5 NBA Teams That Got Better This Offseason, and 5 That Got Worse

The late stages of the NBA offseason continue to bring us some excitement and have helped decipher which teams truly got better or worse.

In the last few weeks we've seen Peyton Watson become a Cleveland Cavalier, DeMar DeRozan sign with the Denver Nuggets, Jonathan Kuminga team up with Anthony Edwards with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Klay Thompson agree to leave the Dallas Mavericks for the sunny beaches of Miami, Florida. Oh, and Ben Simmons is back in the NBA.

We're going to ignore some of the obvious teams for this exercise, as the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers should be way better than 2025-26 while the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks will sink to the bottom of the NBA.

Instead, let's zero in on 10 of the NBA's most interesting teams and determine if they actually got better or worse this offseason.

Notable Additions: PF John Collins, SG Isaiah Joe, F Taurean Prince, SG Gary Harris, PG Ebuka Okorie (R)

Notable Subtractions: PF Tobias Harris, F/C Isaiah Stewart, G/F Caris LeVert

The Detroit Pistons' 60 wins earned them the No. 1 seed in the East last season. This year, there's a real chance they fall all the way to the play-in tournament.

This is both a credit to the conference as a whole and a knock on the Pistons, who have done nothing to actually improve this offseason as we await for the Jalen Duren free agency saga to come to a conclusion. Duren remains unsigned and Stewart was salary dumped on the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving (for the moment) a huge hole at the center position.

Collins is a borderline starter/sixth man at this stage of his career who had a swing rating of minus-4.6 (30th percentile via Cleaning the Glass ) for the Los Angeles Clippers last year. Swapping him in for Tobias Harris is about as neutral a move as it gets. Given that he's been the Pistons' big addition thus far is concerning, especially for a team that seemed destined to become a powerhouse in the East.

Would we be shocked if the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks all finished above the Pistons? That's eight teams, and we haven't even mentioned up-and-coming franchises like the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets or Washington Wizards yet.

Headlined by the NBA champs and a number of other contenders who made significant moves this offseason, the East is actually pretty legit. That's bad news for the Pistons, who will be lucky to hit 50 wins this time around.

Notable Additions: F Caleb Wilson (R), SG Norman Powell, C Nic Claxton, F Dailyn Swain (R)

Notable Subtractions: G Anfernee Simons, G Collin Sexton

The Chicago Bulls aren't going to make the East playoffs this season, but a spot in the play-in tournament isn't out of the question.

Defense should be improved this year by swapping Claxton in place of Nikola Vučević. Chicago's defensive rating of 117.4 ranked 22nd overall, with Vučević's defensive swing rating of plus-4.5 ranking in the 18th percentile . Claxton is younger, more mobile and offers far greater rim protection overall.

A backcourt of Josh Giddey and Powell is very solid and Wilson looked like a future All-Star during summer league. Matas Buzelis, 21, is coming off a breakout sophomore season where he averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game.

New head coach Tiago Splitter proved his worth last season as an interim with the Portland Trail Blazers, guiding them to a winning record without an injured Damian Lillard and helping Deni Avdija make his first All-Star game.

This is a franchise that's finally headed in the right direction and could finish with 40-plus wins, even in a tough East.

Notable Additions: F DeMar DeRozan, F/C Marvin Bagley III

Notable Subtractions: SF Peyton Watson, C Jonas Valančiūnas, SG Tim Hardaway Jr.

The sky isn't falling for the Denver Nuggets just yet. Nikola Jokić is still the best player in the NBA and Jamal Murray is coming off the best season of his career. For a team that's struggled to build depth and defense around their stars for years, however, this summer was a major step back.

Not being able to afford to keep Peyton Watson is a huge blow to the team, as the 23-year-old developed into one of the better young two-way wings in the NBA during his four seasons with the Nuggets. Valančiūnas finally gave this team some stability at center behind Jokić and Hardaway left in free agency after finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Bruce Brown Jr. remains a free agent.

While the starting five is still one of the NBA's best, this bench looks rough.

DeRozan is 37 and could be entering the final year of his career. He's not a good defender or three-point shooter, which is what Denver needs in its rotation. Bagley will try to absorb the backup center minutes, but he's a journeyman who's now on his sixth team in six years.

Denver could still get to 50 wins if their stars stay healthy, but this is putting a lot on Jokić heading into unrestricted free agency next summer. The Nuggets are playing with fire.

