As we approach the 2017-18 NBA season, it’s time to take a look back on the summer with complete offseason grades — including the draft, free agency and trades — for all 30 teams.
The 2017 NBA offseason will go down in league history as one of the most bizarre summers of all time. With so many superstars and recognizable names swapping hands, it was like someone injected the new 2K with a bottle of steroids.
With Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap and dozens more joining new teams, the 2017 NBA Draft and free agency period were a great time to be an NBA fan. Even the No. 1 overall pick in the draft got moved!
With so much player movement, draft picks, free agency signings and mind-numbing trades to keep track of, it can be hard to remember who ended up where and which teams made what moves over. To simplify matters and clear up the confusion before the start of the 2017-18 NBA season, it’s time to go through all 30 teams’ offseasons.
Without further ado, let’s break down each team’s summer moves, from the draft through free agency. This includes taking a look at the key additions, key subtractions and assigning each team a final grade for their summer. We start in alphabetical order with the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta Hawks
Key additions: John Collins (draft), Dewayne Dedmon (free agency), Marco Belinelli (trade), Luke Babbitt (free agency), Miles Plumlee (trade), Nicolas Brussino (free agency/waivers), Quinn Cook (free agency), Tyler Dorsey (draft), Tyler Cavanaugh (free agency)
Key subtractions: Paul Millsap (free agency), Dwight Howard (trade), Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agency), Thabo Sefolosha (free agency), Jose Calderon (free agency), Mike Dunleavy Jr. (free agency)
Remember a little over a year ago when the Atlanta Hawks should have blown up shop by trading Paul Millsap and Al Horford before losing them in free agency for nothing? Good times.
Re-signing Mike Muscala and Ersan Ilyasova is all well and good, but with Millsap, Howard, Hardaway Jr. and Sefolosha gone, now the Hawks face the uphill battle of a full-scale rebuild with Dennis Schroder as the centerpiece.
Rookie John Collins lit up NBA Summer League and Dewayne Dedmon was a great addition for a bottom-feeder but overall, the Hawks lost a considerable amount of talent and dropped Dwight Howard for basically nothing…actually not nothing, they get Miles Plumlee’s salary now!
Bourguet Grade: D+
Boston Celtics
Key additions: Kyrie Irving (trade), Gordon Hayward (free agency), Jayson Tatum (draft), Marcus Morris (trade), Aron Baynes (free agency), Semi Ojeleye (draft), Shane Larkin (free agency), Daniel Theis (free agency), Kadeem Allen (draft/two-way contarct), Jabari Bird (draft/two-way contract)
Key subtractions: Isaiah Thomas (trade), Avery Bradley (trade), Jae Crowder (trade), Kelly Olynyk (free agency), Amir Johnson (free agency), Jonas Jerebko (free agency), Ante Zizic (trade), Gerald Green (free agency) Tyler Zeller (free agency), Demetrius Jackson (free agency), James Young (free agency), Jordan Mickey (free agency)
There are two ways to look at what the Boston Celtics did this summer. In the short-term, swapping Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving doesn’t make the Celts more likely to win the East, unless IT is injured and serves as some unintended form of sabotage on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Losing Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley hurts the defense, while Boston also lost considerable frontcourt depth and failed to address its biggest weakness on the boards. Passing on Markelle Fultz could easily come back to haunt Danny Ainge too.
For the long-term though, the Celtics walk away from the 2017 offseason with the promising Jayson Tatum, expanded roles for Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, two extra first round picks, a younger Kyrie Irving, an in-his-prime Gordon Hayward and the luxury of not having to overpay to keep IT or Bradley. This team may contend for the East this year, but even if they don’t break through, they’re built for sustained success long after the King’s reign is done.
