Grading Every NBA Team's Trades and Moves This Season
With the 2023-24 NBA season essentially in the books, it's time to take stock of how all 30 organizations did.
And transactions represent one lens through which we can view this campaign.
From July 1 through now, every team in the league has signed players, made trades or both. Some have even made statements by not making moves.
Based on the level of impact made by their moves, or the lack of impact from inaction, here's how every team's 2023-24 transactions grade out on the classic A through F scale.
Atlanta Hawks: C-
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To this day, the most significant move the Atlanta Hawks made for 2023-24 was the salary dump of John Collins to the Utah Jazz in July.
The team more or less stood pat since then, which is sort of tough to wrap your head around, given how mediocre the Hawks have been.
Surely, they could've justified moving Trae Young or Dejounte Murray at the deadline (a possibility that could be revisited this summer), but they ultimately chose to chug along toward a play-in berth.
Boston Celtics: A
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Technically, because the Kristaps Porziņģis trade happened in June, it counts toward the 2022-23 league year. Had it gone down a few weeks later, this would be a no-brainer A+.
Even without the KP deal, though, this front office managed to turn Grant Williams' free-agency departure into multiple second-round picks (thanks to a sign-and-trade) and upgraded the Marcus Smart role by adding Jrue Holiday.
Boston held onto Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, overhauled much of the rest of the roster on the fly and emerged with 2023-24's best regular-season roster.
Brooklyn Nets: D
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This is one of those teams whose grade is as much about inaction as it is action.
Yes, it's easy to pan the four-year, $94.5 million contract for Cameron Johnson, but the bigger mistake may have been failing to move Mikal Bridges when the chance presented itself.
Brooklyn is as organizationally stuck as any team in the league, and the Houston Rockets reportedly gave them an opportunity to get out of the jam at this past trade deadline, when they offered Jalen Green and multiple firsts for Bridges.
Instead of making that move, Brooklyn half committed to a half-teardown by unloading Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O'Neale and emerged with an underwhelming roster and a still-light-on-future-picks collection of future assets.
Charlotte Hornets: B
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The Charlotte Hornets have more or less straddled the line between moving forward and tearing things down for years, but they deserve credit for turning some of their veterans into future assets this season.
They got a future first-round pick for Terry Rozier and Tre Mann and multiple second-rounders for Gordon Hayward. Grant Williams coming back for P.J. Washington doesn't make a huge difference, as both are 25 years old, but on balance, Charlotte's pick trove is now deeper.
Of course, signing Brandon Miller to his rookie contract is technically among these moves too. And if LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams can stay healthy, those three can be a trio worth building around.
Chicago Bulls: C
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The Chicago Bulls are another team that gets dinged a bit for not unloading some of the veterans who have doomed this squad to mediocrity.
Getting any kind of value for DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević likely would've been better than staying the course toward a play-in berth, but Chicago chose the latter.
On the bright side, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White both signed multi-year deals in July, and they look ready to assume the mantle as the team's future backcourt.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B
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The Cleveland Cavaliers obviously made their dramatic move ahead of 2022-23, when they jumped into and quickly won the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes.
This season has been pretty quiet on the transaction front, although they did address one glaring need this past offseason.
Max Strus had a below-average three-point percentage for the third time in four years, but he provided an unexpected playmaking boost and has been a strong positional defender all season.
Dallas Mavericks: A
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The list of transactional wins from the Dallas Mavericks front office is pretty long.
They signed Kyrie Irving to a multi-year contract. They signed Dereck Lively II to his rookie deal. They took the L on Grant Williams and quickly moved on from him. They got Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. on veteran minimums. And at the deadline, they added Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.
Every one of those players has contributed to winning for the Mavericks this season, who are now surging up the Western Conference standings and looking like a legitimate possible spoiler for the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Denver Nuggets: B
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After losing Bruce Brown in free agency, the defending champion Denver Nuggets chose a unique path toward sustainability as a more imposing collective bargaining agreement looms.
Instead of trying to directly replace Brown, Denver horded draft picks outside the top 20 and targeted players who might be a bit more NBA-ready than traditional prospects. That led to them drafting and signing Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson.
And though those three haven't had a ton of opportunities to show their abilities this season, having them on team-friendly contracts will make team-building easier, especially if one or two prove worthy of rotation minutes in the near future.
Reasonable deals for veterans Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday have proven helpful too, especially with the number of games Jamal Murray has missed this season.
Detroit Pistons: C+
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The offseason acquisitions of Joe Harris and Monte Morris couldn't have gone much worse. Both are off the team now, though the Detroit Pistons at least got something back for Morris. Harris had to be waived in February.
Trading Marvin Bagley with picks for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala feels like a massive blunder. And the flier on Kevin Knox didn't work either.
