Grading Western Conference Teams' Off-Seasons
Dallas Mavericks
Traded Tim Hardaway Jr, a 2025 second-round pick (via TOR), and two 2028 second-round picks for Quentin Grimes.
Grade: A-
Signed Naji Marshall to a 3-year / $27M deal.
Grade: A-
Acquired Klay Thompson and a future second-round pick for Josh Green and a future second-round pick as part of a six-team trade.
Grade: B+
The Mavericks lost three players, picked up three more, and overall, had a slightly positive net gain. Quentin Grimes pretty much offsets the Josh Green loss as a strong, quick defender who is capable of shooting the three ball.
Marshall is a de facto replacement for Jones Jr, who was probably a better defender than Marshall but a less reliable shooter.
And then you have Thompson, who, despite being a defensive liability towards the end of his Warriors tenure, can still shoot the lights out at times. Despite the immense criticism he received last year, he still shot 38.7% from deep and will most definitely improve that clip this season due to the on-ball attention garnered by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. It’s only fair to the Mavericks that we call them a piece away after a Finals run. Maybe Klay is the missing piece.
Overall Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
Signed Dario Saric to a 2-year / $10.6M deal.
Grade: A-
No team was hurt more by the second apron that the Denver Nuggets who had no choice but to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency. KCP is one of my favorite players in the league because he is a true winner who can shoot and defend.
Without him, the Nuggets bench is bare thin. Right now, they are slated to play Trey Alexander, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson, and Saric as their 6-10 which would be the worst second unit in the NBA. Now, obviously, Denver will make some moves to upgrade their roster, but with the apron in full effect, those contracts will have to be veteran’s minimums, putting their future in jeopardy.
Overall Grade: C+
Golden State Warriors
Signed De’Anthony Melton to a 1-year / $12.8M deal.
Grade: B+
Acquired Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson for Klay Thompson and a 2031 second-round pick swap with MIN as part of a six-team trade.
Grade: B+
Traded Quinten Post for Lindy Waters III.
Grade: B
The Warriors will field a stronger defensive lineup going into next season with Melton and Anderson joining the team. I’m not sure they fully made up for Klay’s shooting with those guys plus Buddy Hield, and most certainly can’t replicate his chemistry with the team, but they’ve done their best here, and reportedly have put together a package to offer the Jazz for Lauri Markkanen.
With Markkanen, the Warriors would scratch at the top tier of the Western Conference and would create a reasonably solid future for the team.
What holds me back from giving the Dubs an A is how similar this roster is shaping out to be like the 2020-2021 roster when Golden State was carried by an MVP-level Steph Curry just to miss the playoffs. But we can’t forget about Jonathan Kuminga and Brandon Podziemski either. They are solid players for a team that has patched up losing their second splash brother very nicely.
Overall Grade: B+
Houston Rockets
Signed Aaron Holiday to a 2-year / $10M deal.
Grade: B
Traded 2025 and 2026 first-round picks (via BKN) to BKN for a 2025 pick swap with PHX, a 2027 first-round pick (via PHX), and the two most favorable of DAL, PHX, and HOU 2029 first-round picks.
Grade: B-
Houston hasn’t been very active on the market market this offseason which is the right move—they are loaded with young talent and have stable coaching. They should let this season play out with the guys they have and then make important roster decisions afterwards.
As I mentioned in part one of my free agency grades, the Rockets made the trade with Brooklyn in an effort to bait Phoenix into trading Kevin Durant for their picks back. I didn’t agree with trading for Durant at the time and now that the Suns have publicly stated that they intend on keeping him, the trade seems silly to me. I understand that those Suns picks could be valuable anyway, but those Brooklyn picks had the potential to be golden in two of the best drafts of the decade—with or without Mikal Bridges.
If it weren’t for that trade, I’d hand Houston a B+.
Overall Grade: B
Los Angeles Clippers
Re-signed James Harden to a 2-year / $70M extension.
Grade: B-
Signed Nicolas Batum to a 2-year / $9.6M deal.
Grade: B
Signed Mo Bamba to a 1-year deal.
Grade: B+
Signed Derrick Jones Jr to a 3-year / $30M deal.
Grade: B+
The Clippers offered Paul George a “disrespectful” number and just like that, he’s gone. Now, they are in a strange position were their current roster isn’t good enough to contend for a title, but they have recently extended both Harden and Kawhi Leonard, and don’t want to tank as they transition into playing in their brand new arena and grow into a second LA team rather than the Lakers’ little brother.
