Basketball Guru Preseason Power Rankings 2023-24
Oct 21, 2023 15:32:04 GMT -6
Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and 1 more like this
Post by Washington Wizards on Oct 21, 2023 15:32:04 GMT -6
Our dear friend Suns is having the time of his life "scuba diving" in Thailand this year (that's what the kids are calling it these days huh), so I assumed he would be either too busy or incapacitated to write this piece for the upcoming NBA Season. As the official triple-A affiliate club of the Phoenix Suns, the responsibility therefore fell to me, and I hope that I can do him some justice with my article, albeit without the Simpsons memes.
Tier 1: Championship Contenders
1. Milwaukee Bucks
Additions: Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Malcolm Brogdon, Deni Avdija, a ring on his finger and a target on his back
Subtractions: Christian Wood, Mason Plumlee, Chris Paul, Kevin Porter Jr
Somewhere, either in the woods of Europe or in heaven, old Pels smiles down knowing that a European has finally brought home the Guru championship. Our dear friend Bucks brought home the title following an incredible Cinderella run through the playoffs that saw him knock off the unanimous favorite Wizards in the finals. That being said, Bucks refused to rest on his laurels in the offseason, bringing in several key pieces like Vucevic and Harris who will be integral to his title defense chase, while also simultaneously dumping the horrendous Wood contract in a move that still boggles the minds of GMs across the league. However, his biggest "addition" this season will not be through free agency or trade, as LaMelo Ball, a top 20 dynasty asset who Bucks missed for almost the entirety of his championship run, is expected to make his full return to the court this season. All around, Bucks is a juggernaut who is easily the runaway favorite for a title repeat, and has built a roster to cultivate a dynasty for years to come in Guru.
2. Denver Nuggets
Additions: Kawhi Leonard, Wendell Carter Jr, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown
Subtractions: Kyle Lowry, Michael Porter Jr, James Harden, Mike Conley
I'm not sure there's anything that can be said about this year's Denver Nuggets team that also doesn't apply to the last four seasons. Much like his favorite team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the mid 2010s, Nuggets has built a contending team loaded with superstars that dominates in the regular season but has failed to close the deal in the playoffs. Last year was perhaps the magnum opus of choking for Denver, as he finished with an undefeated record and led for much of the semifinal matchup against Wizards before losing in the final couple of days. This year may be the beginning of the end of Nuggets' reign atop the standings, as his core mainly consists of either old men (Durant, Westbrook), injury prone fading stars (Kawhi) or soon to be expiring contracts that he can't re-sign (Poole). There's still enough here to give Bucks a push for the title, but if it doesn't happen this year, look for Denver to follow in the Thunder's footsteps again and tear the whole thing down to start over.
3. Dallas Mavericks
Additions: Bilal Coulibaly
Subtractions: Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Gordon
There haven't been any new GMs to fleece this year, so Mavs decided to rest on his laurels (and former lottery picks) and refrained from making any moves this offseason outside of a pick swap with Phoenix on draft day. As a result, this year's edition of the Mavs will be an interesting case of "how far can a few super-mega-stars carry a weak supporting cast?" Luka, Ja, Mobley, Edwards, Ingram, and the return of Cade Cunningham make up an elite topline core, and should continue to keep Mavs in the top half of the playoff hunt for most of the season. However, the rest of his roster is littered with unknowns like Kobe Bufkin or Malaki Branham, rookies, or the expiring megacontract of Kristaps Porzingis. There's certainly still enough here for every team in the league to watch out for, as just a couple of these young players taking steps forward catapults Mavs back into the title favorite position, but as of this moment, there's too many unknowns to put him above Milwaukee or Denver quite yet.
