NBA Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After Free Agency
There are a few notable free agents left on the board, but the bulk of the NBA offseason is now behind us.
In the aftermath, a number of teams look dramatically different than they did a month ago. That means we need to shuffle up our power rankings.
These updated rankings are mostly based on each team's chances to win the 2023-24 title, including past production, projected performance and plenty of subjectivity on how players will fit on their new teams.
30. Washington Wizards
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 25
The Washington Wizards figured to be a fringe play-in team right after the Finals, but they've since lost both Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porziņģis. They still have some interesting talent, including Jordan Poole and returning forwards Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert, but a tanking season seems to be on the way.
The Wizards will only keep their 2024 first-round pick if it lands in the top 12. Otherwise, it'll head to the New York Knicks.
They won't want to risk losing that pick. So even if this group is surprisingly competitive out of the gate, we might start seeing some conservative injury timelines after the All-Star break.
On the bright side, that could mean extended looks at young talent like Avdija and incoming rookie Bilal Coulibaly.
29. Detroit Pistons
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 28
The Detroit Pistons are loading up on an intriguing amount of playmaking and switchability.
On top of Cade Cunningham coming back for 2023-24, rookie Ausar Thompson has already shown impressive vision and a willingness to pass in Summer League. The Pistons also have young guards Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes.
All of that creation ability should mean plenty of open threes for newcomer Joe Harris or dunks for sophomore center Jalen Duren.
But it still feels too early to expect a massive leap for most of the players on this roster and the team in general. Some of 2022-23's other bottom-of-the-standings teams appear to have moved the needle a bit more this offseason, too.
28. Portland Trail Blazers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 24
Damian Lillard's seemingly imminent departure is baked into this ranking, but the Portland Trail Blazers are probably going to struggle this season either way.
Even when Lillard and Jerami Grant were both on the floor in 2022-23, Portland mustered only a plus-1.2 net rating. Put another way, the Blazers outscored opponents by a total of 71 points when both were in, a number that ranked 341st among duos leaguewide.
With all due respect to incoming rookies Scoot Henderson and Kris Murray, Portland didn't add anyone this offseason who's guaranteed to make a significant difference right away. Even good rookies usually struggle to add wins.
If/when the Blazers do trade Lillard, they figure to be in the hunt for one of the worst records in the league. When Dame was off the floor in 2022-23, Portland was minus-10.6 points per 100 possessions.
27. Charlotte Hornets
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 29
The Charlotte Hornets still haven't re-signed restricted free agent P.J. Washington, but it looks like he'll be back (even if he plays on the one-year qualifying offer). That's the contractual circumstance under which Miles Bridges is returning.
So, this year's Hornets might look a bit more like the 2021-22 team. That season, Charlotte was plus-5.2 points per 100 possessions when Ball played with both Washington and Bridges.
This group now boasts some upside in the form of Brandon Miller's outside shooting and Mark Williams' rim protection. If everyone lives up to their potential, this group might even compete for a play-in spot, but that feels like the "if everything breaks right" scenario.
The downside includes Ball and Gordon Hayward struggling to stay healthy, Terry Rozier taking a ton of shots at below-average efficiency and Bridges and Washington coloring outside the lines in contract years. In that scenario, Charlotte might wind up with another high lottery pick.
26. San Antonio Spurs
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 27
The San Antonio Spurs' title chances didn't change much (if at all) in free agency, but Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan are all years away from their respective primes. Each could reasonably improve on promising 2022-23 campaigns.
The changes that did happen, including the additions of Cedi Osman and Reggie Bullock, could bolster the rotation and add experience without derailing that development. But the biggest reason to think San Antonio might be better is the addition of Victor Wembanyama.
Although rookies typically don't boost a team's win percentage, Wembanyama is such a natural fit on this team. His most translatable skills are likely on defense, where the learning curve is usually longer for young players.
25. Toronto Raptors
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 20
The Toronto Raptors lost Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency. While Dennis Schröder had a solid enough campaign for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, plugging him to VanVleet's spot noticeably lowers Toronto's ceiling.
Other than that, the Raptors didn't change much this offseason.
Spacing will probably still be a concern—even with the addition of Gradey Dick from the draft—unless one or two of Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and Schröder shoot much better from the outside than they did last season. Without that kind of development, Toronto feels like it's stuck in NBA purgatory.
