There may be a few outstanding moves to come between now and the start of the 2024-25 NBA campaign, but this offseason is mostly wrapped up.
With the draft, most of free agency and plenty of trades now complete, it's time to assess how every team in the league did with the tried-and-true A-through-F scale.
Plenty of numbers, including Dunks and Threes' estimated wins, were consulted. The age and upside of incoming and outgoing players is important. Fit is obviously a factor.
Considering everything together, we can get to the right letter grade.
Who got better? Who got worse? Who cemented themselves as a legitimate title contender? The answers to those questions and more can be found here.
Atlanta Hawks: B
Notable Losses: AJ Griffin, Dejounte Murray and Saddiq Bey
Notable Additions: Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Đurišić
If you stack the 2023-24 estimated wins of Atlanta's outgoing players (Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey and AJ Griffin) against the incoming ones (Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr.), it might look like the Hawks got worse. However, that doesn't account for the rookies, internal development and the bad fit between Murray and Trae Young.
That last point is probably the most important. Over the two seasons Young and Murray were together, the Hawks were minus-2.6 points per 100 possessions when both were on the floor and plus-2.8 when Young played without Murray. With Young as the unquestioned offensive alpha again, Atlanta's attack should be tough to stop.
A roster with more wing and forward firepower should help, too. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher looked like a natural scorer in his Summer League debut. Jalen Johnson showed star upside during his 2023-24 breakout campaign. Even Vit Krejci, whom the Hawks re-signed this offseason, could help. He shot 41.2 percent from deep last season.
In all, the Hawks roster makes more sense now. And there's still plenty of potential to be uncovered. Atlanta's 25-year-old star point guard is older than all of Risacher, Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
So, even if the Hawks didn't add any stars, this is an easy pass.
Boston Celtics: A
Notable Losses: N/A
Notable Additions: Baylor Scheierman
The reigning champion Boston Celtics understood the assignment this offseason.
They were dominant throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Their roster can play just about any way it needs to. Small, big, wing-heavy. You name it, Boston has it covered.
While this offseason's moves—including big extensions for Derrick White and Jayson Tatum—is going to make the Celtics wildly expensive moving forward, it's worth it to chase titles (yes, plural).
Boston used this summer to signal that it'll be running back the same core in 2024-25. That was the right choice.
Brooklyn Nets: A
Notable Additions: Bojan Bogdanović, Shake Milton
Notable Losses: Mikal Bridges
The Brooklyn Nets will feel some short-term pain after trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. But the amount of draft capital they got in return makes the deal well worth it.
Prior to the Bridges trade, Brooklyn was never going to challenge for much beyond a ninth- or 10th-place finish and a quick exit from the play-in tournament. The Nets swung a separate trade this offseason to regain control of their next two first-round picks, so it makes far more sense for them to chase lottery odds.
If they emerge from this campaign with a top-five pick and the cap space that will come with Ben Simmons' contract expiring, it'll be a success.
Charlotte Hornets: C+
Notable Losses: Aleksej Pokusevski, Dāvis Bertāns and Seth Curry
Notable Additions: Reggie Jackson, Josh Green, Tidjane Salaun and K.J. Simpson
Getting draft capital to take on the last year of Reggie Jackson's contract was a smart piece of business for the Charlotte Hornets. Swooping into a six-team trade to emerge with 23-year-old Josh Green was smart. And Tidjane Salaun has some upside as a rangy forward.
But only two things could make the Hornets look or play much different than the team that went 21-61 last season.
LaMelo Ball staying healthy would be the first. He's appeared in only 58 games over the last two seasons combined, and replacing his 23.5 points and 8.3 assists per game is no small feat. He's supposed to be a franchise cornerstone, so having him in the lineup would help.
The other potential change is a breakout from Brandon Miller, who averaged 17.3 points and 2.5 threes per game as a rookie. He showed flashes of three-and-D-plus, almost Paul George-like upside in 2023-24.
But even the best-case scenarios for those two, plus this offseason's moves, probably won't push Charlotte into the playoffs this year.
Chicago Bulls: B+
Notable Losses: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond
Notable Additions: Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and Chris Duarte
In terms of raw wins and losses added for 2024-25, the Chicago Bulls undoubtedly got worse. Even if they can't find takers for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, there's a decent chance they'll be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference this spring.
