Media Report: 30 Teams' Summer Moves Rated by US Media: 76ers and Jazz Tie for First with A Grade, Lakers and Warriors Get B-, Rockets B and Trail Blazers D

On July 5th, Beijing time, renowned US media outlet Bleacher Report evaluated the offseason operations of all 30 teams up to this point. They acknowledged that some moves are still in the pipeline, but the finalized signings, trades, and draft picks allow for an accurate summary of each team's successes and failures this summer. Bleacher Report based its grades on each team's unique opportunities and season goals, resulting in the following ratings for the teams:

A: 76ers, Jazz

A-: Hornets, Spurs

B+: Clippers, Bucks, Raptors

B: Bulls, Rockets, Grizzlies, Thunder

B-: Hawks, Warriors, Lakers

C+: Mavericks, Knicks, Magic

C: Cavaliers, Nuggets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Kings

C-: Nets, Pistons

D+: Celtics, Timberwolves

D: Suns, Trail Blazers, Wizards

Here are the evaluations for some of the higher-profile teams:

76ers Rating: A

The Philadelphia 76ers initially deserved a B grade: they selected Jared McCain with the 22nd pick and signed Dean Wade to a 4-year, $39 million contract. Those moves alone wouldn't warrant a higher score.

However, after pulling off a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown and signing Anfernee Simons to a mere two-year, $12.3 million deal, the team's grade had to be upgraded.

It's still too early to call the 76ers the top championship favorite in a crowded Eastern Conference, and Joel Embiid's health remains a perpetual question mark. But the team shed Paul George's massive contract, gave up only two first-round picks, and acquired Jaylen Brown—who is six years younger and was a top-10 player last season. This move is a stroke of genius.

There is plenty of criticism of Jaylen Brown: some believe he's overrated and overpaid, and various stats don't necessarily show he makes his team better. These arguments aren't without merit. However, in terms of overall ability, he is superior to Paul George. The 76ers with Brown are significantly stronger than before.

The team's rotation previously had a clear weakness: a lack of a proven third guard who could space the floor. Signing Simons on a low-cost deal perfectly fills that gap.

For their other minor moves, the 76ers exercised team options to retain Jared Butler and Charles Bassey. They used the 22nd pick to select McCain. Wade, paired with Bassey, can serve as an interior combo to handle opponents' bench frontcourts. McCain has the potential for a breakout season, earning consistent minutes behind Tyrese Maxey and Adam Flagler.

Rockets Rating: B

Last summer, the Rockets made a major trade to acquire Kevin Durant, but this year's approach was more restrained and conservative.

Fred VanVleet exercised his $25 million player option to stay. For their backcourt, the Rockets signed Bogdan Bogdanovic to a minimum contract and then signed Marcus Smart to a 2-year, $13 million deal.

Later this week, the team finalized a five-year, $82 million extension with restricted free agent Tari Eason. The contract has a manageable salary cap hit, with Eason's projected salary of $18.5 million in the 2030-31 season accounting for only 9.2% of the projected salary cap. Even if Eason never becomes a great floor-spacing forward, this contract is a bargain—his elite defensive tenacity and intensity provide a consistent positive impact. If his shooting continues to improve (he shot 35.8% from three-point range last season), this signing will be a steal.

Lakers Rating: B-

LeBron James leaving the Lakers was not entirely unexpected. A series of connected events led to this outcome: first, the massive trade for Luka Doncic was finalized, followed by the Lakers not re-signing the NBA's all-time leading scorer last summer, and then they quickly offered Austin Reaves a max contract.

The Lakers could have used their mid-level exception to keep James, which would have been the better move initially.

After James left with an "I'd rather leave than be let go" attitude, the Lakers' most significant move was a sign-and-trade. They gave up two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps to acquire Walker Kessler. The draft capital used in this deal was more than what the Toronto Raptors gave up for Kawhi Leonard or what the Timberwolves gave up for LaMelo Ball.

The high price clearly shows the Lakers' desperation. After Doncic joined, he has consistently wanted a center who can roll to the rim and play tough defense (remember the failed Mark Williams trade?). The Lakers ultimately paid heavily to fulfill his wish.

It makes you wonder: if they didn't have to cater to Doncic, perhaps the Lakers should have kept all their draft assets and instead spent money on Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams III.

