Houston Rockets
Incoming: Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Carlos Delfino, Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, Gary Forbes, Toney Douglas, Shaun Livingston, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Jon Brockman, Jon Diebler
Outgoing: Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby, Chase Budinger
Quick Thoughts: As you can see, Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been extremely busy this summer, but whether the Rockets' roster has actually improved is debatable. As for Jeremy Lin...he is an excellent PG and Linsanity wasn't a fluke, but I do think it represents his peak. For one thing, even Kobe knows who Lin is now, and the league's scouts, coaches and defenses will have a book on him two-inches thick. More importantly, however, Lin is coming off knee surgery and no longer has a pick-and-roll maestro like Amare Stoudemire to work with. The Rockets also chose to amnesty their best post player (Luis Scola), which will allow defenses to key into stopping Lin. On a side note, Jerome Jordan and Jon Leuer were both acquired and waived by Houston this summer.
Indiana Pacers
Incoming: D.J. Augustin, Ian Mahinmi, Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, Orlando Johnson
Outgoing: Darren Collison, A.J. Price, Dahntay Jones
Quick Thoughts: The Pacers matched a maximum contract offer from the Blazers for Roy Hibbert (technically they never received an offer sheet, but that's another story). There's no reason Hibbert shouldn't continue to improve in his fifth NBA season, but I wouldn't draft him before the fourth round in standard eight- and nine-cat fantasy leagues.
L.A. Clippers
Incoming: Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, Ryan Hollins
Outgoing: Mo Williams, Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes
Quick Thoughts: Chris Paul had thumb surgery on Tuesday but he's expected to be healthy for the start of the regular season, and may even be ready for a few preseason games. I would only draft Lamar Odom as a final-round flier pick at this point, but keep a very close eye on him during the preseason -- he could emerge with solid value this season if he's healthy and properly motivated.
L.A. Lakers
Incoming: Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon, Darius Johnson-Odom, Robert Sacre
Outgoing: Andrew Bynum, Ramon Sessions, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga
Quick Thoughts: Dwight Howard knew the Magic couldn't attract enough talent to compete with the Heat, so he forced his way onto a new west coast Superteam with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol. The result should be an improved defense and a frighteningly multi-faceted offense, whether or not the Lakers install many Princeton offense sets.
Memphis Grizzlies
Incoming: Wayne Ellington, D.J. Kennedy
Outgoing: O.J. Mayo, Dante Cunningham, Jeremy Pargo
Quick Thoughts: Mayo's departure should clear substantially more minutes for Josh Selby, who I'll be watching very closely during training camp and the preseason.
Miami Heat
Incoming: Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis
Outgoing: Ronny Turiaf
Quick Thoughts: I'm avoiding Rashard Lewis this season regardless of whether or not his knees are healthy -- LeBron James simply commands too many minutes, and the Heat are too deep on the wings to expect much from Rashard, who shot 38.5 percent from the field last season.
Milwaukee Bucks
Incoming: Samuel Dalembert, John Henson, Doron Lamb, Joel Przybilla
Outgoing: Kwame Brown, Shaun Livingston
Quick Thoughts: The center position is always thinnest, and Dalembert is a suitable late-round pick for owners in need of rebounds and blocks. Ersan Ilyasova was a beast last season, posting fourth-round value in under 28 minutes per game, but he may still be somewhat undervalued in fantasy circles. For instance, Ilyasova was the overall No. 9 fantasy player over the final two months of the 2011-12 season, yet even then he averaged a mere 30.5 minutes per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Incoming: Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Chase Budinger, Greg Stiemsma, Dante Cunningham, Alexey Shved
Outgoing: Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington
Quick Thoughts: I championed Kirilenko in my last column, and I'd be happy to get him in the fifth round of any nine-cat league. Brandon Roy is a different story -- I'm extremely wary of his chronic knee issues, his miracle Orthokine cure notwithstanding. Even Wolves owner Glen Taylor seems to be guarded in his expectations, saying, "We'll see how he handles practice."
