NBA Southwest Division Offseason Review Capsule

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertAugust 24, 2022
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#nba #dallas mavericks #houston rockets #memphis grizzlies #new orleans pelicans #san antonio spurs
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The NBA offseason is basically behind us. Rosters are largely finished, despite Donovan Mitchell and a few others still being on the trade market, even if Kevin Durant no longer is.

Teams are adding camp players and angling for Affiliate Player rights to get them to their G League teams. A few notable free agents remain unsigned, but the vast majority of potential rotation players have been signed.

Now, it’s time to start looking towards the start of the 2022-23 season. With training camps opening in approximately one month, let’s start by looking back at what changes the 2022 offseason brought.

The Southwest Division was one of the best in the NBA last season. Four of five teams made the postseason. The Dallas Mavericks made a run to the Western Conference Finals, while the Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best regular season record in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans made it through the Play-In Tournament before pushing the heavily-favored Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. And the Spurs managed to squeak into the last Play-In spot. Finally, the Houston Rockets might have had the NBA’s worst record, but it was by design as they leaned heavy into the second year of their rebuild.

 

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Jaden Hardy (2022 NBA Draft), JaVale McGee (free agency), Christian Wood (trade), Tyler Dorsey (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Sterling Brown (Rockets via trade), Jalen Brunson (Knicks via free agency), Trey Burke (Rockets via trade), Marquese Chriss (Rockets via trade), Boban Marjanovic (Rockets via trade), Moses Wright (China via free agency)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: Veteran Minimum Contracts

Analysis:  The Mavericks didn’t make a lot of changes to their roster this summer, but the few they did make should have major impacts. Let’s start with adding Christian Wood.

Dallas traded four players for Wood, but none were regular rotation players by the end of last season. Wood is an immediate upgrade over the Mavs other big men. He’s the best inside-outside scorer of the group and should give Luka Doncic a versatile pick-and-roll partner. The other Dallas bigs are either rollers or poppers. Wood can both roll to the rim and finish, or he can pick-and-pop. That gives the Mavericks a more offensive versatility.

One of the reports out of Dallas is that Wood may start the year coming off the bench, and that’s because the Mavs other big addition this summer was reportedly promised a starting spot. Should JaVale McGee be getting that sort of promise? Probably not. But McGee should help shore up the interior defense for a team that was solid everywhere else. Thus, McGee starts, at least to open the season.

No matter what the lineup constructions are, both Wood and McGee are going to play a lot and that’s going to help the Mavericks. They traded some perimeter scoring, ballhandling and playmaking for size, but the hope is Dallas has enough of the former still on the roster.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will likely take back his starting spot, and he’ll give the team another offensive creator alongside Doncic. While not an actual addition, Hardaway missed the entire playoffs, so he’s kind of a like a new face from when we last saw the Mavericks.

Still, Jalen Brunson is a big loss. He really came into his own last season, especially in the postseason. Replacing Brunson will be a combination of Hardaway being back, a little more from Spencer Dinwiddie and further growth from Josh Green. Just don’t expect much from Jaden Hardy in his rookie year. He’ll probably log more G League minutes than NBA minutes, even if he’s got the potential to be a rotation player down the line.

The Mavs are probably one tier below the best teams in the West, with Golden State, Phoenix, the LA Clippers and Denver ahead of them. But if any of those teams slide, Dallas is poised to step forward, much like they did a season ago.

 

Houston Rockets

Additions: Sterling Brown (trade), Trey Burke (trade), Marquese Chriss (trade), Tari Eason (2022 NBA Draft), Trevor Hudgins (Two-Way), Boban Marjanovic (trade), Jabari Smith Jr. (2022 NBA Draft), TyTy Washington (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Anthony Lamb (unrestricted free agent), Trevelin Queen (76ers via free agency), Dennis Schroder (unrestricted free agent), John Wall (waived), Christian Wood (Mavericks via trade)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception, $3.1M Traded Player Exception for Christian Wood

Analysis: The Rockets were awful last season. But that wasn’t unexpected. Houston was supposed to be bad. Yet, it was somewhat of an odd season.

The Rockets had losing streaks of 15 games, 12 games, eight games, seven games and five games. They also, oddly, had a winning streak of seven games. As a matter of fact, that streak immediately followed the 15-game losing streak.

