NBA offseason grades for every East team: Are Knicks, Bucks among contenders who aced the summer? Who flunked?
Our offseason grades for every team in the NBA’s Western Conference turned out so perfectly — without a single complaint — that we decided to be nice and give you an inarguable list of grades in the East, too.
The conference took a pair of haymakers to its face in the playoffs, as the 2024 and 2025 East champion Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, respectively, lost Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton to torn Achilles tendons. It was already a watered-down conference that sent its sixth seed to lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals.
It stood to get worse if Giannis Antetokounmpo had requested a trade, which he did not, if only because his Milwaukee Bucks made one last (wild) attempt to satiate his championship desires. Presumably, we can expect Joel Embiid to rejoin the Philadelphia 76ers, though his health perennially remains a concern.
The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic made significant upgrades, capitalizing on the absences of Tatum and Haliburton and joining a list of legit challengers to the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. The conference looks a lot different, and we are now here to hand out grades for how it got to be that way …
Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Atlanta Hawks
- 2024-25 record: 40-42
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Kristaps Porziņģis • Nickeil Alexander-Walker • Luke Kennard • Asa Newell
- Key subtractions: Clint Capela • Larry Nance Jr. • Georges Niang • Terance Mann
The Hawks paired four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young with do-it-all center Kristaps Porziņģis, and all it really cost them was Georges Niang. Porziņģis can efficiently score anywhere from 30 feet to the basket. He protects the rim well and defends better in space than you would think for a 7-foot-3 unicorn.
It is a low-cost, high-reward bet on the availability of Porziņģis, who has rarely been healthy.
In between Young and Porziņģis, Atlanta padded its depth on the wing, where rising star Jalen Johnson, Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher already formed a solid young core. The Hawks signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the 26-year-old cousin of NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a versatile guard himself, and Luke Kennard to round out a playoff rotation.
Grade: A
Boston Celtics
- 2024-25 record: 61-21
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Anfernee Simons • Georges Niang • Luka Garza • Hugo González • Josh Minott
- Key subtractions: Kristaps Porziņģis • Jrue Holiday • Luke Kornet
The Celtics entered the summer knowing they needed to get under the second apron and are well on their way to getting it done. It cost those Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, a pair of impactful veterans. Luke Kornet left for more money from the San Antonio Spurs, too. The return for Porziņģis and Holiday — Anfernee Simons and Niang — was as underwhelming as expected for what amounted to a salary dump.
They drafted Hugo González, whose work showed in summer league, and they added a pair of under-utilized former Minnesota Timberwolves, Luka Garza and Josh Minott. None of it will steal headlines, but all of it was necessary, and they came out on the other side of it about as flexible as they could. In the end, following Tatum’s injury, everything Boston does is with championship contention in 2027 in mind.
Grade: C
Brooklyn Nets
- 2024-25 record: 26-56
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Michael Porter Jr. • Terance Mann • Nolan Traoré • Egor Demin • Ben Saraf • Danny Wolf • Drake Powell
- Key subtractions: Cam Johnson • D’Angelo Russell • De’Anthony Melton • Trendon Watford • Maxwell Lewis
The Nets entered this offseason with more picks in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft and more salary cap space than any other team. This forewarned us of a summer of significant change, or so we thought.
Brooklyn used each one of its draft picks, not consolidating any of them and even adding another one, absorbing Terance Mann’s contract into cap space in exchange for a fifth first-rounder. Who knows if there is a star among them. There will certainly be plenty of competition for the ball among five rookies.
The ball might be available to them more often, too, if the Nets cannot come to terms with restricted free agent Cam Thomas. They also traded their second-leading scorer, Cam Johnson, turning the two years and $44 million left on his contract into two years and $79 million worth of Michael Porter Jr., the oft-injured former Denver Nugget. And they picked up another first-round pick in 2032 for that trouble.
Grade: D
Charlotte Hornets
- 2024-25 record: 19-63
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Kon Knueppel • Liam McNeeley • Collin Sexton • Pat Connaughton • Spencer Dinwiddie
- Key subtractions: Jusuf Nurkić • Mark Williams
Your 2025 summer league champions, starring the title game’s MVP, Kon Knueppel! He and fellow rookie Liam McNeeley should provide shooting for a team that desperately needs it around LaMelo Ball.
The Hornets also targeted a pair of veterans, Collin Sexton and Spencer Dinwiddie, as capable backups to the oft-injured Ball. Basically, a lot is being done to both build around Ball and prepare for his absence, which is a harsh reality for the Hornets and not one in which a lot of other teams would want to exist.