I don’t blame them for not tanking, but the Harden contract will be them above the apron in 2025-2026 and the Batum contract is just extra baggage. I’d like to call the Jones deal a good one, but again, what’s the point if they just go 43-39 this season and continue to decline with their aging, injury-prone superstars?
I guess the Clippers are what Mat Ishbia meant when he said that 26 GM’s would take his place over their current teams.
Overall Grade: B-
Los Angeles Lakers
Re-signed Max Christie to a 4-year / $32M extension.
Grade: C+
Re-signed LeBron James to a 2-year / $104M extension.
Grade: B-
The Lakers join the Raptors as the only teams to earn a C for their off-seasons (maybe I should become a harsher grader). For a team that is in win-now mode with their best player approaching 40-years old, the Lakers were remarkably complacent at the deadline.
There was talk of Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, DeJounte Murray and countless other players that Lakers fans get excited about for nothing every year, and Rob Pelinka signed none of them. LeBron James’ “discount” earns him more in the next two years than it would if he signed the three-year deal, but congrats Lakers—you stayed below the second apron! And signing Max Christie seems fun until you realize he averaged 4.2 PPG on 42.7% shooting last season
No signing could have fixed the mess of an operation that the Lakers have become, but they could have at least made it look like they were trying.
Overall Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies
No transactions.
I don’t blame Memphis for sticking with their current roster. Much like Houston, let’s see how this year goes with Ja returning from suspension and injury. If they are able to get a top-4 of 5 seed, maybe you trade some of your young assets for more established talent, but for now, lay the ground for what will hopefully be a strong core of Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr for years to come.
Overall Grade: B
Minnesota Timberwolves
Signed Luka Garza to a 2-year / $4.5M deal.
Grade: B-
Signed Joe Ingles to a 1-year / $2.1M deal.
Grade: A
Signed P.J. Dozier to a 1-year / $2.6M deal.
Grade: B
By trading for Rob Dillingham on draft night, it seemed clear that Morris was already on his way out with Nickeil Alexander-Walker looking poised to be the backup wo-guard of the future.
They lost Kyle Anderson to Golden State, but filled the void perfectly with Joe Ingles (who came for cheaper—a veteran’s minimum), who, like Anderson is a solid on-ball and off-ball defender, isn’t the most athletic player but is reliable to play most games, and is an even better shooter.
Minnesota is well over the second apron, so this was about all they could do. They’ve done a nice job.
Overall Grade: A-
New Orleans Pelicans
Traded Larry Nance Jr, Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller a 2025 first-round pick (via LAL), and a 2027 first-round pick (less favorable of Pelicans and Bucks) for DeJounte Murray.
Grade: B-
Signed Daniel Theis to a 1-year / $2.2M deal.
Grade: A-
If you’re looking for a team whose players fit well together, steer clear of the Pelicans. Trading for DeJounte Murray gives them one of the best rosters on paper, but I question how he and Zion will divvy up the ball-handling as well as C.J. McCollum who has not been dealt. I’ve also just never been the biggest Murray fan.
Moreover, they wiped every center from their roster by trading away Larry Nance Jr and Cody Zeller while letting Jonas Valanciunas go to Washington. Daniel Theis can be a solid backup but he is just part of the answer for New Orleans at the five slot.
Then, there’s the issue of dealing Brandon Ingram. It appears that there is very little interest around the league for the Pelicans wing including from some of the teams listed in the poll that would hypothetically trade their current centers to the Pelicans.
New Orleans needs to invest in Zion being their primary ball-handler this season, but that will be difficult with Murray. They have a lot of work left to do.
Overall Grade: B-
Oklahoma City Thunder
Traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso.
Grade: A
Signed Isaiah Joe to a 4-year / $48M deal.
Grade: A-
Signed Aaron Wiggins to a 5-year / $47M deal.
Grade: A-
Signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a 3-year / $87M deal.
Grade: B+
Traded Lindy Waters III for Quinten Post.
Grade: B+
With all the financial flexibility that Oklahoma City has, they should be nailing every off-season. So far, they have not disappointed. While the Caruso trade isn’t as bad for Chicago as I originally thought, I still feel the same way about it for OKC as before. They knocked it out of the park.
The Joe and Wiggins deals are perfect for their value and will keep them in Oklahoma for years to come. $27M per year for Hartenstein is a bit expensive for me, but the fit is perfect.
I still wish Sam Presti would have went out and got a score-first backup point guard—a Rob Dillingham, Jordan Clarkson, or Collin Sexton type of player, but that’s easier said than done. The Thunder are still not in win now mode and yet, they might be my favorite to come of the West. What a job by the front office.