Bourguet Grade: A-
Brooklyn Nets
Key additions: D’Angelo Russell (trade), Allen Crabbe (trade), Jarrett Allen (draft) DeMarre Carroll (trade), Timofey Mozgov (trade), Tyler Zeller (free agency), Aleksandar Vezenkov (draft)
Key subtractions: Brook Lopez (trade), Andrew Nicholson (trade), Archie Goodwin (free agency), Justin Hamilton (trade)
The Brooklyn Nets won’t be that much better in 2017-18, but they’re certainly more interesting after adding D’Angelo Russell to Jeremy Lin in the backcourt, drafting Jarrett Allen and adding some 3-point prowess with Allen Crabbe and (fingers crossed) DeMarre Carroll.
Sure they had to take on some truly horrific contracts like Carroll and Timofey Mozgov, but they also netted some extra picks in their dealings and despite having a bare cupboard, general manager Sean Marks is starting to make this roster interesting — just in time for that final first-rounder owed to the Celtics to be shipped off next summer.
On an unrelated note: How crazy of a summer was it that Brook Lopez finally being moved was barely a foot note?
Bourguet Grade: A-
Charlotte Hornets
Key additions: Dwight Howard (trade), Malik Monk (draft), Michael Carter-Williams (free agency), Dwayne Bacon (draft), Julyan Stone (free agency),
Key subtractions: Marco Belinelli (trade), Miles Plumlee (trade), Ramon Sessions (free agency), Brian Roberts (free agency)
The Charlotte Hornets are basically counting on the addition of Dwight Howard and a weakened Eastern Conference to return to the playoffs in 2018, which isn’t the worst strategy. Two years of D-12 should go smoother as he plays for his former assistant Steve Clifford anyway.
Taking a low-cost flier on Michael Carter-Williams is nice, but the biggest sense of excitement comes from Malik Monk falling to the Hornets in the draft.
It was a quiet summer overall and there are still long-term questions to be answered, but for now, Buzz City can at least look forward to a return to the postseason after last year’s disappointing step backward.
Bourguet Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
Key additions: Zach LaVine (trade), Lauri Markkanen (draft), Kris Dunn (trade), Justin Holiday (free agency), Quincy Pondexter (trade), Diamond Stone (free agency), David Nwaba (free agency)
Key subtractions: Jimmy Butler (trade), Rajon Rondo (team option), Joffrey Lauvergne (free agency) Isaiah Canaan (free agency), Anthony Morrow (free agency)
The Chicago Bulls traded their best player — a legitimate superstar and top-20 player — for a guy coming off an ACL tear, a rookie who can’t play defense and another underwhelming point guard to add to their ever-growing collection after he stunk up his rookie year.
Maybe LaVine will come back healthy and continue his impressive progress as something more than just a dunker. Maybe it’s too early to give up on Dunn and maybe Markkanen’s shooting will overshadow his defensive flaws.
But the Bulls didn’t get a single blue chip prospect/pick to rebuild around, meaning the post-Jimmy Butler era is going to take a long time to develop. Rajon Rondo’s veteran influence is gone, they traded for Quincy Pondexter for some odd reason and Gar-Pax is as despised as ever. Yeesh.
Bourguet Grade: F
Cleveland Cavaliers
Key additions: Isaiah Thomas (trade), Jae Crowder (trade), Derrick Rose (free agency), Ante Zizic (free agency), Jeff Green (free agency), Jose Calderon (free agency)
Key subtractions: Kyrie Irving (trade), Deron Williams (free agency), Derrick Williams (free agency), James Jones (retirement), Dahntay Jones (free agency)
With LeBron James‘ 2018 free agency looming over the franchise like a giant storm cloud, Kyrie Irving’s trade request and David Griffin’s departure as GM couldn’t have come at a worse time. Nobody could blame the King if he abdicates his throne next summer.
It’s not that the Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer contenders; new GM Koby Altman did a phenomenal job salvaging the Kyrie situation, netting Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Boston’s 2018 first-rounder via Brooklyn that could be extremely valuable. He got as good a return as could be expected, straddling the line between assets for this year and a possible rebuild.
However, IT enters the season injured and the Cavs needed a season that definitively moved them within striking distance of the unassailable Golden State Warriors if they wanted to keep LeBron. Derrick Rose, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Jose Calderon don’t cut it.
