Which NBA teams had the best offseasons?
With the bulk of this summer's moves in the book, we'll be grading each team based on the results of the draft, free agency, trades and, in some cases, coaching changes.
Because not all teams had the same ability to improve coming into the offseason, these grades are based on how well teams utilized their cap space and draft picks rather than just on which teams did the most to improve. They also balance short-term and long-term goals, so as to reward teams that aren't focused on putting together the best possible roster for the upcoming season.
With that context in mind, let's grade the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta Hawks: C-
Strong drafting has put the Hawks in position to build around a young core of Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter. Though this offseason hasn't changed that fact, Atlanta doesn't appear to have maximized its resources after adding a pair of first-round picks in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets that set up Brooklyn's second max spot for free agency.
The Hawks' key move was using two of their three first-round picks to trade up to No. 4 overall and take Virginia forward De'Andre Hunter, who rated outside the top-10 prospects by all three ESPN-related stat-based draft projections. Trading up generally yields poor value, and in a draft with little consensus outside the top three, Atlanta had better be right about Hunter.
Swapping Kent Bazemore for Evan Turner was tough to rationalize as more than a favor to Bazemore; the Hawks might have been better off buying out Bazemore and signing a backup point guard in free agency.
Atlanta still has about $7 million in cap space after signing Jabari Parker to a two-year, $13 million deal. We'll see what that might yield by the trade deadline with every other team operating over the cap.
Boston Celtics: B-
While adding Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter couldn't possibly have been the Celtics' Plan A at the start of the offseason, landing an All-NBA third-team pick was a solid save for a summer that began with visions of pairing Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
The Celtics couldn't control Irving's wandering eye, but they chose this outcome (using cap space) over attempting to re-sign Al Horford and Terry Rozier using their Bird rights. Given the price Rozier commanded, that was probably the right call.
Boston has a better chance of cobbling together an effective center rotation on the cheap than finding a quality point guard for less than the max. However, I probably would have preferred another center available with the room midlevel exception like Ed Davis to Kanter.
Brooklyn Nets: A-
It's not just that the Nets landed two of the top free agents on the market in Irving and Kevin Durant that yields a top grade. It's also the way the Nets positioned themselves to add two max players while sacrificing relatively little from their roster. Brooklyn brings back four of the six players who played at least 100 minutes in the 2019 playoffs.
The Nets did have to give up two first-round picks to clear Allen Crabbe's salary, but they also brought back likely starter Taurean Prince in the trade. From there, they landed Durant via a creative sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors that yielded a possible 2020 first-round pick and preserved cap room to sign DeAndre Jordan to a four-year, $40 million deal that helped sell his friend Durant on Brooklyn.
With Durant likely to miss the 2019-20 season, the Nets are unlikely to take a step forward this season. By 2020-21, however, Brooklyn should be a contender in the East.
Charlotte Hornets: F
It's understandable that the Hornets didn't want to commit supermax (or even regular max) money over the next five years for Walker, who would have been 33 in the last year of that contract. It's far less understandable that Charlotte preferred to pay $19 million a year to Rozier, who has yet to score with anything approaching league-average efficiency in four NBA seasons. (His career-best true shooting percentage was 52.0 in 2017-18; league average is around 56.0.) Of course, the original sin was holding on to Walker rather than getting value for him before the trade deadline.
The Hornets also watched as their second-leading scorer, Jeremy Lamb, left for one of the summer's more reasonable contracts (three years, $31.5 million) and will replace him with less efficient 2017 lottery pick Malik Monk. The result will likely be one of the NBA's worst offenses next season and a roster that provides little long-term hope.
Chicago Bulls: B
A solid offseason has the Bulls in position to contend for a playoff berth after winning just 22 games last season. Chicago's makeover started at the trade deadline, when the Bulls swapped two expiring contracts for forward Otto Porter Jr., using their cap space on Porter rather than free agency -- a reasonable choice. The rest of Chicago's room went to forward Thaddeus Young (three years, up to $44.6 million with $32.4 million guaranteed) and a sign-and-trade for guard Tomas Satoransky (on a three-year, $30 million contract with $25 million guaranteed).
