With the NBA preseason having kicked off, and opening night of the regular season set to start in a week, let’s look at a grade for each NBA team for the offseason:
Atlanta Hawks: A
Draft Selections: Onyeka Okongwu, Skylar Mays
Additions: Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn, Solomon Hill, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Losses: Dewayne Dedmon, Jeff Teague, DeAndre’ Bembry, Charles Brown Jr., Treveon Graham, Damian Jones, Skal Labissiere, Khyri Thomas, Vince Carter
The Atlanta Hawks are considered by many to be the biggest winners this offseason following the key additions of Gallinari, Rondo, Kris Dunn, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. They improved their depth in the backcourt and on the wings, as well as improving their starting lineup. Rajon Rondo will provide Trae Young with a veteran mentor and Onyeka Okongwu could have a big impact off the bench.
Boston Celtics: C+
Draft Selections: Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard, Yam Madar
Additions: Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague
Losses: Vincent Poirier, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, Brad Wanamaker
The Celtics receive a just above average grade for two reasons; one, the addition of a big man that can finally fill their only glaring weakness of an inside presence, and two, the long-term extension of Jayson Tatum, who is trending towards super-stardom. These two moves were great, especially the extension of Tatum, but other than that, Boston had a relatively quiet offseason.
Brooklyn Nets: C+
Draft Selection: Reggie Perry
Additions: Bruce Brown, Landry Shamet, Jeff Green
Losses: Dzanan Musa, Garrett Temple, Jamal Crawford, Justin Anderson, Lance Thomas, Michael Beasley, Wilson Chandler, Chris Chiozza, Donta Hall, Tyler Johnson, Jeremiah Martin
While the list of losses for the Nets looks large, they aren’t really losing any player that contributes big minutes, outside of Garrett Temple, but two of the team’s biggest “additions” were already part of the team, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The return of Durant and his pairing with a healthy Kyrie Irving has rocketed Brooklyn into the favorites to compete for a title.
Charlotte Hornets: D
Draft Selections: Lamelo Ball, Vernon Carey Jr., Nick Richards, Grant Riller, Nate Darling
Additions: Gordon Hayward
Losses: Dwayne Bacon, Willy Hernangómez, Kobi Simmons, Ray Spalding
The sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward may end up being one of the most ill-advised moves in recent NBA history. A massive deal for a declining player who is several years past his best years of basketball never seems like a good idea. The only move that saves Charlotte from receiving an “F” grade is the selection of Lamelo Ball in the draft.
Chicago Bulls: C
Draft Selections: Patrick Williams, Marko Simonovic, Devon Dotson
Additions: Garrett Temple
Losses: Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison, Adam Mokoka, Max Strus
The Bulls had many scratching their heads after selecting Patrick Williams at No. 4, but the rookie has looked impressive in training camp and during the preseason. Chicago had a relatively lackluster offseason, looking to continue their rebuild by developing their young players under new head coach Billy Donovan.
Cleveland Cavaliers: C-
Draft Selection: Isaac Okoro
Additions: Javale McGee, Damyean Dotson, Thon Maker
Losses: Tristan Thompson, Matt Mooney, Ante Zizic, Jordan Bell, Alfonzo McKinnie
The Cavaliers are in full rebuild mode and their offseason was fairly quiet. The selection of SG/SF Isaac Okoro adds to their plethora of talented young players and fits an immediate hole on the wing.
Dallas Mavericks: B+
Draft Selections: Josh Green, Tyrell Terry, Tyler Bey
Additions: Josh Richardson, James Johnson, Wes Iwundu
Losses: Seth Curry, Delon Wright, Justin Jackson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Courtney Lee, Josh Reaves, Antonius Cleveland
The Mavericks had a good offseason in which they filled a need defensively, with the addition of Josh Richardson, and provided themselves with future flexibility. The contracts of Richardson, Johnson, and the salary dump of Delon Wright put Dallas in prime position to pursue key free agents next summer.
