Grading each NBA team's offseason

Additions : Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Omari Spellman, Jeremy Lin, Justin Anderson and Lloyd Pierce (head coach)

Subtractions:  Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala

New Hawks general manager (and former Warriors assistant GM) Travis Schlenk is clearly trying to replicate the Steph Curry-Klay Thompson-Draymond Green trio in Atlanta as seen by his Young-Huerter-Spellman draft picks. Unfortunately for Schlenk, his guys are all poor man's versions of the Warriors' Hall of Fame trifecta, and his vision may have caused him to pass on a potential superstar in Luka Doncic. 

Additions: Brad Wanamaker and Robert Williams (and Gordon Hayward, kind of)

Subtractions: None

The Celtics get an A for maintaining the status quo. Going into the offseason, they had possibly the second-best roster in the NBA, the best head coach and a treasure trove of assets. Danny Ainge did his due diligence on possible Kawhi Leonard deals, but he didn't get greedy and overpay with a Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Kyrie Irving, which could have sapped some of the team's impeccable chemistry. The Celtics will enter the 2018-19 season as an obvious Finals contender and the top trade destination for any superstar who begins to grow frustrated with his current franchise like Jimmy Butler or even Anthony Davis.

Additions: Jared Dudley, Kenneth Faried, Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier and Joe Harris (re-signed)

Subtractions: Jeremy Lin

Pretty ho-hum offseason for the Nets as they did what they could with the limited assets they have. They brought in a few solid veterans in Dudley, Faried and Davis along with future draft picks. The rebuild will continue another year until next summer, when the Nets finally have one of their own draft picks to use on a franchise cornerstone. 

Additions: Miles Bridges, Devonte' Graham and James Borrego (head coach)

Subtractions: Dwight Howard

Hornets fans were probably thrilled about this offseason... not. Instead of swinging for the fences in the draft when Michael Porter Jr. fell, they took Miles Bridges, who should be a good NBA player but doesn't have anywhere close to the ceiling Porter has. Instead of flipping Kemba Walker for some assets or using him to get off the Nicolas Batum contract, they stayed put and didn't make any moves. Finally, owner Michael Jordan capped off the summer by giving the blandest  response imaginable to the recent Donald Trump-LeBron James tweet. Hey, at least they got rid of Dwight Howard.

Additions: Wendell Carter Jr., Chandler Hutchison, Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine (re-signed)

Subtractions: None

The Bulls' summer started out hot when Carter Jr. flashed some future All-Defensive Team potential in the Summer League. Then it got a little weird when they matched the Kings' lucrative four-year/$78M offer sheet for LaVine and signed hometown native and self-admitted defense sieve Parker. Chicago now has an interesting mix of intriguing young offensive talents in Lauri Markkanen, Parker and LaVine and defensive stalwarts in Carter Jr. and Kris Dunn.

Additions: Collin Sexton, Sam Dekker and Kevin Love (extended)

Subtractions: LeBron James

It's tough to grade the Cavaliers this offseason. On paper, they went from a Finals contender to an eight seed. On the other hand, they drafted a promising, tenacious guard in Sexton and simultaneously did right by Love while also sneakily making him a more valuable trade piece by extending his contract. Earlier this week, they traded for Sam Dekker, who, along with Sexton and Cedi Osman, could provide the team with an impressive defensive line to rebuild around moving forward. 

Additions : DeAndre Jordan, Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Dirk Nowitzki (re-signed)

Subtractions: Seth Curry, Yogi Ferrell, Doug McDermott and Nerlens Noel

The Mavericks may have pulled off the often tried but rarely accomplished instant rebuild this summer as they drafted a potential franchise player in Doncic and signed a big man in Jordan, who immediately makes them an above-average defensive team. It's a little surprising the Mavericks didn't try to sign Clint Capela to a max offer sheet before they settled on a one-year deal with DJ, but landing him was important all the same. While they probably won't make the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference, they clearly felt like they owed it to Dirk Nowitzki to try.