Notable Additions: F Lu Dort, G Aaron Wiggins, PG Ryan Nembhard, G Devin Carter, G Kingston Flemings, C Zuby Ejiofor

Notable Subtractions: G/F Zaccharie Risacher

The Atlanta Hawks may have the NBA's best defense this season.

A 108.6 rating after the All-Star break following the trade of Trae Young was second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team Atlanta has now plucked both Dort and Wiggins away from. Dort finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25 and is still only 27 years old. He's a tough, physical defensive who can guard multiple positions that the Hawks can plug into a lineup alongside guys like Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu.

The guard position has been revamped post-Young, as Flemings, the No. 8 overall pick this summer, gets to learn behind CJ McCollum for at least a year. Carter and Nembhard bring some added defense and playmaking to the backcourt as well.

This Hawks team is deep, has a bonafide All-Star in Jalen Johnson and blends some veteran talent with enough young talent to inspire a bright future.

This is a dark horse to come away with the No. 1 seed in the East, as the team's defense will now be elite all season long.

Notable Additions: F Yaxel Lendeborg, F Georges Niang

The Golden State Warriors are going to miss the West play-in tournament next year and it's not going to feel right.

After a decade-plus of titles, playoff runs and some unbelievably-beautiful basketball, the Warriors are headed for an inevitable collapse. Jimmy Butler will likely miss months with a torn ACL, and the team went just 14-30 in his absence last year with a net rating of minus-4.8 in all non-Butler minutes.

The players brought in to hold down the fort, Lendeborg and Niang, are either playing in their first NBA games or coming off a season-long foot injury. Neither logged a minute of NBA basketball last season.

An average player age of 29.2 is the oldest in the NBA , with Stephen Curry set to turn 39 before the season ends.

This is a franchise that needed to make some bold moves this offseason to save what was left of the dynasty. Curry will want to end his career as a Warrior, although NBA fans should want to see him join a new team that actually has a chance to win a championship.

Notable Additions: PF Cameron Boozer (R), F Jerami Grant, F/C Isaiah Stewart, F Karim López (R)

Notable Subtractions: PG Ja Morant, F/C Santi Aldama

Credit to the Memphis Grizzlies for realizing that their previous core had hit its peak and that pivoting to a rebuild was the right move. If Zach Edey can shake off his previous injury woes, this team will be back to revelancy soon.

The Grizzlies went 7-4 in Edey's 11 games last season, as the 7'3" center put up 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and shot 63.3 percent overall in just 25.8 minutes. With the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly in a size race, the Grizzlies' have the NBA's biggest player on their roster.

An Edey-Boozer frontcourt could be dangerous for the next decade. Boozer should be the Rookie of the Year favorite, as the 19-year-old is already entering the league with a polished offensive game. With an elite rim protector next to him, Boozer doesn't face the same defensive pressure as a lot of the other top picks.

Grant wasn't the return the Grizzlies were hoping for when shopping Morant, although the veteran wing is still playing at a high level. In his 38 starts for the Portland Trail Blazers, Grant averaged 19.7 points and shot 40.2 percent from three. Between Boozer, Grant, Edey, Cedric Coward and Ty Jerome, this offense should be way better than the unit that finished just 23rd overall last season.

Aldama and Stewart give this frontcourt even more muscle and depth in case Edey has to miss more time. The Grizzlies already have a strong foundation and will soar past 30 wins this season.

Notable Additions: C Walker Kessler, G Collin Sexton, G/F Quentin Grimes, F/C Sandro Mamukelashvili, C Kevon Looney, G/F Matisse Thybulle, SG Cameron Carr (R)

Notable Subtractions: F LeBron James, C Deandre Ayton, F Rui Hachimura, G Marcus Smart, F Luke Kennard

Over half of the Los Angeles Lakers' roster will be brand new in 2026-27. That's a startling change that now leaves Austin Reaves as the franchise's longest-tenured player at just five seasons.

Did the Lakers put better-fitting pieces around Luka Dončić? Yes.

Is this team more talented overall and should expect more than 53 wins? No.

Watching an All-Star forward who averaged over 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists walk out the door in free agency would be difficult for any team, and that's ignoring all of the coaching, knowledge and experience that LeBron James brought to this franchise. His salary coming off the books led to a lot of these signings, although Los Angeles had to deal out some hefty contracts that may be tough to trade down the road if needed.

