Denver Nuggets

Additions: Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Jamal Murray

Subtractions: D.J. Augustin

2016-17 Cap Space: $14.7 million. $5.3 million under Salary Floor

2017-18 Maximum Cap Space: $51.1 million 

Analysis: The Nuggets' offseason was far more about additions than subtractions. Denver is continuing to amass talent during their slow and steady rebuild, as they have now missed the postseason in three straight years. The difference between last year and the prior two seasons is the team showed real signs of progress under Mike Malone. 

Covering what the Nuggets lost is a quick and easy analysis. D.J. Augustin, who Denver acquired at the Trade Deadline for Randy Foye, signed with Orlando. This should be a relatively easy cover for the team, since Emmanuel Mudiay will play most of the minutes at the point guard position and Jameer Nelson has the veteran backup role locked down. The team could still use a third point, and Nate Wolters is being brought to camp, but with 15 guaranteed contracts already he’ll need something to pop to make the squad.

As to what Denver added, they had three first round picks and seemingly hit on all of them. The first player drafted was Jamal Murray, a shooting guard out of Kentucky who can also play some point guard. Murray showed terrific range by shooting over 40 percent from three in his one college year. He furthered that reputation in workouts leading up the Draft, setting records during shooting drills at several stops along the way. He’s also a good ball handler and passer.

With their second pick, Denver tabbed Juancho Hernangomez, a forward who has played three seasons as a professional in Spain. Hernangomez was impressive in Summer League, using his size, athletic ability and hustle to rebound, run the floor and continually make things happen. He needs work defensively and to refine his skills, but he can make an impact with his energy off the bench right away. 

The last first rounder was spent on another shooting guard, Malik Beasley from Florida State. Beasley missed Summer League with an injury, but in his one season at FSU he showed the ability to be a good scoring guard. He has a nice touch from the perimeter and can create his own shot. Due to the injury and the Nuggets crowded shooting guard spot, Beasley will be brought along slowly in his rookie year.

The Nuggets' other offseason moves were to retain Darrell Arthur, a valuable swing forward, and Mike Miller, a good bench veteran. Both Arthur and Miller were signed to reasonable contracts that won’t hamper Denver down the line. Mixing youth and experience is always a challenge and the Nuggets retained both players to achieve that balance.

Offseason Grade: B-. The Nuggets seemingly hit on all three picks and retained two key veterans, but what they didn’t do was consolidate any of their depth to bring in an All-Star level talent. Like a few other teams that are rebuilding, the Nuggets have amassed a good amount of talent but are starting to face a crunch for both roster spots and minutes. Nowhere is this more evident in Denver than at shooting guard where they return Gary Harris, who is becoming a much underrated player around the league, and Will Barton, who has developed into a top end 6th man. And they added both Murray and Beasley to this mix in the draft. And none of the group is a natural fit at either PG or SF. A similar issue exists up front with Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, Arthur and Hernangomez competing for minutes. Mike Malone has his hands full to build a rotation this year that can achieve development, while also winning games in a deep Western Conference. 

Long-term Grade: A. Denver’s challenge for this year is their strength for the future. Because of their depth at virtually every position, they should be able to make a consolidation trade down the line to strengthen the top of the roster. In addition, they own all of their own first round picks, while also owning a future Memphis pick that will likely convey this year. But most importantly, the Nuggets have hit on draft picks repeatedly. Mudiay seems like a keeper, Harris looks excellent and there is a lot of excitement around this year’s trio. And that is before mentioning one of the best young center tandems in the league in Nikola Jokic, who looked terrific in the Olympics, and Jusuf Nurkic. The future is very bright in the Rockies.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Cole Aldrich, Kris Dunn, Jordan Hill, Brandon Rush

Subtractions: Tayshaun Prince, Damjan Rudez, Greg Smith

2016-17 Cap Space: $9.3 million. $3.9 million under Salary Floor

2017-18 Maximum Cap Space: $51.9 million 

Analysis: Much like their division brethren in Denver, the Timberwolves have been on a slow and steady build. The difference is that the Timberwolves' build has now lasted for 12 straight years of missing the playoffs. Another difference is that Minnesota may have more topflight, young talent than any other team in the league, although Philadelphia could have an argument there in a few months. 

With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota has two players that any franchise in the league would love to be building around. When you pair those two with Zach LaVine, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad, you can see the start of something special. Add Ricky Rubio, who only turns 26 this year, and the picture gets even brighter.

A goal for the Timberwolves over the last two offseasons has been to add some veterans around their young core. Last year the team tried Tayshaun Prince and Andre Miller. While the win-loss results weren’t helped all that much, Prince and Miller, as well as holdovers Kevin Garnett and Kevin Martin, were credited with helping the young pups grow up a bit. Of that veteran group, only Garnett remains and he’s reportedly weighing retirement as he approaches his 22nd NBA season.