But even if it's happening late, Chicago deserves some credit for finally seemingly choosing to rebuild. The Bulls had been locked into mediocrity for far too long, and this summer's forward-looking approach should help them down the road.
Josh Giddey is only 21 years old. Matas Buzelis is 19. If the Bulls' 2025 first-round pick lands in the top 10, they'll get to keep it. (Otherwise, they'll be sending it to the San Antonio Spurs.)
Finally, the Bulls are angling toward youth, size and versatility.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B+
Notable Losses: Marcus Morris, Isaac Okoro (for now) and Tristan Thompson
Notable Additions: N/A
There doesn't seem to be any traction for Isaac Okoro anywhere, so it's still possible that he'll return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But other than that potential loss, there weren't any notable changes to Cleveland's roster this offseason.
That's probably fine. Signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension is undoubtedly a win. The hiring of new head coach Kenny Atkinson could work out well, too.
Although there's some wonkiness with the fit between Mitchell and Darius Garland (as well as the one between Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen), this core has proven itself to be a reliable regular-season wins machine.
Dallas Mavericks: A
Notable Losses: Derrick Jones Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green
Notable Additions: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes
Coming off an NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks didn't have a ton of wiggle room this summer. They got better anyway.
Klay Thompson isn't the star he once was, but his role will be streamlined alongside the playmaking of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. As more of a standstill catch-and-shoot threat, Thompson will make it harder for defenses to collapse on Luka or Kyrie's drives.
Meanwhile, the additions of Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes boosts the Mavericks' three-and-D upside.
Derrick Jones Jr. was a better athlete than any of the incoming wings. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a longer track record of shooting than Marshall or Grimes. But each member of the new trio is a bit more well-rounded than those in the last one.
Denver Nuggets: B-
Notable Losses: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Justin Holiday and Reggie Jackson
Notable Additions: DaRon Holmes II and Dario Šarić
There was a lot of handwringing over the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason, but it's fair for the Denver Nuggets' front office to be worried about the new collective bargaining agreement and its penalties for being over the second apron. They appear to have confidence in their potential KCP replacements and have faith in Nikola Jokić and the rest of the starting five.
The sample size is too small for sweeping takeaways, but over the last two seasons, the Nuggets were plus-23.5 points per 100 possessions when Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. played without KCP.
The Nuggets' decision to prioritize and develop young players makes sense in this new CBA environment. It will now be tested with Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther. (Unfortunately, 2024 first-round pick DaRon Holmes II suffered a torn Achilles in his Summer League debut.)
Outside of the Caldwell-Pope loss, Denver's biggest offseason news was the addition of Dario Šarić, a versatile backup 5 who'll allow the second unit to play a bit more like the first.
If the long-rumored Russell Westbrook addition actually happens, it'll be easy to bump this grade up to a flat B or maybe even a B+. Say what you will about the former MVP, but there's no doubt he'd be an upgrade over Reggie Jackson.
Detroit Pistons: B
Notable Losses: Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes and James Wiseman
Notable Additions: Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ron Holland II and Paul Reed
The Detroit Pistons landed the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class when they drafted Ron Holland II with the fifth overall pick this summer. His addition to a young core that now includes Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey keeps the Pistons' future timeline plenty interesting.
But this offseason was more about Cade's max extension and the incoming veterans who should hopefully make his life as the lead playmaker easier.
Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. all have playoff experience and can space the floor. Add the recently re-signed Simone Fontecchio to that core, and it should be easy for the Pistons to keep Cunningham surrounded by shooting.
If that's the case, his assist numbers could go up. More importantly, if defenses are more worried about collapsing on Cunningham's drives or isolations, his own efficiency could begin to rise as well.
Golden State Warriors: B+
Notable Losses: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Dario Šarić
Notable Additions: Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De'Anthony Melton
On a purely sentimental level, the loss of Klay Thompson has to be tough for the Golden State Warriors and their fans. However, his change of scenery could help both him and his former team.
Buddy Hield isn't going to offer the defense that prime Klay did, but he's one of the best volume three-point shooters of all time. He's also three years younger than Thompson.
Kyle Anderson checks a lot of the same boxes as Šarić, but he's a much more reliable and versatile defender.
And De'Anthony Melton, when healthy, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. As Chris Paul enters his age-39 season, he certainly can't claim to be that anymore.
The Warriors could still use a bona fide second option to take some pressure off Stephen Curry (which is why they're a fixture in the Lauri Markkanen rumors), but it's not hard to see them being slightly better in 2024-25 than they were last season.
