The best move every NBA team made this offseason

Neither Kyrie Irving nor Kevin Durant was taking his talents up north, so convincing Kawhi Leonard to stay for the long run was the only shot the Toronto Raptors had of completing a successful offseason after winning the title. As the TSN Staff pointed out, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski explained in late June the Raptors made as strong a case to Leonard as possible. The club kept him healthy and rested through the start of the postseason and also did well to surround him with the necessary talent to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately for Toronto, it didn't work out, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP joined the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Once the New York Knicks dealt Kristaps Porzingis and created a pair of max slots, it became clear the organization's plan was to win in free agency by signing at least one superstar and franchise-altering player. Instead, the Knicks struck out on every big name, and injury was added to insult when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. New York's only hope of remembering this offseason as successful is if Duke product RJ Barrett, the third selection of the draft, eventually develops into a top 10 starter.

As Zach Kram of The Ringer recently wrote, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton remains a massive question mark following his debut season. Add that with the fact that the Cavs have yet to trade Kevin Love as of the posting of this piece and the team moving on from J.R. Smith and Smith's contract is the club's best offseason move heading into August. Sure, Cleveland would've preferred to flip Smith in a trade, but no suitors emerged. It's going to be yet another long winter for basketball fans in Northeast Ohio. 

The offseason tradition of Phoenix Suns fans wondering why they bother continues this summer. Phoenix traded forward T.J. Warren after he located a three-point stroke and shot a career-best 42.8 percent from distance last season on the same night the club reached to select Cameron Johnson with the 11th pick. Also, Phoenix added Ricky Rubio, so those things won't have customers running to the ticket office. We'll give the Suns credit for parting ways with forward Josh Jackson roughly two years after the franchise spent a fourth overall draft pick on him. As Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic explained, the Suns shopped Jackson up through last season's trade deadline, and his inconsistent play coupled with off-the-court concerns made it easy for Phoenix to go in a different direction. 

"Nice. Nice. Not thrilling, but nice ," is a proper description for Chicago's offseason. Drafting Coby White to eventually replace Kris Dunn was a good piece of business, but we're more impressed with the club presenting guard Tomas Satoransky with a chance to show his production during the 2018-19 season was no fluke. The 27-year-old repeatedly received praise for stepping up after the Washington Wizards lost John Wall to injury, and he ended the campaign with career bests in starts (54), games (80), PTS (8.9), AST (5.0) and minutes per game (27.1). 

The Atlanta Hawks' build for the future is going according to plan, as promising rookies De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish were added to a roster that includes 2018-19 Rookie of the Year candidate Trae Young. Just as importantly, Atlanta orchestrated moves for Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, and Chandler Parsons. The contracts attached to all three expire following the upcoming season. Hawks fans are already dreaming of the next two summers.

Luster would've vanished from the trade for Kristaps Porzingis had he signed his qualifying offer with the summer of 2020 in mind. Instead the Dallas Mavericks convinced Lordzingis to dedicate the foreseeable future of his career to the organization. While he hasn't played a second of pro ball since suffering a torn ACL in February 2018, he's only 24 years old, and he's a proven All-Star who can be a cornerstone of a playoff lineup. 

David Griffin is at it again. The man who helped LeBron James win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in June 2016 accounted for the loss of Anthony Davis as executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans this summer by acquiring multiple picks, proven commodities in Derrick Favors and JJ Redick and potential stars such as Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. New Orleans also used the first selection of the 2019 NBA Draft on Zion Williamson, the best player of his class who is NBA-ready even if concerns about his outside shot exist. 

Grading Memphis' offseason this summer is an impossible task because the plethora of moves made by the franchise have little to do with the 2019-20 season. Jettisoning Mike Conley signaled a much-needed end of the "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies, even if Memphis didn't receive enough back from the Utah Jazz in that trade, and Jae Crowder probably isn't long for the roster. Drafting Ja Morant, the guard who became a household name last March, was a no-brainer. Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated named Morant "the clear No. 2 prospect in the minds of most evaluators" behind only the previously mentioned Zion Williamson. 

As The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported, the Minnesota Timberwolves failed to close a deal for All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell in early July. The club also remains saddled with the Andrew Wiggins contract that looks worse and worse with each season. Acquiring the rights to forward Jarrett Culver is the lone positive that stands out for an organization on a figurative hamster wheel at the moment. Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press views Culver as somebody who could develop into a perimeter star, which could further open the door for Wiggins' exit. 

