBA worldwide, Eisenhower Knights basketball player, Austin Hanson commented on who he believed will win the championship saying, “I think the Denver Nuggets will repeat and win another championship this year. They are the most complete team in the NBA, with their entire team built around their two-time-MVP Nikola Jokic, and they have re-signed almost all of their players back in free agency.” Hanson also commented on the most impactful off-season acquisition stating, “… Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. This makes the Bucks serious contenders to win the championship and makes an interesting duo with Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and (Damian) Lillard”.

With all the competitive teams in the league with teams such as the Celtics, Lakers, Suns, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks looking to make a push to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the NBA season looks to be an exciting year for basketball fans around the world.