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It’s been a strange offseason for the NBA. Now, in the second week of August, there are still big names and restricted free agents that could change the league’s scope. At the same time, it is unclear if or when any of these dominoes will fall. So let’s dole out some offseason notes, even if there are still some moves on the table. Previously, we ranked the Eastern Conference. Today, we’ll head west.

Dallas Mavericks: C-

Losing Jalen Brunson really hurts. And while Christian Wood gives the team another interesting element in the frontcourt, he’s a total unknown in a playoff series, and his fit with some of the other greats on this team (JaVale McGee, Maxi Kleber) is a little unclear. Is the plan really for McGee and Wood to start together? Luka Dončić is so good that he can actually make the square pieces fit into the circle holes here. Still, it was a slightly underwhelming offseason after the Mavs’ thrilling run to the conference finals.

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Denver Nuggets: B+

Picking Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown were two of the shrewdest summer plays made by any team. Denver desperately needed wingers who could defend, and both will provide some perimeter resistance while fitting well into the offense alongside Nikola Jokic. The Monte Morris trade is not insignificant, although this is mitigated by the return of Jamal Murray. Preventing the Nuggets from receiving an even higher grade is the signing of DeAndre Jordan. He hasn’t been an effective backup in recent years and opens Denver up for another season of bad bank adventures.

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Golden State Warriors: C

The Dubs lost two key collaborators (Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr.) from their champion team and replaced them with two capable, if not-so-good veterans (Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green). Those signings are very good rebounds for Golden State, which also has more stable play from its trio of young prospects: Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman. This may interest you : Netflix Turns To Ads To Free Itself From ‘Value Trap’. Overall, thanks to their all-star core, the Warriors remain in a great position to challenge for a title. They will miss the guys who left, though.

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Houston Rockets: B+

Catch Jabari Smith Jr. third in the draft after he was the consensus first pick minutes before it actually started feels like a blow. To see also : Get ready to dance with the Netflix romantic comedy “Wedding Season”. Houston also moved some veterans (Wood, John Wall) to open up more time for their young players, important for a team that just added three first-round players to its roster.

Los Angeles Clippers: B

All the Clips really needed to do was get the band back together, and they did! LA has built an incredibly versatile roster tailor-made for modern playoff basketball, as long as its top two stars are really healthy. Adding John Wall to the mix also gives them the ball handler the team was looking for in the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era. See the article : HarbourView acquires the music catalog of country music group Lady A. Ultimately, if Kawhi and PG are healthy in the playoffs, this team was made to go far.

LeBron James has until June of next year to sign an extension with the Lakers.

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Los Angeles Lakers: D+

If the goal was simply to get younger, then the Lakers did it, ditching many of last season’s veterans and taking on the likes of Thomas Bryant, Lonnie Walker IV and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Still, Russell Westbrook remains on the roster, and as long as he does, it’s hard to take this team seriously as a candidate. The team still seems to lack the two-way wings needed for a deep postseason. And Walker’s signing seems especially curious after other more complete players (Brown, Porter Jr.) have signed on to the mid-level exception. At the end of the day, the Lakers can’t afford to waste LeBron James’ time. Did your signings make the team a candidate?

Memphis Grizzlies: C

For one, Memphis has signed Ja Morant to a long-term extension, which is exciting. On the other hand, this team has ditched some constantly rotating pieces (Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton) and is counting to make up for their absences with a bunch of 2022 squads. I don’t know that strategy for a candidate. Losing Anderson is a triple whammy because a) he’s not on the team b) he’s playing for a rival in the Timberwolves and c) Jaren Jackson Jr. It’s not an off-season disaster, but the Grizzlies’ difficulty seems higher in the fall.

Minnesota Timberwolves: C+

How you feel about the Wolves really comes down to whether you’re Rudy Gobert-pilled or not. I really respect Minnesota for going forward, which is why I gave them a head start. Otherwise, it’s hard to understand how the Gobert-Karl-Anthony Towns pair will work. It’s a big change to take on a roster that seemed to be coming together. I like the signing of Anderson, and getting Austin Rivers to soak up some of Pat Beverley’s minutes was smart. For now, I want to take a deep breath and wait until we see this team in some high leverage moments before attacking hard anyway.

New Orleans Pelicans: A+

The Pelicans kept together one of the most exciting teams in the league – particularly in the second half of the season – and signed Zion Williamson, long considered a flight risk, to a long-term contract. Hard to do better than that. Of course, Zion could still ask to leave at some point, but getting a light commitment from him feels like a big win. And he could overwhelm a team that already seemed incredibly grumpy.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Whatever, sure

I like that they summoned two guys with the same name but spelled differently. I like that they rehired Lu Dort. The second overall pick, Chet Holmgren, will be fascinating to watch develop in the NBA. The Thunder avidly sought irrelevance over the past two seasons. Until they try something more than that, I’m not going to get too excited about Sam Presti’s Home for Wayward Veterans, as long as they come up with some first-round picks.

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Phoenix Suns: D

Was it worth leaving Deandre Ayton squirming in the wind if the plan was to bring him back anyway? I understand the Suns saved money and shaved a year off Ayton’s contract by playing the wait game. It’s also possible that the vibes were so poisoned by their contract situation that they contributed to the team’s Game 7 collapse in the second round. While Ayton is back, his future hardly looks secure. Meanwhile, the team did little else to improve the roster. Jumping the gun and not wanting to mess around too much with a 64 wins list makes sense. Still, this team needs better insurance for Chris Paul and probably a little more defensive perimeter help on the bench. It’s a good thing the Suns have gone out of their way to keep their core together, doing it in such a dramatic way and not making too much else seem risky.

Portland Trail Blazers: B

While the Blazers have not become title contenders, I appreciate the plays made this summer. Jerami Grant gives the team some two-way juice on offense, they apparently didn’t have the entirety of Damian Lillard’s tenure. The GPII will also add its bona fide blocking to the mix. First-round pick Shaedon Sharpe is intriguing, while Lillard and fellow defender Anfernee Simons have signed extensions. While Dame may be back where he was during his partnership with C.J. McCollum, Portland should be in contention for a playoff spot in the far west.

Sacramento Kings: B+

Kevin Huerter’s trade was very smart, and stealing Malik Monk from the Lakers was also a good choice. Sacramento drew heat by picking Keegan Murray over Jaden Ivey in the draft, though no one really knows how that will play out. While history shows betting against the Kings’ decision making, it’s hard to argue that Sacramento hasn’t added useful players around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Which, for the Kings, is no small feat.

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Of course, the Spurs got a bid for Dejounte Murray. They got the very fun Jeremy Sochan in the draft. And San Antonio has limit flexibility for future shenanigans. Is that really what you want to celebrate in the twilight of Gregg Popovich’s career? Should we be excited about the rebuild that’s taking shape when one of the best coaches in American sports history is on the sidelines? I’m sure San Antonio made sensible long-term decisions this summer. That doesn’t mean it’s worth celebrating.

Utah Jazz: B+

Even as a draft pick agnostic, it’s hard to scoff at the price the Jazz received in exchange for Gobert, potentially inflating the superstar market at the same time. Utah is now in the best position to bet aggressively, and if you’re going to bet on dysfunction to bring back some extra picks in the lottery, betting on Minnesota’s failure isn’t the worst bet. A Donovan Mitchell trade is still looming, giving Jazz another chance to add recruiting capital or an intriguing prospect. If a rebuild was the only way forward, Utah has taken some good first steps.

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