The team's newly assembled supporting cast includes Quentin Grimes (4 years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (4 years, $52 million), and Collin Sexton (2 years, $19 million). All three contracts have a player option in the final year. While the salaries for the three new additions are reasonable, the Lakers' salary cap is now completely locked up. Their wing rotation depth is severely lacking, making it difficult to compete with top Western Conference teams like the Spurs and Thunder.

The Lakers are stronger overall, but they are still a step away from being a true championship contender, and they have almost no trade chips left to improve further.

Warriors Rating: B-

When Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option, rumors quickly spread, with many speculating that the Golden State Warriors would use the new cap space to sign LeBron James and simultaneously trade for Anthony Davis.

The plan to acquire Davis has largely fallen through, but signing James still seems very feasible. The Warriors can offer him their full mid-level exception, and the Bay Area is a relatively short distance from James's home in Los Angeles, making the commute easier. The chance to play alongside Stephen Curry is also a significant draw for James.

If Kristaps Porzingis can stay healthy, his two-year, $40 million contract would be a major bargain. His pairing with Green on the front line still has great potential. The second year of Porzingis's contract is only partially guaranteed for $3 million. Since it was signed as an extension, he is immediately eligible to be traded.

Re-signing De'Anthony Melton for just two years and $11.2 million is excellent value. Keeping Al Horford on a two-year, $14 million deal gives the Warriors two floor-spacing big men, adding depth to their offensive system.

The Warriors haven't made a blockbuster move yet. If they successfully sign James later on, their grade could still improve. James remains an All-Star caliber player, and in theory, the Warriors would only need to offer him a maximum salary of around $15 million per year.

Cavaliers Rating: C

It was widely expected that James Harden would sign with the Cavaliers, but the specific contract details have yet to be finalized. The length and annual salary of Harden's next contract will significantly affect the Cavaliers' final offseason grade.

So far, the Cavaliers have only made a few minor moves: exercising Craig Porter Jr.'s $2.4 million team option, acquiring the 34th pick (Miles Thomas) via trade, and re-signing Thomas Bryant to a one-year deal.

Heat Rating: C

The Miami Heat spent almost all of their assets to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. They sent Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap, and a second-round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for the two-time MVP and Bobby Portis.

It might have taken this much to beat the Boston Celtics' best offer, but the cost of this trade was incredibly high. Antetokounmpo is getting older, has notable injury and availability concerns, and his fit with a depleted core rotation is uncertain.

Anything is possible, but objectively, it will be difficult for the Heat to stand out among a strong group of Eastern Conference teams—the Knicks, Celtics, 76ers, Pacers, Raptors, Pistons, and Cavaliers are all formidable opponents, and that's just a partial list. Just reaching the contender tier might be considered a success. The team re-signed Andrew Wiggins to a very team-friendly two-year deal, retained Simone Fontecchio on a minimum contract, and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. These moves can provide some help. However, the Heat gambled everything and might only see a modest improvement over last season's 43-win record.

Trail Blazers Rating: D

If you try hard to justify it purely based on value exchange, you might convince yourself that trading the overpaid Jerami Grant and Chris Murray for Ja Morant makes sense for the Trail Blazers.

The former All-NBA caliber franchise cornerstone has seen his athleticism decline, his availability is unreliable, and he has a long history of off-court issues. That said, on a new team, he could bounce back, perform well enough to be kept, or become a positive trade asset. Even if this possibility is very slim, we can't completely ignore it.

However, the chances of this scenario becoming a reality are extremely low, and Morant's fit with the Blazers' current roster is a nightmare. The team already has Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe. Even if Morant returns to his peak form, the cost of this trade is still enormous—the playing time for Henderson and Sharpe (who are already on their second contracts) would be severely limited.

Even more confusingly, the Trail Blazers witnessed Deni Avdija's transformation last season into a primary initiator with All-NBA potential, yet management seems intent on either taking the ball out of his hands or pairing him with one of the league's least efficient shooters in the backcourt.

Re-signing Robert Williams III to a three-year, $44 million contract was a very smart move, but apart from that, there were no other impressive operations.

New head coach Chauncey Billups fully deserves his position, but frugal owner Jody Allen only gave him a one-year fully guaranteed contract. This immediately puts the coach on a "lame-duck" tenure, consistently damaging the team's reputation.