New Orleans Hornets
Incoming: Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Roger Mason Jr., Darius Miller
Outgoing: Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, Gustavo Ayon, Marco Belinelli, Jerome Dyson
Quick Thoughts: Rashard Lewis was a Hornet-in-name-only for a while, but predictably was soon bought out of his contract. Thankfully, trading away Jarrett Jack cleared more room for Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers in the backcourt -- the frontcourt rotation is a bit more perplexing, but however you slice it there will be plenty of minutes for both Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis. Keep a close eye on Robin Lopez, too, as he could prove a useful source of rebounds and blocks.
New York Knicks
Incoming: Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Ronnie Brewer, Pablo Prigioni, James White, Chris Smith, Chris Copeland
Outgoing: Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Josh Harrellson, Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan
Quick Thoughts: The Knicks didn't have much financial wiggle-room this summer, and did well to add both Kidd and Camby on affordable deals, while retaining J.R. Smith on a very reasonable deal (roughly $5.6 million over two seasons). Steve Novak, an elite 3-point specialist, also re-signed on a four-year, $15 million contract.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Incoming: Perry Jones III, Hasheem Thabeet, Hollis Thompson
Outgoing: Nazr Mohammed, Royal Ivey
Quick Thoughts: The Thunder locked up Serge Ibaka with a four-year, $48 million contract, which is an extremely reasonable deal given Ibaka's game-changing defensive abilities. Eric Maynor's contract situation hasn't changed, but assuming he's fully recovered from his torn ACL he'll be a major positive for OKC's second unit.
Orlando Magic
Incoming: Arron Afflalo, Andrew Nicholson, Al Harrington, Gustavo Ayon, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Justin Harper, Kyle O'Quinn, Christian Eyenga
Outgoing: Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon
Quick Thoughts: The Magic are going to abysmal this season, but that doesn't mean fantasy owners can't find hidden value in Orlando. Glen Davis springs to mind, as his only real competition for the starting center job comes from Gustavo Ayon. Recall that in 13 starts last season, Big Baby averaged 15.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Philadelphia Sixers
Incoming: Andrew Bynum, Nick Young, Dorell Wright, Jason Richardson, Kwame Brown, Arnett Moultrie, Royal Ivey, Maalik Wayns
Outgoing: Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Jodie Meeks
Quick Thoughts: Philly also managed to re-sign Spencer Hawes on a two-year, $13 million contract (very reasonable for a legit 7-footer with shooting range and shot-blocking skills, despite his injury woes), and they also re-signed promising big man Lavoy Allen. Elton Brand was amnestied and Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Magic, but with Andrew Bynum in Philly neither Hawes nor Allen has much upside.
Phoenix Suns
Incoming: Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley, Luis Scola, Kendall Marshall, Jermaine O'Neal, Wes Johnson, P.J. Tucker
Outgoing: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Ronnie Price, Josh Childress
Quick Thoughts: The Suns lost Steve Nash and project as one of the worst teams in the West, regardless of the addition of Dragic, Scola, Beasley and rookie Kendall Marshall. Dragic has massive fantasy potential but is a very risky pick with Marshall waiting in the wings, and the Suns' youth movement could pick up steam as the losses pile up.
Portland Trail Blazers
Incoming: Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, Will Barton, Ronnie Price, Jared Jeffries, Sasha Pavlovic, Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, Kostas Papanikolaou
Outgoing: Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford, Joel Przybilla, Kurt Thomas
Quick Thoughts: Nicolas Batum is getting paid franchise-player money (four years, $45+ million), and new coach Terry Stotts will almost certainly unleash him this season. Batum's minutes declined last season (to 31 per game) despite playing brilliantly for stretches, and I see him as a fantasy value-pick in the third round. The Blazers also re-signed J.J. Hickson on a one-year contract -- he's an intriguing fantasy sleeper, but his value is rather limited as long as LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery) is healthy.
Sacramento Kings
Incoming: Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks, James Johnson
Outgoing: Hassan Whiteside
Quick Thoughts: The Kings were able to re-sign Jason Thompson on a five-year, $30 million contract. The move is solid in reality, but creates some fantasy complications with Thompson, Chuck Hayes and rookie Thomas Robinson all vying for PF minutes. On the PG front, Isaiah Thomas remains the presumptive starter, but Aaron Brooks will be a thorn in his side all season.
