1. Houston RocketsIN: J. Randle, A. Wiggins, K. Huerter, W. Barton, A. Sengun, D. Melton, CHI '22
OUT: K. Leonard, J. Brown, D. Green, K. Lowry, H. Whiteside, T. Jerome
A mainstay at the top of the rankings is Houston, exiting the playoffs in the semifinals last season against a strong Seattle team. Kawhi Leonard only played 1 game in that matchup and might not play 1 at all coming season, and that might have influenced a tough decision that moltreszwarriors had to make this offseason with 2 resign candidates in Kawhi and Brown. Kawhi's rights were traded for Wiggins and Sengun, while Brown was resigned at the last second but traded for Randle and Huerter the next day. Besides these moves, Houston didn't do a whole lot to replace the losses of Green and Lowry in FA or the draft.
The big question marks for the coming season are Wiggins and Zion; Wiggins seemed to have found his groove in Golden State, but might miss a lot of games due to his hesitance getting vaccinated. You hate to have guys miss games due to off court issues, but with COVID still being a part of our lives, this is our reality. With or without Wiggins however, Houston still has a highly competitive team with Steph, Dame, Zion and Randle surrounded with plenty of contributors on cheap contracts. Zion has another injury issues added to his bag (foot surgery), and even if he manages to play he still has some holes in his fantasy game to fill. What can he add to his game, with FT%, 3PM, STL and BLK still being weak parts, room to grow in REB and AST and FG% and PTS being his only real strenghts?
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C-
2. Portland TrailblazersIN: D.Rose, B.Lopez, J.Poeltl, D.Green, A.Dummond, Nassir Little
OUT: Windler, Maxi Kleber, Carmelo Anthony, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe
One of the top teams Portland has added some complementary pieces to an already stacked roster in D.Rose, B.Lopez, J.Poeltl, D.Green and A.Drummond. This is a team to watch and a top contender. Health will be a factor in the success of this team, as it was last year. A healthy Portland team in last year's playoffs maybe gets them a different result against Houston, though it's hard to say with certainty because Houston was loaded.
This is going to be a fun team to follow throughout the season, and a lot is riding on Kevin Durant playing more than he did last year. Of course, Portland was able to make the playoffs last year with Durant hurt half the season, so I'm sure they're just worried about him being ready for the playoffs. The Blazers, as one would expect, picked up some vets to help them come playoff time, but they also snuck in and plucked Nassir Little off the waiver wire. It was an interesting move, and this member of the committee wonders if he knows something the rest of us don't. The good news for Portland is they really don't need Little to do much for the team to live up to expectations, but if he does become a contributor, watch out.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B-
3. New York KnicksNew York in: LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Larry Nance Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., Nerlens Noel, LaMarcus Aldridge, Markelle Fultz
New York out: Ben Simmons, Gordon Hayward, Darius Bazley, Grayson Allen, Cam Payne, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rudy Gay, Xavier Tillman, Kevon Looney
Four years ago, the Celtics looked dead in the water. They'd gone 4-28 over the previous two years, the roster was devoid of any real talent, and their owner skipped town. It looked like a long rebuild was in store. Then teefbe took over. In their first year under new ownership, they improved to 6-10. The next year, they won the division. They've been in the playoffs ever since. In the four years since taking over, the Celtics have gone 36-26, made the playoffs three times and won the division once. However, they've been unable to advance past the first round, losing to Tampa Bay all three times (in the only other playoff appearance prior to teefbe's arrival, the Celtics, again, lost to Tampa Bay. Basically, the Celtics are Sideshow Bob, and the Bull Sharks are the rakes he can't avoid). After several years of great seasons ending in playoff disappointment, the Celtics decided enough was enough. Boston was cursed, and they'd be better off trying their luck in a new location. Thus the New York Knicks were born.
