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2011 NBA offseason

The 2011 NBA offseason.

A chronological guide to the transactions and decisions surrounding the 2011 NBA offseason.

Open the full season →Every offseason by year

In the order it happened

The transaction timeline

The draft, major signings, trades and roster decisions are ordered chronologically. Complete draft boards, trade packages and free-agent jersey changes are embedded at the moment they happened.

  1. June 23 · NBA Draft

    Kyrie Irving goes first in a class filled with future champions →

    Cleveland used the first post-LeBron No. 1 pick on Irving, while Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler emerged later as central figures in the decade's championship story.

    The complete draft board is preserved beside this moment →

    Draft board

    2011 NBA

    01
    1

    First overall selection

    Kyrie Irving

    Cleveland Cavaliers

    Open every pick

  2. July 1 · Labor stoppage

    The NBA lockout freezes the summer

    Owners and players failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, halting transactions and compressing roster building into a frantic December once a deal finally arrived.

  3. December 10 · Free agency

    Tyson Chandler brings championship defense to New York

    Fresh off anchoring Dallas's title defense, Chandler joined the Knicks to protect the rim behind Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and soon won Defensive Player of the Year.

    Follow the jersey change beside this moment →

    32Free agencyDecember 10, 2011From DALDALCHANDLER6To NYKNYKCHANDLER6Chandler brings a champion's defense to New YorkThe Knicks used a sign-and-trade to add the center who had anchored Dallas's championship defense only months earlier.Dallas Mavericks → New York KnicksOpen offseason →

  4. December 13 · Free agency

    David West joins Indiana's rising core

    West left New Orleans for a short-term deal with the Pacers, adding half-court scoring and veteran toughness to the Paul George–Roy Hibbert group that became Miami's most persistent Eastern challenger.

    Follow the jersey change beside this moment →

    33Free agencyDecember 13, 2011From NOHNOHWEST30To INDINDWEST21West gives Indiana's young core a veteran scorerWest joined the Pacers after eight seasons in New Orleans, bringing reliable half-court offense and leadership to a roster growing around Paul George and Roy Hibbert.New Orleans Hornets → Indiana PacersOpen offseason →

  5. December 14 · Trade

    Chris Paul turns the Clippers into Lob City →

    Six days after the league rejected a proposed Paul-to-the-Lakers deal, the Clippers sent Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and an unprotected first to New Orleans for the All-NBA point guard.

    The complete trade package is preserved beside this moment →

    32TradeDecember 14, 2011To LACLACPAUL320152NDround assetTo NOHNOHGORDON10NOHKAMAN35DraftPICKround asset+1 assetsChris Paul to the ClippersLAC receives Chris Paul, Two 2015 2nd-round picksNOH receives Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu + 1 more6 original assets · 1 outcomes tracedOpen trade →