#30. Brooklyn Nets
Key acquisitions: DeAngelo Russell, DeMare Carroll, Timmofey Mozgov
Key departures: Brook Lopez
Acquiring Russell helps give Brooklyn their point guard of the future and a player to get excited about, something they haven't had since the years they had aging veterans Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams. They also still have Jeremy Lin, who was injured most of last season. Despite some things finally going in their favor, the lack of draft picks and the lack of talent on the roster will still keep Brooklyn from being competitive in this league.
#29. Chicago Bulls
Key acquisitions: Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine, Lauri Markannen
Key departures: Jimmy Butler Rajon Rondo
After pushing the Celtics to a competitive 6 game series, the Bulls took 3 steps back with the Jimmy Butler trade, which made Indiana's Paul George deal look decent. The Bulls acquired 2 players who have young promise but were injured last year in Dunn and Lavine and instead of gaining a first round pick they ended up just swapping theres with Minnesota. Dwayne Wade still remains but is an old goat on a team that's clearly moving in a younger direction. Perhaps the biggest fear is that the Bulls seem to have no definite direction. Acquiring Wade and Rondo last summer had fans thinking they could compete in the East, but now they seem geared for a rebuild.
#28. Atlanta Hawks
Key acquisitions: John Collins
Key departures: Dwight Howard, Paul Milsapp, Tim Hardaway
Despite having a playoff roster, Atlanta has committed to tanking and going younger by losing 3 of their 5 starters. Perhaps they've given up on competing with Cleveland and Golden State. They have a pair of promising young pieces in Dennis Shroeder and Taurean Prince and a decent but overpaid wing player in Kent Bazemore. This year is going to be rough, but 5 first round picks in the next 2 years and lots of cap room should reduce the swelling.
#27. Indiana Pacers
Key acquisitions: Victor Oladipo, Domantis Sabonis
Key departures: Paul George, Jeff Teague
Though it wasn't as lop sided as the Butler trade, the Pacers should have gotten more for George. Even on a one year rental, he's a player who can make a team an immediate contender, as he did for Oklahoma City. Now Myles Turner will become the cornerstone of the franchise as they too go younger. I think it would have benefited Indiana more to trade George to Boston for 3 first round picks, but the Pacers have made their bed and now they must lie in it.
#26. Orlando Magic
Key acquisitions: Jonathan Isaac
Key departures: none
The Magic were silent in free agency and the remainder of their messy roster remains unchanged. If Isaac can gain weight and confidence in his jump shot, he may be the steal of the draft in time, but for now the roster has too many moving parts and it's difficult to determine it's best player. With few changes, it would be abnormal to expect different results.
#25. Phoenix Suns
Key acquisitions: Josh Jackson
Key departures: none
Phoenix is higher than some of the teams behind them because they have a potential great scorer in Devin Booker, who had 70 in a game against Boston late in the season. Factor in other promising young players such as Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender along with athletic 4th overall pick Josh Jackson and there's a decent core. One of Phoenix's priorities this year may be to trade Eric Bledsoe, who is talented but does not fit the mold of this young group. All these players still need seasoning, and thus I still have them as the West's worst team.
#24. New York Knicks
Key acquisitions: Tim Hardaway Jr, Frank Ntilikina
Key departures: Derrick Rose
Phil Jackson got the boot, Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit meeting, and the organization can't seem to make up their mind on whether or not to trade Carmello. The roller coaster continues in the Big Apple. Despite their best efforts, the Knicks just can't seem to move upward, but young pieces like Porzingis and Ntilinkina at least give them a place to start. If they can convince Anthony to waive his no trade clause, they could speed up the rebuilding process and add some more assets. Until that happens he will continue to loom as a dark cloud over the franchise.
#23. Detroit Pistons
Key acquisitions: Avery Bradley
Key departures: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Markieff Morris
The Pistons were relatively quiet in free agency. They made a nice acquisition in Avery Bradley thanks to Boston's financial constraints, but failing to resign KCP brings them back towards par. Andre Drummond is a great young big to develop a franchise around, but he needs to establish more consistency. The Pistons still owe big contracts to Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris, who are failing to live up to their pay checks. Unless they experience bounce back seasons, it's tough to picture Detroit in the playoff picture.
#22. Sacramento Kings
Key acquisitions: DeAaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Frank Mason III, Harry Giles, George Hill, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter
Key departures: Rudy Gay
Normally the Kings are a laughing stock of an organization, but I must admit they were one of the winners of the offseason, especially the draft. Fox is a legit point guard, Jackson can score, Giles was the top high school player before being plagued by injuries, and Mason III won the Naismith Award for college basketball's best player. They additionally blended their youth with some gritty veterans by adding Hill, Randolph, and Carter. They're not going to become good overnight, but it was a job well done for the organizations first off season without DeMarcus Cousins.
