Grading Every Team's 2026 NBA Offseason So Far
Any concerns that the new lottery odds and the ever-present fear of overspending in the apron era would make for a dull 2026 NBA offseason disappeared almost immediately.
We've already seen Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown change teams via trade. Walker Kessler landed on the Los Angeles Lakers in an unprecedented deal for a restricted free agent, and he won't be teammates with LeBron James, who decided he was done with purple and gold after eight seasons.
Plenty remains unsettled, but the signings, trades and draft picks already completed provide a great opportunity to take stock of every team's offseason. To do that, we'll assess each squad relative to its opportunities and goals, arriving ultimately a letter grade.
Let's see who wound up with the highest marks.
Atlanta Hawks
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The Atlanta Hawks re-signed CJ McCollum and took Aaron Wiggins in from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a pair of future second-rounders, effectively using up their cap space. They saved $24.3 million by declining Jonathan Kuminga's team option but decided to fully guarantee Buddy Hield's $9.6 million salary and committedd another $2.4 million by picking up Mouhamed Gueye's team option.
All told, Wiggins, Devin Carter and No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings are Atlanta's three biggest additions.
The Hawks might be marginally better than they were a year ago, and they definitely didn't make any rash decisions while still addressing their need for a playmaker. It's not the worst idea to bet on some organic growth from Jalen Johnson, Nickeil-Alexander Walker and Onyeka Okongwu while still holding out hope that Zaccharie Risacher can improve enough to reclaim a rotation spot in his third season.
Anyone hoping Atlanta was going to use its flexibility to swing a deal for a first option better than Johnson has to be a little disappointed, though the one-year, $14 million deal Jock Landale got seems designed speicifically to be used in a deadline trade.
Maybe the Hawks are just setting themselves up to get their man in February.
Grade: B-
Boston Celtics
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Paul George's contract only runs for two more years, but it remains widely regarded as one of the worst in the league. It wouldn't have been strange if a team got a first-round pick, a swap and two seconds just for taking that deal into cap space.
Boston also sent out Jaylen Brown for that package, which is tough to process.
This seems like a situation where the Celtics wanted out of the Brown business for reasons we don't fully understand. Maybe they were more convinced than anyone that the analytics are right about Brown's grossly inflated value. Maybe they simply couldn't stand his personality anymore. Maybe being dangled in previous trade talks created an irreparable rift and Brown was going to sit out the season in protest.
You need to speculate wildly to justify this kind of move. It makes the Celtics significantly worse in the short term, just a couple of months after everyone viewed them as East favorites.
Do not rule out Boston being right about Brown, even if dealing him for a package this underwhelming feels like the wrong move. The benefit of the doubt, which Boston has earned over a decade of smart moves, is doing a lot of work here.
Mitchell Robinson (three years, $47 million) and Neemias Queta (four-year, $56 million extension) shore up the weak spot at center, which also helps pull Boston's mark above failing.
Grade: D+
Brooklyn Nets
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Shot creation was apparently a point of emphasis, and the Brooklyn Nets got quite a bit of it by taking on Julius Randle's salary and adding Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 5 in the draft.
Brooklyn's defense figures to suffer with the departure of Nic Claxton, but Keon Ellis (two years, $18 million) will improve the stopping power on the wing. If Day'Ron Sharpe makes the most of his expanded role, which the Nets telegraphed by giving him two years and $20 million after the Claxton trade, rebounding should be less of an issue going forward.
Mo Wagner (two years, $19 million) isn't too far removed from being one of the best offensive backup bigs in the league, and he should help Brooklyn's young guards as a roll threat and offensive rebounder.
Ultimately, Brooklyn's mostly marginal moves didn't move the needle. That's a bit disappointing for one of the league's only cap-space players.
Grade: C-
Charlotte Hornets
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The LaMelo Ball trade was a bold, divisive move—one made by a Charlotte Hornets team that believed 44 wins wasn't a worthy goal and that Ball's unreliability and unseriousness couldn't lead a realistic pursuit of something greater.
