While there are still some potential free agency signings and trades that could be completed before the start of the 2022-23 regular season, the NBA offseason has clearly reached its quiet period.
There were a few big moves early in the summer that should have a major impact on this year’s NBA Playoff race. The Warriors have their core in place, but they snagged new role players. The Celtics, who came up just two wins short of the franchise’s 18th title, bolstered their depth at key positions. The Timberwolves acquired a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The list goes on and on.
Now that there is finally time to take a deep breath, let’s run through the transactions for each team and offer a final grade.
(Note: For this exercise, we’re working off NBA.com’s official player movement page. Re-signings are also factored into team grades. The scale is a standard A through F format.)
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Atlanta Hawks: B-
In: AJ Griffin, Maurice Harkless, Aaron Holiday, Justin Holiday, Tyrese Martin, Dejounte Murray, Frank Kaminsky
Out: Sharife Cooper, Gorgui Dieng, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Kevin Knox, Jock Landale, Delon Wright
Murray didn’t come cheap, but his ability to be a secondary offensive option alongside Trae Young and take the toughest defensive assignments on the perimeter is exactly what the Hawks needed. Atlanta lost a few depth pieces, including a solid, young wing in Huerter, so it can’t receive a perfect grade.
Boston Celtics: A
In: Malcolm Brogdon, JD Davison, Danilo Gallinari
Out: Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis
The Celtics managed to acquire Brogdon and Gallinari without sending out any significant rotation players. The addition of Brogdon in particular is huge, as he is an ideal guard for Boston’s defensive scheme and can operate with or without the ball.
Simply put, the Celtics figured out a way to get better after reaching the NBA Finals. They earned top marks.
Brooklyn Nets: C
In: Royce O’Neale, Edmond Sumner, T.J. Warren
Out: Bruce Brown, Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond
The Kevin Durant drama… yikes. Kyrie Irving exercised his player option… OK. Brooklyn’s additions were just… fine.
Assuming their two stars remain on the roster — and that’s a big assumption — the Nets could be a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. However, the ugliness of this offseason may have created long-term issues that can’t be easily resolved.
Charlotte Hornets: Incomplete
In: Bryce McGowens, Mark Williams
Out: —
A grade seems unimportant given the seriousness of the Miles Bridges situation. The free agent forward was arrested earlier this summer on domestic violence charges. The league is in the process of investigating the allegations against Bridges.
Chicago Bulls: C+
In: Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond, Dalen Terry
Out: Troy Brown Jr.
The Bulls re-signed Zach LaVine and brought in Dragic and Drummond, both of whom are decent backups at this stage of their careers. Beyond those moves, though, Chicago’s offseason has been quiet.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B+
In: Ochai Agbaji, Khalifa Diop, Robin Lopez, Isaiah Mobley, Raul Neto, Ricky Rubio, Luke Travers
Out: —
Cleveland’s front office wisely chose to keep the good vibes rolling, extending Darius Garland and bringing back Rubio. The Agbaji pick could end up being a steal if the Kansas product reaches his full potential.
There is still a question of whether the team will be able to reach an agreement with Collin Sexton, but overall, Cavs fans should feel great about the state of the franchise.
Dallas Mavericks: D+
In: Jaden Hardy, JaVale McGee, Christian Wood
Out: Sterling Brown, Jalen Brunson, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Boban Marjanovic
Watching Brunson leave Dallas for nothing was a brutal loss for a team coming off an impressive run to the Western Conference Finals. It’s possible that Wood will soften the blow with a breakout season, but he has not yet shown that he can contribute in a meaningful way on a non-lottery team.
The Mavs are putting a lot of pressure on Luka Doncic to hide their flaws.
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Denver Nuggets: B+
In: Christian Braun, Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DeAndre Jordan, Ismael Kamagate, Ish Smith, Peyton Watson
Out: Will Barton, Bryn Forbes, JaMychal Green, Monte Morris, Austin Rivers
Brown and Caldwell-Pope are the kind of wings that Denver has been missing. Their skill sets will fit nicely next to Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, who recently signed the richest extension in NBA history.
The departures of Barton and Morris shouldn’t be ignored, though, and the Nuggets lack a reliable center behind Jokic. Jordan isn’t that guy anymore.
Detroit Pistons: A-
In: Alec Burks, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Kevin Knox, Nerlens Noel, Gabriele Procida, Kemba Walker
Out: Luka Garza, Jerami Grant
The Pistons crushed the 2022 NBA Draft. They landed Ivey at No. 5 and Duren at No. 13, adding them to a young core that features a rising star in Cade Cunningham.
Giving Marvin Bagley III a three-year, $37.5 million contract was a confusing decision, but that alone shouldn’t drop Detroit too far down the grading scale.
