With nearly all the top free agents on the market signed, the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas concluded, and teams shifting to prepare for training camp, it's time to take a look back at what each team did this summer. Starting Tuesday with the Eastern Conference and wrapping up today with the West, I'm grading all 30 teams on their offseasons. And fortunately for them, I'm an easier grader than L.A. Clippers guard J.J. Redick.
Dallas Mavericks
Added: Justin Anderson (draft), Jose Barea (re-signed), Wesley Matthews (FA), Zaza Pachulia (trade), Deron Williams (FA)
Lost: Al-Farouq Aminu (FA), Tyson Chandler (FA), Monta Ellis (FA), Richard Jefferson (FA), Rajon Rondo (FA), Amar'e Stoudemire (FA)
Grade: D
Nobody's had a harder-luck offseason than the Mavericks, who thought they had landed one of free agency's biggest prizes, DeAndre Jordan, only to see Jordan change his mind at the last minute. Dallas was able to regroup by dealing almost nothing of value to get Pachulia and signing Williams for a fraction of what he had been making with the Brooklyn Nets. However, giving more money to Matthews (who got the maximum $70 million over four years despite the ruptured Achilles he suffered in March) and Barea (whose deal swelled from less than $6 million for two years to $16 million over four) compounded the loss of Jordan. The Mavericks haven't built a certain playoff team for next season, and they're in worse position to chase top free agents next summer because of the money they spent on Barea and Matthews.
Denver Nuggets
Added: Will Barton (re-signed), Joey Dorsey (trade), Nick Johnson (trade), Nikola Jokic (draft rights), Emmanuel Mudiay (draft), Jameer Nelson (re-signed)
Lost: Ty Lawson (trade)
Grade: B+
While the Nuggets will bring back a relatively similar cast, they've made an important change at point guard. Denver was in position to scoop up Mudiay when he fell to seventh in the draft, and he looks like a steal after a promising performance at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Mudiay's presence enabled the Nuggets to deal Lawson to the Houston Rockets, albeit surely for less in return than they hoped before Lawson's latest arrest on DUI charges. The team used its cap space in part to renegotiate the contracts of veteran forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, signing them to extensions that keep them out of free agency next summer. Denver also hired Michael Malone as head coach, getting a good defensive coach who might not be an ideal fit at altitude.
Golden State Warriors
Added: Leandro Barbosa (re-signed), Draymond Green (re-signed), Kevon Looney (draft)
Lost: Justin Holiday (FA), David Lee
Grade: A
The reigning champs quickly took care of business, re-signing Green to a discounted five-year deal worth less than the max. The Warriors also brought back Barbosa on a one-year deal, ensuring that at least 12 of the 15 players from last season's roster will be back. The one key exception is Lee, traded in a deal that will save Golden State millions in luxury-tax payments and give him more chance to play. Sending Lee to the Boston Celtics enabled the Warriors to hang on to their first-round pick and take Looney, a worthy project for the 30th pick.
Houston Rockets
Added: Patrick Beverley (re-signed), Corey Brewer (re-signed), Sam Dekker (draft), Ty Lawson (trade), Marcus Thornton (FA)
Lost: Joey Dorsey (trade), Nick Johnson (trade), Pablo Prigioni (trade), Josh Smith (FA)
Grade: A
By dealing for Lawson, the Rockets were able to fill their biggest need (a more creative playmaker at point guard) without surrendering any rotation players. Having young forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas healthy should mitigate the loss of Smith, and saving the midlevel exception allowed Houston to re-sign K.J. McDaniels to a reasonable three-year, $10 million deal. The Rockets also brought back Beverley and Brewer, getting an excellent deal on the former (four years, $23 million) but paying handsomely for the latter (three years, $23 million-plus).
Los Angeles Clippers
Added: Cole Aldrich (FA), Wesley Johnson (FA), DeAndre Jordan (re-signed), Paul Pierce (FA), Austin Rivers (re-signed), Josh Smith (FA), Lance Stephenson (trade)
Lost: Matt Barnes (trade), Spencer Hawes (trade)
Grade: A
Jordan's change of heart took the Clippers from offseason losers to big winners. Now they return their core intact along with what figures to be a deeper bench. Both Pierce and Smith agreed to take less money to come to L.A., giving Doc Rivers intriguing small-ball options and helping the Clippers replace the departed Barnes. If they get the Indiana version of Stephenson, these could be the best Clippers yet.