San Antonio Spurs
Incoming: Nando De Colo
Outgoing: T.J. Ford
Quick Thoughts: Patty Mills re-signed for two years in July. He played great in a few token starts while Tony Parker was being rested last season, he was great for Australia in the Olympics, and fantasy owners should immediately grab him if Parker gets hurt. Other than that, the Spurs proceeded with their typical understated brilliance, locking up Tim Duncan for three more seasons and keeping their championship-caliber team intact.
Toronto Raptors
Incoming: Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, John Lucas, Quincy Acy
Outgoing: Gary Forbes, James Johnson
Quick Thoughts: The Raptors added some intriguing pieces this summer in rookies Valanciunas and Ross, and Kyle Lowry is a definite upgrade at PG. There will be definite growing pains, however, and I wouldn't put too much faith in the rookies until we've at least seen them play in the preseason. Jose Calderon could well be traded before or during the season, and Lowry remains one of my primary sleeper picks. He was scorching hot to start the 2011-12 season, but was slowed down by injuries and the emergence of Goran Dragic. Despite the adversity he posted early-third round fantasy value in just 32 minutes per game, and I won't hesitate to grab him that early this season.
Utah Jazz
Incoming: Mo Williams, Marvin Williams, Randy Foye, Kevin Murphy
Outgoing: Devin Harris, C.J. Miles
Quick Thoughts: Marvin Williams has played enough seasons that I'm not expecting a breakout in Utah -- as usual, he's sure to play some great games in between long stretches of mediocrity.
Washington Wizards
Incoming: Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Bradley Beal, A.J. Price
Outgoing: Andray Blatche, Rashard Lewis, Roger Mason Jr.
Quick Thoughts: Keep an eye on Nene's foot once the Wizards' training camp opens. He struggled with plantar fasciitis for most of last season, and he aggravated the injury during the Olympics. I'll be forced to bump him way down my draft lists if there are any signs that the chronic injury is lingering.
This article will provide a one-stop synopsis of all 30 team's transactions since the end of the NBA Finals. A few editorial comments are included, but are limited in scope due to the length of this format. If you want in-depth analysis on the moves detailed below, check individual player blurbs on RW and get the Rotoworld NBA Draft Guide when it goes live in about a month. The Draft Guide will include individual outlooks for 350 players, team-by-team breakdowns, multiple Top 200 fantasy lists, schedule grids, mock drafts, and columns covering the rookie class, sleepers, offseason transactions, specific fantasy strategies, and much more. Seriously, watch for it in September.
*Note: In all likelihood I missed some transactions. The information below is cobbled together from various sources, my memory foremost among them, and I tried a 'double-accounting' method by including players for both the team they left and the team they're joining. For the most part, I ignored players who were obtained and subsequently waived, and I left out some rookies who aren't yet signed and/or won't be in the NBA next year. In addition to the Draft Guide, anyone interested in this column should also check out our constantly-updated NBA depth charts, which can be found here.
Email me any questions or comments: KnausRotoworld@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: @Knaus_RW
Atlanta Hawks
Incoming: Lou Williams, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Kyle Korver, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson, John Jenkins, Johan Petro, Mike Scott
Outgoing: Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Kirk Hinrich, Jason Collins, Vladimir Radmanovic, Willie Green
Quick Thoughts: Jordan Farmar was technically sent to Atlanta but as expected he was bought out and signed with a team in Turkey. Devin Harris is a direct challenge to Jeff Teague's playing time, and the Hawks' PG situation looks pretty grim for fantasy owners. Teague returned mid-5th round value last season, playing 33 minutes per game, numbers which suddenly look like a best-case scenario for 2012-13. Harris, meanwhile, was barely worth owning while playing 28 minutes per game for the Jazz -- his only above-average fantasy value came from assists (5.0) and 3-pointers (1.2). Individually, Morrow and Korver are intriguing 3-point specialists, but on the same roster they threaten to cancel each other out, fantasy-wise. With Lou Williams and DeShawn Stevenson also in the mix, there's not much upside in Atlanta's backcourt. As a side note, the Hawks' traded Willie Green to the Clippers for the draft rights to Sofoklis Schortsanitis (who won't join the team any time soon).
