The NBA offseason is nearly done after two months, as teams wrap up their final trades and signings. It's time to assign grades to each NBA team, division-by-division, to see which teams aced the offseason and which needed some tutoring before making all their moves. Next up is the Northwest Division.
Players in: Russell Westbrook (G), Dario Sari c (F/C), Da'Ron Holmes II (C) | Players out: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (G), Reggie Jackson (G), Justin Holiday (G)
Denver stumbled in its title defense last season in part because of a lack of depth. That situation only got worse this summer as they lost starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic as a free agent, because the team was unwilling to pay the luxury tax involved with giving KCP a big raise. Caldwell-Pope shot over 40% from deep last season while acting as the team's top defensive stopper, huge for a team that was last in the NBA in three-point attempts. His replacement, Russell Westbrook, is only going to make that weakness worse.
The Nuggets added Dario Saric in part because first-round pick Da'Ron Holmes II tore his Achilles tendon in his first Summer League game. But with KCP, Justin Holiday and Reggie Jackson all departing, coach Michael Malone will be forced to rep ly on unproven young players like Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther. That's a dangerous gamble to make just to save money when Denver has reigning MVP Nikola Jokic still in his prime.
Players in: Rob Dillingham (G, No. 8 overall pick), Terrence Shannon Jr. (G, No. 27 overall pick), Joe Ingles (F) | Players out: Kyle Anderson (F), Monte Morris (G), Jordan McLaughlin
The Timberwolves went into the offseason extremely limited by their high payroll. They're above the second apron and also lack future first-round picks, thanks to the Rudy Gobert trade. Given their options, losing Kyle Anderson and Jordan McLaughlin was a foregone conclusion, but the Timberwolves made a creative and risky move to bring in Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, for a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap.
Dillingham and No. 27 pick Terrence Shannon provide upside, guard depth and cost-controlled salaries for the next few years. It's risky to sacrifice picks so far into the future, but for a team with championship aspirations, it's a worthwhile risk. Minnesota managed to keep their top seven players while adding two young scoring guards. The next step for the organization is agreeing to a new contract with team president Tim Connelly and signing Gobert to a cheaper long-term extension that would get the team out of second-apron hell.
Players in: Alex Caruso (G), Isaiah Hartenstein (C), Nikola Topic (G, No. 12 pick), Dillon Jones (F, No. 26 overall pick), Ajay Mitchell (G, No. 38 overall pick) | Players out: Josh Giddey (G), Gordon Hayward (F), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Oklahoma City had the best record in the Western Conference last season, then restocked their roster this summer without sacrificing any of its stash of future first-round picks. First, they traded 21-year-old Josh Giddey for All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso. The deal gave the Thunder another tenacious perimeter defender while moving on from extension-eligible Giddey, who was unhappy after falling out of the starting lineup in t he playoffs. Then, the Thunder landed Hartenstein from the New York Knicks, solving in one move their biggest issue: A lack of size and rebounding.
Even their little moves were smart. Nikola Topic fell to the No. 12 overall pick thanks to his torn ACL, but OKC is fine with him sitting out and rehabbing because they don't have playing time for him this season. Valuable rotation players Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins got long extensions, which both descend in value this year. That could make them huge bargains as the salary cap rises, as well as useful trade chips
Overall, the Thunder took a very good team and got better, while retaining all their trade ammunition to go star-hunting in the future. It was a great summer for them and a scary summer for the rest of the West.
Players in: Donovan Clingan (C, No. 7 overall pick), Deni Avdija (F), Devonte' Graham (G), Bryce McGowens (G) | Players out: Malcolm Brogdon (G)
After a blockbuster summer in 2023, when franchise player Damian Lillard and long-time center Jusuf Nurkic both left town, Portland had a quiet offseason this year. The main addition was 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan, a two-time national champion at UConn. Clingan looks to be their center of the future, potentially providing All-Defensive-level defense in the middle, along with monster screens and quality passing. Portland also traded Malcolm Brogdon and the No. 14 overall pick for 23-year-old Deni Avdija, signed to a very reasonable four-year deal for $55M.
Portland knows they're not going to be competiti ve in the upcoming season and clearly did not love its options picking at No. 14 overall in this year's draft. It's likely that incumbent center Deandre Ayton and guard Anfernee Simons will be made available at the trade deadline. What the Blazers can get in those trades and how well they can develop Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Clingan (who should help both greatly in the pick-and-roll) will determine what the next chapter of Portland basketball looks like.
Players in: Cody Williams (F, No. 10 overall pick), Isaiah Collier (G, No. 29 overall pick), Kyle Filipowski (C, No. 32 overall pick), Drew Eubanks (C), Svi Mykhailiuk (F) | Players out: Kris Dunn (G), Talen Horton-Tucker (G)
Utah's offseason was marked by patience. Patience in the form of waiting out offers for All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, before ultimately using their cap space to give him a massive five-year contract, including a big raise this year. They showed patience in taking Cody Williams at No. 10 and Isaiah Collier at No. 29, two 19-year-olds who had up-and-down seasons in their lone years of college basketball, but high-upside potential. The Jazz also pounced on Duke's Kyle Filipowski when he fell to the second round, betting that his ball skills make up for his lack of size in the post.
