Top 10 NBA stories of 2019

NBA-related news always seems to dominate headlines, and 2019 was no exception.

From a general manager sparking geopolitical tensions to multiple icons hanging up their shoes, here are the 10 biggest stories of the past calendar year.

10. Melo makes long-awaited return

Carmelo Anthony spent nearly a year in basketball exile and didn't land a contract ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. When the regular season got underway, it certainly looked like a failed stint with the Houston Rockets would go down as his final act.

However, injuries and a slow start prompted the Portland Trail Blazers to give Melo a non-guaranteed contract in November, which put the 10-time All-Star back in the limelight.

Even at 35, Anthony has helped keep the Trail Blazers afloat. Portland is 9-10 since his arrival and has gotten back into a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the team fully guaranteed Anthony's contract for the rest of this season in December.

9. Dirk and Wade retire in style

While this season might represent Melo's retirement tour, 2019 featured the departure of two NBA icons: Dallas Mavericks lifer Dirk Nowitzki and Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. Between the two players, there were 23 All-Star appearances, four championship wins, and nearly 55,000 points.

As part of their farewell tours, both future Hall of Famers were honored as special additions to the All-Star Game in February, which gave them an opportunity to take the court alongside the league's best players one last time.

8. Giannis edges Harden for MVP

NBA fans were spoiled by a pair of otherworldly campaigns from Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden in 2018-19. The Milwaukee Bucks star was ultimately named MVP, but Harden refused to make the decision easy by scoring 36.1 points per game - the eighth-highest season average in NBA history.

Every argument under the sun was made in favor of each player, and truthfully, either of them would have been a worthy winner. But when Harden blamed a media narrative for costing him the honor, it seemed to spark a mini rivalry between the two superstars, who are once again MVP favorites this season.

7. Russ, CP3 redefine unmovable contracts

As it turns out, the only way to move a so-called "untradeable contract" in today's NBA is to accept an equally monstrous deal in return. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Rockets were able to find some common ground in June, pulling off a blockbuster trade of Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul plus future draft assets.

Between the two players, nearly $294 million in future salary changed hands. The trade also brought an end to Westbrook's storied tenure with the Thunder. The 31-year-old had been with the franchise since its first season in Oklahoma City after moving from Seattle in 2008.

6. Pelicans defy odds to win Zion sweepstakes

One prospect usually separates himself from the pack by the time the NBA draft rolls around, but Zion Williamson was locked in as the No. 1 pick of the 2019 edition months in advance. Already a freak athlete coming out of high school, Williamson honed his ball-handling skills and his defense during a season at Duke to create a tantalizing package for NBA suitors.

Thanks to new rules that were designed to curb tanking, the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns were all given a 14% chance of earning the first pick. Despite their optimism, all of those teams ended up disappointed as the New Orleans Pelicans overcame tiny 6% odds to win the sweepstakes.

While Williamson has yet to play for New Orleans due to injury, his selection eased the pain of losing former franchise star Anthony Davis in the offseason. There's also hope that Zion will see the floor early in 2020.

5. Magic suddenly resigns from Lakers

Magic Johnson shocked the basketball world when he stepped down as Los Angeles Lakers president in very odd fashion. Johnson had apparently grown so frustrated with the tampering warnings and fines he'd received for commenting on other teams' players that he left one of the most prestigious jobs in basketball without even giving notice to his boss, Jeanie Buss. If that wasn't enough, Magic followed up his resignation by calling out Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on national television.

Now that he's no longer employed by an NBA team, Magic has been free to pursue his other passions, which apparently include giving generic 280-character recaps of Lakers games and receiving oddly specific boating honors in Italy.

4. Morey's Hong Kong endorsement enrages China

Seven simple words put the NBA's bottom line at risk and fueled international tensions when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support of pro-democracy Hong Kong protestors in October. China angrily responded with a media blackout of the NBA, but commissioner Adam Silver upheld Morey's right to free speech during the volatile period.

The controversy directly affected LeBron James and the Lakers, who traveled to China soon after Morey infuriated the nation. James, however, incensed Hong Kong citizens and drew his own criticism from North American media when he blamed Morey for being "misinformed" about China. The Rockets, by the way, are still banned in the country.

3. Anthony Davis (finally) gets to L.A.

For months, Davis made it clear that he wanted to play for the Lakers. In January, he told the Pelicans that he wouldn't re-sign in 2020, and the team began negotiating a potential trade with Los Angeles. A deal didn't get done before the February deadline, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time.

Finally, on June 15, New Orleans granted Davis his wish and agreed to ship him to L.A. in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and a bevy of first-rounders. Davis' exit from the Pelicans was messy but necessary, especially after his wardrobe choice at the end of last season. And, as expected, pairing the big man with James has revitalized the Lakers, who sit atop the Western Conference after six seasons without a playoff appearance.

2. Free-agent stars spurn top teams in big markets

In the past, the Los Angeles Clippers never had the organizational clout to attract top-tier superstars. But when free agent Kawhi Leonard committed to a three-year deal with the Clippers - joining fellow star Paul George - instead of teaming up with James and Davis on the Lakers, it immediately changed the franchise's image.

The Clippers weren't the only second fiddle in a big city to strike gold. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose the historically unassuming Brooklyn Nets over a higher-profile opportunity to be saviors with the Knicks, who whiffed on every star they targeted over the summer.

1. Raptors win it all while Warriors fall apart

It was going to take something incredible to shake the league-wide perception of the Raptors as perennial playoff underperformers, but that's exactly what happened following the arrival of Kawhi Leonard. His Game 7-winning buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers was iconic, but there was more to the story of Toronto's title run, and the fallout is still being felt to this day.

For starters, Durant returned early from a calf strain in an attempt to save the Golden State Warriors and produced a brilliant first quarter before tearing his Achilles. Things then went from bad to worse when Klay Thompson tore his ACL. Those injuries not only altered The Finals, but also the free-agency period that followed and the league-wide landscape in 2019-20, which includes a lost season in Golden State.

Injuries are a part of the game, and the Raptors thoroughly earned their first title, but it's difficult to imagine a more merciless end to the Warriors dynasty.