But it wasn't all bad transactionally for the Pistons. They found a young(ish) shooter in Simone Fontecchio who can space the floor for Cade Cunningham going forward. And they got at least a little value for Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks, with Malachi Flynn and Quentin Grimes coming back from the New York Knicks.
The latter has some health concerns, but he can be a plus three-and-D player when available. Surrounding Cunningham and Jaden Ivey with as many of those as possible makes sense. Flynn, meanwhile, just had a 50-point game for the Pistons (though he's 1-of-19 from the field since then).
Golden State Warriors: B+
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Given the financial (or collective bargaining agreement-induced) constraints they were under, the Golden State Warriors had a pretty solid transactional year.
Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis were both clear wins from the draft and are now on team-friendly contracts through 2026-27.
Dario Šarić's shooting and playmaking have made him a good change-of-pace big off the bench.
Houston Rockets: B+
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There may still be some pause over the price paid for veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks (especially on the latter), but it's hard to argue with the results.
The Houston Rockets smashed their preseason over-under of 31.5 wins, and VanVleet and Brooks were first and fourth, respectively, in Dunks and Threes' estimated wins (the cumulative version of its catch-all metric, estimated plus-minus).
Perhaps more importantly, Houston appears to have made two of the better picks from the 2023 draft, with Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. Both look like they'll be plus defenders on the wing who'll fit seamlessly alongside Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün going forward.
Indiana Pacers: B+
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The Indiana Pacers' big offseason move was the addition of Bruce Brown, who'd recently helped the Denver Nuggets win the title. Away from the wizardry of Nikola Jokić, Brown didn't look quite the same, but his contract proved instrumental in the trade to land Pascal Siakam. On balance, signing him was probably a win.
Of course, that probably depends on how you feel about Siakam. Prior to his acquisition, the Pacers were plus-2.0 points per 100 possessions and scored a league-best 121.6 points per 100 possessions. Since then, the offense is down to 118.4, but the net is up to 2.9.
Some of that, of course, has to do with an injury to Tyrese Haliburton and a shooting slump he went through after that. And most would probably gladly take the slight increase in net for a slight decrease in offense.
The little dip on that end probably has something to do with the Buddy Hield trade too. Doug McDermott hasn't been able to fill his shoes, but Indiana also got multiple second-rounders in that deal, and Hield didn't seem long for that situation.
Los Angeles Clippers: A-
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With apologies to the re-signing of Russell Westbrook, the biggest, and really only notable, transaction from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24 was the acquisition of James Harden.
And though L.A.'s post-All-Star break play has inspired some questions about whether it should want to remain in the Harden business beyond this season, there's no denying his impact when he's engaged.
The Clippers' net rating is 6.3 points better when Harden is on the floor, and they're 23-4 when he hands out at least 10 assists.
Los Angeles Lakers: B+
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For a team that is under almost constant pressure to do something big, the Los Angeles Lakers actually did a pretty commendable job of standing pat.
It didn't feel like anyone who'd be worth breaking their already light trove of assets was available, so they patiently trudged forward with most of a group that made it to the conference finals last season. That approach seemed especially prudent when coach Darvin Ham finally decided to transfer some of his trust from Taurean Prince to Rui Hachimura.
And when the opportunity to do something on the fringes did present itself, L.A. had itself a mini-win by signing Spencer Dinwiddie off the buyout market. He's a solid backup playmaker who can hit threes, and the Lakers' net rating is 10.6 points better when he plays.
When LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy (as they have been most of this season), this roster has a puncher's chance against anyone. Maintaining that while also preserving the ability to do something big this offseason makes this a winning transactional year for the Lakers.
Memphis Grizzlies: B
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Good luck sorting through all the 10-days, two-ways and other forms of contracts the Memphis Grizzlies had to hand out to merely survive this injury-riddled season.
On the year, they've had a staggering 32 players suit up for them and log actual NBA minutes.
But bringing players in to simply get them through the 82-game season wasn't the only thing this front office did in 2023-24.
It sent Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets for multiple second-round picks. Xavier Tillman went to the Boston Celtics for multiple seconds. In a deal involving David Roddy, it somehow emerged with a first-round pick swap with the Phoenix Suns.
And in February, the team converted teenage breakout wing GG Jackson from a two-way contract to a standard one.
Injuries destroyed this Grizzlies campaign, but the front office did a good job of setting the stage for a hopefully healthy 2024-25.
Miami Heat: B
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The Miami Heat made some shrewd, under-the-radar free-agency signings this summer, when they added Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant.
They also extracted some value out of Max Strus' free agency by turning his departure into a sign-and-trade, which landed them a second-round pick.
The biggest difference-makers, though, was the signing of Jaime Jacquez Jr. to his rookie contract and the midseason acquisition of Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry.