Bourguet Grade: C+
Dallas Mavericks
Key additions: Dennis Smith Jr. (draft), Josh McRoberts (trade), Jeff Withey (free agency)
Key subtractions: N/A
Throw out all the minor contracts to fill the bench and the Dallas Mavericks are essentially the same team as last year. The difference aside from another year under Harrison Barnes‘ belt and Dirk Nowitzki getting another year older, is the arrival of phenom rookie Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith lit up NBA Summer League and looks like the real deal as a potential franchise point guard. Now the question is how Rick Carlisle manages his rookie, Seth Curry, Yogi Ferrell and Wesley Matthews in the same backcourt.
The other big question: Did Nerlens Noel and the Mavs botch this situation with his restricted free agency? Because as risky (Read: dumb) as it was for Noel to turn down a four-year, $70 million offer, the Mavs could regret not locking him down for more than a year if he finally breaks out this season.
Bourguet Grade: B-
Denver Nuggets
Key additions: Paul Millsap (free agency), Trey Lyles (trade), Tyler Lydon (draft), Monte Morris (draft), Josh Childress (free agency)
Key subtractions: Danilo Gallinari (sign-and-trade), Roy Hibbert (free agency)
Mason Plumlee‘s restricted free agency ultimately resulted in a three-year, $41 million overpay, which dropped this grade from a B+ down to a B-. But even before that, it was a bit of a mixed bag for the Denver Nuggets this summer.
On the positive side, Paul Millsap is the first marquee free agency signing for this franchise in…possibly ever, and addresses Denver’s need for a quality power forward, veteran leadership and some defensive integrity after ranking 29th in defensive rating last year.
However, how many damn power forwards does this team need? Because as great as signing Millsap was, trading the No. 13 pick for Trey Lyles (a power forward) and the No. 24 pick (used on another power forward, Tyler Lydon) seemed stupid before watching Donovan Mitchell tear it up at NBA Summer League.
Bourguet Grade: B-
Detroit Pistons
Key additions: Avery Bradley (trade), Luke Kennard (draft), Langston Galloway (free agency), Anthony Tolliver (free agency)
Key subtractions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (free agency), Marcus Morris (trade), Aron Baynes (free agency),
Avery Bradley is certainly an upgrade over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the 2, but can we really give the Detroit Pistons for knowing he’d be a trade option before they abruptly dropped KCP as a restricted free agent?
Perhaps, since they had already signed Langston Galloway before that, but it was a curious sequence of events. Rather than re-signing Caldwell-Pope and keeping Morris, the Pistons now have Galloway and a possible one-year Bradley rental.
No matter your opinions on Luke Kennard, suffice it to say the Pistons now have a lot riding on Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond in 2017-18, because if their season heads south again, Bradley will be sure to find more attractive offers elsewhere next summer.
Bourguet Grade: C+
Golden State Warriors
Key additions: Nick Young (free agency), Omri Casspi (free agency), Jordan Bell (draft)
Key subtractions: Ian Clark (free agency), James Michael McAdoo (free agency), Matt Barnes (free agency)
In a summer with all these superstars changing hands, the Golden State Warriors still somehow won. After a dominant 67-win season and 16-1 record en route the to title, the Dubs not only retained their dynastic core, but actually got better.
Signing up spot-up shooters for the bench like Nick Young and Omri Casspi makes a dangerous team even more deadly, while drafting Jordan Bell mixes his small-ball, defensive skill-set with the idyllic championship environment. This could be a home run second round acquisition in a year or two.
Keeping Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and David West was no small task, but to add those new arrivals on top of it? The Warriors continue to occupy their own stratosphere.
Bourguet Grade: A+
Houston Rockets
Key additions: Chris Paul (trade), P.J. Tucker (free agency), Luc Mbah a Moute (free agency), Tarik Black (free agency), Zhou Qi (draft)
Key subtractions: Patrick Beverley (trade), Lou Williams (trade), Sam Dekker (trade), Montrezl Harrell (trade)
Most people don’t realize this, but had the Houston Rockets been 0.1 points stingier per 100 possessions last season, they would’ve been league-average on the defensive end. Adding wings who can shoot when left open and defend like P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute only helps round out the edges in a potential matchup with the Warriors for the Western belt.
