NBA free agency grades 2023: Live analysis of every major signing, trade and new contract
NBA free agency is here!
After months of speculation, teams can finally start making moves. The period will start at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, and The Sporting News’ Stephen Noh will be grading all of the transactions in real-time throughout the night and upcoming days.
Which teams struck oil, and which struck out? Who overpaid to nail down their top targets, and who inked valuable contributors on team-friendly deals?
Stay with us throughout the first day of NBA free agency for complete analysis.
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NBA free agency 2023: Grading the latest signings, trades
Day Two signings
KJ Martin traded to Clippers
Trade details (via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski):
- Clippers receive: KJ Martin
- Rockets receive: Two future second round picks
The shockingly low price for productive young players continues. Martin was a solid role player for the Rockets, averaging 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds on 57% shooting from the field. He’s a great finisher at the rim and has decent touch from outside. He should be able to step into the Clippers’ rotation right away.
Clippers grade: A-
Rockets grade: C-
Jaden McDaniels signs with Raptors
McDaniels is a prototypical Raptor — a wing with size who is a good defender but struggles with his outside shot. He has good potential. His younger brother Jaden is showing what type of player he could one day become. This is a great price for an already-solid player who could get better.
Grade: A-
Russell Westbrook re-signs with Clippers
This is the maximum that the Clippers could offer Westbrook and a steep discount on what he could have gotten in the open market. Westbrook will play the first year of this deal, giving the Clippers Early Bird rights to re-sign him to a much bigger deal next summer.
Westbrook sacrificed some money in exchange for a good fit. He resurrected his career after a shaky campaign with the Lakers. That’s good news for the Clippers, who retain their starting point guard.
Grade: A
Dillon Brooks signs with Rockets
It makes sense on some level for the Rockets to pick up Brooks. They needed a culture changer and a guy who could show their young players what hard work really means. But this is a massive overpay. They gave Fred VanVleet a two-year payday using the same principles, but four years is unfathomable, particularly when there likely wasn’t much bidding for Brooks’ services at this price.
This deal could work out. But given how volatile Brooks can be, there’s no reason to have given him four guaranteed years.
Grade: D
Patty Mills traded to Rockets
Trade details (via The Athletic’s Shams Charania):
- Nets receive: terms not released
- Rockets receive: Patty Mills
Mills’ best days are behind him. The 14-year vet averaged a career-low 14 minutes last season. He can still shoot, hitting 37 percent of his 3’s. But this seems more like a locker room move. He will bring leadership and professionalism to the young players who have struggled to adapt to the NBA.
Nets grade: incomplete
Rockets grade: B
Dwight Powell re-signs with Mavs
It would be weird to see Powell in another uniform after nine seasons in Dallas. They bring back their steady veteran and good locker room guy at a reasonable price, a little bit above his minimum salary. He’s still capable of playing some backup minutes and knows his role.
Grade: B
Austin Reaves re-signs with Lakers
This is well below the $101 million maximum that Reaves could have gotten had he pursued an offer sheet from an outside team. The Lakers have to be relieved to get him back at a reasonable price.
Reaves is going to easily outperform this deal. He’s already shown that he can hold up in the playoffs as a No. 3 scoring option. He’s a solid defender, a great 3-point shooter, and can do some secondary playmaking. Those types of players usually cost at least $20 million per season. Getting him at $14 million average annual value is a steal.
Jae Crowder re-signs with Bucks
Crowder fell out of the Bucks’ playoff rotation and never really fit in after being acquired at the trade deadline. It’s tough to judge this one without knowing the terms, but it seems like there wasn’t much of a market for him.
Grade: incomplete
Magic re-sign Mo Wagner
Wagner has turned into a decent backup big. He has his defensive limitations, but he is a really good scorer off the bench. This is a little bit higher than what he’s probably worth, but the Magic had ample cap space to get a short term deal done.
Grade: B-
Obi Toppin traded to Pacers
Trade details (via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski):
- Knicks receive: Two future second round picks
- Pacers receive: Obi Toppin
Toppin was a good player that never really got a great opportunity in New York. He’ll get plenty of minutes in Indiana to show his versatile offensive game. He’s a promising 3-point shooter and play-finisher.
The Knicks have prioritized getting a superstar player. Toppin was going to be due for an extension soon, and they traded him rather than pay him. Even given that strategy, two second round picks aren’t a great return for the former No. 8 pick in 2020.
