NBA Notebook: Ranking the Celtics and other teams as offseason winds down

Most of the NBA offseason work is finished and the picture is clear enough to begin thinking about the hierarchy for the 2025-26 season. The Celtics would have led this list one year ago, even considering injuries and Olympic fatigue that clearly impacted them to begin the season. They're now, due to offseason losses and Jayson Tatum's injury, just another team. From an optimistic viewpoint, that places them in the mix among numerous teams that have questions, injuries and roster issues to sort through. A pessimistic assessment sees this team downgrading to a staggering degree from a talent standpoint, with almost their entire roster stepping into bigger shoes they've rarely filled before. 

So the debate begins -- is this a year where Boston could compete more than many evaluators expect, or could the Celtics head for a larger downturn than most anticipate? Let's rank the 30 teams as they stand to find out to get an early feel. This list is based on the current health of the team, and factors events that could happen down the line like further roster moves, potential for injury impact and the strength of each conference. 

No. 1 Oklahoma City: No team has repeated since 2017-18, and the Thunder have the best opportunity by far. Their entire rotation returns from 2025 healthy, aside from a Jalen Williams clean-up wrist surgery. He'll be ready for training camp, they'll benefit from the championship boost after already posting an all-time great net rating last season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmgren received contracts, and Holmgren could still expand his game with a healthier campaign and room to experiment. Beyond that, they're integrating two first round talents between point guard Nikola Topić and big man Thomas Sorber, a pair of top end prospects who fell to Oklahoma City due to injury. Topić thrived in Summer League after missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. Despite all that, a flawed Nuggets team took them to seven games in the second round and the Pacers might've defeated them in the Finals if Tyrese Haliburton didn't go down. They're not unstoppable, but inexperience, a few coaching mistakes, and offensive stagnancy hurt them most in the playoffs and breaking through as champions, plus internal growth, can solve all three. They're also the third-youngest roster in the league -- in a class of their own.

No. 2 Denver: The best player in the NBA keeps improving each season. After losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in consecutive seasons, Nikola Jokić nearly scored his most impressive playoff series win yet before Aaron Gordon fell with a hamstring strain. They're a different team when Jamal Murray is healthy and himself, which happened less often over the past two years, but they rallied following a coaching change from Michael Malone to David Adelman to peak into the playoffs. Now, Brown is back, an underrated offseason heist, they turned declining veteran Dario Šarić into Jonas Valančiūnas, a sturdy regular season innings eater who's Jokić's best backup by miles since Jusuf Nurkić in 2017. Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther actualized their hope for a youth movement at different points in 2024-25, then they made arguably the most impactful addition of any team this summer by acquiring Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. While the tradeoff looks close on paper, Johnson labored through two Nets rebuild years and will almost certainly fill a more consistent role than Michael Porter Jr. did, even with Porter's improved health. Defense remains the question. Jokić has to return to form on that end and Murray has to improve above being a playoff target. The Knicks showed the problem with being vulnerable defensively at the one and the five. Tim Hardaway Jr. was another nice pickup and Daron Holmes II dominated Summer League after missing his rookie season with an Achilles tear, another option to ease Jokić's workload.

No. 3 Houston: One of the most physical, defensive rosters assembled in recent history. My biggest worry here is that the Rockets might rely on Kevin Durant to create offense as much as any player other than Jokić in Denver. And Durant turns 37 this year. He's capable, particularly in late-game situations where Houston had nowhere to go other than Fred VanVleet, who's back on a team-friendly contract. Alongside them, they built a roster of bruisers, including the Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams combination that made the league rethink how lineups are built. Dorian Finney-Smith, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason build a perimeter brick wall that'll allow Durant to roam on defense. Behind them, they have great injury insurance and players who will allow the older players to manage the regular season, including reliable guard Aaron Holiday, Reed Sheppard, who deserves a longer look this year, and Clint Capela, back after his stellar stint with the Rockets from 2014-20. Thompson's development remains their swing factor. If he emerges as the star he resembled at times in 2025, empowered by a stronger roster around him, they're a championship team. I'm also intrigued whether Şengün will remain a primary offensive creator or a secondary ball-handler for this new-look roster. He had to do everything last postseason, including creating jump shots for himself. He handled it well. 

No. 4 New York: They finished 13 games worse than the Cavaliers last season, so placing them ahead of Cleveland might prove bold. But Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby meshing further under a more creative offensive program led by Mike Brown could create that much of a regular-season bump. I'm looking forward to a fully healthy Mitchell Robinson season, a more creative offensive role for Mikal Bridges and them utilizing the depth additions they made, including Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. They have some intriguing young players who rarely played last season, including passing guard Tyler Kolek, young wing scorer Pacôme Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, who shined playing on a two-way before tearing his meniscus and Kevin McCullar Jr., an intriguing college wing prospect who's battled numerous injuries. Health is a big swing factor here and while their defensive issues aren't substantial enough to prevent them from winning the east, they knocked off the Celtics' monstrous offense straight up, their fight to the death on every possession approach from Tom Thibodeau needs to remain on that end to make them competitive enough on defense to dream of a title.

No. 5 Cleveland: There's a lot here to love. Their roster mostly returns aside from Ty Jerome, Evan Mobley should take more steps after his breakout 2025 and Donovan Mitchell is arguably the best player in the East who's not named Giannis Antetokounmpo. Excellent coaching by Kenny Atkinson transformed them into a regular season power before injuries to Mitchell, Darius Garland and Mobley derailed their postseason hopes. Still, they were in position to beat the Pacers in their most undermanned game of the second round and collapsed in catastrophic fashion. Three straight difficult postseason exits make me concerned about the mental toll of needing to win in the playoffs, especially with top competitors Boston and Indiana diminished. That could prove to be the break they need to roll to the Finals or pressure that afflicts a core that's struggled to win at the highest level for a few years. For those citing injuries as an excuse, they're still present. Garland will miss the start of this season after undergoing surgery on his nagging toe injury. Lonzo Ball arrived as their biggest offseason addition for Isaac Okoro, who started last year strong before shooting limitations prevented him from impacting the playoffs. We'll see how consistently Ball can impact them after finally playing healthy in 2025 after years away from the game. I liked Okoro's emergence as a do-it-all, gadget player here. 

No. 6 Orlando: Their aggressive trade for Desmond Bane drew rebukes for the number of picks they gave up. It could prove to be exactly what they need. With defenses focused on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and even Jalen Suggs at times, Bane will shoot droves of open threes for perhaps the worst three-point offense in the league last year. Their stellar defensive unit that reached Thunder heights at times, including derailing the Celtics' three-point shooting attack in the first round, should mostly maintain into next season on a young team with great playoff aspirations. They're so hungry and I'm so confident in Banchero that I wouldn't be surprised if they emerge as the East's top seed. He looked every bit up for the challenge, battling the Celtics at times by himself as a shot creator, and handled the frustrating finishes to several close losses late in the series well. They offloaded Caldwell-Pope after a disappointing season, traded Cole Anthony, an important culture player who struggled to get on the floor in the playoffs, and retained Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr. and quietly signed Tyus Jones. They have a cast of young development players in Jase Richardson, Noah Penda and Tristan da Silva, and Moe Wagner should return from ACL surgery for the second half. We'll see how they handle real expectations, but this is my personal favorite roster next to Houston this year. 

No. 7 Dallas: Wait, the Mavs? With Kyrie Irving down, Luka Dončić gone and a protest always capable of breaking out in the stands less than one year following the most infamous trade in league history? Yes. I'm that confident in their freakish defensive line that'll include Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II. They still have Daniel Gafford in rotation to keep the party going into the bench, and Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, Max Christie and D'Angelo Russell should give them just enough offensive creation in rotation to survive until Irving returns. This could become a dangerous postseason unit if Flagg flourishes, they're healthy and Irving reaches the level he did before his injury last season. There are a lot of what-ifs here, but those exist for the other teams in their tier out west too, including the Lakers, who remain incomplete after landing Dončić last year to much hype. I'm not affirming Nico Harrison, since Flagg fell into his lap, but this is the roster style he envisioned when he made his bold deal with LA. 

No. 8 Minnesota: Not in love with them, but how can you not include a relatively young team that went to back-to-back west finals? Anthony Edwards has achieved significant playoff feats, especially while leading the team through significant roster turnover. They kept Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade rocked this roster before training camp last September. Now, they're settled in, know their roles and have young contributors who could enhance their veterans. Rob Dillingham will have to as Mike Conley enters the final stage of his career, perhaps a big ask after playing sparingly last season. Terrence Shannon Jr. impressed me in spot opportunities late last year, and will need to replace some of what they lost in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a ball-handling and scoring wing who could defend, who could prove to become a massive loss. Joan Beringer impressed at Summer League, but was one of the more raw players in the draft. It's hard to imagine them making the Finals, but you don't want to see them in a playoff series. Ask the Lakers and Warriors, who had high hopes entering last postseason. 

No. 9 Atlanta: My belief in what they've tried to build here since the 2021 East Finals run probably surpasses most others. Then, you saw it last year while Jalen Johnson emerged as a star, Trae Young embraced more off-ball play, Dyson Daniels shined in one of the best defensive guard seasons in modern history and Zaccharie Risacher actually fulfilled relative No. 1 overall pick expectations. Yet the defense sputtered again, Johnson suffered a season-ending injury and they missed the playoffs after losing twice in the play-in. Enter: Kristaps Porziņģis as a backup five, first-round wing Asa Newell, Nickeil Alexander-Walker in place of Caris LeVert along with Luke Kennard. This roster is loaded, and while health, defense and consistency all remain questions, they have everything they need to emerge as one of the best teams in the east. Young simply needs to embrace not needing to play as the center of the universe all the time, which could prove difficult in a contract season. Quin Snyder will need to embrace defensive and Johnson-led units. They're also relying on Onyeka Okongwu emerging as a consistent starting center after Capela's departure. Is Mo Gueye enough depth when injuries strike? 

No. 10 Clippers: Hard to quit on this roster even as their health, playoff disappointments and age scream that they're not a Finals contender. Kawhi Leonard is too good when healthy, James Harden has help with managing the regular season and their Chris Paul, Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez additions all filled needs without asking them to do too much. The Norman Powell-John Collins swap was more dubious to me. They'll miss Powell's scoring, and Beal's inconsistent availability and productivity isn't a seamless replacement. Collins also looks like a pure four on this roster, and that's questionable to me even after a breakout season. They can run some fun, defensive lineups by rotating Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Nic Batum into the second unit alongside Lopez. How many of these players will make it to May, and how effective will they be when they get there. I have no doubt about Ty Lue and his staff getting this roster near the top half of the west standings while managing the roster. Jeff Van Gundy had their defense humming last year. 

No. 11 Golden State: Will place them here even as Jonathan Kuminga's free agency places their final roster construction in flux. They're as exposed to age and injury as any team, without enough of an underbelly of reliable young players to sustain through missing any of their core players for an extended stretch. Draymond Green and Al Horford will help each other if Horford finalizes his agreement with the team. The same dynamic should exist between Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, but Butler struggled to keep the team competitive after Curry fell in the second round against Minnesota. Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis provided enough solid minutes to think that this team can be in the playoff mix. They're in a tough territory to avoid the play-in tournament and make an extended run in the west. Their upside is reaching the Finals. 

No. 12 Detroit: Despite replacing him with Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson and Jaden Ivey's return from injury, the Malik Beasley loss here was one of the most interesting offseason developments beyond the details of his alleged gambling and debt activity. Beasley led this team offensively at times, even as Cade Cunningham emerged as their star. He definitely set the tone for the team's personality, and while his downturn into the playoffs and defensive struggles hampered them in a six game loss to New York, his production and attitude won't prove easy to replace even with various options available. That said, this is still a tremendous roster with as much of a chance as anyone to reach the East Finals. They have depth and talent at every position, a star capable of battling toe-to-toe with the east's other stars and a crafty defensive-minded coach who constantly fires his group up. 

No. 13 Lakers: This is probably the lowest you can reasonably place a team that includes LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. They're just not that intriguing to me, and Jame' lame duck contract status, Dončić's health and defensive questions everywhere leave me wary about this group in a way that compares to the hesitancy I felt even after they finished third in the west. Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura give them some lineup flexibility, Deandre Ayton should begin the season motivated by his release and a fresh opportunity. Even Marcus Smart, long slighted and unavailable between Memphis and Washington, should play more often through pain on a team that wants to win. Yet the Dorian Finney-Smith loss stung here, Dalton Knecht faded into the playoffs and JJ Redick preferred to play small over using Jaxson Hayes. Then, he ran the same lineup into the ground into the playoffs. There's so much turbulence here that even a decent-looking roster on paper might have a lower floor than this due to its flaws, leadership and pressure that the franchise perennially faces. 

No. 14 San Antonio: There'll be more growing pains here. I'm a believer in a full season of De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama healthy, and what they can do in the front court between Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk. The questions emerge quickly beyond that. Devin Vassell needs to take more steps as their main wing contributor on both ends. Dylan Harper will do heavy lifting as a rookie and this roster is still largely young and inexperienced. There's a floor below this here. They're more interesting than some older teams with injury concerns though, and Wembanyama's presence alone gives them a high defensive ceiling. Carter Bryant emerging as a reliable depth wing would help too. 

No. 15 Philadelphia: Another team that you have to place somewhere that's hard to predict due to Joel Embiid and Paul George both undergoing offseason surgery and rarely playing last season. Between the coaching and young talent that surrounds them though, there's reason for optimism here. His injury aside, in true Sixers fashion, VJ Edgecombe continued turning heads at Summer League. A Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, Justin Edwards, Adem Bona and Johni Broome youth movement ranks among some of the better young cores in the league. But you need the stars to show up, and their constant lineup turnover and fatigue over who's available night-to-night successfully derailed this team last year and could again if Embiid and George play next to no games. Their injuries were severe enough to make that a legitimate fear. 

No. 16 Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo alone can keep this roster mostly afloat. He's more reliable than Joel Embiid, but it's a depth game here and even considering Myles Turner being able to fill the roster spot that Damian Lillard vacated, the roster around them is one giant question mark. They did well adding Cole Anthony, Kyle Kuzma can't play worse than he did last postseason and Gary Trent Jr. scored well in the postseason. That's a pretty dubious core even in the east. Bobby Portis, AJ Green, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris and Jericho Sims round out their rotation. I'm not certain this team beats out Boston in the standings, especially if Antetokounmpo makes the call mid-season. 

No. 17 Boston: They should have enough offensively. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta posted over 130 points per 100 possessions in about 50 minutes together last season. They'll run, they'll attack the offensive glass and they'll get threes up in droves enough to swing some games. Will they defend? The foundation to their success since 2022, sturdy center play on both ends, collapsed into a group of players who have never logged full season NBA roles. This is a thin and expensive roster too, which could change further closer to the trade deadline if they're floating in this 8-9 spot in the standings, or suffer injuries. There's a lower floor than this and a slightly higher ceiling if their young contributors like Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo González break through. Jayson Tatum could also return in the spring. I'm not counting on that. 

No. 18 Portland: A team that I'm high on entering 2026, even if tanking around the league enhanced their success late in the schedule. The Jrue Holiday effect is real and he had a long offseason to recover from bumps-and-bruises. Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe can handle the heavy lifting here, and Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III could cement this as a top-five defensive team if they're healthy. The offensive depth and creation ability is thin though, and they'll miss the amount of shots Anfernee Simons created. Still, they played far better with the shooting guard off the floor last season, and now it's hard to find a weak defensive link in any lineup. Donovan Clingan will start in place of Ayton. The question: how much of the Yang Hansen show begins year one? 

No. 19 Miami: They struggled immensely to put the ball in the basket after the Jimmy Butler trade. Norman Powell should help with that. They face a difficult decision regarding Tyler Herro's future. Andrew Wiggins gave them what he's mostly given teams throughout his career. The hope for a Bam Adebayo offensive bump doesn't intrigue me anymore. Kel'el Ware, Nikola Jović, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell and Kasparas Jakučionis give Erik Spoelstra plenty of development opportunities with that now a central focus for the franchise. They're entrenched in play-in territory in the east barring unexpected breakouts or meltdowns above them in the standings. 

No. 20 Indiana: There's a case they're better built to sustain without Haliburton than Boston is without Tatum. Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, TJ McConnell and secondary scorers like Bennedict Mathurin should keep their offense afloat. The center position and defense are the questions here, like with the Celtics. The Jay Huff trade was a great solution. Rick Carlisle is well-equipped to exceed expectations and they were relatively less reliant on their star than other teams. Top-to-bottom, they have the deeper roster. Their ceiling is higher than Boston's and their floor isn't as low, barring injuries. On average, the Celtics will have the better season. It's remarkable how similar their positions and outlooks are after their respective achilles injuries. Haliburton has been ruled out for the season. 

No. 21 Memphis: Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. underwent surgery this offseason. Ja Morant rarely plays and they drafted an injured rookie Cedric Coward who hopes to be ready for camp. It's hard to believe this team won 48 games last year in the west. It's hard to imagine that this season despite them picking up Ty Jerome, seeing Jaylen Wells emerge as a starter and Scotty Pippen Jr. play solid backup guard minutes. They traded Desmond Bane, Jay Huff and traded Jake LaRavia as part of the Marcus Smart salary dump over the last year, making it hard to believe they're focused on the present and building the best team possible around Morant. This could be a rocky season. 

No. 22 Toronto: A decent roster if all goes right. They clearly wanted to move off RJ Barrett as they prepared to build around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, which could lead to some awkwardness at a crowded wing position. That's rarely a bad thing to have too much of though, especially while navigating a long regular season. Immanuel Quickley is a good option at point as is Jakob Poeltl. If they want to make a run at the play-in, they aren't too far away. It's a thin team after the starting five though. 

No. 23 New Orleans Will give Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi and Jordan Hawkins the benefit of the doubt over some of the other lesser teams for their talent. Their seasons have rarely played out on paper recently, and this roster could break up quickly following a slow start. Derik Queen intrigued at Summer League, Dejounte Murray is hurt and Jordan Poole is who he is. The defense will struggle and they'll score sporadically when they're healthy. The floor is low. There's some ceiling here. 

No. 24 Sacramento: They're floating Devin Carter in trade talks for Kuminga after reuniting DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine only months after they seemingly needed to break up in Chicago. They fired Mike Brown and split De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis up after they rejuvenated the franchise. Then, they watched Haliburton nearly lead Indiana to a title after they traded him, and they might need to deal Sabonis, who they acquired for Haliburton, next. Little makes sense here and they actually still have some nice players like Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, Isaac Jones, Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud. In true Sacramento fashion, they kept Malik Monk and signed Dennis Schröder for big money.

No. 25 Phoenix: Incredibly low on this group even as Devin Booker continues to kill it here. Jalen Green rarely impressed me in Houston. The front court is slightly more intriguing between Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn and Nick Richards. That's not enough to compete in the West, though this season could prove refreshing as they invest in youth after their veteran core disappointed for back-to-back seasons. 

No. 26 Chicago: Coby White, Josh Giddey and Nikola Vučević led a play-in push that fizzled out quickly. It's tough to see this core, barely hanging on after the DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine trades last year, hanging on past the trade deadline. It should be rebuild time for the Bulls before long. They're known to float in the middle of the league though, and do have a good coach who's kept them above water through several mediocre seasons.

No. 27 Charlotte: Seemingly setting themselves up for another tank with only Mason Plumlee and Moussa Diabate at center with significant NBA experience, and otherwise returning the same core plus Collin Sexton. At full health, they could compete in some games. A bottom-five finish feels inevitable, especially with Josh Green and Grant Williams beginning the year recovering from injuries. They're becoming less interesting each year that LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Brandon MIller can't lead a winning team.

No. 28 Washington: They've been smart to accumulate as many former first-round pick caliber players as possible and seeing what sticks. So far they have hit on Bilal Coulibaly, AJ Johnson looks intriguing and Alex Sarr has the talent. They drafted Tre Johnson to help Bub Carrington lead the back court while veterans Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum remain to help the young guys early, similar to last year with Malcolm Brogdon and Valančiūnas. They owe their first-round pick to Oklahoma (T-8 prot.), so they'll lose.

No. 29 Brooklyn: Like Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. will score tons of points here before they figure out what's next for everyone involved. Jordi Fernández can coach. As long as he's allowed to, he'll win some games they're not supposed to early. Like last year, they appear focused on the draft and roster flexibility. 

No. 30 Utah: So much for Austin Ainge's pronouncement that they won't tank this year. Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler headline their proven players before you get to young prospects Ace Bailey, Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams, Brice Sensabaugh and Walter Clayton Jr. who could all be fun to watch on any given night, but don't have the experience to consistently win games. They cleared out the players who did this offseason. The rebuild continues. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston: Waived JD Davison this week despite his $2.2 million contract having a non-guarantee until Jan. 10. The move opened their 15th standard roster spot, slid the Celtics $2 million below the second apron line and slashed roughly $15 million off their luxury tax bill. Boston typically leaves its final roster spot open for flexibility purposes, so as the Boston Globe reported, don't expect a quick move to fill it outside of another training camp invite or non-guarantee. Charles Bassey remains in free agency after his standout Summer League with the Celtics and Ben Simmons has been connected to Boston, alongside the Kings, Knicks and Suns. Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein both reported the Celtics' Simmons interest. Jaylen Brown seemed to move well working out at the NBPA retreat in Spain this week. Brad Stevens had mentioned Brown being cleared soon following his meniscus surgery earlier this offseason. Jayson Tatum visited the Tennessee-Chattanooga basketball team on his way to attend Kemba Walker's wedding. Zach Lowe isn't high on the Celtics this season. 

Brooklyn: Kyrie Irving reflected on his time with the Nets on his stream this week after Kevin Durant and Steve Nash discussed injuries and distractions as reasons why the Brooklyn experiment didn't work on LeBron James' show. Irving believed early that Kenny Atkinson and the Nets didn't actually want him, but accepted him as a way of acquiring Durant. He added that he didn't have much say about the direction of the team, and should've built a better relationship with the front office, acknowledging his immaturity and desire to stay apart from the vaccine debate surrounding the franchise by 2021. Irving also requested a release from the team over the New York City mandate, but understood why the team didn't free him to join any other rival. He went on to discuss the James Harden trade request that landed him in Philadelphia and the Celtics' sweep of Brooklyn atfer. 

"Ime Udoka literally went to the Boston Celtics after coaching with us. That was crazy, bro," Irving said. "You know, that was crazy. We had Ime Udoka literally go to Boston the next year. That means you got coaches on the other team. And it wasn't anybody's fault, it's just opportunity, but we're in the same division. Can you imagine going against the coach that literally saw all of our strengths and weaknesses and now we're playing against them? Boston was ready for us. Ime had them ready, had the Celtics ready. When we played them in the 2022 playoffs, s*** got wild."

Charlotte: Won the Summer League championship, Kon Knueppel icing a close win over the Kings with a three in the final minute while leading by one point. Knueppel, the No. 4 pick, scored 21 points to cap a strong showing in Vegas while Ryan Kalkbrenner continued to produce close to a double-double throughout the showcase. KJ Simpson and Jaylen Sims also keyed the team's run alongside former Maine Celtics contributors James Banks III and DJ Rodman, son of Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman. The Hornets' staff featured former Celtics coaches Jermaine Bucknor and Blaine Mueller. The Celtics-Hornets connections continued when Charlotte signed Drew Peterson to a two-way contract earlier this month after Boston drafted Amari Williams and Max Shulga to fill their two remaining two-way roster spots. Peterson averaged 18.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 5.0 APG in 25 games with Maine last season and showed well in spot opportunities with Boston. 

Chicago: A frustrating restricted free agency continued for Josh Giddey with no resolution in sight between him and the Bulls. Chicago views Giddey as a foundational player and wants to get a deal done, an executive told Spotrac, though like Jonathan Kuminga with Golden State and Cam Thomas in Brooklyn, there's no incentive for the Bulls to bet against themselves. Only the Nets have the ability to sign free agents to significant offer sheets, and they appear more focused on internal priorities and accumulating draft assets. Limitations on what they can pay in an extension will probably also prevent a Coby White deal from getting done this summer as well. Nikola Vučević is more likely heading for a mid-season buyout than a trade, according to Jake Fischer, after several seasons where the team assessed the market for him then failed to move him. He makes $21.5 million. 

Golden State: Jonathan Kuminga remains unsigned, stalling the Warriors' other heavily reported additions that include Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Seth Curry, who will team up with brother Steph Curry for the first time in their professional careers. Kuminga has worked out in Miami while exploring other opportunities, so far in no rush to sign Golden State's offers, according to ESPN. That's kept the Warriors as the only NBA team to make no signings or trades this offseason. The Suns and Kings have expressed the most outside interest in Kuminga, with the Warriors uninterested in their sign-and-trade proposals, holding out for a first round pick. Kuminga could also accept the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer from Golden State to receive a no-trade clause and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. The Athletic polled executives who valued Kuminga ranging from $17-25 million. They also explained how Golden State needs him on a medium-sized contract to maintain team-building flexibility, even if they move on later. 

Houston: Expect to see more of Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams playing together after the pair unlocked the Rockets as a top west seed and threat to the Warriors in the first round, Kelly Iko wrote, but that will require Amen Thompson and Şengün growing more comfortable with their three-point shots. Houston signed defensive wing Josh Okogie, recently waived by Charlotte, to pad the team's incredible depth across every position. The Rockets already added Kevin Durant at the point of attack, Dorian Finney-Smith at the wing and Clint Capela inside. Jalen Green, who went to Phoenix in the Durant trade, looked back at his first four seasons with the Rockets for the first time since the trade. 

"What’s that thing that people are always saying in these moments? Don’t cry because it’s over? Smile because it happened? Bro, I’m smiling," Green wrote. "It’s nothing but love for the Rockets. I’m sorry I gotta try to bust y’all ass now, but every time I see y’all, it’s gonna be love. I mean, I grew up here, for real. Some dudes just be saying that when they get traded, but I really came here at 19 years old still eating Skittles before games, and I’m leaving here as a father. It’s been a time, y’all." 

Indiana: Granted a disabled player exception for Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles tear worth $14.1 million that can be used for trades and free agent signings. The criteria for a DPE is when a player is substantially more likely than not to miss the season. The Pacers acknowledged earlier this summer that Haliburton will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. The Celtics haven't done the same with Jayson Tatum, and haven't been reported to receive a DPE. While they can apply for one at any time and probably don't need one given their $22 million Kristaps Porziņģis trade exception, and desire to shed rather than add salary, it is intriguing that Boston isn't closing the door publicly on a Tatum return this season. Indiana is excited about Jay Huff trying to fill Myles Turner's shoes this year after his quiet rise into an effective player in Memphis. The Pacers also expect more from Jarace Walker, who emerged midway through the playoffs before suffering a severe ankle sprain late in the East Finals. 

Clippers: Signed Chris Paul to a one-year contract in what will mark his final NBA season with the team, where he became a superstar from 2011-2017 alongside Blake Griffin, reviving the franchise's brand beyond the Donald Sterling days while making three straight All-NBA First Teams. Paul, who turns 41 in May, will play a role for LA this time alongside James Harden, who he didn't always mesh with in Houston despite them building a 3-2 lead over the dynasty Warriors in the 2018 west finals. Harden approved of the signing, Brian Windhorst noted, and the duo will try to make it work with Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, who signed a two-year, $11 million deal after his release from Phoenix earlier this month, and new front court duo John Collins and Ivica Zubac. It's a compelling roster with a strong bench, but one with plenty of injury and age concerns that mirror their recent playoff flame-outs. For Paul, who logged 82 games with the Spurs last season, this is a compelling opportunity to win his long-sought-after first NBA championship.  

Lakers: Marcus Smart joked in his Lakers introduction that he'll probably be booed in his visit to Boston next season with the purple-and-gold while raving about his opportunity to play for a historic franchise in LA. He also acknowledged Luka Dončić helped recruit him to the Lakers despite them not having a significant relationship before that. Great footage surfaced from 2015 of Smart guarding Dončić in a preseason exhibition between Real Madrid and the Celtics in Spain. Dončić was 16 at the time and scored one point in 16 minutes. The Lakers waived Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin following the Smart signing, freeing up their final roster spot. The Bucks, Hawks and Heat discussed a trade with the Wizards for Smart before Washington bought him out and freed him to sign with the Lakers, including a framework built around Terry Rozier going to Washington from Miami. 

Milwaukee: The Warriors remain a team, among others, closely monitoring the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation in Milwaukee, part of the reason Golden State has methodically managed Jonathan Kuminga's free agency to line up his potential salary for a potential Antetokounmpo trade down the line. As the Bucks try to build another contender around Antetokounmpo entering a critical season following Damian Lillard's stunning release from the team, Lillard looked back at his two-year tenure with the team positively, calling it a great experience despite the bitter end to a pair of first round series against the Pacers. Lillard tore his Achilles to finish his second season in Milwaukee, and notably struggled adapting to the city far from his family in Portland. But he enjoyed the basketball side of the experience and playing alongside Antetokounmpo. Spotrac noted that the Bucks haven't received any indication that Antetokounmpo will request a trade before next season begins. 

“I thought it was a great experience, man,” Lillard said. “It was a great experience. I think more than anything just the luxury of playing with a player as great as him. And having those nights where I can show up and he’s gonna carry a lot of the load and he might be feeling it that night and we can win a game with me scoring 12 points.

New Orleans: Bill Simmons pointed toward some growing buzz that as expansion opposition grows among NBA owners, relocation could become an alternative for the league to return to Seattle. He highlighted the Pelicans, whose arena lease ends in 2029 after years of struggling to grow professional basketball in New Orleans, as a candidate to move to Washington at the start of next decade. In that case, the other NBA owners receive a relocation fee and don't need to split the new television revenue with new ownership groups. The Pelicans became an expansion team in 2002-03, then the New Orleans Hornets, and have stood among the league's more lackluster franchises since. They spent two seasons in Oklahoma City following Hurricane Katrina, inspiring the Supersonics' move to OKC from Seattle, before rebranding as the Pelicans in 2013. They ranked 24th in average attendance last season. The New Orleans Jazz first attempted to create an NBA franchise in Louisiana from 1974-79 before relocating to Utah. The Pelicans still believe in and are committed to Zion Williamson, an executive told Spotrac. 

New York: Parted ways with various Tom Thibodeau assistants, including Daniel Brady, Andy Greer, Othella Harrington and Dice Yoshimoto, alongside Nick Thibodeau, Tom's son who worked in the team's video department. The departures allow Mike Brown to reshape his coaching staff, which so far includes Riccardo Fois, Charles Allen and the Knicks received permission to speak with Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni, a Knicks fan favorite from his playing days. Rick Brunson, Mark Bryant and Maurice Cheeks remain from Thibodeau's former staff for now. The NY Post and HoopsHype reported the coaching shakeup. 

Philadelphia: Jake Fischer doesn't expect a restricted free agency resolution between Quentin Grimes and the 76ers before July ends, but notes the situation's importance following Guerschon Yabusele's departures from Philadelphia's bench. The Sixers also waived Ricky Council IV last week, who emerged as a solid depth contributor for the team in recent seasons when injuries struck. Fischer see a short-term contract coming together for Grimes. As for rookie VJ Edgecombe, one executive is so high on the No. 3 overall pick that he predicted he'll become the Sixers' second-best player behind Joel Embiid this year. Edgecombe was voted as the best draft pick not named Cooper Flagg, per ESPN. 

Phoenix/Sacramento: Have floated Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Nick Richards in Jonathan Kuminga trade talks with the Warriors, according to ClutchPoints. Golden State has held out on returning a first-round pick, and doesn't prefer to take back Phoenix' long-term salaries. The Suns don't have significant draft compensation to offer the Warriors due to the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades. The Kings, by contrast, have offered a protected first alongside Devin Carter and Dario Šarić, but the Warriors have held out in those talks for Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis. In Sacramento, the belief is that the Kings could move on from DeMar DeRozan if they acquire Kuminga. 

San Antonio: Dylan Harper is viewed as such a foundational piece for the Spurs that if his career tracks in the right direction, he could allow the team to float De'Aaron Fox for future upgrades, one scout argued to ESPN. It's a bold claim, but makes San Antonio that much more intriguing as they enter the season with Fox, Harper, Victor Wembanyama and solid depth trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19. The Spurs reportedly committed $1 billion to a new stadium and downtown revitalization. 

"[Harper] has some [Manu] Ginobili to his offensive game," one Western Conference scout said. "If the 3-point shot ever becomes a true weapon [for him], he makes Fox expendable and gives San Antonio a nice trade asset."

Utah: The Jazz waived former Celtic Jaden Springer, who joined the team and played sparingly following his trade to Houston as a salary dump before the deadline in February. Springer was guaranteed $400,000 if he remained on the roster past Friday. He shot 41.1% from the field, 20.7% from three and scored 3.8 points per game in 17 appearances with Utah, including two starts. He turns 23 in September. The Jazz haven't waived Kevin Love yet following his trade from Miami, but he's expected to land with a big market team in LA or New York shortly.