#21. Dallas Mavericks
Key acquisitions: Dennis Smith Jr
Key departures: none
Not much changed in Dallas this summer but many felt Smith Jr was the star of the summer league. He joins a young core of Yogi Ferrell, Harrison Barnes, most likely Nerlens Noel, and a Mavericks organization that missed the playoffs for the only the 2nd time this millennium. The Mavericks also convinced loyal servant Dirk Nowitzski to take another pay cut as they continue to search for pieces to help return them to relevance.
#20. Los Angeles Lakers
Key acquisitions: Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez
Key departures: DeAngelo Russell, Timoffey Mozgov
Magic Johnson has been killing it since taking over as president of basketball operations. He was able to get rid of Mozgov's ridiculous contract and ship off the problematic DeAngelo Russell to acquire a huge upgrade at center in Brook Lopez and a third first round pick. Furthermore, he was able to build a team that would both be competitive in the playoff race this season, and still have plenty of cap space next year to chase whales such as LeBron James and Paul George. Also, I hate to say it but I am drinking the cool aid on Lonzo Ball. In summer league he was an excellent passer, and showed great composure and ability as a floor general. I believe Brandon Ingram will be much improved in year 2 as well and Kyle Kuzma may have been the steal of the draft after showing off his range in summer league. Maybe, just maybe, we should start taking LaVar a little more seriously. Maybe.
#19. Philadelphia 76ers
Key acquisitions: Markelle Fultz, JJ Reddick, Amir Johnson
Key departures: none
Sixers fans can finally begin to see the fruit of their labor from all the trust they put into the god-damn process. A core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz can be really good in a couple years. Throw in Robert Covington and Dario Saric for good measure and the Sixers are building a great young team. Despite how good they can be, winning in the NBA takes time, especially with a roster who's majority is still too young to rent a car. The Sixers' realistic goal should be to contend for a playoff spot in a weak Eastern conference.
#18. Portland Trailblazers
Key acquisitions: Zach Collins
Key departures: None
Your perspective of Portland depends on how you feel about Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic averaged a double double when he was healthy, if he maintains that level of play, or dare I say improves, Rip City probably returns to the playoffs. They still have one of the league's better back courts with Damien Lillard and CJ McCollum. Unfortunately, those 2 have such ludicrous contracts that there isn't much wiggle room for Portland to improve in free agency. In the draft Portland traded up to acquire Zach Collins, the talented center from Gonzaga. It will be interesting to see if he and Nurkic can get on the floor together, good look driving to opposing teams if that happens.
#17. Utah Jazz
Key acquisitions: Ricky Rubio
Key departures: Gordon Hayward, George Hill
You can't blame Utah for losing out on Hayward, they offered him the max and signed and resigned players that he was interested in being with. Without their best scorer, it's only natural to assume Utah would take a step backward. However, this is a group of tough players who work hard on both sides of the ball. They still have one of the league's best young big men in Rudy Gobert, they'll get a healthier Derrick Favors back, and they still have the bulk of a roster that made the Western Semi's including Joe Ingles, Shelvin Mack, Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson, and Boris Diaw. Rubio will fit their style as a point guard who will slow the game down and facilitate. They won't go as far as last year, but the post season isn't out of question.
#16. Miami Heat
Key acquisitions: Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo
Key departures: None
Miami was 2 teams last year, one that started 11-30 and seemed primed for a top 5 pick, and then one that got red hot and went 30-11 and nearly snuck into the post season. The truth is they fall somewhere in the middle. The East got much weaker this offseason, and between that, the return of Justice Winslow, the upgrades in the post with Olynyk and Adebayo, and a full offseason of development for the younger guys, Miami should have enough to return to the post season, but only as a lower seed.
#15. Charlotte Hornets
Key acquisitions: Dwight Howard, Malik Monk
Key departures: Marco Bellinelli, Miles Plumlee
The Hornets improved with the additions of Howard and Monk. Monk will take some of the scoring burden off Kemba Walker and Howard provides much needed help both on the glass and as a post defender. Howard is nowhere near what he used to be, but he's still one of the league's better centers. Kemba Walker was also terrific after the all star break, averaging 24 ppg and 41% from deep. Another interesting stat to note about the Hornets was that they were 0-9 last season in games decided by 3 points or less. If they can swing some of those in their favor next season they may have enough to return to the playoffs.
