2026 NBA offseason trade grades: Schroder, Lu Dort and more deals
We're grading the biggest NBA trades of the offseason, including the deal that sent Dennis Schroder to Charlotte for Tre Mann.
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The NBA offseason is here, with Aaron Wiggins' trade to the Atlanta Hawks on June 22 the first move in what has already been a frenzied offseason.
The big news came a day before the NBA draft, when Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster. There was another big trade the morning after the draft, as the Charlotte Hornets shipped LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. And the trades haven't stopped since.
I'm grading every trade this offseason, including draft deals, and breaking down the ramifications for all teams and players involved.
To determine each grade, I'm looking at multiple factors, including the on-court impact and ages of involved players, the cost in terms of draft picks and future financial implications, and the context of the team's short- and long-term outlooks. How risky or certain is the move? And how much does it help or hurt the team's chance to win the championship, next season or beyond?
Cleveland Cavaliers get: G Tre Mann Charlotte Hornets get: G Dennis Schroder, cash considerations
Hornets: B-
Schroder is no stranger to changing teams: This deal represents the ninth time that the guard has been traded, and the Hornets will be his 12th team. Seven of those stops have come just since the 2023-24 season.
He has become an NBA vagabond for two main reasons. First, Schroder is a talented but inconsistent player, which means that he can improve a team's guard rotation (see: his stints with the Nets and Pistons in 2024-25) but isn't guaranteed to do so (see: his much less successful stint with the Warriors that season).
Second, the Sacramento Kings gave him a wildly over-market three-year, $44.4 million contract in a sign-and-trade last summer, which means he became a prime candidate to be traded from a team that needs to shed salary.
That's not an issue for the Hornets, however, who dumped a ton of money with their trades this summer. Schroder will make $14.8 million this season, or $6.8 million more than Mann's $8 million deal, and is signed for $15.5 million next season -- only $4.4 million of which is guaranteed.
The Hornets can stomach that cost. And in return, they bolstered their point guard depth, which was lacking after the blockbuster LaMelo Ball trade. Charlotte's only point guards before Friday's trade were Coby White (who's better suited as a combo guard than pure point), rookie Christian Anderson and Mann. But Mann was a mere bit player last season, averaging 5.5 points in 12.6 minutes per game.
Because Schroder will turn 33 next month and has already run hot and cold for years, it's unclear how much of an upgrade he'll be in Charlotte, which is why the Hornets don't grade out even better for this deal. They also didn't pick up any draft picks in the process. In contrast, they received an A-minus for taking on Dorian Finney-Smith's contract -- along with three second-round picks -- from the Rockets.
But compared with Mann and an unproven rookie, Schroder should provide better depth for the Hornets next season. And if not, well, Schroder has already been traded in February in four of the past five years, so Charlotte could always try to spin him off to yet another team at the deadline.
Cavaliers: B
For Cleveland, trading Schroder -- whom the team initially acquired in a dual salary dump involving De'Andre Hunter -- is all about money. Saving the $6.8 million difference between Schroder's and Mann's salaries places Cleveland roughly $32 million below the first apron and $44 million below the second apron, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
That seems like a lot of room already -- but the expected new contract for James Harden should eat into much of that space. So an extra chunk of change could make a big difference if Cleveland intends to pursue other meaningful additions, such as restricted free agent Peyton Watson or unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
And after a rough playoff showing, during which Schroder averaged 5.5 points in 15.9 minutes per game on 50% true shooting, the Cavaliers shouldn't miss his on-court contributions too dearly. With Harden presumably rejoining the team and Donovan Mitchell firmly rooted in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have less need for the ballhandling and creation Schroder provides.
They should be able to distribute his playing time to younger players whose superior shooting strokes are a better fit around Harden and Mitchell regardless.
July 19: Lu Dort dealt to Hawks in three-team deal
Atlanta Hawks get: G Luguentz Dort, G Ryan Nembhard Dallas Mavericks get: F Zaccharie Risacher Oklahoma City Thunder get: Three future second-round picks
Grade for Oklahoma City: B-
What this means for Thunder: Oklahoma City's offseason of financial maneuvers might finally be complete now that the team has traded Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to limbo beneath the second apron threshold. Those moves will save the Thunder more than $300 million next season, between those players' salaries and their tax savings, as well as avoid the second apron's harsh roster restrictions for another year.
But this trade is materially different from the Thunder's other salary dumps this summer. Wiggins and Joe are solid role players who were nonetheless luxuries on Oklahoma City's stacked roster; they ranked 10th and 11th on the team, respectively, in playoff minutes over the past two seasons.
Dort, conversely, was a vital member of the team that won the 2024-25 championship and finished with the league's best record in 2025-26. He ranked third on the Thunder in playoff minutes over the past two seasons, and he started every playoff game.
