Which NBA Player Signings Have Surpassed Expectations?

The NBA regular season is one of the longest and most grueling for its sheer amount of fixtures. There are seven months of battles on the court that provide scope for shocks and postseason dramas. The 82 games seem daunting, but the payoff is always worth it.

It came down to Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers as the two teams left standing. The live betting options constantly changed as this unpredictable face-off emerged. The Pacers lost 32 regular games but still made it to the endgame from fourth in the Eastern Conference. That’s

There are no prizes for guessing who might be the most important player for Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already bagged the MVP award for this season. During the regular season, he made almost three-quarters of his attempts from three feet out after dribbling to make the space. The statistics are only half the story.

He has been superb in all the key areas of an elite sportsman -  footwork, shooting ability and creating fouls. Add that to a body that can contort shapes that would put paid to careers in mere mortals and there’s really no defense against him.

The signings were also another big story, none more so than the top at the top of this pile…..

Luka Doncic from Maverick To Laker

One of the most talked about moves in 2024/25 was Doncic’s move from the Dallas Mavericks to the L.A. Lakers. In his final season for Dallas, he managed over 33 points per game but in the lead-up to the Lakers’ appearance in the playoffs, he was averaging more than 34 in a five-game blast.

Doncic made L.A. a threat with his early showings in games, always setting the pace. He is still in his prime as a 26-year-old and is the best center out there. He may not always lead the rankings in this, that and the other, but his superb all-round game – bar a defensive flaw – has given him a new lease of life.

The other half of the dream duo, LeBron James, claimed Doncic sees plays “before they happen.” Not many have that vision. He now looks like a lean machine as well after gym work and conditioning. A full season awaits for 2025/26.

Karl-Anthony Towns from Wolves to Knicks:

Another eye-opener was seeing Towns move from Minnesota Wolves to the New York Knicks. He was moving through the gears for Knicks until they came up against those pesky outsiders, the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.

Towns was upping stats in three-pointers, rebounds and scoring percentages, allowing the offense to really come off the rails and create more space for others like Mikal Bridges. He matched  Nikola Jokic as the only player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 40% shooting on 3-pointers.

Jimmy Butler from Heat to Warrior

Jimmy Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors from the Miami Heat in the February rush and it was the best regeneration he could have experienced.  In a win over Memphis, he scored  38 points and made six assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Butler had the big-game experience and showed up. The Warriors were 25-26 when he came in but, despite his disciplinary issues in Miami, the 35-year-old pulled the team off the floor with a 27-8 record from there.

Butler was the first Warrior in franchise history to make over 30 rebounds and assists and score more than 120 points in their first six games.

Klay Thompson from Warriors to Dallas

Klay Thompson left the Golden State Warriors after 13 seasons to team up with Luca Doncic at the Dallas Mavericks. The rest is history with Doncic being traded. His tally can’t be looked at too harshly given that he then had to cope with Kyrie Irving being carried off with an ACL injury in March.

Thompson made the best of it and reminded everyone why he owns four Championship rings. Although his points total was underpowered, he still made some magic with seven three-pointers in the first quarter against the Washington Wizards. Thompson was supposed to be part of a special trio but ended up being the man to hold it together. Sometimes, it’s not the win, it’s the father figure’s role to keep going.

Perhaps it was fate that the Pacers and the Thunder faced off against each other at the end of the postseason. That classic game just after Christmas deserved a highlights reel as Gilgeous-Alexander scored 45 points as the lead and momentum changed hands. The Pacers' explosive offense and the Thunder's big gun defense was the contrast this season needed.