I kind of love it.
Ball was a key driver of Charlotte's success last season, captaining the league's best offensive lineup. The Hornets determined the minute-managed 72 games he played were an outlier (Ball averaged 34 games over the previous three seasons) and that his limp defense and reckless behavior off the court rendered him something far less than a cornerstone.
Naz Reid, the 2033 first-round pick they got from the Minnesota Timberwolves and a re-signed Coby White give Charlotte a chance to be good in the short term and perhaps great on a longer timeline.
The heist of a deal that sent Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for another 2033 first, Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen offered further proof that the Hornets know exactly what they're doing.
Grade: A-
Chicago Bulls
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Caleb Wilson was the obvious pick at No. 4, but he still represents a great value for the Chicago Bulls. Dailyn Swain, picked 15th, has more than his share of fans and brings just the right amount "potential steal" energy to Chicago's draft class.
On the trade front, the Bulls did well to nose their way into the deal that sent Julius Randle to the Nets, effectively taking Claxton into their cap space without surrendering anything but flexibility. A lower-end starter who can defend in space and showed off intriguing passing chops last year, Claxton fits well with the athletic, mostly setup-dependent wings and forwards on the roster.
The Norman Powell signing (two years, $45 million) was a bit of a shock, but he gives the Bulls a lights-out shooter and 2025-26 All-Star who should be flippable for positive value when the time comes. The deal, which includes a team option on the second season, is also a clear sign that hanging around the league's middle, a Bulls specialty, is no longer the worst idea in the reformed lottery era.
Zach Collins is probably a third center, which makes his two-year, $17 million deal a little rich. But he could be better than that if healthy and even potentially moveable for positive value at the deadline.
Grade: B
Cleveland Cavaliers
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That specifics of a widely expected James Harden contract haven't materialized yet, and the years and dollars on his next deal will weigh heavily on the Cleveland Cavaliers' final grade.
So far, the only things the Cavs have done is pick up Craig Porter Jr.'s $2.4 million team option, acquired No. 34 pick Meleek Thomas via trade and retained Thomas Bryant on a one-year deal.
Grade: C
Dallas Mavericks
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The Dallas Mavericks' most consequential moves didn't have anything to do with the players who'll take the floor. Instead, the Mavs installed a new top executive in Masai Ujiri and swapped out Jason Kidd (who still had $40 million on his contract) for Michigan head coach Dusty May.
The removal of Kidd felt like a final cleansing. Now, May will preside over a new era led by Cooper Flagg—one in which Nico Harrison, Luka Dončić and Kidd are only distant (painful) memories.
No. 9 pick Morez Johnson felt a little redundant until reports surfaced that Dereck Lively II wasn't even cleared to start running as he rehabs from foot surgery. Dallas further supplemented its frontcourt by trading a protected 2030 first-round pick for Santi Aldama.
Maybe adding more big men to the rotation wasn't such a bad idea, and it's worth noting that May has a pretty good sense of what Johnson can bring in the athleticism and physicality departments after coaching him at Michigan.
Grade: C+
Denver Nuggets
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The bulk of cost cutting most expect has yet to happen, which means Cam Johnson is still on the Denver Nuggets' payroll. Maybe they won't move on from him for salary relief, but the deal that turned No. 26 pick Tarris Reed Jr. into No. 35 selection Trevon Brazile (with a couple of seconds attached) felt like a clear sign that saving money is a priority.
Marvin Bagley III got a one-year minimum deal to sop up a handful of minutes behind Nikola Jokić, but that's Denver's only other acquisition besides No. 49 pick Bryce Hopkins and the minimum re-signing of Tyus Jones.
We're not handing out any incomplete grades, even if it seems the Nuggets aren't done making moves.
Grade: C
Detroit Pistons
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The Detroit Pistons lacked shooting and secondary creation last year, and it resulted in a second-round exit after 60 regular season wins.
Their offseason addressed the first problem while ignoring the second.
