Roster construction has never before been more important (and more difficult) in the NBA. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement has forced changes to NBA teams' offseason philosophies, and that was evident during the 2024 offseason. Regardless of the new CBA, adding talent through the draft, free agency, and in the trade market is obviously instrumental in taking the next step as a franchise.
This offseason, plenty of teams improved. Some draft lottery teams added the talented that will help them take the next step, while other playoff teams added the missing pieces to increase their chances of competing for the NBA Finals. On the other end of the spectrum, some teams seemingly regressed this offseason after losing key players and not sufficiently replacing them.
Tons of talent moved around in what was a hectic offseason, and while we won't know how these different transactions will pan out until the players step foot on the hardwood, we decided to rank the offseasons of all 30 NBA teams.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The rich got richer this offseason, and Sam Presti put on yet another masterclass as the decision maker for the Thunder. The Thunder have quickly undergone one of the best rebuilds ever because of smart moves in free agency, the draft, and the trade market over the last few years.
The Thunder went from a 24-win team two seasons ago to the number-one seed in the Western Conference last season. Now, they have added the pieces that will take them to the next level. Josh Giddey was an awkward fit with the Thunder, and he was even benched during the postseason. Oklahoma City was able to flip him for Alex Caruso, one of the best defensive players in the NBA and someone who will add to the Thunder's defensive identity. Caruso is a cleaner fit for the Thunder, and Oklahoma City didn't even have to dip into their impressive treasure trove of draft assets to trade for him.
The Thunder also made a splashy free agent move for Isaiah Hartenstein. Not only was this a move that we recommended, but it was one that makes too much sense. While the former New York Knicks center is probably overpaid for someone who will likely come off of the bench, he fits perfectly on the Oklahoma City roster that prioritizes ball movement. Additionally, the Thunder had money to blow, so it made sense for them to pursue one of the best free agents on the open market.
The cherry on top was the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Thunder were one of the biggest winners in the league. The team drafted Nikola Topic 12th overall, and while he will likely sit his rookie season out with an ACL injury, he can still be viewed as one of the biggest steals from the draft. The Serbian guard will eventually be able to replicate what they lost in the Giddey trade, and he was a great value selection, considering he would have gone much higher if it wasn't for the injury.
The Thunder took Dillon Jones with a second first-round pick. Jones was highly productive at Weber State, and considering he is ready to play now, Topic's injury is less of a concern. The Thunder even landed arguably the best second round player in the class in Ajay Mitchell, a player who lit it up during Summer League.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves had arguably the best 2024 NBA Draft, and that lands them with the second best offseason overall. The team fleeced the San Antonio Spurs when they traded up to pick eight, and then they nailed the selection itself. Minnesota, who was only three wins away from making the NBA Finals, drafted Rob Dillingham.
The Kentucky guard is a perfect fit in Minnesota and is the exact archetype that the team needed. Dillingham has star-level scoring potential thanks to his three-level scoring ability and incredible handle. For now, he will likely be the sixth-man bench creator that the team covets. Dillingham's defensive red flags can be masked, too, because Minnesota has a lanky team and arguably the best defense in the NBA.
Minnesota miraculously didn't have to give up their other first-round pick to trade for Dillingham, so they were still able to add Terrence Shannon Jr. The Illinois product is another great fit, and he impressed during Summer League. The team did lose Kyle Anderson (who had his worst season with the team), making Minnesota's lone remaining need more playmaking. The team got that by signing Joe Ingles, a similar athletically deprived player like Anderson but one who can bring more shooting than the departed point forward.
3. Utah Jazz
The Jazz might not be done making big moves this offseason, as rumors are still running rampant about a potential Lauri Markkanen trade. Although the Jazz seem to prefer to keep their All-Star forward, a trade involving Markkanen would likely change this offseason ranking, one way or the other.
For now, Utah has done nothing but add talent to their roster. Their lone departure of note was Kris Dunn, but the team has so much young guard depth that they likely would have struggled to find minutes for the defensive-minded player. The team added Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski in the NBA Draft.