Additions : Isaiah Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Nikola Jokic (extended) and Will Barton (re-signed)

Subtractions: Darrell Arthur, Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried

The Nuggets solidified their young core this summer by extending Jokic and re-signing Barton while simultaneously taking low-risk, high-reward gambles on Thomas and Porter Jr. They also cleared out some of the logjam they had at forward by trading Arthur, Chandler and Faried. Many analysts expect the Jazz and Lakers to make leaps in the standings, but don't be shocked if the Nuggets are battling for home court in the first round by the time April rolls around.

Additions : Glenn Robinson III, Khyri Thomas, Bruce Brown and Dwane Casey (head coach)

Subtractions : Anthony Tolliver

Note to NBA owners: This is what happens when you give someone dual roles as head coach and team president. Head coach Stan Van Gundy was decent at his job; team president Stan Van Gundy was awful at his job. That's how you end up having an offseason in which your top roster personnel move was signing Glenn Robinson III. Expect a roster blowup in the Pistons' near future.

Additions : DeMarcus Cousins, Jonas Jerebko, Jacob Evans and Kevin Durant (re-signed)

Subtractions: JaVale McGee

Not much to say about the Warriors except that they are, in fact, light-years ahead of the rest of the league. Fortune favors those who are prepared, and the Warriors were prepared to act quickly when "Boogie" Cousins reached out to them this summer.

Additions : James Ennis III, Carmelo Anthony, De'Anthony Melton, Chris Paul (re-signed), Clint Capela (re-signed) and Gerald Green (re-signed)

Subtractions : Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute

Houston had to re-sign CP3 and Capela this offseason. The Rockets overpaid for Paul, and they struck a fair deal with Capela. Ariza was gone unless he was willing to take a steep discount, so that move can't be criticized. Opting to pursue Melo over Mbah a Moute, however, was a bold choice and definitely fit general manager Daryl Morey's "we might have to up our risk profile" sentiment from last summer. Unless Anthony is willing to change his game and attitude to be a complementary player, it will have been the wrong choice.

Additions: Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, Kyle O'Quinn and Aaron Holiday

Subtractions: Al Jefferson, Glenn Robinson III and Lance Stephenson

Earlier this week, JJ Redick let his listeners know that he was close to signing with the Pacers this offseason until the 76ers upped their offer at the last minute. It's a shame the Pacers weren't able to steal Redick instead of signing McDermott, who is half the player Redick is and probably is being overvalued by Indiana. The Evans, O'Quinn and Holiday pickups were all nice moves in a vacuum but seem a little redundant with the strengths of the roster. It was an interesting offseason for one of the sleeper teams in the Eastern Conference.

Additions : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Marcin Gortat, Avery Bradley (re-signed) and Montrezl Harrell (re-signed)

Subtractions: DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers

It's been a busy summer for the Clippers. They drafted their future backcourt in the lottery but surprised many by taking Robinson with one of those picks. They also made a couple of sneaky-good signings with Harrell and Mbah a Moute, but they oddly decided to retain Bradley and add him to an already congested backcourt. The post-Lob City Clippers will be pesky but probably not pesky enough to crack the top 10 in the West.

Additions : LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (re-signed)

Subtractions: Julius Randle, Brook Lopez and Isaiah Thomas

Let's make one thing abundantly clear: If a team signs the best player on the planet, it gets an A. Period. End of story. Could the Lakers have used the rest of their cap room to sign better shooters? Probably. It doesn't matter though because they signed a one-man walking title contender in LeBron, who, just a few short months ago, put together the greatest stretch of basketball anyone has ever seen. The Lakers could have signed Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal out of retirement, and they'd still be getting an A this offseason.

Additions : Jaren Jackson Jr., Jevon Carter, Kyle Anderson, Garrett Temple and J.B. Bickerstaff (head coach)

Subtractions: Tyreke Evans

Judging by the Summer League (a dangerous proposition), the Grizzlies knocked it out of the park by drafting Jackson and Carter. Jackson in particular appears to be a high-upside prospect who can still contribute immediately to a team fighting for a spot in the playoffs. On the other hand, the Bickerstaff hiring and Anderson trade raised some eyebrows. In the end, the Grizzlies' fortunes will continue to be directly tied to Mike Conley's health next season.

