Kings
In
Colby Jones (4yr/$8.8m), Jalen Slawson (2-way), Chris Duarte, Sasha Vezenkov (3yr/$20m), JaVale McGee (1yr/$3.2m), Jordan Ford (2-way), Jaylen Nowell (Exhibit 10)
I like adding Duarte for depth at ball handling and I'm curious to see Vazenkov, a Euro who seems to have a lot of talent.
Out
Corey Brewer, Jeremy Lamb, Terence Davis, Matthew Dellavadova, Richaun Holmes, PJ Dozier
Holmes was always a nice player but never fit in this rotation. Davis and Dozier are replaceable. Corey Brewer? Did he play for the Kings last year? Corey Brewer?
Re-signed
Harrison Barnes (3yr/$54m), Damontas Sabonis (5yr/$186m), Trey Lyles (2yr/$16m), Alex Len (1yr/$3.2m), Kessler Edwards (exercised team option), Keon Ellis (2-way)
Might seem like a rich contract for Barnes but I think he's the right vet for this team and if they didn't pay him, someone else would've. Big money for Sabonis--correct move! Lyles and Len both had really good moments for this squad last year and both are reasonable re-ups, both good moves.
Rest of roster
DeAaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell
Yeah, that's a good core. They won last year, I think they'll win again this year.
Next summer's free agents
Monk, Len, Edwards
Monk is gonna get paid next year, whether or not it is in Sacramento.
Vegas over/under: 44.5 (I'm going Over)
Last year, the Kings busted out in a big way but couldn't find success in the post-season and I think that might happen again this year. This team is deep enough to rock night in/night out but might struggle when the playoffs crunches everything down. I have Monk as 6th Man of the Year and this bench is solid and Coach Brown is the right guy to lead this team. I think they win that stacked Pacific Division.
Suns
In
Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin, Chimezie Metu (1yr/$2.4m), Drew Eubanks (2yr/$5m), Eric Gordon (2yr/$6.6m), Keita Bates-Diop (2yr/$5m), Yuta Watabanbe (2yr/$5m), Bol Bol (1yr/$2.2m), Udoka Azuibuke (2-way), Jusuf Nurkic, Keon Johnson, Grayson Allen, Nasir Little
They really overhauled this team this summer and while we're supposed to think all the moves are great, I dunno, feels like a lot of flash and not much muscle. Beal has long been the most overrated player in the league--which isn't to say he is bad, simply that his reputation of all-world badass hasn't been much deserved. Gordon is a vet perimeter scorer (how many of those does this team need?). Nurkic is injury-prone and ill-defined in his position, not sure what he's gonna do for this team. I like Bates-Diop, Metu, Watanabe and Bol but I'm not sure that any of them will really contribute much. I like Little but I don't see how he fits. Allen has some toughness but isn't consistent enough to earn minutes here. I dunno, man, I think Coach Vogel has a lot of work to do.
Out
Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Darius Bazeley, Terrence Ross, Jock Landale, Bismack Biyombo, Torrey Craig, Cam Payne, DeAndre Ayton, Ish Wainwright
I just never understood why this team was so mean to Ayton, just refused to let him develop and shit on every good thing he ever did. Chris Paul, on the other hand, was endlessly lauded despite the worst Game 7 loss in NBA history and all around just being overrated (did I say Beal was the most overrated?). Payne and Craig had moments here, Shamet and Winwright and Landale were better than were given credit for. Biyombo has been washed since...oh wait, he was never actually any good. Outside of Ayton, who they didn't really replace, I don't think any of these other moves are that meaningful.
Re-signed
Damion Lee (2yr/$5.3m), Josh Okogie (2yr/$5.8m), Seben Lee (2-way)
Okay.
Rest of roster
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker
The best duo in the league? No, but they'll score a shit ton of points this year so they are in the discussion.
Next summer's free agents
Allen. Metu, Bol
Gone, gone and gone.