That could cause the Raptors to pivot away from vets like Siakam and O.G. Anunoby over the coming months.
24. Houston Rockets
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 30
A six-spot jump is aggressive. Maybe it's too bullish on the additions of Fred VanVleet (an undersized guard who hasn't had an above-average true shooting percentage since 2017-18) and Dillon Brooks (one of the worst high-volume shooters of the three-point era), but those two feel like just the right amount of experience to mix with one of the NBA's more interesting cores.
Despite their shooting struggles, both VanVleet and Brooks have generally made their teams' point differentials better over the years. They'll take a lot of responsibility off the young shoulders of Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. (who's looked like a supercharged three-and-D threat in Summer League).
The Houston Rockets suddenly feel like a fairly deep team, too. VanVleet, Green, Brooks, Smith and Şengün figure to make up the starting five, which leaves a bench that includes Kevin Porter Jr., Tari Eason, Jock Landale, Jeff Green and rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
There's enough talent here for new head coach Ime Udoka to push the Rockets into play-in contention.
23. Chicago Bulls
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 18
Outside of applying for a disabled player exception for Lonzo Ball, who's likely to miss the entire 2023-24 season, the Chicago Bulls didn't do anything dramatic in free agency.
The additions of Jevon Carter (perhaps a cheaper facsimile of Ball) and Torrey Craig are decent fringe moves, but they certainly don't guarantee an escape from mediocrity. That might require a big move to unload one or all of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević (who just re-signed for three more years) and some patience to wait out a full-scale rebuild.
Chicago's hesitance to go that route is understandable, though. Since Michael Jordan's last season with them in 1997-98, the Bulls are 25th in the league in win percentage. Most of those two-and-a-half decades have felt like a long, largely unsuccessful slog.
Even a glimmer of hope, which the big scoring nights of DeRozan and LaVine can provide, must be tough to let go.
22. Indiana Pacers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 26
The Indiana Pacers made a pair of smart moves to bolster their rotation in free agency, signing Bruce Brown away from the defending champion Denver Nuggets and trading for Obi Toppin without having to give up a player or a first-round pick.
The former will bolster Indiana's perimeter defense and playmaking, whether as a starter or reserve. The latter will give All-Star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton a dynamic above-the-rim threat who started to show some promise as a shooter in 2022-23.
Ultimately, though, the Pacers' shot at the play-in tournament (or better) depends on the continued development of Haliburton. He spent most of 2022-23 as a top-15-level player—in other words, an All-NBA candidate—who can control the game and see the floor about as well as any playmaker in the league.
With solid shooters like Buddy Hield and Myles Turner to spray out to, new cutters like Toppin and Brown and a few wild cards in Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard developing, Haliburton should have another big season.
21. Orlando Magic
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 23
This slight move up the rankings may have as much to do with drops from others as it does with the Orlando Magic. Their most significant free-agency moves were the signing of Joe Ingles, who turns 36 in October and tore his ACL during the 2021-22 campaign, and waiving of Bol Bol.
Those moves probably aren't adding or taking away a ton of wins, but Orlando has one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA.
Paolo Banchero's rookie shooting numbers were almost frighteningly bad, but seeing a 6'10" forward handle, create and distribute the way he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign more than made up for that. He has do-it-all potential, and Orlando has a number of talented role players and fringe stars who fit well around him.
Like Banchero, Franz Wagner is a much smoother athlete than most 6'10" players. Wendell Carter Jr. has some point-center chops. And Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz and incoming rookies Anthony Black and Jett Howard all have varying degrees of upside.
20. Utah Jazz
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 22
You'd think trading for John Collins and giving up only Rudy Gay and a second-round pick would be enough to move the Utah Jazz up more than two spots. However, we're already into a pretty tightly packed range of the power rankings.
Most of the teams above Utah made their own moves to improve or stay competitive this offseason. But make no mistake, the Jazz should be better next season as well, even if that parity prevents them from having a better record.
With a year of stardom under his belt, Lauri Markkanen should remain one of the tougher and more unique covers in the NBA. Walker Kessler was around 85 percent of what Rudy Gobert was defensively in his first season, while appearing to have a lot more feel on offense. He should be better as a sophomore.