Boston Celtics
Incoming: Jason Terry, Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, Jason Collins, Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo, Dionte Christmas, Jamar Smith, Kris Joseph
Outgoing: Ray Allen, Jermaine O'Neal, Greg Stiemsma, Ryan Hollins, Sasha Pavlovic, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams
Quick Thoughts: Kevin Garnett may be a polarizing fantasy pick next season -- will he keep his momentum from the final two months of the season, when he was the overall No. 11 player in nine-cat leagues? Or will his age catch up to him, with injuries and/or declining production? Personally, I won't hesitate to grab him in the fourth round this year. Boston also did well to re-sign Brandon Bass, who thrived as a starting PF last year, and they also re-signed veteran backups Chris Wilcox and Keyon Dooling. Mickael Pietrus has said he wants to re-sign with Boston, but the Celts haven't shown much interest in bringing him back.
Brooklyn Nets
Incoming: Joe Johnson, Mirza Teletovic, Reggie Evans, C.J. Watson, Jerry Stackhouse, Tyshawn Taylor, Tornike Shengelia
Outgoing: Anthony Morrow, Gerald Green, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro
Quick Thoughts: The Nets retained Deron Williams, so I didn't mention him in the 'incoming' list, but he's obviously the beating heart of the brand new Brooklyn Nets. They also locked up Gerald Wallace to an over-generous ($10 million per year) and over-long (four years) contract, and signed Kris Humphries for two more years, while somehow holding onto MarShon Brooks. Re-signing Brook Lopez was almost inevitable once Dwight Howard wasn't an option, though Brook's maximum salary and health concerns make the deal something of a necessary evil.
Charlotte Bobcats
Incoming: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Ramon Sessions, Ben Gordon, Brendan Haywood, Jeff Taylor
Outgoing: Corey Maggette, D.J. Augustin
Quick Thoughts: The Bobcats signed a new coach, Mike Dunlap, landed potential franchise player MKG with the No. 2 pick, swapped Corey Maggette for Ben Gordon and a future first-round pick, and padded their rotation with Sessions and Haywood. Otherwise, the team is relying on in-house improvement from their young talent, and the discipline of Dunlap, to erase memories of last year's disastrous (and mercifully shortened) 7-59 campaign. Speaking of merciful things, Matt Carroll's ill-fated six-year, $27 million contract will finally expire after this season.
Chicago Bulls
Incoming: Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nazr Mohammed, Marquis Teague
Outgoing: Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson, John Lucas
Quick Thoughts: The Bulls, facing the reality of brutal luxury-tax penalties under the new CBA, couldn't do much to improve their roster this summer. That wouldn't be cause for concern if Derrick Rose were healthy -- Hinrich and Robinson can provide competent PG play, but without D-Rose the Bulls will be pushed hard by the Pacers and even the Bucks in the Central division.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Incoming: Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller, C.J. Miles, Jeremy Pargo, Jon Leuer, Kelenna Azubuike, Kevin Jones, Michael Eric
Outgoing: Antawn Jamison, Semih Erden, Manny Harris, D.J. Kennedy
Quick Thoughts: I have no doubt that Waiters will start for the Cavs, beating out C.J. Miles and Daniel Gibson for the job, but that's where my certainty ends. I view him as a flier pick as a rookie. As of now, the Cavs are still doing the restricted-free-agent waltz with Alonzo Gee.