Neither player is a superstar, but both can relieve a bit of playmaking and shotmaking pressure from Jimmy Butler, as Miami digs in for another playoff run.
Milwaukee Bucks: B-
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The analysis here obviously begins and ends with the acquisition of Damian Lillard, which cost the Milwaukee Bucks Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and multiple first-round picks and/or pick swaps.
And in a vacuum, it's still easy to justify the move. Lillard has averaged 24.5 points, and the Bucks' net rating is 12.6 points better when he plays.
But the chemistry between him and Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't quite as seamless as it was for Giannis and Holiday. And after years of being in the title contenders' tier due to defense, Milwaukee is 18th on that end of the floor in 2023-24.
There's still reason to believe in the raw talent of this group, but that kind of defense and an aging core around Antetokounmpo is tough to buy as a bona fide championship threat.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B
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Like the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves made their big swing back before the 2022-23 campaign, when they acquired Rudy Gobert.
This season, the only notable transaction was the Monte Morris trade. And given the way the team was playing before his arrival, a seemingly insignificant move like this can go a long way.
Morris is one of the game's steadier-handed backup point guards. And he covered up for one of the few flaws this team had prior to his acquisition.
New Orleans Pelicans: B+
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While re-signing Herb Jones sort of seems like a no-brainer, the New Orleans Pelicans still deserve credit for the steal of a contract they signed him too.
Jones is on a four-year, $53.8 million deal that makes him the 134th highest-paid player in the league this season, while he's 61st in estimated wins.
With his lockdown defensive ability and an increasingly trustworthy outside shot, Jones is going to be among the best bargains in the league for the duration of this contract.
Other than that, it was mostly inconsequential moves for the Pelicans, though they do deserve some credit for drafting and signing Jordan Hawkins, who looks like he'll be a solid floor spacer.
New York Knicks: A
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The New York Knicks' front office has collected multiple wins over the course of this league year.
Donte DiVincenzo, who's third in the league in threes per game, has proved well worth his four-year, $46.9 million deal.
The trade to acquire OG Anunoby was a home run, even if an elbow injury has limited his availability (and may make his upcoming free agency a little scary). His low-usage, three-and-D game fits perfectly alongside Jalen Brunson, and he's had a positive plus-minus in all 19 of his Knicks appearances.
Coach Tom Thibodeau clearly wasn't as excited about the acquisitions as the media, but Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks were picked up for a relatively low price, too, bolstering the team's depth on the wings.
Injuries, particularly to Anunoby, have muted the impact of some of these moves, but it's still easy to pass this team with flying colors.
Oklahoma City Thunder: C-
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The Oklahoma City Thunder sort of have a knack for poking their nose into a two- or three-team trade and making it a three- or four-teamer. Their seemingly endless trove of second-round picks or some spare cap space can help other teams finalize a deal, and OKC did that more than once this season.
But the only real moves they made to impact this season's team was the signing of Vasilije Micić, who eventually became part of the trade package that landed Gordon Hayward.
In the moment, that deal felt like a potential difference-maker. Hayward's positional size and experience seemed like potential boons for a team gearing up for its first playoff run, but Hayward is averaging just 4.5 points and shooting 34.9 percent on twos with OKC.
Orlando Magic: B+
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The Orlando Magic deserve some credit for properly assessing their young talent and having the patience to simply nurture a slow, organic build.
Despite being one of the league's youngest teams, Orlando is also among those with the highest continuity from last season to this one (in terms of who's logging the minutes).
The only notable addition from last offseason was Joe Ingles, who obviously wasn't going to commandeer many touches from the up-and-coming stars and has more than lived up to his deal. Beyond providing veteran leadership and experience, Ingles has hit 43.2 percent of his three-point attempts and is second on the team in assist percentage.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
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The Philadelphia 76ers are another team that just notched win after win from the front office.
Beyond averaging 15.4 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a solid innings eater for a team that really needed one during Joel Embiid's absence.
Nicolas Batum, who came over in the James Harden trade, has been exactly the kind of box-checking, playmaking, three-point-hitting forward he's been at several other stops.
And Buddy Hield has been exactly the kind of high-volume, three-point shooting wing needed to space the floor around the two-man game of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Phoenix Suns: A
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The degree to which this team has been turned over since a Finals appearance in 2021 is truly bonkers. Less than three years removed from losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in that series, Devin Booker is the only Phoenix Sun left standing from that group.
And since the start of this league year alone, the Suns have added Drew Eubanks, Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little and Royce O'Neale.
You'll notice Bradley Beal isn't even listed there, since the trade that landed him technically took place during the 2022-23 league year.
Aggressive doesn't even begin to describe this front office.
And without the ability to knock it for going all-in on the oft-injured Beal, it's hard to criticize what Phoenix has done in 2023-24.