Denver Nuggets: C+
Draft Selections: Zeke Nnaji, RJ Hampton
Additions: Facundo Campazzo, JaMychal Green
Losses: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Torrey Craig, Tyler Cook, Troy Daniels, Noah Vonleh
While the Nuggets had a good draft and were able to re-sign Paul Millsap, who proved vital for their run to the Western Conference Finals last season, the losses of Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig may prove to be extremely detrimental to their success. While Denver will still be a contender in the West, their loss of wing depth may hurt them.
Detroit Pistons: F
Draft Selections: Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Saben Lee
Additions: Delon Wright, Dzanan Musa, Rodney McGruder, Mason Plumlee, Jerami Grant, Jahlil Okafor, Josh Jackson
Losses: Bruce Brown, Luke Kennard, Khyri Thomas, Tony Snell, Christian Wood, Langston Galloway, John Henson, Brandon Knight, Thon Maker, Jordan McRae, Derrick Walton Jr., Jordan Bone, Louis King
The Pistons are the biggest losers of the offseason, who added what seems like 12 centers and not one of them being Christian Wood. The signing of Jerami Grant seems like a win, but with a large contract and an incapable roster around him, that signing quickly turns into a loss.
Golden State Warriors: B
Draft Selections: James Wiseman, Nico Mannion, Justinian Jessup
Additions: Kelly Oubre Jr., Brad Wanamaker, Kent Bazemore
Losses: Dragan Bender, Ky Bowman
The Warriors did a great job this offseason following the selection of James Wiseman who fills an immediate need of a dominant inside presence. They acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kent Bazemore, two talented wings that can play alongside Steph Curry.
Houston Rockets: B
Draft Selections: Kenyon Martin Jr.
Additions: John Wall, Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, Jae’Sean Tate
Losses: Robert Covington, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Bruno Caboclo, DeMarre Carroll, Tyson Chandler, Michael Frazier, Gerald Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, Austin Rivers, Thabo Sefolosha, William Howard
The Houston Rockets had an offseason surrounded by question marks about quite nearly their entire roster. Outside of continuing discussion about P.J. Tucker and James Harden, the Rockets had a fairly successful offseason with the acquisition of John Wall and the signings of Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins.
Indiana Pacers: C
Draft Selection: Cassius Stanley
Additions: None
Losses: Brian Bowen II, Alize Johnson, Naz Mitrou-Long, TJ Leaf
The Pacers had a very quiet offseason following the rumors of a possible Myles Turner trade that never took root. The one move that could prove surprisingly good is the re-signing of Justin Holiday on a very cheap contract.
Los Angeles Clippers: B-
Draft Selections: Daniel Oturu, Jay Scrubb
Additions: Luke Kennard, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum
Losses: Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, Rodney McGruder, JaMychal Green, Johnathan Motley
The Clippers essentially swapped Landry Shamet and Montrezl Harrell for Luke Kennard and Serge Ibaka. They added two veterans in Ibaka and Nicolas Batum, as well as re-signed Marcus Morris. These moves put them in position to again compete for a title under new head coach Ty Lue.
Los Angeles Lakers: A
Draft Selections: None
Additions: Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schröder, Wesley Matthews, Marc Gasol, Alfonzo McKinnie
Losses: Javale McGee, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, JR Smith, Dion Waiters
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers had a fantastic offseason in which they seemingly got better in every way. They added scoring in the backcourt and on the wing, as well as an energy monster in Harrell and a veteran big-man Gasol.
Memphis Grizzlies: C+
Draft Selections: Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman Sr., Killian Tillie, Jahlil Tripp
Additions: Mario Hezonja
Losses: Josh Jackson, Jontay Porter, Anthony Tolliver, Yuta Watanabe
The Grizzlies had a relatively quiet offseason, but the addition of Mario Hezonja pushes Memphis just above an average offseason grade. Hezonja’s play compliments Ja Morant, who looks poised to lead the Grizzlies into playoff contention again this season.
