Rip City addressed various roster weaknesses this offseason with the trade for Deni Avdija and the selection of Donovan Clingan. Both are promising additions as they continue their rebuild. But the gap between the Blazers and teams at the top of the Western Conference may have increased as teams improved their rosters via free agency.
Winner No. 1: Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings recently made a blockbuster signing, adding DeMar DeRozan to their roster on a three-year, $74 million deal. DeRozan isn't the perfect fit as someone who relies heavily on his midrange game and could somewhat take away from De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. But it was clear after missing the playoffs this past season that the Kings needed another star to help take some of the pressure off of Fox and Sabonis, who were relied on to generate a majority of their high-octane offense.
DeRozan is one of the most clutch players in the entire NBA, which could come in handy as they should be in plenty of competitive games in the loaded Western Conference. The DeRozan signing is also a win because it shows how far the Kings organization has come that a big-name free agent picks Sacramento over other options, including the Lakers. This signing could not only put the Kings firmly back in playoff contention, but they now have a legitimate case to make as the best team in California.