Surprising Offseason Trades in the NBA

I guess I can hardly call it surprising considering the blockbuster deals this past season. After the Celtics started off the season with trades to get Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Lakers (Dare I say) stole Pau Gasol and the Suns acquired Shaquille O'Neal midseason in attempts to match. The Lakers' and Celtics' success gives these other teams little choice but to do the same. Even though it wasn't unexpected, it is still shocking to see this many superstars swapping jerseys. Elton Brand to the Sixers, Baron Davis to the Clippers, Corey Maggette to the Warriors, James Posey to the Hornets... and Josh Childress to Greece? The Hawks are looking to veteran guard Maurice Evans to fill Childress' role. Teams who fell short of the playoffs are looking for a fresh start with new foundations. Others make minor improvements that will hopefully be enough to push farther in the playoffs this coming season. The primary criticism of the Hornets was their inexperience, while the Spurs were hammered for their aging lineup, and both teams have made moves to change that. Is your head spinning yet? Mine too. We'll just have to wait until next season to see if each deal proves to be an upgrade or a bust.