Houston is loading up on shooters in Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon to surround James Harden within Mike D'Antoni's system and must be assuming the defensive side of the floor will be a layup line regardless. Read more »

Al Horford quintessentially demonstrates the sum of being pretty good at everything makes you really good in the aggregate. This is also the type of team the Celtics have been over the past two seasons. By landing an All-Star without losing any assets, they've accomplished the first step in becoming great. Read more »

Seemingly out of nowhere, Bismack Biyombo became a plenty respectable generic drug version of Dikembe Mutombo. Now he joins a crowded yet talented Magic frontcourt on a reasonable contract. Read more »

The Lakers have rebuilt in the past at a light-speed pace full of shortcuts and since that’s clearly not happening this time around, they've instead now shifted to signing players that are effectively human gauze to stop the bleeding. Read more »

Kent Bazemore parlayed his increased opportunity with the Hawks over the past two seasons to become one of the NBA's better 3&D wings and is now one of the best paid ones. Read more »

Unless Joakim Noah becomes his 2014 self again in 2016, the Knicks had a better center on a better contract in Robin Lopez. The problem with this way of team building the Knicks have found themselves pursuing an uncountable number of times is that it is unsustainable even if it breaks perfectly right. Read more »

There is some concern with how well Dellavedova will function outside the LeBron James' ecosystem but playing beside Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a captivating new adventure in its own right. Read more »

For all of the Hawks' attempts at becoming San Antonio East, it has felt like they're making it up as they go in terms of roster construction. Signing Dwight Howard feels like another such move even if it could work out exceptionally well. Read more »

Mike Conley has always been an overlooked member of this golden era of point guards. Conley operates in the type of subtleties that don't get Vines RT'd but he's played a lot of winning basketball since the Grizzlies returned to the playoffs in 2011. Read more »

The versatility that made Evan Turner look like a potential future All-Star as the second overall pick in 2010 settled nicely as a complementary piece with the Celtics. Read more »

Evan Fournier wisely rejected a four-year, $32 million extension this past offseason, giving himself an annual average increase of $9 million from that offer but this still feels like a team-friendly deal. Read more »

Chandler Parsons fits the Grizzlies' timeline of contention even if it seems flimsy with how the balance of power in the Western Conference has shifted away from them over these past two playoffs. Read more »

The second round of the NBA draft is speedy and disorienting while feeling inconsequential but success stories like Jordan Clarkson and the Lakers certainly justifies the exercise. Read more »

DeMar DeRozan is coming off a four-year, $40 million extension signed in 2012 that he clearly outperformed and is now infinitely more expensive on his new deal. Read more »

The Hornets traded for Nicolas Batum a season before his free agency, thoroughly tested out the fit, really liked the fit and then re-signed him on a five-year, $120 million deal. Read more »

Jeremy Lin has become too good to be a rotation player off the bench but not good enough to be a starting point guard on a playoff team, so he's settled in now with the Nets on a three-year, $36 million deal. Read more »

Andre Drummond is worthy of his max contract, especially since he doesn't qualify for the Rose Rule, in his present state if he remains exactly the players he is now and just as durable. But he's only 22 and has significant room for improvement. Read more »

Bradley Beal now becomes the Wizards' highest paid player as John Wall was signed three years ago to a five-year, $80 million extension. Beal can now begin evolving into the perennial All-Star shooting guard he's capable of becoming. Read more »

The Heat gave Hassan Whiteside the perfect blend of opportunity and culture to foster the gifts of physical attributes, talent and eccentric personality. Whiteside was the NBA's best non-rookie contract value other than Stephen Curry over the past two seasons. Read more »

Timofey Mozgov was impactful in his first few months with the Cavaliers during the 14-15 season but rushed back after offseason knee surgery and wasn't the same impact center. Read more »