The second half of the 2024-25 NBA regular season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to regrade some of the blockbuster trades and signings from the offseason.
Two Eastern Conference teams — the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers — entered the season with high hopes after some big moves. The Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in separate trades that shook up their roster, and the Sixers signed Paul George to form an All-Star trio with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder bolstered their depth by trading for guard Alex Caruso and then signing center Isaiah Hartenstein. Fresh off their run to the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks acquired four-time champion Klay Thompson to improve a dynamic roster around Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton graded the deals as they happened over the summer, but we’re back to revisit each move’s impact more than two months into the season. Following each deal’s new grade, Bobby Marks and Chris Herring break down what it will take for each move to finish the season with an A.
Let’s get into the regrades, starting with Towns’ boost to the Knicks, early false starts in Philly, and how Dallas has used its new future Hall of Fame sharpshooter.
Jump to a grade:
Knicks deal for KAT | And Bridges
Paul George signs with Philly
Mavs get Klay in sign-and-trade
Caruso, Hartenstein to OKC
Dejounte Murray traded to Pels
Westbrook joins Jokic in Denver
Knicks received: Karl-Anthony Towns (via Timberwolves), draft rights to James Nnaji (via Timberwolves)
Timberwolves received: Julius Randle (via Knicks), Donte DiVincenzo (via Knicks), Keita Bates-Diop (via Knicks) 2025 first-round pick (top-13 protected; from Knicks via Pistons)
Hornets received: Charlie Brown (via Knicks), DaQuan Jeffries (via Knicks), Duane Washington Jr. (via Knicks); two future second-round picks (via Knicks); 2025 second-round pick (via Timberwolves); cash considerations
Original grade: B | New grade: B+
It will take years to determine whether New York was wise to bet on Towns’ ability to supercharge the team’s offense overcoming any defensive issues. Still, the Knicks have to be thrilled by how Towns has started offensively. He’s shooting a career-high 44% on 3s, and the spacing Towns provides has unlocked his teammates. New York boasts the NBA’s second-best offensive rating after finishing seventh in 2023-24, and Towns’ screening for Jalen Brunson has been one of the league’s most effective high-volume pick-and-roll combinations.
Towns has improved his rim protection since a dreadful defensive start to the season. On Nov. 12, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps highlighted opponents shooting 32-of-35 (91%) on attempts in the restricted area with Towns as the primary defender per Second Spectrum tracking. In games since then, that has dropped to 65% — more in line with Towns’ track record in Minnesota. — Kevin Pelton
How to get an A this season: Towns plays at an All-NBA pace en route to a top-three record in the East.
When the trade happened in late September, the concern was not how Towns would fit in but whether New York had enough depth to sustain an 82-game season. What was overlooked at the time was the Knicks, even before the trade, were going to be tested because of the lengthy absence of center Mitchell Robinson. Robinson has not returned, and although the starter minutes rank first among all teams, New York is 23-10 and trails only Cleveland in offensive rating.
Towns is having one of the most efficient seasons for a frontcourt player, averaging 25 points and shooting 53.5% from the field. The Knicks are plus-11.0 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court. — Bobby Marks
Paul George signs max deal with the 76ers
Contract details: Four years, $212 million maximum
Original grade: A | New grade: B-
In hindsight, my grade of the George signing didn’t focus nearly enough on the downside risk at the end of a four-year contract for a player age 34, which explains why the LA Clippers were willing to let George walk in unrestricted free agency. In order to win this deal, Philadelphia has to get All-Star play from George during the first couple of seasons. So far that hasn’t been the case.