Key acquisitions: Dwight Howard, Malik Monk
Key departures: Marco Bellinelli, Miles Plumlee
The Hornets improved with the additions of Howard and Monk. Monk will take some of the scoring burden off Kemba Walker and Howard provides much needed help both on the glass and as a post defender. Howard is nowhere near what he used to be, but he's still one of the league's better centers. Kemba Walker was also terrific after the all star break, averaging 24 ppg and 41% from deep. Another interesting stat to note about the Hornets was that they were 0-9 last season in games decided by 3 points or less. If they can swing some of those in their favor next season they may have enough to return to the playoffs.
#14. Los Angeles Clippers
Key acquisitions: Patrick Beverly, Danillo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell
Key departures: Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford
Although they did well to make this trade and get good pieces, losing Paul will hurt and the Clippers will struggle to find their new identity. Resigning Griffin and adding Gallinari, Beverly and Williams is enough to keep the team afloat however. Griffin and Jordan will have to assume larger roles as scorers, this will be a greater challenge for Jordan who scored a high percentage of his baskets on alley oops from the league's best passer. Regardless, I cannot stress enough how much Paul will be missed. He's a good scorer, great floor general and leader, all NBA defender, excellent decision maker, and one of the best point guards the game has ever seen who can always dictate the game to his preferred tempo. The Clippers will no longer contend to be a top team in the West without Paul, but did well to gain quality assets before his departure.
#13. Denver Nuggets
Key acquisitions: Paul Milsapp Trey Lyles
Key departures: Danillo Gallinari
Milsapp is an all star (in the East) and underrated player who will also provide veteran leadership to this group of overachieving youngsters. That group is ahead of schedule with the rapid development of Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, and Jamaal Murray. The Nuggets finished 9th in the West last year, and the addition of Milsapp and regression of teams like LA and Utah could help them push into the post season. Milsapp is the organization's biggest acquisition probably since Carmello Anthony way back in 2003 and the biggest free agent acquisition in an even longer time span.
#12. Memphis Grizzlies
Key acquisitions: None
Key departures: Zach Randolph Tony Allen
If Allen does not return to Memphis, the Grizzlies will have lost their 2 grittiest players who helped develop the identity of the franchise. They still have a top 10 point guard in Mike Conley and an all star center in Marc Gasol and those 2 alone are probably still enough to guide the Grizzlies to fringe playoff contention. Memphis tends to have enough to compete with the top teams, but never enough to defeat them in a 7 game series. Barring a change in that pattern, a tear down and rebuild may be on the horizon.
#11. New Orleans Pelicans
Key acquisitions: Rajon Rondo
Key departures: none
While the rest of the league is trending towards small ball the Pelicans counter with the NBA's best big man duo. Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins provide the Pels with 2 players who put up 25 points and 10 rebounds on a nightly basis, that alone should help them win a lot of games. The duo didn't reach expectations last season, but developing chemistry and spacing took time and they were already playing catch up. However, the Pelican's lack of guards and depth still keeps them outside the upper tier of the Western Conference.
#10. Milwaukee Bucks
Key acquisitions: None
Key departures: None
Milwaukee breaks into the top 10 thanks to a young core that's filled with talent but just scratching the surface of its potential. It was no fluke Giannis Antetokounmpo won most improved player, the 22 year old is on the verge of becoming one of the league's next big stars. The Bucks also have the rookie of the year Malcom Brodgen, a 3 point sniper in Kris Middleton, and a scoring rising star (when healthy) in Jabari Parker. They're probably a year or two away from truly contending for the East, but they're trending in the right direction.
#9. Toronto Raptors
Key acquisitions: CJ Miles
Key departures: Patrick Patterson, DeMare Carroll
Resigning Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka keeps the Raptors relevant in the East, though the window of opportunity seems to be narrowing. The losses of Patterson and Carroll hurt both from perspectives of depth and defense. Younger players like Norman Powell and Bebe Nogueira will have to step up and assume bigger roles if the Raptors wish to advance any further than the conference semis. Regardless, Toronto has the feel of a team that has already hit its ceiling.
#8. Washington Wizards
Key acquisitions: Tim Frazier, Jodie Meeks
Key departures: None
A career game from Kelly Olynyk and a rough 2nd half from John Wall were all that separated the Wizards from a spot in last season's conference finals. Wall is the conference's best point guard, with blazing speed and a unique ability to hit teammates with precision while moving so quickly. However, his inability to develop a consistent jumpshot allows defenders to sag off and disallows Wall from taking the next step. Another big flaw to Washington which was evident in the Boston series was the lack of bench production, which the Wizards did not to much to improve in the offseason.
