There are many ways to acquire talent in the NBA: free agency, the draft, trades, and that's just the start of it. Looking at the way this year's playoff teams helps us see the different strategies GMs use to build successful rosters. After the jump is a list of each playoff team, the players who contributed during the regular season, and how each player was acquired. For the sake of clarity and brevity, we've listed everyone who played in at least 10 games, averaged at least 10 minutes per game, and is still on the official 15-man roster. So, that's why Lamar Odom is listed and Jordan Hill isn't.
Of note:
- Of the 193 players listed, 51 were drafted by their current teams. The Thunder have used the draft to full effect, acquiring their top four players in minutes-per-game that way.
- Free agent acquisitions make up the largest category, with 65 players. The Hawks and Heat brought in several role players via swaps.
- Sign-and-trades brought in 10 players, including the top two minutes-per-game players for the Heat, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
- Simple trades netted 45 players. Eight of the Nuggets' contributors were brought in via trade.
- Teams acquired the draft rights of 19 players before they signed. It's easy to forget that Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo and others weren't drafted by the teams they've played for their entire careers. No team used the draft rights trade quite like the Grizzlies, who brought in Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo in those types of deals.
To see the full list for every playoff team, click to continue:
Bulls
Luol Deng — Draft Rights Trade
Derrick Rose — Draft
Joakim Noah — Draft
Carlos Boozer — Sign and Trade
Richard Hamilton — Free Agent
Ronnie Brewer — Free Agent
C.J. Watson — Sign and Trade
Kyle Korver — Free Agent
Taj Gibson — Draft
John Lucas — Free Agent
Omer Asik — Draft Rights Trade
Mike James — Free Agent
Sixers
Andre Iguodala — Draft
Jrue Holiday — Draft
Elton Brand — Free Agent
Thaddeus Young — Draft
Evan Turner — Draft
Louis Williams — Draft
Spencer Hawes — Trade
Jodie Meeks — Trade
Nikola Vucevic — Draft
Lavoy Allen — Draft
Tony Battie — Free Agent
Hawks
Joe Johnson — Sign and Trade
Josh Smith — Draft
Jeff Teague — Draft
Al Horford — Draft
Zaza Pachulia — Free Agent
Marvin Williams — Draft
Kirk Hinrich — Trade
Willie Green — Free Agent
Ivan Johnson — Free Agent
Tracy McGrady — Free Agent
Vladimir Radmanovic — Free Agent
Jannero Pargo — Free Agent
Jason Collins — Free Agent
Celtics
Rajon Rondo — Draft Rights Trade
Paul Pierce — Draft
Ray Allen — Trade
Brandon Bass — Trade
Kevin Garnett —Trade
Mickael Pietrus — Free Agent
Avery Bradley — Draft
Keyon Dooling — Trade
Greg Stiemsma — Free Agent
Marquis Daniels — Free Agent
Sasha Pavlovic —Free Agent
Ryan Hollins — Free Agent
Heat
LeBron James — Sign and Trade
Chris Bosh — Sign and Trade
Dwyane Wade — Draft
Mario Chalmers — Draft Rights Trade
Udonis Haslem — Free Agent
Shane Battier — Free Agent
Joel Anthony — Free Agent
Norris Cole — Draft Rights Trade
Mike Miller — Free Agent
Ronny Turiaf — Free Agent
Terrel Harris — Free Agent
James Jones — Free Agent
Knicks
Carmelo Anthony —Trade
Tyson Chandler — Sign and Trade
Amare Stoudemire — Sign and Trade
Iman Shumpert — Draft