As if moving to New York wasn't enough of a splash, the new Knicks totally revamped their roster and currently look like the favorites in the East. Gone are Ben Simmons and Gordon Hayward; in their place(s) are LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Lowry. The Knicks also managed to fortify their depth with the additions of Duncan Robinson, Larry Nance Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., and Nerlens Noel. As if that wasn't enough, they'll also welcome Markelle Fultz into the fold once he's healthy enough to play. Now, all those trades for the present did exact a toll on their future. The Knicks sent out 4.5 picks (they had protections on their 2023 that they forfeited) to complete their roster. And they used a re-sign on a player entering his 19th year in the league. While those aren't likely to have any kind of impact on their title run, those are opportunity costs that they traded away. At the same time? Who cares, this roster is stacked. They've got depth at every position. Reliable role players around their stars. Some room to maneuver if things go sideways. It's going to be a fun first year in MSG. Will this move finally lead to that elusive first title? We'll see.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: A
4. Seattle SupersonicsSeattle in:
Seattle out: Brook Lopez, Dennis Schroder, Jae Crowder
Perhaps no team was impacted more by the COVID shutdown than the Seattle Supersonics. Sure, the Brooklyn Nets were undefeated and about to reach their third straight Finals, but they were severely banged up and likely to be big underdogs against the Western Conference champion. And that champion, which was basically a lock to be Seattle, was formidable. They'd made a literal deadline deal for Bradley Beal, and that move propelled them to an upset win over the top-seeded Kansas City Kings in the first round. Had the league not shutdown, it's very likely that the Supersonics would have been hoisting their first trophy. Alas, the world went to hell, and Seattle was forced to regroup... and regroup they did, once again making the playoffs and taking out KC in round 1. After taking down Houston in the conference finals, it looked like Seattle would finally complete their title run, and that's how things stood until the final day. On that fateful day, the Sonics were burned by late benchings of Brook Lopez and Jae Crowder. It gave Chicago just enough of an opening to overtake them in points, giving the Bulls the tiebreaker when turnovers finished deadlocked. Had Seattle known ahead of time, they would have been able to sub in McDaniels and Saben Lee, which would have given them a one-point victory. It will go down as one of the most devastating Finals losses in league history.
In response, the Sonics did... well, nothing. Rather than decline Lonzo Ball's option to open up cap space, they decided to bring him back. They re-signed D-Leaguer Isaiah Stewart, and they sold off a draft pick to open enough space to re-sign Dejounte Murray. Seattle now sits at a crossroads. Yes, this roster is still loaded. James Harden, Beal, Rudy Gobert, and Bam Adebayo are still here, after all. However, they currently have two open roster spots and exactly $0 in cap space to sign anyone. One has to think a trade is in order at some point before the deadline, and it makes the Sonics one of the most fascinating teams to watch this season. They are also assuredly one of the teams most buoyed by the change in schedule format, with all of their conference and division games now happening in the second half of the season. That said, the West is no cakewalk, so figuring out what they're going to do with these last two spots is of the utmost importance.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: D
5. Kansas City KingsKansas City in: Christian Wood, Jerami Grant, Harrison Barnes, Dennis Schroder, Ricky Rubio, Marvin Bagley
Kansas City out: Khem Birch, Dorian Finney-Smith, Delon Wright, Kyle Kuzma, Nerlens Noel, Alex Caruso, James Ennis
While the rest of the league fawns over the usual suspects in the West (your Houstons, Seattles, and Portlands of the world), the Kansas City Kings sit quietly, building yet another team that looks destined for the playoffs. The Kings (yes, the KINGS) have been the best team in the West over the last three years. Their 36-10 record is a full six games better than both Utah and Seattle. They've made the playoffs three times, winning the regular season crown in the conference once, and making a conference finals another time. They're led by a brash, unashamed owner who vacillates seamlessly between hero and villain. Yet, behind all the bluster, a shrewd owner surely exists because, well, how else do you explain this offseason?