Between Satoransky and lottery pick Coby White, the Bulls should find a long-term solution at point guard after Kris Dunn proved lacking. Chicago has a promising starter, age 26 or younger, at every other position and credible depth with this summer's additions and the return of wing Denzel Valentine. Though the Bulls are still relying on internal development to produce a star player, they're heading in the right direction.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B
Along with the 54-win Denver Nuggets, the Cavaliers are one of two teams yet to sign a single free agent this offseason. In Cleveland's case, the inactivity is mostly about a roster that is largely full thanks to a mix of expiring contracts for veterans (the Cavaliers have five such players making more than $9 million in 2019-20) and young players on their first NBA contracts.
The bulk of Cleveland's work came in the draft, when the Cavaliers took Darius Garland at No. 5 and Dylan Windler at No. 26 and packaged four second-round picks and a record $5 million cash to take Kevin Porter Jr. with the last pick of the first round. The three rookies provide more of the shooting necessary for new coach John Beilein's system.
Cleveland also spent several weeks shopping J.R. Smith's partially guaranteed contract before deciding to waive him to get under the luxury-tax threshold.
Detroit Pistons: B
Until Reggie Jackson's $18.1 million salary comes off the books next summer, the Pistons are operating under a strict budget, and within those confines they made reasonable moves to stay in the playoffs. Detroit's biggest signing was Derrick Rose, who will replace Ish Smith as a backup to Jackson -- and possible late-game replacement. If Rose can maintain last season's newfound 3-point accuracy (37%), he'll probably be an upgrade on Smith.
On the wing, the Pistons added Tony Snell in a swap for Jon Leuer that also brought a first-round pick they flipped for cash and future second-rounders. And up front, Detroit went bargain shopping for Markieff Morris on a two-year, $6.6 million deal.
Quietly, the Pistons also nabbed Christian Wood off the waiver wire. Wood, who averaged 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight late-season games in New Orleans, might prove Detroit's best backup for Andre Drummond.
Indiana Pacers: B+
Facing a challenging offseason with four of the team's starters in the 2019 playoffs hitting free agency, the Pacers made moves to maintain and possibly improve their depth. Indiana's big move was a sign-and-trade for guard Malcolm Brogdon, and while I didn't love that the Pacers gave up a first-round pick for the right to sign Brogdon to a deal (four years, $85 million) the Milwaukee Bucks were unlikely to match, Brogdon does look like a nice fit next with a healthy Victor Oladipo in the Indiana backcourt.
Elsewhere, the Pacers bargain-shopped. They got three future second-round picks while taking on T.J. Warren's modest contract, grabbed Lamb for $10.5 million a year and backup point guard T.J. McConnell on a two-year, $7 million deal. By waiting out the market, Indiana also snapped up the last remaining quality rotation player in wing Justin Holiday.
The Pacers are still depending on Oladipo's return at close to full strength for shot creation, but they've given Nate McMillan plenty of options in Oladipo's absence.
Miami Heat: B
Starting out in the luxury tax, the Heat managed to pull off adding one of the top free agents on the market in Jimmy Butler via a sign-and-trade that cost them leading scorer Josh Richardson, Hassan Whiteside and a first-round pick. Butler increases Miami's ceiling, and the Heat can now reasonably aspire to reach the wide-open second tier of Eastern Conference contenders after missing the playoffs last season.
The deal did come at a cost to Miami's depth. Of the seven Heat players who logged more than 1,200 minutes last season, just three -- Bam Adebayo, Kelly Olynyk and Justise Winslow -- will return. So Miami is counting on healthy comebacks from veterans Goran Dragic, James Johnson and Dion Waiters, who combined to miss 102 games due to injuries in 2018-19.
Milwaukee Bucks: B+
Despite the loss of Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic, who returned to Spain rather than pursue a lucrative NBA offer, the Bucks have maintained and possibly even strengthened their depth with a series of savvy wing signings. By waiving Jon Leuer and stretching his salary, Milwaukee created enough cap space to re-sign both starting center Brook Lopez (four years, $52 million) and key reserve guard George Hill (three years, $29 million with $20 million guaranteed).
The Bucks got more mileage out of the minimum market than any other team, nabbing both Wisconsin native Wesley Matthews -- a starter last year in Indiana who could replace Brogdon -- and veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver. The result is enviable wing depth for Mike Budenholzer, who should again be able to manage minutes during the regular season. The newcomers will play alongside and behind All-Star Khris Middleton, who returned at a slight discount from the max on a five-year, $178 million contract.
