5 Luckiest Players of the NBA Offseason

Talent can get you a lot of things in the NBA, but sometimes money and success require a little bit of luck. Be it free agent additions or massive undeserved contracts precipitated by extenuating circumstances, these five players definitely had the luckiest offseason this year.

1. Landry Shamet

Shamet now finds himself as the teammate of the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. A midseason acquisition by the Clippers, the sharpshooting guard has gone from playing on a Cinderella Story team to playing for one of the Western Conference's best teams. Add in the fact that he's entering just his second year in the league and has the chance to play with two of the best players in the NBA, and there's no doubt that he's been absurdly lucky.

2. Tobias Harris

The centerpiece of the trade that saw Shamet go to Los Angeles, Harris somehow netted himself a five-year, $180 million despite seeing a significant drop-off in his shooting ability while in Philadelphia. It's amazing that he managed to net that payday with a contending team like the 76ers on the back of his shooting reputation when he shot just 32.6% from downtown while with them. There was inklings that teams didn't want to pay him the max on the open market, but the 76ers locked him down nonetheless.

3. Patrick Beverley

Patrick Beverley took less money than he could have earned and re-signed with the Clippers this offseason. He showed loyalty to the squad, and it was rewarded, as a few days later, Kawhi and Paul George were acquired by the Clippers. Whether this is luck or good karma, it doesn't matter. Beverley's decision to remain loyal to LA paid off, as the team transformed overnight into true contenders.

4. Khris Middleton

Middleton's talent is undeniable, but he definitely lucked into his five-year, $178 million contract. The Bucks were put in an un-winnable situation in which they had to overpay for him to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy and comfortable. It also doesn't hurt that he'll be playing on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. He's underrated around the league, but is he truly worthy of that big a contract?

5. Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell now has quite a solid team around him. The Utah Jazz scooped up solid players in Bojan Bogdanovic and Ed Harris in addition to swinging a deal for point guard Mike Conley. They may not have made the biggest splash moves of the offseason, but they gave Mitchell plenty to work with, and he now won't have to bear as much of the burden for the Jazz.