Nuggets
In
Julian Strawther (4yr/$12.5m), Hunter Tyson (4yr/$7.7m), Jalen Pickett (4yr/$8.2m), Justin Holiday (1yr/$3.2m), Braxton Key (2-way), Jay Huff (2-way), Amida Brimah, Au'Diese Toney, Jamarko Pickett
I dunno any of these guys. None of these guys will be important enough to be awesome or detrimental. Rosters need x number of guys and these guys add up to x.
Out
Bruce Brown, Thomas Bryant, Ish Smith, Jeff Green
Brown was a big part of this team last year and while I don't think he's irreplaceable, his absence will bring about some kind of readjustment; the Nuggets will be fine but the way the GM threw him under the bus recently was puzzling. Green, too, was a nice vet contributor for the last coupla seasons, he's become quite a reliable vet after years of being the most up/down dude I'ver ever seen. I like Bryant and Ish, but neither of them ever really fit into this team.
Re-signed
Reggie Jackson (2yr/$10.2m), DeAndre Jordan (1yr/$3.2m), Peyton Watson (exercised rookie extension), Connor Gillespie (2-way)
Very reasonable deal for Reggie Jax, to me he is a night off for Jokic kinda guy, a break glass in case of emergency guy; I don't see him as a regular bench guy, I see him as occasionally going nuts guy, we'll see. I have no idea what their fascination with DeAndre is, this guy has been washed for years. Supposedly they're expecting to get big minutes out of Watson this year (part of the Brown replacement?).
Rest of roster
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Zeke Nnaji, Christian Braun, Vlatko Cancar
I like Jokic to win another MVP, so that kinda tells you everything about this team. Murray and Porter and Gordon make for a fiercesome foursome and I like how they use KCP and Braun. Anything they get out of Nnaji and Cancar--and I like both of them--is pure bonus.
Next summer's free agents
Nnaji, Jordan, Holiday
Nnaji just re-upped. The others probably get replaced by a new round of free agent vets next summer, I'm guessing.
Vegas over/under: 52.5 (I'll go Over)
I have the Nuggets repeating as #1 in the West and winning the championship as Jokic grabs another MVP. So...what else is there to say?
Thunder
In
Vasilije Micic (3yr/$23.6m), Cason Wallace (4yr/$24.1m), Davis Bertans, Keyontae Johnson (2-way), Jack White (2yr/$3.9m)
I got a feeling that Micic and Wallace are both gonna be nice players on a team already filled with nice players. My gut is that Wallace sticks with the Thunder and Micic gets moved (for another tantalizing haul of drafts picks!) at the deadline to a playoff team looking to bolster its bench (say, the Bucks or Heat). I can see Bertans being a nice bucket-getter off the bench (yeah, I'm one of those that remembers his days in San Antone when he never missed, unlike every year since when he's mostly missed).
Out
Dario Saric
Oh yeah, Saric ended up in OKC last year. I like Saric but clearly he won't be missed here.
Re-signed
Coach Mark Daigneault (multi-year extension), Lindy Waters (2-way), Olivier Sarr (2-way)
Coach Daigneault is in a so-far-so-good kinda place, this extension is an optimistic affirmation of the job he's done so far and while it may blow up on them later on, so far, I'd say so good. I have absolutely no thoughts on Waters (don't know) or Sarr (recognize the name from past mock drafts but otherwise I don't know him).
Rest of roster
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguntz Dort, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams, Tre Mann, Jaylin Williams, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins
I think SGA is a legit MVP candidate, he's been getting better every year and he still has room to improve even more. My favorite SGA quality: this guy doesn't play for the refs, he doesn't even seem to notice that they exist--god, I love that! After all these post-Clippers years where every call draws some kind of grumpy response, I can't even express how refreshing it is to watch a player that just plays.
I love Dort but I can't help feeling he is the prime trade chip on this team and will likely be shipped out in the next upgrading. Some team is gonna get a great defender (a young PJ Tucker), and it could be OKC depending on how well this squad blows up.
Holmgren is my pick for ROY, I think he's gonna be an important part of this rotation right away and gonna be awesome. Also, I just don't see Wemby playing as many games: OKC is ready to be good now and they will want maximize Chet, while the Spurs are still in suck-now mode and will surely shut Wemby down at some point.
I love Giddy. That guy is a taller, smoother Ricky Rubio--and I still love Ricky Rubio!
Kenrich Williams is a nice veteran role guy but he could also be playing another team by year's end, depending on how OKC wants to build heading into the post-season. Likewise, with Pokusevski, who is hovering between still being the next golden light of this roster or the next train out of town. I like both of these guys (and Micic and Dort, too), but these strike me as the pieces that either bake into the bread or become ingredients for some other baker.
