The NBA free-agency signing period officially opened at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, and we've already had a plethora of free-agent signings and trades.
But unlike two years ago, when seismic changes happened across the league (thanks in part to LeBron James), things have been much quieter. Steve Nash is the only star to change teams. A few other potential key players, such as Ray Allen, Jason Kidd and Joe Johnson, are changing addresses -- but overall, the landscape of the NBA hasn't changed that much.
How much have things stayed the same? Consider this line that I wrote in my December 2011 edition of offseason grades:
"Everyone is still holding their breath on Dwight Howard, but the Magic seem determined to wait until the trade deadline to make a decision on him."
OK, this season's trade deadline seems a little far-fetched. But given what Howard has put us through the past six months, anything is possible.
A solid NBA draft, led by Kentucky's Anthony Davis, also has played a role in reshaping rosters. So have a couple of coaching changes and a couple of front-office shake-ups.
There likely will be even more player movement in the coming weeks, but now that the dust is beginning to settle, it's time to give preliminary grades for what each team did this offseason.
I'm a college professor in my day job and understand that this exercise really is the equivalent of giving a student a final grade after the first week of class. There's so much we just don't know about how these changes will pan out. In truth, you cannot really grade an offseason until you get to the postseason or even the next offseason. (Case in point: We gave the Mavs an A for keeping their powder dry in December to make a run at Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in July. They got close on Williams, but overall, it didn't really work out for them).
The grades below take into account how each team in the league has performed so far in remaking itself, considering both the opportunities it had and the moves it has made. The grades are not a ranking of which are the best teams in the league, just a device to track which teams have improved and which teams haven't.
ATLANTA HAWKS
Key additions: Lou Williams (FA), Devin Harris (trade), Anthony Morrow (trade), Johan Petro (trade), Jordan Farmar (trade), DeShawn Stevenson (trade), John Jenkins (draft), Mike Scott (draft), Danny Ferry (GM).
Key subtractions: Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Kirk Hinrich, Jerry Stackhouse, Rick Sund (GM)
New GM Danny Ferry had to do something. The Hawks were a solid playoff team that wasn't ever going to get out of the second round. If the Hawks were going to get better, they had to get a little worse first.
What Ferry has orchestrated (with just two weeks on the job, mind you) has been impressive. He found the only GM in the league willing to give up expiring contracts for the remaining $89 million left on Johnson's contract, got another expiring contract for Marvin Williams, picked up a free-agent bargain in Lou Williams and suddenly has the team poised to be a serious player in the free-agent market of 2013.
Theoretically, the Hawks could potentially add both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul with some maneuvering next year. They'll have just three players under contract. Even if they can't convince either guy to come to Atlanta, they'll still have major room to attract other top-tier free agents.
As for this season, they may take a step or two back. But the Hawks still should be in contention for a seventh or eighth seed in the East with a core of Harris, Morrow, Al Horford, Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia GRADE: B+
BROOKLYN NETS
Key additions: Deron Williams (re-sign), Joe Johnson (trade), Brook Lopez (re-sign); Gerald Wallace (re-sign), Mirza Teletovic (FA), Reggie Evans (FA), Tyshawn Taylor (draft), Jerry Stackhouse (FA)
Key subtractions: Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Gerald Green, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson
Nets GM Billy King's fingers have been in so many pots the past 18 months that it's hard to separate what the Nets have done from what they were rumored to be doing. On July 11, the first day players officially could be signed and traded, assistant GM Bobby Marks sorted out the logistics on a head-spinning 13 player contracts via free agency and trade worth a total of nearly $300 million.
When the dust settles, most will remember that the Nets didn't add Dwight Howard. Fair enough. But once Howard decided to opt into the last year of his deal with the Magic, the Nets' chances of landing Howard greatly diminished anyway.
If you take each deal separately, there's plenty to pick apart. Johnson is dramatically overpaid, with four years, $89 million left on his contract. The Nets never should have given a high lottery pick to the Blazers for the right to overpay Wallace to the tune of $40 million. Lopez's $60 million also seems steep.