New additions John Collins (40.6 percent from deep) and Isaiah Joe (42.3 percent) fit the "must be able to shoot" bill, and retention Kevin Huerter is at least speculatively likely to regain the accuracy he showed three years ago. Collins' contract is for three years and $51 million, but only the first season is guaranteed.
Tobias Harris got away, but the Pistons could get similar production from Collins at a similar annual cost. On balance, Detroit's spacing should be better.
Though the Pistons didn't swing the blockbuster deal some hoped for, they deserve credit for keeping their first-round picks, adding real depth and holding a hard line on Jalen Duren in restricted free agency.
That's the other thing: Duren is easily the Pistons' biggest offseason issue, and he has yet to sign. This grade will move after his deal gets done.
Grade: C-
Golden State Warriors
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Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option, and imaginations ran wild amid chatter that the Golden State Warriors would use that newfound flexibility to sign LeBron James and trade for Anthony Davis.
Davis seems to be off the table, but James remains a pretty real possibility because the Dubs can offer him the full midlevel and the opportunity to play relatively close to his LA home base. Suiting up with Stephen Curry might be enticing as well.
Two years and $40 million could be a bargain if Kristaps Porzingis ever manages to stay healthy, and his fit next to Green is as tantalizing as ever. Only $3 million of KP's second-year salary is guaranteed, and he can be traded immediately because the team structured his deal as an extension.
Getting De'Anthony Melton back for just two years and $11.2 million was a bargain, and Al Horford's two-year, $14 million deal ensures Golden State will retain two floor-stretching centers to open up the offense.
Nothing seismic has happened yet, though a James acquisition would nudge Golden State up a grade. He's still an All-Star caliber player who, in theory, would make no more than $15 million next year.
Grade: B-
Houston Rockets
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The Houston Rockets made one of last summer's biggest deals when they traded for Kevin Durant, but their approach this year was a bit more measured.
Fred VanVleet picked up his $25 million player option, and Houston supplemented the backcourt by signing Bogdan Bogdanović for the minimum and Marcus Smart for two years and $13 million.
Then, later in the week, the Rockets inked restricted free agent Tari Eason to a five-year, $82 million deal. At its apex, when Eason is earning an estimated $18.5 million in 2030-31, the contract will only count for 9.2 percent of the salary cap. That's a great rate if Eason never proves he's a better-than-average spacer, as his defensive disruption and intensity will still provide value. If he develops as a spacer (35.8 percent from deep last year), it'll be a bargain.
Grade: B
Indiana Pacers
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The Indiana Pacers got their real dealing done at last year's deadline when they acquired Ivica Zubac, but adding Kelly Oubre Jr. for two years and $17 million still counts as a meaningful move.
The 11-year vet may not shoot 36.0 percent from deep like he did last year, setting a new career high, but he's an athletic combo forward who can stick in the rotation if Jarace Walker still isn't ready (or gets traded). His frenetic style makes sense in Indy's uptempo, movement-heavy offensive environment, but Oubre has never been the kind of quick decision-maker Indiana seems to prefer.
Oubre didn't even get the full MLE, so it's hard to be too critical of Indiana's asset management. It still might have been better for the Pacers to use their limited resources on a scoring guard or wing who could share the backcourt with Tyrese Haliburton or Andrew Nembhard—or even one who could join TJ McConnell as a shot creator on the second unit.
Grade: C
LA Clippers
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Kawhi Leonard cracked the 2,000-minute mark twice in the last three seasons and played well enough in 2025-26 to get serious All-NBA First Team consideration, but the LA Clippers still won the deal that sent him to the Toronto Raptors.
Brandon Ingram is probably a net neutral asset, one worth taking on if he comes with two future firsts, a swap and a pair of second-rounders attached. Remember, the Clippers didn't intend to extend Leonard's deal, and he effectively cut his landing spots to one by asserting he'd only re-sign with the Toronto Raptors. Getting that much draft capital, an All-Star in Ingram and Gradey Dick as a throw-in is a huge haul for a 35-year-old you don't intend to keep beyond this season.