Additions : Wayne Ellington (re-signed) and Derrick Jones Jr. (re-signed)

Subtractions: None

Pat Riley has to be working some angle, right? Ellington was a smart re-signing, and Dwyane Wade will probably follow suit, but it's been a couple of eerily quiet summers in a row in South Beach. Something is bound to change. Which potentially available star does Riley have his eyes on? Jimmy Butler? Bradley Beal? Kevin Love?

Additions : Donte DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, Ersan Ilyasova, Brook Lopez and Mike Budenholzer (head coach)

Subtractions: Jabari Parker

The Bucks smartly made shooting their top priority this offseason. Also smart: hiring an innovative coach in Budenholzer. The Ilyasova signing was an overpay, but the Lopez signing was a steal, so those even out. If Delaware's MJ (DiVincenzo) pans out, this summer should go a long way toward convincing Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay with Milwaukee for the majority of his prime.

Additions : Josh Okogie, Keita Bates-Diop, Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Rose (re-signed)

Subtractions : Nemanja Bjelica

Here's a hot take: The T'Wolves permanently stunted the growth of their Jimmy Butler-Karl-Anthony Towns-Andrew Wiggins core by not firing Tom Thibodeau this offseason. The notoriously stubborn Thibs has run Towns and Wiggins into the ground the past few seasons and altered the young team's natural pecking order by bringing in the hard-driving Butler last summer and handing him the keys to the team. Now the team's head coach and best player (Butler) are at odds with the guy they should be building their franchise around (Towns). Smash the under on these T'Wolves in 2018-19.

Additions: Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton and Ian Clark (re-signed)

Subtractions: DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo

Sure, the Pelicans lost an All-Star in "Boogie" Cousins, but let's be real: He is coming off a torn Achilles, and Randle will be a much more impactful player this season. And while Payton is a poor man's Rondo on offense, he's a better defender and should be playing with a major chip on his shoulder after being dismissed from the Magic and Suns. It was a good, not great offseason for the Pelicans.

Additions : Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Mario Hezonja and David Fizdale (head coach)

Subtractions: Michael Beasley and Kyle O'Quinn 

Despite the boos on draft night, the Knicks may have landed the best player in this rookie class in Knox. They also may have drafted the steal of the second round with the ultra-raw, tantalizingly talented Robinson. "May haves" and Mario Hezonja top out at B+ for the summer.

Additions : Dennis Schroder, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Nerlens Noel, Paul George (re-signed), Jerami Grant (re-signed) and Raymond Felton (re-signed) 

Subtractions: Carmelo Anthony

What all did the Thunder accomplish this offseason? First, they shocked the world by re-signing Paul George to a four-year deal. Second, they addressed their frontcourt depth by re-signing Grant and taking a flier on Noel. Then, they somehow convinced the Hawks to swap Carmelo Anthony's dead salary for a talented point guard in his 20s. Every time people doubt Sam Presti, he delivers. 

Additions : Mo Bamba, Aaron Gordon (re-signed) and Steve Clifford (head coach)

Subtractions: Mario Hezonja

If it weren't for their quest to build the most elastic, athletically imposing frontline in NBA history, the Magic might as well be relegated to the G League. Re-signing Gordon was a must, as was drafting a player with All-NBA level potential like Bamba. The Magic could have really started to turn things around if they'd been able to find a point guard this summer. But alas, they're the Magic, so a B- was probably better than most of their fans expected heading into this offseason.

Additions: Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet and JJ Redick (re-signed)

Subtractions : Justin Anderson, Marco Belinelli, Richaun Holmes, Ersan Ilyasova and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot

The 76ers went into the offseason with a whole lot of cap space and some decent draft picks — and came away with Redick, Smith and a "meeting" with LeBron James' people that they can brag about to their friends. While maintaining the status quo wasn't a complete failure, they took a big risk by trading an immediate contributor in Mikal Bridges for a riskier (and now-injured) project in Smith. The Shamet pick was puzzling as well. All that being said, if Markelle Fultz's jump shot is fixed, none of this nitpicking will matter in the grand scheme of things.