Houston Rockets: B+
Notable Losses: N/A
Notable Additions: Reed Sheppard and AJ Griffin
The Houston Rockets had a dramatic offseason in 2023, adding veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency. This year, they've more or less stood pat.
I's easy to see why. For a team that just went .500 in 2023-24, there's still plenty of developmental runway for core players like Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
In the 2024 draft, the Rockets added one of the best shooting prospects we've seen in years in Reed Sheppard. He showed plenty of on-ball chops during his summer-league debut.
Eventually, the Rockets will be forced to make some tough decisions. They can't pay all of their young players what they're likely to command once their rookie-scale deals expire. But for now, slow-playing the team-building was the right call.
Could the Rockets have traded some of their prospects and assets for a superstar who would've made them a playoff lock? Maybe, but speeding up the rebuilding timeline isn't always the right call.
Indiana Pacers: B-
Notable Losses: Jalen Smith
Notable Additions: James Wiseman and Johnny Furphy
The biggest change that the Indiana Pacers made this offseason was probably the switch that puts James Wiseman in Jalen Smith's old roster spot. Even though Wiseman is only 23 years old, it's hard to look at that swap as anything but a massive downgrade.
Smith is only a year older than Wiseman, and he's coming off a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 threes in 17.2 minutes per game while shooting 42.4 percent from deep.
Meanwhile, Wiseman doesn't stretch the floor at all. He just posted a way-below-replacement-level box plus/minus for the third straight season. And his teams have always been dramatically worse when he's on the floor.
This is far from the most important spot on the roster, though. Smith was a backup and wasn't even a fixture on the second unit. The most notable transaction was one that just kept the team's second-best player in place. Re-signing Pascal Siakam is a big deal for a team that gave up three first-round picks to land him in a trade in January.
More time for him and Tyrese Haliburton to jell should give Indiana an opportunity to follow up its conference finals appearance with another competitive season.
Los Angeles Clippers: D-
Notable Losses: Paul George, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis
Notable Additions: Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Mo Bamba, Cam Christie and Kevin Porter Jr.
It's fair for the Los Angeles Clippers to be worried about the second apron and the team-building restrictions that come with exceeding it.
Having said that, losing Paul George for nothing—and with no cap space or other flexibility with which to truly replace him—was a disaster.
The Clippers were minus-2.2 points per 100 possessions when Kawhi Leonard and James Harden played without George last season. While players like Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum could be interesting additions as a fourth or fifth starter for most teams, neither will come close to replacing the production and impact of George.
But what happens if L.A. does a bit more load management for Kawhi this season (or if he flat-out gets hurt)? The Clippers just went from seeming like perennial contenders to being in danger of missing the playoffs in 2025.
Los Angeles Lakers: D+
Notable Losses: Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie
Notable Additions: Dalton Knecht and Bronny James
The Los Angeles Lakers still have time to make a meaningful move to bolster their rotation. Even if that doesn't come, the lineups with LeBron James and Anthony Davis should be competitive.
But the rest of the rotation is why the Lakers have been in the play-in tournament each of the last two seasons. While L.A. was the beneficiary of Dalton Knecht's draft-night slide and it's genuinely cool to see a father and son on the same NBA roster, the two rookies aren't going to push the Lakers into title contention.
Through three summer-league games, Bronny James has played some respectable defense, but he's 6-of-26 (23.1 percent) from the field and 0-of-12 from three.
Memphis Grizzlies: B
Notable Losses: N/A
Notable Additions: Zach Edey
Luke Kennard is still floating around in free agency. The Memphis Grizzlies need his shooting, so if they aren't able to re-sign him, this grade could go down.
But generally speaking, the Grizzlies didn't have to do much beyond wait this offseason.
With Ja Morant coming back and Zach Edey looking like a real option to play 20-25 minutes per game at center, Memphis should be a lot better than it was last season. Injuries wreaked havoc on the Grizzlies last year, but Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart should all be back in the fold this season.
After a 2023-24 campaign in which Jaren Jackson Jr. got more reps as a top option and GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. developed into legitimate rotation players, Memphis' supporting cast should be better, too.
Miami Heat: C
Notable Losses: Caleb Martin, Delon Wright
Notable Additions: Alec Burks, Kel'el Ware
Losing Caleb Martin might not be a disaster, but it's a problem for the Miami Heat.