Knicks grade: C+
Pacers grade: A
LaMelo Ball re-signs with Hornets
It was a foregone conclusion that Ball would sign this maximum extension. This sounds like a ton of money, and it is. But that is going to be the new normal for the top players in a given draft class.
There will be some negotiating at the margins for these types of deals. Is the fifth year guaranteed? Are there incentives, or is the money all guaranteed? Without knowing those details, we’ll stick with a B grade for now.
Grade: B
Brook Lopez re-signs with Bucks
The Bucks absolutely needed Lopez to come back in order to field a championship team around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Getting him at only two years is a win given that he is entering his age-35 season and has previously had back issues.
A $24 million average annual value for Lopez is fair. He was the best free agent center, and Jakob Poeltl and Nikola Vucevic both set the market by getting $20 million annually.
Grade: A-
Patrick Beverley signs with Sixers
Beverley doesn’t fix the main Sixers’ problem of having reluctant or bad 3-point shooters around Joel Embiid. His shooting percentages have declined over the past few years and worse than the percentage is that he will only shoot when completely wide open. He’s still a good defender though, and his podcasting will at least make his stay in Philadelphia interesting.
Grade: B
D’Angelo Russell re-signs with Lakers
Russell had a terrible playoff run for the Lakers, falling out of the starting rotation by the end of their series against the Nuggets because of his lackluster defense and inability to get going on offense. Don’t let that overshadow the strengths that he showed over the course of the rest of the season.
Russell hit 40 percent of his 3’s last season and has been a good shot creator throughout his career. He was one of 28 players to average at least 18 points and 6 assists last season.
Most importantly, Russell was available. The point guard market had grown extremely thin. The next-best options were Russell Westbrook or Patrick Beverley, who were both disasters on last year’s team. The Lakers couldn’t put all of their eggs in the Gabe Vincent basket, so they paid to get some more help.
The Lakers also maintain his salary slot to try and upgrade via trade later in the season, as the Warriors did with him years ago in trading him for Andrew Wiggins.
Grade: B-
Max Strus sign-and-traded to Cavs
- Contract details: Four years, $63 million (via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski)
- Trade details: Heat receive second round pick, trade exception. Spurs receive Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, second round pick
The Cavs deserve credit for employing some creativity to get Strus on the team. This three-team sign-and-trade required roping in the Spurs, who absorbed Osman and Stevens into their cap space.
Strus became a playoff hero thanks to his hot 3-point shooting and opportunistic cuts to the rim. He’s a capable defender who finally gives the Cavs the stability at small forward that they’ve been seeking after rotating unsuccessfully through so many options last season.
This was a nice piece of work from the Spurs, who picked up some rotation players and a pick with their cap space. The Heat seem to be planning bigger things with the money that they would have spent to retain Strus, possibly setting themselves up to acquire Damian Lillard. We will have to wait and see what they do.
Cavs Grade: B+
Spurs Grade: B
Heat Grade: TBD
Thomas Bryant signs with Heat
Bryant is a very good offensive center. He can stretch the floor from 3 or get his own offense inside. He does have issues with guarding in space, but the Heat play so much zone that this might be a good fit for him. He wanted a bigger role last year, and he has a chance to get it as Bam Adebayo’s primary backup.
This was a position of need for the Heat. Getting a quality player at the minimum is tough to do, but they pulled it off.
Grade: A-
Vasilije Micic signs with Thunder
The Thunder have been trying to bring Micic over to the NBA for years. Finally getting him to Oklahoma City, and on a reasonable deal at that, is a win for them.
Micic has been one of the best guards in Europe over the past few years. He’s a good 3-point shooter, a crafty driver, and a fun passer that may have questions defensively staying in front of his man. The Thunder have a crowded guard rotation, but Micic gives them a dependable veteran with some trade value.
READ: Vasilije Micic scouting report
Grade: A-
Jaxson Hayes signs with Lakers
Hayes is an A+ athlete who came to basketball late. After being drafted by the Pelicans with the 8th pick in the 2019 draft, he did show some flashes of promise. He’s a great lob threat and rebounder. But he’s still raw enough that the Pelicans didn’t even bother giving him a qualifying offer. He’s another reclamation project for the Lakers, alongside Cam Reddish.
