The NBA offseason is slowing down to a crawl after a wild and chaotic start to the free agency period. Several teams in the Eastern Conference made out very well in either the draft or free agency, or both. The Cavs did nothing to prevent themselves from making another Finals run. The Bucks look ready to be contenders. The Heat managed to avoid any offseason drama, while bolstering their roster.
The Celtics, Pistons and Knicks also stood out with positive moves. However, our experts are split on how the Wizards, Pacers and Nets fared. We break down every team in the East, and don't hold back as we dish out our offseason grades.
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Atlanta Hawks |
Matt Moore: They kept Paul Millsap, which put them in the "A" territory. They lost DeMarre Carroll, that set them back to "B" status but they brought over Walter Tavares and brought in Justin Holiday. They kept a team that won 60 games together, so it's hard to dock them ... just hard to praise them much either. Grade: B+
Zach Harper: The Hawks ended up having to make a decision between Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll. They took Millsap's return while also being able to add Tiago Splitter to the rotation in order to give a high-quality backup behind Al Horford. They may be able to develop Tim Hardaway Jr. from a gunner into a quality player on both ends. The loss of Carroll stings though, and they'll need Kyle Korver to be healthy and Kent Bazemore to make a leap in order to make up for it. That loss really hurts their summer so far. Grade: C+
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Boston Celtics |
Moore: I will try very hard not to let their Terry Rozier draft selection infect this grade. I would have liked to see some more moves from the Celtics, whether they were sign and trades, or just trades using all those picks they've acquired. Replacing Brandon Bass with Amir Johnson is an upgrade, and Jonas Jerebko was great for them last year in his role. Did they do enough to hold onto a playoff spot, though? Grade: C-
Harper: The Celtics have had a fine free agency period. They acquired a starting big-man combination by signing Amir Johnson and trading for David Lee. They also re-signed Jae Crowder, who had a fantastic end of the season for them. This offseason won't blow you away by any means, but it should be good enough to keep pace in the Eastern Conference and keep them from losing a playoff spot if they're healthy next season. Grade: B
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Brooklyn Nets |
Moore: I should give them a "D" just for bringing in Andrea Bargnani, and that's from a guy who defended him the first five years of his career. But they got rid of Deron Williams' contract, ending that painful marriage, kept Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young (who should have bolted and never looked back). A Joe Johnson trade would have really set them up, but they also didn't need to after trading Williams. Shane Larkin, Steve Blake, Wayne Ellington and Thomas Robinson are all "Sure, whatever" guys that don't raise flags and are affordable. Heck, I'll give them an "A" just for not signing anyone over 30 years old to a five-year max contract. Grade: A
Harper: Over the last couple of years, the Nets have created a no-win situation for themselves with the trades they made and the money they gave out. The situation is virtually untenable for putting a quality product on the court that can build toward being a contender. But since you can't reverse those moves, you have to judge them in this environment. I like the contracts they gave out to Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. I don't mind them taking a risk on Thomas Robinson and Shane Larkin even though I'm not sold on them being real rotation guys. But any decent momentum they tried to build within this bad situation was erased by pretending Andrea Bargnani was worth a flyer for them. Maybe the goal is to catch lightning like they did with Andray Blatche. Grade: D+
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Charlotte Hornets |
Moore: I'm very concerned about where this team is headed. They have an inefficient point guard (Kemba Walker) signed to big money, they traded Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson, who had a lot of value now and in the future. Nicolas Batum is a good get, but this Al Jefferson-Frank Kaminsky combo along with Spencer Hawes is about the scariest frontcourt (for Hornets fans) I could imagine. Jeremy Lin was a fine value signing, but doesn't move the needle much. Batum was a smart move and I'm still concerned overall about where the team is headed. Grade: D+
Harper: If we factor in the pre-draft trade of moving Lance Stephenson for essentially Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lamb and then moving Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson for Nicolas Batum, the Hornets have had a good free agency season. They lost Mo Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they're replacing him with a quality backup in Jeremy Lin. Other than those moves, they've been relatively quiet and hope to regain what they had when they made the playoffs a year ago. Grade: B-
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Chicago Bulls |