The Rockets had to give up some depth over the summer, but kept the frontcourt strong by retaining Nene, drafting Zhou Qi and bringing back Tarik Black. With improved defense and 3-point shooting, this team could be a legitimate threat for the 2-seed in the West.
Oh, and they added Chris Paul. That’s pretty sweet too.
Bourguet Grade: A
Indiana Pacers
Key additions: Victor Oladipo (trade), Domantas Sabonis (trade), Darren Collison (free agency) Bojan Bogdanovic (free agency), Cory Joseph (trade), T.J. Leaf (draft), Ike Anigbogu (draft), Damien Wilkins (free agency)
Key subtractions: Paul George (trade), Monta Ellis (free agency), C.J. Miles (sign-and-trade) Lavoy Allen (free agency), Kevin Seraphin (free agency)
No, the Paul George trade/highway robbery doesn’t look any better after watching what other superstars went for on the trade market. Even without leverage, if the Indiana Pacers had done half as well as the Cavs did with their Kyrie Irving trade, that would’ve been fine.
Unfortunately, settling for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis — even if you’re high on both players — doesn’t cut it when both the Cavs and Celtics were about to start tripping over themselves for him. No one should buy that Cleveland — desperate to make one more title run to keep LeBron happy — or Boston — a team whose prestigious history and promising future could’ve convinced him to re-sign — were that afraid of giving up assets for a one-year rental.
So instead, now the Pacers are in no man’s land without their superstar: not good enough to be a legitimate playoff team, but not bad enough to tank. Hopefully a year full of Myles Turner as “the guy” makes up for it.
Bourguet Grade: D
Los Angeles Clippers
Key additions: Danilo Gallinari (sign-and-trade), Patrick Beverley (trade), Milos Teodosic (free agency), Lou Williams (trade), Sam Dekker (trade), Montrezl Harrell (trade), Willie Reed (free agency), Jawun Evans (draft), Sindarius Thornwell (draft)
Key subtractions: Chris Paul (trade), J.J. Redick (free agency), Jamal Crawford (trade), Luc Mbah a Moute (free agency), Marreese Speights (free agency, Paul Pierce (retirement), Alan Anderson (free agency), Brandon Bass (free agency)
When Chris Paul let the front office know he’d be leaving in free agency, the Los Angeles Clippers did about as well as could be expected with the ensuing sign-and-trade to make sure they received something from the exchange.
Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell add depth to a team notoriously lacking in that department, while a point guard by committee between Bev, Milos Teodosic and Blake Griffin could keep the Lob City era alive after CP3.
However, re-signing Griffin to that hefty deal is a risk given his injury history, and though Danilo Gallinari is a fun addition, his injury history and price tag are concerning as well. There’s no doubt the Clippers took a step back with Paul and J.J. Redick gone, and they might not even be a playoff team anymore.
Bourguet Grade: B-
Los Angeles Lakers
Key additions: Lonzo Ball (draft), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (free agency), Brook Lopez (trade), Andrew Bogut (free agency), Kyle Kuzma (draft), Josh Hart (draft), Thomas Bryant (draft)
Key subtractions: D’Angelo Russell (trade), Nick Young (free agency), Timofey Mozgov (trade), Tarik Black (free agency), David Nwaba (free agency)
If the Los Angeles Lakers manage to sign two star free agents next summer among that #FutureLaker group of LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins, then we’ll have to retroactively change this grade to an A.
Until that time, however, the Lakers gave up an awful lot this summer just for the chance at having enough cap space to sign LeBron and PG-13. They had to attach D’Angelo Russell just to get rid of Timofey Mozgov’s contract, and will probably have to do something similar with Julius Randle or Jordan Clarkson to get rid of Luol Deng‘s ugly deal.
Drafting Lonzo Ball was obviously a bright spot, as was getting quality players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez to make the Lakers look more attractive than they really are right now. It was a good summer, but the last two offseasons may be judged by what happens in 2018.