To add continued veteran presence, the Wolves signed Cole Aldrich and Brandon Rush this summer. The difference between Aldrich and Rush with Prince and Miller is that the former are expected to also have a significant on court impact. Aldrich returned home to Minnesota to add shot blocking and rebounding as part of the Minnesota big rotation. Rush brings a championship pedigree from his time with the Warriors to the wing rotation. Both players should play a big role off the Wolves bench and could both be spot starters at times well. The Wolves also signed Jordan Hill to give them some extra insurance up front in case Garnett does choose to retire.

At the Draft, Minnesota selected one of the highest risers in recent memory in Kris Dunn. After reported trade talks with Chicago for Jimmy Butler went nowhere, the Wolves will slot Dunn in at point guard behind Rubio. In Summer League, Dunn wowed the crowd with his ball handling, vision and ability to get to the rim. His shot is still hit or miss, but the hope is that it will come with time. If nothing else, Minnesota now has the point guard position locked up for the foreseeable future.

The single biggest addition for Minnesota, one that has many believing they can move forward and potentially make a playoff push this year, is Tom Thibodeau as head coach and de facto general manager. After taking a year off following his successful run in Chicago, Thibodeau returns to run both sides of the operation in Minnesota. He’s almost a lock to improve the Wolves defense and to help the team mature. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility to see Minnesota challenging for a postseason spot into March and April for the first time in years.

Offseason Grade: B+. It would have been nice for Minnesota to use their cap space on a more impactful addition. Aldrich and Rush both make sense, but combining the $4 million Hill will be making with the $9 million remaining in space could have snagged the Wolves a bigger name. That said Dunn looks like a keeper and someone who can grow with the rest of the young core.

Long-term Grade: A. After over a decade out of the playoff picture, it would be nice to see the Timberwolves with a piece that could get them there now and help in the future. But that really is a minor quibble. They have enough cap flexibility to carve out extensions for Dieng and Muhammad or to match offers for them next summer. No team in the league can match the young core Minnesota has put together. Barring something unforeseen, the playoff drought should end in the next year or two and it seems unlikely to return anytime soon.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Alex Abrines, Ersan Ilyasova, Victor Oladipo, Ronnie Price, Domantas Sabonis

Subtractions: Kevin Durant, Randy Foye, Serge Ibaka, Nazr Mohammed, Dion Waiters

2016-17 Cap Space: $2.7million. Over Salary Floor. Under Luxury Tax.

2017-18 Maximum Cap Space: $36.8 million 

Analysis: The Oklahoma City Thunder were not too long ago where the Wolves are now. Oklahoma City built through multiple drafts, much like Minnesota, adding Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. They then added key role players around them in subsequent offseasons. And that group grew and matured into title contenders, ultimately making one NBA Finals and narrowly missing this past year. 

That growth from young up and comers to contenders, makes the sting of losing Kevin Durant hurt all that much more. That he left for the team the Thunder had a 3-1 series lead against makes it even worse. In many ways, Durant was basketball in Oklahoma City. Sure, he was already a part of the team when they relocated from Seattle, but he grew up in the NBA in Oklahoma City and became a perennial MVP candidate. 

With Durant missing time with injuries during the 14-15 season, Westbrook has proven more than capable of carrying a squad himself. Even when playing with Durant, Westbrook was more an equal partner than a sidekick. Without his superstar teammate, and angry from what he seems to see as a betrayal, the NBA world is about to see what Westbrook can do when he’s fully unleashed. And the Thunder smartly capitalized on it by signing him to a renegotiate and extend deal to keep him from free agency next summer.

Beyond the much covered loss of Durant and the retaining of Westbrook, the Thunder also made another big move this summer. At the Draft, they traded longtime power forward Serge Ibaka to Orlando for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis. While trading Ibaka was the first sign that Sam Presti and the Thunder were heading in a different direction, the deal returned two starter level players and a very nice prospect.

Oladipo should step in and start at the shooting guard position alongside Westbrook, giving the Thunder one of the most athletic backcourts in the entire league. While he’s still a streaky shooter, Oladipo should give the Thunder better all-around play from the SG spot than they’ve received in years. He’s a good ball handler, passer, and scorer and can be a very good defender. He’s eligible for free agency for the first time next summer, but all signs are that the Thunder plan to retain him.