The Clippers are a mid-pack team, but they've got rookie Keaton Wagler, Darius Garland and Ingram to keep things interesting. Armed with a couple of choice first-round assets that will convey after Leonard is long gone from the Raptors, LA is flexible and poised for a relatively quick return to relevance.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Lakers
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LeBron James' exit from the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn't have come as a surprise. It was the logical conclusion to a chain of events set in motion by the Luka Dončić trade, followed by L.A.'s decision not to extend the league's all-time leading scorer last offseason and its quick agreement with Austin Reaves on a max deal.
If the Lakers could have kept James for the midlevel exception, they probably should have.
The biggest move following James' "you can't fire me, I quit" departure was the sign-and-trade that brought aboard Walker Kessler for two unprotected firsts and two swaps. That's more draft capital than it cost the Raptors to get Kawhi Leonard or the Wolves to land LaMelo Ball.
The cost speaks to L.A.'s desperation. Dončić has wanted a lob-catching, defensive center since he arrived (remember the failed Mark Williams trade?), and the Lakers finally got him one at a steep price.
One wonders whether, without Dončić to appease, the Lakers might have been better off throwing money at Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams III while holding onto all that draft capital.
Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million) all signed on as a new supporting cast, and all three got player options on the last year of their new contracts. While each new addition is on a reasonable deal, L.A.'s cap space is now gone and it lacks the wing depth necessary to tangle with the Spurs and Thunder in the West.
The Lakers are better, but they may not be quite good enough to contend and are pretty close to tapped out in terms of trade assets.
Grade: B-
Memphis Grizzlies
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Jerami Grant's remaining contract (two years and $71 million) is no peach, but taking it back from the Portland Trail Blazers with Kris Murray allowed the Memphis Grizzlies to move on from Ja Morant without attaching draft assets.
For a while, it seemed like that was going to be impossible.
Taking back bad money for Morant, a former face of the franchise and All-NBA superstar, is by no means a win. It was the Grizzlies taking their medicine—unpleasant but necessary.
The addition of No. 3 pick Cam Boozer was a turning of the page, and now the team is officially in a new era defined by its youth. Boozer was an analytics darling in college, viewed by some as the best prospect in the draft. He teams with Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to lead a promising rebuild.
Landing Isaiah Stewart for a trio of seconds was a good piece of peripheral business. He'll bring toughness Memphis fans appreciate and offer insurance for the injury-prone Edey up front. Memphis folded the trade that sent Santi Aldama to Dalls into this one, which allowed it to keep the much larger traded player exception generated in last year's Jaren Jackson Jr. deal.
Grade: B
Miami Heat
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The Miami Heat sent out just about everything they could to get Giannis Antetokounmpo, acquiring the two-time MVP and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-rounders, one first-round swap and second-rounder.
Maybe that's what it took to beat the Celtics' best offer, but it feels like too much. Antetokounmpo is aging, has real durability concerns and doesn't fit all that well with the remainder of a roster that has now been stripped to the studs.
Anything's possible, but it's hard to realistically see the Heat rising above a crowd that includes the Knicks, Celtics, 76ers, Pacers, Raptors, Pistons and Cavs—just to name a few. Maybe being in that mix is all that matters. A sweetheart two-year extension with Andrew Wiggins, keeping Simone Fontecchio on a minimum deal and landing Tim Hardaway Jr. will all help. But the Heat ultimately gave up everything for what may only be a marginally better finish than last year's 43 wins.
Grade: C
Milwaukee Bucks
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The Bucks waited too long to trade Giannis but managed to get a surprisingly good return for him anyway. The package Milwaukee reeled in from Miami is worthy of at least a "B" grade in isolation, though something in the "A" range would likely have been a given 18 months ago.
Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, three firsts, a swap and a second is quite a package for a player who had limited his landing spots to just one or two teams.
Brayden Burries was the right pick at No. 10, and Nate Ament brings the kind of low-floor, high-ceiling qualities a first-phase rebuilder like the Bucks should covet.