He may still have been the most expendable member of Oklahoma City's core. Cason Wallace is younger than Dort, with more offensive zest in his game. And while he isn't an elite defender in exactly the same way -- Wallace causes more turnovers, while Dort is more physically imposing -- he can step right into Dort's spot defending the best guard on opposing teams.
Moreover, between Wallace, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain, the Thunder are still loaded on the perimeter, even after their three trades this summer. That's different from the center position, where Isaiah Hartenstein still offers irreplaceable two-way production; so if the Thunder had to choose between keeping Dort and Hartenstein, as seemed likely when both players entered this summer on team options, then Hartenstein was always the more obvious choice.
That's doubly true when considering Oklahoma City's chief competition atop the Western Conference. Hartenstein was the Thunder's best option against the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama in the conference finals, while Dort didn't really have a place against San Antonio's guards.
If anything, Dort was a weak link against a Spurs team that left him open on the perimeter. He fell to seventh on the Thunder in minutes in the conference finals, and the Thunder had a minus-63 point differential with him on the court, which was by far the worst for any player in the series.
Trading Dort now, with just a year left on his contract, gives the Thunder more draft assets and clears more cap space to extend Wallace and Mitchell, without necessarily making the team worse against San Antonio.
Yet that optimistic view of the tradeoffs doesn't mean this is a risk-free deal. Dort might not have the same upside as other players on the Thunder roster, but he's almost always available -- at least 69 games in each of the past five seasons, with zero missed playoff games -- and offers a high, firm floor.
Because the young Thunder guards -- McCain and Mitchell, plus Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, to the extent that they'll play this season -- lean more toward the offensive side, Oklahoma City is now just one Wallace injury away from defensive cracks appearing on the perimeter for the first time in the team's current run of contention.
Losing Dort, as well as depth options Wiggins and Joe, will make the Thunder worse in the 2026-27 regular season; such is life in a second apron world. They're betting that their playoff quality will remain high enough to justify the cost savings and asset reallocation that this trade provides. That bet may well pay off, but it's also the riskiest one the Thunder have made in a couple of years.
Grade for Atlanta: A-
What this means for Hawks: Atlanta continues a strong offseason with another shrewd trade. It wouldn't seem that way based on the draft pedigrees of the three players involved in this trade, as Risacher was a No. 1 pick and both Dort and Nembhard were undrafted.
Ignore the draft record, though, and Dort is clearly a more valuable player, both in the present and future, than Risacher. The 27-year-old wing is still in his prime age range and only a year removed from being named to the All-Defensive first team, where he joined Dyson Daniels, now his new teammate in Atlanta.
Whether Dort and Daniels can function together offensively remains to be seen, but between Dort, Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta now boasts one of the best defensive trios in the NBA. The Hawks finished 10th in defensive rating last season and could easily push into the top five in 2026-27.
Dort also gives the Hawks another useful rotation player, period, which is a necessity for Atlanta to improve next season. As I wrote when analyzing Atlanta's trade for another Thunder player, Wiggins, the Hawks ended last postseason with what was effectively a six-man rotation, and one of those six players (Jonathan Kuminga) won't be back. Dort and Wiggins on the wings, plus Nembhard and No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings in the backcourt, should help address that weakness.
As for the price to acquire Dort, it's possible that giving up on Risacher this early will prove foolish in the long run. He's a 6-foot-8 wing who's still just 21 years old, which makes him among the most valuable player archetypes in the NBA.
But Risacher is fairly expensive ($13.8 million in 2026-27, with a $17.4 million team option for 2027-28), and he hasn't looked the part of a future star, or even a future starter for a contender, in his NBA career to date. His statistics were essentially the same or slightly worse across the board in his second season compared to his first, showing little development, and he'd lost the trust of Atlanta coach Quin Snyder.
Risacher played just 23 total minutes in the playoffs, and the majority of those came in the second half of the 51-point blowout loss that ended Atlanta's season.
Out of 41 No. 1 picks in the lottery era, Risacher ranked 39th in box plus/minus through each player's first two seasons, per Stathead, ahead of only infamous draft busts Anthony Bennett and Michael Olowokandi.
Typically, a future contributor has demonstrated more evidence of his ability on the court by this point in his career. Andrew Wiggins -- whose BPM was still much better than Risacher's -- is the only success story among the players at the bottom of this list.
Worst Box Plus/Minus for No. 1 Picks Through Two Seasons
If this were a retrospective draft grade, the Hawks would receive failing marks for selecting Risacher at No. 1 instead of Alex Sarr (who went second) or Stephon Castle (who went fourth). But Atlanta viewed that mistake as a sunk cost and turned Risacher into a better player in this trade.