Over the last two regular seasons and postseasons, Marin trails only Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler among Heat players in minutes played. He's fourth in the same stretch in points scored among Heat players.
Alec Burks might replace some of that. Development from Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. will help, too. But seeing talent walk out the door for nothing in return is far from ideal. When you add it to Butler's murky future, it's easy to feel some concern about this offseason.
Butler can enter free agency next summer, and both sides have been signaling for the past few months that he won't be getting an extension before then. Suddenly, it seems like the Butler era in Miami could be coming to an end.
Even if that's the case, combine Herro and Jaquez with the recently extended Adebayo and another athletic big in incoming rookie Kel'el Ware, and it's not hard to imagine Miami eventually pivoting into a quick rebuild.
Milwaukee Bucks: C
Notable Losses: Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley
Notable Additions: Taurean Prince, Delon Wright and AJ Johnson
The Milwaukee Bucks lost starting shooting guard Malik Beasley this offseason. That wasn't quite as dramatic of a departure as Caleb Martin's from Miami, but the Bucks don't have as much intriguing young talent to fall back on.
Their first-round pick this year, AJ Johnson, is a teenage project who averaged only 2.8 points per game in Australia's NBL this past season.
The Bucks are mostly running it back, with Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez all well into their 30s. Given the injury issues that all three have had in recent years, it's fair to be concerned about that.
Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled with availability last season, too. He missed the Bucks' first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. But when Giannis shared the floor with Lillard, Middelton and Lopez last year, Milwaukee was plus-16.3 points per 100 possessions.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A-
Notable Losses: Kyle Anderson, Jordan McLaughlin and Monte Morris
Notable Additions: Joe Ingles, Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr.
The Minnesota Timberwolves also decided to bring back most of their core from last season, but it's much easier to justify that with this group.
Minnesota's best player, Anthony Edwards, turns 23 in August. Karl-Anthony Towns won't turn 29 until mid-November.
While the loss of Kyle Anderson in free agency cost Minnesota some defense, playmaking and versatility, Joe Ingles can check a lot of the same boxes on offense while being a much better shooter.
If No. 8 overall pick Rob Dillingham can provide some scoring punch off the bench, the Timberwolves might be even better than they were last season.
New Orleans Pelicans: B+
Notable Losses: Jonas Valančiūnas, Larry Nance Jr., Naji Marshall and Dyson Daniels
Notable Additions: Dejounte Murray, Daniel Theis and Yves Missi
CJ McCollum is a good but undersized and likely past-his-prime shooting guard who's had to play the point for much of the last two-and-a-half seasons in New Orleans. After the Pelicans' aggressive, win-now trade to land Dejounte Murray, that experiment is likely over.
With the length and athleticism that the Pelicans have between Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, they might even be able to justify bringing McCollum off the bench.
New Orleans still has real questions to answer at center following the departure of Jonas Valančiūnas, but the rest of the rotation is definitely better. Still, the Pelicans' ceiling is almost entirely tied to the availability of Zion Williamson.
If Zion plays and looks like the fringe MVP candidate we've seen for stretches of his career, the Pelicans should make the playoffs. Without him—or that version of him—they'll likely be stuck in the middle of the conference.
New York Knicks: A
Notable Losses: Isaiah Hartenstein, Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks
Notable Additions: Mikal Bridges
The New York Knicks probably overpaid for Mikal Bridges. In a vacuum, he's not the kind of player who should go for five first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.
But like the Timberwolves two years ago with Rudy Gobert, the Knicks were uniquely positioned to make this kind of an overpay on a player who fits perfectly with their already strong system and culture.
Beyond the fact that Bridges is the fourth 'Nova Knick, his three-and-D-plus game, durability and willingness to take on a variety of assignments will make him easy to deploy in any lineup.
With him, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and the recently re-signed OG Anunoby, New York has tons of length, athleticism and defense to throw at opponents. That's the right kind of supporting cast with which to surround Jalen Brunson, who signed a team-friendly extension of his own this summer.
The Knicks still don't have a great answer for who'll replace Isaiah Hartenstein yet, but if you just think of this as a Bridges-for-Bojan Bogdanović swap, New York certainly got closer to a championship this offseason.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A
Notable Losses: Josh Giddey
Notable Additions: Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Nikola Topić and Dillon Jones
The Oklahoma City Thunder may well have had the best offseason in the NBA.