Los Angeles Lakers
Added: Brandon Bass (FA), Anthony Brown (draft), Roy Hibbert (trade), Larry Nance Jr. (draft), D'Angelo Russell (draft), Lou Williams (FA)
Lost: Ed Davis (FA), Wayne Ellington (FA), Jordan Hill (FA), Wesley Johnson (FA), Jeremy Lin (FA)
Grade: B
After striking out with the top free agents on the market, the Lakers regrouped by preserving their flexibility at another run at free agency next summer. L.A. did sign Bass (two years, $6.1 million) and Williams (three years, $21 million) to modest long-term deals, but most of the Lakers' cap space went to acquiring Hibbert's expiring contract. Adding Hibbert means the Lakers should be more competitive this season. The more important element for their future is the development of Russell and fellow rookies Brown and Nance.
Memphis Grizzlies
Added: Matt Barnes (trade), Marc Gasol (re-signed), Jarell Martin (draft), Brandan Wright (FA)
Lost: Kosta Koufos (FA), Jon Leuer (trade)
Grade: A-
The Grizzlies quietly had a strong summer, nailing the handful of transactions they made involving veteran players. A series of trades landed Memphis another wing option, Barnes, on a team-friendly $3.5 million contract for 2015-16. The Grizzlies also nabbed high-percentage finisher Wright as a replacement for Koufos, who was out of the team's budget. Most importantly, Memphis brought Gasol back on a new five-year deal to keep the team's core intact. My only small quibble was with the Grizzlies adding Martin and Andrew Harrison via the draft. Neither player fared well in my draft projections.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Added: Nemanja Bjelica (draft rights), Kevin Garnett (re-signed), Tyus Jones (draft), Damjan Rudez (trade), Karl-Anthony Towns (draft)
Lost: Chase Budinger (trade), Gary Neal (FA)
Grade: B+
The highlight of the Timberwolves' offseason was draft night, when they selected Towns with the No. 1 overall pick and traded back into the first round to end Jones' slide down the draft board. The two rookies add to Minnesota's growing young core. The Timberwolves' big addition in free agency was Serbian combo forward Nemanja Bjelica, the reigning Euroleague MVP whose rights had been held by Minnesota since 2010. Besides that, the Timberwolves gave Garnett a generous two-year, $16 million contract to finish his career in Minnesota and swapped Budinger for Rudez to save some money.
New Orleans Pelicans
Added: Alexis Ajinca (re-signed), Omer Asik (re-signed), Luke Babbitt (re-signed), Dante Cunningham (re-signed), Alonzo Gee (FA)
Lost: None
Grade: B-
The Pelicans are counting on internal development and a coaching change to carry them forward next season. New Orleans will bring back virtually the same cast, having re-signed four free agents. Asik's five-year, $53 million contract (with about $44 million guaranteed) means that the Pelicans will continue to play a traditional frontcourt with star Anthony Davis -- who inked a five-year maximum contract extension beginning in 2016-17 -- at power forward. It's up to new head coach Alvin Gentry to highlight Davis' versatility and new assistant coach Darren Erman to improve New Orleans at the defensive end.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Added: Enes Kanter (re-signed), Cameron Payne (draft), Kyle Singler (re-signed)
Lost: Perry Jones (trade), Jeremy Lamb (trade)
Grade: B
The Thunder did most of their offseason work early, adding four rotation players (Kanter, Singler, D.J. Augustin and Dion Waiters) in a pair of trades last season. Oklahoma City's biggest personnel moves were re-signing Kanter and Singler, which pushed the Thunder into the luxury tax. Based on Kanter's past performance, particularly defensively, a four-year deal for the maximum $70 million looks like an overpay. But Oklahoma City couldn't create cap space to replace Kanter, and the Thunder can reasonably expect improvement from the 23-year-old in their system. Oklahoma City's biggest move came on the sidelines, where former Florida coach Billy Donovan will look to translate his NCAA success to the pro game as Scott Brooks' replacement.