After a surprising 11-3 finish in the pandemic shortened season, the Kings easily could have sat back and patiently waited for all their picks to produce some rather juicy fruit. Instead, they made some significant moves, seriously bolstering their talent base. When you lay out all the moves together, they really are quite impressive. The Kings left draft lottery night with picks 4, 11 and 16. They managed to turn those three picks (along with Utah's 2023) into Christian Wood, Jerami Grant, Harrison Barnes, Ricky Rubio, Marvin Bagley, and the cap space to keep Kemba Walker via free agency. For those keeping track at home, that's four top-75 players, a solid back-up point in Rubio, and a flier on a guy who might still have quite a bit of room left before hitting his ceiling. Oh, and they also brought in Dennis Schroder on a one-year deal to shore up the point guard position. Now, there are still some holes here. Unless Bobby Portis and/or Bagley get center eligibility, they will be weak at that spot. And some of their guys (Caris LeVert, Grant, Schroder) may see slightly reduced roles compared to last year. That said, this team looks scary. They're arguably the deepest team in the league, and they bear a striking resemblance to the 2019 team that won the regular season title in the West. Plus they've left themselves in pretty good position to regroup next summer if things don't go according to plan this year. All in all, this team might have had my favorite off-season.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: A+
6. OKC ThunderIN: Davion Mitchell, Onyeka Okongwu, Jae Crowder
OUT: Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, Moe Wagner
The Thunder largely stood pat, which was probably the right decision for them despite coming off a disappointing season. OKC was one of the teams most impacted by COVID last season, and it showed in their final record. They had high hopes for the season, given that they were being led by Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Russell Westbrook, but it just never quite came together. Now, with their two stars another year older, this might
have to be the year it comes together. Sure, Russ and Capela will come off the books... but Doncic's kicker comes into play, and Tatum is in line for a huge extension. Still, there is a lot to like about this team beyond the stars. Devin Vassell had some moments last year, and he should see more playing time with San Antonio going into a soft rebuild. Onyeka Okongwu looked good in the real life playoffs, and he will be back in time for the stretch run. Davion Mitchell looks like he's going to get a lot of run early. And Anthony Edwards is for real. He's been a defensive monster in the pre-season, and if that carries over the regular season, OKC is going to have one of the most dangerous starting five's in the league. Of course, the West is stacked, so it might not be enough. We'll find out right out of the gate since OKC is in our game of the week.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C
7. Tampa Bay Bull SharksIN: Ivica Zubac, Davis Bertans, Reggie Bullock, Monte Morris, Doug McDermott, Aaron Holiday
OUT: LBJ, A.Burks, J.Murray, Thad Young, Danny Green, Chris Paul
The always dangerous Tampa Bay lost some key pieces in the off season after making a run at it last season. A very solid core of K.Towns, D.Sabonis, J.Allen, Z.Lavine and D.Fox is looking for yet another finish at the top of the East. The Bull Sharks have now won the Southeast Division three years in a row, and it seems pretty likely they'll make it four this year. Unfortunately for them, they've been unable to get back to the Finals in those three years. This will be one of those teams that no one is going to enjoy going up against, yet they clearly aren't as strong as they were last year, and that may be impacting their ranking some. This team is still a top-2 team in the East, but they did lose LeBron James, Chris Paul and Jamal Murray, which is a lot of firepower. There is a world in which they suffered no injuries and cruised to a title last year, so, at this point, they're just hoping for good health come playoff time. If they can just stay healthy, they'll have as good a shot as anybody at getting to the last round.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B
8. Golden State WarriorsIN: N. Vucevic, K. Middleton, F. VanVleet, Siakam, Gallinari, Bryant, Monk, Diallo, Campazzo, Nunn, Cameron Thomas
OUT: Butler, Harris, Maxey, Hayes, Doumbouya, Toppin, Bagley, Jones Jr., Jackson, SEA 22, CHI 23
One of the teams that got hit the hardest by the unpredictable COVID season, the good spirits after a great offseason a year ago got squashed pretty quickly. All the hard work to turn a barren roster in a competitive one seemed gone with the team finishing 3-11, but crossover is not one to throw in the towel. He got to work again and basically conjured an entirely new team with the only big name that stayed being Booker. GSW kickstarted their offseason by trading for Siakam's resign rights pretty cheaply, and later also added VanVleet's rights to show the value of having open resign slots. In a series of trades, Harris was moved for Vucevic and Butler for Middleton, and those are only the highlights of the busy offseason GSW had. Crossover wasn't only looking out for the big fish though, the D-league signing of Cameron Thomas shows GSW also has eye for detail, as Thomas has a chance to be a microwave scorer for the Nets in their home games sans Kyrie.