Grade: B-
Dennis Smith Jr. signs with Nets
Smith is a good reclamation story. Originally drafted with a weak defensive motor, he’s made that end of the floor his calling card. His point of attack defense is among the best at his position. He’s still not much of a shooter, which does limit his effectiveness. But his plus athleticism makes him a decent young flier for the team.
Grade: B
Sasha Vezenkov signs with the Kings
Vezenekov is the reigning EuroLeague MVP and one of the better players abroad. The power forward is a good shooter and a high feel player. There are some questions about how well he will hold up defensively in the NBA, but he could be a good rotation piece for the Kings.
Grade: B
Day One signings
Draymond Green re-signs with Warriors
Kudos to the Warriors for paying up. Bringing Green back will cost them well over $100 million in tax payments alone.
Green is still an A+ defender, and re-signing him was their best possible move this offseason. The $25 million average annual salary is right in line with what I predicted, but the length of this deal is a bit of a surprise.
At age 33, I was expecting Green to get a three-year deal to line up with the end of Stephen Curry’s contract. Instead, he got a highly-coveted player option in Year 4 that he will almost certainly exercise.
Grade: B+
Fred VanVleet signs with Rockets
The Rockets needed a tough veteran to clean up their culture. They overpaid, but they got one in VanVleet. The bidding needed to get high because the Raptors had no way of replacing VanVleet and were fighting to keep him.
VanVleet is not an efficient scorer, and the miles on his body are a concern. Still, the fit here is good.
As a former undrafted free agent, VanVleet has worked for everything he’s gotten. He gives the team organizing principles with his heady passing skills and defensive intensity. Too often, the Rockets played undisciplined basketball, and their young players received entitlement minutes.
VanVleet and incoming coach Ime Udoka are instantly going to change the culture of this team.
Grade: B
Kyrie Irving re-signs with Mavericks
The sticking point to any Irving deal was going to be length. Irving made overtures around the league and realized what everyone else already knew — there wasn’t going to be much competition for his services. The Mavs were able to parlay that leverage into a short, three-year deal.
Irving doesn’t get close to his max in this deal, which would have been five years and $272 million, but he does get likely the highest average annual value of any player that gets signed during this offseason ($42 million per year).
This is a good compromise for both sides — and given the Mavs’ alternatives, the best they could have hoped for. They had no avenue of getting a player of Irving’s caliber had he walked.
Grade: A
Khris Middleton re-signs with Bucks
Middleton declined his $40 million option to get a bigger payday at less average annual value. The Bucks absolutely could not afford to lose him, so this is a great deal for them given their lack of leverage.
Middleton will turn 32 this season and has already started to see his play decline. Getting him back on a three-year deal instead of four is a win for the Bucks. He is still capable of playing at a very high level in the short-term, and they badly need his offensive creation.
The Bucks still need to re-sign Brook Lopez, but this was a great start for them.
Grade: A
Kristaps Porzingis extends with Celtics
Porzingis was the best free agent center on the market before opting in and getting traded to the Celtics. He was at a fringe All-Star level last season, and I expect him to make the team this year with more eyes focused on his play.
The Celtics gave up a lot to get him, so extending him and making sure he stays on the team makes sense in that regard. The length of this extension seems like a win, too.
Porzingis’ health is always a legitimate concern, so two years at a high annual average value is a nice piece of business for the Celtics.
Grade: B+
Jerami Grant extends with Trail Blazers
Grant was a great addition to the Blazers. His defense and 3-point shooting are essential for a roster built around Damian Lillard. But this is a lot of money to be giving him — he projected at a starting salary of $24 million in my simple salary model.
Grant seemed to have good leverage over the Blazers, who appear to still be trying to keep Lillard happy. This might be a tough contract to get out of down the line, though.
Grade: C
Nikola Vucevic extends with Bulls
I had Vucevic’s value pegged at exactly $20 million when I wrote about him several weeks ago, so this seems like a fair deal to me. The Bulls had no way of replacing him given their over-the-cap situation, so it made sense on that level to keep him.
The contract is fully guaranteed, which is a bit of a disappointment. It would be more tradable with partial guarantees on that third year.
Still, this preserves a $20 million salary slot if the Bulls find a trade partner down the road and gives them a starting-caliber center in the meantime.