That said, fans are being a little quick to write off George, who has played just 20 games this season due to knee injuries. His peripheral stats remain strong, and the biggest difference in George’s value is that he has shot 33% from 3-point range. A career 38% 3-point shooter, George hit them at a 41% rate last season. There’s no good reason to expect George to stay so cold from downtown. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: Philly’s All-Star trio stays healthy and reaches the postseason
Instead of aiming for an A, the goal should be merely a passing grade. George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid need to be on the court together and not on the injured list. Out of the 900 possessions George has played, only 24% have been with Maxey and Embiid. The 76ers are plus-6.9 points per 100 possessions in those games. A positive is that despite the inconsistent starting lineups, Philadelphia has played its best basketball as of late, going 10-3 since Nov. 30. George has three games with at least 20 points in that stretch. — Marks
Klay Thompson to the Mavs in sign-and-trade
Mavericks received: Klay Thompson (via sign-and-trade); 2025 second-round pick
Warriors received: Two second-round picks (2025, 2031)
Hornets received: Josh Green
Original grade: B- | New grade: B+
So far, swapping in Thompson for Derrick Jones Jr. in the Mavs’ starting five that reached the NBA Finals last season has worked exactly as Dallas might have hoped. With improved shooting around stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs are scoring at a top-five rate on a per-possession basis. On defense, the team has relied on P.J. Washington and the team’s stout rim protectors to overcome the loss of a defensive stopper.
Lineups with those four players on the court have outscored opponents by 10.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA Advanced Stats, and rank in the 72nd percentile defensively leaguewide per Cleaning the Glass. Thompson has willingly accepted a smaller role on offense alongside Doncic and Irving, averaging his fewest PPG (14.1) since his rookie season. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: Thompson builds on his December shooting (50% overall, 47% from 3)
The stark difference in his shooting when compared to his November numbers (36% overall from three) points to how long the 34-year-old was playing with discomfort stemming from plantar fasciitis in his left foot, which kept him out for four consecutive games. His presence is a clear boost for the offense because of the defensive attention he commands and spacing he creates. But he needs to find his groove off the dribble from deep, a scenario in which he’s shot just 16.7% (6-for-36) so far this season. For context, he shot 41% (48-for-116) last season from 3 when launching off-the-dribble looks with Golden State. — Chris Herring
Mikal Bridges traded to the Knicks for draft haul
Knicks received: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet, 2026 second-round pick
Nets received: Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), 2025 protected first-round pick (via Milwaukee), 2025 second-round pick, 2028 unprotected pick swap
Original grade: B | New grade: B-
After a slow start that produced concerns about Bridges changing his shooting form, he was strong offensively in December, averaging 21.5 PPG and shooting 43% from 3-point range. Bridges also shot more free throws in December (22) than October and November combined (13), an encouraging sign that he’s no longer shying away from contact to avoid the foul line.
Perhaps the bigger concern now is that Bridges’ impact hasn’t been felt defensively. The Knicks have allowed more points per possession with Bridges on the court, and opponents have targeted Bridges and Towns in pick-and-rolls, averaging an efficient 1.1 points per play — more than any other defending duo this season per Second Spectrum tracking. To justify giving up so many first-round picks for Bridges, New York needs him to be the elite two-way contributor he was with Phoenix. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: It already has, and not because of anything Bridges has done on the court.
First, the impact of the trade saw Jalen Brunson sign a team-friendly extension. And second, the value of the draft picks New York sent to Brooklyn continues to diminish. Recall the 2022 trade in which Cleveland sent Utah three firsts and a pick swap (plus a package of players including Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton). Those firsts, for now, don’t have as much value. Cleveland is 29-4, and four of its starters are under contract for at least the next four years.
The same holds true with the draft package New York sent to Brooklyn. Out of the five first-rounders sent, the two picks for June’s draft (its own and Milwaukee’s) are projected to be in the mid-20s. And unless Bridges leaves in the summer of 2026, New York will have its starting lineup under contract through 2027-28. — Marks
Thunder add depth, bolster elite defense
Details: Thunder received Alex Caruso, Bulls received Josh Giddey; Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three year, $87 million contract
Original grades
Caruso: A
Hartenstein: A-
New grades
Caruso: B+
Hartenstein: A
While there was plenty of talent on hand, the Thunder ranked just fourth in defensive rating last season. This season, the Thunder are first while allowing 3.1 fewer points per 100 possessions than any other team. In the limited sample of Caruso and Hartenstein playing together, Oklahoma City’s defensive rating is fourth lowest among any duo with at least 75 minutes played — and Caruso with Aaron Wiggins is No. 2.