Bourguet Grade: B+
Memphis Grizzlies
Key additions: Tyreke Evans (free agency), Ben McLemore (free agency), Mario Chalmers (free agency) Ivan Rabb (draft), Dillon Brooks (draft)
Key subtractions: Zach Randolph (free agency), Tony Allen (free agency), Vince Carter (free agency)
Doesn’t seem like there’s been much of a contingency plan for the inevitable end of the Grit-N-Grind era, and waiting for JaMychal Green‘s restricted free agency to resolve itself only makes that sentiment feel more true.
Can the front office be blamed for not re-signing over-the-hill veterans like Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Vince Carter when it was clear this team had already reached its ceiling? Of course not. Getting that Chandler Parsons deadweight contract out of the way was just as impractical to imagine.
However, now the Memphis Grizzlies are stuck with two stars carrying more weight than they should, and Marc Gasol is already talking about needing to see reassuring moves from the front office for him to feel good about his future with the team. Something tells me Tyreke Evans, Ben McLemore and Mario Chalmers aren’t what he had in mind.
Bourguet Grade: C-
Miami Heat
Key additions: Kelly Olynyk (free agency, Bam Adebayo (draft), Jordan Mickey (free agency), A.J. Hammons (trade)
Key subtractions: Luke Babbitt (free agency), Willie Reed (free agency), Josh McRoberts (trade)
Most of the Miami Heat‘s summer was spent keeping their core intact, re-signing Dion Waiters and James Johnson to hefty deals. That’s not usually Pat Riley‘s M.O., but it appears the organization is gung-ho on this team’s 30-11 finish to the 2016-17 more so than its 11-30 start and missed playoff spot.
In a weak Eastern Conference, that’s not the end of the world, though tying up $162 million over the next four years between Waiters, Johnson and Kelly Olynyk is not what one would call “smart.”
Still, the Warriors will probably run the league until the time those contracts are winding down, so perhaps there are worse fates than investing in a fun core and biding his time in his Riley-esque way until better opportunities come along?
Bourguet Grade: B-
Milwaukee Bucks
Key additions: D.J. Wilson (draft), Sterling Brown (draft), James Young (free agency)
Key subtractions: Michael Beasley (free agency)
As you can see, not a lot of activity for a team with very little cap room and a young core like the Milwaukee Bucks. To be perfectly honest, that’s fine. It just doesn’t earn them anything more than a positive, passing grade.
The jury’s still out on D.J. Wilson, but at least his length will fit right in. Sterling Brown was a terrific second round pickup, while the Bucks aren’t really losing too much with Michael Beasley and (probably) Jason Terry gone.
The Bucks couldn’t really do much this season, but another year of internal development for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Thon Maker and Malcom Brogdon is an offseason win in its own right.
Bourguet Grade: C+
Minnesota Timberwolves
Key additions: Jimmy Butler (trade), Jeff Teague (free agency), Taj Gibson (free agency), Jamal Crawford (free agency), Justin Patton (draft)
Key subtractions: Ricky Rubio (trade), Zach LaVine (trade), Kris Dunn (trade), Omri Casspi (free agency), Jordan Hill (free agency), Adreian Payne (free agency), Brandon Rush (free agency)
Tom Thibodeau is reuniting with Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. The Minnesota Timberwolves only had to give up Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and swap picks to get a top-20 player. They signed Jamal Crawford, drafted Justin Patton and re-signed Shabazz Muhammad for the bench.
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins still serving as the franchise pillars, is there any way the T-Wolves don’t make their first playoff appearance since 2004? Barring a plague of injury bugs, it doesn’t seem possible.
I’m not the biggest fan of swapping Ricky Rubio to sign Jeff Teague, and there’s still some work to do to add some depth (Tony Allen was a missed opportunity), but the Butler trade alone bumps the Wolves into A-territory.