Landry Fields — Draft
J.R. Smith — Free Agent
Jeremy Lin — Waivers
Baron Davis — Free Agent
Steve Novak — Waivers
Jared Jeffries — Free Agent
Toney Douglas — Draft Rights Trade
Josh Harrellson — Draft Rights Trade
Mike Bibby — Free Agent
Pacers
Danny Granger — Draft
Darren Collison — Trade
Roy Hibbert — Draft Rights Trade
Paul George — Draft
David West — Free Agent
George Hill — Trade
Tyler Hansbrough — Draft
Leandro Barbosa — Trade
Dahntay Jones — Free Agent
A.J. Price — Draft
Jeff Foster — Draft Rights Trade
Louis Amundson — Trade
Lance Stephenson — Draft
Magic
Dwight Howard — Draft
Ryan Anderson — Trade
Hedo Turkoglu — Trade
Jameer Nelson — Draft Rights Trade
Jason Richardson —Trade
J.J. Redick —Draft
Glen Davis — Sign and Trade
Chris Duhon — Free Agent
Quentin Richardson — Free Agent
Von Wafer — Sign and Trade
Earl Clark —Trade
Daniel Orton — Draft
Spurs
Tony Parker — Draft
Tim Duncan — Draft
Kawhi Leonard — Draft Rights Trade
Stephen Jackson — Trade
Manu Ginobili — Draft
Danny Green — Free Agent
Gary Neal — Free Agent
DeJuan Blair — Draft
Matt Bonner — Trade
Boris Diaw — Free Agent
Tiago Splitter — Draft
Patrick Mills — Free Agent
James Anderson — Draft
Jazz
Al Jefferson — Trade
Paul Millsap — Draft
Gordon Hayward — Draft
Devin Harris — Trade
Raja Bell — Free Agent
Josh Howard — Free Agent
Derrick Favors — Trade
Earl Watson — Free Agent
C.J. Miles — Draft
DeMarre Carroll — Free Agent
Alec Burks — Draft
Jamaal Tinsley — Free Agent
Enes Kanter — Draft
Grizzlies
Rudy Gay —Draft Rights Trade
Marc Gasol — Draft Rights Trade
Mike Conley — Draft
O.J. Mayo — Draft Rights Trade
Zach Randolph — Trade
Tony Allen — Free Agent
Marreese Speights — Trade
Dante Cunningham — Free Agent
Quincy Pondexter — Trade
Gilbert Arenas — Free Agent
Clippers
Chris Paul —Trade
Blake Griffin — Draft
Chauncey Billups — Waivers
Caron Butler — Free Agent
Mo Williams — Trade
DeAndre Jordan — Draft
Randy Foye — Free Agent
Nick Young — Trade
Kenyon Martin — Free Agent
Bobby Simmons — Free Agent
Reggie Evans — Free Agent
Ryan Gomes — Free Agent
Eric Bledsoe — Draft Rights Trade
Thunder
Kevin Durant —Draft
Russell Westbrook — Draft
James Harden — Draft
Serge Ibaka — Draft
Kendrick Perkins —Trade
Thabo Sefolosha — Trade
Nick Collison — Draft
Derek Fisher — Free Agent
Daequan Cook — Trade
Reggie Jackson — Draft
Nazr Mohammed — Trade
Royal Ivey — Free Agent
Mavs
Dirk Nowitzki — Draft Rights Trade
Jason Terry — Trade
Shawn Marion — Sign and Trade
Jason Kidd — Trade
Vince Carter — Free Agent
Delonte West — Free Agent
Rodrigue Beaubois — Draft Rights Trade
Brendan Haywood — Trade
Lamar Odom — Trade
Ian Mahinmi — Free Agent
Brandan Wright — Free Agent
Lakers
Kobe Bryant — Draft Rights Trade
Pau Gasol —Trade
Andrew Bynum — Draft
Ramon Sessions — Trade
Metta World Peace — Free Agent
Steve Blake — Free Agent
Matt Barnes — Free Agent
Devin Ebanks — Draft
Troy Murphy — Free Agent
Josh McRoberts — Free Agent
Andrew Goudelock — Draft
Nuggets
Ty Lawson — Draft Rights Trade
Arron Afflalo — Trade
Danilo Gallinari — Trade
Al Harrington — Free Agent
Andre Miller — Trade
Rudy Fernandez — Trade
Kenneth Faried — Draft
Corey Brewer — Trade
JaVale McGee — Trade
Kosta Koufos — Trade
Timofey Mozgov — Trade
Chris Andersen — Free Agent
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