So many youngsters to roll out, so much depth, how many of these guys are worthwhile contributors and how many will be out the league soon enough? I have no idea. But I feel the Thunder have a great collection of youth.
Next summer's free agents
Pokusevski
Okay, Poku. Sink or swim time. If he could knock down a 20-footer, I still think he can be a hell of a player. If he gets hot in a Thunder uniform, he might be here forever. If not, I can see him being moved at the deadline or released next summer. We'll see, I'm honestly sure where he goes from here.
Vegas over/under: 44.5 (I'll go Over)
These guys might be awesome--like really really awesome--this year. The Warriors are getting old, the Wolves aren't ready to be great, the Grizzlies will be without Ja for a long stretch, who knows what's going on with the Pelicans--point being, there is plenty of room for the Thunder to steal a lot of lunch money this year. I can see this team being a Coach Bud classic night in/night out murder squad that gets in rhythm and rolls right up over people. Can they be the best in the West in the regular season? I think it's very possible, this team has nothing better to do but win e'ry damn night and if their youth gets properly mixed in, they could be a juggernaut. Or....maybe the youth is too spotty to finish out games and they struggle to really find an identity. But I think the former is more likely than the latter: SGA runs this team and Chet is gonna get his focus this year and the roster will fall in line (or get shipped out pronto). I like them to be kinda awesome in the regular season, though the playoffs will be a different story and they may find themselves up against a goliath.
Wolves
In
Luka Garza (2-way), Jaylen Clark (2-way), Leonard Miller (4yr/$8.3m), Shake Milton (2yr/$10m), Troy Brown Jr (2yr/$8m), Vit Krejci, Daishen Nix, Trevor Keels, Tyrese Martin
Bench-thickeners but not life-changing additions here. The Wolves are top heavy with stars getting big paychecks so it makes sense that the incomings would be of the around-the-edges type. I like Milton and I can see Nix getting some big minutes at times off the bench.
Out
Nathan Knight, Taurean Prince, Austin Rivers, Jaylen Nowell
A little surprised they didn't keep Rivers, seems like a good vet that could be had at a very reasonable price. Prince is nice but not irreplaceable.
Re-signed
Anthony Edwards (5yr/$205.9m), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (2yr/$9m)
Is Edwards your NBA MVP? Well, probably not, but he's definitely ready to take a big step. I like NAW, he'll be a regular in their 2nd string (and that's not unimportant).
Rest of roster
Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley, Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson, Jaden McDaniels, Wendell Moore Jr, Jordan McLaughlin, Josh Minott
Sink or swim year for this squad. I have the Wolves finishing in the top 6, I'm expecting this roster to persevere and comfortably make the playoffs. But....if it all goes sideways, who gets thrown overboard? My guess is Towns is the one that had the highest trade value but it could be that the supporting cast might need to be overhauled, too (in which case: see ya later, Conley and Anderson). But I'm betting that the major crisis will be held off until next summer, when the overhaul may happen regardless of how this team competes.
Next summer's free agents
Conley, Anderson, McDaniels, McLaughlin
Well, McDaniels has cast some spell over the Wolves brass, so it seems like heaven and earth will be moved to bring him back--unless a king's ransom is out there in the trade market (which I don't see happening). The other three are likely not gonna be on this team next year.
Vegas over/under: 44.5 (I'll go Over)
I have the Wolves finishing 7th in the West, then getting bounced in the play-in rounds. I don't dislike this team, though last summer's big trade (bringing in Gobert) didn't make much sense to me, but I think after a year together, this can be a pretty good team. But as much as I like Edwards, I don't see him as a natural team leader, so he's a dubious choice to be the face of the franchise. Towns is too aloof and has a weird game, so even though he's got a big paycheck and big stats, he's not a natural leader either. Gobert is the highest paid of the bunch but also has the most one-note game and isn't the leader either. Feels like the team wants McDaniels to be the leader--but that ain't happening, either. This team has a lot of talent but I'm still not sure how any of them fit together (and actually Conley is the leader whether anyone likes it or not). I think their talent is good enough to pile up 45 wins and get them into a strong play-in position, but when the bright lights shine, I don't think this team can pull it together and they'll be scrambling hard next summer to make the next big move.
Jazz
In
John Collins, Keyontae George (4yr/$18.8m), Brice Sensabaugh (4yr/$12.6m), Taylor Hendricks (4yr/$25.4m), Omer Yurtseven (2yr/$5.5m), Joey Hauser (2-way), Romeo Langford (2-way), Josh Christopher (2-way), Keyshan Justice, Michael Devoe
George looks like a ROY candidate and Collins is a talented player who needed a change of scenery. The rest will have their moments to contribute.
