The 2019 summer free-agent market had only been open for one day, yet fans had already been bombarded by all kinds of blockbuster news.
Sure enough, the league landscape had undergone a dramatic upheaval. The leading stars of multiple teams had changed destinations, instantly overturning the entire league's power rankings.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who had failed to make the playoffs last season, were overnight ranked first in ESPN's power rankings.
Anthony Davis's arrival had finally given the Lakers' years of tanking some hope.
The thought of his wing pairing with James was enough to set imaginations racing.
What's more, the Lakers were still pursuing Vucevic, Leonard, and others.
As long as they landed one of them, the Lakers could take off on the spot.
The Nets, who had been neither here nor there last season, had also become one of the strongest title contenders.
Before free agency opened, there had been rumors that Durant and Irving might join forces in New York.
At the time, everyone guessed they would team up on the Knicks. Unexpectedly, they both chose the Nets.
With Durant and Irving, plus Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan, the Nets' championship-caliber roster took shape in an instant.
They were also ranked second in the power index.
Of course, the New York Knicks were left in an awkward position. They had cleared $70 million in cap space for Durant and Irving, only to end up spending none of it.
Then, whether out of spite or for some other reason, New York used all that $70 million to sign power forwards...
Ordinary people truly could not keep up with the Knicks management's train of thought.
Besides that, the Philadelphia 76ers had also splashed out wildly to assemble an exceptionally luxurious lineup.
The five-star lineup of Ben Simmons, Embiid, Horford, Harris,