The Suns put themselves in a tricky spot by leveraging seemingly everything for Beal and Kevin Durant before him, but they emerged with one of the best three-point shooters in the league in Allen, a far better playmaker than Deandre Ayton in Nurkić and multiple other difference-making role players.
Injuries and lack of chemistry may have contributed to Phoenix posting an underwhelming regular-season record, but it's still among the most dangerous teams in the league heading into the postseason.
Portland Trail Blazers: B+
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The short-term results certainly didn't look good. And it would've been nice if they'd been able to find a way to get some value for Malcolm Brogdon or Robert Williams.
But the Portland Trail Blazers still deserve a nod for moving Damian Lillard prior to his trade value plummeting, and then turning around and trading part of that return (including Jrue Holiday) for even more value.
And again, that trade could pay even more dividends down the line if the Blazers can find a taker for Brogdon.
So, while it may have been tough to watch all the turnovers and missed jumpers from Scoot Henderson's rookie campaign, or to deal with the inconsistency of Deandre Ayton in his first season with Portland, the transactions this team made are more about the future than they were about 2023-24.
Sacramento Kings: B
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Transactionally, it's been an exceptionally quiet 2023-24 for the Sacramento Kings.
And with a relatively young rotation and last season's "Light the Beam" fueled breakout, it was easy to wrap your head around a "run it back" approach.
Part of that meant re-signing undrafted free agent Keon Ellis, who had his two-way deal converted to a regular contract in February.
And having him on the roster is suddenly vital, with both Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter out with injuries.
One could argue that the team hovering around the middle of the conference in February may have necessitated a more aggressive deadline approach, but it's probably fine to foster a slow build around Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray.
San Antonio Spurs: C
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I'm not going to give the San Antonio Spurs much credit for signing Victor Wembanyama to his rookie deal. They lucked into the first pick. Anyone would've picked Wemby in that spot, and rookie deals are more or less pre-negotiated by the league.
That leaves just the moves San Antonio made to build around Wembanyama for analysis, and there isn't a lot there to get super excited about.
Cedi Osman was about the only noteworthy addition from outside last season's roster. And while there may be some points awarded for re-signing Tre Jones, the amount of time it took for Gregg Popovich to put him in the starting five neutralized a lot of that value.
Of course, all of this may have been by design. If the Spurs are bad, they get another high-end draft pick to pair with Wembanyama. But after seeing how he played as a rookie, it's fair to want more from the roster around him.
Toronto Raptors: C+
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It was a busy year for the Toronto Raptors on the transaction front.
And while they deserve credit for turning the page on the previous era and trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, it's fair to wonder exactly where the team is headed now.
Immanuel Quickley seems like a decent fit alongside Scottie Barnes, but RJ Barrett's ball-dominance and inefficient scoring could be a problem.
That would have been relatively easy to sort through, though. All of those players are young, and Barrett was starting to show hints of upside with the Raptors he never really flashed with the New York Knicks.
Being buyers at the deadline, spending another first-round pick and adding veteran Kelly Olynyk to a roster that already includes Jakob Poeltl is far trickier to explain.
It's just one roster spot, and Olynyk might fit better with Barnes than anyone else acquired this season, but the Raptors seem torn between two different paths forward. And that's rarely a good place to be as an NBA team.
Utah Jazz: B-
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Just like it probably took too long to move Mike Conley last season, it probably took the Utah Jazz too long to move Kelly Olynyk and Simone Fontecchio this season.
So, for the second year in a row, Utah joined the tank race long after other organizations had carved out their spots at the bottom, and the Jazz will be stuck with a mid-lottery pick.
Still, getting a first-round pick for soon-to-be-33-year-old Kelly Olynyk and essentially getting John Collins for nothing (Rudy Gay wasn't going to play for Utah anyway) were good pieces of individual business.
And even if it took too long to focus on them, this past summer's draft picks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh and Taylor Hendricks, have been showing flashes of upside in recent weeks.
There are still some reasons for optimism with this team.
Washington Wizards: D
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Getting into the Jordan Poole business was a dangerous move by the Washington Wizards, who are minus-10.8 points per 100 possessions with their highest-paid player on the floor (and minus-7.7 without him).
Now fully unleashed from the Golden State Warriors' system, Poole was hoisting up shots that would make a young Ricky Davis blush this season. And he's still under contract for three more seasons after this one.
Other than that, it's tough to get too riled up one way or the other about anything Washington did. It took a flier on Marvin Bagley III, who actually had a handful of moments as a Wizard. Getting a first-rounder for Daniel Gafford was certainly a win.
But nothing comes close to erasing the mistake of acquiring Poole and doing little to nothing else to truly accelerate a rebuild after that.
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