We are nearing the midway point between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of training camp, and most of the league’s offseason business is done. A dwindling contingent of players, including Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard and Markelle Fultz, remains unsigned, but it is unlikely any of them swings a championship.
So it is time for NBA offseason report cards. We covered the Eastern Conference. Now for the West …
The defending Western Conference champs needed shooting and landed one of the greatest shooters in the game’s history. The 34-year-old Thompson is a few years removed from consecutive season-ending injuries and nowhere near the player he was when he earned five straight All-Star nods. But he still shot 39% on nine 3-point tries a game last season and will feast on feeds from Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Otherwise the Mavericks swapped out some of their role players, bringing in Marshall, Grimes and Dinwiddie to replace the departed Jones, Green and Hardaway. Marshall and Grimes are still developing skills that should benefit a Dončić-led team, and Dinwiddie enjoyed a stellar year in Dallas two years ago. Ultimately, the success of this offseason will depend on Thompson’s health and the development of both Marshall and Grimes, but the Mavs have earned the benefit of our doubt about moves on their margins.
GRADE: B+
The 2023 NBA champions lost Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million offer from the Orlando Magic, which the Nuggets could have paid if ownership did not mind triggering some salary cap restraints. Instead, they let a valuable member of one of the league’s best starting lineups leave for no return. Denver also shed the salary of backup point guard Reggie Jackson, who played all 82 games last season.
In their place the Nuggets added Šarić — and potentially Russell Westbrook — and drafted Holmes, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in summer league. Šarić can eat some minutes as a reserve big, but no one replaces the loss of Caldwell-Pope, not even the further development of Christian Braun. Westbrook, meanwhile, would be an awkward fit on Nikola Jokić’s team, but the one-time MVP could bring energy and attitude to a bench in need of juice.
GRADE: D
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PICKS: Quinten Post (No. 52)
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IN: Buddy Hield • Kyle Anderson • De’Anthony Melton
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OUT: Klay Thompson • Chris Paul • Dario Saric
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DEALS: Hield (4 years, $37.8 million) • Anderson (3 years, $27.7 million) • Melton (1 year, $12.8 million)
The Warriors made no attempt to retain Thompson, who spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Golden State. He was an integral part of their four championships, though his production has been in decline since missing two seasons to injury. There is no telling how much his departure will disrupt the locker room. How much the threat of his shooting spaced the floor for Stephen Curry will be clear.
Golden State did well to add talent with the flexibility they were afforded by Thompson’s departure. Hield is his own threat as a shooter. Anderson and Melton are also quality veterans who will help the Warriors win regular-season games. Of the three, though, only Anderson earned real playoff minutes last season.
GRADE: C
Sheppard has looked like the best player in the draft during summer league, averaging 21.8 points (on 50/28/75 shooting splits), 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in Las Vegas. If all the Rockets did is add another rising phenom — the latest a dynamic playmaking guard — the offseason was a success.
Which is good, since Houston did nothing else to upgrade the roster. The Rockets will bank on head coach Ime Udoka’s ability to build on last season’s surprising .500 record. Eventually, they will have to choose which young players make the most sense together among Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason, but this was not the summer to make that call.
GRADE: B
The Clippers essentially traded all of their remaining first-round draft capital and George for the right to pay Harden $70 million on a team that is worse than it was last season, when it lost in the first round. In no world does this make sense as a basketball strategy. It might sell more tickets in the team’s new arena.
Sure, the Clippers made some moves on the margins, adding Jones, Batum and Dunn with the salary cap exceptions that became available to them once George left. They are trying to build a team that can complement Kawhi Leonard, whose fourth straight season ended with an injury. And the lot of them do not raise this team’s ceiling any higher than it would be if both Leonard and George were available in the playoffs.
GRADE: F
Projected by many as a lottery pick, Knecht fell to the Lakers at No. 17. He is a 23-year-old rookie whose shooting ability should benefit a team led by LeBron James. The Lakers used their second-round pick to select James’ son, Bronny, who has averaged seven points on 32.7% shooting in summer-league action.
The Lakers did little else, whiffing on the handful of free agents for whom James would have accepted a discount contract. Instead, he received a max contract, which will take him through his 41st birthday. The only other thing the Lakers did was give $32 million to a player who did not crack their playoff rotation.
GRADE: D
The Grizzlies added Edey, a surprise lottery pick. The Purdue product is 7-foot-4 and plays the old-school way a 7-foot-4 Purdue product would play. Who knows what he will be in the NBA. That is the fun of him. Same goes for Memphis’ two second-round picks. Doubt this front office’s drafting ability at your peril.
Otherwise the Grizzlies will rely on the healthy return of their talented core, including Jaren Jackson Jr. as the last line of defense for the three-guard attack of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart. It is not such a bad plan, since we know they can be the foundation of a 50-win team — and maybe better.
GRADE: C
The Timberwolves needed dynamism in their backcourt, both behind and alongside Anthony Edwards, and they pursued it in Dillingham. It was an aggressive move from a creative front office that also added Shannon, a 23-year-old late first-round pick. Minnesota needs its youth to meet a 56-win team where it is at, because ever since the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets they should have eyes on a championship.