But the Jazz' moves also showed that the franchise still isn't trying to compete, in its third season since trading All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz got five first-round picks from the last two drafts and while any one of them could break out, none are particularly good NBA players now. But team president Danny Ainge has nothing but patience. The team will have to hope Jazz fans do, too.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver has voiced many reasons to delay expansion for the past few years. But the unspoken reason may be a simple one: leverage for new arenas. Two years ago, Silver told TNT that expansion had to wait until the league secured its new TV rights deal, which was finalized last July. But this summer, Silver said that expansion can't happen until the league resolves its issues with regional sports networks and local cable broadcasts. But one big reason that the NBA wants to wait are a number of unresolved arena situations. The New Orleans Pelicans' home arena, the Smoothie King Center, opened in 1999 and the team moved before the 2002-03 season. It's had minimal renovations since then, and the team's lease on the building only runs through 2029. In Minnesota, the Timberwolves play in the Target Center, an arena that opened in 1990, making it the NBA's second-oldest arena behind Madison Square Garden. It's had extensive renovations in 2004 and 2017, and the team's lease runs through 2035. New owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have called building a new arena a "necessity" while the Minnesota Wild are pushing for extensive upgrades to their own arena. The Portland Trail Blazers' Moda Center opened in 1995, and Silver told reporters in July that Portland "needs a new arena." Their situation is unique in that the city owns the Moda Center, and the team has a new owner, Tom Condon. While Seattle and Las Vegas have long been rumored as likely expansion cities, the NBA may think they're more valuable now as relocation threats, specifically for the Pelicans, who have ranked 24th, 27th, 25th and 24th in attendance the last four seasons. They also play in the NBA's second-smallest TV market, behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Not only could the Pelicans move, but owners could pocket a relocation fee. There's nothing to stop the NBA from expanding after the arena uncertainty is resolved and a team moves to Seattle or Vegas, perhaps choosing another location like Vancouver or Mexico City — then sharing massive expansion fees. The NBA is loaded with talent and ripe for expansion. But don't expect it to happen until the NBA tries to extort its existing cities for arena money.
The Washington Commanders have a potentially significant problem on special teams. During Saturday's 30-3 preseason Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, kicker Matt Gay missed a 53-yard field goal wide left at the end of Washington's first offensive possession. Gay finished the preseason 3-of-5 on field goal attempts. He also missed a 49-yarder wide left in preseason Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Gay's struggles continue the chaotic journey for the Commanders at kicker. Last season's Week 1 starter, Cade York, went 0-of-2 in the opener and was promptly released. His replacement, Austin Seibert, was in the midst of a fantastic season through Week 9, going 25-of-27 on field goals and 22-of-22 on extra points before missing two weeks with a hip injury. He was later placed on injured reserve after missing three kicks in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, including a would-be tying extra point following a wild 86-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining. Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph combined to go 7-of-10 on field goals the rest of the season, including each missing a 50-yard attempt. Overall, Commanders kickers struggled from long distance, with the four combining to go 2-of-8 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had a worse percentage (14.3%) on attempts of at least 50 yards, per Pro Football Reference data. Washington signed Gay to a one-year, $4.25M fully guaranteed contract in late April following the 2025 NFL Draft. Per CBS Sports, it's the largest guaranteed contract for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Last season while with the Indianapolis Colts, Gay was 3-of-9 on 50-yard field goals. The Commanders have the talent on offense to be one of the league's top scoring units, so they might not need to convert many tries from over 50 yards. Still, having a kicker who can reliably hit from that distance is an undeniable asset, particularly late in close games or on possessions that stall after crossing midfield. Washington largely has a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl. But following its final tune-up before the regular season, kicking is a notable flaw.
The Green Bay Packers are about to kick off their 2025 NFL regular season, so it feels like a good time for some of the players to look back at some of the key moments and experiences they’ve had in the offseason. For quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Luke Musgrave, the 2025 NFL offseason will always be one that they’ll cherish — and not just because of anything that’s football-related. Love and Musgrave both got married to their respective longtime girlfriends in the offseason. The signal-caller tied the knot with Ronika Stone in June, while Musgrave and Madi Weisner exchanged vows in July. Ronika Stone’s wedding lookback gets Green Bay tight end’s wife’s reactions Mrs. Love recently shared a post on Instagram that shows a series of snapshots from her wedding with the Packers’ signal caller. “Every detail was SPECTACULAR ,” Ronika wrote as a caption for the post. She clearly is still awed by how her wedding looked that day, with several beautiful flower arrangements adorning the special day. Ronika’s post drew plenty of comments, including one from Mrs. Musgrave, who wrote “UNREAL.” It’s great to see Packers players’ wives showing support for each other just as Love and Musgrave do on the field. For Musgrave, he is looking to have a big rebound in 2025 after only appearing in seven games and coming up with 45 receiving yards with zero touchdowns and only a couple of first downs on seven receptions and 10 targets. The Packers, who will play the Seattle Seahawks at home this Saturday for both teams’ 2025 NFL preseason finale, will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
There are high hopes for Green Bay Packer tight end Tucker Kraft to take another leap in the 2025 NFL season. After improving on his 2023 rookie numbers during the 2024 NFL season, Kraft appears to have the potential to be the first tight end ever in the history of the franchise to amass at least 1,000 yards. It remains to be seen whether he could live up those expectations, but off the field, the former South Dakota State Jackrabbis star tight has recently turned heads when he was honored with the 2025 community service award during Green Bay’s annual Green Bay Chamber of Commerce “Welcome Back Packers Luncheon” on Friday, according to Mike Spofford of the team’s official website. Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft’s charity gets appreciated Kraft earned the award for his charitable gestures in Wisconsin and back home in South Dakota. The 24-year-old tight end has been a supporter of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, a local nonprofit, which has helped give over a thousand toys to kids. After accepting the award, Kraft offered a short but meaningful speech. “Where you’re from can never set a limit on where you want to go,” Kraft said. Meanwhile, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shared a special message about his appreciation for Kraft. “It’s an honor to work with a guy like that each and every day,” LaFleur said. “To watch the maturity and growth, not only as a person but as a player … he does a great job representing what we want to be about with his actions on the field as well as off the field. “Tuck, we can’t have enough guys like you on our football team.”