Meanwhile, returning guards Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker and Collin Sexton could all be pushed for minutes by incoming rookie Keyonte George, who's looked like a steal in Summer League.
19. Brooklyn Nets
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 17
The Brooklyn Nets were forced into their big moves in the middle of last season when they traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. This summer, their most notable transactions may have been trading away Joe Harris (third on the team in total minutes in 2022-23) and re-signing Cameron Johnson.
Given their current circumstance, maintaining the status quo is probably fine. The switch-heavy, largely positionless lineups with some combination of Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Royce O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith are fun. Ben Simmons theoretically could add to that, but the Nets can't count on that at this point.
Beyond that, Brooklyn seems like one of the NBA's likeliest mega-trade candidates thanks to the hauls from the Irving and KD trades, Simmons' contract (which expires in 2025) and plenty of other potential salary fodder.
18. Atlanta Hawks
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 19
It would probably be fair to ding the Atlanta Hawks for what amounted to a salary dump with John Collins. He's more talented than the trade return suggests, but it also might've just been time for a new situation.
And Atlanta is pretty well-equipped to fill Collins' role with versatile and probably more switchable forwards.
Saddiq Bey figures to start in his place, but Jalen Johnson could certainly see some of those minutes as well. Sliding De'Andre Hunter down a spot will make sense in plenty of lineups. They could even trot out some jumbo lineups that feature Onyeka Okongwu at the 4.
But ultimately, the Hawks' two best players—Trae Young and Dejounte Murray—will almost entirely determine the team's upside.
The fit between those two wasn't seamless last season, but you could see why Atlanta made the trade. Murray can guard the opposition's best perimeter player and theoretically give Young a few more off-ball opportunities on offense.
In practice, it was generally easier to slide back into the pick-and-roll-heavy attack from Young, but those two should play better together after a year of experience.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 21
The Oklahoma City Thunder's most notable free-agency move was likely the addition of Vasilije Micić, a 29-year-old playmaker who was the EuroLeague MVP in 2021.
The 6'5" Serbian has been one of Europe's better shooters and more creative passers for years, and he should fit well alongside OKC's other distributors.
The idea of lineups with him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey is tantalizing. Defenses will have no idea where the initiation can come from. But the swing piece here is likely Chet Holmgren.
Size was never one of the Thunder's strengths in 2022-23, but Holmgren looks ready to be a difference-making rim protector right away. He also has some passing chops, which should help him fit with the rest of this core.
16. New Orleans Pelicans
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 16
It isn't reductive to say that the New Orleans Pelicans' ceiling will be determined by Zion Williamson. More specifically, it'll be determined by his ability—or inability—to stay healthy.
For his career, the Pelicans are plus-3.7 points per 100 possessions when Zion plays. They're minus-2.6 without him.
But over his first two seasons, Zion only appeared in 85 games. He then missed all of 2021-22 because of a foot injury and played in only 29 games last season largely because of a hamstring injury.
In case you weren't keeping track, that's only 28.5 appearances per year. Zion has played in less than 40 percent of New Orleans' regular-season contests since he was drafted.
It's tough to put any stock into that kind of track record.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 15
The Minnesota Timberwolves didn't make any earth-shattering moves in free agency. Troy Brown Jr. and Shake Milton are in, while Taurean Prince is out.
But there still may be reason to believe this team will play better than 2022-23's up-and-down version.
Anthony Edwards is a year older and should be past the adjustment phase that he went through with Rudy Gobert last year. Mike Conley will be around from the start of training camp rather than joining the Wolves by way of a midseason trade.
And Karl-Anthony Towns will almost certainly play more than 29 games, which was nowhere near enough for him and Gobert to figure out how to play together.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 12
The Cleveland Cavaliers' offseason goal was clear. The small forward slot was a revolving door for them throughout last season, and they seemingly wanted more consistency and three-point shooting there.
The Cavs added Max Strus via sign-and-trade to presumably start and Georges Niang to potentially fill that role for the second unit. It's just hard to imagine either of them moving the needle as the fifth starter much more than Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro or Lamar Stevens did.
Strus had his moments during the Heat's run to the 2023 NBA Finals, but he's been a slightly-above-average three-point shooter for his career and has a meager assist rate. He and Niang aren't ever likely to be known as lockdown defenders, either.