Golden State Warriors: B-
In: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green, Ryan Rollins, Gui Santos
Out: Nemanja Bjelica, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson
It turns out that there is a spending limit for Golden State. The Warriors let notable role players like Payton and Porter walk away, though they did replace them with DiVincenzo and Green.
The key here is that the Warriors’ “Big Three” of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remains on board. Their offseason was unspectacular, but they are firmly in the championship conversation.
MORE: Did Warriors land best value signing of free agency with DiVincenzo?
Houston Rockets: A-
In: Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Tari Eason, Boban Marjanovic, Jabari Smith, TyTy Washington Jr.
Out: Trevelin Queen, John Wall, Christian Wood
The Rockets did some excellent work in the NBA Draft, grabbing Smith, Eason and Washington. Houston also sent out Wall and Wood, which will open up plenty of minutes for the youngsters.
This roster could probably use another big man, but the Rockets are going in the right direction.
Indiana Pacers: C+
In: Hugo Besson, Kendall Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis
Out: Malcolm Brogdon, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Ricky Rubio, Nik Stauskas, T.J. Warren
Good news: The selection of Mathurin gives Indiana an intriguing backcourt partner to pair with Tyrese Haliburton. Bad news: The excitement of the Deandre Ayton offer sheet didn’t last long — at all.
The Pacers could also create more options if they trade Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, so this grade may see a bump or dip in the near future.
Los Angeles Clippers: B
In: Moussa Diabate, John Wall
Out: Isaiah Hartenstein, Jay Scrubb
On paper, the Clippers have a group capable of winning the title, so it makes sense that they would maintain the status quo. Hartenstein’s interior presence will be missed, but Wall could provide a boost at point guard.
Los Angeles Lakers: C-
In: Patrick Beverley, Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Max Christie, Jay Huff, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker IV
Out: Malik Monk
The Lakers certainly made changes during the offseason, but how much better did they really get? They still haven’t addressed their 3-point shooting issues, and the Westbrook problem looms large.
Los Angeles will once again be leaning heavily on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a risky bet considering their injury histories.
Memphis Grizzlies: C
In: Kennedy Chandler, Danny Green, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Vince Williams Jr.
Out: Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton
The Ja Morant extension was a no-brainer, and there is a chance that one of their prospects really pops with more playing time. However, the loss of Anderson and Melton will hurt the Grizzlies’ depth, one of the team’s biggest strengths last season.
Miami Heat: D+
In: Nikola Jovic
Out: P.J. Tucker
It’s understandable that the Heat didn’t want to hand a long-term offer to Tucker, who will be entering his age 37 season this fall. The problem is that Miami has not found his replacement at power forward, leaving a huge hole in the starting lineup.
Maybe Pat Riley has a trick up his sleeve, but right now, the Heat don’t belong in the top tier of contenders.
Milwaukee Bucks: B-
In: MarJon Beauchamp, Joe Ingles
Out: Rajon Tucker
The Bucks extended Pat Connaughton and re-signed Bobby Portis. Those were smart pieces of business, as both players have shown that they can be part of a championship rotation.
The Ingles signing was more of a gamble. He is coming off a torn ACL and will turn 35 years old in October. Milwaukee is banking on a strong recovery.
Minnesota Timberwolves: C+
In: Kyle Anderson, CJ Elleby, Bryn Forbes, Luka Garza, Rudy Gobert, Josh Minott, Wendell Moore Jr., Eric Paschall, Austin Rivers, Matteo Spagnolo
Out: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Josh Okogie, Jarred Vanderbilt
This grade essentially comes down to evaluating the Gobert trade. The All-Star center will undoubtedly raise Minnesota’s ceiling with his stellar defense, rebounding and rim running. As he showed in Utah, Gobert can cover up a team’s defensive weaknesses by himself.
One could also argue that the Timberwolves paid way too steep of a price for Gobert and eliminated any future flexibility. It will be fascinating to watch how the Gobert experiment plays out.
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New Orleans Pelicans: B+
In: Dyson Daniels, EJ Liddell, Karlo Matkovic
Out: —
For New Orleans, the primary goal was to sign Zion Williamson to an extension and silence any rumors about the former No. 1 pick having wandering eyes. Mission accomplished. The Pelicans also scooped up a couple of interesting prospects in Daniels and Liddell.
There weren’t any crazy splashes in free agency, but the Pels weren’t operating from a place of desperation.
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New York Knicks: Incomplete
In: Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein, Trevor Keels
Out: Alec Burks, Taj Gibson, Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker
Why put an “incomplete” here? The Knicks have been attached to Donovan Mitchell throughout the summer, so a blockbuster trade before the season could dramatically alter the final evaluation.