Miami Heat: B+
Draft Selections: Precious Achiuwa
Additions: Avery Bradley, Mo Harkless
Losses: Jae Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr., Kyle Alexander, Solomon Hill, Gabe Vincent
The Heat, fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, have re-tooled and are ready to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. The addition of Avery Bradley will add to the already tenacious defensive nature of the team and the re-signing of Bam Adebayo has Miami ready to again compete for a title.
Milwaukee Bucks: A-
Draft Selections: Jordan Nwora, Sam Merrill, Rayjon Tucker
Additions: Jrue Holiday, D.J. Augustin, Nik Stauskus, Bobby Portis, Jaylen Adams
Losses: Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Kyle Korver, Frank Mason, Cameron Reynolds, Marvin Williams, Ersan Ilyasova
While the Bucks had a debatably decent offseason, their whole goal was to impress Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were apparently able to accomplish this goal, with Giannis signing a super-max contract extension on Tuesday. This alone puts Milwaukee’s offseason grade at an “A-“.
Minnesota Timberwolves: C
Draft Selections: Anthony Edwards, Leandro Bolmaro, Jaden McDaniels
Additions: Ricky Rubio, Juancho Hernangomez
Losses: James Johnson, Allen Crabbe, Kelan Martin, Jordan McLaughlin, Evan Turner
The Timberwolves had an average offseason. The addition of Ricky Rubio should be a help to D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt. Only time will tell how Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns and No. 1 overall draft selection Anthony Edwards will fit together.
New Orleans Pelicans: B-
Draft Selections: Kira Lewis Jr.
Additions: Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, Willy Hernangomez, Wenyen Gabriel
Losses: Jrue Holiday, Darius Miller, Jahlil Okafor, Derrick Favors, E’Twaun Moore, Frank Jackson, Kenrich Williams
The additions of Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe provide the extremely young Pelicans with two veteran players. They were also able to re-sign Brandon Ingram and have an impressive young core poised to compete for a playoff spot.
New York Knicks: C+
Draft Selections: Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley
Additions: Austin Rivers, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans
Losses: Bobby Portis, Mo Harkless, Kadeem Allen, Damyean Dotson, Jared Harper, Theo Pinson, Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington
The selection of Obi Toppin, who was a steal that late in the draft, gives the Knicks an offseason grade just above average. Toppin will be able to develop in New York and could be their saving grace. Other than that, the Knicks had a fairly average offseason with nothing that will tip the scale.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A
Draft Selections: Aleksej Pokusevski, Theo Maledon, Vit Krejci
Additions: Al Horford, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, Vincent Poirier, Trevor Ariza, Justin Jackson, George Hill, Darius Miller, TJ Leaf, Admiral Schofield
Losses: Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder, Terrance Ferguson, Abdel Nader, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, Nerlens Noel, Deonte Burton, Devon Hall, Kevin Hervey, Andre Roberson
The Thunder have officially entered a full rebuild, with a several of young players on the team and the large contract of Al Horford doesn’t really hurt them since they are far from contention. The biggest win of Oklahoma City’s offseason is the continued acquisition of first round draft picks, of which they now own 18 between now and 2027.
Orlando Magic: C
Draft Selections: Cole Anthony
Addition: Dwayne Bacon
Losses: D.J. Augustin, Wes Iwundu, Melvin Frazier Jr., BJ Johnson, Vic Law
The Magic may have had the quietest offseason of all the NBA teams, so they get an average grade. They were really in a position to make a lot of moves and couldn’t truly make a push for title contention with any potential moves. A sleeper pick in the draft could be Cole Anthony, who has looked very good in the preseason.
Philadelphia 76ers: B
Draft Selections: Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, Paul Reed
Additions: Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, Seth Curry, Tony Bradley, Dwight Howard
Losses: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Zhaire Smith, Alec Burks, Raul Neto, Kyle O’Quinn, Glenn Robinson III
The Sixers had a quality offseason, filling a few of the holes that had previously existed around All-Star duo Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The improved their shooting with the addition of Danny Green and Seth Curry. They also added a big that can fill the backup minutes for Embiid in Dwight Howard.