Adding Strus and Niang weren't terrible moves, but they also won't erase a disappointing first-round exit.
13. Los Angeles Clippers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 9
While others in the West loaded up or reinforced their rotations this offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers were basically stagnant. So far, anyway.
For most of the free-agency period, they've been linked to James Harden, who (surprise, surprise) has asked for another trade. If they land him without having to give up a star, their ranking would probably require an adjustment.
Sure, Harden has had a number of well-publicized postseason flameouts, but he's still among the game's best playmakers. Playing alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard would make that job even easier for him.
That's all hypothetical, though. To date, L.A. hasn't done a ton to move the needle one way or the other.
Getting Russell Westbrook to re-sign for $3.8 million and basically swapping Eric Gordon for Kenyon Martin Jr. (in separate moves) were good pieces of business, but neither will make or break the Clippers' title chances. Those continue to depend on Kawhi and PG.
In the four seasons that they've spent together, those two have shared the floor for only 3,662 regular-season and postseason minutes. Over the same span, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic shared the floor for 5,771 minutes, while LeBron James and Anthony Davis were together for 4,754. Those duos had their fair share of injury issues, too.
Lack of availability has been a massive problem for the Clippers' top two stars. Being another year older isn't likely to rectify it.
12. Dallas Mavericks
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 13
The Dallas Mavericks didn't hit any home runs in free agency, but multiple base hits may end up having a similar effect.
Grant Williams is eight years younger than Reggie Bullock, can guard 4s and some 5s and has hit 39.7 percent of his threes over the last three years. He seems like an almost perfect plug-and-play fit to start at power forward.
Seth Curry, one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, will get a ton of wide-open looks playing off Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. And Dante Exum, who became a EuroLeague star for Partizan Belgrade last year, should improve the perimeter defense while slashing his way to a few easy buckets, too.
The Mavericks' title chances ultimately depend on Dončić and Irving, but they made a number of shrewd moves this offseason to make life easier for both.
11. New York Knicks
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 11
The New York Knicks already had a good thing brewing after Jalen Brunson led them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season. Mostly standing pat this offseason is fine.
If RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley improve, as their ages suggest they should, the Knicks might've been better without making any moves at all. But New York at least gave itself a better chance at a step forward by signing Donte DiVincenzo.
DiVincenzo is by no means a star, but there's plenty of built-in chemistry between him and his former Villanova teammates, Brunson and Josh Hart. And his well-rounded production (12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.8 threes and 1.8 steals per 75 possessions, with a 39.7 three-point percentage in 2022-23) suggests he can fit with any combination of Knicks players.
10. Memphis Grizzlies
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 14
Tyus Jones is one of the game's best backup point guards, and he was on an easily manageable contract. Losing him is tough, but getting the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year back in return eases the pain.
If you think of Smart as a Dillon Brooks replacement, the move is even more palatable.
As the Memphis Grizzlies try to survive Ja Morant's absence, having Smart will be important. And once Ja returns, the two should be able to play together just fine. Smart has plenty of experience off the ball thanks to his years with Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
What makes the Grizzlies especially dangerous, though, is the depth of talent and shooting outside the point guard spot.
Over the last two regular seasons and postseasons (a period that includes plenty of Morant absences), the Grizzlies are plus-7.9 points per 100 possessions when Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are on the floor and Morant is off and plus-7.2 when all three are on.
The Grizzlies defense has been slightly better when Morant is off the floor, and the ball seems to move enough without him to largely make up for the loss of his slashing.
9. Sacramento Kings
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 10
The Sacramento Kings created cap space on draft night by shipping Richaun Holmes to the Dallas Mavericks. It was enough of a move to spark some "Draymond Green to the Kings?" rumors, but Sacramento ultimately opted to double down on its core instead.
Rather than splurge on a big-name free agent, the Kings re-signed Harrison Barnes and worked a renegotiate-and-extend deal with Domantas Sabonis. Given the ages of the core that just led them to the best offense in the NBA—Sabonis is 27, De'Aaron Fox is 25, Kevin Huerter is 24 and Keegan Murray is 22—the philosophy makes sense.
But the Kings didn't completely stand pat. A flier on Chris Duarte for two second-round picks is fine, especially if he can recapture his form from his rookie campaign. They also added Sasha Vezenkov, the 2023 All-Europe Player of the Year, who averaged 17.2 points in 26.8 minutes for Olympiacos this past season while shooting 38.3 percent from deep.