4. Washington Wizards
Additions: Draymond Green, Christian Braun, Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Gordon, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Suggs
Subtractions: Jimmy Butler, OG Anunoby, Keldon Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Russell Westbrook, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Last year may have been Washington's best chance at striking for a title, but after dominating Portland and coming back against Denver in the playoffs, he fell just short in an epic grudge match with Milwaukee. Unfortunately, the expiring deals of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma forced Wizards to open up the checkbook, and as a result let some key role players like Anunoby and Keldon go by the wayside. After trying and failing to find a trade partner for the soon-to-be expiring Damian Lillard, Wiz decided to keep his championship window open for at least one more season, bringing in a litany of old men to fill the voids left by the many departures. SGA and Dame should continue to light up the fantasy scoreboard, and the continued emergences of Kuzma, Devin Vassell, and Nicolas Claxton form a solid young core, but there simply isn't enough here to replace the departed production, and Wizards may find himself far off the pace come playoff time.
Tier 2: In the Playoff Hunt
5. Portland Trail Blazers
Additions: Cam Whitmore, Josh Primo (ugh)
Subtractions: Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Stewart
"Turning the corner" has not worked out for longtime-tanker Portland over the past couple of seasons, as his attempts to make major noise in the playoffs have mostly fallen flat, culminating in another early round exit last year. Much like Dallas, the Blazers decided to mostly sit out the offseason, making bids but never actually signing a free agent until the Primo move in the late stages. Losing Kawhi may turn out to be addition by subtraction as well, as his injury history combined with his massive cap hit may have hindered Portland's playoff ambitions more than they helped. Bron, DeMar, Trae, FVV, Brunson on arguably the best contract in the league, and Anfernee Simons actually becoming a positive asset should be more than enough to lead Blazers back to the playoffs again this year, but I'm not confident in his ability to defeat one of the four teams above him without a rash of injuries. I do like the Whitmore pick though, he's looked very good in the preseason clips I've seen of him.
6. Chicago Bulls
Additions: Cam Thomas, Keyonte George
Subtractions: Chris Boucher, Bol Bol
Another team with a very quiet offseason (you guys are so boring), Chicago has a 10 year mortgage on the sixth seed and will not be letting it go anytime soon. Any team with Nikola Jokic on it instantly propels themselves into playoff contention, and Bulls has constructed a nice supporting cast consisting of fellow all-stars Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland and Tyrese Haliburton. The rest of the well, however, remains pretty barren, with Jrue Holiday primed for regression and D'Angelo Russell slowly turning into an albatross contract, although one he can get out of after this season. I'm actually struggling for more words to write at this point...this team is just Jokic, a few other quality players, and a ton of minimum contract guys. Keyonte George might be fun?
7. Phoenix Suns
Additions: The entire 2023 NBA Draft Lottery
Subtractions: (Almost) Every non-Giannis player
A longtime dynasty with a roster flush with superstars, the Phoenix Suns embarked on an insane strategy of dumping almost any asset with value for a 2023 first round pick, which resulted in 6 of the first 8 picks belonging to him. On the surface, one would take a look at these moves and figure Suns will be a surefire playoff contender in two or three years, but I think there may be enough here to fast-track those expectations. Giannis, Sengun, Franz, and Scottie Barnes are all established fantasy stars with high ceilings and low floors based on their minutes allocations and styles of play, whereas Victor Wembanyama looks like a total alien who may already vault himself into the top 20 fantasy scorers as a rookie. All Phoenix needs is two or three of his other picks to also contribute immediately, and he should be set for an early playoff berth, a thought which should absolutely terrify the rest of the league, because as Deion Sanders so eloquently put it after his team lost to Oregon: "Come get us now, because this is the worst we're gonna be".
8. Philadelphia 76ers
Additions: Chris Paul, Scoot Henderson, does Chet count?