At any rate, Houston landed near the top of the lottery where they selected Jabari Smith Jr. The 6-foot-10 combo forward is flush with talent. He’s got just as much potential as either of the players selected before him (Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren), but Smith’s fit with the Rockets might be even better.

Houston has added a whopping seven first rounders in the last two drafts. Smith should slot in as a stater next two one of last year’s picks, Alperen Sengun, in the frontcourt. While Banchero and Holmgren would have been good fits with Sengun too, Smith’s athleticism should pair even better with the ground-bound big man.

On the wing, the Rockets re-signed Jae’Sean Tate to a great value contract. Tate has become Houston’s best perimeter defender and his off-ball ability is a boon to the team’s offense.

Tate’s ability to play without the ball is important because the Rockets guards get a lot of usage. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are both solid scorers and playmakers. As they continue to grow and refine their games, they’ll likely become even better at setting up their teammates for scoring.

Houston also added Tari Eason and TyTy Washington at the draft. They’ll combine with a couple of last year’s first rounders, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba, to make up what should be a very youthful bench. There’s a ton of potential there, even if will be a little wild and unharnessed at times.

After trading away Christian Wood to open up frontcourt playing time for the kids, Eric Gordon is somehow the last vet standing in Houston. Gordon is coming off another productive season, but as he’s now on a de facto expiring contract, it would be a surprise to see him remain with the Rockets past the trade deadline.

It’s probably going to be another year filled will losses for Houston. But their young core is as exciting as any in the NBA. And this team is going to have a few years to continue growing together, as so many of them were added in just last few seasons. Oh…and the Rockets project to have over $70 million in cap space next summer. So, yeah, the future is very bright in Houston.

 

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Kennedy Chandler (2022 NBA Draft), Danny Green (trade), Jake LaRavia (2022 NBA Draft), David Roddy (2022 NBA Draft), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Two-Way), Vince Williams (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Kyle Anderson (Timberwolves via free agency), Jarrett Culver (unrestricted free agent), De’Anthony Melton (76ers via trade), Yves Pons (France via free agency), Tyrell Terry (waived)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $9.3 million of Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: There was a thought that the 2022-23 season would be when the Grizzlies would start pushing forward after rebuilding. Memphis blew past those expectations by challenging for a playoff spot in the bubble, a playoff appearance two seasons ago and then by finishing with the NBA’s second-best record last season.

This offseason was about adding a bit more youth, while mostly keeping their cap space powder dry for future flexibility. In the process, Memphis lost a couple of rotation players, but they’re hopeful that some kids are ready to take on bigger roles.

At the draft, the Grizzlies traded De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers. Memphis got back Danny Green, but the real get was adding a second first-round draft pick. After draft night was over, the Grizzlies left with Jake LaRavia, David Roddy and Kennedy Chandler. The team hopes all three will eventually be rotation players.

Free agency was a similar mixed big. The team re-signed Tyus Jones. That was big, as Jones is a critical player being the backup to Ja Morant. But the Grizzlies lost do-everything forward Kyle Anderson. That one could come back to hurt them given some questions in the frontcourt.

Most importantly, Memphis got Morant to ink a five-year, max contract extension. Crucially, that is a full five-year deal without a player option on the end. The Grizzlies have their superstar and he’s in Memphis for the long haul.

The moves around the rotation leave the roster feeling a bit incomplete. Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the beginning of the season, adding to that incomplete feel. Last year’s first rounder Ziaire Williams will be asked to do more this season, while the Grizzlies hope one of LaRavia or Roddy is ready for some rotation minutes right away. A bounce-back season from Brandon Clarke will also go a long way towards helping replace Jackson’s production, along with what was lost with Anderson leaving.

Because the rest of the Western Conference is so strong, and Memphis will be missing Jackson for a while, the Grizzlies might take a bit of a step back this season. But that’s not the end of the world. They’re still away ahead of schedule and they’ve got a lot of flexibility to keep adding in the future.

 

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Dyson Daniels (2022 NBA Draft)

Subtractions: Tony Snell (unrestricted free agent), Gary Clark (unrestricted free agent), Jared Harper (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $10.5 million Non-Taxpayer MLE, $4.1 million Bi-Annual Exception

Analysis: No team had a quieter offseason than the New Orleans Pelicans. They added exactly one player to the standard roster and lost exactly one player from the standard roster. But that’s because New Orleans got a jump on the offseason at the trade deadline. Oh…and they’ve got a pretty big “addition” coming back too.