Bourguet Grade: A
New Orleans Pelicans
Key additions: Rajon Rondo (free agency), Ian Clark (free agency), Tony Allen (free agency), Frank Jackson (draft), Darius Miller (free agency)
Key subtractions: Tim Frazier (trade), Quincy Pondexter (trade), Donatas Motiejunas (free agency), Dante Cunningham (free agency), Quinn Cook (free agency), Axel Toupane (free agency)
Not a lot the New Orleans Pelicans could do to supplement Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins thanks to the albatross contracts of Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca, but they did the best with what they had.
Re-signing Jrue Holiday to such an inflated contract was a necessary evil since the Pellies weren’t going to find a similar replacement on the open market, but they did well to add Rajon Rondo, Ian Clark and Tony Allen on such minuscule deals.
Allen in particular is a steal, given Solomon Hill‘s injury situation. Here’s to finding out how Rondo and Holiday function in the starting backcourt, because if the Pelicans don’t make the playoffs this year, DeMarcus Cousins’ free agency — and Anthony Davis’ overall happiness — will soon be called into question.
Bourguet Grade: B
New York Knicks
Key additions: Frank Ntilikina (draft), Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agency), Ramon Sessions (free agency), Michael Beasley (free agency), Jarrett Jack (free agency), Damyean Dotson (draft)
Key subtractions: Derrick Rose (free agency), Justin Holiday (free agency), Maurice Ndour (free agency), Marshall Plumlee (free agency)
The best thing we can say about this dumpster fire of an offseason for the New York Knicks is losing Derrick Rose in free agency might be an “addition by subtraction” kind of development. Other than that, dumpster fire.
Signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million deal would’ve been funny even if they hadn’t originally drafted and then traded him away. Meanwhile, Phil Jackson nearly traded away the team’s franchise player in Kristaps Porzingis and then got axed for it — all while continuing to drag Carmelo Anthony‘s name through the mud while the team was still trying to trade him.
There’s also the irony of drafting a point guard who’s suited for the triangle right before Jackson got booted, though Frank Ntilikina should be a better two-way guard than people are giving him credit for. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change a summer where KP grew more disillusioned, Melo still wasn’t moved and Dennis Smith Jr.quickly looked like the better choice.
Bourguet Grade: D
Oklahoma City Thunder
Key additions: Paul George (trade), Patrick Patterson (free agency), Raymond Felton (free agency), Terrance Ferguson (draft)
Key subtractions: Victor Oladipo (trade), Domantas Sabonis (trade), Norris Cole (free agency)
How the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to sneak in and steal Paul George for only Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, the world will never know. Even if PG-13 winds up being a one-year rental, that’s more than worth the price of giving Russell Westbrook reason to stick around after an MVP season in the team’s first without Kevin Durant.
It’s a little disconcerting Westbrook hasn’t accepted his max extension, because there’s a real possibility the Thunder lose not one, but two franchise stars next summer in free agency despite their nifty maneuvering.
However, Sam Presti did all he could do this summer to put OKC in a better position. Patrick Patterson at that price was a steal, Raymond Felton gives the Thunder an actual backup point guard and Terrance Ferguson has potential. Just when it seemed like Russ would be a one-man show forever, the Thunder flipped the script.
Bourguet Grade: A
Orlando Magic
Key additions: Jonathan Isaac (draft), Jonathon Simmons (free agency), Arron Afflalo (free agency), Shelvin Mack (free agency), Marreese Speights (free agency), Wesley Iwundu (draft)
Key subtractions: Jeff Green (free agency), Jodie Meeks (free agency), C.J. Watson (free agency)
It was an understated first summer on the job for new general manager John Hammond, but an effective one. Rather than following the same ill-fated path of win-now moves without the talent to actually, you know, win, the Orlando Magic operated like they had finally looked themselves in the mirror.
With cheap, short-term contracts to bring in veteran talent, the Magic are keeping their focus on their young (albeit underwhelming) core and future drafts. Jonathan Isaac isn’t the franchise star Orlando’s been waiting for, but his versatility and high ceiling as a jack of all trades make for a foundational piece.
Getting Jonathon Simmons at that price was excellent work, and now with a new GM in charge, perhaps management is finally committing to the full-scale rebuild this organization has needed for years now.