Grade: B
Bruce Brown signs with Pacers
This is an overpay for Brown. But the Pacers had cap space to spend, and they will have Brown’s Early Bird rights when he comes up for a new deal in two years. Their free agent dollars don’t go as far as a team like the Lakers, so they did what they had to do to get their guy. The team option in Year 2 gives the Pacers plenty of flexibility too.
Brown showed that he is a rock-solid player in his playoff run with the Nuggets. They will surely miss him. He’s a great defender, a capable secondary ball handler and an improved shooter. He’ll fit right in with Indiana.
Grade: B+
Dennis Schroder signs with Raptors
Schroder was the best realistic option left on the table after VanVleet signed with the Rockets.
The Raptors only had their $12.4 million mid-level exception to add a point guard. D’Angelo Russell was too expensive. Gabe Vincent and Tre Jones were already off the table.
Schroder is a decent consolation prize. When he’s at his best, he can put pressure on the rim, which the Raptors badly need. But as a career 34 percent 3-point shooter that loves midrange shots, he is a terrible fit for their other needs.
He runs very hot-and-cold as a defender. When he’s on, he can be disruptive. But he also coasts when he’s not locked in.
Grade: B-
Derrick Rose signs with Grizzlies
The Grizzlies need some point guard depth with Ja Morant suspended for the first 25 games of the season. Perhaps Rose can fill that role.
Rose was still a good player two seasons ago. He had improved as a shooter, up to 40 percent from 3-point range. Those shooting gains fell off a cliff last season — he connected on only 30 percent of his attempts from deep. His 38 percent shooting on all field goals was by far the lowest mark of his career.
Rose may still be able to offer some veteran leadership inside the locker room. He’s a well-respected player. But he will have to improve substantially from last season’s performance in order to add value on the floor.
Grade: B-
Gabe Vincent signs with Lakers
The Lakers can still use more shooting around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They got one of the best shooters in the playoffs at a reasonable price in Vincent.
There is some question of how real that shooting is, though. Vincent was a career 34 percent shooter before hitting 38 percent in the playoffs. But he is willing to get them off, and he will be guarded closely, which is important in opening up the floor for other players.
Vincent is also a pest on defense. He’s willing to pick up full court and irritate opponents, getting physical with them despite his short stature. Those types of two-way role players are the perfect targets for the Lakers.
Grade: B
Rui Hachimura signs with Lakers
Hachimura earned a big payday with a great playoff performance.
He has improved tremendously as a defender from his days with the Wizards. That area of the game was a major weak point for him. He remains a great midrange shooter, and he also was scorchingly hot from 3-point range for the Lakers in the playoffs.
He’s not going to continue to hit 49 percent from deep as he did during their 16-game postseason run, but he should continue to be a catch-and-shoot threat that opens up the floor for their stars.
Grade: B
Herb Jones extends with Pelicans
Jones is one of the premier defenders in the league. “Not on Herb” became a rallying cry among Pelicans fans because of his lockdown ability.
This is a good deal for Jones, although he needs to see some improvement on his career 34 percent shooting to make it a steal.
Grade: B+
Yuta Watanabe signs with Suns
What a steal for the Suns. They were completely hamstrung with their cap situation, yet they found one of the best free agent shooters and a desperately needed wing for what is likely a minimum salary.
Watanabe has already shown great chemistry playing off Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. He was the best catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter in the league for most of the season, hitting 46 percent of those attempts.
Watanabe struggles to create his own shot, but he won’t have to worry that in Phoenix. He should flourish in his supporting role.
Grade: A+
Cam Johnson re-signs with Nets
The writing was on the wall that the Nets were willing to pony up for Johnson after the Joe Harris salary dump in the day.
This may sound like a lot of money for a player that has only averaged 11.3 points per game in his career, but Johnson has skills that are very hard to find. He has size at 6-8 to defend multiple positions, and he’s a career 39 percent 3-point shooter.
At age 27, this deal will take him right through his prime. He also showed that he is capable of a little bit more creation in a different role with the Nets after the trade deadline.
Grade: B+
Jakob Poeltl re-signs with Raptors
The Raptors have become notorious for handing out players options, and they continue the tradition here. That does give Poeltl some extra leverage, but he should still be worth it.
Poeltl tied together many disparate elements of this team when he was acquired at last season’s trade deadline. He’s a great defender and underrated roll man, and he has some nice passing chops.