On the margins, Ousmane Dieng's three-year, $17.5 million deal (team option on the third year) is a worthwhile expenditure for a player who showed some real ball skills last year and could develop into a useful rotation forward.
Grade: B+
Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Timberwolves acted somewhat desperately, or at least decided the risks associated with LaMelo Ball were worth the upside. In need of a shot-creator who could maximize Anthony Edwards (and keep him happy enough to extend when eligible), Minnesota sent out Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three swaps and three seconds for Ball and Josh Green.
Ball is a one-time All-Star with major defensive questions and a dismal health record. He made it through 72 games with the help of a load management plan that limited him to 28.0 minutes per game. If Ball isn't able to stay healthy, play a much larger role and hold up through a deep postseason run (which has never happened), this trade will be a disaster.
It also might work out, and there's no denying Ball is among the league's most effective level-raisers on offense. Edwards will see setups he never could have imagined, and the constant double-teams he faced over the last several years will be far less frequent.
The Wolves also dumped Julius Randle's salary, creating a $33 million trade exception, and handed Ayo Dosunmu a five-year, $112 million deal.
It's difficult to say Minnesota is better after all this shuffling. Its level of risk is certainly higher, its depth is reduced and its means of pivoting are diminished. Everything is riding on Ball playing better and more often than ever before.
Grade: D+
New Orleans Pelicans
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Unless you're of the opinion that keeping DeAndre Jordan on a one-year deal, declining an $8 million team option on Kevon Looney and picking up Karlo Matkovic's$2.3 million team option count as consequential, the New Orleans Pelicans haven't done anything worth noting this offseason.
Maybe they're just biding their time on a Trey Murphy III trade?
Grade: C
New York Knicks
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Mitchell Robinson got away, which wasn't a shock considering the New York Knicks' unwillingness to crest the second apron. Unnecessary as that stance seems, we can still credit the team for bringing back several key pieces on a budget.
Mo Diawara (four years, $10 million), Jose Alvarado (three years, $14 million) and Landry Shamet (four years, $24 million) will all return, and New York also did some serious finagling to save cash in the second round of the draft.
In short, the Knicks turned the Nos. 24, 31 and 55 picks into No. 39 and No. 47 with a flurry of trades that also netted five future second-rounders. New York now controls seconds belonging to Phoenix and Sacramento in 2029, a 2030 second from the Sixers, a 2032 second from Dallas and 2033 second from Phoenix. That's pretty slick transacting that also ensured New York wouldn't have to pay the guaranteed salary of a first-rounder in 2026-27.
As clever as some aspects of the Knicks' offseason was, it still stings a little that Robinson was allowed to leave over money. The deal he signed with the Celtics was only for the full midlevel.
Grade: C+
Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Oklahoma City Thunder correctly determined that a $554 million roster and tax charge was a little rich, even for a championship team. Isaiah Hartenstein's re-worked three-year, $75 million deal kicked off a series of transactions that got the books in order.
OKC salary-dumped Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, netting four second-rounders in the process, and also declined Kenrich Williams' team option (later re-signing him for $5 million).
Rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz suggest the rest of the cost-cutting could include trades sending out Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber. The new rookies effectively replace the old ones positionally, and they come with lower salaries and longer stretches of team control.
Everyone spent a long time wondering how the Thunder would handle things when the bill came due. Turns out they took care of business the same way they have for the last several years: shrewdly and with basically no negative impact to the on-court product.
Grade: B
Orlando Magic
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The Magic waived Jonathan Isaac to save $6.5 million on his partially guaranteed salary, erasing obligations of $14.5 million in 2027-28 and 2028-29 (both non-guaranteed), and then brought him back on a one-year deal at the minimum.
Nikola Vučević is back for what'll probably be a farewell tour, and the Magic also picked up Jamal Cain's $2.6 million team option.
Technically, we can count the hiring of Sean Sweeney back in late May. Given his inexperience as a head coach, it's not right to say Sweeney is definitely an upgrade over Jamahl Mosley, but it was clear the Magic needed a new voice with new ideas on offense.