Vegas over/under: 51.5 (I'm going Under)
I talked a lot of shit for a team that I still have 2nd in this division and 4th in the West. But for all the sturm and drang, I don't love this team and in the wrong match-up, they could look terrible at times. They'll score a ton of points but will they do anything else? I'm not convinced--and I like Coach Vogel.
Lakers
In
Gabe Vincent (3yr/$33m), Cam Reddish (2yr/$4.6m), Jaxson Hayes (2yr/$4.6m), Taurean Prince (1yr/$4.5m), Christian Wood (2yr/$5.8m), Jalen Hood-Schifino (4yr/$17.9m), Maxwell Lewis (4yr/$7.6m), Collin Castleton (2-way), D'Moi Hodge (2-way), Alex Fudge (2-way)
Nice bunch of new replacements but I can't help feeling none of these guys will "good enough" to satisfy. Wood is a head case, Reddish has yet to actually do anything in this league, Hayes kinda looks like a waste of long legs, Prince is nice but limited and no matter how good Vincent is, he'll always be "undrafted". I dunno, man, in other times on other teams, this would be a nice summer haul but I feel like this batch doesn't win any hearts or minds.
Out
Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, Scotty Pippen Jr, Shaq Harrison, Dennis Schroeder, Lonnie Walker, Wenyen Gabriel, Tristan Thompson
On the other end, I think this supporting cast is better. Schroder had good years for the Lakers, Gabriel was there when this squad had nobody, Beasley fits better than Prince, Bamba can be just as useful as Wood, and Lonnie walker had moments. Feels like continuity would've cost the same as a new batch--the fact that they want the new batch is troubling.
Re-signed
Austin Reaves (4yr/$53.8m), Rui Hachimura (3yr/$51m), D'Angelo Russell (2yr/$36m), Anthony Davis (3yr/$177.1m), Jarred Vanderbilt (4yr/$48m)
Okay, to be fair, the Lakers did re-up the necessary guys from last year. Reaves blew up in the playoffs (and contributed nicely for Team USA) and earned his new contract. Hachimura seems to like basketball again and looks to actually be the player we all thought he could be. Vanderbilt is limited but good at his role. AD getting the big money may seem unnecessary but, hey, man, they're built around him for better or worse, might as well pay him. And Russell is still a good trade piece for this roster.
Rest of roster
Lebron James, Max Christie
The Hall of Famer and some other dude.
Next summer's free agents
Prince, Christie
The chances of the Lakers bringing either of these guys back next year is infinitesimal.
Vegas over/under: 47.5 (I'll go Under)
The core of this team is better than what the Lakers have had in recent years. The emergence of Reaves and having Hachimura and Vanderbilt fall into their lap gives Lebron and AD a better support network than they've had in a while. I think they'll be a better regular season team this year and I even have them finishing 5th in the West but I question how deep they can go in the playoffs, just don't see this crew holding up under withering playoff conditions.
Warriors
In
GM Mike Dunleavy Jr, Brandin Podziemski (4yr/$16.2m), Cory Joseph (1yr/$3.2m), Trayce Jackson-Davis (4yr/$7.6m), Chris Paul, Dario Saric (1yr/$?), Lester Quinones, Rodney McGruder, Usman Garuba, Rudy Gay, Jerome Robinson (2-way), Javante Green
Does Chris Paul make this team better? No. Frankly, Cory Joseph was all they needed. I think Saric, Garuba and McGruder will give more in the dirty work department. Will Podziemski get any time at all? Wouldn't bet on it. Interesting to see if Rudy Gay has anything left in the tank.
Out
Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Andre Iguodala, Ty Jerome, Jordan Poole, Patrick Williams, Ryan Rollins,
I liked Poole more than most and I think the Warriors really fucked up by forcing him out (and James Wiseman, too); you think I'm crazy but there is bad karma hanging over this team and they leaned into the corruption instead of the future. They're gonna miss DiVincenzo, he was a real plus off the bench.
Re-signed
Draymond Green (4yr/$100m)
For years I argued that Draymond was the real MVP of this team. But now he is the albatross that will drag them back down the standings. Perhaps he still has magic left in him but I suspect his time has passed.
Rest of roster
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Jonathon Kuminga, Moses Moody
Steph is still the man. Wiggins is the real-MVP of this team. Looney is the only that gets rebounds. Klay is in the last hurrah year. Payton is here for dirty work and no glory. Kuminga and Moody are next up to take all the blame when it goes wrong.
Next summer's free agents
Thompson, Saric, Joseph
I think they're all gone next summer.
Vegas over/under: 48.5 (I'll go Under)
Last year was marked by the slap Draymond laid on Jordan Poole but really what we saw was this team's inability to move on. Instead they shipped out James Wiseman for a bag of balls and couldn't get rid of Poole fast enough, just so they could overpay Draymond one more time (which also guarantees that Klay won't be back next year). You know who most disappointed me last season? Coach Kerr. I'm sorry, man, but for all the kudos we've heaped on him, why did we just let him get away with watching his team combust and try to right the ship by dispatching the future stars to pamper the old farts that won't go away? The Warriors don't deserve to be any good with how they've mismanaged their youth movement (something they don't even acknowledge existed) and unless Kuminga blows up this year--and will he be allowed to?--he and Moody will be next to go so that they can bring back some washed up overrated vet to pretend to keep the magic going. Now that Chris Paul has the ball in his hands, why do we think Kuminga will thrive? Did Ayton thrive? Did Clint Capela thrive? Don't worry, Warriors fans: Bismack Biyombo is available! I dunno, man, the dynasty is over and the long shadow is drawing down--and they were my pre-season pick to win it all just one year ago!
Clippers
In
Kenyon Martin Jr, Kobe Brown (4yr/$12.4m), Joshua Primo (2-way), Jordan Miller (2-way), Xavier Moon (Exhibition 10)
A second chance for Josh Primo....okay.
Out
Eric Gordon, Jason Preston
They got Gordon late and while I think they could've used him, he bailed (or vice versa).
Re-signed
Mason Plumlee (1yr/$5m), Russell Westbrook (2yr/$7.9m), Mousssa Diabate (2-way)
Most will think bringing back Westbrook was a mistake but I thought Westbrook was pretty good for the Clippers last year and probably they're best chance at having a big season. Likewise, with Plumlee, he fits them and its good to bring him back.
Rest of roster
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Normal Powell, Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Ivica Zubac, Terence Mann, Amir Coffey, Bones Hyland, Brandon Boston
I mean, does anyone expect Kawhi and/or PG to play? Powell is nice but Morris is getting old, Batum is already old, Covington is limited, Zubac is fine but not a difference maker, Coffey and Hyland are probably too big for their britches and still waiting for BJ Boston to turn into something. Is Terence Mann really worthy of the hype they're trying to lay on him?
Next summer's free agents
Morris, Batum, Covington, Plumlee, Martin, Boston, Diabate
My guess is they're all gone and next summer will be a major overhaul for this franchise.
Vegas over/under: 46.5 (I gotta go Under)
Why will this team win 47 games? If Kawhi plays like Kawhi for 82 games, this could be the best team in the league--do you think that's gonna happen? If PG plays like PG for 82 games, they would probably comfortably be a playoff team--do you think that's gonna happen? If Terence Mann blows up into an all-pro player, this team could be solid and kinda dangerous--do you think that's gonna happen? I think they'll be up and down, have tantalizing moments that vanish as soon as someone goes back on the DL. I could see a fire sale at some point, but the only real prize potential is Boston (do the Clippers give him away or can they actually get some value for him?). Look, if the Clippers show up and do their best, they could be really good, I just don't think that's gonna happen.
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