As soon as Siakam returns, you're looking at a formidable starting 5 of VanVleet, Booker, Middleton, Siakam and Vucevic. While not consisting of absolute stars, these guys can bang with the best of them on any night making GSW one of the favorites this season. While the bench isn't the most reliable bunch of guys, a starting 5 like this (all signed long term) should carry the load pretty nicely for the coming seasons. Once again GSW has worked his magic during the offseason to propel his team to the top of the rankings, and the grade should reflect that.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: A
9. Phoenix SunsPhoenix in: Miles Bridges, Jonas Valanciunas, Kelly Olynyk, Delon Wright, Oshae Brissett, Tre Mann
Phoenix out: Monte Morris, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Danilo Gallinari, Troy Brown Jr., Jae'Sean Tate
The Suns (nee Wolves) entered the 2021 off-season as one of the more interesting teams in the league. Two years ago, they were the talk of the league when they moved heaven and Earth to land Nikola Jokic in free agency. The first Jokic year figured to be a development year, as so much of their cap was tied up in one player. Instead, they came out of nowhere to finish 12-4 and make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. It was a remarkable run, and, though it ended in the first round against Portland, it set the stage for a deep run last year. Unfortunately, the injury gods had other ideas. Minnesota could never quite put it all together, sputtering to an 8-6 finish. Their issues stemmed, mostly, from their big man rotation of Kevin Love, Danilo Gallinari, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Mitchell Robinson being constantly injured. There was only so much Jokic could do by himself. The disappointing year made them a bit of a wild card this summer. Would they go for a title, or try and build for the future?
Well, the answer was a little bit of both. They totally revamped their big man rotation, bringing in Miles Bridges, Jonas Valanciuns, and Kelly Olynyk. They also brought in young guys in Tre Mann and Oshae Brissett. To top it all off, they left the frigid winters of Minnesota for the sunny desert in Phoenix, joining the Pacific division and pushing Utah into a more natural fit in the Midwest. After all of the changes, the Suns look just as formidable as ever. Their top five of Malcolm Brogdon, Collin Sexton, OG Anunoby, Miles Bridges and Nikola Jokic can compete with the best. Depth is going to be a question mark for this team. Oshae Brissett looked really good late last season, but does he get minutes with everyone in Indy healthy? Does Tre Mann play? How will Olynyk and Delon Wright look in new roles? Will Mattise Thybulle finally reach 5 points per game? And will this be the year of Anfernee Simons? There are a lot of questions, and how you answer them will determine where this team ends up. At the moment, they look like they will absolutely be competing for a playoff spot, but they might not be as good as the top of the West. With over $11 million left in cap space post free agency, it's tough not to think this team could have made one more move. At the same time, they've set themselves up to keep both Collin Sexton and Miles Bridges next year when those kickers go into effect. It's wise team management, and it doesn't preclude them from a move later in the season if they are competing.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B+
10. Brooklyn NetsIN: Kyrie Irving (maybe), Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Buddy Hield, Jalen Suggs, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jae'Sean Tate, Brandon Ingram, KCP, Evan Mobley, Thad Young, Aaron Nesmith (D-League)
OUT: De'Anthony Melton, Isaac Okoro, Immanuel Quickley, Mo Bamba, Hamidou Diallo, Chuma Okeke, Jarrett Culver, Theo Maledon, Onyeka Okongwu, Sterling Brown, Markieff Morris, Dean Wade
The Nets went all in on youth last year, and it results in their worst season in franchise history. They rebounded in a big way, flipping multiple pieces for Brandon Ingram, drafting Jalen Suggs and Evan Mobley, and making a number of big free agent signings. Unfortunately for them, their biggest free agent signing decided to further lose his mind, and it now appears that Kyrie Irving will miss the whole season. The Nets have insurance since they signed Chris Paul and Mike Conley, but there's no doubt they were hoping Kyrie could be the centerpiece of a playoff team in Brooklyn. They may also be kicking themselves over their trade of De'Anthony Melton, who looks like he will get big run in Memphis. Not to mention moving Mo Bamba, though getting back Brandon Ingram in that deal is obviously nice. Normally an off-season like this would result in a fantastic grade, but the Kyrie Irving situation brings this down a few pegs.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B-
11. Chicago BullsIN: B.Simmons, D.Brooks, Cole Anthony, S.Bey, K.Porzingis, D.Graham, T.Murphy, J.Brown, Naz Reid, Malachi Flynn
OUT: D.Mitchell, P.Pritchard, D.Russell, D.Bacon, K.Middleton, J.Randle, N.Vucevic, D.Avdija, Tyler Herro, Rui Hachimura
This is probably not a super fair ranking for a defending champion, but Chicago decided not to run back his championship team and went with a rebuild leaning towards youth. Very interesting every time a champion decides to blow it up and go in a different direction. Last year, the Bulls went for it, but no one thought they could pull off a championship. This year, they don't appear to be gunning for it, but who knows what will happen.