They're already among the youngest teams in the league and are coming off a first-place finish in the West. This summer, they addressed their glaring weaknesses.
Size, or lack thereof, was a big one throughout this past regular season and playoffs. Part of what makes the Thunder so difficult to beat is their ability to stretch defenses and play real five-out basketball, but hefty front lines could punish them on the glass.
Adding Isaiah Hartenstein gives the Thunder the option to pivot when necessary, and it's reasonable to believe Hartenstein and the more perimeter-oriented Chet Holmgren can even play together. The size of his contract (three years, $87 million) raised some eyebrows, but now is the time for OKC to pay something like that. The deal is relatively short, and the Thunder could use his salary for matching purposes in trades.
The other weakness was Josh Giddey's struggles as an outside shooter, which made him an easy option to sag off of. Alex Caruso will punish opposing defenses that choose to pack the paint rather than close out to his open catches, and he won't take many (if any) on-ball opportunities away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Add to those additions the team-friendly contracts for Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, as well the pick of Nikola Topić (perhaps this class' best playmaker) in the draft, and this is an easy A even though Topić figures to miss this season while recovering from a torn ACL.
Orlando Magic: A
Notable Losses: Joe Ingles and Markelle Fultz
Notable Additions: Kentravious Caldwell-Pope and Tristan da Silva
The Orlando Magic are another up-and-comer that nailed this offseason.
With their two best players, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, still on their rookie-scale contracts, Orlando had enough cap space to land three-and-D specialist Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP will be the perfect gap-filler for a team with plenty of usage tied up at the wing and forward spots. He isn't going to demand a ton of touches, will hit open threes and will take on difficult defensive assignments.
Drafting another forward who can fit the positionless mold of Wagner and Banchero in Tristan da Silva was smart, too.
The Magic didn't have to do a ton to maintain excitement for their young team, and the things they did do (including a renegotiation-and-extension for Jonathan Isaac) undoubtedly helped.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
Notable Losses: Nicolas Batum, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, Paul Reed, Robert Covington and Mo Bamba
Notable Additions: Paul George, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin and Jared McCain
The run of A's continues with the Philadelphia 76ers, who entered this offseason with a boatload of cap space and emerged with the best gettable forward on the market in Paul George, a re-signed Tyrese Maxey and a beefed-up supporting cast that fills well around those two and Joel Embiid.
The biggest move is the addition of George, who's perhaps the most malleable star talent in the league. With his high-volume three-point shooting, ability to punish closeouts and willingness to defend multiple positions, he's a near perfect fit between Philadelphia's franchise point guard (Maxey) and center (Embiid).
But most of the less-heralded moves make plenty of sense, too. Eric Gordon's willingness and ability to space the floor from well beyond the three-point line should open things up for the interior threats. Martin's versatility on both ends of the floor makes him an easy addition to most lineups. And Andre Drummond is a starting-caliber center backing up a big man who often needs to miss games.
A roster overhaul this complete comes with risks to chemistry and continuity, but in terms of raw talent in and out, Philly nailed this summer.
Phoenix Suns: B+
Notable Losses: Eric Gordon and Drew Eubanks
Notable Additions: Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Dunn
With almost no flexibility to speak of, the Phoenix Suns somehow got marginally better this offseason, upgrading at both backup point guard with Monte Morris and backup center with Mason Plumlee.
Without the cap space necessary to meaningfully replace them, the Suns were somewhat forced into re-signing Royce O'Neale and Josh Okogie at price points they probably wouldn't have gotten elsewhere.
Those moves and the accompanying luxury-tax penalties have made this roster cost over $400 million for 2024-25 alone. That's a lot for a team that was just swept in the first round, but barring a breakup of the big-name trio, it was almost unavoidable.
If the three highest-paid players are mostly healthy and surrounded by the slightly better supporting cast, Phoenix could get back into the title hunt. Last season, it was plus-7.5 points per 100 possessions when Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant were all on the floor.
Portland Trail Blazers: B
Notable Losses: Malcolm Brogdon
Notable Additions: Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan
It's a bit curious for a rebuilding team to give up draft capital in a trade. But Deni Avdija is only 23 years old, has a positionless game that makes him an easy fit anywhere and is near the same developmental timelines as Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. The Portland Trail Blazers using a pair of first-round picks to land him is probably fine.