Grade for Dallas: B+
What this means for Mavericks: This is a simple talent play for Dallas, which traded a small undrafted guard for a 6-foot-8 2024 No. 1 pick, who's two years younger to boot. Nembhard was a fine backup point guard who helped stabilize a turnover-prone backcourt last season, and Risacher doesn't help alleviate Dallas' glut of forwards -- but this exchange makes perfect sense for the upside alone.
Whether or not Risacher looks better in his new environment, this is a strong process move for a team in need of young talent around Cooper Flagg, with little future draft capital on the way. With Risacher and Flagg, the Mavericks now have the No. 1 picks from both the 2024 and 2025 drafts.
Risacher will slot into the Anthony Davis trade exception, and Dallas now has a season to watch him develop before deciding whether to extend him next summer or let him reach restricted free agency in 2028.
July 7: Pistons trade LeVert to Bucks for Prince, Harris
Milwaukee Bucks get: Caris LeVert, two second-round picks Detroit Pistons get: Gary Harris, Taurean Prince
Grade for Detroit: B-
What this means for the Pistons: Within the last week, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Santi Aldama and the Houston Rockets traded Dorian Finney-Smith, and now the Pistons join the party with LeVert. The common thread between those three transactions is that all three teams signed those players last summer, only to want a mulligan a year later.
LeVert's two-year, $28.9 million deal with Detroit was a bust from the start. He averaged a career-low 7.4 points last season, as his true shooting declined from 58% in 2024-25 to just 52% last season.
Things didn't get much better in the playoffs, even as coach J.B. Bickerstaff turned to LeVert -- who ranked seventh on the team in playoff minutes -- in his search for more offense. The veteran wing reached double-digit points only twice in the postseason and averaged 5.9 points in the playoffs; he didn't play in Detroit's Game 7 win over the Orlando Magic.
Harris and Prince won't be much more help on the court for Detroit if they even stay on the team into the season. Harris averaged 2.7 points last season. Prince was more productive but appeared in only 26 games.
But this trade is chiefly motivated by finances. To shed LeVert's contract and save $7.2 million -- the balance of LeVert's salary minus Harris' and Prince's $3.8 million apiece -- Detroit had to give up two second-round picks. That seems like a fair price, given that Houston sent Charlotte three second-rounders to save $13.3 million in the Finney-Smith trade.
How the Pistons end up using that extra wiggle room remains to be seen, but despite trading for Isaiah Joe, trading Isaiah Stewart, re-signing Kevin Huerter and swapping John Collins for Tobias Harris, their to-do list is still crowded. Jalen Duren lingers in restricted free agency, and the Pistons haven't added a true second scorer who can make Cade Cunningham's life easier.
Grade for Milwaukee: B+
What this means for the Bucks: Before this trade, the rebuilding Bucks didn't have second-round picks in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031 or 2032, so suffice it to say that a couple of draft assets from Detroit are more valuable in Milwaukee than just about anywhere else in the NBA.
That's the thrust of the trade for Milwaukee, which doesn't have much use for declining veterans in their 30s -- a description that characterizes all three players in this trade.
In another city, in another time, LeVert might have received a chance to bounce back as a scorer for a rebuilding team. But that's not the most likely outcome here: If LeVert stays in Milwaukee, he'll join a crowded perimeter rotation that already included Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and lottery pick Brayden Burries. Odds are that at least one of those players, perhaps more, won't still be on Milwaukee's roster by opening night.
July 3: Lakers trade Ayton to Wizards for Hardy, picks
Washington Wizards get: Deandre Ayton Los Angeles Lakers get: Jaden Hardy, two second-round picks (in 2031 and 2032)
Grade for Washington: C
What this means for the Wizards: After replacing Anthony Davis as the Lakers' center, Ayton is now joining him in Washington. Add in AJ Dybantsa and Alex Sarr, and that's three No. 1 picks and a No. 2 pick all crammed into Washington's frontcourt, as well as former No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell still on the roster, as well.
Ayton hasn't looked like a No. 1 pick for a while, of course, but the Wizards aren't expecting him to. Instead, they're hoping he'll "provide insurance for Washington's front line while Sarr recovers" from offseason foot surgery, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
He can do so credibly enough, and he'd become especially important to the front line if the Wizards end up trading Davis at some point before next summer, when he could become a free agent if he opts out of his $62.8 million player option. Ayton averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season.
But there are two confusing aspects to the Wizards' side of this trade. The first is what it says about their view of Sarr, who played 100% of his minutes as the Wizards' center last season, per Cleaning the Glass' positional breakdown. Sarr's average shot distance moved from 14.4 feet away in his rookie season to 10.5 feet away last season, and his numbers skyrocketed as a result.