Chicago added some legit talent in B.Simmons, J.Brown and K.Porzingis, and he added some solid pieces in D.Graham, D.Brooks and S.Bey. It will be interesting to see where the always active Chicago takes this team. They got an early boost with Ben Simmons ending his holdout prior to the start of the season. It remains to be seen how engaged he is with Philly, but if he plays, it's a win for Chicago. Given the rest of the conference outside of New York and Tampa Bay, another Finals run wouldn't be crazy.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C-
12. Atlanta HawksAtlanta in: Jimmy Butler, Patty Mills, Sekou Doumbouya, Gordon Hayward, Josh Jackson, D'Angelo Russell, Moe Wagner, Tyrese Maxey, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Howard
Atlanta out: Pascal Siakam, Naz Reid, Tim Hardaway Jr., Larry Nance, Kendrick Nunn, Dillon Brooks, DeVonte Graham, Bismack Biyombo
Going into last season, Atlanta looked like a dark horse playoff contender. Unfortunately, injuries quickly derailed any hopes of making a run. Even when they rebounded to get to 5-4, things fell apart again, as they immediately lost three straight games. That made it 5 straight years outside of the playoffs for a once proud franchise. The Hawks entered the off-season determined to get back to the postseason, and with the rest of the conference seemingly going into rebuild mode, the door is wide open.
Whether they did enough to get through that door remains to be seen, but they certainly didn't rest on their laurels. Atlanta went out and brought in some top-end talent, acquiring Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward and D'Angelo Russell. They also had a couple of the more unusual exchanges, as they traded for Isaiah Roby from Chicago and Jaxson Hayes from Golden State... only to trade both back to their respective former teams later in the summer. The point is, they were super active. They'll also be welcoming back both Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaren Jackson Jr. from knee injuries. If those two can produce, and they get a big year out of Tyrese Maxey, then watch out, because this team will be a force to be reckoned with.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B+
13. Colorado SwanniesIn: K.Kuzma, K.Birch, C.Anthony, D- I.Jackson, J.Giddey
Out: F.Ntilikina, J.Grant, D.Smith Jr., Z.Smith
Literally the model of patience and for how to rebuild a team through the draft (although all picks have not panned out). Drafted J.Giddey. And then added K.Kuzma, K. Birch, C.Anthony and D-leaguer I.Jackson.
With all the patience put into this team one of these years (possibly this one) Colorando will make the leap from rebuilding/fringe contender and take it to the next level. Always looking to find A.Davis the right running mates, the pieces could be in place with young assets L.Ball, D.Garland, J.Giddey, C.Reddish, K.Kuzma on board.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C+
14. Memphis GrizzliesMemphis in: Kawhi Leonard, TJ McConnell, Scottie Barnes, Obi Toppin, Jarrett Culver, Nic Batum
Memphis out: Christian Wood, Lonnie Walker, Facu Campazzo, Andre Drummond, Lauri Markkanen, Ricky Rubio
After the best three-year stretch in league history, the Grizzlies fell on hard times. Injuries seemed to ravage every part of their roster, and the team struggled to overcome them. They entered last year with high hopes; landing 6th in last year's pre-season power rankings. Unfortunately, they could just never get it right. Guys got hurt, they were sent home, and some were just flat out disappointing. Given their cap situation, it appeared unlikely that big changes were in store for the summer. Boy, was that assumption wrong.