Dallas Mavericks
Incoming: Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, Dahntay Jones, Jared Cunningham, Bernard James, Jae Crowder
Outgoing: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Brendan Haywood, Ian Mahimmi, Kelenna Azubuike
Quick Thoughts: Collison seems to have carte blanche with the PG spot in Dallas, and I can't help but throw out his numbers in 37 unfettered starts with the Hornets during the 2009-10 season -- 18.8 points, 1.0 three-pointers, 3.5 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He also turned the ball over 4.1 times per game in those starts, but don't undervalue him because of his quiet play with the Pacers -- given offensive freedom, he's a potential fantasy stud. The Mavs also retained Delonte West this summer, maintaining his veteran combo-guard presence off the bench.
Denver Nuggets
Incoming: Andre Iguodala, Anthony Randolph, Evan Fournier, Quincy Miller, Izzet Turkyilmaz
Outgoing: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Rudy Fernandez, Chris Andersen
Quick Thoughts: The Nuggets' biggest success this summer was retaining JaVale McGee, who inked a very reasonable (given the market for centers) four-year, $44 million contract.
Detroit Pistons
Incoming: Corey Maggette, Andre Drummond, Khris Middleton, Kyle Singler, Vyacheslav Kravtsov, Kim English
Outgoing: Ben Gordon, Vernon Macklin
Quick Thoughts: The Pistons' SF position features Tayshaun Prince, Corey Maggette and Austin Daye, all of whom I heartily recommend avoiding in fantasy drafts. Ben Wallace is interested in returning to Detroit for his 17th NBA season, but as things stand the Pistons' roster is full -- whatever happens, Big Ben is no longer a fantasy consideration.
Golden State Warriors
Incoming: Harrison Barnes, Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, Kent Bazemore, Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli, Ognjen Kuzmic
Outgoing: Dorell Wright, Nate Robinson
Quick Thoughts: Mark Jackson recently acknowledged that the Warriors' success this season hinges on the health of Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry, which is a sobering thought for even the most high-spirited Warriors fan. Jackson also said that the starting SF job won't be decided until training camp -- regardless of who starts (Barnes, Richard Jefferson or re-signed Brandon Rush), there is an uncomfortable amount of competition for minutes at the SF spot.
Houston Rockets
Incoming: Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Carlos Delfino, Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, Gary Forbes, Toney Douglas, Shaun Livingston, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Jon Brockman, Jon Diebler
Outgoing: Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby, Chase Budinger
Quick Thoughts: As you can see, Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been extremely busy this summer, but whether the Rockets' roster has actually improved is debatable. As for Jeremy Lin...he is an excellent PG and Linsanity wasn't a fluke, but I do think it represents his peak. For one thing, even Kobe knows who Lin is now, and the league's scouts, coaches and defenses will have a book on him two-inches thick. More importantly, however, Lin is coming off knee surgery and no longer has a pick-and-roll maestro like Amare Stoudemire to work with. The Rockets also chose to amnesty their best post player (Luis Scola), which will allow defenses to key into stopping Lin. On a side note, Jerome Jordan and Jon Leuer were both acquired and waived by Houston this summer.
Indiana Pacers
Incoming: D.J. Augustin, Ian Mahinmi, Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, Orlando Johnson
Outgoing: Darren Collison, A.J. Price, Dahntay Jones
Quick Thoughts: The Pacers matched a maximum contract offer from the Blazers for Roy Hibbert (technically they never received an offer sheet, but that's another story). There's no reason Hibbert shouldn't continue to improve in his fifth NBA season, but I wouldn't draft him before the fourth round in standard eight- and nine-cat fantasy leagues.
L.A. Clippers
Incoming: Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, Ryan Hollins
Outgoing: Mo Williams, Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes
Quick Thoughts: Chris Paul had thumb surgery on Tuesday but he's expected to be healthy for the start of the regular season, and may even be ready for a few preseason games. I would only draft Lamar Odom as a final-round flier pick at this point, but keep a very close eye on him during the preseason -- he could emerge with solid value this season if he's healthy and properly motivated.
L.A. Lakers
Incoming: Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon, Darius Johnson-Odom, Robert Sacre
Outgoing: Andrew Bynum, Ramon Sessions, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga
Quick Thoughts: Dwight Howard knew the Magic couldn't attract enough talent to compete with the Heat, so he forced his way onto a new west coast Superteam with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol. The result should be an improved defense and a frighteningly multi-faceted offense, whether or not the Lakers install many Princeton offense sets.