Williams has sky-high potential and should be able to defend from day one. Collier saw his draft value drop over the course of his lone collegiate season, but he was once one of the top players in his class. The USC guard has the scoring potential that makes his selection a value pick, considering he wasn't drafted until the 29th pick. Filipowski was a surprising draft day faller who fell out of the first round. He can bring some scoring pop from day one and was arguably the best second-round pick taken in the draft.
Utah didn't add any noteworthy free agents, but they are a young and rebuilding team who is looking to the future. They added even more young talent to an already exciting young core.
4. Orlando Magic
While the Magic didn't sign the superstar that many fans were hoping they would, they still had a good offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the player the team signed in free agency. The two-time champion has contributed to winning wherever he has played at, and Orlando hopes he can do the same with them.
The shooting guard will immediately slot into the starting off-guard position, where he will drastically improve Orlando's biggest weakness: shooting. His three-and-D profile will make him the perfect role player as Orlando takes the next step, as should there first-round draft pick Tristan da Silva. The versatile power forward from Colorado also bringing more shooting and helps make Orlando arguably the deepest team in the NBA for next season.
5. New York Knicks
The band is all together at Villanova University… I mean with the New York Knicks. The team already featured former college teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart. Now, the team brought Mikal Bridges into the fold, and the Nova Knicks strategy just might work.
The Knicks are a gritty team with lots of defense. Bridges is one of the best wing defenders in the NBA. The former Brooklyn Net also provides a boost offensively, though. Bridges took his offensive game to new levels when he was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Nets.
The loss of Isaiah Hartenstein prevents New York from ranking higher on this list, and the first-round selection of Pacome Dadiet was questioned by many. Even so, Hartenstein was overpaid, and Bridges seems tailor-made to play on this roster and under Tom Thibodeau. The team just needs to pray for health from their big men, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle.
6. San Antonio Spurs
Point guard play/playmaking were the biggest weaknesses for the Spurs during Victor Wembanyama's rookie season. The former first overall draft choice is clearly a megastar in the making, but he needs players who can get him the ball. Jeremy Sochan is not a point guard, and Tre Jones is better suited for backup duty.
So, the Spurs went out and signed one of the best point guards ever. Chris Paul might not have a lot of tread left on the tires, but he is still a great facilitator, and he will be monumental in Wembanyama's development. Paul fills a short term need without capping the team long term.
While we disagree with the Spurs trading away their number eight draft choice, they did take Stephon Castle fourth overall. Castle can be the long term answer at point guard, but at the bare minimum, he will be a glue-guy who will do the little things and play tough defense. San Antonio was even able to get in on a cash dump to grab Harrison Barnes in the DeMar DeRozan trade. Barnes will be another valuable rotation player who has winning experience.
7. Dallas Mavericks
Some people might rank the Mavericks' offseason higher than this, but there are some concerns with Dallas' moves over the summer. Even so, the team that lost in the NBA Finals has sky-high potential after landing Klay Thompson. Thompson might not be the player he once was, especially defensively, but he is still one of the best three-point shooters the game has ever seen.
Thompson's shooting numbers were down last year, but he will surely have a bounce-back season with his jump shot this year. The former Splash Brother will have tons of open looks while playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. The team also added Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes, two three-and-D players who will especially help out on the less glamorous side of the ball.
The concern that prevents Dallas from being ranked higher is that they lost just as much defense as they gained. Derrick Jones Jr. usually guarded opposing team's best starter last year, while Josh Green often defended opponent's best player off of the bench. Both players are gone, and that is somewhat concerning, considering Dallas didn't become legitimate championship contenders until they figured things out defensively.
If Dallas is fine on defense, then their potential is even greater than it was last year. The team will score a lot of buckets with the Thompson acquisition.
8. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers were the hardest team to rank because they underwent a complete roster transformation. Entering the offseason, Joel Embiid, Ricky Council IV, and Paul Reed were the only players under contract. The latter is now gone, and the team did re-sign Kelly Oubre, Tyrese Maxey, and Kyle Lowry.
The team also signed external free agents including Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon. Jared McCain and Adem Bona were the rookie additions. While Philadelphia did let a lot of talent walk in free agency, they brought in even more, and their roster is now in better shape than it was last season.
George, in particular, was the biggest free agent to sign with a new team this offseason, and he gives Philadelphia a scary big three combination with Embiid and Maxey. All three players are arguably top 20 in the NBA.
9. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were bad last year, but they took steps in the right direction during the offseason. The team's roster construction has been bad for years. Shooting and wing play have been lacking through Detroit's recent struggles. Luckily, the Pistons finally addressed those issues in the offseason.
The team added four rotation-caliber wings. Ron Holland was their first-round pick, and although he doesn't fix the spacing problems, he does have superstar potential. Tobias Harris formerly played for the organization, and he will bring both a veteran presence and scoring production. Harris has averaged 16.3 points per game for his career.
Malik Beasley is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA. After making 41.3% of his long balls last season, Beasley will be crucial in improving Detroit's efficiency from deep. The team also added Tim Hardaway Jr. They lost Quentin Grimes in that trade, which means we think they lost the trade overall, but Hardaway can be a productive sparkplug scorer for the team off of the bench. Paul Reed was the team's other big-name addition. He will provide center depth to a now very deep roster.
10. Phoenix Suns
The 2024 offseason seemed like it would be pretty neutral for the Suns. They lost Eric Gordon and Drew Eubanks but replaced them with Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee. It looked like the team wouldn't make any big moves and would instead look to improve with a healthy season.
Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker are still among the best players in the league, and the big three has the potential to go on a playoff run, they just need to stay healthy together. Then, the team made a late free agent signing to bring in Tyus Jones for cheap.
Jones has been arguably the best backup point guard in the league for years, and he will only cost Phoenix $3.3 million. Jones leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio nearly every year, and he now he will likely transition into a starter role. Last year, Phoenix tried using Beal and Booker has lead guards, but it became clear they need a true floor general.
The Morris and Plumlee moves can be helpful, too. Morris isn't far removed from being viewed as one of the best backup point guards in the league. He is a steady option and a great assist-to-turnover ratio guy as well, so he can play Jones' role with the bench unit. Plumlee should be an upgrade at backup center over Eubanks as well.
11. Houston Rockets
The Rockets didn't go on the spending spree that they did last offseason, but they still had a productive summer. Last year, the team spent big in order to sign Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. This summer, they drafted Reed Sheppard. While that might appear underwhelming, Sheppard was arguably the best fit for Houston to add in the draft, and he can make an impact from day one.
The team also bought low on AJ Griffin. The former Atlanta Hawks guard fell out of favor in Atlanta, but he had a solid rookie year and still has good potential. Houston was smart to give the former first-round pick a second chance, especially considering it only cost them a second-rounder.
12. Brooklyn Nets
It became clear that the Nets were stuck in purgatory, so they went all in on embracing a rebuild this offseason. Firstly, the team traded the picks that the Suns owed them to re-acquire their own first-round picks that were under the Rockets' control. The move allows Brooklyn to tank without worrying about not having their own picks to use.
Brooklyn also landed a huge haul of draft picks by trading away Mikal Bridges. Bridges is a good player, but it was more than worth it to lose his services for five first-round picks and a future first-round pick swap option.
13. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans made a blockbuster trade that landed them Dejounte Murray. The former Hawks guard is a great player and improves New Orleans starting five. He brings two-way talent and another reliable star option to a team that has struggled with injuries over the years.
Bringing in Murray was a good move, but it did cost the team Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, and two first-round picks. That is still a great trade for New Orleans, but the loss of two rotation players hurts more when you consider that Naji Marshall and Jonas Valanciunas signed elsewhere in free agency. With the departures of Nance and Valanciunas, New Orleans doesn't have much center depth to speak of.
The team brought in Daniel Theis and Yves Missi to address that concern, but you'd rather have better players manning the center position when trying to contend. Regardless, the move to acquire Murray lands New Orleans within the top 15 for best NBA offseasons.
14. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets didn't make any major moves, and they might still not be a playoff team yet. The team did make some smart moves on the margins, though. They were able to get involved in the Klay Thompson sweepstakes and add Josh Green because of it, and they were able to add draft capital to take on Reggie Jackson's contract. The team also drafted Tidjane Salaun. These moves are unlikely to make Charlotte NBA Finals contenders, but they will make the team better both now and in the future.