Memphis somehow threaded the youth and competitiveness needle this summer, though the rewards of that likely won't be felt this coming season. They grabbed a couple of future picks, Scottie Barnes, and Obi Toppin to add to their youth. The big prize, though, was Kawhi Leonard, whom the Grizzlies landed in a trade with the Houston Rockets. Kawhi seems unlikely to actually play this upcoming season, so there is going to be some waiting involved, but once the wait is over, the Grizz could have Kawhi, Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, 3 lotto picks, and almost $21 million in cap space. How you grade their off-season will largely come down to how you define success. If success is making all the moves you can to compete, the Grizz aren't going to grade out well. However, if success is defined by executing a plan that can lead to success in the future? Then I'd say Memphis did pretty darn well.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: B+
15. Toronto RaptorsIN: T. Harris, J. Green, J. Kuminga, C. Duarte, ATL '24
OUT: K. Porzingis, N. Walker, L. Galloway, TB '23
This Toronto team has been in rebuild mode for a couple of seasons now, but my feeling is that the team is on the way up. The uncertainty of Porzingis has been traded for the reliability of Harris, Green and Duarte were drafted and expected to contribute right away and Haliburton proved to be a quick fit to help out too last season. The talents from GSW, Wiseman and Kuminga, will probably need some more time before they can start contributing, and when that happens I expect Toronto to be a contender.
Toronto didn't make a lot off noise this offseason, but the moves that were made were effective ones. Besides the Harris trade, the #5 pick was acquired and used to draft Kuminga to add to the talented roster. Also, rebuilding requires patience and preserverence, so not disturbing that process is also a valuable offseason. For this season's rankings however, it means that Toronto will still be at the bottom but with a good outlook with 2 picks in each future draft.
OFFSEASON GRADE: B-
16. Washington WizardsWashington in: Keon Johnson, Chuma Okeke, Deni Avdija, Jalen Johnson, Jaxson Hayes, Desmond Bane, Mason Plumlee
Washington out: Fred VanVleet, Nic Batum, TJ McConnell, Jeff Green, Josh Richardson, Willie Cauley-Stein, Thomas Bryant, Cody Zeller
Ever since their run to the Finals in 2017, the going has not been easy for the Wizards. Sure, they made it back to the ECF in 2018, but that was a team running on fumes (as evidenced by their 9-7 record). They haven't quite bottomed out (7-9, 5-11, 6-8 the last three years), but they've just kind of been stuck on that dreaded treadmill. It appears that this summer they did something about it. The youth movement is on in Washington.
With the exception of Mason Plumlee, everyone the Wizards brought in this summer was 23 or younger. They also re-signed Daniel Gafford, bringing the big man up to the big club. This does have the look of a team that is a little too frontcourt heavy, but, hey, that's ok. This year is going to be about throwing guys out there and seeing what sticks. It may take a few of these guys multiple years to find their footing. The Wizards can wait. They've got their picks. Giannis is still young. These next couple of years are going to be incredibly interesting. There are basically two battles going on right now in the conference. The first is your typical, who's going to win. But under the surface, you have a number of teams competing against each other to see who is going to have the most successful rebuild and control the future of the conference.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C+
17. Utah JazzIN: J. Murray, L. Markannen, E. Bledsoe, J. Richardson, H. Whiteside, C. Kispert, T. Maledon, T. Mann
OUT: P. Mills, B. Hield, K. Olynyk, M. Plumlee, D. Howard, I. Zubac, R. Bullock, UTA '24
Utah had a very good season despite not ranking in the top half of the league during the preseason. But while most of the bottom teams have young talent that will probably be better this year, Utah's strategy focusses more on dependable veterans. This is most obvious by his lack of draft picks and focus on FA additions to strengthen his team. And while Utah made some nice additions this FA, there are also a lot of questions marks surrounding these vets, so much as that I wouldn't call them dependable. When will we see Murray, and will his performance be impacted by the ACL injury? Do Markannen and Bledsoe redeem themselves on new teams? Other guys that were already on the roster find themselves in new situations; DeRozan is now on a Bulls team with multiple ball handlers and Gordon has been awful on the competitive Nuggets. On the other end some pretty reliable contributors left via FA, so where does this leave Utah for this season? There's enough situational potential for players to produce, but I'm afraid the team has a pretty low floor with the lack of reliable talent on the roster, hence the ranking near the bottom. However, given the situation the team is in, it makes a lot of sense to take a gamble on these players. If things don't go as hoped though, it will be extra painful because of the total lack of draft picks and the amount of money tied up on non-star players over multiple seasons.