Memphis Grizzlies
Incoming: Wayne Ellington, D.J. Kennedy
Outgoing: O.J. Mayo, Dante Cunningham, Jeremy Pargo
Quick Thoughts: Mayo's departure should clear substantially more minutes for Josh Selby, who I'll be watching very closely during training camp and the preseason.
Miami Heat
Incoming: Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis
Outgoing: Ronny Turiaf
Quick Thoughts: I'm avoiding Rashard Lewis this season regardless of whether or not his knees are healthy -- LeBron James simply commands too many minutes, and the Heat are too deep on the wings to expect much from Rashard, who shot 38.5 percent from the field last season.
Milwaukee Bucks
Incoming: Samuel Dalembert, John Henson, Doron Lamb, Joel Przybilla
Outgoing: Kwame Brown, Shaun Livingston
Quick Thoughts: The center position is always thinnest, and Dalembert is a suitable late-round pick for owners in need of rebounds and blocks. Ersan Ilyasova was a beast last season, posting fourth-round value in under 28 minutes per game, but he may still be somewhat undervalued in fantasy circles. For instance, Ilyasova was the overall No. 9 fantasy player over the final two months of the 2011-12 season, yet even then he averaged a mere 30.5 minutes per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Incoming: Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Chase Budinger, Greg Stiemsma, Dante Cunningham, Alexey Shved
Outgoing: Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington
Quick Thoughts: I championed Kirilenko in my last column, and I'd be happy to get him in the fifth round of any nine-cat league. Brandon Roy is a different story -- I'm extremely wary of his chronic knee issues, his miracle Orthokine cure notwithstanding. Even Wolves owner Glen Taylor seems to be guarded in his expectations, saying, "We'll see how he handles practice."
New Orleans Hornets
Incoming: Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Roger Mason Jr., Darius Miller
Outgoing: Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, Gustavo Ayon, Marco Belinelli, Jerome Dyson
Quick Thoughts: Rashard Lewis was a Hornet-in-name-only for a while, but predictably was soon bought out of his contract. Thankfully, trading away Jarrett Jack cleared more room for Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers in the backcourt -- the frontcourt rotation is a bit more perplexing, but however you slice it there will be plenty of minutes for both Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis. Keep a close eye on Robin Lopez, too, as he could prove a useful source of rebounds and blocks.
New York Knicks
Incoming: Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Ronnie Brewer, Pablo Prigioni, James White, Chris Smith, Chris Copeland
Outgoing: Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Josh Harrellson, Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan
Quick Thoughts: The Knicks didn't have much financial wiggle-room this summer, and did well to add both Kidd and Camby on affordable deals, while retaining J.R. Smith on a very reasonable deal (roughly $5.6 million over two seasons). Steve Novak, an elite 3-point specialist, also re-signed on a four-year, $15 million contract.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Incoming: Perry Jones III, Hasheem Thabeet, Hollis Thompson
Outgoing: Nazr Mohammed, Royal Ivey
Quick Thoughts: The Thunder locked up Serge Ibaka with a four-year, $48 million contract, which is an extremely reasonable deal given Ibaka's game-changing defensive abilities. Eric Maynor's contract situation hasn't changed, but assuming he's fully recovered from his torn ACL he'll be a major positive for OKC's second unit.
Orlando Magic
Incoming: Arron Afflalo, Andrew Nicholson, Al Harrington, Gustavo Ayon, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Justin Harper, Kyle O'Quinn, Christian Eyenga
Outgoing: Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon
Quick Thoughts: The Magic are going to abysmal this season, but that doesn't mean fantasy owners can't find hidden value in Orlando. Glen Davis springs to mind, as his only real competition for the starting center job comes from Gustavo Ayon. Recall that in 13 starts last season, Big Baby averaged 15.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Philadelphia Sixers
Incoming: Andrew Bynum, Nick Young, Dorell Wright, Jason Richardson, Kwame Brown, Arnett Moultrie, Royal Ivey, Maalik Wayns
Outgoing: Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Jodie Meeks
Quick Thoughts: Philly also managed to re-sign Spencer Hawes on a two-year, $13 million contract (very reasonable for a legit 7-footer with shooting range and shot-blocking skills, despite his injury woes), and they also re-signed promising big man Lavoy Allen. Elton Brand was amnestied and Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Magic, but with Andrew Bynum in Philly neither Hawes nor Allen has much upside.