With Davis and Ayton on the roster, though, the Wizards seem set on using Sarr as a power forward and crowding his space inside with other non-shooting big men.
The second confusing factor concerns the opportunity cost of trading draft capital and Hardy -- who averaged 22.2 points per 36 minutes and made 42% of his 3-pointers after a midseason trade to the Wizards last season -- when similar centers to Ayton are freely available.
One such player is already on the Wizards' roster: 23-year-old Tristan Vukcevic is a younger, lower-cost option to Ayton ($3 million this season, with a team option for the same amount next season), who quietly filled up the stat sheet last season. The 7-foot Italian averaged 23.7 points per 36 minutes and made 35% of his 3s on high volume.
Ayton is a former No. 1 pick, but there's a reason he's moving to his fourth team in five years. In the first four seasons of his career, Ayton had a positive on/off rating, meaning his team was better with him on the floor. But in three of the past four seasons, Ayton has had a severely negative on/off rating.
Last season, the Lakers were minus-0.4 points per 100 possessions when Ayton played, per Cleaning the Glass, versus plus-5.3 when he didn't.
Grade for Los Angeles: B
What this means for the Lakers: Ayton seemed like an obvious trade candidate as soon as he opted in to his $8.1 million player option for 2026-27, and especially so after the Lakers added Walker Kessler in a pricey sign-and-trade.
Dealing Ayton saves the Lakers $2.1 million -- the difference between his and Hardy's salaries -- which they'll use to help fit their flurry of free agent signings into their cap space. And with Kessler receiving the majority of minutes at center, the backup role should be easily filled on the free agent market, with "centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney among those being considered," according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The Lakers' return from Washington, meanwhile, is minor but shouldn't be overlooked. Hardy could help the Lakers, based on his surge down the stretch last season, or he could be dealt to help fill another roster hole. And the addition of two second-round picks gives the Lakers crucial draft capital they can use in other deals, because until Friday, all they had left was one first-round pick (in 2032) they could swap and one second-round pick (in 2033) they could trade.
Ayton puts up better box score stats than the caliber of backup center who will replace him, and his loss means the Lakers are even more dependent on Kessler staying healthy, after committing so many resources to a center who appeared in just five games last season. But the added financial and draft flexibility from this exchange makes it well worth it for the Lakers.
July 3: Hornets acquiring Finney-Smith, picks from Rockets
Charlotte Hornets get: Dorian Finney-Smith, three second-round picks (via Memphis in 2027, Houston in 2028 and Houston in 2033) Houston Rockets get: $13 million trade exception
Grade for Houston: C
What this means for the Rockets: Continuing the trend of teams taking mulligans on deals they handed out last summer, Houston is trading Finney-Smith in a salary dump, which will allow the Rockets to move out of both the first apron and luxury tax.
Finney-Smith seemed like a shrewd pickup last summer, but he missed the start of the 2025-26 season after ankle surgery and never found his footing in Houston. He averaged only 3.3 points per game on 27% 3-point shooting, just a year after scoring 8.7 PPG and making 41% of his 3s.
The financial impetus for the Rockets' side of this trade makes sense, after they negotiated smart deals with free agents Marcus Smart and Tari Eason. But three second-round picks is a fairly heavy price to pay to get off Finney-Smith's contract, which is only guaranteed for one more year at $13.3 million.
Houston is now out of second-round picks from 2028 through 2033, save the back end of one unfavorable swap in 2031. That hole could hamper the team's ability to add low-cost talent for the near future, but even more importantly, second-round picks are a key asset to grease the wheel for trades.
The Rockets have extra first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, and they own all of their own firsts for the next seven years. But making minor trades could be a bit more challenging going forward.
Grade for Charlotte: A-
What this means for the Hornets: Finney-Smith failed to launch in Houston, but he was a standout role player as recently as the 2024-25 season, due to his 3-and-D skill set and excellent on/off rating. Now 33 years old, Finney-Smith might just be done as an NBA rotation player, but he's also a reasonable bounce-back candidate from an injury-marred season, and could very well be a contributor in Charlotte.
If he does bounce back, the Hornets can keep him around for another $13.3 million in 2027-28. If not, they can let him go with no penalty because his contract is only guaranteed for this upcoming season -- Charlotte can easily afford him in 2025-26 after opening up oodles of cap space with its trades of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
That's a win-win proposition for the Hornets, who picked up three second-round picks for facilitating Houston's cap maneuver. Charlotte now has 20 second-round picks over the next seven years.
At some point, there are diminishing returns on such a large haul; is there anything the Hornets can accomplish with 20 second-rounders that they couldn't with 17?
But between their collection of draft assets and their financial flexibility, the Hornets are in prime position to make just about any transaction they want in the years to come. In the modern NBA, that optionality is a prize in and of itself.