8. Golden State Warriors
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 8
It's somehow hard to imagine how Chris Paul will fit with the Golden State Warriors. He's long been a slow-it-down, traditional point guard. Golden State's offense, spearheaded by Stephen Curry, has long been about chaos.
But those two are smart. So are Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and a Warriors foundation that has won four titles over the past decade. If there's a way to make it work, they'll find it.
Barring offseason leaps from Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, though, the Warriors probably have the same issue that plagued them last season.
Development certainly isn't out of the question for either, but Golden State's recent track record on that front isn't great. That's sort of an expected outcome when you have four massive salaries on the roster.
7. Los Angeles Lakers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 7
The Los Angeles Lakers must have at least an inclination to go star-chasing every offseason. The rumors have certainly been there with Kyrie Irving over the last several months, and L.A. has long been a destination market.
Whether they chose to or were sort of forced into it, the Lakers chose the wiser path this offseason. Remaking the roster midseason and surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis with players who complement them turned their 2022-23 campaign around, and the front office essentially continued that approach over the past few weeks.
Getting Austin Reaves back without having to match a bloated offer sheet was huge. His playmaking and shooting were critical components of the Lakers' first-round upset of the Memphis Grizzlies. If Rui Hachimura plays like he did in the postseason, his contract could end up being a steal as well.
While none of the Lakers' new additions figure to make a huge difference, the team will be in good shape if two or three of Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish are above average.
6. Philadelphia 76ers
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 6
Analyzing the Philadelphia 76ers right now has a sort of "wait and see" component to it. Two weeks ago, a James Harden trade felt like a foregone conclusion, though Joel Embiid is hoping he'll change his mind. Team president Daryl Morey reportedly wants him to stay, too.
If he does, Philly should absolutely still be considered a legitimate title contender.
Harden has had some well-publicized postseason flameouts, and Embiid has never played in the playoffs quite like he does in the regular season, but that combination is dangerous when healthy and engaged. Tyrese Maxey could take another step forward in 2023-24, and Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba are both interesting potential floor spacers to play with Harden (emphasis on potential).
In the event of a Harden trade, much of that could change in a moment. But Morey isn't likely to make a deal that removes his team from contention with Embiid turning 30 in March.
5. Phoenix Suns
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 5
It feels like the Phoenix Suns should be higher than this, but the teams at the top of the league are stacked right now. For at least the second year in a row, you can make real arguments for a dozen or so teams being legitimate championship contenders.
The Suns are one of those squads, especially after an impressive free-agency period in which they landed a bunch of potential difference-makers on minimum deals.
After Phoenix laughed in the face of the new collective bargaining agreement's spending-curbing measures by trading for Bradley Beal, it was limited to handing out only veteran-minimum deals in free agency. Getting Eric Gordon, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu and Yuta Watanabe with so little flexibility felt like a well-orchestrated coup.
The Suns' title hopes still rest with Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton (or whichever players they get if they trade Ayton). But they helped themselves with some strong pickups in July, particularly given their limited resources.
4. Milwaukee Bucks
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 4
Bringing back the bulk of a roster that lost in five games to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat and whose net rating looked more like that of a 50-win team than a 58-win team is probably a little riskier than most are letting on.
Brook Lopez is 35 and missed most of 2021-22 with a back injury. Khris Middleton turns 32 in August and has struggled to stay healthy for the last two years. And Giannis Antetokounmpo took a fairly significant step back on offense in 2022-23, thanks largely to dreadful scoring efficiency outside the paint.
But there's another side to each of those coins.
Lopez is fresh off perhaps the best three-and-D season of his career, while Middleton was indispensable during a title run two years ago. And Giannis doesn't need to score outside the paint. His offensive indicators might jet back up if he embraced life as a big. The paint is generally open for him thanks to Lopez's shooting.
Jrue Holiday is still around, too. Nikola Jokić is the only player in the NBA with a better raw plus-minus than Holiday over the last three regular seasons and postseasons.
3. Miami Heat
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 2
Add the Miami Heat to whatever we're calling the "TBD" column that the Trail Blazers, Clippers and 76ers are in.