Phoenix Suns
Incoming: Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley, Luis Scola, Kendall Marshall, Jermaine O'Neal, Wes Johnson, P.J. Tucker
Outgoing: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Ronnie Price, Josh Childress
Quick Thoughts: The Suns lost Steve Nash and project as one of the worst teams in the West, regardless of the addition of Dragic, Scola, Beasley and rookie Kendall Marshall. Dragic has massive fantasy potential but is a very risky pick with Marshall waiting in the wings, and the Suns' youth movement could pick up steam as the losses pile up.
Portland Trail Blazers
Incoming: Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, Will Barton, Ronnie Price, Jared Jeffries, Sasha Pavlovic, Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, Kostas Papanikolaou
Outgoing: Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford, Joel Przybilla, Kurt Thomas
Quick Thoughts: Nicolas Batum is getting paid franchise-player money (four years, $45+ million), and new coach Terry Stotts will almost certainly unleash him this season. Batum's minutes declined last season (to 31 per game) despite playing brilliantly for stretches, and I see him as a fantasy value-pick in the third round. The Blazers also re-signed J.J. Hickson on a one-year contract -- he's an intriguing fantasy sleeper, but his value is rather limited as long as LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery) is healthy.
Sacramento Kings
Incoming: Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks, James Johnson
Outgoing: Hassan Whiteside
Quick Thoughts: The Kings were able to re-sign Jason Thompson on a five-year, $30 million contract. The move is solid in reality, but creates some fantasy complications with Thompson, Chuck Hayes and rookie Thomas Robinson all vying for PF minutes. On the PG front, Isaiah Thomas remains the presumptive starter, but Aaron Brooks will be a thorn in his side all season.
San Antonio Spurs
Incoming: Nando De Colo
Outgoing: T.J. Ford
Quick Thoughts: Patty Mills re-signed for two years in July. He played great in a few token starts while Tony Parker was being rested last season, he was great for Australia in the Olympics, and fantasy owners should immediately grab him if Parker gets hurt. Other than that, the Spurs proceeded with their typical understated brilliance, locking up Tim Duncan for three more seasons and keeping their championship-caliber team intact.
Toronto Raptors
Incoming: Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, John Lucas, Quincy Acy
Outgoing: Gary Forbes, James Johnson
Quick Thoughts: The Raptors added some intriguing pieces this summer in rookies Valanciunas and Ross, and Kyle Lowry is a definite upgrade at PG. There will be definite growing pains, however, and I wouldn't put too much faith in the rookies until we've at least seen them play in the preseason. Jose Calderon could well be traded before or during the season, and Lowry remains one of my primary sleeper picks. He was scorching hot to start the 2011-12 season, but was slowed down by injuries and the emergence of Goran Dragic. Despite the adversity he posted early-third round fantasy value in just 32 minutes per game, and I won't hesitate to grab him that early this season.
Utah Jazz
Incoming: Mo Williams, Marvin Williams, Randy Foye, Kevin Murphy
Outgoing: Devin Harris, C.J. Miles
Quick Thoughts: Marvin Williams has played enough seasons that I'm not expecting a breakout in Utah -- as usual, he's sure to play some great games in between long stretches of mediocrity.
Washington Wizards
Incoming: Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Bradley Beal, A.J. Price
Outgoing: Andray Blatche, Rashard Lewis, Roger Mason Jr.
Quick Thoughts: Keep an eye on Nene's foot once the Wizards' training camp opens. He struggled with plantar fasciitis for most of last season, and he aggravated the injury during the Olympics. I'll be forced to bump him way down my draft lists if there are any signs that the chronic injury is lingering.