NBA Free Agency Grades: Grading every team's performance in July

NBA Free Agency isn't over yet but most of the big names are already off the board and the frenzied pace of the first few days is mostly behind us. We can't fully assess how each team did this offseason until we see their final rosters but that won't stop us from handing out some in-progress grades for what each team has accomplished so far.

The grades below also include trades that were completed before the beginning of July and free agency but, for the most part, I've avoided any assessment of the rookies each team added in the draft, outside of how the other rosters moves they made might support or hamper their development. If you're looking for NBA Draft Grades for each team's picks, Chris Kline has you covered.

Atlanta Hawks

Players in: Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, Larry Nance Jr., EJ Liddell
Players out: Dejounte Murray

The Hawks only move of consequence thus far has been the Dejounte Murray trade, which was mostly about returning two first-round picks. Dyson Daniels is a nice young player with upside but he doesn't move the needle in the present and unless the Hawks are trading Trae Young and intentionally beginning a rebuilding they're probably just made their team slightly weaker.

Grade: C

Boston Celtics

Players in: -
Players out: -

The Celtics haven't made any roster changes but they put down a lot of money to keep this core together — picking up Sam Hauser's option, re-signing Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet, and inking Jayson Tatum and Derrick White to big new extensions. A big bill is going to come due but for now, they have a championship roster locked up for the forseeable future.

Grade: B+

Brooklyn Nets

Players in: Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite
Players out: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop

The Nets did a great job getting value in return for Mikal Bridges but it essentially all came in the form of draft picks. It's not clear what the plan is from here though. Will they try to flip players like Bogdanovic, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith for additional picks? Or will they try to rebuild on the fly with some youthful guards, these mid-tier veterans and Nic Claxton? His new $100 million contract was a great value for the Nets but doesn't clarify their timeline.

Grade: B

Charlotte Hornets

Players in: Josh Green, Reggie Jackson
Players out: -

The Hornets were able to sneak into the Klay Thompson trade, turning a second-round pick into Josh Green and Reggie Jackson. Green is a nice pick-up, a 3-and-D guard who can bring some grit to their backcourt. They also re-signed Miles Bridges to a three-year deal, putting a lot of eggs in the basket of Bridges, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. They didn't get worse but I'm not sure they really did anything to get meaningfully better next year.

Grade: C+

Chicago Bulls

Players in: Jalen Smith, Josh Giddey, Chris Duarte
Players out: Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan

The Bulls are doing the right thing in finally trading off the veteran pieces of a team that wasn't good enough to break through in the playoffs. But they Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan long enough that the returns were fairly woeful compared to what they could have gotten a year ago or even at the trade deadline. They didn't get a first-round pick for either player and Chris Duarte and Josh Giddey is pennies on the dollar. They're still stuck with Zach LaVine and that trade is almost certainly guaranteed to be even worse given his cratered trade value.

Grade: D

Cleveland Cavaliers

Players in: -
Players out: Damian Jones, Marcus Morris

The Cavaliers still need to figure out Isaac Okoro's restricted free agencya nd it would be nice if they made at least one or two other additions to bolster a roster that was in desperate need of additional shooting and creation. But simp,y re-signing Donovan Mitchell and hiring Kenny Atkinson make this offseason a big win even if nothing else happens.

Grade: B+

Dallas Mavericks

Players in: Klay Thompson, Nnaji Marshall, Quentin Grimes
Players out: Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Derrick Jones, Markieff Morris

Landing Klay Thompson is a coup for the Mavs, not just for what he adds to the team but because it keeps him away from the Lakers, Warriors, Kings, Clippers and other suitors. Just having him replace THJ is an enormous upgrade but they also found pretty reasonable replacements for Jones and Green in Marshall and Grimes. They'll still face plenty of competition in the West but they did a great job upgrading with not much flexibility.

Grade: A-

Denver Nuggets

Players in: -
Players out: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Reggie Jackson, Justin Holiday

The Nuggets get an incomplete for now because they presumably still have a move to make to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He'll be an enormous loss and it's not clear that's a player they can swap in for him that won't be a significant downgrade.

Grade: Incomplete, but it's not looking good

Detroit Pistons

Players in: Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr.
Players out: Troy Brown, Malachi Flynn, Simone Fontecchio, Evan Fournier, James Wiseman, Quentin Grimes

The Pistons added some solid veterans with shooting ability, something that was sorely lacking last season. In theory, they help scaffold things for Cade Cunnningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. In practice, they may be squeezing Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart to much smaller roles and taking shots from young players who need them to develop.