July 1: Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to Sixers for Paul George, picks
Boston Celtics get: F Paul George, 2028 first-round pick (could convert to a pick swap), 2031 first-round pick (unprotected), 2028 and 2030 second-round picks Philadelphia 76ers get: G Jaylen Brown
Grade for Boston: D+
What this means for Celtics: Here's a hot take, right off the bat: The Celtics might very well win 50-plus games again next season. After all, they went 56-26 last season despite playing only 16 games with Jayson Tatum, who was recovering from a torn Achilles.
If Tatum is fully healthy next season, he could mimic Brown's 2025-26 production. And the Celtics have otherwise improved this summer, as they added Mitchell Robinson and have thus far retained the rest of the core that powered their surprisingly strong season.
Yet that's a glib way to start this analysis, because swapping Brown for George makes the Celtics worse. It clearly makes them worse. Crucially, it lowers their playoff ceiling, even if the likes of Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh might mash together enough solid minutes to try to replace the departed All-Star throughout the regular season.
It's utterly strange that the Celtics would willingly take such a giant step back. This is the most successful franchise of the decade: In the 2020s, they rank first in regular-season wins and playoff wins, and they're the only team to both win a championship and make another Finals.
Grade for Philadelphia: A-
What this means for 76ers: Brown could be a very good fit in Philadelphia. The 76ers have two excellent guards, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and one excellent-when-healthy center, Joel Embiid. But they've never had adequate forwards to connect those positional strengths, and George on a maximum contract was evidently not the answer.
Dean Wade seemed like a worthwhile solution when the 76ers agreed to a four-year deal with him Tuesday. But Brown is on a completely different level from anyone the 76ers have tried there before. He can handle more of the scoring load when the oft-injured Embiid misses time, operate as a secondary playmaker next to Maxey and provide strong perimeter defense, particularly if he's not expending so much of his energy on the offensive end.
Brown could also be a very awkward fit in Philadelphia. He hasn't played with an elite ball-dominant point guard in years, since Kyrie Irving's fairly disastrous tenure in Boston, and he has never played with a post presence like Embiid.
Read the full trade grade for the Brown-George trade.
July 1: Lakers give up picks to get Kessler from Jazz
Utah Jazz get: Two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two first-round swaps (2028, 2030) Los Angeles Lakers get: C Walker Kessler
Grade for Utah: A+
What this means for the Jazz: As a player, Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge beat the Lakers in the 1984 Finals, and he eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in both 1992 and 1993. As an executive, he beat the Lakers for another title, in 2008.
So it's saying something that this deal is one of the biggest wins Ainge has ever had over the purple and gold.
The Jazz need a center, so losing Kessler hurts. Jusuf Nurkic -- re-signed to a two-year deal -- shouldn't start for a contender at this point in his career, and Jaren Jackson Jr. has played his best basketball as a power forward next to another true big man. (With Kessler departing before he and Jackson could ever play a game together, the Jazz will never get to see how many blocks that duo could have collected.)
But there was simply no way Utah could turn down receiving two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, and not having to increase their contract offer to Kessler beyond where they felt comfortable. Given his uncertain potential, Kessler might not be worth this contract anyway, and Utah was paid handsomely to let him go at that price.
The Jazz received more draft capital for Kessler than the Clippers did for Kawhi Leonard, and more than the Hornets did for LaMelo Ball. Heck, they received more draft capital than the Cavaliers received in the most famous sign-and-trade this century, when they landed two first-round picks and one swap in LeBron James' "Decision." Kessler is a valuable young center, but he's not a star.
They now have ample optionality as they decide how to replace Kessler. They could try playing Jackson at center and Lauri Markkanen at power forward, then add another center if necessary. Or they could aim for a stopgap solution next to Nurkic and use their immense pick stash to target and trade for a better long-term fit.
Those solutions likely won't be as clean or immediate as re-signing Kessler would have been, so it's fair to downgrade Utah's chances at vaulting up the standings and into the playoff field as a result of this trade. But in the bigger picture, the Jazz received tremendous value. They received the first A-plus grade for any deal this offseason.
Grade for Los Angeles: C-
What this means for the Lakers: As if it weren't clear already, the back-to-back news breaks of LeBron James leaving the Lakers on Tuesday and the team acquiring Kessler on Wednesday definitely prove that this is Luka Doncic's team now.
Chief among the player archetypes proven to work next to Doncic is a rim-running, rim-protecting center, and the 24-year-old Kessler is an ideal player in that role.
If Victor Wembanyama didn't exist, Kessler might be considered the best rim protector in the world. The 7-foot-2 center ranks second among active players (behind Wembanyama) with a career 8.3% block rate. And he ranks third over the course of his career (behind Chet Holmgren and Wembanyama, among players with at least 500 shots defended) by allowing opponents to shoot just 54.6% in the restricted area when he's the closest defender, per GeniusIQ.