Bourguet Grade: B-
Philadelphia 76ers
Key additions: Markelle Fultz (draft), J.J. Redick (free agency), Amir Johnson (free agency)
Key subtractions: Sergio Rodriguez (free agency)
Part of what made the Philadelphia 76ers‘ summer so successful was the simple fact that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would be healthy for 2017-18. That alone made them big winners of the offseason.
However, throw in the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and a reputable free agent actually tweeting “Trust the Process” to announce his decision to sign with a team that was NBA Siberia only a few years ago, and suddenly you’ve got a full blown movement backed by the power of belief.
The Process is nothing new, but it’s finally looking like Sam Hinkie didn’t die for nothing. J.J. Redick will spread the floor and provide veteran leadership, Amir Johnson will help a young frontcourt and Markelle Fultz has legitimate star potential. The Sixers aren’t title contenders just yet, but the playoffs are a reasonable expectation if everyone can stay healthy.
Bourguet Grade: A
Phoenix Suns
Key additions: Josh Jackson (draft), Davon Reed (draft), Alec Peters (draft)
Key subtractions: Leandro Barbosa (free agency)
With the Phoenix Suns probably heading toward a qualifying offer as the solution for Alex Len‘s restricted free agency, it’s safe to say they did as well as could be expected despite all but sitting out of free agency.
The Suns are undergoing a full-blown youth movement and to that end, they got Josh Jackson at No. 4 as a potential franchise pillar along Devin Booker. Jackson will help cover up Booker’s deficiencies on defense and if he ever develops a consistent perimeter jumper, he could wind up being the best two-way player in the 2017 draft class.
Other than that, the Suns resisted the urge to package all their assets and blow up the rebuild for a star rental. Instead, they remained patient — contrary to what owner Robert Sarver has been prone to do. Kudos to them for that, and for giving #TheTimeline a chance.
Bourguet Grade: B+
Portland Trail Blazers
Key additions: Zach Collins (draft), Caleb Swanigan (draft), Anthony Morrow (free agency), Archie Goodwin (free agency), Isaiah Briscoe (free agency)
Key subtractions: Allen Crabbe (trade), Tim Quarterman (trade)
Not much you can really do when you enter the summer with three low first round draft picks and hardly enough cap space to afford them all. The reason? Last summer’s ill-advised spending spree that locked in a bunch of average players to big money.
Luckily, GM Neil Olshey shaved nearly $44 million off the Portland Trail Blazers‘ luxury tax bill by trading Allen Crabbe. Though he was the league’s second-most efficient 3-point shooter last year, he was a net negative on the court and was expendable.
Evan Turner and Meyers Leonard are still clogging up the books, but aside from the two new rookies, Rip City’s upcoming season will be dependent on Jusuf Nurkic staying healthy and having the same impact he had last year anyway.
Bourguet Grade: C
Sacramento Kings
Key additions: De’Aaron Fox (draft), George Hill (free agency), Bogdan Bogdanovic (free agency), Zach Randolph (free agency), Justin Jackson (draft), Harry Giles (draft), Vince Carter (free agency), Frank Mason III (draft)
Key subtractions: Rudy Gay (free agency), Darren Collison (free agency), Arron Afflalo (free agency), Tyreke Evans (free agency), Langston Galloway (free agency), Ty Lawson (free agency), Ben McLemore (free agency), Anthony Tolliver (free agency)
What’s this? A functional, coherent summer of moves for the Sacramento Kings?
Aside from letting go of the excess baggage and not re-signing any of their plethora of impending free agents, the Kings did well in the draft, potentially finding their franchise point guard with De’Aaron Fox, an upside pick late in the first round with Harry Giles and a safe pick in the middle with Justin Jackson.
In free agency, Sacramento brought in an established vet George Hill to help teach Fox and play alongside him, not to mention Z-Bo and Vince Carter for more veteran support. Bogdan Bogdanovic is better than people realize and Frank Mason could be a quality backup with the right development. Is that the sound of the Kings turning over a new page?