Moore: Kept Jimmy Butler, which was their top offseason priority. That's all they did. The Bulls won a lot of games last year and think that Fred Hoiberg can make them better. I'll give Chicago a solid passing mark based on getting Butler back on a five-year deal, and because other than a total fire sale, it's hard to see another option except bringing the band all back. Grade: B
Harper: The Bulls made sure the roster they wanted Tom Thibodeau to win with will be the roster Fred Hoiberg has at his disposal. They re-signed Jimmy Butler to the contract he earned last season and they got Mike Dunleavy on another great value deal. Bringing back Aaron Brooks is fine for the backup point guard position, as long as he can remain the scoring option off the bench he already showed for them. The Bulls believe they have the roster to contend in the East, and they kept it together in order to give Hoiberg a crack at doing so. Can't fault them for keeping the building of this effort going. Grade: A
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Cleveland Cavaliers |
Moore: Retained the best basketball player on the planet: Check. Retained the All-Star they traded Andrew Wiggins for, on a five-year deal: Check and check. Are set to keep Tristan Thompson no matter what. Check. Brought back Iman Shumpert. Check. Found a backup point guard who largely makes Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith irrelevant although they'll wind up bringing those guys back too, probably. Check, check and check. Yeah, the Cavs did alright. Grade: A
Harper: Maybe their grade should have just been dollar signs, but the Cavaliers are accomplishing everything they need to accomplish this offseason. They've re-signed LeBron James, they'll likely get a deal done with Tristan Thompson, they got Kevin Love to agree to a five-year deal (ending all of those Lakers rumors), they brought back Iman Shumpert and they were able to add Mo Williams to the backup point guard position, They're spending crazy money, but they're putting themselves in position to make it worth it for the next few years as they presumably control the East. Grade: A+
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Detroit Pistons |
Moore: Everyone thinks the Aron Baynes move was a disaster, and it might be, but he actually did play really well last year for the Spurs. He's a big man who's smart and works extremely hard, with a good attitude. The price of $20 million in the new cap isn't bad. Cartier Martin is fine. They didn't make any big moves, but then, Detroit has a habit of making awful, horrible big moves that cost them long-term. They did well just for avoiding disaster. Grade: B-
Harper: The Pistons went into this offseason needing to re-sign their point guard and build some depth within the system Stan Van Gundy wants to run. SVG has done that incredibly well. The money given to Reggie Jackson will be a no-brainer if he plays the way he finished the season with Detroit. They found a capable backup in Aron Baynes. They traded for a solid stretch-4 option in Ersan Ilyasova. Grabbing wing shooters like Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris could be huge for rounding out their small ball attack. Van Gundy turned this roster from hot, mismatched garbage into a real set of players in a year. Grade: A
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Indiana Pacers |
Moore: Hated the Roy Hibbert move. This "We're going to get smaller, faster, more flexible!" thing from Larry Bird feels like a mid-life crisis. Chase Budinger's not bad. They brought back Rodney Stuckey and did add Monta Ellis, though, and they badly needed his offense. Grade: B+
Harper: You can't lose your starting big-man combination of Roy Hibbert and David West while replacing them with rookie Myles Turner and Jordan Hill. Even if you're in the process of migrating to a small ball culture of play with Paul George playing more 4, this is a monster step backward. The addition of Monta Ellis should complement the scoring mentality of George Hill nicely, but this team is very thin in the frontcourt and will need to become a Mike D'Antoni level offense in order to counteract the defensive issues that could pop up in this first year away from Bully Ball. Grade: D+
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Miami Heat |
Moore: Avoided disaster with Dwyane Wade, and avoided drama with Goran Dragic. Luol Deng opted in to give them a good starter and trade chip, Gerald Green was a great value signing and Amar'e Stoudemire is a good spot-minute veteran. The Heat are stacked. Grade: A+
Harper: The contract stuff with Dwyane Wade was bizarre, but it ended up working with the Heat maintaining flexibility moving forward and Wade recouping some money. Locking up Goran Dragic with the five-year deal was big because now they get to toss out the trio of Chris Bosh, Wade and Dragic, which didn't get to happen once after the trade. The one-year deal with Gerald Green is a minimal risk, but he's going to need to play solid defense for the first time in his career to be on the court. If that doesn't happen, they'll still be missing some shooting depth on the wings. This Heat team looks like they're set to bounce back though. Grade: A-
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Milwaukee Bucks |