Ilyasova is a stopgap at the power forward spot, but he’s not a bad one. He’s a true stretch-4 and remains a very good rebounder. He won’t block shots like Ibaka, but he’s a solid positional defender and annually among the league leaders in charges taken per minutes played. And Sabonis should immediately step in and give the Thunder good backup play at the PF spot behind Ilyasova. Like his famous father, he’s a good passer and shooter and isn’t afraid to mix it up inside. 

On the wing, Alex Abrines is coming over from Spain after initially being drafted in 2013. He’ll be an energy guy off the bench for Oklahoma City to start out. Abrines has a decent shot, but isn’t a good enough defender to start in the NBA. He should have a role as a backup shooting guard behind Oladipo.

Outside of the departures of Durant and Ibaka, as if they weren’t big enough, the Thunder also lost Dion Waiters. After Durant left, Oklahoma City went in a different direction and made no real attempt to retain Waiters. He has value as a scoring guard off the bench for a contender. On a team that is building back to contender status, Waiters shoot-first mentality could harm development, so he’s not a major loss.

The remainder of the team returns more or less intact. Steven Adams and Andre Roberson are likely to fill out the starting five around Westbrook, Oladipo and Ilyasova. Enes Kanter returns to his 6th man role providing points and rebounds off the bench. Cameron Payne was slotted in as the backup point guard, but recently had a similar foot surgery to the one Durant had in the past. He’s still a big part of the long term future in OKC, but may be brought along slowly this year.

2016-17 Grade: C-. Losing a player the caliber of Durant is crushing no matter how you spin it. The Thunder are better equipped to bounce back than most, but Durant is essentially irreplaceable. Adding Ibaka and Waiters leaving to Durant and the team will have a different look. Retaining Westbrook, despite some pressure to trade him, was crucial to remaining a competitive team. Oladipo, Ilyasova, Abrines and Sabonis are all nice additions, but they don’t begin to offset the loss of Durant. 

Long-term Grade: B+. Despite the short term setback due to the loss of Durant, the Thunder are set up well for long term success. Once a player moves on, a franchise can’t waste time lamenting the loss and Oklahoma City didn’t. They reacted by rebuffing all trade offers for Westbrook and signing him to an extension. That transaction is actually effective in two ways: first, it keeps him in Oklahoma City for the immediate future and keeps the team competitive. Second, it makes him that much more valuable as a trade piece, if they choose that direction down the line, because he’s now signed for one additional season. In addition, the Thunder have plenty of young talent up and down the roster, while also having good cap flexibility moving forward. They aren’t the title contenders they were with Durant, but they firmly remain a playoff team.

Portland Trail Blazers

Additions: Festus Ezeli, Jake Layman, Shabazz Napier, Evan Turner

Subtractions: Cliff Alexander, Gerald Henderson, Chris Kaman, Brian Roberts

2016-17 Cap Space: None. Over Salary Floor. $953k over Luxury Tax.

2017-18 Maximum Cap Space: None. $22.6 million over.

Analysis: The Portland Trail Blazers, fresh off one of the most surprisingly successful seasons in the league last year, spent more money than anyone to keep their team together for the near future. Damian Lillard’s five-year extension starts this year and the team also spent big money to retain Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless. If that wasn’t enough, the team gave a max extension to C.J. McCollum that will kick in next season.

To further add to the spending, the Blazers also signed Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli as free agents. On its face, each move makes sense. After watching LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo (five of their top six rotation players) leave last summer, Portland was determined to keep this group together and to add to them.

Turner brings Portland skills they didn’t get from anyone who played the small forward position last year. He’s an excellent ball handler and passer for a player of his size. He played a lot of point guard for the Celtics over the last two seasons as he rebuilt his value after flaming out as a No. 2 overall pick. He’s also a good defender who can play 1-3 on both ends of the court. By adding Turner, the Blazers can play him with both Lillard and McCollum and allow them to work off the ball some. Visions of Lillard and McCollum navigating through stagger screens have to be running through Terry Stotts’ head. Portland should be able to build an offense with as much offensive versatility as any in the league and Turner will be a big part of that. In addition, Turner will likely function as the backup point guard behind Lillard, allowing McCollum to avoid the wear and tear of playing shooting guard minutes and carrying the backup PG minutes as well.

By signing Ezeli, the Blazers have a good backup center that can also start when called upon. Ezeli’s also grown comfortable in a role where he’s asked to focus on defense, rebounding and setting screens. His role in Portland won’t change much from his role with the Warriors. And the Trail Blazers have the requisite depth with Mason Plumlee and Leonard to stay the course if Ezeli misses time with his troublesome knees.

Shabazz Napier and Jake Layman are back of the bench type of additions, but they both have the potential to be minor upgrades on Brian Roberts and Cliff Alexander who they replace. Napier is on his third team in three seasons and is likely a third guard who can handle minimal backup minutes. Layman is a rookie forward that will spend most of his rookie year in the D-League.