Subtractions: Rui Hachimura, John Collins, Deni Avdija
Philly endured an underwhelming 2022-23 season; much like Portland, he had expectations of ending his longtime tank and breaking through the playoff wall. Unfortunately, a rash of injuries and regression from key pieces like DeAndre Ayton and John Collins forced him to push his window back another season. The rough season might have been a blessing in disguise though, as Philly earned one of the few non-Suns lottery picks and selected Scoot Henderson second overall. He was also able to use his massive arsenal of picks to get out from under the disappointing Collins contract, as well as acquire grizzled veteran Chris Paul as a potential deadline flip piece. Much like Milwaukee, his biggest addition may not even be from free agency or the draft, as Chet Holmgren's return from seasonlong injury may be the key to finally end the longtime tank and flip the script on one of Guru's youngest and most promising franchises.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder
Additions: Jimmy Butler, Kevin Porter Jr (oof), James Wiseman
Subtractions: Davion Mitchell, Keon Johnson, Dillon the Villain
The one time Thunder is extremely active in the offseason, one of his marquee signings gets in major legal trouble and may likely never play another NBA game again (unless it's for the Charlotte Hornets). No matter, the OKC Cycle - a flurry of activity for one or two months followed by an extended hibernation - is running right on schedule, and will likely result in another mediocre result. Interestingly of note, Thunder will need to make at least one more move, as he currently sits with only 12 players on his roster. Mark Williams and Dyson Daniels were solid additions, but I feel like he could've gotten a bit more for Pascal. Regardless, I hope this is the year Thunder actually has a full roster for most of the season.
10. New Orleans Pelicans
Additions: Jaren Jackson Jr, Michael Porter Jr, Isaiah Stewart, Mitchell Robinson, Paul Reed
Subtractions: Daniel Gafford, Zach Collins, Cam Reddish, Luguentz Dort
Acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr may have saved Pelicans' playoff ambitions - the 2021-22 Guru champion had quite the title hangover last season, regressing to a 5-11 record and finishing nowhere near postseason contention. Seeking to taste championship glory once again, New Orleans undertook an aggressive free agency strategy, spending big for a high upside swing in Michael Porter Jr and a productive rebounding machine in Isaiah Stewart. A core of Embiid, JJJ, Bam, and Beal will certainly challenge for a postseason position, but like many teams in this tier, the lack of supplementary options may continue to hold this team back. With Stewart continually losing minutes to Jalen Duren, MPJ's game being generally unsuited to fantasy, and Cole Anthony being increasingly buried on Orlando's depth chart, there may be too many question marks for Pellies to jump back into championship contention.
Tier 3: Mediocrity
11. Seattle Supersonics
Additions: Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, Jett Howard, Nick Smith Jr, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Noah Clowney, Jaime Jaquez
Subtractions: Thomas Bryant, Bruce Brown
Scientists are still trying to figure out how in the world Sonics made the playoffs last season. Seattle finished 10th in points with a roster that even he assumed would be in the lottery range, especially following yet another season-ending Zion injury. The surprise breakout year only hurt Suns, who owned Seattle's first rounder and missed out on another lotto pick as a result. Sonics came into this offseason with a boatload of cap space, and took on the Nuggets-Wizards tradition of bidding up every major free agent until they reached appropriate prices. He did end up with one of the premier free agents available in Gobert, but even with Rudy, I do not anticipate lightning striking twice, especially with the significant improvement of teams ahead of him. Seattle also elected to sign every single draft pick to a four year deal, putting him well over the roster maximum with guys who will likely spend at least their first season in the G-League.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
Additions: James Harden, Herb Jones, Mike Conley
Subtractions: Nikola Vucevic, Al Horford, Malik Beasley
Clippers spent some time in the wilderness this offseason, which is the perfect metaphor for his Guru team's position going into this season. His team occupies this weird limbo position between not being good enough to be a playoff squad, but also still making win-now moves and refusing to drop to the bottom of the lottery. Clips' moves this offseason look like improvements on paper, but his team somehow managed to get even older this offseason, and eventually, some of these players are going to take a production hit. There's an argument he belongs in the tier above, but his team's advancing age plus Harden entering fat suit mode again puts a damper on my expectations this year.
13. Boston Celtics
Additions: Miles Bridges (oof)
Subtractions: Rudy Gobert, Jae Crowder, Patrick Beverley
The Ernie Grunfeld of Guru GMs, Boston has openly admitted to trying to chase the eighth seed instead of tanking for better assets, and unfortunately, Clippers is better at it than him too. The onetime first seed and Executive of the Year roster has become old and dilapidated, with players like Kevin Love and Montrezl Harrell still hanging around for some reason. There are still great players here (think Julius Randle and Tyler Herro), but most of this team looks like the 2016 NBA All-Star roster. Inexplicably acquiring a known domestic abuser in Miles Bridges for a first round pick was easily the worst move of the offseason, and now looks even worse following his second arrest in the last calendar year. He's so lucky the Hornets have zero ethical standards.