Kessler is a huge rim-protecting center who can rebound and may be developing an outside shot, although he's had a negative offensive swing rating in his last two healthy seasons and played just five games in 2025-26 due to shoulder surgery. Giving up multiple first-round picks and pick swaps to acquire him in a sign-and-trade severely limits the Lakers' ability to make any real improvements in the near future.

Los Angeles assembled a solid rotation around Dončić, who's going to put up monster numbers this season with James gone. For a Lakers franchise historically built on star power, however, this roster comes up short.

Notable Additions: PG Ja Morant, PG Damian Lillard (return from injury)

Notable Subtractions: F Jerami Grant, G/F Matisse Thybulle

Rolling the dice on Morant was a risk worth taking, as the 27-year-old only has two years remaining on his contract. If he can return to All-Star form, great. If not, the Portland Trail Blazers will have an expiring $44.9 million contract to play with next season.

Despite making the playoffs, the Blazers' offense ranked just 21st overall last year, an even worse mark than the 26-win New Orleans Pelicans. Now with Morant and the return of Lillard for the first time in three years, there'll be plenty of juice coming out of the backcourt.

Scoot Henderson is playing for a new contract and should still see plenty of minutes when Lillard gets a night off or Morant inevitably misses some time due to injury. Jrue Holiday quietly had another strong season even at age 35, averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and shooting 37.8 percent from three in less than 30 minutes a game.

Donovan Clingan is one of the few players who can rival the size of Victor Wembanyama, as the 7'2", 280-pound center led the NBA in offensive rebounds last year (4.5 per game). In his first season as a full-time starter, the 22-year-old averaged 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks while showing some three-point ability (34.1 percent on 3.2 attempts per game).

Led by All-Star forward Deni Avdija and one of the league's most versatile defenders in Toumani Camara, there's a lot to like about this Blazers team on the rise.

Notable Additions: PG LaMelo Ball, F Jonathan Kuminga, F Cody Williams

Notable Subtractions: PF Julius Randle, F/C Naz Reid, PG Mike Conley Jr., F Kyle Anderson

One can understand why the Minnesota Timberwolves swung for the fences for a talent like Ball. Back-to-back sub-50 win seasons and a second-place exit in the playoffs may have led to a restless Anthony Edwards, especially without a dependable running mate to share the offensive load.

Essentially losing Randle, Reid, four first-round picks and swaps and three second-round picks in order to acquire Ball is way too risky of a move to make, however, especially for a franchise already thin on trade assets.

Ball has played more than 51 games just twice in his six-year career. If he gets hurt again, Ayo Dosunmu is the only other reliable guard now that Donte DiVincenzo is out with a torn ACL and Conley left for the Boston Celtics in free agency.

Kuminga is now on his third team in seven months. A two-year, $12.4 million contract was a no-brainer for Minnesota to offer, although it's fair to question if the 23-year-old will be willing to play a 3-and-D role that the Wolves need or look to pump up his own individual numbers in search of the pay day he's long sought after.

Losing Randle and Reid hurt this team's size and overall scoring. Conley was a beloved veteran in the locker room and young forwards like Kuminga and Williams haven't proven they can help a team actually win games.

If Ball deals with more injury issues, things could go south in The North Star State, fast.

Notable Additions: SG Darryn Peterson, G/F Josh Okogie, G/F Josh Green, C Jaxson Hayes

Notable Subtractions: C Walker Kessler, F Cody Williams

The Utah Jazz may double their win total this season, a feat that maybe only the Indiana Pacers could also accomplish.

A full season of Jaren Jackson Jr. will do wonders to improve a defense that ranked 29th overall in the NBA last year. The 26-year-old has led the league in blocks twice, been named to three All-Defensive teams and was the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year. Pairing him with Jusuf Nurkić in the frontcourt helps make up for Jackson's lack of rebounding, and Nurkić was really good as a starter last year (11.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 37.7 percent shooting from three).

Peterson, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey is an exciting young offensive trio to build around. They'll need to establish some sort of pecking order, although Peterson, this June's No. 2 overall pick, will likely come out on top.

Lauri Markkanen is still around and coming off an awesome year (26.7 points) and there's still a fair amount of young talent on this roster that can all make a leap.

Simply trying to win games will go a long way for the Jazz this season. The fog is clearing from a four-year rebuild, one that now has Utah set up for sustained success.