With John Wall "probably" out for the 2019-20 campaign, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweeted on July 22, and Bradley Beal a better asset as a trade piece than a starter, the Washington Wizards are an absolute mess. Yes, we're aware diminutive guard Isaiah Thomas has achieved little of note on the court since the 2016-17 season, but that makes the two-time All-Star an inexpensive low-risk signing. In late June Thomas told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski why he believes he can "get back to a level that I was playing at" this coming campaign.

Not trading Kemba Walker in February 2018 or before this year's trade deadline will haunt the Charlotte Hornets through the opening half of the 2020s, if not longer. Things went from bad to worse for Charlotte when Jeremy Lamb escaped the Association's Titanic with help from the Indiana Pacers. Mock the $56.7 million contract the Hornets gifted Terry Rozier all you want. Charlotte has to pay somebody, and that deal expires in 2022. This team won't be competing by then. 

With De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III going nowhere, the Sacramento Kings were able to retain Harrison Barnes and also sign 3-and-D specialist Trevor Ariza. Letting Willie Cauley-Stein move on and sign a "prove it" deal with the Golden State Warriors benefits both Sacramento and the center. As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee wrote in June, Cauley-Stein's agent publicly campaigned for the player's departure. The juice wasn't worth the squeeze in this instance. 

Jimmy Butler may not always be the best teammate, a coach's dream locker-room presence or the most modest of individuals. Butler's a superstar the Miami Heat lacked following the retirement of  Dwyane Wade, but what comes next will determine if the team's offseason deserves a passing grade. Examining Miami's roster, the Heat should have a go at trading for Chris Paul if the Oklahoma City Thunder want to sprint away from Paul's contract. Not for nothing, but Carmelo Anthony is still available for free. 

Detroit's front office realizing trading Andre Drummond, something suggested by Steve Hinson of Detroit Bad Boys and Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, is a necessary evil would change this portion of the piece if such a transaction occurs before football season kicks off. Until then the Pistons hoping Derrick Rose's career resurrection continues beyond the 2018-19 campaign makes the cut. The one-time MVP averaged 18 PPG and shot a career-best 37 percent from three-point range in 51 appearances with the Minnesota Timberwolves before an elbow problem prematurely ended his season. Health will always be a concern with D-Rose, but the Pistons had little to lose in signing him. 

Situations change quickly in the NBA. When the Orlando Magic selected Mohamed Bamba in the first round of the 2018 draft, the team's plan likely involved trading Nikola Vucevic before last February. Vucevic responded to the Bamba pick by posting a career year and highs in PPG (20.8), REB (12.0), AST (3.8) and three-point shooting (36.4 percent), and Orlando rewarded the 28-year-old with a four-year contract. That decision could put Bamba on the trade block before the 2019-20 season gets underway.

Marcus Morris spurning the San Antonio Spurs for the New York Knicks left Gregg Popovich's outfit without its top free-agency signing and made Rudy Gay's return San Antonio's best offseason move. The veteran, who turns 33 years old in August, shot a career-best 40.2 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 13.7 PPG and appearing in 69 contests. He agreed to a two-year deal that doesn't handcuff the Spurs beyond the upcoming season. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , the Oklahoma City Thunder may hold up to 15 first-round picks between the 2020 and 2026 drafts after beginning anew and trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George. OKC also brought Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari to town. Most importantly, general manager Sam Presti  hasn't panicked or been rash. Presti doesn't need to be in a hurry to trade Paul or spend any assets unwisely. Patience truly is a virtue in this scenario. 

Bojan Bogdanovic cashed in with the Utah Jazz, but the Indiana Pacers managed to lure Malcolm Brogdon away from conference rival Milwaukee and sign Jeremy Lamb following Lamb's best scoring season (15.3 PPG). Brogdon's shooting — he's coming off a 50-40-90 campaign — and off-the-ball contributions make him an ideal partner for Victor Oladipo whenever he returns from the gruesome knee injury that ended his season in January. The Pacers remain strong, but we may not see the best of this particular one-two punch for another year. 

If the Utah Jazz played in a bigger market, some might be saying they had the best offseason of any team in the league. Veteran Mike Conley, who played in 70 games, averaged a career-high 21.1 PPG and (fingers crossed) is healthy and now features alongside 22-year-old future All-Star Donovan Mitchell. Bojan Bogdanovic enjoyed his best offensive season across 81 appearances with the Indiana Pacers, and the sharpshooter, who buried over 42 percent of his three-point tries in 2018-19 and who received plaudits for his work defending against LeBron James in the 2018 playoffs, joins a lineup that includes two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. If everything clicks, Utah will be a popular bet next spring. 