Tier 4: Tankers
14. Toronto Raptors
Additions: Dereck Lively, Austin Reaves, Obi Toppin
Subtractions: Enes Freedom (?), John Wall
Toronto has quietly built a solid young core, adding Keegan Murray, Bennedict Mathurin, Austin Reaves, and Dereck Lively to supplement her two franchise cornerstones in Anthony Davis and Donovan Mitchell. I still think she needs at least one more year before pushing up into higher tiers, but there is promise here. She might even be good enough to play spoiler to a few better teams in the right week, and another strong offseason and lotto pick next year should see her finally break out of her tank. Top 5 pick THT is still here though.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Additions: OG Anunoby, Christian Wood, Mason Plumlee, Ausar Thompson, GG Jackson, Pascal Siakam
Subtractions: Jalen Suggs, Malcolm Brogdon, Richaun Holmes, Mark Williams, Dyson Daniels
Minnesota's Great Tank is full speed ahead, as he took the step of dumping middling veterans Brogdon and Holmes on waivers, as well as acquiring valuable future pieces through trade (Anunoby, Ausar). Adding the awful Wood deal for just a single first rounder is the only questionable move Minny made this offseason, as otherwise he's sticking to a traditional tanking plan. Some of his young players like Trey Murphy, Andrew Nembhard, and Shaedon Sharpe will need to take steps forward this season for his tank to start bearing fruit, but there are promising assets here, and with three first round picks next year, Minny's turnaround may happen sooner rather than later. Pascal was a sneaky good late trade as well.
16. Sacramento Kings
Additions: Keldon Johnson, CJ McCollum, Kyle Anderson, Gradey Dick, Brice Sensabaugh, Sidy Cissoko, Kyle Lowry, Daniel Gafford, Luguentz Dort, Zach Collins
Subtractions: Jaren Jackson Jr, Usman Garuba, Patrick Baldwin Jr, Jaylen Nowell, Monte Morris
There is nothing here. Check back in 2026.
Tier 1: Championship Contenders
1. Milwaukee Bucks
Additions: Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Malcolm Brogdon, Deni Avdija, a ring on his finger and a target on his back
Subtractions: Christian Wood, Mason Plumlee, Chris Paul, Kevin Porter Jr
Somewhere, either in the woods of Europe or in heaven, old Pels smiles down knowing that a European has finally brought home the Guru championship. Our dear friend Bucks brought home the title following an incredible Cinderella run through the playoffs that saw him knock off the unanimous favorite Wizards in the finals. That being said, Bucks refused to rest on his laurels in the offseason, bringing in several key pieces like Vucevic and Harris who will be integral to his title defense chase, while also simultaneously dumping the horrendous Wood contract in a move that still boggles the minds of GMs across the league. However, his biggest "addition" this season will not be through free agency or trade, as LaMelo Ball, a top 20 dynasty asset who Bucks missed for almost the entirety of his championship run, is expected to make his full return to the court this season. All around, Bucks is a juggernaut who is easily the runaway favorite for a title repeat, and has built a roster to cultivate a dynasty for years to come in Guru.
2. Denver Nuggets
Additions: Kawhi Leonard, Wendell Carter Jr, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown
Subtractions: Kyle Lowry, Michael Porter Jr, James Harden, Mike Conley
I'm not sure there's anything that can be said about this year's Denver Nuggets team that also doesn't apply to the last four seasons. Much like his favorite team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the mid 2010s, Nuggets has built a contending team loaded with superstars that dominates in the regular season but has failed to close the deal in the playoffs. Last year was perhaps the magnum opus of choking for Denver, as he finished with an undefeated record and led for much of the semifinal matchup against Wizards before losing in the final couple of days. This year may be the beginning of the end of Nuggets' reign atop the standings, as his core mainly consists of either old men (Durant, Westbrook), injury prone fading stars (Kawhi) or soon to be expiring contracts that he can't re-sign (Poole). There's still enough here to give Bucks a push for the title, but if it doesn't happen this year, look for Denver to follow in the Thunder's footsteps again and tear the whole thing down to start over.