But in aggregate, King looks much smarter. His huge gamble to trade for Deron Williams 18 months ago paid off big-time. Williams was the single most important signing for any team this summer. Williams now has made it clear that he would not have re-signed with the Nets had they not pulled the trigger on the Johnson and Wallace trades. So how can you criticize either deal? And Lopez? Roy Hibbert got the same deal. Heck, Omer Asik got huge money.
On Thursday, word leaked that the Nets were in the mix to either re-sign Kris Humphries or acquire veteran Antawn Jamison. Either player would be a welcome addition to a Nets front line in desperate need of rebounding. Given their willingness to spend anything, it's safe to assume that one of the two likely will be on their opening night roster.
All in all, the Nets have put together a team that is relevant. If they stay healthy (a big if with a few of their older players), they have a shot at winning somewhere between 44 and 50 games this season. They'll be a playoff team. Maybe they'll even get into the second round. Given where they've been the past few years, that's progress. Whether they can sustain momentum past the next two seasons? Well, that's why they're not getting an A.
GRADE: B+
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Key additions: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (draft), Ben Gordon (trade), Ramon Sessions (FA), Jeff Taylor (draft), Mike Dunlap (coach)
Key subtractions: D.J. Augustin, Corey Maggette, Jamario Moon, D.J. White, Paul Silas (coach)
For two years, our Future Power Rankings have had the Bobcats ranked dead last. Last year, they certainly played like it.
This year, I don't expect things to get much better.
The good thing about the NBA is that it rewards futility with high draft picks, and the Bobcats got a great one in Kidd-Gilchrist. He's not an immediate impact player the way Anthony Davis will be, but I believe he'll be the second-best player in this draft and will add toughness, athleticism and a sense of urgency that this team lacked last season. Taylor is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the draft, but seems to duplicate much of what Kidd-Gilchrist brings to the table without the upside.
I'm not a huge fan of the Gordon-Maggette swap. Yes, the Bobcats needed shooting, but adding Gordon isn't going to move the needle much and he's got a whopping $25.6 million left on his deal. While most rebuilding teams are clearing future cap space, the Bobcats have an annoying tendency toward adding to it.
The Bobcats also essentially swapped Augustin for Sessions, who is bigger and was superior to Augustin in virtually every statistical category the past two seasons. Augustin may have been a slightly better passer, but that's about it. Overall, it was an upgrade for the Bobcats.
And I highly doubt that the Bobcats are done. They are still flirting with a number of lower-priced free agents such as Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood, who recently was designated for amnesty by Dallas.
But even if they land a few more players, which is highly unlikely, they still look like the overwhelming favorites to be the worst team in the league for a second straight year. Kidd-Gilchrist is a ray of sunlight, Sessions is an upgrade, but for the most part, the hole the Bobcats have dug is still very, very dark.
GRADE: B-
CHICAGO BULLS
Key additions: Kirk Hinrich (FA), Marquis Teague (draft)
Up in the air: Omer Asik (RFA, offer sheet)
Key subtractions: Ronnie Brewer
The Bulls' core of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng continues to make the Bulls one of the top two threats in the East. But with Rose out with what could be a season-long injury, and with the NBA tax man knocking at Jerry Reinsdorf's door, things aren't as rosy as they were a year ago in Chicago.
The Bulls' biggest decision is whether to match the Rockets' huge three-year, $25 million offer sheet for backup center Omer Asik. If the Bulls were owned by James Dolan, this would be a no-brainer. But Reinsdorf loathes the luxury tax and the thought of paying Noah's backup $14.9 million in the third year of his contract has to make him dry-heave.
Consider the Bulls' salary commitments for the 2014-15 season, and Asik's deal will be worth about $30 million, when you factor in those luxury tax payments.
Nevertheless, the Bulls are seriously contemplating matching the Rockets' offer. They could end up granting amnesty to Boozer in the last year of his deal to reduce the tax, or perhaps by then they can move one of their higher-priced players off their roster. Asik was a critical part of their success last season and the Bulls don't want to just give him away.
Match or no match, the Asik offer has hurt the Bulls.
To mitigate the financial damage, the Bulls already have dumped Brewer and likely will do the same with Kyle Korver. It's expensive to be a contender, and the Bulls may not have the stomach for it -- especially when your best player is out with an ACL tear for most of the season.
