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Men's Basketball The paradigm of basketball has shifted

NOW that the dust has settled on a lengthy, exciting and sometimes confusing free agency period, it’s clear the paradigm of the NBA has shifted.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ long, and at times, public pursuit of Kawhi Leonard finally paid off with the small forward agreeing to sign a three-year $103 million (£107m) deal with the team.

In the process, the Clippers’ front office pulled off a trade for Paul George, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, using a plethora of draft picks and last year’s lottery selection — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — to pair with Leonard, 28. 

By virtue of that trade, the Clippers created a situation around the league that hasn’t been seen in some time: total parity among teams.

It could have been a lot different though, had Leonard joined up with the Clippers’ Staples Centre neighbours — the Los Angeles Lakers. 

With new recruit Anthony Davis joining LeBron James in LA back in June, the Lakers were one player away from creating the next big dynasty in the NBA.

Kawhi Leonard was their main target, clearing enough salary to open up the option of offering him a maximum salary contract.

The formula has been the same in the NBA for the last decade, a result of James teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and winning two titles with the Heat. 

That was followed by the recent Golden State Warriors stranglehold over the NBA, ended by the Toronto Raptors after three titles in four years.

A core of James, Davis and Leonard would likely be the most talented three-man unit ever devised in the NBA, but that’s no longer the case.

Instead, the NBA is shaping up to be as wide open as ever.

The Western Conference, dominated by the Golden State Warriors for the past five years, is now as open as it’s ever been. 

A line has been formed with the LA contingency at the front of the queue, forcibly flexing the lure of California sun and well-constructed rosters to acquire potential role players.

Golden State, last year’s runners-up, have taken a significant step back. However, that could all prove to be temporary.

Klay Thompson is recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, and while his return date is unknown, the Warriors can be a much better team with him on the court, especially when paired with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

The Warriors’ original big three is a dynamic trio, and a playoff berth is probably still attainable. Given that they also added D’Angelo Russell into the backcourt, there’s definitely potential for high-scoring games.

The Clippers and Lakers both jumped to the front of the line by making groundbreaking trades, but they weren’t the only beneficiaries of upgrades on the trade market. 

The supposed discontent between current Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden and former Rockets — now Oklahoma City Thunder — point guard Chris Paul reached a tipping point. Paul was traded to the Thunder in exchange for former MVP Russell Westbrook.

Along with a young, hungry and ever-improving Denver Nuggets team, a Portland Trail Blazers team that still boasts one of the best backcourts in the NBA and a Utah Jazz team that is flying under the radar, despite finally getting their point guard in Mike Conley, the Western Conference is shaping up to be a dog fight.

While the Clippers look like the favourites to win the conference, don’t be shocked if any of these teams make a run for the top seed, acquiring home court advantage throughout the playoffs in the process.

The Eastern Conference, just like the last few years, doesn’t have the overall talent of their Western counterparts, but that always means there are wins up for grabs. 

The reigning champions, the Toronto Raptors, will take a step back without Kawhi Leonard but a championship core still exists. 

Kyle Lowry is a star and remains one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and with Pascal Siakam looking to make another jump after last season’s breakout year that ended with him winning the Most Improved Player award, the Raptors still have enough in the locker to win 50-plus games.

A little further up in the Eastern Conference, but south-east on the map, are the Philadelphia 76ers. They may well have cemented their place as the team to beat this year.

Despite losing Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat, it’s clear that the Sixers have improved on last season’s roster. The key difference is size.

A much more traditional front court will feature Joel Embiid and Al Horford, who arrived from the Boston Celtics in free agency. Paired with Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson, the Sixers will be the largest team in the NBA, and hope to use their size as a clear advantage.

If the East isn’t in the grips of the Sixers, the next closest team are the Milwaukee Bucks, home of the reigning MVP, Giannis Anteokounmpo. 

The Bucks won 60 games last season before being bounced out of the playoffs by the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

They lost Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers, who improved their roster, but as long as the Bucks have one of the best players in the NBA, they’ll be contenders. 

Much like the Brooklyn Nets, if they had Kevin Durant this season. They still have Kyrie Irving and could be an interesting team to watch, regardless.

Naming teams off the bat is easy to do, but picking an eventual winner is not. The NBA has had one team direct the passage of the league for the last few years. But, for the first time in a long time, it’s anyone’s game to win. 

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