15. Boston Celtics
The Celtics were dominant in their run to the NBA Finals, so they didn't have to make any drastic moves in the offseason. In fact, the team didn't really need to make any moves at all. The team kept the core intact and added Baylor Scheierman with the last pick in the first-round of the NBA Draft. They also gave extensions to Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, so Boston will be running it back with this championship-winning core for years to come.
16. Washington Wizards
The Wizards jump started their rebuild by drafting three first-round picks. Alex Sarr was drafted second overall, Bub Carrington was the 14th pick, and Kyshawn George was selected 24th. All bring valuable traits that improve Washington's long term outlook.
The team traded Deni Advija, but they were able to land a steady point guard in Malcolm Brogdon, who will be a veteran mentor to the young guys. Jonas Valanciunas and Saddiq Bey were signed in free agency, too, the former of which can start at center for years to come and the latter of which can play a three-and-D role either with the starters or off of the bench.
17. Toronto Raptors
Out goes Gary Trent Jr., in comes Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, and Ja'Kobe Walter. Mitchell brings defense, Vezenkov brings shooting, and Walter brings a little bit of both.
18. Memphis Grizzlies
After a devastating year where the Grizzlies were ravaged by injuries, Memphis was somewhat quiet in the offseason. The team did address their biggest need, though, when they drafted a center named Zach Edey in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Edey is a polarizing prospect, but the Grizzlies expect him to play the Steven Adams role for them going forward. Although they haven't done it yet, Memphis is rumored to be interested in bringing back Luke Kennard. Kennard would round out the roster, and his shooting would be welcomed in Memphis' rotation.
19. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They didn't necessarily get better in the offseason, though. The loss of Jalen Smith in free agency isn't drastic, but the team didn't make the moves to replicate his production. James Wiseman was their free agent addition, and Johnny Furphy was their draft pick.
The Pacers' core is still together, so their offseason wasn't a major failure, but it was nothing special. Perhaps Wiseman will improve on his third team and finally live up to the potential draft experts saw in him when he was drafted second overall in 2020, but that seems unlikely.
20. Los Angeles Lakers
A lot of people would rank the Lakers' offseason lower than this because the team swung and missed at all of the big-name targets they pursued this offseason. Klay Thompson, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and others were rumored to the Lakers this offseason, but Los Angeles didn't get any of them.
Even so, the Lakers still had one of the 20 best offseasons in the NBA because their first-round selection was one of the best value picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. The team got a steal when Dalton Knecht fell to them at pick 17. His shooting prowess and collegiate experience means he can contribute right away. The team also drafted Bronny James in the second-round, which means LeBron James will be sticking in town.
21. Portland Trail Blazers
Although Deni Advija is a good player, it was a little surprising to see a rebuilding team like the Trail Blazers give up draft capital to get him. Still, Advija is only 23 years old, so he still fits into Portland's long term plans. The Trail Blazers also drafted Donovan Clingan.
The UConn big man was a great value pick at pick number seven, but his presence on Portland's roster creates a lot of questions. The team already has Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and Duop Reath at the center position, so one or two of them likely needs to be moved. Portland is too far away to worry too much about roster fit, so you can't blame them for the Clingan pick. However, their offseason grade is a little incomplete for now, as retaining all four centers doesn't make a lot of sense.
22. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors lost Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, and Dario Saric in free agency, the former of which seemed like a player who would never leave the team he won four championships with. It is clearly a new era in Golden State. Luckily, the Warriors were able to bring in some decent replacements.
Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De'Anthony Melton can all be impact players for the Warriors next season. However, the loss of Thompson is tragic, and none of Golden State's new players move the needle enough to convince us that the Warriors championship window will be extended.
23. Sacramento Kings
The Kings did make a splashy offseason move, I'm just not sure it is the right one. Sacramento pulled off a sign-and-trade to land DeMar DeRozan. The guard/forward is coming off of a 24 point-per-game season, so it is possible he is the missing piece for Sacramento.
That seems unlikely, though. DeRozan will be 35 next year, and he has always struggled on the defensive end. Additionally, he is mid-range reliant and ball-dominant, which doesn't seem to fit with what the Kings have in place. Both De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis need the ball in their hands.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers
It is late in the offseason, and Issac Okoro still remains unsigned. The restricted free agent's future with the Cavaliers is in doubt after Cleveland gave lucrative contract extensions to Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Around the league, rosters are quickly filling up and, cap space is quickly fading, so no one knows what will happen with Okoro.