3. Dallas Mavericks
Additions: Bilal Coulibaly
Subtractions: Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Gordon
There haven't been any new GMs to fleece this year, so Mavs decided to rest on his laurels (and former lottery picks) and refrained from making any moves this offseason outside of a pick swap with Phoenix on draft day. As a result, this year's edition of the Mavs will be an interesting case of "how far can a few super-mega-stars carry a weak supporting cast?" Luka, Ja, Mobley, Edwards, Ingram, and the return of Cade Cunningham make up an elite topline core, and should continue to keep Mavs in the top half of the playoff hunt for most of the season. However, the rest of his roster is littered with unknowns like Kobe Bufkin or Malaki Branham, rookies, or the expiring megacontract of Kristaps Porzingis. There's certainly still enough here for every team in the league to watch out for, as just a couple of these young players taking steps forward catapults Mavs back into the title favorite position, but as of this moment, there's too many unknowns to put him above Milwaukee or Denver quite yet.
4. Washington Wizards
Additions: Draymond Green, Christian Braun, Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Gordon, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Suggs
Subtractions: Jimmy Butler, OG Anunoby, Keldon Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Russell Westbrook, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Last year may have been Washington's best chance at striking for a title, but after dominating Portland and coming back against Denver in the playoffs, he fell just short in an epic grudge match with Milwaukee. Unfortunately, the expiring deals of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma forced Wizards to open up the checkbook, and as a result let some key role players like Anunoby and Keldon go by the wayside. After trying and failing to find a trade partner for the soon-to-be expiring Damian Lillard, Wiz decided to keep his championship window open for at least one more season, bringing in a litany of old men to fill the voids left by the many departures. SGA and Dame should continue to light up the fantasy scoreboard, and the continued emergences of Kuzma, Devin Vassell, and Nicolas Claxton form a solid young core, but there simply isn't enough here to replace the departed production, and Wizards may find himself far off the pace come playoff time.
Tier 2: In the Playoff Hunt
5. Portland Trail Blazers
Additions: Cam Whitmore, Josh Primo (ugh)
Subtractions: Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Stewart
"Turning the corner" has not worked out for longtime-tanker Portland over the past couple of seasons, as his attempts to make major noise in the playoffs have mostly fallen flat, culminating in another early round exit last year. Much like Dallas, the Blazers decided to mostly sit out the offseason, making bids but never actually signing a free agent until the Primo move in the late stages. Losing Kawhi may turn out to be addition by subtraction as well, as his injury history combined with his massive cap hit may have hindered Portland's playoff ambitions more than they helped. Bron, DeMar, Trae, FVV, Brunson on arguably the best contract in the league, and Anfernee Simons actually becoming a positive asset should be more than enough to lead Blazers back to the playoffs again this year, but I'm not confident in his ability to defeat one of the four teams above him without a rash of injuries. I do like the Whitmore pick though, he's looked very good in the preseason clips I've seen of him.
6. Chicago Bulls
Additions: Cam Thomas, Keyonte George
Subtractions: Chris Boucher, Bol Bol
Another team with a very quiet offseason (you guys are so boring), Chicago has a 10 year mortgage on the sixth seed and will not be letting it go anytime soon. Any team with Nikola Jokic on it instantly propels themselves into playoff contention, and Bulls has constructed a nice supporting cast consisting of fellow all-stars Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland and Tyrese Haliburton. The rest of the well, however, remains pretty barren, with Jrue Holiday primed for regression and D'Angelo Russell slowly turning into an albatross contract, although one he can get out of after this season. I'm actually struggling for more words to write at this point...this team is just Jokic, a few other quality players, and a ton of minimum contract guys. Keyonte George might be fun?