#7. Minnesota Timberwolves
Key acquisitions: Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson
Key departures: Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine
No team saw more offseason improvement that the Timberwolves. They practically robbed the Bulls of Jimmy Butler on draft night, and then added a pair of testy veterans in Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. These are all players who provide upgrades in both defense and leadership, both of which the team needed in the worst way. Karl Anthony Towns was one of the league's best offensive players after the all star break last season, averaging 28 points, 45% from the field, 41% from deep, and nearly 80% from the free throw line. Andrew Wiggins was not nearly as productive but still chipped in 24 points per game. If the 2 youngsters can show real improvement defensively, this team that only won 31 games last season can be taken seriously as a contender.
#6. Oklahoma City Thunder
Key acquisitions: Paul George, Patrick Patterson
Key departures: Victor Oladipo, Taj Gibson, Domantis Sabonis
Russell Westbrook is coming off an absurd MVP season, but needed help to get back in the championship picture. Paul George arrives after a strong post all star break performance as a needed running mate, but compared to Kevin Durant he's not as good of a defender and has a poorer shot selection. Unlike that situation, George will probably acknowledge that this is Westbrook's team and that he is #2. The Thunder should also be one of the league's best defensive teams, but they still lack the perimeter shooting and key rotational players necessary to winning such a competitive Western Conference.
#5. Boston Celtics
Key acquisitions: Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward
Key departures: Isiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley Kelly Olynyk
It's rare that a regular season conference champ experiences such turnover in the offseason, as the Celtics only return 4 players from last year's squad (Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier). Despite this, Boston gets closer still to reaching the finals, some even now consider them the favorite to win the East. The Celtics add 2 prolific scorers in Irving and Hayward. If Brad Stevens can get the most out of Irving and help him improve as a defender and distributor, and if the young talented prospects Brown and Jason Tatum develop ahead of schedule, Boston becomes extremely dangerous. Even if it doesn't happen this year, there's enough uncertainty and drama in Cleveland for Boston to be an Eastern powerhouse for years to come.
#4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Key acquisitons: Isiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green
Key departures: Kyrie Irving
I still like Cleveland better with Kyrie, but they made the most of an unfortunate situation. Isiah Thomas was a top 5 scorer last season, Jae Crowder gives Cleveland an above average perimiter defender who can also hit 3's and play small ball, and the Cavs greatly helped their future by acquiring Brooklyn's 2018 1st round pick, which should be top 3. If healthy, former MVP Derrick Rose gives Cleveland a major boost on the bench. The improved depth and moreso the fact that they have the league's best player still make the Cavs the team to beat in the East. The inability to correct their defensive struggles and the offseason distractions will likely still deter them from winning another championship.
#3. San Antonio Spurs
Key acquisitions: None
Key departures: Jonathan Simmons
Some people are discounting the Spurs due to their lack of offseason moves, but let's recall some basic facts. They won 61 games last season. They're coach is one of the best masterminds in the history of the game. They have a top 5 player in Kawhi Leonard who also happens to be arguably the league's best defender. They were crushing Golden State in Oracle before a certain incident changed the entire western conference finals, a series they also played without Tony Parker. So sure, you could argue that they're running in place, but running in place in San Antonio means 50+ wins and a top 5 team that can compete for a title.
#2 Houston Rockets
Key acquisitions: Chris Paul, Luc Mbah A Moute, Tarik Black
Key departures: Patrick Beverly, Sam Dekker, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell
Landing Chris Paul alone makes the Rockets one of the offseason's big winners. It will take time for he and James Harden to learn how to play together, but the combination could be lethal post all star break. Adding Mbah A Moute and Black also helps Houston improve their defense while still retaining sharp shooters like Trevor Ariza, Eric Gordon, and Ryan Anderson. In last year's playoffs, the Spurs were able to defeat the Rockets by crowding the 3 point line and forcing Houston to take difficult, off dribble, mid range shots. The Rockets shoot these nowhere near as well as spot up 3's but Paul is one of today's best mid range shooters. His presence will also take some of the weight off Harden, who looked gassed at the end of some games. If the Rockets find a way to trade for Carmello Anthony, things can get interesting.
#1. Golden State Warriors
Key acquisitions: Nick Young, Omri Casspi
Key departures: None
Were you expecting anything else? After winning their 2nd title in 3 seasons, the Warriors won the offseason as well, thanks in large part to the unselfish actions of Kevin Durant. The Final's MVP's lack of monetary greed allowed the champs to resign all their key rotational players such as Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, and David West, while giving 2 time MVP Steph Curry the max deal he has long deserved and simultaneously adding another bench spark plug in Nick Young. The rest of the NBA has worked hard to lessen the gap, but the Warriors still run the Association.