Phoenix Suns
Added: Devin Booker (draft), Tyson Chandler (FA), Brandon Knight (re-signed), Jon Leuer (trade), Ronnie Price (FA), Mirza Teletovic (FA), Sonny Weems (FA)
Lost: Gerald Green (FA), Marcus Morris (trade), Brandan Wright (FA)
Grade: B
Phoenix's big addition was Tyson Chandler, signed for $52 million over four years. That's a risk given Chandler's age and up-and-down career, but he'll be a major upgrade defensively, and if anyone can keep him on the court as he advances into his mid-30s, it's Phoenix's highly regarded athletic training staff. Chandler's presence wasn't enough to lure Aldridge, and the Suns might not have traded Marcus Morris if they knew Aldridge would go elsewhere. Still, the Suns were able to use Morris' salary to sign Teletovic as a replacement and keep their cap clear for a run at Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.
Portland Trail Blazers
Added: Al-Farouq Aminu (FA), Pat Connaughton (draft), Ed Davis (FA), Gerald Henderson (trade), Luis Montero (FA), Mason Plumlee (trade), Noah Vonleh (trade)
Lost: Wesley Matthews,Arron Afflalo (FA), LaMarcus Aldridge (FA), Nicolas Batum (trade), Steve Blake (trade), Robin Lopez (FA)
Grade: B-
Nobody suffered a greater talent drain this summer than Portland, which lost four of five starters between free agency and trades. Yet once Aldridge's departure became inevitable, a change of direction was the right move for the Blazers, who would have struggled to compete in the West without their star. By pivoting quickly, the Blazers positioned themselves to rebuild around point guard Damian Lillard, who signed a five-year extension that will kick in during the 2016-17 season. Aminu and Davis figure to prove good values as the cap rises, and Vonleh has the chance to be Aldridge's long-term replacement at power forward.
Sacramento Kings
Added: Quincy Acy (FA), James Anderson (FA), Marco Belinelli (FA), Omri Casspi (re-signed), Willie Cauley-Stein (draft), Kosta Koufos (FA), Rajon Rondo (FA)
Lost: Carl Landry (trade), Ray McCallum (trade), Nik Stauskas (trade), Jason Thompson (trade), Derrick Williams (FA)
Grade: D
Since they used their cap space to sign genuine NBA players, the Kings have been mostly absolved for trading Stauskas, a future first-round pick and the rights to swap picks the next two years with the Philadelphia 76ers to shed the salaries of Landry and Thompson. However, I'm not sure the deal looks much better with age, especially now that it's been reported by cap guru Larry Coon that the top-10 protection on the pick headed to Philadelphia expires in 2019, potentially giving the Sixers an unprotected pick. That's a high price to pay to build what doesn't look like a playoff team in the present. Rondo's one-year contract is relatively low-risk, but also low-reward since if he does unexpectedly rebound he can get market value as a free agent next summer. Of the group, only Koufos looks like a particularly good value, and his natural position (center) is the same as star DeMarcus Cousins and lottery pick Cauley-Stein.
San Antonio Spurs
Added: LaMarcus Aldridge (FA), Matt Bonner (re-signed), Tim Duncan (re-signed), Danny Green (re-signed), Kawhi Leonard (re-signed), Boban Marjanovic (FA), Ray McCallum (trade), Jonathon Simmons (FA), David West (FA)
Lost: Aron Baynes (FA), Marco Belinelli (FA), Cory Joseph (FA), Tiago Splitter (trade)
Grade: A+
While it might not translate into a championship this season, there's no doubt the Spurs won the offseason. It's not just that they added Aldridge, the most prominent free agent to change teams. It's that San Antonio managed to clear enough space for Aldridge's max salary while shedding just one starter, Splitter. Duncan's and Manu Ginobili's massive pay cuts allowed the Spurs to return six of their top seven players. And they started to rebuild their depth; West agreed to play for the veteran's minimum, and the Spurs took low-cost gambles on younger players like Marjanovic, McCallum and Simmons to fill out the bench. As if that wasn't enough, Green and Leonard also agreed to new long-term contracts that figure to be two of the summer's best.
Utah Jazz
Added: Joe Ingles (re-signed), Trey Lyles (draft), Raul Neto (draft rights), Tibor Pleiss (draft rights)
Lost: Jeremy Evans
Grade: B
As the rest of the league busied itself with free agency, the Jazz mostly sat back and watched. Utah did re-sign Ingles and brought over Neto and Pleiss on cheap contracts, but lost only one player (forward Jeremy Evans, who has reportedly agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks). The Jazz missed an opportunity to use cap space to lock up Evans on an affordable long-term deal. But as the front office assessed the young talent on hand, priorities other than Evans emerged.