Bourguet Grade: A-
San Antonio Spurs
Key additions: Rudy Gay (free agency), Derrick White (draft), Joffrey Lauvergne (free agency), Brandon Paul (free agency), Jaron Blossomgame (draft)
Key subtractions: Jonathon Simmons (free agency), Dewayne Dedmon (free agency), David Lee (free agency)
We should know better than to doubt the San Antonio Spurs by now, but their summer did not keep pace with the Warriors or even the Rockets and Thunder in terms of talent acquired. While the rest of the West got better, the Spurs sat back content.
That strategy has normally worked well, but Tony Parker is out for about half the season and his replacements are fringe starter Patty Mills, the young Dejounte Murray or a rookie. Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili and LaMarcus Aldridge all got a year older, and their games haven’t exactly been aging well as of late.
Meanwhile, San Antonio lost two of its best defenders in Jonathon Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon. Maybe we’re missing something with Rudy Gay, but rather than swing for the fences with a name like Chris Paul, the Spurs still lost some of their bench core and didn’t even get the big fish to bite in the process.
Bourguet Grade: B-
Toronto Raptors
Key additions: C.J. Miles (sign-and-trade), OG Anunoby (draft)
Key subtractions: Patrick Patterson (free agency), P.J. Tucker (free agency), DeMarre Carroll (trade), Cory Joseph (trade)
Look, I get why re-signing Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka makes sense. They were the Toronto Raptors‘ two best free agents, this is the most successful era in franchise history and the team didn’t have the option of “blowing it up” without letting guys walk for nothing.
But even with Lowry and Ibaka back, losing P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson hurts more than the box score would indicate. This team is not built to challenge the top of the East as it is currently constructed, especially with those guys’ defense gone.
Lowry and DeMar DeRozan got another year older, and though C.J. Miles and OG Anunoby are excellent acquisitions, one doesn’t move the needle far enough and the other is an injured rookie. The Raptors may have to fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Bourguet Grade: C+
Utah Jazz
Key additions: Ricky Rubio (trade), Donovan Mitchell (draft), Thabo Sefolosha (free agency), Jonas Jerebko (free agency), Ekpe Udoh (free agency), Tony Bradley (draft), Royce O’Neal (free agency)
Key subtractions: Gordon Hayward (free agency), George Hill (free agency), Boris Diaw (free agency), Trey Lyles (trade), Shelvin Mack (free agency), Jeff Withey (free agency)
We should start with a disclaimer: The Utah Jazz did about as well as could be expected once Gordon Hayward announced he’d be signing with Boston. Even before then, the trade for Ricky Rubio was an excellent way to get a quality point guard and avoid overpaying for the injury-prone George Hill.
However, trading for Rubio, re-signing Joe ingles and even drafting a potential rookie sensation like Donovan Mitchell can’t cloud the fact that Utah lost an All-Star in Hayward. They were positioned to re-sign him, sure, but at the end of the day, another team was more attractive than his current situation and the big money that came with it. You have to lose points for that.
Adding Thabo Sefolosha and Jonas Jerebko is an okay replace-by-committee approach, but after being a young team on the rise, Hayward’s departure means Utah may not even make the playoffs in the crowded West this year. Here’s hoping Rubio fits and Mitchell exceeds expectations.
Bourguet Grade: C-
Washington Wizards
Key additions: Tim Frazier (trade), Jodie Meeks (free agency), Mike Scott (free agency)
Key subtractions: Bojan Bogdanovic (free agency), Brandon Jennings (free agency)
By keeping Otto Porter Jr., even at such a steep price, the Washington Wizards ensured there’d be a spot for them somewhere in the top five of the Eastern Conference standings.
However, it seems as though their bench problems are going to continue thanks to a lack of spending room, with Tim Frazier, Jodie Meeks and Mike Scott serving as the replacements for Bojan Bogdanovic and Brandon Jennings.
Frazier is okay, Meeks can never stay healthy and Scott hasn’t been a relevant player for a few years now. Come to think of it, barring a leap from Kelly Oubre Jr., this bench may be even worse next year.
Next: The 50 greatest NBA players of all time (updated, 2016-17)
Bourguet Grade: C+