With most of the NBA’s offseason moves already completed, it’s time to evaluate the teams’ performance. We analyze how each franchise took advantage of the tools at its disposal, focusing on free agency and trades.
The ratings not only reflect the improvement or decline of the teams, but also the effectiveness with which they used their resources. Although most teams are in the middle of the curve, two “A”s and one “F” were awarded, involving teams at opposite ends of the most uneven transfer of the summer.
The teams are listed in alphabetical order.NBA Teams Analysis
Atlanta Hawks
Rating: A
The Hawks positioned themselves as a real threat in the East by securing one of the most prominent free agents, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and adding Kristaps Porzingis to reinforce their interior game. The real masterstroke was obtaining the best 2026 first-round picks from the Bucks and the Pelicans, moving from the 13th to the 23rd pick in the draft. Even if Atlanta remains in the play-in, the possibility of adding another lottery pick to a core that includes Zaccharie Risacher represents an opportunity to change the course of the Hawks, who traded their own pick to the Spurs in the Dejounte Murray trade.
Boston Celtics
Rating: C
The positive aspect is that the Celtics managed to balance their finances without giving up future first-round picks, staying below the second salary cap with a possible path to avoid the luxury tax in a transition year following Jayson Tatum’s injury. The negative part is that Boston got rid of a lot of talent, including all players over 6 feet 8 inches who played at least 13 minutes in the 2025 playoffs. The Celtics will have the challenge of replenishing their depth in the interior game and, crucially, the versatility lost with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.Brooklyn Nets
Grade: C-
Given the Nets’ dominant position as the only team with more than $30 million in cap space this summer, their performance has been disappointing. Brooklyn obtained an unprotected 2032 first-round pick from Denver and can hope to rehabilitate Michael Porter Jr.’s value. The Nets also landed the No. 22 pick with Terance Mann before the draft, but keeping all five first-round picks and largely using them on players whose games don’t seem complementary was confusing. Brooklyn can still create more than $20 million in cap space, and we’ll see if additional deals materialize before training camp.Charlotte Hornets
Grade: B-
The Hornets should be more competitive in the 2025-26 season after finding playmakers to complement LaMelo Ball. Charlotte’s offense collapsed without Ball last season, which shouldn’t continue with the additions of veterans Spencer Dinwiddie and Collin Sexton, and the return of Tre Mann. In addition, the number 4 pick, Kon Knueppel, MVP of the summer league championship, should immediately help the Hornets’ shooting.Chicago Bulls
Grade: C-
I liked that the Bulls re-signed Tre Jones to a three-year, $24 million contract with a team option in the final season. Chicago could also get more out of forward Isaac Okoro after getting him from Cleveland for Ball. Still, the Bulls shouldn’t settle for staying on the same path after three straight play-in losses. And while I have a lot of faith in the No. 12 pick, Noa Essengue, Chicago would have been better off making the same deal on draft night that Atlanta made with New Orleans.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Rating: B
We’ll see how much the Cavaliers get from Lonzo Ball, limited to 35 games last season due to wrist injuries after two and a half years off the court due to his left knee. Ball was a low-cost acquisition for Cleveland to help replace Ty Jerome, lost to help manage the Cavaliers’ considerable tax bill. Bringing back Larry Nance Jr. as a third center was also a low-cost move. Despite the loss of Jerome, Cleveland looks like the favorite to win the East.Dallas Mavericks
Grade: B-
Dallas doesn’t get credit for choosing Cooper Flagg, a move any team would have made after winning the lottery. The Mavericks did well to sign D’Angelo Russell, armed only with their taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency after agreeing to a new contract with a smaller starting salary for injured point guard Kyrie Irving. But Dallas still has a surplus in their interior game, as they have so far opted not to make any trades involving veteran players. That likely pushes Flagg and P.J. Washington Jr. into perimeter roles.Denver Nuggets
Rating: A-
After the dust settled, Denver’s offseason resulted in the Nuggets team being stronger on paper since they won the 2023 title, highlighted by the trade of Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson at the cost of a valuable unprotected 2032 first-round pick. The salary flexibility created by the deal helped the Nuggets steal Jonas Valanciunas from the Kings, getting rid of the little-used Dario Saric. And Denver bolstered its perimeter depth by signing Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to minimum contracts.Detroit Pistons
Rating: C