Which is why some marginal downgrades on the roster could come back to bite the Wolves this season. Anderson is younger and healthier and better than Ingles at this point. As talented as Dillingham may be, replacing the steady hands of McLaughlin and Morris will prove difficult, and the point guard position could become pivotal for a team that plans to put its offense in the hands of a 37-year-old Mike Conley.
GRADE: B-
The Pelicans invested heavily in Murray, trading Daniels, Nance, Zeller and two first-round draft picks to the Atlanta Hawks for the one-time All-Star point guard. New Orleans also let Marshall and Valanciunas walk to make room for Murray’s $31.6 million salary. This is a win-now move from a team that was swept from the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, though the Pelicans still hold a ton of draft capital.
New Orleans has yet to move Brandon Ingram, whose name has made its way around the trade market. So the Pelicans have a fascinating collection of talent. Zion Williamson, C.J. McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Ingram and Murray are all really good, if not better than that, but there is not a center among them, and Theis cannot be the final answer. Either Missi is ready right away or this is an incomplete team.
GRADE: B-
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder needed a rim protector and a 3-and-D guard and got two of the best of the business. Nearly $90 million for Hartenstein may seem steep, but he is better than you think on both ends, generating energy as a defender, passer and finisher. He can play with or behind Chet Holmgren. And Caruso is every bit the perfect fit beside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Remember, this was the No. 1 seed without those two.
Meanwhile the front office added three more draft picks from the top 40 to develop and work into what has become a well-oiled machine in small-market Oklahoma City. All while losing nothing from the core and inking a pair of contributors, Joe and Wiggins, to affordable deals that only make more flexible their ability to pursue trades. A chef’s kiss of a summer for longtime Thunder decision-maker Sam Presti.
GRADE: A
The Suns had little to work with, other than minimum contracts and the No. 22 pick. They traded down, adding Dunn, Ighodaro and some future second-round draft capital in the deal. It was smart business, since their stashes of youth and picks were practically bare. Maybe Dunn can contribute immediately.
More importantly the Suns nabbed Morris and Plumlee, a pair of regular-season contributors who can extend Phoenix’s scarce playoff rotation, on minimum contracts. Considering Phoenix played all of last season without a point guard, the arrival of Morris and his trusty assist-to-turnover ratio is no small add. He can set the table for Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Plumlee can do the same from the backup center position, playing a similar role behind Jusuf Nurkic to the one he played for Ivica Zubac.
GRADE: B
The Blazers leaned into youth and defense, two things a 21-win team that allowed 116.6 points per 100 possessions should be leaning into. The 7-foot-2 Clingan is a monster, averaging six blocks per 36 minutes in summer league. And Avdija is more than just a quality wing defender. His averages per 36 minutes on the Washington Wizards last season: 17.6 points (51/37/74 shooting splits), 8.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
At what point does Portland switch modes from asset accumulation to team building? It feels like now. Moving Malcolm Brogdon made room at point guard for Scoot Henderson, for whom it is sink-or-swim time. Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are overlapping their talents at shooting guard. Avdija could be blocked on the wing by Jerami Grant, whose contract must be moved before this is over. And Clingan will split time with Deandre Ayton and Roberrt Williams III. The roster just does not make sense … yet.
GRADE: B-
The Kings made arguably their biggest free-agent splash ever, signing DeRozan when California rivals were competing for his services. The veteran’s fit as an unwilling 3-point shooter in an offense that also features Domantas Sabonis is a bit awkward, and he will not improve their defense, but DeRozan is a professional scorer, and he will find his way to efficiency, returning Sacramento to the top 10 in offense.
The re-signing of Monk, who had his suitors, and the under-the-radar addition of McLaughlin are wins as well. Carter’s shoulder surgery, which could cost him his rookie season, put a damper on their draft, but the Kings have high hopes for him, too. It is not every summer that Sacramento makes a series of smart moves — retaining talent, adding more and making a popular draft pick — so celebrate small victories.
GRADE: B+
More than anything the Spurs needed a point guard and drew a pair. The 6-foot-6 Castle is everything you would want from the position but a prolific playmaker. Enter Paul, a Hall of Fame mentor. He will be asked to do for Castle what he did for Gilgeous-Alexander, pointing him in the direction of greatness.
Barnes’ arrival gives San Antonio a third high-IQ addition. Together they will help translate legendary head coach Gregg Popovich’s vision to the floor, where everything is designed to amplify Victor Wembanyama. Otherwise the Spurs seem content taking this slow, developing the existing roster and adding future draft capital for an inevitable trade. Too slow? Wembanyama’s dominance will let us know.
GRADE: B+
The Jazz added three players from the draft’s top 32. They now have seven players on rookie contracts. Their path to contention depends on whether or not there is an All-Star or two in the mix, and they gave themselves another three bites at the apple, including Filipowski, who has impressed in summer league.
This is why it makes sense to move Lauri Markkanen. The 27-year-old is on a more immediate timeline than much of the roster and has never held more value. Jazz executive Danny Ainge will make the price painful for whoever pursues Markkanen in an effort to expand his collection of draft assets. It is an awful lot to entrust to Ainge, who has earned it. We know the plan. It will take time and fortune to execute it.
GRADE: C
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