The Cavaliers might not be able to afford him, which means they would lose him for nothing. However, Okoro might be forced to return to Cleveland for cheap. The future of the defensive-minded forward could drastically change Clevelands ranking on this list. For now, we say they've had the 24th best offseason, as the haven't traded for or signed any noteworthy players, but they haven't (yet) lost any, either. The team's first-round pick (Jaylon Tyson) was arguably the most surprising selection of the draft, though.
25. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have now lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs in back-to-back years, so losing their starting shooting guard, Malik Beasley, in free agency was less than ideal. The team was able to get a fringe starter back in return, though, as they signed Tauren Prince, a player who started 49 games last season.
Milwaukee also added Delon Wright, a defensive-minded guard. However, the drafting of AJ Johnson 23rd overall was considered one of the worst moves in the draft, considering Johnson averaged 2.9 points per game in the NBL last year. Milwaukee believes he has long-term potential, but the team needs to win now to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy, so adding a raw player in the draft didn't make a ton of sense.
26. Miami Heat
Losing Caleb Martin was a big blow, and the the Heat didn't do much to replace him. Alec Burks and Kel'el Ware were the offseason additions for Miami, but neither player will likely be as impactful as Martin was. Martin blew onto the scene with an incredible postseason run in 2023, but he set his career highs last season in Miami.
27. Denver Nuggets
Retaining Kentavious Caldewell-Pope wasn't going to be easy for the Nuggets, considering the near-certainty that it would have made them a second-apron team for years to come. Even so, this is the second straight offseason after the Nuggets won a championship that they lost a key contributor.
Last year it was Bruce Brown, and now it was their starting shooting guard. The Nuggets might take a step back this year because of Caldwell-Pope's departure. The Nuggets did bring in some intriguing options, but they are all flawed. DaRon Holmes was a good first-round pick, but he suffered an injury in his first Summer League game that will force him to miss his entire rookie season.
Dario Saric is an intriguing backup center to Nikola Jokic because he can similarly do some intriguing stuff from the high post, as a passer, and as a shooter, but he is limited defensively. Russell Westbrook was the Nuggets biggest-name acquisition. The former MVP isn't the player he once was, though, and the last few Westbrook experiments since his Oklahoma City days haven't worked out.
The positive is that Westbrook is a high-upside signing. He embraced a bench role with the Los Angeles Clippers last year, and he might be able to bring the energy that takes Denver's bench unit – which has struggled for years – to the next level. The Nuggets desperately needed a backup point guard who could get down hill and create, and they got just that in Westbrook.
28. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks had the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, so ranking as low as 28th on this list should come as a major disappointment for their fans. Zaccharie Risacher wasn't a bad pick, but the 2024 NBA Draft was considered one of the weakest in recent memory, and Risacher doesn't have nearly as much upside as the average number-one pick.
Additionally, the Hawks moved on from Dejounte Murray, and they received less back in the trade for him than they gave up in the trade that originally landed him in Atlanta. The decision to move on from Murray can be viewed at as premature.
The same can be said about the decision to trade AJ Griffin. Although he had a bad sophomore season, the Hawks were too quick to move off of him.
29. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls lost the Alex Caruso trade, they got next to nothing back for DeMar DeRozan, and they lost Andre Drummond in free agency. Although Josh Giddey is an intriguing fit in a new system, and Matas Buzelis was a good draft choice, the Bulls still had one of the worst offseasons in the NBA.
30. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers had the worst offseason in the NBA. Losing Paul George is drastic. Not only is George one of the best players in the NBA, but he was a great fit on Los Angeles' roster. The team never won the championship that they were expected to with the George-Kawhi Leonard duo, but losing George does not make them any better.
The Derrick Jones Jr. signing is intriguing, but it doesn't come close to making up for the loss of George. The Clippers also made the surprising and controversial move of making Kevin Porter Jr. the first player to sign in free agency. Porter Jr. has some talent, but Los Angeles' urgency in bringing in a player who missed all of last year because of domestic violence issues was bizarre and certainly qualifies as a public relations nightmare.
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