The Pistons’ offseason changed drastically when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that guard Malik Beasley was under investigation by federal authorities in connection with a gambling investigation. After Cade Cunningham, Beasley could have been Detroit’s second-best player last season, and the late twist limited the Pistons’ options to replace him in free agency. They signed Duncan Robinson to supply the shooting that Beasley provided and Caris LeVert for shot creation off the bench, but the result is likely a weaker Detroit second unit.Golden State Warriors
Rating: Incomplete
Having simply added a couple of selections in the 50s (Will Richard and Alex Toohey), it’s impossible to evaluate the Warriors until they resolve the restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga situation. If Golden State actually signs veteran center Al Horford and reacquires guard De’Anthony Melton, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported is possible, that would be a solid summer season to build on the strong finish to last season after the Jimmy Butler trade. For now, all of that remains pending.Houston Rockets
Rating: A
No team did more to improve its chances of winning the 2026 title than the Rockets, who added two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant without sacrificing depth in the process. Credit Houston for launching a reasonable trade for Durant, and then using a team-friendly contract for Fred VanVleet (two years, $50 million) to access the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That allowed the Rockets to add experienced 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith to help replace Dillon Brooks, who left.Indiana Pacers
Rating: D
It’s possible that, in retrospect, we might think the Pacers would have been better off not paying Myles Turner until his 30s, but there are no flags for fiscal responsibility and Indiana lost a key piece of a starting five that relied more on fit than pure talent. The Pacers don’t have a clear replacement for Turner. Although I liked betting on Jay Huff, who has a similar skill set, expecting him to be a starter after falling out of Memphis’ playoff rotation isn’t realistic. Indiana’s other traditional centers — Tony Bradley, Isaiah Jackson, and James Wiseman — are also career backups.LA Clippers
Grade: B+
There are concerns about the Clippers’ age after adding veterans Chris Paul (40 years old), Brook Lopez (37 years old), and Bradley Beal (32 years old). However, for the Clippers to get all three with only the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, it’s a win. The Clippers bolstered their short-term depth and added size with a trade for John Collins, while keeping an eye on the possibilities of salary cap space as early as next summer, with 2027 as a more likely target to revamp the roster with younger talent.Los Angeles Lakers
Rating: B
The Lakers are an interesting contrast to the offseason of their city rivals. Building around 26-year-old Luka Doncic, the Lakers added 23-year-old Jake LaRavia, the youngest unrestricted free agent to switch teams for more than the minimum, plus Deandre Ayton, who recently turned 27. 31-year-old Marcus Smart is the Lakers’ oldest newcomer. The Lakers’ additions weren’t as effective last season as the Clippers’, but the new Lakers have a better chance of being long-term contributors. The biggest question about the Lakers’ offseason is what that approach means for 40-year-old superstar LeBron James. However, James has little influence after exercising his player option. It’s more important for the Lakers to persuade Doncic to sign an extension when he is eligible this weekend.Memphis Grizzlies
Rating: B
The Grizzlies could take a step back in a loaded West after trading starting guard Desmond Bane, but in the long run, Memphis did well to get four first-round picks in return, including a coveted 2026 pick very likely from the Phoenix Suns. Adding Jerome on a value contract helps replace Bane’s shooting and shot creation, and the Grizzlies were able to sign Jaren Jackson Jr. to an extension that pays him less than he could have earned next summer as an unrestricted free agent.Miami Heat
Grade: B+
It was an opportunistic offseason for the Heat, who took advantage of the money saved by trading Duncan Robinson for Simone Fontecchio to turn players on the margins of their rotation into Norman Powell, who scored 21.8 points per game for the Clippers last season. Powell helps replace some of the scoring lost with Jimmy Butler’s departure in February and keeps Miami’s books clear — for now — while the team sets its sights on the 2027 salary space.Milwaukee Bucks
Grade: C+
No, the Bucks extending Damian Lillard’s salary for the next five years to create cap space and sign Myles Turner, away from the Pacers — the best player to change teams in free agency — is not likely to result in Milwaukee competing. But at least it gives the Bucks a chance this season, with a power vacuum in the East due to injuries and Giannis Antetokounmpo still playing at a top-five level. Milwaukee did a creative job of bringing back the rest of the core from last season, albeit at the cost of handing out player options like party favors. A total of five Bucks received options for 2026-27, which could complicate roster construction next summer.Minnesota Timberwolves
Grade: B-