We still don’t know how Hartenstein will play with Holmgren, who was already out with a hip fracture by the time Hartenstein returned from a broken hand. Meanwhile, Caruso hasn’t provided the anticipated shooting upgrade after making a career-high 41% of his 3-point attempts last season with the Chicago Bulls. But the Thunder have been the NBA’s best team in terms of point differential despite the early-season injuries. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: If Caruso shoots the ball better
Even with career-low shooting numbers (38% overall and just 26% from three), Caruso is a fantastic fit off the bench because of his sheer ability to defend. One indicator of this: OKC’s dominant defense is 8.3 points better per 100 possessions when Caruso is on the court as opposed to when he’s off, the best mark among rotation players. It has been a strong start for the two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, who signed a four-year, $81 million extension in December.
Hartenstein has been a stellar fit, too, averaging 12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and one block since joining the team. He has provided incredible (and needed) production down low as the team awaits the return of Holmgren. — Chris Herring
Pelicans received: Dejounte Murray
Hawks received: Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, 2025 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Milwaukee/New Orleans)
Original grade: B+ | New grade: D
When I graded the Murray trade in late June, the assumption was it would be the first move in a series that would send Brandon Ingram elsewhere in exchange for frontcourt help. Instead, the Pelicans entered the season with Ingram in a walk year and a center duo of rookie Yves Missi and journeyman Daniel Theis.
New Orleans couldn’t have known that Murray (hand fracture) would be among a spate of early-season injuries that has left the Pelicans last in the West. Still, what New Orleans gave up looks much better six months later too.
I was curious to see this season whether the Pelicans were willing to trade Daniels with two first-round picks for Murray in part because they knew more about his potential than other teams. Apparently not. “The Great Barrier Thief” is a strong candidate for Most Improved Player at age 21, having more than doubled his scoring average to 13.0 PPG as a starter in Atlanta while leading the league with 3.1 steals per game. No player has averaged so many steals since John Stockton in 1988-89. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: If this trade never happened
It is easy to play Monday morning quarterback, and as Kevin pointed out, as nobody could have predicted the impact of Daniels in Atlanta plus New Orleans sitting at the bottom of the standings. The Murray trade is an illustration that one ill-fated move can turn a playoff team to one competing for the top pick in the draft. There are several layers on how the trade impacts New Orleans moving forward. First, New Orleans is $1.4 million over the luxury tax because of Murray’s trade bonus. The Pelicans have never paid the tax and will likely shed salary prior to the Feb. 6 deadline. Second, does Murray still fit into the rebuilding Pelicans’ plans that would include Ingram being traded? Murray has $65 million left on his contract after this season. — Marks
Russell Westbrook signs with the Nuggets
Contract details: Two years, $6.8 million (player option for 2025-26)
Original grade: D | New grade: C-
Westbrook’s season has been something of a Rorschach test, and your view on what you see probably hasn’t changed from last summer. On the plus side, Westbrook has cut his usage rate to a career-low 23% while boosting his assist average from 4.5 per game last season to 6.5 dishes. Westbrook also scored far more efficiently in December, shooting 52% after hitting just 39% in October and November.
It’s hard to know how much Westbrook is responsible for Denver getting outscored by 2.0 points per 100 possessions while on the court. The majority of his minutes have come with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic on the bench, and the Nuggets have never figured out how to succeed in those stretches during the regular season.
I don’t think Westbrook is the reason Denver is sixth in the West standings, but he hasn’t been the solution, either. — Pelton
How to get an A this season: Westbrook into the starting lineup?
In all seriousness, that is not going to happen. But Denver is 8-2 when Westbrook starts, and he averages 14.8 points on 54.7% from the field. The Nuggets average 132.9 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court with Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Jokic.
The reality is that 70% of Westbrook’s minutes are as a reserve, and Denver ranks near the bottom of offensive efficiency when he comes off the bench. He is shooting 37.6% from the field and 29% on shots outside of 10 feet, but overall, Westbrook has outplayed the contract he signed in the offseason. — Marks
Source: espn.com