The one bright star this summer was the Bulls' good fortune of having Teague fall into their lap on draft night. Teague isn't ready for heavy NBA minutes yet, but he's got the quickness and scoring acumen to be a good NBA player down the road. Had he stayed at Kentucky one more season, I think he would've been a lottery pick.
GRADE: C
CLEVELAND CAVS
Key additions: Dion Waiters (draft), Tyler Zeller (draft), Luke Harangody (re-sign), Kelenna Azubuike (trade)
Key subtractions: Anthony Parker, Manny Harris, Semih Erden
It turns out that team owner Dan Gilbert isn't much of a prophet. His prediction that the Cavs would win a title before LeBron's Heat didn't turn out so well. But the good news for Cavs fans is that Cleveland is well on its way toward being a championship contender in its own right.
Last year's addition of Kyrie Irving was huge. Irving played better than anyone expected and looks like a cornerstone of the franchise.
This year, the Cavs have remained disciplined and are resisting the temptation to blow all of their cap space in the free-agent market. Instead, the team added two interesting pieces in the draft. Taking Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters at No. 4 was a controversial choice (much like their pick of Tristan Thompson last year). But I like it. Waiters was the best scoring guard in the draft and has the ability to get to the rim at will.
Several veteran NBA scouts I trust think that next to Anthony Davis, Waiters has as much upside as anyone in the draft. The Waiters pick isn't without risk (he had plenty of run-ins with coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and he's a bit undersized for his position) but he's tough and ready to play right away.
Zeller is more likely a career backup, but a competent one who runs the floor well. The Cavs likely will make another move or two that adds depth without sacrificing long-term cap space. They won't be a playoff team next year, but they'll be better, and within a few years, might even be contenders again.
GRADE: B
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Key additions: Chris Kaman (FA), Darren Collison (trade), Jared Cunningham (draft), Dahntay Jones (trade), Bernard James (draft), Jae Crowder (draft)
Key subtractions: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Brendan Haywood, Kelenna Azubuike, Ian Mahinmi
Best-laid plans.
I thought Mark Cuban and GM Donnie Nelson were pretty brilliant in December when they decided to break up a championship team just in time to reload for another one. The prospect of landing both Deron Williams and Dwight Howard with their newfound cap space seemed like the perfect plan and worth the one-year hit in the win column.
Alas, Howard decided in March to opt into the final year of his contract. Then a last-second acquisition of Joe Johnson by the Nets convinced Williams to spurn his hometown and re-sign with Brooklyn.
When Kidd and Terry bolted soon after, it sure looked as if the once-proud Mavs were playing for pingpong balls this upcoming season.
Say this about the Mavs: They're resourceful. In just a few hours Wednesday afternoon, they landed Kaman on a very reasonable one-year, $8 million deal. Then they pulled off an inconceivable heist for Collison. Suddenly, the team had a young starting point guard on a reasonable deal and a veteran center to go alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion.
I don't think the moves the Mavs made will put them back in contention. But they should be back in the playoffs and will enter next summer as the odds-on favorites to get Howard.
It's a one-year detour, no doubt, but it might be a fairly scenic one for Mavs fans.
GRADE: B
DENVER NUGGETS
Key additions: Andre Miller (re-sign), Evan Fournier (draft), Quincy Miller (draft)
Key subtractions: None
The Nuggets had another successful season and decided to keep rolling with what they have. The team re-signed Andre Miller to a reasonable three-year, $15 million deal. The last year is partially guaranteed, meaning that the risk was pretty minimal.
Fournier felt like a bit of a stretch at pick No. 20, but he can score. I felt like Quincy Miller was a second-round steal; once he's fully healthy, he has the chance to be a very solid forward down the road.
The Nuggets have offered restricted free agent JaVale McGee a five-year, $50 million deal. Although McGee has yet to accept it, it's unlikely he'll get a better one elsewhere. Expect the Nuggets to have him locked up by the end of the summer.
GRADE: B
the C's could still add somebody like Courtney Lee into the mix and perhaps bring that grade up a little 
nikka this is ESPN's list not mine