Fans might have preferred some roster turnover, but the Sweeney move is the one you have to make before drastically changing up the personnel.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia 76ers
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The Philadelphia 76ers were in line for a "B" on the strength of signing Dean Wade to a four-year, $39 million deal after drafting Labaron Philon at No. 22.
Once they completed the stunning trade for Jaylen Brown and added Anfernee Simons for just two years and $12.3 million, well...the grade had to go up.
It's too soon to say the Sixers are suddenly the favorites in a crowded top tier of the East, and nothing's ever assured when it comes to Joel Embiid's health. But getting off Paul George's contract and only needing to attach a pair of first-round picks for Brown, who is six years younger and was a top-10 player last year, was hard to distinguish from a magic trick.
The case against Brown—that he's overrated, overpaid and many numbers say he doesn't drive winning—has some legitimacy. But he's better than Paul George, and the Sixers are far more dangerous with Brown than without.
If there was a hole in the rotation, it was the lack of a proven third guard who could space the floor. Simons fills that at a low price.
Among their smaller moves, the Sixers brought back Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry via team options and grabbed Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22. Wade and Barlow are viable as a 4-5 combo against bench units, while Philon has some breakout potential and could see real minutes behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Grade: A
Phoenix Suns
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Phoenix got down to business early, re-upping with Collin Gillespie (four years, $48 million), Jordan Goodwin (three years, $19 million) and Mark Williams (three years, $38 million). The first two of those contracts are excellent values, as Gillespie is among the best pure shooters in the league while Goodwin brings defensive intensity in a rotation role.
Williams is iffy, especially given his health history and the presence of Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach in the middle.
If the Suns had just stopped at their re-signings and the acquisition of No. 30 pick Koa Peat, our grade would have been in positive territory. But they had to go and make one of the offseason's most ill-advised deals.
Phoenix took on Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick (worst of Jazz, Timberwolves, Cavaliers) and a 2027 second-rounder for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick.
The best thing you can say about the Suns' side of the deal is that Bridges fills a need at the 4. He is, however, a significantly worse three-point shooter than either Allen or O'Neale, comes at a much higher price (with the specter of an extension looming) and required the Suns to give up easily the best draft asset in the deal.
This move feels like a major gaffe from an organization that we thought had moved past its reckless transactional ways. And no, getting Luke Kennard for two years and $13 million doesn't change that.
Grade: D
Portland Trail Blazers
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As a pure asset play, you can talk yourself into the Portland Trail Blazers trading Jerami Grant's bad salary and Kris Murray for Ja Morant.
The former All-NBA cornerstone is in athletic decline, has struggled to stay healthy and carries an off-court track record riddled with bad judgment. That said, he might turn things around on a new team, perhaps to the point that he's worth keeping or becomes tradeable for positive value. We can't ignore the upside, faint as it may be.
The odds on that outcome are slim, and the fit of Morant on a roster that has Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe is shockingly bad. This deal could come at a high cost even if Morant finds his old form, as Henderson and Sharpe (who is already on his second contract) get squeezed out of the rotation.
What's more, the Blazers effectively looked at Deni Avdija's leap to All-NBA quality as a first-option facilitator last year and determined they needed to get the ball out of his hands and/or pair him with one of the worst-shooting guards in the league.
The Robert Williams III re-signing (three years, $44 million) was an excellent value, but that's where the clear wins end.
New head coach Micah Nori deserved the position, but cheapskate owner Tom Dundon continued to wreck the organization's reputation with a one-year deal (guaranteed) for him that immediately creates a lame-duck situation.
Grade: D
Sacramento Kings
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First, the good news: No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. has the potential to become an All-Star lead guard who defines the Sacramento Kings' next era.
The bad news is that the ownership, executive, coach and personnel who contributed to the previous one are still around.
Domantas Sabonis was a trade candidate but remains on the roster, and Zach LaVine predictably picked up his $49 million player option because he knew he couldn't recoup that money by entering free agency. DeMar DeRozan is likely to be waived and stretched, but the Kings will be roughly $4 million over the first apron until they do.