OFFSEAON GRADE: C+
18. Miami HeatIN: Moses Moody, Rui Hachimura, Tyler Herro, Lonnie Walker IV, Khyri Thomas
OUT: Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Davis Bertans, Michael Carter-Williams
The Heat were another team that, largely, didn't do much. They let go of some of their role player vets and shuffled around some youth, but other than that, no big moves on South Beach. Miami saw the writing on the wall heading into the playoffs, and they got out in front of what would have been an injury-filled flameout. So, here we are now with... a rebuilding team? A playoff hopeful? It's hard to say. It does seem like Miami wants to rebuild, but they are being patient about it, and that's probably smart. It's likely Fournier will net them more in-season than in the summer, and they kind of have to hope the rest of their vets (Oubre, Warren, Harrell, Bazemore) rehab their value enough that they become intriguing trade targets. And they just might. All four are in situations that would lend themselves to solid numbers. The Heat have their own pick next year, and they have Portland's, New York's, and Memphis', so there's going to be even more youth coming in next summer. Definitely a transition year for Miami, but if they're so inclined, they could probably sneak into the play-in game.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: C
19. Las Vegas GamblersIN: Cade Cunningham, Ziaire Williams
OUT: Kyrie Irving, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
After another finish in the Pacific Division basement (their third in a row), the Gamblers came out this summer and... did nothing. They made no free agent signings. They let Kyrie Irving walk (broad strokes, a good decision... but they most definitely could have gotten
something for him as a re-sign candidate, so letting him walk for nothing is basically organizational malpractice). Sure, they were able to bring in Cade Cunningham through lotto luck, but what they've done the last few years has been nothing short of head-scratching. This used to be one of the West's best teams, going five straight years with a winning record and making the Finals once. What's happened since then is just... sad. And it appears it's only going to get worse. Who knows, maybe this coming summer will be the summer of Vegas.
OFF-SEASON GRADE: F
20. Orlando MagicIN: I. Okoro, I. Quickley, M. Bamba, F. Wagner, J. Bouknight, K. Jones, U. Garuba, I. Jackson, S. Cooper, I. Todd, SEA '24
OUT: B. Ingram, J. Valanciunas, M. Fulltz, E. Payton, D. McDermott, I. Hartenstein, H. Diallo, M. Monk, N. Little, J. Jackson, T. Mann, N. Reid, K. Dunn, B. Brown
Orlando did what you expect from a team near the bottom; acquire a lot of young potential talent. Sharom didn't wait long to turn the team around after taking over this season, and flipped the rights of Ingram for a number of assets with potential including pick #7, Okoro and Quickley. Then he acquired via draft, trade and FA rookies Wagner, Bouknight, Jones and Garuba who all have nice situation and talent, which makes for a great recipe to improve your team with. Add in Hunter, Okoro, Quickley and Rozier and you have a nice young foundation to build a new dynasty. However, last season's bet on Fulltz was lost as he was released to FA with nothing to show for the investment of 2 picks, of which ORL's own 2022 might be painfully missed next draft. With a young core and plenty of cap to work with, there's no reason to feel pessimistic about Orlando's future, but the same can't be said about the present I'm afraid.
OFFSEASON GRADE: B+
TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | Ferns | Crossover |
Houston | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Portland | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
New York | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Seattle | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
Kansas City | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
OKC | 8 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
Tampa Bay | 5 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 9 |
Golden State | 9 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
Phoenix | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 5 |
Brooklyn | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 11 |
Chicago | 11 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 10 |
Atlanta | 12 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
Colorado | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 |
Memphis | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Toronto | 13 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 18 |
Washington | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
Utah | 18 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
Miami | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Las Vegas | 20 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
Orlando | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 |