Around The League: Biggest NBA Storylines Heading Into September

Juan Toscano-Anderson's move to the Lakers is officially announced on Twitter. (Photo Credit: Los Angeles Lakers)

With the NBA season now less than two months away, the league seems relatively set and prepared for the upcoming 2022-23 season. Up to this point, however, the NBA has been nothing short of chaotic, with a flurry of moves, both through trades, the NBA Draft, and free agency, which have completely changed the scope of the league as we knew it from just a few months earlier. Here are some of the biggest storylines concerning Latino players in the league in the past months and the coming future. 

 

Juan Toscano-Anderson Moves on from GSW, Signing New Deal with the Lakers

Likely the most notable news of this offseason among any Latino player was Juan Toscano-Anderson’s move from the Golden State Warriors, where he won a championship this past season, to divisional rival Los Angeles Lakers, signing a one-year deal worth nearly $2 million. Toscano is moving from one superstar squad to another, leaving the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Toscano will likely see a similar role in LA as a solid contributor off the bench and needed addition to a Lakers team that desperately needs to bounce back from a lowly 33-49 record this past year. 

Facundo Campazzo Remains Unsigned

One surprising remaining free agent is former Denver Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo, who served as a solid role player for a playoff squad and was known for his flashy passes and frequent assists to two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. However, with the 2021-22 season coming to an end, Campazzo’s two-year, $6 million deal was up. Since the Nuggets were knocked out of the first round in April, Facu still has yet to find a new home, garnering little to no interest from any teams around the league. A likely second option for the 31-year-old veteran may be to play overseas, likely in Spain, and eventually make a return back to the league.

Summer League Good and Bad Showings

Although it was over a month ago, the Summer League was still one of the biggest highlights for young prospects just entering the league. Among some of the best performances were Warriors duo Gui Santos, who averaged 10.9 points and 3.3 rebounds on 46.3% shooting, and Lester Quinones, who averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds, as well as Indiana Pacers star-studded guard Chris Duarte, who, after an impressive rookie season, averaged 18.3 points and 3.8 assists this summer. Among other solid performances were Colombian-born forward Jaime Echenique, who put up 10 points per game on 53.3% shooting for the Washington Wizards, and Milwaukee Bucks center Dewan Hernandez, who averaged 8.4 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field. 

Al Horford’s Return to a Strong Celtics Squad: Is a Long-Awaited Championship Incoming?

Finally, longtime veteran and current Celtics starting power forward Al Horford comes back to Boston looking for revenge. After an extremely impressive 2022 NBA playoffs run and stellar performances from Horford (including a 26-point, six rebound game in Game 1 of the Finals) led Boston to be just two games short of an NBA Championship. After making his first appearance in a Finals game, Horford and the C’s are already determined to make it back, having made big moves like their blockbuster trade for former Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and signing big man Danilo Gallinari to the squad to add to an already stacked roster. Now the only question remains: can they finish the job?