On balance, this is among the bleakest situations in the league. If we were grading the steps that led the Kings to this spot, an "F" would be the only option. But unless you think they need to be buried because they couldn't trade untradable contracts this summer, we have to be more lenient.
Grade: C
San Antonio Spurs
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The San Antonio Spurs resisted the urge to act rashly after falling in the Finals, and it was probably the right decision.
As much flak as De'Aaron Fox caught for his poor performance, and as much as everyone would like to see his salary slot handed to a star-level forward, the Spurs' shortcomings aren't really about personnel. They don't need a seismic trade; they need organic growth and experience.
In lieu of big moves, the Spurs retained Julian Champagnie on a steal of a deal, securing him for $45 million over three years after declining his team option for 2026-27. That's sub-starter money for a 25-year-old wing who can defend and might be the best shooter on the team.
Veteran staple Harrison Barnes is back to lead the locker room for just $8 million, a reasonable fee if he doesn't play at all next year. Tobias Harris, signed for the full midlevel over two years, should sop up all of Barnes' minutes and provide the Spurs with more spacing and shot-making than Keldon Johnson, Barnes or any other true forward on the roster.
Adding some spice, San Antonio also picked up a menacing athlete and potentially dominant defender in Jayden Quaintance at No. 20.
Grade: A-
Toronto Raptors
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The Toronto Raptors shouldered their way into the East contender conversation by bringing back Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers. The cost was pretty high for a 35-year-old who'd basically narrowed his market to a single team by signaling he'd only re-sign with Toronto if traded, but the outlay of Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two future firsts, a swap and two seconds was defensible.
Toronto now has a player who could conceivably be the most dominant force on the floor in a playoff series, regardless of the opponent.
Leonard comes with all the same health concerns that defined his tenure with the Clippers. Those risks are why the trade is far from a sure thing, but his upsides accompany him as well.
The Raptors have to be taken much more seriously as potential conference champs now.
Losing Mamukelashvili hurts, but Collin Murray-Boyles is ready for a larger role, and No. 19 pick Allen Graves is purpose-built to thrive in the Raptors' aggressive defensive system.
Grade: B+
Utah Jazz
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Walker Kessler seemed like part of the plan in Utah, but only up to a certain price point. By signing and trading him to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps, Utah got back enough to eventually replace the guy they once thought was their center of the future.
The Jazz wielded the power of restricted free agency like no team before, securing four first-round assets and a potentially useful $15 million trade exception. They determined that package was worth more than Kessler on a deal paying him an average of $32.5 million, and there's a good chance they'll be right about that.
Utah is now a clear power player in any trade talks for the next available star, toting seven tradeable first-rounders.
It remains to be seen whether Jaren Jackson Jr. can rebound well enough to man the starting center spot, though Utah has insurance in Jusuf Nurkić, who returned on a two-year, $22 million deal. Jaxson Hayes (two years, $12 million) provides further low-cost depth.
No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson was an easy choice, but he has the potential to be the best prospect in his class.
Grade: A
Washington Wizards
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The Wizards may have agreed to the parameters of Trae Young's four-year, $212 million contract when they traded for him last season. That's no excuse for what has instantly become one of the worst deals in the league.
Young is an abysmal defender, has zero off-ball value and shot better than league average from long range just once in the last four years. He's a brilliant passer but requires a ball-dominant role to utilize that skill and, perhaps most importantly, was gettable at the last deadline for expiring money with no draft picks attached.
Failing to draw a hard line (at a much lower number) on Young makes it seem as if the same Wizards that recklessly threw max money at Bradley Beal a few years ago are rearing their heads.
There's greater worth in being mediocre with the new lottery odds, but Young's contract is an objectively bad value. It's one of those deals that makes you question the competency of an entire front office.
At least the Wizards have AJ Dybantsa (an easy pick) and a lot of young talent.
Grade: D
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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