The more interesting move might've been the drafting of Donovan Clingan, who plays the same position as Deandre Ayton. Getting him the on-court reps he likely needs early might require the Blazers to explore Ayton's trade market.
If the Blazers did trade Ayton or Jerami Grant for decent packages between now and the start of the season, their grade might go up even more.
Sacramento Kings: A
Notable Losses: Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov, Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte
Notable Additions: DeMar DeRozan, Jordan McLaughlin and Devin Carter
The Sacramento Kings had the best offense in the NBA in 2022-23, but they cooled off last season while a number of other teams got better on that end.
The response to that slide was to go all-in on offense this summer. Re-signing Malik Monk was a coup given the limited amount of years and money Sacramento could offer, and landing DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade should give the Kings a dynamic attack going forward.
DeRozan, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis may take some time adjusting to each other. All three handle the ball quite a bit and operate plenty inside the three-point line. But they're all also unselfish, dynamic talents.
Adding a big-time defender in the draft who figured out how to score a bit by his third year in college could help, too. Devin Carter could replace some of the defensive intensity Davion Mitchell provided without sacrificing as much on the other end.
San Antonio Spurs: A
Notable Losses: Devonte' Graham
Notable Additions: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Stephon Castle
The San Antonio Spurs could've been more competitive last year. When Victor Wembanyama played with an actual point guard in Tre Jones (as opposed to Jeremy Sochan) and one solid wing in Devin Vassell, the Spurs were plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions.
Losing 60 games almost felt intentional given the obvious fit of those three and the decision not to devote as many minutes as possible to that trio. And if it was, that's fine. San Antonio was still firmly in the asset-accumulation phase of its rebuild in 2023-24.
But this summer, San Antonio signaled that it may be ready to give Wemby a taste of more winning by adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. Both are experienced players who should fit well alongside the potentially generational big man.
With those three and Vassell, the Spurs have most of what would be a competent, playoff-caliber starting five.
Toronto Raptors: B
Notable Losses: Gary Trent Jr.
Notable Additions: Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov and Ja'Kobe Walter
The biggest moves that the Toronto Raptors made this offseason were for players already on their roster.
Signing Scottie Barnes to a max extension confirms what we already knew when the Raptors traded OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam last season. Barnes is now the unquestioned cornerstone of the franchise, so team-building going forward should emphasize adding shooting around the young, All-Star point forward.
One such supporting player is Immanuel Quickley, who signed his own new $175 million contract with the Raptors this summer. Last season, Quickley averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 assists and 2.8 threes per game while shooting 39.5 percent from deep after being traded to Toronto.
With those two and RJ Barrett, the Raptors should be competitive without pushing toward legitimate title contention. Getting that far was probably out of the question with this offseason's options and the amount of development that has yet to happen for Barnes, Quickley and Barrett.
Utah Jazz: B
Notable Losses: Kris Dunn
Notable Additions: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski
There's a temptation to give the Utah Jazz an "incomplete." Until we have some clarity on whether they'll trade Lauri Markkanen, it's hard to offer definitive analysis on their offseason.
But even if Markkanen remains on the roster heading into the 2024-25 campaign, it's easy to sell this summer as a winning one.
For one thing, Markkanen is a fringe All-NBA player who seems content to play in Utah. That's no small thing. And after a draft in which Utah landed Cody Williams (No. 5 in his high school recruiting class), Isaiah Collier (No. 1) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 4), he'll be surrounded by an exciting and developing core.
Washington Wizards: C+
Notable Losses: Deni Avdija and Tyus Jones
Notable Additions: Jonas Valančiūnas, Malcolm Brogdon, Saddiq Bey, Alexandre Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George
The Washington Wizards had sort of a confusing offseason.
They're years away from title contention, so every move should be forward-looking. Signing an injured Saddiq Bey to serve as a human trade exception qualifies. Getting draft picks for taking on Malcolm Brogdon's contract and giving up Avdija probably does as well, although Avdija is still young enough to have made sense in Washington.
But signing Jonas Valančiūnas is a bit of a head-scratcher. He's a win-now veteran, and No. 2 overall pick Alexandre Sarr needs developmental minutes in the frontcourt.
JV, Brogdon, Kyle Kuzma and/or Jordan Poole could all conceivably be moved before the trade deadline. Depending on what the Wizards receive in return for any of those players, their overall direction could become clearer.
Read 101 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation