Off-Season Recap for Western Conference Teams

The off-season is full of hope, aspirations, and excitement for every team trying to compete for a championship or building for the future. Numerous amounts of transactions take place to achieve those goals. Between the draft, free agency, and trades, every team has made changes to their roster in some capacity. This is a recap of every team’s off-season in the western conference.

Dallas Mavericks

Incoming Players:
  • Klay Thompson – Sign and Trade
  • Naji Marshall – Free Agency
  • Spencer Dinwiddie – Free Agency
  • Quentin Grimes – Trade
Departing Players:
  • Tim Hardaway Jr.
  • Derrick Jones Jr.
  • Josh Green
The Dallas Mavericks lost their best perimeter defender in Derrick Jones Jr. in free agency; however, they added one of the best shooters in NBA history in Klay Thompson. He may have lost a step in recent years after his injuries, but he’s still a lethal shooter attempting 9 threes per game on 38.7%. His floor spacing will open up the offense for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
 
They also added Naji Marshall, who will help mask the perimeter defense they lost with Derrick Jones Jr..  Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes will be valuable depth pieces on this roster as well.
 
This was a good off-season for the Mavericks. They will likely take a step back on their perimeter defense, but their offense will be much better with the addition of Klay Thompson. Expect them to be in the mix at the top of the western conference.

Denver Nuggets

Incoming Players:
  • Russell Westbrook – Free Agency
  • Dario Saric – Free Agency
  • DaRon Holmes II – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
  • Reggie Jackson
  • Justin Holiday
Extensions:
  • Jamal Murray – Four-Year Extension
Players Re-Signed:
  • Vlatko Cancar – 1-Year Contract
  • DeAndre Jordan – 1-Year Contract
The Denver Nuggets will always be in contention with Nikola Jokic but losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with no replacement may be detrimental for them. They will rely on Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and the other young players to take a big step in their development and fill in the role of KCP’s departure and still provide enough depth.
 
They signed Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric, whom the former will be the backup point guard behind Jamal Murray and will bring veteran leadership and energy off the bench. The latter will provide frontcourt depth, which was a weakness last year. They drafted DaRon Holmes II, who looked primed to become an immediate role player, but unfortunately tore his Achilles and will miss the whole year.
 
The lack of depth and relying on their young players may cause them to be lower in the standings come playoff time. However, you can never count the Nuggets out with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray leading this team.

Golden State Warriors

Incoming Players:
  • De’Anthony Melton – Free Agency
  • Buddy Hield – Sign and Trade
  • Kyle Anderson – Sign and Trade
  • Lindy Waters III – Trade
Departing Players:
  • Klay Thompson
  • Chris Paul
  • Dario Saric
  • Usman Garuba
  • Lester Quinones
Extensions:
  • Stephen Curry – One-Year Extension
Options:
  • Gary Payton II – Exercised Player Option
This off-season marked the end of an era for the Golden State Warriors after moving on from Klay Thompson. This not only broke up the championship core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but also the iconic Splash Brothers. They also lost a couple role players in Chris Paul and Dario Saric, which provided much needed depth at point guard and center.
 
They added a few veteran role players in Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Lindy Waters III. Anderson and Melton will improve their defense while Hield and Waters will give them the shooting they will lose with Klay Thompson’s departure. It’s reasonable to assume they will be a better team this year with the improved defense and a deeper roster.
 
The Warriors ownership have spent over half a billion dollars in the luxury tax in the last decade, and right now they sit about $6M over the tax. They also have about 12 players that deserve minutes, which may cause some internal frustration for some players who won’t get the minutes they deserve. A consolidation trade is a possibility to get under the tax and to give some players more of an opportunity to play elsewhere.

Houston Rockets

Incoming Players:
  • Reed Sheppard – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Reggie Bullock
  • Boban Marjanovic
Players Re-Signed:
  • Aaron Holiday – 2-Year Contract
Options:
  • Jae-Sean Tate – Exercised Team Option
  • Jeff Green – Exercised Team Option
The Houston Rockets had a fairly quiet off-season, but they may have acquired a future star. They drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd overall pick, one of the best shooters we’ve seen coming out of the draft in recent years. His summer league performance was impressive, and if he continues to exceed expectations, he may turn out to be one of the Rocket’s best players.
 
They made a few back-end of the roster moves, moving on from Reggie Bullock and Boban Marjanovic. They re-signed Aaron Holiday to a 2-year contract, while also picking up Jae-Sean Tate and Jeff Green’s team options.
 
The Rockets now have 8 young players to develop and the next couple of years will determine the hierarchy of this group. For now, it will be interesting to see how things play out and how they integrate Reed Sheppard into the equation. They will look to make their first playoff push since James Harden’s departure.

Los Angeles Clippers

Incoming Players:
  • Derrick Jones Jr. – Free Agency
  • Nicolas Batum – Free Agency
  • Kevin Porter Jr. – Free Agency
  • Mo Bamba – Free Agency
  • Kris Dunn – Sign and Trade
  • Cameron Christie – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Paul George
  • Russell Westbrook
  • Mason Plumlee
  • Daniel Theis
  • Brandon Boston Jr.
Players Re-Signed:
  • James Harden – 2-Year Contract
Extensions:
  • Ivica Zubac – Three-Year Extension
  • Terance Mann – Three-Year Extension
Options:
  • P.J. Tucker – Exercised Player Option
The biggest storyline this off-season for the Los Angeles Clippers has been losing Paul George in free agency for nothing in return. Losing a star like Paul George may be detrimental, but they did their best to make up for his departure. They added Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum, both of whom will be valuable rotation pieces, along with a handful of other players as depth.
 
The also lost Russell Westbrook, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis who provided valuable depth at point guard and center. They added Mo Bamba and Kris Dunn as the backup center and point guard, respectively, which is a downgrade from last year’s bench unit.
 
James Harden was re-signed to a 2-year contract, while Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann signed 3-year extensions. P.J. Tucker also exercised his player option, who will likely be a situational player at this stage in his career.
 
Overall, the Clippers took a step back with their overall talent and depth. They have great depth on the wing, but there are still a few holes at backup point guard and center. They will rely heavily on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, which could go either way depending on their health and performance at their age.

Los Angeles Lakers

Incoming Players:
  • Dalton Knecht – Draft
  • Bronny James – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Spencer Dinwiddie
  • Taurean Prince
Players Re-Signed:
  • LeBron James – (Declined Player Option) Signed 2-Year Contract
  • Max Christie – 4-Year Contract
Options:
  • D’Angelo Russell – Exercised Player Option
  • Jaxson Hayes – Exercised Player Option
  • Cam Reddish – Exercised Player Option
New Head Coach:
  • JJ Redick
The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to be very active this summer trying to acquire another star player or a couple high-level role players. They ultimately fell short of making any deals and missed out on the bigger names in free agency. LeBron James declined his player option and signed a 2-year contract. The Lakers also re-signed Max Christie, while D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish exercised their player options.
 
The highlights of the Lakers off-season were hiring new head coach J.J. Redick and drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. There’s optimism that J.J. Redick will be successful as a first-time head coach. He has a very high basketball-IQ and has surrounded himself with experienced coaches on his staff. Dalton Knecht will look to have a consistent role on this team with his shot-making abilities. Bronny may not have consistent minutes with the Lakers this season, but it will be the first time for a father-son duo to play together in NBA history.
 
The off-season isn’t over yet, and the Lakers will likely try to keep attempting to acquire another star to maximize their championship window with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming Players:
  • Zach Edey – Draft
  • Jaylen Wells – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Ziaire Williams
  • Yuta Watanabe
  • Lamar Stevens
  • Derrick Rose
Players Re-Signed:
  • Luke Kennard – 1-Year Contract
Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Steven Adams to open up cap space, which left a massive hole at center. They drafted Zach Edey with the ninth pick in this year’s draft, who will look to start in place of Adams and play a major role for this team. The Grizzlies excel with a big center that can seal off defenders, set great screens, and has great passing ability.
 
They drafted Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer in the second round. The former could provide depth as a shot creator, while the latter could end up being a valuable shooter. Both players might have a hard time cracking the rotation this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if at least one of them is a regular rotation player by the end of the year.
 
They re-signed Luke Kennard to a team-friendly deal, which makes him a possible trade candidate along with some of their young players on this roster. The Grizzlies have been in the market for a star wing player for a few years. They have 2 roster spots open, and they are in good position to make a move before the season starts. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

Incoming Players:
  • Julius Randle – Trade
  • Donte DiVincenzo – Trade
  • Kieta Bates-Diop – Trade
  • Joe Ingles – Free Agency
  • P.J. Dozier – Free Agency
  • Rob Dillingham – Draft
  • Terrance Shannon Jr. – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Karl Anthony Towns
  • Kyle Anderson
  • Monte Morris
  • Jordan McLaughlin
  • Wendell Moore Jr.
  • TJ Warren
Players Re-Signed:
  • Luka Garza – 2-year Contract
The Minnesota Timberwolves made the most surprising move this summer, trading Karl Anthony-Towns to the New York Knicks. He was the face of the franchise since 2015 until Anthony Edwards became a superstar in recent years. The Timberwolves received Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a few other assets in the trade. Randle will replace Towns in the frontcourt, while DiVincenzo will be a big contributor off the bench.
 
The Timberwolves struggled offensively at times with shooting, secondary playmaking and consistency. They brought in Joe Ingles, who is a sharpshooting wing, and traded up in the draft to get Rob Dillingham, who has immense offensive upside. Dillingham will immediately take on the backup point guard role and will look to provide playmaking and shot creation off the bench.
 
They moved on from Kyle Anderson, who played a big role in their defense and provided veteran leadership. They also lost Monte Morris, Jordan McLaughlin and a couple of other bench players who provided solid depth. They re-signed Luka Garza to a 2-year contract, who is still developing and may be a more consistent rotation player this year.
 
Their offense should improve from last year with the players they added and from internal improvement, especially from Anthony Edwards. They will look to be in the mix at the top of the western conference again this year.

New Orleans Pelicans

Incoming Players:
  • Dejounte Murray – Trade
  • Daniel Theis – Free Agency
  • Yves Missi – Draft
  • Antonio Reeves – Draft
  • Karlo Matkovic – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Jonas Valanciunas
  • Naji Marshall
  • Dyson Daniels
  • Larry Nance Jr.
  • Cody Zeller
  • E.J. Liddell
Options/Extensions:
  • Jose Alvarado – Exercised Team Option and Signed 2-Year Extension
  • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Exercised Team Option
The Pelicans are an interesting team one month away from the start of the season. They traded for Dejounte Murray who will become their lead guard, something they were missing last season. The Pelicans should be a better fit for Murray not having to play off-ball as much or guard opposing team’s best player.
 
The biggest hole remaining for this team is at center, as Jonas Valanciunas left in free agency, while Cody Zeller and Larry Nance Jr. were included the Murray trade. They signed Daniel Theis and drafted Yves Missi, but Theis is more of a backup center, and Missi isn’t ready to take on a large role for a playoff team yet. They also lost Dyson Daniels and E.J. Liddell in the Murray trade along with Naji Marshall in free agency.
 
They drafted Antonio Reeves and Karlo Matkovic, who won’t make much of an impact this season. They picked up the team options for Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Jose Alvarado, and signed Alvarado to a 2-year extension.
 
There were, and maybe still are, a lot of different directions the Pelicans could have gone this summer. Brandon Ingram’s future with this team is still up in the air and he may be traded by the trade deadline. They are still in the market for a starting-level center. Expect the Pelicans to make another move or two by the end of the year as they look to build off of last year’s playoff berth.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Incoming Players:
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – Free Agency
  • Alex Caruso – Trade
  • Nikola Topic – Draft
  • Dillon Jones – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Josh Giddey
  • Gordon Hayward
  • Mike Muscala
  • Lindy Waters III
Players Re-Signed:
  • Isaiah Joe – 4-Year Contract
  • Aaron Wiggins – 5-Year Contract
The Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the best off-seasons in the league. They traded Josh Giddey, a great player that didn’t fit with this team, for Alex Caruso, one of the best perimeter defenders and role players in the league. They also signed Isaiah Hartenstein, the big-bodied center the Thunder were lacking last year. Caruso and Hartenstein will fit in perfectly with this young team and provide experience, toughness and improve the cohesiveness of the roster.
 
They drafted Nikola Topic with the 12th overall pick, who was predicted to be a top 5 pick before his injury. He will miss this season but will become a playmaker off the bench when he comes back healthy next year. They also drafted Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell, who will get some playing time but may not make a big impact this season.
 
They re-signed Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins to long-term, team-friendly contracts. Both players play a major role off the bench and make a big impact for this team. Keeping them long-term on great deals is important for the team’s financial future.
 
The Thunder were the number one seed last year with 57 wins and were top 5 in both offense and defense. With an improved roster, it’s easy to imagine them winning 62+ games next year as one of the favorites to win the title.

Phoenix Suns

Incoming Players:
  • Tyus Jones – Free Agency
  • Monte Morris – Free Agency
  • Mason Plumlee – Free Agency
  • Ryan Dunn – Draft
  • Oso Ighodaro – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Drew Eubanks
  • Eric Gordon
  • David Roddy
  • Nassir Little
  • Isaiah Thomas
  • Thaddeus Young
Players Re-Signed:
  • Royce O’Neal – 4-Year Contract
  • Damion Lee – 1-Year Contract
  • Josh Okogie – 2-Year Contract
  • Bol Bol – 1-Year Contract
New Head Coach:
  • Mike Budenholzer
The Phoenix Suns had one of the most underrated off-seasons this year. They lacked a starting-level point guard last season and relied on Devin Booker as the lead playmaker, who primarily played shooting guard the majority of his career. Adding Tyus Jones may not be a flashy signing, but he will make a huge impact for the Suns as the starting point guard. Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee will provide solid depth as well.
 
The Suns don’t have a lot of draft capital, but they had two picks in this year’s draft, in which they selected Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. The front office seems confident in them to contribute this year, but it’s unlikely they will become regular rotation players in their rookie seasons. They re-signed a few players as well, providing continuity and depth.
 
The Suns hired a new head coach in Mike Budenholzer, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship in 2021. He will look to form a scheme more suitable for their star players. The Suns should have a more successful season with the improved roster and a head coach with championship pedigree.

Portland Trail Blazers

Incoming Players:
  • Deni Avdija – Trade
  • Donovan Clingan – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Malcolm Brogdon
  • Moses Brown
Options:
  • Dalano Banton – Exercised Team Option
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the middle of a rebuild, but they also have a lot of veterans on this roster. They traded one of those veterans in Malcolm Brogdon for Deni Avdija, who had a breakout season with the Washington Wizards. He will provide some much-needed floor spacing for Scoot Henderson to operate in the driving lanes.
 
The Trail Blazers drafted their future center in Donovan Clingan. However, it’s unclear how much playing time he will get this season with the logjam at center. The front office should be active in the trade market and try to move Deandre Ayton and/or Robert Williams to free up more playing time for Clingan.
 
Portland should look to offload a few more veterans and try to stock up on draft assets. This would also allow their young players more opportunities to grow and develop. Over the next year, it’s likely they will try to move on from Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III and/or Anfernee Simons.

Sacramento Kings

Incoming Players:
  • DeMar DeRozan – Sign and Trade
  • Jordan McLaughlin – Free Agency
  • Orlando Robinson – Free Agency
  • Jalen McDaniels – Trade
  • Devin Carter – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Harrison Barnes
  • Davion Mitchell
  • Chris Duarte
  • Sasha Vezenkov
  • JaVale McGee
  • Kessler Edwards
Players Re-Signed:
  • Malik Monk – 4-Year Contract
  • Alex Len – 1-Year Contract
The Sacramento Kings needed a change to their roster after missing the playoffs a year after finishing 3rd in the western conference. They made a big move trading for DeMar DeRozan, who many people think will be a bad fit. However, the Kings have another offensive weapon and now have 2 of the best clutch players in the league with De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan.
 
They re-signed Malik Monk, the runner-up for 6th man of the year, to a 4-year contract, who gives them a scoring punch off the bench. They drafted Devin Carter, who could make a big impact on this team, but will miss the first couple of months due to a shoulder injury. They also added a few other players as depth pieces.
 
They moved on from Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, and a few other players. They could stand to make another move or two with a heavy rotation at the guard and wing positions and add another frontcourt player.

San Antonio Spurs

Incoming Players:
  • Chris Paul – Free Agency
  • Harrison Barnes – Trade
  • Stephon Castle – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Devonte’ Graham
  • Dominick Barlow
  • Cedi Osman
Players Re-Signed:
  • Charles Bassey – 1-Year Contract
  • Sandro Mamukelashvili – 1-Year Contract
The Spurs had a successful off-season by adding a couple of veterans in Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. These two players will add veteran leadership, mentor the young players, and will help this team grow together. When Chris Paul joins a new team, they seem to make a big leap in the win column, which should excite Spurs fans.
 
They also added another potential star in Stephon Castle through the draft. He is known for his defensive prowess and has played in big moments for UConn, winning the championship this past year. The defense with Castle in the backcourt paired with Wembanyama in the frontcourt will be a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Utah Jazz

Incoming Players:
  • Drew Eubanks – Free Agency
  • Svi Mykhailiuk – Free Agency
  • Patty Mills – Free Agency
  • Cody Williams – Draft
  • Isaiah Collier – Draft
  • Kyle Filipowski – Draft
Departing Players:
  • Kris Dunn
  • Omer Yurtseven
  • Darius Bazley
  • Kenny Lofton Jr.
  • Luka Samanic
  • Kira Lewis Jr.
  • Talen Horton-Tucker
Players Re-Signed:
  • Johnny Juzang – 4-Year Contract
Extensions:
  • Lauri Markkanen – 4-Year Extension
The Utah Jazz’s off-season felt quiet, even though there were a lot of players coming and going. Most people were expecting them to trade Lauri Markkanen but decided to give him a 4-year extension instead. This gives them time to figure out the future of this team.
 
They had one of the best draft classes this year taking Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier in the first round, and Kyle Filipowski in the second round, who might be the steal of the draft after falling to day 2. They also signed a few veterans, who can help mentor these young players and be depth pieces on the roster.
 
There are questions about the direction the Jazz are going. They could stand pat and see how this roster plays together, or they could start trading off their veteran players and gain draft assets.

Transactions up to date as of 9/29/24.

Sources:

Spotrac; ESPN; Basketball Reference

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