Can New York snag a star for a fair price? Or will the Jazz extract every possible asset from the Knicks?
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
In: Ousmane Dieng, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams
Out: JaMychal Green, Isaiah Roby
The Holmgren injury is a huge bummer for Thunder fans, who won’t be able to watch the No. 2 overall pick until the 2023-24 campaign. It’s always difficult to evaluate a team in the midst of a rebuild, but OKC brought in some intriguing talent through the NBA Draft.
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Orlando Magic: B+
In: Paolo Banchero, Caleb Houstan
Out: Robin Lopez
Similar to the Thunder, the Magic continued walking down their path of talent acquisition, starting off the NBA Draft with a surprise. Banchero could become the type of franchise cornerstone that Orlando has needed for years.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
In: Danuel House Jr., De’Anthony Melton, Trevelin Queen, P.J. Tucker
Out: Danny Green, DeAndre Jordan
The Sixers didn’t do anything crazy this summer, but they absolutely improved their roster. House, Melton and Tucker add an element of toughness that Joel Embiid noted was missing when Philadelphia was eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. Tucker in particular is a proven postseason performer.
Most importantly, the 76ers re-signed James Harden on a fair contract, avoiding an awkward negotiation that could have ended with a massive overpay.
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Phoenix Suns: B-
In: Damion Lee, Jock Landale, Josh Okogie, Duane Washington Jr.
Out: Aaron Holiday, Frank Kaminsky, JaVale McGee
The Suns are largely running it back for another season, but their offseason didn’t end without drama. The Deandre Ayton offer sheet situation was messy, and it may take some time to get past hard feelings on both sides.
Phoenix was by far the best team in the NBA during the regular season, though, so it can’t be penalized too much.
Portland Trail Blazers: B
In: Jerami Grant, Gary Payton II, Shaedon Sharpe, Jabari Walker
Out: Eric Bledsoe, CJ Elleby, Joe Ingles
There is no question that the Trail Blazers improved their roster around Damian Lillard. Grant and Payton are solid defenders who know how to make the most of complementary offensive roles. Sharpe has a dynamic skill set, though he likely won’t be ready to contribute immediately.
But is Portland a real contender in the West? The Trail Blazers should be in the NBA Playoff race. A deep run seems less likely.
Sacramento Kings: B+
In: Matthew Dellavedova, Kevin Huerter, Sam Merrill, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray
Out: Donte DiVincenzo, Maurice Harkless, Justin Holiday, Damian Jones
Huerter, Monk and Murray should be able to help De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis immediately. This group could break what has been the longest postseason drought in NBA history.
However, the Kings may come to regret choosing Murray over Ivey. Murray is a better fit as a wing, but Ivey could eventually become an unstoppable force as an explosive guard.
San Antonio Spurs: B+
In: Malaki Branham, Gorgui Dieng, Alize Johnson, Isaiah Roby, Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley
Out: Danilo Gallinari, Jock Landale, Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV
No half measures this offseason. San Antonio hit the rebuild button by sending Murray to Atlanta for a significant return package. The Spurs also had an excellent draft, selecting Sochan (No. 9), Branham (No. 20) and Wesley (No. 25) in the first round.
This will be a rough season for the Spurs. They will fall into the lottery crowd again. But they had to hop out of the cycle of mediocrity at some point.
Toronto Raptors: B
In: Juancho Hernangomez, Christian Koloko, Otto Porter Jr., D.J. Wilson
Out: Armoni Brooks, Svi Mykhailiuk
Porter should slide into the rotation and give the Raptors a terrific 3-and-D option. Koloko should eat up backup center minutes. Retaining Chris Boucher and Thaddeus Young made sense.
Toronto didn’t set the NBA world on fire, but the Raptors maintained flexibility for the future without losing any major pieces.
MORE: Why Paul George expects a hot start from Raptors in 2022-23
Utah Jazz: Incomplete
In: Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, Simone Fontecchio, Talen Horton-Tucker, Stanley Johnson, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt
Out: Patrick Beverley, Rudy Gobert, Juancho Hernangomez, Danuel House Jr., Royce O’Neale, Eric Paschall
The possibility of a Mitchell trade will delay the arrival of a final grade. Let’s see if Utah can get other teams involved and force New York to boost its offer.
Washington Wizards: C
In: Will Barton, Johnny Davis, Taj Gibson, Monte Morris, Yannick Nzosa, Delon Wright
Out: Thomas Bryant, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Raul Neto, Ish Smith
The Wizards decided to retool around Bradley Beal rather than completely rebuild, giving the three-time All-Star a massive new contract. Perhaps Barton, Davis and Morris will help raise Washington’s ceiling, but this still feels like a .500 team relying on one star to do the heavy lifting.
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