Out
Juan Toscano-Anderson, Hassan Whiteside, Udoka Azubuike, Vernon Carey Jr, Rudy Gay, Damian Jones
I always kinda wondered about Azubuike, but the rest don't feel like much of a loss to this team.
Re-signed
Jordan Clarkson (2yr/$28.4m), Johnny Juzang (2-way)
I personally would've moved on from Clarkson and I still see him as trade bait more than a rotation player (but I don't watch the Jazz much, I suppose). I still believe in Juzang, that guy was a born filler upper in the NCAA, I think that can translate.
Rest of roster
Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, Talen Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji, Simone Fontecchio,Walker Kessler, Kris Dunn, Luka Semanic
Sexton, Markkanenen and Kessler are the current core to build around and that's not bad. I see Olynyk and Horton-Tucker as trade bait, since I don't see the Jazz as a playoff team this year. Still waiting to see what Agbaji is going to be, could be a nice addition to the rotation. I've long been out on Dunn (surprised he's still around) and Fontecchio is not built for the NBA.
Next summer's free agents
Olynyk, Horton-Tucker, Fontecchio, Dunn, Semanic
I don't see any of those guys on the 2024-25 Jazz roster.
Vegas over/under: 35.5 (I'm going Over)
Yes, I'll go over but I still don't see them being in the playoff hunt. I like these guys and if George and Collins add to the team, then they could be pretty good. But I don't see enough identity here, they are a nice collection of nice players that play nicely, but that's not striking fear into any hearts out there. They've got a wheeler-dealer in the GM spot, so this team can go way up or way down from here, but as is, I think this is a nice team that finishes 12th in the West.
Blazers
In
Scoot Henderson (4yr/$44.4m), Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Kris Murray (4yr/$14.3m), Rayan Rupert (3yr/$5.2m), Duop Reath (Exhibit 10), Toumani Camara
Ladies and gentlemen, your brand new Portland Trail Blazers are here. Scoot is the future, Ayton is the reclamation project, Williams is the defense in the middle, Brogdon is the vet off the bench, Murray and Rupert are the next rookie experiments (50/50 on both). I don't see them winning a ton this year but down the line, these moves are gonna work.
Out
Damian Lillard, Cam Reddish, Trendon Watford, Drew Eubanks, Justise Winslow, Jusef Nurkic, Keon Johnson, Nassir Little
Dame time has run out. The cupboard isn't bare in Portland, in fact it may be better than its been in a while. But the face of the franchise has moved on and that is a mighty transition (feel like there will be a lot of Bucks fans in Portland at least for the next year). As for the rest, well, I liked Watford (kinda surprised they let him go) and Little but otherwise the rest of entirely replaceable.
Re-signed
Jerami Grant (5yr/$160m), Matisse Thybulle (3ys/$33m), Shaedon Sharpe (exercised rookie extension), Kevin Knox (1yr/$?), Skylar Mays (2-way), George Condit (Exhibit 10), Justin Minaya (Exhibit 10), Ibou Badji (2-way), John Butler Jr (2-way)
I think Grant is trade bait, maybe this year but certainly next season. I like Thybulle, a great defensive presence and I think he can still turn into a nice scorer; I love that deal and I think he's a keeper. Sharpe will take another step now that Dame is gone, Blazer fans are gearing up for the Scoot and Sharpe show, that is the future.
Rest of roster
Anfernee Simons, Jabari Walker
Simons is in an awkward spot here; this isn't exactly his team (this is Scoot's team) and he's not really positioned to be the second banana (that would be Sharpe), nor is he the next toy in the toy box (that's Ayton). Simons is the fly in the buttermilk: if he's awful, it could get ugly and if he's great, how does that interrupt the Scoot-Sharpe-Ayton dichotomy? Curious to see how this plays out because I feel like Simons is gonna be gunnin' this year and if Scoot can incorporate him, the Blazers might actually be really good; but if Scoot clashes with Simons, he may be their next soap opera. (How Simons to Miami straight up for Tyler Herro? Yeah, it's a joke but....kinda makes sense....)
Next summer's free agents
(none)
Whew! No controversies here!
Vegas over/under: 28.5 (I'm going Under)
I love youth movements and the Scoot-Sharpe-Ayton show looks like a good one. They'll struggle to get W's early on and they still have moves to make: does Brogdon fit in with this team or stick out like a sore thumb? Does Simons mesh with the new look or clash? What do they do with Grant? Too expensive to keep, too expensive to trade. But they've got a true core to build around and the future is here, all the rest is trade bait. They'll have some ups and downs but next summer they'll be looking at a lot of potential trades and another top 5 pick in hand.
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