7. Phoenix Suns
Additions: The entire 2023 NBA Draft Lottery
Subtractions: (Almost) Every non-Giannis player
A longtime dynasty with a roster flush with superstars, the Phoenix Suns embarked on an insane strategy of dumping almost any asset with value for a 2023 first round pick, which resulted in 6 of the first 8 picks belonging to him. On the surface, one would take a look at these moves and figure Suns will be a surefire playoff contender in two or three years, but I think there may be enough here to fast-track those expectations. Giannis, Sengun, Franz, and Scottie Barnes are all established fantasy stars with high ceilings and low floors based on their minutes allocations and styles of play, whereas Victor Wembanyama looks like a total alien who may already vault himself into the top 20 fantasy scorers as a rookie. All Phoenix needs is two or three of his other picks to also contribute immediately, and he should be set for an early playoff berth, a thought which should absolutely terrify the rest of the league, because as Deion Sanders so eloquently put it after his team lost to Oregon: "Come get us now, because this is the worst we're gonna be".
8. Philadelphia 76ers
Additions: Chris Paul, Scoot Henderson, does Chet count?
Subtractions: Rui Hachimura, John Collins, Deni Avdija
Philly endured an underwhelming 2022-23 season; much like Portland, he had expectations of ending his longtime tank and breaking through the playoff wall. Unfortunately, a rash of injuries and regression from key pieces like DeAndre Ayton and John Collins forced him to push his window back another season. The rough season might have been a blessing in disguise though, as Philly earned one of the few non-Suns lottery picks and selected Scoot Henderson second overall. He was also able to use his massive arsenal of picks to get out from under the disappointing Collins contract, as well as acquire grizzled veteran Chris Paul as a potential deadline flip piece. Much like Milwaukee, his biggest addition may not even be from free agency or the draft, as Chet Holmgren's return from seasonlong injury may be the key to finally end the longtime tank and flip the script on one of Guru's youngest and most promising franchises.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder
Additions: Jimmy Butler, Kevin Porter Jr (oof), James Wiseman
Subtractions: Davion Mitchell, Keon Johnson, Dillon the Villain
The one time Thunder is extremely active in the offseason, one of his marquee signings gets in major legal trouble and may likely never play another NBA game again (unless it's for the Charlotte Hornets). No matter, the OKC Cycle - a flurry of activity for one or two months followed by an extended hibernation - is running right on schedule, and will likely result in another mediocre result. Interestingly of note, Thunder will need to make at least one more move, as he currently sits with only 12 players on his roster. Mark Williams and Dyson Daniels were solid additions, but I feel like he could've gotten a bit more for Pascal. Regardless, I hope this is the year Thunder actually has a full roster for most of the season.
10. New Orleans Pelicans
Additions: Jaren Jackson Jr, Michael Porter Jr, Isaiah Stewart, Mitchell Robinson, Paul Reed
Subtractions: Daniel Gafford, Zach Collins, Cam Reddish, Luguentz Dort
Acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr may have saved Pelicans' playoff ambitions - the 2021-22 Guru champion had quite the title hangover last season, regressing to a 5-11 record and finishing nowhere near postseason contention. Seeking to taste championship glory once again, New Orleans undertook an aggressive free agency strategy, spending big for a high upside swing in Michael Porter Jr and a productive rebounding machine in Isaiah Stewart. A core of Embiid, JJJ, Bam, and Beal will certainly challenge for a postseason position, but like many teams in this tier, the lack of supplementary options may continue to hold this team back. With Stewart continually losing minutes to Jalen Duren, MPJ's game being generally unsuited to fantasy, and Cole Anthony being increasingly buried on Orlando's depth chart, there may be too many question marks for Pellies to jump back into championship contention.