Moore: They got a top free agent! They actually signed one! Greg Monroe isn't a perfect fit with their roster, but he'll help them score, which was a major Achilles heel for them last year. Keeping Khris Middleton instead of letting him loose was a really smart move. Wish they had kept Jared Dudley, though. He was very good for them. Grade: A+
Harper: Bringing in Greg Monroe on a max deal is a little risky if they can't make up for his defensive efficiencies (or teach him how to minimize them), but he adds some much-needed scoring to an offense that was atrocious after trading for Michael Carter-Williams. The money to Khris Middleton is very easy to justify, and he fits so well next to Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The pickup of Greivis Vasquez as the backup is a great addition to the backcourt. The Bucks lose some depth with the trade of Zaza Pachulia, but they want to be a versatile, switch-everything team. Grade: A-
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New York Knicks |
Moore: New York tried so hard to screw this up, going after Greg Monroe on a max deal, chasing every free agent. But when the Knicks struck out, they landed some sweetheart deals. Robin Lopez is excellent value for his deal, Arron Afflalo on a two-year grab is perfect, Kyle O'Quinn was a sneaky, sneaky good move and Derrick Williams was worth the gamble. Amazingly, New York did pretty well. Grade: A-
Harper: The Knicks struck out on big-name free agents, but it worked out because they've gone to acquiring important role players as a Plan B. Robin Lopez solidified the defensive identity of the Blazers the last two years, and he'll be tasked with doing that for the Knicks, too. Arron Afflalo will be a nice two-way guard next to Carmelo Anthony, and Kyle O'Quinn fits perfectly within the Triangle attack. Taking a chance on Derrick Williams at $5 million isn't great, but this is such a better roster than what Knicks fans were forced to watch last season. Huge step forward. Grade: B+
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Orlando Magic |
Moore: They didn't do much, but they're banking on their young core. They kept their flexibility open and C.J. Watson will help them in the backcourt. Grade: C+
Harper: They gave out a big deal to Tobias Harris this summer, and they'll need him to show consistency as a 3-point shooter in order to justify the money. But he can be great in combination with Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic on the court. C.J. Watson is a stabilizing point guard for the second unit, and Jason Smith gives them a nice rotation big man to play some defense and give some hard fouls. You'd like one more shooter on the Magic, but perhaps they already have that with the drafting of Mario Hezonja. Grade: B+
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Philadelphia 76ers |
Moore: Come on, you know better. They didn't sign anyone, and they didn't try to sign anyone. They didn't want to sign anyone. They get a B based on them picking up another first-round pick they will inevitably use to sign someone who is either a. injured b. not available for several years in Europe or c. they will trade later. Grade: B
Harper: You can look at the Philadelphia 76ers only adding Jason Thompson, Nik Stauskas and Carl Landry as a minor trade that doesn't really do a lot for their direction, but they acquired draft pick considerations in the process while maintaining their flexibility for the future. They have a plan and they're sticking to it, so you have to grade them based on what they're trying to execute. Grade: B+
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Toronto Raptors |
Moore: They needed defense. Letting Lou Williams walk was a great move, as was letting go of Amir Johnson. DeMarre Carroll may have been an overpay, but he also could be a younger, more flexible offensively Trevor Ariza, and he does what they need. Cory Joseph was terrific last year for San Antonio for both ends, worth the gamble for the Raptors. Grade: B+
Harper: The Raptors became major players in free agency by getting DeMarre Carroll to sign with them on a big deal. Then they replaced the loss of Vasquez in the backcourt with Cory Joseph on a really nice contract. They added Luis Scola and Bismack Biyombo in the frontcourt. This is a team that needed improvement on defense, and have built a roster with more versatility and more defensive potential. Grade: A-
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Washington Wizards |
Moore: Losing Paul Pierce was not good. He gave them the dimension they needed. Signing Alan Anderson and Gary Neal does not make up for the confidence Pierce instilled in them. They have to hope Otto Porter Jr. is ready to make the jump. They can boost this by locking down Bradley Beal to an extension in the coming months. Grade: D+
Harper: Had the Wizards been able to grab David West on a minimum deal, they'd have had the best offseason. Instead, they just have to settle for very good. Losing the clutch Paul Pierce hurts the team, but they replaced him with Jared Dudley and Alan Anderson. Those are very solid replacements. Gary Neal isn't the backup point guard they need to supplant Ramon Sessions, but he gives them even more shooting from the perimeter. This team is very deep now, but could use another big man. Grade: A
