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The 2020-21 NBA season saw several high-profile trades during the campaign, such as James Harden moving to the Brooklyn Nets and Rajon Rondo joining the LA Clippers. However, some of the most successful moves happened prior to any basketball being played.
Offseason trades can be integral to how a team performs during the year and allowing new players and their teammates to bond and play together before competitive action is crucial. Whether it's a new leader or rotation player, each team is looking for the shrewd acquisition everybody else has missed.
In this article, we break down five of the most successful offseason trades and how they can continue to help their new franchise in the future.
5 offseason acquisitions that had a huge impact in the 2020-21 NBA season
Even as recently as last year, Anthony Davis proved what effect a new player can have on an NBA team's success. They may be the missing piece on either end of the floor or are simply another superstar to help a team become legitimate contenders.
The players on our list have all lived up to expectations and were worth the trade their teams made to acquire them. Let's take a look at some of the most successful offseason signings this year.
#1 Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
The Phoenix Suns' acquisition of Chris Paul proved pivotal in turning around the franchise's fortunes this year. Not only did the 36-year-old help the Suns return to the NBA Playoffs, but they did so in style. In the first season with each of his last four teams, Paul has helped to improve their winning percentage, which in Phoenix went from 46% last season to 70%.
Paul is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and continued to put up staggering numbers even as a veteran of the game. His free-throw percentage led the league at 93.4%, which was also a career-high, and he ranked third for assist to turnover ratio which was 3.99.
His shooting was one of the main reasons Paul had such an impact in Phoenix. He shot at 49% from the field and 39% from downtown, both of which ranked among his top-4 seasons in each metric.
#2 Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
Jrue Holiday could be the missing piece the Milwaukee Bucks needed in the NBA Playoffs, though we will wait to see if that comes true. During the regular season, Holiday had his most efficient year on offense, with a rating of 121, and ranked fifth in steals.
Milwaukee put a lot of faith into Holiday when they gave up Eric Bledsoe, two future first-round picks and the option to swap two future first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first year with the Bucks, the 30-year-old guard averaged a career-high 50% field-goal accuracy and scored a personal-best 39% of three-point attempts.
However, Holiday was brought in as one of the NBA's premier two-way guards. His defensive awareness falls perfectly into Milwaukee's style of play and was able to shut down the likes of Trae Young and Ja Morant on offense this year.
The fallout from the franchise's playoff run will be the real decider over the extent to which this move was successful. As far as the regular season is concerned, Holiday performed to expectation.
#3 Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
Russell Westbrook was involved in a blockbuster trade at the beginning of December 2020, whereby he traded places with the Washington Wizards' John Wall. Just over six months later, the Wizards have returned to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season after winning 15 of their last 20 games.
During that time, Westbrook averaged 23.6 points, 13.9 assists and 13.6 rebounds. That run capped off another incredible campaign for the 32-year-old, who overtook Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history.
With the leadership of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, the Wizards were one of the most exciting sides on offense in the second half of the season. Although they struggled to turn their performances into wins at the beginning of the campaign, they looked unstoppable after the All-Star break.
Only the Milwaukee Bucks scored more than the Wizards 118 points per game during that time.
#4 Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
Despite only being able to play in 41 games this season, Christian Wood certainly made an impact in his first year with the Houston Rockets. The 25-year-old impressed straight away, averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds in January, though the rest of his campaign was influenced by his right ankle injury in February.
Wood finished the regular season as one of the most improved players in the NBA. He averaged the most points, rebounds and assists of his career and also grabbed 1.2 blocks per game. He will play a big role as part of their 'young core' and is under contract with the Rockets for the next two seasons.
#5 Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons)
One star who did make the final three candidates for the NBA Most Improved Player award was Jerami Grant. The 27-year-old left Denver in the offseason to prove that he could be a team's No.1 option on offense, and he quickly showed how.
The small forward was electric in a season that was mostly forgettable for the Detroit Pistons, averaging 22 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
There were initial question marks over the Piston's trust in the small forward, whom they gave a 3-year, $60m deal. However, Grant had a career-year, almost doubled his points output per match and shot a personal-best 84% from the free-throw line.
The question now is, what's next for Jerami Grant? Detroit are still rebuilding as a franchise and expect a lot from him. He is the team's go-to guy on offense and he has proven this year that his talent has a high ceiling that was previously unfulfilled.