Grade: B-

Golden State Warriors

Players in: Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson
Players out: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Dario Saric

In a vacuum, replacing Klay, Paul and Saric with Hield, Melton and Anderson is an upgrade for the Warriors. But I'm not sure it's a big enough one to matter considering how far behind the rest of the West contenders they were, even before free agency started. As it stands, counting on health and internal development from Kuminga, Moody and Podziemski to be the difference next year and I don't think it's enough.

Grade: B-

Houston Rockets

Players in: AJ Griffin
Players out: Boban Marjanovic, Reggie Bullock

Griffin is a nice pick-up but it's not clear exactly how many minutes will be available for his development. The Rockets are still lurking, waiting for a potential star trade but for now, this offseason has mostly been about setting them up for another season relying on internal development to take the leap.

Grade: C

Indiana Pacers

Players in: James Wiseman
Players out: Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott, James Johnson

The Pacers' biggest moves of the offseason were bringing back their power forward rotation, re-signing both Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin. McDermott and Johnson were bit players at best and the Wiseman for Smith swap is probably a wash.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Clippers

Players in: Mo Bamba, Nic Batum, Derrick Jones
Players out: Paul George, Mason Plumlee, Daniel Theis

It's understandable that the Clippers were leery about committing max money and years to Paul George but they've clearly taken a step back. Re-signing James Harden means their staying the course and signing Batum and Jones are nice additions for defense and wing depth. But they lost a star and have even more responsibility resting on Harden and Kawhi Leonard.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers

Players in: -
Players out: Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince

Re-signing LeBron James was the biggest priority of the summer but it's not clear that his departure was ever truly on the table. Beyond that they shakily navigated their head coach search did a decent job in the NBA Draft and didn't do anything else besides watching Prince and Dinwiddie walk. With most of the rest of the West making clear moves to improve, the Lakers may actually have taken a step back.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies

Players in: -
Players out: Luke Kennard

Rookie Zach Edey seems like he'll play a meaningful role in the Grizzlies rotation next season but other than that, it's been a quiet offseason with no significant trades or moves in free agency. But the Grizzlies didn't necessarily need to do anything this summer so not making any mistakes is a small win.

Grade: C-

Miami Heat

Players in: Alec Burks
Players out: Caleb Martin, Delon Wright

Losing Martin is a big deal for the Heat both because of his position — a big wing who can defend forwards and play the 4 — and because he ended up taking less money to go to the 76ers, which doesn't bode well for the vaunted Heat culture. Burks is a nice pick-up who can provide shooting and complementary creation but he's not a replacement for Martin and they will still have some rotation holes to fill.

Grade: C

Milwaukee Bucks

Players in: Taurean Prince, Delon Wright
Players out: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jae Crowder, Danilo Gallinari, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Prince and Wright are nice pick-ups who will definitely play meaningful minutes and help, particularly on defense. The problem is that neither really replicates what the Bucks are losing in Beasley's shooting, which was one of the few things on their offense that exceeded expectations last season. That's a hole they'll need to fill because the current options all have serious offensive shortcomings.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves

Players in: Joe Ingles
Players out: Kyle Anderson, Monte Morris, Jordan McLaughlin, Wendell Moore

The biggest move for the Timberwolves this offseason was trading up for Rob Dillingham in the NBA Draft and he should be an immediate help as a microwave scorer off the bench, effectively replacing Morris and McLaughlin. Ingles is a reasonable replacement for Anderson although he's trading some shooting upside for Anderson's defense and size.

Grade: C+

New Orleans Pelicans

Players in: Dejounte Murray, Daniel Theis
Players out: Dyson Daniels, EJ Liddell, Naji Marshall, Larry Nance Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Cody Zeller

The Dejounte Murray trade is a big deal for the Pelicans, even though it cost them some depth and an up-and-coming talent in Daniels. He really changes the structure of their backcourt and gives them another perimeter scoring option they'd been lacking. Theis is not a 1-for-1 replacement for Valanciunas but his defense and mobility give them a different look. The Pelicans have had a strong offseason and if they can flip Brandon Ingram for anything useful, it could be among the best.