New York Knicks: D
First, the good news: The Knicks avoided bad, long-term contracts like Phil Jackson handed out the last time New York failed to land stars with max-level cap space. Aside from Julius Randle, who got a three-year deal, the Knicks guaranteed just $4 million in 2020-21 salary to the other six free agents they signed. As a result, New York can clear max-level cap space next summer and will have massive cap room again in the summer of 2021 when Randle's contract is $4 million guaranteed.
Still, the Knicks missed opportunities to add future draft picks by renting out their cap space. Either Maurice Harkless or Andre Iguodala (or both) would have served the same purpose as the free agents New York signed while also coming with first-round picks. For now, the Knicks are counting on trading their free agents before the deadline to return any future value.
Ultimately, the bigger factor in New York's long-term plans will be the development of No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, who improved after a shaky debut at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. The Knicks need Barrett or one of their other young prospects to break through to help attract veteran stars in free agency.
Orlando Magic: C
Orlando's main priority this summer was re-signing free agents Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic. The Magic got both back on Day 1 -- Vucevic for $100 million over four years and Ross for $50 million over four years with an additional $4 million in incentives.
It was surprising when Orlando also used the entirety of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception to sign Al-Farouq Aminu to a three-year, $29 million deal. While Aminu is a solid value, he doesn't fill a clear need for the Magic and required the team to stretch the salary of center Timofey Mozgov to re-sign backup center Khem Birch without exceeding its hard cap.
As it is, Orlando could go into the luxury tax if Ross achieves his incentives, though the Magic will be able to plan for that and make moves before the deadline to avoid it. Aminu also seems to overlap with Chuma Okeke, the Auburn forward Orlando took in the first round who is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in the NCAA tournament.
Philadelphia 76ers: B
Despite giving the eventual champion Toronto Raptors their toughest test during the 2019 playoffs, the Sixers still made over their starting lineup during an eventful first 24 hours of free agency.
Philadelphia brought back forward Tobias Harris, who took less than his maximum salary on a five-year deal worth $180 million. But the 76ers let starting guard JJ Redick walk and agreed to a sign-and-trade sending Butler to Miami in exchange for the cheaper, younger Josh Richardson. Philadelphia then used that cap space on a four-year, $109 million deal for Al Horford with $97 million guaranteed.
The result is a bigger Sixers team that has more options to replace Joel Embiid with the addition of Horford. The team's first option late in games remains a question mark, along with the second unit. Philadelphia has rebuilt the bench on the cheap, bringing back Mike Scott using the room midlevel exception and signing James Ennis III, Furkan Korkmaz, Raul Neto and Kyle O'Quinn to minimum-salary deals.
Toronto Raptors: C+
There was apparently nothing more within the rules the Raptors could have done to keep Kawhi Leonard, so his departure isn't held against them. It's also unclear whether Toronto ever really had a chance to re-sign Danny Green, which would have returned the core of the team that went 17-5 in the games Leonard missed during 2018-19 (albeit against a relatively weak schedule).
With two starters from the championship team gone, the Raptors have pivoted to younger talent, prioritizing athleticism. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, the team's two veteran additions in free agency, are Arizona products who are still young enough to get back on track as prospects but must improve their shooting. Toronto also brought back Patrick McCaw, another wing whose defense is ahead of his shooting, on a two-year, $8 million deal.
The values are reasonable, but the newcomers may not help the Raptors' veteran core compete and might also not be around when Toronto pivots next summer with Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry all hitting free agency.
Washington Wizards: C+
The Wizards are still in Year 1 of austerity resulting from the free-spending ways of former GM Ernie Grunfeld. That process began with the Porter trade before Grunfeld was fired in April and continued under interim replacement Tommy Sheppard, who was promoted to GM as part of a front-office restructuring earlier this week. Working with a limited budget because of the looming luxury-tax line, the Wizards let Parker and Bobby Portis walk in free agency and traded Satoransky to the Bulls rather than matching an offer sheet to the restricted free agent.
Using a variety of trade exceptions, Sheppard dealt for Davis Bertans and CJ Miles -- both of whom might end up starting -- and the Lakers' package of Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones and Moritz Wagner. Washington also signed point guards Ish Smith (two years, $12 million) and Isaiah Thomas (one year, veteran's minimum) to fill in for injured John Wall and re-signed starting center Thomas Bryant for three years and $25 million.
Ultimately, the biggest decision might be taking Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura in the lottery. Hachimura was a favorite of scouts but generally rated poorly in statistical projections.