The 5 most head-scratching moves of the NBA's offseason

The summer months never fail to deliver a handful of truly mind-boggling decisions in the NBA, whether it's an out-of-nowhere signing, a valued contributor being allowed to walk in free agency, or just good old-fashioned calamity.

Here are the five most head-scratching moves of the 2018 offseason so far:

Hawks trade Doncic for Young on draft night

After a year of reports that a teenage phenom from Slovenia was essentially dominating the world's second-best league for its most storied club - Real Madrid - the question shouldn't have been whether Luka Doncic would go No. 1 overall in this summer's draft, but just how good the point forward could become upon his stateside arrival.

The Atlanta Hawks seemingly hit the lottery on draft night when the phenom fell to them at No. 3, but the team then proceeded to trade him to the Dallas Mavericks for No. 5 pick Trae Young and a 2019 first-round selection.

Though the Hawks' cupboard of blue-chip talent was bare, and the first-round pick in 2019 does help in that respect, Atlanta will quickly come to regret their decision if Doncic delivers on his hype.

The Zach LaVine tug-of-war

What's more perplexing: The Kings signing Zach LaVine to a four-year, $78-million offer sheet, or the Chicago Bulls opting to match those terms? It was perhaps the oddest bidding war in recent memory, with both teams tripping over themselves to commit long-term to a high-flying dunker who's played just 24 games since tearing his ACL during the 2016-17 season.

Consider that Will Barton, a score-first player who's avoided any major injuries, received $53 million over four years from the Denver Nuggets.

Barton has proven himself capable of the role for which he's being paid. LaVine? Not so much. There's a not-insignificant chance that this backfires spectacularly for the Bulls. The Kings may grow to be thankful that someone saved them from themselves.

Wizards sign Dwight, double-down on discord

The Washington Wizards have been on the precipice of self-combustion for years. Reported internal power struggles between John Wall and Bradley Beal and Wall and the recently-traded Marcin Gortat have threatened to derail an otherwise solid team.

So, logically, the Wiz brought the notoriously immature and unfocused Dwight Howard into the mix. Hilariously, the team can look within their own division to see what could lie in store for their relationship with Howard: All of their Southeast Division rivals, save the Miami Heat, have now traded the big man at some point in the past six years (to say nothing of his departures from the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets).

Considering Howard lasted only one season apiece with the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks, it's bizarre that Washington would sign him past the 2018-19 season, let alone give Howard a player option for 2019-20. History says there's a strong possibility the Wizards will end up paying Howard not to play for the team at some point in the future.

The Rockets' forward shuffle

In many ways, the Rockets had one of the organization's best seasons last year despite failing to make The Finals. They led the league with 65 wins, dispelling concerns about James Harden and Chris Paul co-existing. Clint Capela anchored the paint on either end of the floor, and a forward rotation featuring Trevor Ariza, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and P.J. Tucker perfectly complimented the team's stars.

Now, Paul is a year older and Capela has yet to sign an extension for next season. More alarming, however, is that Houston effectively allowed Ariza and Mbah a Moute to walk (they signed with the Suns and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively). Carmelo Anthony and James Ennis, who don't bring nearly the same amount of floor-spacing or defensive contributions, are set to replace many of those forward minutes, while Ryan Anderson will presumably have a larger workload.

What combination of players will be tasked with guarding LeBron James in a hypothetical Rockets-Lakers series next spring? The Rockets have taken one of their greatest strengths - versatility in the frontcourt - and made it a major liability.

The Lakers' entire summer

In the Lakers' favor: They signed LeBron. That's enough to atone for all the ensuing signings, incongruous though they might be. Still, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are certainly testing the limits of conventional wisdom.

Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee bring championship pedigree (don't laugh). But in totality, the incoming cadre of Rondo, McGee, Lance Stephenson, and Michael Beasley don't offer the skill sets typical of role-players on highly successful James-led teams. Where are the Kyle Korvers and Channing Fryes to whom LeBron can kick out passes to for open 3-point looks? Where are the plus defenders who allow James to conserve his energy for offense? Instead, the strategy was apparently to surround LeBron with playmakers, those who can put the ball on the floor and create scoring opportunities in transition. We'll see how that goes.

The Lakers' books are hardly deadlocked, as their roster is filled with expiring deals and rookie-scale contracts. A deal to add another star, like Kawhi Leonard, is presumably in the cards between now and next summer. But until then, the team is set to burn a season of LeBron's extended prime. And as Paul George's decision to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder shows, it's certainly possible for a free-agent superstar to block out the siren's song of playing for the Lakers.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)