Phoenix Suns: B
Draft Selections: Jalen Smith
Additions: Chris Paul, Abdel Nader, Jae Crowder, E’Twaun Moore
Losses: Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Kelly Oubre Jr., Jalen Lecque, Aron Baynes, Cheick Diallo, Frank Kaminsky, Tariq Owens
The Suns finally have an All-Star backcourt mate for Devin Booker, Chris Paul can take a lot of the ball-handling load from Booker as well as score the ball. The addition of Jae Crowder is also an underrated pickup as he brings shooting and defense to Phoenix’s wing core.
Portland Trail Blazers: B+
Draft Selections: CJ Elleby
Additions: Robert Covington, Enes Kanter, Derrick Jones Jr.
Losses: Trevor Ariza, Mario Hezonja, Jaylen Adams, Hassan Whiteside, Moses Brown, Wenyen Gabriel, Jaylen Hoard, Caleb Swanigan
The Blazers had one of the most underrated acquisitions of the offseason in Robert Covington. He provides the team with shooting around Damian Lillard and the ability to guard the other team’s best player. They brought back Enes Kanter and added Derrick Jones Jr., their star-studded lineup is poised to compete again for a title.
Sacramento Kings: B-
Draft Selections: Tyrese Haliburton, Robert Woodard, Jahmi’us Ramsey
Addition: Hassan Whiteside
Losses: Harry Giles III, Kent Bazemore, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Corey Brewer, Yogi Ferrell, DaQuan Jeffries, Alex Len
The Kings might have gotten the biggest steal of the draft, having Tyrese Haliburton slide to No. 12. He will see plenty of minutes alongside De’Aaron Fox following the loss of Bogdanovic. The biggest win of the offseason for Sacramento is the extension of Fox, who will be their franchise player and team leader for years to come.
San Antonio Spurs: C
Draft Selections: Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
Additions: None
Losses: Bryn Forbes, Marco Belinelli
The Spurs are currently in no-mans-land, with several large contracts on the books and seemingly no interested trade partners for DeMar DeRozan or LaMarcus Aldridge. They have plenty of young potential and were able to add more in the draft, which kept their offseason grade from dropping into the red, but San Antonio’s offseason was frankly dull.
Toronto Raptors: B+
Draft Selections: Malachi Flynn, Jalen Harris
Additions: Aron Baynes, DeAndre’ Bembry, Alex Len
Losses: Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Oshae Brissett, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Malcolm Miller
The offseason grade of “B” for the Raptors is basically solely because of the re-signing of Fred VanVleet, one of the most sought after free agents of this offseason. VanVleet has quickly proven that he can perform at a high level on both ends of the floor and will help the Raptors remain in title contention.
Utah Jazz: B-
Draft Selections: Udoka Azubuike, Elijah Hughes
Additions: Derrick Favors
Losses: Ed Davis, Tony Bradley, Jarrell Brantley, Juwan Morgan, Emmanuel Mudiay, Justin Wright-Foreman
The biggest news of the offseason for the Jazz was the contract extension of Donovan Mitchell, one of the best young shooting guards in the league. That move raised their grade, which could’ve been much higher but the Jazz have overpaid on Derrick Favors, another non-stretch big man that has a questionable fit alongside Rudy Gobert.
Washington Wizards: B
Draft Selections: Deni Avdija, Cassius Winston
Additions: Russell Westbrook, Anthony Gill, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto
Losses: John Wall, Jerian Grant, Admiral Schofield, Ian Mahinmi, Garrison Matthews, Shabazz Napier, Gary Payton II, Jarrod Uthoff, Johnathan Williams
The Wizards were a part of the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason so far, swapping John Wall for Russell Westbrook. This trade give them a lethal offensive backcourt duo of Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Deni Avdija is one of the most talented international players of this year’s rookie class and will get considerable minutes on a team poised to compete for a playoff spot.