Grade: B+

New York Knicks

Players in: Mikal Bridges
Players out: Precious Achiuwa, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Isaiah Hartenstein

The Knicks have had a fantastic offseason. They did a nice job in the draft but the big prizes were re-signing OG Anunoby and trading for Mikal Bridges. With those pieces in place and a healthy Julius Randle (or whatever they can trade him for) they absolutely look like a worthy challenger for the Boston Celtics.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder

Players in: Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein
Players out: Bismack Biyombo, Josh Giddey, Gordon Hayward, Mike Muscala

The Thunder are another strong contender for biggest winner of the offseason. They absolutely crushed the draft — they landed Nikola Topic at No. 12, who was listed on many boards as the No. 1 prospect until he tore his ACL, along with Ajay Mitchell who has looked like a ready rotation player already in Summer League. But they also added one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, in Caruso, and a perfect fit in the frontcourt with Hartenstein's passing, defense, size and finishing. Remember they had the best record in the West last season and no one in that conference has improved their roster as much as they have this summer.

Grade: A+

Orlando Magic

Players in: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Players out: Joe Ingles, Markelle Fultz

The Magic addressed one of their biggest needs with the KCP signing, landing a dangerous floor-spacer who won't compromise their aggressive defensive identity in the slightest. They also re-signed several pieces of their young core — Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Gary Harris and Goga Bitadze. They could still use another backcourt creator but every move has been a positive so far.

Grade: A-

Philadelphia 76ers

Players in: Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon
Players out: Mo Bamba, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Kyle Lowry, KJ Martin, Paul Reed, De'Anthony Melton, Cam Payne

The 76ers still have just 10 players under contract so there is definitely more coming, but they're off to a great start. The 76ers added Paul George to be a third star with Tyrese Maxey (who they just extended) and Joel Embiid. They also re-signed Kelly Oubre Jr. and added Caleb Martin giving them solid two-way depth on the wings. Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond are nice veteran pick-ups but they could still use another backcourt creator or two.

Grade: B+

Phoenix Suns

Players in: Mason Plumlee, Monte Morris
Players out: Drew Eubanks, Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Thad Young

The Suns are still looking to replace some of their wing depth but Plumee is a nice veteran backup option for Jusuf Nurkic and Morris is an excellent backup point guard who can handle the ball and space the floor. They also prioritized the depth they felt most strongly about, re-signing Royce O'Neale, Bol Bol and Damion Lee. They didn't do anything dramatic but these seem like incremental improvements.

Grade: B-

Portland Trail Blazers

Players in: Deni Avdija
Players out: Malcolm Brogdon

Trading for Deni Avdija was a nice move adding two-way depth and a player whose age and upside aligns more closely with the rest of the young core the Blazers are building. Donovan Clingan was also a nice pick-up in the draft and will likely be the primary back-up behind Deandre Ayton.

Grade: B+

Sacramento Kings

Players in: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen McDaniels, Jordan McLaughlin
Players out: Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, JaVale McGee, Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov

DeRozan is not the kind of shooter the Kings had previously looked at on the wing but he's a veteran with serious offensive skills who will be extremely dangerous coming off hand-offs and pin-downs with Domantas Sabonis at the elbow. Re-signing Malik Monk was also a huge move and Jalen McDaniels should be some nice wing depth. All in all, not as good as some of their competitors but definitely a step forward.

Grade: B+

San Antonio Spurs

Players in: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes
Players out: Cedi Osman, Devonte' Graham

I'm not sure it's enough to make the Spurs a serious playoff contender but adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes are excellent veteran pick-ups who should help summon order from the chaos of this young roster and help scaffold the development of Victor Wembanyama.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors

Players in: Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov
Players out: Jalen McDaniels, Jordan Nwora

Re-signing Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes are the big wins of the summer, locking the Raptors into a young core to continue building around. They're still negotiating with Gary Trent Jr. and if they can bring him back at a discount the grade might bump up. But otherwise, it was mostly moves at the margin to set the stage for the next phase of this rebuild.

Grade: B

Utah Jazz

Players in: -
Players out: Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker

The Jazz are still feeling out trades for Lauri Markkanen but otherwise this has been a very quiet offseason, landing some interesting prospects in the draft and letting some of the fringe players they've been experimenting with walk as their low-risk contracts end.

Grade: C

Washington Wizards

Players in: Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon
Players out: Deni Avdija, Tyus Jones, Landry Shamet

It's still not clear if they'll be able to bring Tyus Jones back but Malcolm Brogdon could potentially be flipped for another pick and Jonas Valanciunas should be a nice veteran presence to help Alex Sarr learn. The Wizards set themselves up for a nice draft night and mostly cleared space for their young players to get big minutes and big opportunities to learn by doing. The end result of all that should be good odds at Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Grade: B