Tier 3: Mediocrity
11. Seattle Supersonics
Additions: Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, Jett Howard, Nick Smith Jr, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Noah Clowney, Jaime Jaquez
Subtractions: Thomas Bryant, Bruce Brown
Scientists are still trying to figure out how in the world Sonics made the playoffs last season. Seattle finished 10th in points with a roster that even he assumed would be in the lottery range, especially following yet another season-ending Zion injury. The surprise breakout year only hurt Suns, who owned Seattle's first rounder and missed out on another lotto pick as a result. Sonics came into this offseason with a boatload of cap space, and took on the Nuggets-Wizards tradition of bidding up every major free agent until they reached appropriate prices. He did end up with one of the premier free agents available in Gobert, but even with Rudy, I do not anticipate lightning striking twice, especially with the significant improvement of teams ahead of him. Seattle also elected to sign every single draft pick to a four year deal, putting him well over the roster maximum with guys who will likely spend at least their first season in the G-League.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
Additions: James Harden, Herb Jones, Mike Conley
Subtractions: Nikola Vucevic, Al Horford, Malik Beasley
Clippers spent some time in the wilderness this offseason, which is the perfect metaphor for his Guru team's position going into this season. His team occupies this weird limbo position between not being good enough to be a playoff squad, but also still making win-now moves and refusing to drop to the bottom of the lottery. Clips' moves this offseason look like improvements on paper, but his team somehow managed to get even older this offseason, and eventually, some of these players are going to take a production hit. There's an argument he belongs in the tier above, but his team's advancing age plus Harden entering fat suit mode again puts a damper on my expectations this year.
13. Boston Celtics
Additions: Miles Bridges (oof)
Subtractions: Rudy Gobert, Jae Crowder, Patrick Beverley
The Ernie Grunfeld of Guru GMs, Boston has openly admitted to trying to chase the eighth seed instead of tanking for better assets, and unfortunately, Clippers is better at it than him too. The onetime first seed and Executive of the Year roster has become old and dilapidated, with players like Kevin Love and Montrezl Harrell still hanging around for some reason. There are still great players here (think Julius Randle and Tyler Herro), but most of this team looks like the 2016 NBA All-Star roster. Inexplicably acquiring a known domestic abuser in Miles Bridges for a first round pick was easily the worst move of the offseason, and now looks even worse following his second arrest in the last calendar year. He's so lucky the Hornets have zero ethical standards.
Tier 4: Tankers
14. Toronto Raptors
Additions: Dereck Lively, Austin Reaves, Obi Toppin
Subtractions: Enes Freedom (?), John Wall
Toronto has quietly built a solid young core, adding Keegan Murray, Bennedict Mathurin, Austin Reaves, and Dereck Lively to supplement her two franchise cornerstones in Anthony Davis and Donovan Mitchell. I still think she needs at least one more year before pushing up into higher tiers, but there is promise here. She might even be good enough to play spoiler to a few better teams in the right week, and another strong offseason and lotto pick next year should see her finally break out of her tank. Top 5 pick THT is still here though.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Additions: OG Anunoby, Christian Wood, Mason Plumlee, Ausar Thompson, GG Jackson, Pascal Siakam
Subtractions: Jalen Suggs, Malcolm Brogdon, Richaun Holmes, Mark Williams, Dyson Daniels
Minnesota's Great Tank is full speed ahead, as he took the step of dumping middling veterans Brogdon and Holmes on waivers, as well as acquiring valuable future pieces through trade (Anunoby, Ausar). Adding the awful Wood deal for just a single first rounder is the only questionable move Minny made this offseason, as otherwise he's sticking to a traditional tanking plan. Some of his young players like Trey Murphy, Andrew Nembhard, and Shaedon Sharpe will need to take steps forward this season for his tank to start bearing fruit, but there are promising assets here, and with three first round picks next year, Minny's turnaround may happen sooner rather than later. Pascal was a sneaky good late trade as well.
16. Sacramento Kings
Additions: Keldon Johnson, CJ McCollum, Kyle Anderson, Gradey Dick, Brice Sensabaugh, Sidy Cissoko, Kyle Lowry, Daniel Gafford, Luguentz Dort, Zach Collins
Subtractions: Jaren Jackson Jr, Usman Garuba, Patrick Baldwin Jr, Jaylen Nowell, Monte Morris
There is nothing here. Check back in 2026.