In early July, Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin touched upon how Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard mentored center Jusuf Nurkic after the Denver Nuggets traded the big man to the Rose City in February 2017. With Nurkic still recovering from the horrific leg injury he suffered in March, Portland is hoping history repeats itself following the club's acquisition of Hassan Whiteside, a polarizing center who consistently averaged double-doubles with the Miami Heat but who also endured a roller coaster ride with that franchise. Lillard won't be alone in attempting to keep Whiteside happy and motivated, particularly on nights when the 30-year-old doesn't see the ball as much as he wishes. On July 24 , veteran Pau Gasol announced he signed with Portland. 

The Association's nature resulted in Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick moving on from the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and those perimeter presences can't be replaced overnight. Philly's best move was handing a four-year contract to Al Horford, a deal that will burden the Sixers by the start of the 2022 campaign but that gives the roster an elite interior defender who developed an outside shot beginning in 2015. Worries about how Horford ages can be tabled. Philadelphia is ready to win now.

The Denver Nuggets finished the 2018-19 campaign behind only the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings and with 54 victories, and the franchise had little to worry about heading into the offseason. It's understandable if one doesn't want to bestow a trophy upon the front office for extending point guard Jamal Murray. Anybody playing "2K," let alone a competent general manager, makes that call. After improving in each of his past two seasons, Murray averaged 21.3 PPG in 14 playoff appearances. The 22-year-old has a bright future.

The Milwaukee Bucks working out a sign-and-trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers and signing All-Star Khris Middleton to a new contract, all of which was reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, show the Bucks are attempting to win next season while planning for the future. Obviously, Milwaukee would've loved to retain Brogdon, a 26-year-old coming off a career year , but extending Giannis Antetokounmpo's relationship with the club is Milwaukee's top priority. Brook Lopez and George Hill both are coming back, and Robin Lopez, Brook's brother, signed this offseason. The Bucks should be just fine. 

We don't own a crystal ball or any other device that allows us to see into the future, so we're willing to envision a reality where Kemba Walker, who departed from the Charlotte Hornets as that franchise's all-time leader in points and a variety of other categories, will be everything Kyrie Irving was not for the Boston Celtics during Irving's brief tenure in Beantown. The C's didn't just lose a one-time NBA champion, though, as both Al Horford and Marcus Morris signed elsewhere. At best, the Celtics are as good as they were at the start of the 2019 playoffs. Trading Gordon Hayward and his contract should be on the table. 

Those of us on the outside may never know or understand the full story regarding any beef shared between James Harden and Chris Paul during their time together with the Houston Rockets. After Houston's playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors, Paul's massive contract appeared to be an albatross from which there was no escape. Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder, a franchise that hit the figurative reset button, in part by trading Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers and taking Chris Paul off Houston's hands in exchange for one-time league MVP Russell Westbrook. Make all the "there's only one ball for the two of them" jokes you want. If this pairing coexists for even a season, the Rockets will compete for a berth in the NBA Finals. 

Watching both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson go down to serious injuries was an emotionally painful way for Golden State Warriors fans to say farewell to the Association's dominant dynasty of the 2010s. Golden State paid Thompson after Durant moved to Brooklyn, but accepting D'Angelo Russell in that trade package lessened the blow. Russell was a revelation in his second full season with the Nets, earning his first All-Star nod and averaging a career-high 21.1 PPG. At just 23 years old, Russell could become a tasty trade option for a handful of organizations if he fails to blossom alongside Stephen Curry. 

Several years from now, the Los Angeles Clippers probably will be left searching for assets and anything resembling NBA talent following the team's moves this offseason. As fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers learned, the potential reward is worth the risk. If losing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the biggest negative to come from obtaining both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as of Aug. 1, that's a win for any franchise. Leonard's resume and recent feats speak for themselves — he was an unstoppable force in the spring. Don't forget that George deserved considerations for Defensive Player of the Year and MVP following his final regular season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The possibility exists the Brooklyn Nets signing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will end disastrously for the club. Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics witnessed Irving at his best and worst as a pro. Durant won a pair of NBA Finals MVP trophies but also had his issues as a member of the Warriors, and that was before he ruptured his Achilles tendon in June. On paper the Nets are legitimate contenders, especially when Durant returns to the floor. We've seen this movie before. 

LeBron James (finally) got his man in Anthony Davis, but the Los Angeles Lakers watching Kawhi Leonard sign with the other team that calls the Staples Center home stings. Nevertheless, the Lakers can win the offseason if DeMarcus Cousins begins October fully healthy and capable of reclaiming his All-Star form. As Christian Rivas of Silver Screen & Roll wrote, Davis looks forward to reuniting with his former New Orleans Pelicans teammate, and Cousins told reporters during a July conference call, "I really started feeling like myself again" in mid-March, until he tore his left quadriceps.