Dyson Daniels was the lone addition this offseason, and he may not see regular rotation minutes until next season at the earliest. Daniels is a combo guard with enough size to play the three, but the Pelicans rotation minutes 1-3 are basically spoken for. Look for Daniels to log a lot of development time with the Birmingham Squadron of the G League, which is good for him and a good sign of how much depth New Orleans has.

The big “addition” the Pelicans have coming is the return of Zion Williamson. After missing all of last season after a fractured foot, Williamson appears to be full-go for the start of this season. He’s arguably the best player any team has added to their rotation compared to last year.

Equally as important as Williamson being back this season is the five-year extension he signed with New Orleans. The Pels even have some protections against injuries in the deal, along with Williamson having to meet weight requirements. And if Williamson comes back and dominates like he did two seasons ago, he can qualify for Designated Player status and get a bump from 25% of the cap to 30%. It’s a win-win deal for both player and team.

New Orleans will also get a full season with C.J. McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. in the rotation. Those two, combined with Williamson, give the Pelicans a legitimately 10-deep rotation. And that’s with a few useful players in deeper reserve too.

New Orleans probably isn’t quite ready to break through to challenge the Warriors, Suns, Clippers and Nuggets at the top of the conference…yet. But if they have good health, and things mesh together well, this is probably the last year for a while that the Pelicans aren’t fighting for a spot at the top of the West.

 

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Malaki Branham (2022 NBA Draft), Gorgui Dieng (free agency), Isaiah Roby (waivers), Jeremy Sochan (2022 NBA Draft), Blake Wesley (2022 NBA Draft), Dominick Barlow (Two-Way), Jordan Hall (Two-Way)

Subtractions: Devontae Cacok (unrestricted free agent), Jock Landale (Hawks (subsequently Suns) via trade), Dejounte Murray (Hawks via trade), Lonnie Walker IV (Lakers via free agency), D.J. Stewart Jr. (unrestricted free agent), Robert Woodard II (unrestricted free agent)

Remaining Acquisition Tools: $30 million in cap space, $5.4 million Room Exception (after cap space is used)

Analysis: The San Antonio Spurs appear to be finally leaning into rebuilding. At last year’s trade deadline, the Spurs traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, and this summer they traded Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for three first round picks. San Antonio also let Lonnie Walker IV leave in free agency, which meant three former first-round guards left in the span of about five months.

Replacing those three? Three rookies who were selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Jeremy Sochan is the mostly highly-regarded of the three. He’s an NBA-ready defender, and a developing offensive player. Essentially, Sochan is exactly the kind of player the Spurs turn into an All-Star.

Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley both have a good deal of potential in the backcourt. Branham is more of a pure two-guard, as he’s a score-first player. Wesley has shown flashes of point-guard potential, and that’s likely where he’ll be developed initially. San Antonio doesn’t have a lot at the point guard spot beyond Tre Jones and sometimes point guard Josh Richardson.

The Spurs made a sneaky offseason pickup when they snagged Isaiah Roby off waivers after he was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Roby showed signs of being rotation-level big at times with the Thunder. San Antonio can afford to give him some more minutes in what appears to be a developmental year to see if there’s really a player in there or not with Roby.

The other big move by San Antonio was to ink Keldon Johnson to a team-friendly extension. Johnson got $74 million in a semi-descending contract. If you aren’t familiar with Johnson, you will be soon. He averaged 17 points on good shooting efficiency last season. This year, he’ll likely be the centerpiece of the Spurs offense, so those scoring numbers should climb even more. Johnson is really good and more people should know it.

Finally, the Spurs, along with the Indiana Pacers, will be everyone’s favorite “third team in” on multi-team trades. San Antonio is sitting on nearly $30 million in cap space. Next offseason, the Spurs should have over $45 million in cap space. If you need to move some money to make a deal work, San Antonio should be your first call.

Spurs fans have been begging the team for the last few years to stop chasing spots at the bottom of the playoff picture or in the Play-In Tournament. The team finally seems to have agreed and has kicked off a rebuild. They’ve got some solid young talent and a ton of flexibility, both cap-wise and with future drafts picks. They might be rebuilding right now, but don’t bet on San Antonio staying down for long.


#nba #dallas mavericks #houston rockets #memphis grizzlies #new orleans pelicans #san antonio spurs
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