His average annual value of $20 million is the same as what Nikola Vucevic received in his extension, and Poeltl is arguably the better player. This is good value for the Raptors.
Grade: A-
Harrison Barnes extends with Kings
The Kings opened up over $30 million in cap space during the draft, and there was some thinking that they might make a big move such as going after Draymond Green.
The Barnes extension takes them out of the running for the top guys, but it does bring back a good player at a very reasonable price.
Barnes had seen his role decline in Sacramento — there was some hope that they could find someone better and younger (Kyle Kuzma, perhaps?). Bringing him back isn’t a bad consolation prize. He can still defend at a good level and spread the floor with his shooting.
Grade: B
Seth Curry signs with Mavericks
Curry remains one of the best shooters in the league. He was solid in his last stop in Dallas, giving the Mavs some playmaking off his favorite action, the Iverson cut. He will help space the floor for Luka Doncic, although his defensive limitations are a concern.
This should be a bargain deal for the Mavs. The exact terms have not yet been disclosed, but Curry will fit into the roughly $4.5 million bi-annual exception, per ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
Grade: A-
Josh Richardson signs with Heat
This is a fantastic deal for the Heat. Richardson is worth way more than this essentially veteran minimum deal, but he chose a reunion with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra.
Richardson played the best basketball of his career back in his early Heat years. The eight-year veteran has lost a step since then, but he’s still a capable defender and a good 3-point shooter.
And Spoelstra’s familiarity with him might help bring him back to his old form.
Grade: A+
Joe Ingles signs with Magic
The Magic badly needed some wings on their roster. At age 35, Ingles is not a totally natural fit for them, but he will make them significantly better.
He showed in his return from a brutal ACL injury that he is still capable of playing at a high level, hitting 41 percent of his 3-pointers for the Bucks last season. He’s a good secondary playmaker, giving the Magic some much-needed passing.
Ingles will have plenty of trade value on this contract if he stays healthy. This is a good use of the Magic’s cap space and significantly better than what some of their rivals like the Wizards did with their spare cash.
Grade: A-
Reggie Jackson re-signs with Nuggets
This one is kind of puzzling. Jackson couldn’t get on the floor for the Nuggets in the playoffs and was let go by the Clippers for his ineffective play.
When he was at his best, he was a tough shot-maker and clutch playoff performer. At age 33, those days look like they might be behind him.
The Nuggets are going to be limited to minimums in bringing outside free agents, so they must have figured that Jackson was better than anyone else they could add. His salary could also be used as a trade chip down the line.
Grade: C+
Taurean Prince signs with Lakers
This is a bargain signing for the Lakers that they were able to fit under a small cap exception.
Prince was a casualty of the Timberwolves’ salary cap, but he’s a useful player who can shoot it from 3-point range and defend multiple positions.
Grade: B+
Shake Milton signs with Timberwolves
This might be the best value signing of the free agency period. Milton can be a streaky player, but he’s a good first guard off the bench. He showed that he might be capable of a bigger role, playing well when James Harden was injured.
Milton can play some pick-and-roll, and he’s shot the ball well at 36.5 percent from beyond the arc for his career. He can also put some pressure on the rim. This is a low-risk signing with good upside.
Grade: A+
Tre Jones re-signs with Spurs
Jones put together a great year for the Spurs with nobody watching. I had him rated as the No. 5 point guard in this free agency class.
Jones is a mistake-free player with great court vision and some ability to pressure the rim. His two drawbacks are a lack of size and shooting, but he finds ways to make up for his weaknesses.
He’s a low-end starter in the league, and $10 million a year for that type of player is well worth it.
Grade: A-
Cam Reddish signs with Lakers
Reddish has had a lot of opportunities to show that he’s a capable NBA player, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the floor.
The Trail Blazers gave up on him, not even bothering to give him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. This will be his fourth team since getting drafted with the 10th pick in 2019.
The idea of Reddish is a good one. He’s got great positional size at 6-8, and his form looks good on his shot. This is a super low-risk flier on a young player with upside that probably won’t pan out.
Grade: C+
Georges Niang signs with Cavaliers
Niang is a good role player off the bench. His lack of athleticism has earned him the nickname “The Minivan,” but he plays with emotion and was a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
He has good positional size at 6-7, and he’s a career 40 percent 3-point shooter. He gets those attempts up quickly and often when he’s on the floor.