The only loss of note is that of Gerald Henderson. He was very good in a bench role for Portland. He played both wing spots and even some small ball power forward at times. The Blazers hope that with Turner in the fold and Harkless continuing to develop that they can capably replace Henderson. 

Offseason Grade: B+. By keeping the team together and adding Turner and Ezeli, the Trail Blazers have ensured the continuity they desired. They should be a playoff team and may be the favorites in the division. They are legitimately 11 deep when you include holdover Noah Vonleh, who could start at power forward or may be out of the rotation to start the year. That type of depth will pay major dividends over the course of a long season and should contribute to another playoff run.

Long-term Grade: C. As exciting as it is to retain their core and add to them, it came at a significant cost. Portland projects to go into the summer of 2017 as one of the few teams in the league with no shot at cap space. They will be on the hook for at least a combined $85.8 million for just Lillard, McCollum, Turner and Crabbe. Carrying value contracts like Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis allow for some extravagant spending elsewhere, but the Blazers have used all the flexibility they had before the season has even started yet. In addition, Plumlee is due for an extension as well. While, Portland’s immediate future looks good, they are going to be very expensive for a team that may not be a true title contender. 

Utah Jazz

Additions: Joel Bolomboy, Boris Diaw, George Hill, Joe Johnson

Subtractions: Trevor Booker, Trey Burke, Tibor Pleiss

2016-17 Cap Space: $12.3 million. $2.9 million under Salary Floor

2017-18 Maximum Cap Space: $63.1 million

Analysis: After years of building through the draft, the Jazz cashed in some assets and cap space in an attempt to end a four-year postseason drought. The Jazz traded for both George Hill and Boris Diaw and signed Joe Johnson. In addition, the team returns Dante Exum after he missed his entire sophomore season with a torn ACL. Those four will team up with holdovers Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood, who developed into a very nice player in his second season. The team will also hope for better health for Alec Burks and continued development from Trey Lyles in his second season. 

Despite the lack of a consistent point guard for most of the year, the Jazz nearly made the playoffs last year, getting eliminated on the final day of the season. The core group of Hayward, Favors, Gobert and Burks no longer has the leash they once did. With younger talent around them and the veteran additions, this group needs to make the playoffs or face major changes. Hayward and Favors are entering their 7th season and are no longer the young up and comers they once were.

Hill should step in and immediately stabilize the point guard position. He’ll provide shooting, which was lacking last year, and steady ball handling and playmaking. Playing alongside Paul George and Danny Granger for years has made Hill very comfortable playing off the ball at the point guard spot. After cycling through Raul Neto, Shelvin Mack and Trey Burke last year, the Jazz have depth galore at the lead guard spot. Neto and Mack both return, as does Exum. The team will bring Exum along slowly initially, with Neto or Mack backing up Hill. Exum will likely see 10-15 minutes a night to start the year, with the hope he can ramp up to full backup minutes by seasons end. If Exum can handle the backup spot by the Trade Deadline, the Jazz can then trade away Neto or Mack to fill another hole. 

At shooting guard, Hood has taken hold of the position and isn’t likely to let it go any time soon. He’s an excellent fit next to Hayward and the big men and with a steady point guard, he could be even better. Burks should be his primary backup and a lesser role could help keep Burks healthy for a full season. Behind them is Johnson, who will also slide over and play behind Hayward as well. 

In the frontcourt, Diaw gives a veteran presence behind both Favors and Gobert. His passing and ball handling adds a dimension the Jazz have lacked up front for years. He should also be a good mentor for Lyles and aid his development by taking the pressure of being the primary backup big man off his plate. Jeff Withey returns to give the team another pure center behind Gobert. And rookie Joel Bolomboy is very highly regarded as a sleeper. There may not be minutes available for him initially, but don’t be surprised if he pushes for a role throughout the season. 

Offseason Grade: A. Tired of missing the playoffs, the Jazz have built their team to win now. The acquisitions of Hill, Diaw and Johnson, combined with better health for Exum and Burks, give the Jazz one of the deepest rosters in the entire NBA. They are still lacking a true topflight All-Star, but should have the necessary depth to get to the postseason and to challenge for the division title. 

Long-term Grade: A-. The only slight blemish for the Jazz is that as of this writing, they still hadn’t used their leftover cap space to sign Favors with a renegotiate and extend deal. And Gobert, Hayward and Hill are all pending free agents as well. But the Jazz have kept their cap sheet clean for the future and should have no issues retaining their players. After years of rebuilding, the Jazz look poised to contend in the division for years to come.