What was supposed to be the “most craziest ever” NBA offseason has yet to live up to its billing. And as a result, many fans are taking their frustration out on Shams Charania.
After all, ESPN’s senior NBA insider has been responsible for hyping up this offseason, teasing a flurry of high profile moves with the aforementioned label during a May 27 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. In the weeks since, Kevin Durant got traded to the Houston Rockets and Desmond Bane became a member of the Orlando Magic, but it’s otherwise been a relatively normal — if not lacking — offseason throughout June.
Charania, however, remained undeterred.
Monday night marked the official start of free agency, providing the perfect opportunity for business to pick up. And that’s exactly what Charania expected to happen, as the 31-year-old made yet another proclamation during an interview with McAfee.
“There’s gonna be some big deals tonight, Pat,” Charania said matter-of-factly, although he conceded that they wouldn’t necessarily meet his “most craziest ever” criteria.
Those deals? D’Angelo Russell is now a member of the Mavericks. The Nuggets and Nets swapped Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Johnson. Dorian Finney-Smith spurned the Lakers for the Rockets. Can I interest you in Jordan Clarkson joining the Knicks? Ty Jerome to the Grizzlies? What about the Hawks adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard?
If anything, the biggest story to this point in the offseason has been the proliferation of would-be free agents and extension-eligible players re-signing with their current teams — not exactly the type of transaction that elicits excitement across the league. Of course, we still don’t know what’s going on with LeBron James and the Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee remains in question. But for now, many fans understandably find themselves let down by an offseason that Charania seems to have overhyped.
To be clear, Shams is still the preeminent NBA newsbreaker, so the Tracy McGrady-Knicks and Vince Carter-Hawks comparisons are a little harsh (but funny nonetheless). And there is still plenty of time for some other dominos to fall and the change the perception of what’s largely been an underwhelming offseason — especially if those dominos involve James and/or Antetokounmpo.
Ultimately, Charania can only work with the information he obtains, which doesn’t always guarantee that the moves he thinks might happen will come to fruition. For now, however, it would be perfectly valid for fans to take his next proclamation with a grain of salt, as an offseason he promised would be the “most craziest ever” has thus far been anything but.