West Notes: Mavericks, Klay Thompson, Nuggets, Warriors

Mavericks

The Mavericks acquired Klay Thompson in one of the NBA offseason’s biggest moves and deserve a “B” grade for their entire body of work, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.

“The Western Conference champions made dramatic changes this offseason around their core group of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington. Klay Thompson, the biggest addition, joins the Mavericks after winning four titles with the Warriors,” Pelton wrote. “But adding Naji Marshall as a 3-and-D replacement for departed starter Derrick Jones Jr. could prove to be a swing decision.”

Without a doubt, the Mavs are a deeper team — on paper — than the one that reached the Finals this past season.

“Dallas is now much deeper despite sending Tim Hardaway Jr. to Detroit. It has added Quentin Grimes in a money-saving move and signed Spencer Dinwiddie for the veterans minimum” Pelton wrote. “The challenge for coach Jason Kidd will now be finding enough playing time to keep everyone happy.”

Nuggets

Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Magic via free agency is a major downer for the Nuggets, who received a “D” grade for their offseason from Pelton.

“With luxury-tax bills and second-apron concerns, the Nuggets broke up the starting five that won the 2023 title, allowing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to leave in free agency,” Pelton wrote. “Denver is hoping recent first-round picks Christian Braun (2022) and Julian Strawther (2023) can replace Caldwell-Pope’s shooting in a group that had little to spare. Signing Russell Westbrook won’t help there either.”

• The Nuggets also traded away guard Reggie Jackson after selecting DaRon Holmes II in the draft. They also signed forward Dario Saric. “As with Jackson, signing Saric using the taxpayer midlevel exception feels like an overpay after Saric played last season for the veterans minimum,” Pelton wrote.

Warriors

While the Warriors lost Thompson, they improved overall, leading to a B-plus grade from Pelton.

“Although losing Thompson is painful after he played his first 11 seasons in the Bay, the Warriors appear to have improved both their roster and their cap sheet,” Pelton wrote. “If 3-and-D standout De’Anthony Melton can stay healthy after missing 44 games last season with the 76ers, he’ll be one of the summer’s best additions, while Buddy Hield helps replace Thompson’s shooting and Kyle Anderson brings a versatile skill set to the Golden State bench. The three players combined will make more than $30 million less than Thompson’s previous $43 million salary.”

• And yes, the Warriors remain linked to Jazz standout forward Lauri Markkanen, as we relayed here. “As a leading contender to trade for Markkanen should the Jazz choose to move him, the Warriors might not be finished,” Pelton added.