Overall Grade: A
Phoenix Suns
Re-signed Bol Bol to a 1-year / $2.9M deal.
Grade: B+
Re-signed Damion Lee to a 1-year deal.
Grade: B
Re-signed Royce O’Neale to a 4-year / $42M deal.
Grade: B-
Signed Mason Plumlee to a 1-year deal.
Grade: B+
Signed Monte Morris to a 2-year deal.
Grade: A
For the second straight year, the Suns have no flexibility to make any trades. They made the right move by signing O’Neale but I’m almost sure he won’t be worth $12.2M when he is 35 years old.
Otherwise, I think the Suns have done a decent job here. Monte Morris, whether he starts or not, gives the Suns a reliable true point guard that they haven’t had since Chris Paul. Mason Plumlee is a good system center that will take some of the load off of Jusuf Nurkic.
Phoenix couldn’t do much, but I like the minor adjustments that they’ve made to help their 2.5 stars.
Overall Grade: B+
Portland Trail Blazers
Traded Malcolm Brogdon, Carlton Carrington, a 2029 first-round pick (second-most favorable of POR), and 2028 and 2030 second-round pick for Deni Avdija.
Grade: B+
When you look at the deal it looks lopsided towards Washington, but Brogdon is getting old, Carrington is the level of a late first-round pick, and the second first-round pick in 2029 almost definitely won’t be in the lottery. Getting Deni Avdija out of a few late first-rounders is absolutely worth it for a Portland team that appears to be trying to turn the corner of their rebuild with Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan.
I’m a big fan of Avdija as the intermediate wing piece for that duo.
Overall Grade: B
Sacramento Kings
Signed Malik Monk to a 4-year / $78M deal.
Grade: B+
Signed Alex Len to a 1-year / $3.3M deal.
Grade: B
Traded Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, a 2031 first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks for DeMar DeRozan as part of a three-team trade.
Grade: B-
Sacramento is getting a ton of grief around the league for the DeRozan trade, but I’m not as much of a skeptic. I understand that they aren’t going to win or probably each reach the second round with their re-tooled roster, but it’s better than middling out in the Play-In tournament again.
Some people point to DeRozan’s experience in Chicago as a reason why this trade won’t work, but De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are miles better than Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Yes, the defense will continue to be a problem, but the offense should be top-5 in the league which should almost guarantee them a playoff spot.
As for the 2031 pick swap, people are acting as if the Kings will be a guaranteed lottery favorite in 2031. Who knows? Maybe the Kings will be good in seven years. I think everybody is ready to glamour over San Antonio, and as a result, are shaming the Kings for giving up their pick swap, but it’s not as bad as they’re making it out to be.
Finally, the Malik Monk deal is a solid one. He’s only 26 and probably would have won 6th Man of the Year if he didn’t get injured. I like the Kings keeping him around for a long time.
Overall Grade: B
San Antonio Spurs
Signed Chris Paul to a 1-year / $11M deal.
Grade: A
Acquired Harrison Barnes and a 2031 first-round pick swap (via SAC) as part of a three team trade.
Grade: A
Traded DeVonte Graham and a second-round pick to CHA.
Grade: B+
The Spurs clearly have buy-in for Victor Wembanyama that he is around for the long haul because they are taking their sweet time with their rebuild. Piece by piece. Chris Paul has potential to be a monumental piece in Wembanyama’s development as a mentor and a high IQ tactician on the court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on record saying that Paul coming to OKC for a year was one of the best things that could ever happen to him growth wise.
Paul should get 22-27 minutes per game and as we know from Wembanyama’s success last year with guards on the floor, those minutes will be positive for the Spurs. Harrison Barnes also provides a veteran presence that will help spur San Antonio in the right direction. Both guys are very coachable too.
I just talked about how the media is overrating the value of the pick swap in the DeRozan deal, but the reality is that the pick is unprotected and there is a chance the Kings are terrible in 2031.
The Spurs are making all the right moves, and doing so very carefully in order to perfectly build around their unicorn of a superstar.
Overall Grade: A
Utah Jazz
Signed Drew Eubanks to a 2-year / $10M deal.
Grade: B
As of now, Utah’s grade is the most incomplete one in the NBA depending on whether or not they choose to trade Lauri Markkanen. Many think that they should hold on to him before they become the Wizards who trade away every good player they have to be bad. I say the trade him because I’d rather start my franchise with a strong chance to draft Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey than the 27-year-old Markkanen.
The Eubanks deal is a good one, but I’m giving Utah a B- since it seems like they are leaning towards keeping the Finnish star.