On the other end of the floor, Kessler is a more limited scorer, but more than a third of his career shot attempts are dunks, per Basketball Reference -- which explains why he's a 68% career shooter. He'll surely add plenty more slams as he partners with Doncic in the seasons to come.
Kessler hasn't typically had much success as a screen-setter. In his last full season (2024-25), his team scored just 0.85 points per play directly out of his screens, per GeniusIQ. That ranked dead last -- 46th out of 46 players with at least 1,000 screens set -- in efficiency.
But that ranking comes with a major caveat, of course: The ball handlers who were playing off those Kessler picks were the likes of pre-breakout Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and Isaiah Collier. It's safe to say Doncic and Austin Reaves will be significantly more effective partners.
Kessler also led the league in offensive rebounds in 2024-25, with 4.6 per game, so he'll provide a new element to an offense that ranked 24th in offensive rebounding rate last season.
He's even stretching his range out to the 3-point line. He went 6-for-8 from distance in five games last season, after making just six total 3s (out of 34 attempts) in 2024-25. I watched film of all 64 of Kessler's career 3-point attempts, and he has improved his form over time. Earlier in his career, his left elbow placement was erratic, with a tendency to wobble, but it looked more consistent in last season's small sample.
Despite all of those strengths, and despite Kessler's theoretically perfect fit next to Doncic, however, the Lakers are paying an outrageous price to acquire him.
It's not as if Kessler is a proven All-Star. In that respect, this deal is more like the Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane trades -- which exchanged buckets of picks for non-All-Stars -- than, say, the Lakers' trade for Anthony Davis in 2019.
There are still so many unknowns about Kessler's true quality as a two-way center. For instance, his shooting touch is largely theoretical; you'd have to place a lot of stock in last season's tiny sample to trust he's meaningfully improved from his 20% 3-point accuracy and 54% free throw accuracy from his first three seasons.
Maybe that won't matter as much on the Lakers, where all he'll need to do on offense is set screens and score the easy baskets that Doncic sets up for him. But then he won't be worth the $32.5 million per year, with a player option and trade kicker, that the Lakers are giving him; they could find a dunker who can protect the rim for a much cheaper price.
Kessler was generally healthy before last season, when a torn labrum ended his campaign after just five games, but he also hasn't played a meaningful game in his NBA career. He went to Utah as a draft pick in the Rudy Gobert trade, right as the Jazz were starting an extended swoon.
How Kessler interacts with the Lakers' future flexibility is interesting. On the one hand, there was some urgency for GM Rob Pelinka to find his center of the future now, as this was the Lakers' last offseason to use their cap space in a meaningful way before they'll have Doncic and Reaves on the books for more than half of the cap.
But on the other hand, Pelinka sacrificed nearly all his future draft flexibility by committing not only to give Kessler a contract at the very top of his market, but also to give the Jazz control of four future picks in the process. The Lakers already owed a top-four-protected pick to Memphis in 2027 and an unprotected first-rounder to Dallas in 2029, and they don't have any second-round picks until 2033.
They are now effectively out of picks they can use to make further roster upgrades for several years. This trade had better work out and elevate the Lakers to true championship contention, because they're now all-in on the Doncic-Reaves-Kessler core.
July 1: Mavs add Santi Aldama in trade from Grizzlies
Dallas Mavericks get: F Santi Aldama Memphis Grizzlies get: G AJ Johnson, 2030 first-round pick (via Warriors, top-20 protected), two second-round picks
Memphis: B+
What this means for Grizzlies: This trade represents a case of having second thoughts for the Grizzlies, who signed Aldama to a three-year, $52.5 million deal last summer.
Aldama is a perfectly acceptable NBA player, as a 7-footer with legitimate shooting range and an eagerness to score. He averaged a career-high 14 points in 41 games last season, before his season ended early because of a right knee injury.
But even though the Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. last season, they've also added several power forwards since, drafting Cameron Boozer with the third pick and acquiring Jerami Grant in the Ja Morant trade. Memphis also traded for Isaiah Stewart from Detroit, leaving the Grizzlies with three frontcourt players who deserve more playing time than the 25-year-old Spaniard.
Trading Aldama helps clear up that logjam, frees a roster spot (Johnson is a candidate to be cut) and saves Memphis some money. Aldama is owed $17 million next season and another $17 million (on a team option) in 2027-28.
Dallas: C+
What this means for Mavericks: In a strange bit of circumstance, Aldama is essentially serving as the Mavericks' delayed return from their trade of Anthony Davis, half a year after they dealt him to Washington. In that exchange, Dallas received, among other assets, this protected Warriors pick, Johnson and a trade exception that they're now using to acquire Aldama.