With Damian Lillard's camp publicly signaling that Miami is the only team he wants to play for, it feels like that's where he'll end up, even if it takes a while.
For now, though, there's at least a chance Miami enters 2023-24 with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and a bunch of role players (with all due respect to Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro). And we've already seen that formula take the Heat to three conference finals and two Finals over the past four seasons.
2. Boston Celtics
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 3
There wasn't a ton of movement in the top 10, but the Boston Celtics' addition of Kristaps Porziņģis was enough to nudge them past the Heat.
They pushed Miami to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, and KP is a significant talent (and size) upgrade over Smart. Last season, he posted career highs in points per game (23.2), assists per game (2.7) and effective field-goal percentage (56.5).
Merely sharing Porziņģis' three-point percentage (38.5 in 2022-23) doesn't do his ability to space the floor justice. Since making his NBA debut in 2015-16, he's 11th in 28-plus-footers made. His percentage on those shots (35.7 percent) is better than all but three players in the top 10.
Defenses have to pay attention to Porziņģis several feet outside the three-point line. That should make the rest of the floor more spacious for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The loss of Marcus Smart hurts, but Porziņģis should raise Boston's ceiling. And the Celtics still have plenty of ball-handling from Tatum, Brown, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon.
1. Denver Nuggets
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Pre-Free Agency Rank: 1
The Denver Nuggets didn't have a great free-agency period.
Bruce Brown is headed to the Indiana Pacers. They used their taxpayer mid-level exception to re-sign Reggie Jackson, who fell out of the rotation shortly after they added him off the buyout market in February. And they added Justin Holiday, a 34-year-old wing who was one of the worst players in the league last season, according to Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus.
The Nuggets' offense felt like a bet on the drafting ability of the front office and developmental side of the coaching staff. If Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are better, and one or two of Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson can find their way into the rotation, the Nuggets will be fine.
They're bringing back their entire title-winning starting five, and they still have the best player in the world.
Over the last three years, Nikola Jokić has averaged a mind-blowing 26.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 threes with a 66.8 true shooting percentage. In the same stretch, he has two MVPs, a Finals MVP and the best raw plus-minus in the NBA.
With Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back, Denver has to be considered the favorite.
Remaining Free Agents
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Most of free agency is already in the rearview. Just a few days into July, almost all the biggest names were gone, but there are still a few difference-makers available.
If you sort every qualified player from the 2022-23 season by the average of their ranks in five different catch-all metrics (as well as the cumulative version of each), Christian Wood finished in the top 100. In the same exercise, Hamidou Diallo and Kelly Oubre Jr. were around starter range (if you assume there are around 150 starters in a 30-team league).
All three could help a number of different teams. As could P.J. Washington, Ayo Dosunmu and a handful of others who are still available.
Seemingly more than usual (more on that in a bit), teams were willing to use cap space to absorb contracts in trades, rather than just signing players. And that left a number of free agents in a much worse position than they might've been in otherwise.
Stat of the Offseason
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Plenty of NBA players have little say in where they play over the first several years of their careers. For a first-round pick, for example, getting drafted means a four-year deal with a team the player didn't choose, followed by restricted free agency (which doesn't often result in a change of location).
When someone finally gets to free agency, it can feel like a chance at freedom and maybe a pretty good payday. But 2023 free agents had a curveball thrown their way.
Several NBA front offices embraced an unusual approach to free agency this offseason, choosing to use their cap space to absorb other teams' contracts in trades, rather than signing players outright.
According to HoopsHype's Yossi Gozlan, 11 players were traded into cap space. In total, $125.8 million in cap space was used on their existing salaries. When you add the raises that Domantas Sabonis and Jordan Clarkson got in renegotiated deals, that number rises to a whopping $143.6 million.
That's over half of this summer's available cap space.
As Gozlan notes, that percentage still has the potential to go up (or down).
This could simply be a one-off motivated by teams wary of (or still learning the ropes around) the new collective bargaining agreement. Taking on long-term money can be a potential pitfall with the ballyhooed supertax apron incoming, and several of the players traded into cap space are on deals that expire in the next year or two.
This is also an example of the flexibility and creativity of NBA front offices. Roster construction happens in all kinds of different and sometimes unexpected ways. And this is a reminder that on-court defense isn't the only thing that keeps people on their toes.
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