Additions : DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo, Trevor Ariza, Devin Booker (extended) and Igor Kokoskov (head coach)

Subtractions: Jared Dudley, Alex Len, Elfrid Payton and Tyler Ulis

The summer of 2018 was all about the future in Phoenix. The Suns drafted a seven-foot man-child who could be the second coming of Patrick Ewing (Ayton). They re-signed a 21-year-old potential superstar to a max extension (Booker). While they did add one veteran (Ariza), they only did so after drafting the next Trevor Ariza (Bridges). Finally, they hired the first coach to ever be born and raised outside the United States (Kokoskov). For the first time since the Steve Nash era, the Suns have direction as a franchise.

Additions: Seth Curry, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic (re-signed)

Subtractions: Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier

The Blazers are the epicenter of everything that was wrong with the NBA in the summer of 2016 . An unprecedented cap spike led to the likes of Evan Turner getting a four-year/$70M deal, Allen Crabbe getting a four-year/$75M deal and Meyers Leonard getting a four-year/$41M deal, all with the Blazers. Now the team has no money to spend and no wiggle room to get out of bad deals. Nurkic and Curry were OK signings, but this team is a bad November/December stretch away from having Damian Lillard and/or CJ McCollum demand a trade.

Additions: Marvin Bagley III, Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell

Subtractions: Garrett Temple

Marvin Bagley III will eventually be good — at getting stats on a bad team. Whether he becomes an impactful player in the NBA will depend on whether he improves his defense and post game. Bjelica and Ferrell were decent steals late in free agency, but this team will rue the summer it passed on Luka Doncic. 

Additions : DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker IV, Marco Belinelli and Rudy Gay (re-signed)

Subtractions: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Tony Parker and Kyle Anderson

The Spurs are a bizarre team to grade. On one hand, they traded a top-five player in the NBA for about 75 cents on the dollar. On the other hand, Kawhi Leonard basically didn't play at all last season, so getting an All-Star (DeRozan) and a decent young big man (Poeltl) back for him was a decent return and should improve the team. They also had an uber-talented guard fall to them in the draft (Walker IV) but then curiously signed Belinelli to play in front of him. If there's one coach who can sort all of this out, it's Gregg Popovich.

Additions: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Fred VanVleet (re-signed) and Nick Nurse (head coach)

Subtractions: DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl

Kudos to Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri for capitalizing on an opportunity to change the trajectory of his team. With Leonard headlining what should be a devastating defense, the Raptors have ascended from pseudo-contender to contender in the Eastern Conference. The VanVleet signing was also a smart decision. (Kyle Lowry better show up in shape this season, or he'll have a new home by February.) The only potential criticism of Toronto's summer would be the promotion of the relatively unknown Nick Nurse, who now inherits a team with a one-year window to compete for a title.

Additions : Grayson Allen, Derrick Favors (re-signed) and Dante Exum (re-signed)

Subtractions: Jonas Jerebko

After some early-season struggles, the Jazz finished last season as one of the better teams in the NBA. Instead of getting cute and tweaking their roster, they chose to essentially "run it back" by re-signing Favors and Exum. While both deals were a little more player-friendly than the market indicated up to that point, it's tough to place a quantity on the benefits of chemistry and continuity with a maturing team like the Jazz. Finally, Allen could develop into a Donovan Mitchell-lite off the bench and will be an immediate fan favorite given the demographic of Salt Lake City.

Additions: Dwight Howard, Austin Rivers, Jeff Green and Troy Brown

Subtractions: Marcin Gortat and Mike Scott's emoji tattoos 

The good? The Wizards got rid of Gortat, who butted heads with John Wall and developed into a malcontent. The bad? The Wizards replaced Gortat with the ultimate team cancer: Dwight Howard. The ugly? John Wall's Olympic profile picture. (Maybe next time, take the profile picture before you go on a Vegas bender, John.) All in all, it was a bizarre offseason for the Wiz as their main acquisitions are some of the most infuriating players to root for in the NBA. Their roster is so crazy that it just might work — but probably not.