After trading Towns, the Timberwolves were able to manage their roster to bring back most of the team that has reached the last two conference finals. A new contract for Julius Randle pays him and Donte DiVincenzo a combined total of $43 million, much less than the $53 million that Towns will earn. Minnesota had to let Alexander-Walker go via a sign-and-trade, opting instead to prioritize the winner of the 2023-24 Sixth Man award, Naz Reid. Reid’s five-year, $125 million contract could be excessive if he can’t grow beyond a role on the bench.New Orleans Pelicans
Grade: F
The draft night trade between the Hawks and Pelicans was seemingly the most lopsided transaction of the summer. It could pay off for New Orleans, but it was too risky to be sensible — particularly in the context of the Pelicans’ other moves. New Orleans is betting that Jordan Poole will be a playoff-caliber starting point guard and has overloaded its depth chart at center by selecting Derik Queen and signing veteran Kevon Looney. Only three teams in the West have higher odds of winning the conference on ESPN BET, and the Pelicans traded away their safety net now that they no longer control their 2026 first-round pick.New York Knicks
Rating: B
After adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last offseason, the Knicks had limited room to maneuver this summer. Getting Guerschon Yabusele to accept slightly less than the entirety of his taxpayer mid-level exception allowed New York to upgrade its second-unit interior play and still fill out its bench with minimum contracts for veterans. One of those veterans, Jordan Clarkson — signed after reaching a buyout agreement with the Utah Jazz — gives the Knicks more athleticism off the bench than unsigned backup point guards Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet.Oklahoma City Thunder
Grade: B+
The defending champions bring back all the players who saw at least 50 minutes of action during the 2025 playoffs, so the real work for the Thunder’s front office was securing long-term extensions for stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. A supermax deal for Gilgeous-Alexander and max deals for Holmgren and Williams will force Oklahoma City to make difficult decisions, but the Thunder did well to sign Holmgren to a deal locked in at 25% of the 2026-27 salary cap and avoid giving Williams a player option in his extension.
Orlando Magic
Rating: B
The trade for Bane seems better for Orlando due to the opening of the East. The Magic have a realistic chance of claiming home-court advantage in the first round for the first time since 2011. Orlando getting backup point guard Tyus Jones on a one-year, $7 million contract was also a good addition. The Magic will have much more coverage in the attacking zone after going 21-26 in the 47 games that starter Jalen Suggs missed last season.Philadelphia 76ers
Rating: C
After last summer was highlighted by the signing of Paul George, a nine-time All-Star — an addition that went wrong — perhaps a quiet offseason is for the best. Still, it’s surprising that Philadelphia will bring back 10 players from last season’s roster, and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes is likely to raise that total to 11. The 76ers are counting on better health and greater depth in the interior game rather than making significant changes to the roster.Phoenix Suns
Grade: C+
Like Milwaukee, Phoenix put a huge amount of dead salary on its books with a contract buyout for the last two years of Bradley Beal’s contract. After trading Kevin Durant, the Suns can’t realistically compete. Even making the playoffs will be a challenge in the West. But they have changed their roster in a younger direction with three draft picks from 2025 — having started the summer without any — and 23-year-old center Mark Williams, acquired via a trade.Portland Trail Blazers
Rating: C
It was a busy summer for the Blazers, who traded for Jrue Holiday, made the most interesting draft pick in Chinese center Yang Hansen, and reunited with franchise icon Damian Lillard. Adding two veteran All-Star point guards could saturate Portland’s attack zone when Lillard returns from a ruptured Achilles tendon, likely in 2026-27. And the Blazers still haven’t found a new home for forward Jerami Grant, who was surpassed in the rotation last season by the younger Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara.Sacramento Kings
Grade: D+
A curious offseason didn’t seem to bring the Kings any closer to a playoff return. Prioritizing the point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox in February was reasonable, but Sacramento gave Dennis Schroder a three-year, $45 million contract that might not age well given Schroder’s reliance on speed. That deal forced the Kings to trade Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric, who barely played last season, to stay out of the luxury tax. Sacramento could have done better in targeting a point guard with a cheaper deal, like Tre Jones, or letting Valanciunas walk for an offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiacos and getting out of their deal entirely.San Antonio Spurs
Rating: B
The Spurs do not get bonus points for moving up to number 2 in the lottery and selecting Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. However, San Antonio did well to improve their interior game with veterans Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk.