Aldama is obviously an inferior player to Davis, a 10-time All-Star (and to Luka Doncic, whom Dallas initially traded for Davis). But that's not the fairest way to view this trade. Aldama is a clear talent upgrade to Johnson, and he'll make the Mavericks better next season with the addition of his size and shooting.
But just as Aldama's departure cleared a positional logjam in Memphis, his arrival is adding to one in Dallas. The Mavericks have Aldama, P.J. Washington, Cooper Flagg and No. 9 pick Morez Johnson Jr. on their roster -- and all four players might be best suited for power forward.
Dallas' most important priority should be optimizing Flagg's development, but barring further moves, he's unlikely to spend much time at the 4 next season. That might not be a huge deal in the grand scheme of the Mavericks' future, but it's also not the best use of a rotation spot, either.
June 30: Raptors reunite with Leonard in trade with Clippers
Toronto Raptors get: F Kawhi Leonard LA Clippers get: F Brandon Ingram, G Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one pick swap, two second-round picks
Grade for Toronto: A-
What this means for the Raptors: When he's available, Leonard remains one of the NBA's best players. Remarkably, the 34-year-old seven-time All-Star averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-high usage rate last season. LeBron James is the only player in NBA history with a better box plus/minus at that age or older.
Leonard's offensive gifts have scarcely departed him despite his age and injury history. Since returning from an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2021-22 campaign, he has made 40.5% of his 3-pointers. For context, Stephen Curry's at 40.6% over the same span. And out of 60 players over the past four seasons with at least a 25% usage rate, Leonard ranks 10th in true shooting percentage, despite a difficult shot diet.
He is also the rare No. 1 option on offense who is equally adept on the other end, even if the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is no longer at his peak on every possession. Leonard still averaged 1.9 steals per game last season, a top-five mark in the league. The other players in the top five were all 25 years old or younger.
Grade for LA: B
What this means for the Clippers: The Clippers have quietly been stuck in the middle even more than Toronto. They haven't won a playoff series since 2021, and in all five seasons since, they've finished with a winning record but lost in the play-in round twice and the first round of the proper playoffs thrice.
In response to all that mediocrity, the front office has actively disassembled the team's core over the past couple of years. The Clippers' top 16 scorers from the 2022-23 team that won 51 games have all cycled off the roster. That exodus includes some departures via free agency (most notably Paul George), but mostly a succession of trades: of Russell Westbrook, then Norman Powell, then James Harden, then Ivica Zubac and now Leonard.
All of those transactions have wrought dramatic changes to the roster. The Clippers were the NBA's oldest team in each of the past three seasons, per Basketball Reference. But they should get much younger in a hurry, as they pursue a complete rebuild around the backcourt duo of Darius Garland and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler. With Leonard gone, 38-year-old Brook Lopez and 32-year-old Kris Dunn are the only remaining Clippers in their 30s.
Read the full grade for the Leonard trade.
June 29: Grizzlies trade Morant to Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies get: F Jerami Grant, F Kris Murray Portland Trail Blazers get: G Ja Morant
Grade for Portland: B-
What this means for the Trail Blazers: Ja Morant is a two-time All-Star and a Most Improved Player winner, who once ranked among the most electric young talents in the league. But there are several reasons that the 26-year-old guard was available for such a reasonable trade price -- so low that Portland didn't have to include picks in this deal.
Morant has been suspended multiple times in the past few seasons, most notably for displaying a firearm on an Instagram Live stream. He also underwent right shoulder surgery for a labral tear in January 2024.
And even when he has been available to play, Morant has faced major hurdles over the past few seasons that have kept him from reemerging as an elite offensive engine.
The first is Morant's lack of development as a shooter; his 3-point percentage peaked in 2021-22 at just 34%. His career 31% 3-point mark ranks 189th out of 194 active players with at least 1,000 attempts, per Stathead.
Players below him include Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who both have starred despite their unreliable 3-point strokes. But Westbrook and Antetokounmpo combined spectacular athleticism with dominant scoring near the basket, and Morant has also declined in those areas since his early peak.
Morant ranked among the league leaders in made baskets in the restricted area in 2021-22. That was an impressive feat because, according to GeniusIQ, every other player near the top of that leaderboard was a center or a big physical forward, such as Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. But Morant has made progressively fewer shots near the rim in every season since.
It is a massive question whether Morant can help the Trail Blazers, and if his potential can manifest again in stellar offensive production and All-Star-level play.
Though Portland hadn't been rumored to have interest in Morant before Monday, this destination makes sense for him. For large stretches of this past season, injuries left Portland without a point guard, and that had some strange effects. Forward Deni Avdija led the team in time of possession, for instance, and the Trail Blazers had the highest turnover rate in the league.
