The landscape of the NBA is quickly shifting. It’s been an offseason for the ages, and it’s not finished yet.
LeBron to Philly. Giannis to Miami. LaMelo to Minnesota. Kawhi back to Toronto. Ja to Portland. Brown to Philly. Bridges to Phoenix. Kessler to the Lakers. Randle to the Nets. Ingram to the Clippers. Herro to the Bucks. The list goes on and on.
But what’s happened in our territory? Let’s break down where the Pacific Division stands right now.
Phoenix Suns
In: Miles Bridges (trade, Hornets, plus a 2029 first
and 2027 second), Koa Peat (Draft, No. 30, traded up with Dallas), Luke Kennard (2 yrs, $13M, player option), Mark Williams (re-signed, 3/$38M fully guaranteed), Collin Gillespie (re-signed, 4/$48M), Jordan Goodwin (re-signed, 3/$19M)
Out: Grayson Allen (Hornets), Royce O’Neale (Hornets), 2033 first-round pick
A clean sweep of the priority free agents, a trade that swapped two undersized shooters for a 6’7″ forward who plays downhill, and the local kid Peat staying in Arizona at 30. Kennard, who led the league in three-point percentage at 47.8, is the shooting patch, and Phoenix did all of it while keeping its books flexible under the second apron. The Athletic and ESPN both handed the summer a B-range grade, with the only real hesitation being how Bridges fits the culture.
Golden State Warriors
In: Yaxel Lendeborg (Draft, No. 11), Kristaps Porzingis (re-signed, 2/$40M), Al Horford (re-signed), Charles Bassey (re-signed), Draymond Green (re-signed, 1/$27M)
Out: Quinten Post (offer sheet unmatched, Grizzlies)
Draymond opted out specifically to clear the runway for a LeBron signing and an Anthony Davis trade, an all-in swing to give Curry one last shot. You can kiss that dream goodbye. LeBron picked Philadelphia. What’s left is a run-it-back roster that leaned into size, bringing back Porzingis, Draymond, Horford, and Bassey around a bigger-than-usual front line. It’ll be interesting to see if that’s a plan or just the fallback. There has to be something else up their sleeves, right? RIGHT?!
Los Angeles Clippers
In: Rui Hachimura (2 yrs, $28M), Keaton Wagler (Draft, No. 5, via Indiana), Baba Miller (Draft, No. 36). Pending the Kawhi trade: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts, a 2027 swap, and two seconds from Toronto
Out: Bogdan Bogdanovic (option declined, signed with Houston), Bradley Beal (declined player option, free agent). Pending: Kawhi Leonard (agreed to Raptors)
The Kawhi era is ending, but it hasn’t ended yet. The Clippers and Raptors agreed to the deal on June 30, then hit pause on July 9 while the NBA finishes its probe into whether the team circumvented the cap by funneling money to Leonard through his endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The fact-finding phase is reportedly wrapped, and the league is now deciding whether to hand down discipline to Leonard, the Clippers, or Steve Ballmer, a call that could still go to an arbitrator. Until it resolves, Kawhi is technically still a Clipper, and Ingram is technically still a Raptor.
On paper, the return is a genuine haul: a top-five pick in Wagler, real young talent, and unprotected picks. It’s the smartest sad trade of the summer. On the calendar, it’s in limbo, and that makes the Clippers the West’s most fascinating in-betweener, whether the deal clears or not.
Los Angeles Lakers
In: Walker Kessler (sign-and-trade, Jazz, 4/$130M), Quentin Grimes (4 yrs, $60M), Sandro Mamukelashvili (4/$52M), Collin Sexton (2 yrs, $19M), Kevon Looney (1 yr, $3.9M), Cameron Carr (Draft, No. 24, traded up with the Knicks), Austin Reaves (re-signed, new max deal)
Out: LeBron James (signed with Philadelphia), Deandre Ayton (trade, Wizards, for Jaden Hardy and two seconds), Rui Hachimura (Clippers), Marcus Smart (Rockets), Luke Kennard (Suns), Jaxson Hayes (Jazz), unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts plus two swaps to Utah
LeBron is gone to Philadelphia, and the response was mortgaging the pick cupboard to build a deep defensive roster around Luka. The last thread still dangling is Jonathan Kuminga, now a free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3M option, with a backup center still on the shopping list. Getting Kuminga above the minimum means a sign-and-trade routed through the Hawks, which is where the Lakers are stuck.
They moved up for Cameron Carr, the exact 7-foot-wingspan Baylor wing this fan base spent draft season dreaming about, and watching Ayton get flipped for spare parts closes that chapter for good. They acquired some sneaky role players who their fan base will surely overrate.
Sacramento Kings
In: Darius Acuff Jr. (Draft, No. 7), Alex Karaban (Draft, No. 29, traded up), Emanuel Sharp (Draft, No. 45), Precious Achiuwa (re-signed, 2/$11.5M)
Out: DeMar DeRozan (waived), Devin Carter (trade, Hawks)
LaVine opted into his $49M, DeRozan got waived, Sabonis is openly on the trade market, and Sacramento is chasing a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade that Detroit reportedly wants no part of, with the Pistons holding firm that they won’t move Duren that way. Classic Kings: the biggest move of their offseason hasn’t happened yet, and it probably never will.
My way too early predictions for the Pacific Division, ranked in tiers:
- Tier 1: Lakers, Suns
- Tier 2: Clippers, Warriors
- (significant gap)
- Tier 3: Kings