With shooting at such a premium, this is a good value deal. This is a nice fit for Niang, too. His defensive shortcomings can be covered up with the Cavs’ fierce interior defenders.
Grade: B+
Keita Bates-Diop signs with Suns
Bates-Diop quietly had a terrific year for the Spurs. The rangy wing is a great defender who needed to develop a shot to stay in the league. He did exactly that, hitting 39 percent of his 3-pointers last season.
That sterling percentage was only on 142 attempts, and there is a question of how fluky that result was given that Bates-Diop shot 30 percent combined from deep over his previous four years.
But if the shooting improvement is real, then this is a massive steal for the Suns. With little avenues to improve their depth, they got a great young player at a position of high need.
Grade: A
Jevon Carter signs with Bulls
Signing Carter gives the Bulls a tenacious on-ball defender and addresses the Bulls’ biggest weakness — perimeter shooting. The career 40 percent 3-point shooter hit 42 percent of his triples for the Bucks last year on decent volume.
Carter’s willingness to let it fly from deep is key — the Bulls had Patrick Beverley in a similar role last season, but Beverley’s reticence to shoot clogged the floor for their big offensive creators. This signing should have the added benefit of making DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine even more dangerous offensive players.
This also makes their Central Division rivals weaker. The Bulls still aren’t anywhere close to the Bucks’ level, but it does help them bridge that chasm.
Grade: A
Coby White re-signs with Bulls
The $11 million annual value for this deal (which could be a little more with incentives) was in line with my prediction for White. It’s fair value for the sharpshooting guard who, at age 23, still has room to get better.
White has already improved substantially as a defender and playmaker from his first few years in the league. Volume shooting is at a premium, and he fits the Bulls’ needs nicely.
White also gets a chance to go back on the market in three rather than four years when his value should be higher. It’s a good deal for both sides.
Grade: B+
Kyle Kuzma re-signs with Wizards
The Wizards probably weren’t going to find a better use of their cap space than signing Kuzma. With the added penalties under the new collective bargaining agreement for not hitting the salary floor, they needed to make a move like this.
Kuzma has improved in all areas of his game, including as a defender, passer and scorer. With average starters making something around $20 million these days, this is a fine deal for him.
At age 27, it will carry him through his prime, and it is very moveable for the Wizards.
Grade: B
Julian Champagnie re-signs with Spurs
This is a low-risk flier on Champagnie, who played well to end the season. At 6-7, he has good positional size, and he still has a lot of room to grow after just turning 22.
Grade: B+
Joe Harris traded to Pistons
Trade details (via The Athletic’s Shams Charania):
- Nets receive: Trade exception
- Pistons receive: Joe Harris, 2027 and 2029 second-round picks
This was a salary dump for the Nets, who needed to clear Harris’ $19.9 million salary in order to avoid the tax if they want to retain free agent Cameron Johnson. The Nets have a plethora of wings, and Harris wasn’t a big-minute player for them.
The Pistons had cap space this summer, and they were rumored to be interested in Johnson. This move takes them out of the running for him or any other big names, but it does set them up to have a ton of cap space next summer with a better free agent class coming up.
Nets grade: B+
Pistons grade: B
Monte Morris traded to Pistons
Trade details (via The Athletic’s James L. Edwards):
- Pistons receive: Monte Morris
- Wizards receive: Future second-round pick
The Wizards had a surplus of quality point guards in Tyus Jones, Delon Wright and Morris. They made a necessary trade to get rid of one, although the value they got back was very low.
Morris is one of the best assist-to-turnover ratio guards in the league. He is a great veteran who can still contribute at a high level.
The fit for the Pistons is odd. They already have a ton of young guards in Jaden Ivey, Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser. Perhaps another trade is on the horizon.
Pistons grade: C
Wizards grade: C
Chris Duarte traded to Kings
Trade details (via The Athletic’s Shams Charania):
- Kings receive: Chris Duarte
- Pacers receive: Draft compensation
This is a nice trade for the Kings. Duarte had a promising rookie year as the No. 13 pick in the 2021 draft playing next to Domantas Sabonis thanks to their great chemistry.
After Sabonis was traded, Duarte’s production fell drastically. Duarte gives the Kings some extra shooting and ball handling.
Kings grade: A
Pacers grade: B+