But now, the Trail Blazers will go for a bulk approach at point guard, with Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday all capable of playing the position, though trading Grant means they have almost no frontcourt depth. Other than the defensively sound, positionally malleable Holiday, those players don't make much sense playing together; there's not enough shooting or defense in that group.
But between their injury risks and potential further trades -- the Trail Blazers might be more comfortable trading Holiday for a star such as Jaylen Brown -- this logjam might not be as much of an issue as it appears. And if the Trail Blazers are eager to play Henderson off the ball, as he did while recording 59 shots and just six assists in the postseason, then Morant and Lillard could split point guard duties without too much difficulty.
The greater risk for the Trail Blazers might be how their new acquisition fits over the long term, even though they didn't have to surrender picks. At the 2026 trade deadline, the Wizards also didn't have to trade picks to acquire Trae Young -- but they turned a low-cost move into a high-cost maneuver by extending him for four years and $212 million.
That outcome seems unlikely in Portland, though; don't expect a Morant extension soon. Instead, wait to see if this move allows Morant to return to even a semblance of the stardom he once enjoyed in Memphis. It's not likely, but it's not impossible.
Grade for Memphis: B
What this means for the Grizzlies: Morant's standing had fallen so far in the league, his weaknesses growing more and more glaring, that it's not a surprise that the Grizzlies receive more in trade return. Instead, they dealt one undesirable contract for another, exchanging Grant's two-year deal for Morant's.
Grant had fallen behind Avdija and Toumani Camara in Portland's rotation. Grant can still score (18.6 points per game this past season) and make 3-pointers (39% last season), but his star has lost its luster as he has slipped defensively and suffered a litany of injuries. Grant hasn't played more than 63 games in a season since 2020.
Meanwhile, Murray, the No. 23 pick in the 2023 draft, has averaged 5.3 points in 188 games. It's difficult for a perimeter player to succeed as a 26% career 3-point shooter.
Looking ahead, Grant will make $34.2 million in 2026-27 and has a $36.4 million player option in 2027-28, while Morant is owed $42.2 million in 2026-27 and $44.9 million in 2027-28 on the maximum rookie extension he signed in 2022, right after the best season of his career.
That amounts to about $8 million in savings in each of the next two seasons for Memphis, assuming Grant picks up his option.
That's not a lot -- but frankly, it could be a win for Memphis not to have to give up draft capital to incentivize another team to take on Morant's deal and drama.
Morant's departure completes the teardown of what briefly appeared to be the best young core in the NBA, as the Grizzlies have traded Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant over the past 12 months. That trio won 56 games in 2021-22 and 51 more in 2022-23, landing the No. 2 seed in the West both years, but won just one playoff series together.
The end of that era came with a whimper. Now, the Grizzlies can pivot to a future led by Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward and Zach Edey, a new young trio to replace the former one.
June 28: Hornets deal Bridges, picks to Suns
Charlotte Hornets get: G Grayson Allen, F Royce O'Neale, 2033 unprotected first-round pick Phoenix Suns get: F Miles Bridges, 2027 second-round pick (least favorable of Boston and Orlando), 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Charlotte, Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota)
Grade for Charlotte: B+
What this means for the Hornets: Just a few days ago, the Hornets made the surprising decision to remove one member of last season's best five-man lineup, by trading LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. Apparently, they weren't done breaking up that band.
It makes sense to think of this trade as a natural follow-up to the Ball blockbuster, which brought Naz Reid to Charlotte along with draft capital, including an unprotected first-round pick in 2033.
Adding Reid gave the Hornets four big men with diverse skill sets, all of whom are either solid NBA players already (Reid and Moussa Diabate) or recent draft picks who need playing time (Ryan Kalkbrenner and Hannes Steinbach). All four are also younger than Bridges.
So with Reid's ability to play power forward, where he'll now start for the first extended stretch of his career, Bridges had lost his spot. And the Hornets cashed in by acquiring another unprotected first-round pick in 2033. That's reason enough to make this deal, especially because it came at the cost of a player with just one remaining season on his contract, whom the Hornets might not have wanted to extend.
It will also be interesting to see how much Allen and O'Neale are able to give the Hornets on the court, after Phoenix included them in this deal primarily for cost-cutting purposes.
Allen is coming off a season to forget: He made just 35% of his 3-pointers -- after finishing well above 40% in his previous two campaigns -- and missed part of Phoenix's playoff loss because of a hamstring strain. Given that he'll turn 31 years old before the start of next season, he's clearly on the downslope of his career. But if his shot bounces back to its typical level, he can still help a team that led the league in made 3-pointers last season, but has since lost Ball.