Charlotte is, however, better off than it was at summer’s start, other than its apparent plan to begin the season without a starting-caliber center. That seems like something the Hornets would want for Ball, too, but they sure did not want it to be Mark Williams, whom they jettisoned (again) for draft compensation.
Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
- 2024-25 record: 39-43
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Noa Essengue • Isaac Okoro
- Key subtractions: Lonzo Ball
Talk about underwhelming. A once-great franchise in a major media market, the Bulls entered this offseason after another mediocre campaign with little ambition beyond making a late lottery selection. They took France’s Noa Essengue, an 18-year-old project, to join Matas Buzelis as Chicago’s latest hope.
Their only other move of any real consequence (as negotiations with restricted free agent Josh Giddey are at a standstill) was trading Lonzo Ball — a good player (when healthy) who meaningfully impacts what the Bulls are capable of — for Isaac Okoro, a wing who fell out of favor with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Okoro and Patrick Williams, both top-five picks from the 2020 draft class, will make a combined $58.8 million over the next two seasons, a price tag no other team would assume.
Grade: F
Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2024-25 record: 64-18
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Lonzo Ball • Larry Nance Jr.
- Key subtractions: Ty Jerome • Isaac Okoro
The Cavaliers are a 64-win team that is spending into the second apron, so they expected to lose Ty Jerome, their Sixth Man of the Year candidate. As Jerome signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland swapped Okoro for Ball, who replaces the playmaking off the bench. Re-signing old friend Larry Nance Jr. was also a nice bit of business for a front office with zero flexibility.
Grade: B
Detroit Pistons
- 2024-25 record: 44-38
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Caris LeVert • Duncan Robinson
- Key subtractions: Dennis Schröder • Tim Hardaway Jr.
As free agency opened, news came down that Malik Beasley — Detroit’s Sixth Man of the Year candidate — was under federal investigation for a gambling-related infraction. That altered everything the Pistons were trying to accomplish, as they were also set to lose reserves Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr.
In their place Detroit signed Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson for a combined $31 million annually. Neither the Cavaliers nor the Miami Heat made much of an effort to retain LeVert and Robinson, which should tell us that neither of them can replace what Beasley provided for the Pistons last season.
Grade: D
Indiana Pacers
- 2024-25 record: 50-32
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Jay Huff
- Key subtractions: Myles Turner
In a move the Pacers did not see coming, the Bucks created enough salary cap space to sign Myles Turner away from their rivals, robbing Indiana of one of its key cogs en route to the NBA Finals this past season.
Losing Haliburton to an Achilles injury for the entirety of the 2025-26 season was bad enough. But to also lose Turner for nothing was devastating. It turned Indiana into just another team in the immediate aftermath of the franchise exceeding all expectations. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that could not be rectified by the addition of Jay Huff, who has played well in spot center duty for Memphis.
Grade: D
Miami Heat
- 2024-25 record: 37-45
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Norman Powell • Kasparas Jakučionis
- Key subtractions: Duncan Robinson • Kyle Anderson • Kevin Love
Miami, one of the best destination cities in the entire NBA, enters every offseason with high hopes for major improvements. The Heat once again fell short of those expectations, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and other major stars never became available. Not that the Heat had enough to trade for them anyway.
Instead, Miami turned the expiring contracts of Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love into Norman Powell, a 2025 All-Star snub for the Los Angeles Clippers. He gives them another quality player, along with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and a cast of prospects, which now includes Kasparas Jakučionis. The Heat are better than they were at last season’s end and still nowhere near where they want to be.
Grade: B
Milwaukee Bucks
- 2024-25 record: 48-34
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Myles Turner • Vasilije Micić • Gary Harris
- Key subtractions: Brook Lopez • Damian Lillard • Pat Connaughton
Oh, man. The Bucks waived and stretched the remaining nine figures left on Damian Lillard’s contract to make enough room to sign Turner from the Pacers. It equates to a $50 million annual bet on Turner as a partner to Antetokounmpo, whose long-term commitment to Milwaukee remains in serious question.
Turner represents an upgrade from the outgoing Brook Lopez. That much is not in question. However, paying Lillard an average of $22.5 million over the next five seasons not to play for the Bucks is a serious hindrance to team-building in the future. Sooner or later, Antetokounmpo will come to accept this as a roadblock to his next championship, but for now the Turner signing seems to have kept him satisfied.
Grade: C
New York Knicks
- 2024-25 record: 51-31
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Guerschon Yabusele • Jordan Clarkson
- Key subtractions: Precious Achiuwa • P.J. Tucker
The Knicks had nothing more than a taxpayer’s mid-level exception and minimum contracts to upgrade a rotation that was only seven men deep in the postseason. They smartly identified Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson as capable contributors from teams that failed to make the playoffs last season.
Their biggest move of the summer, however, swapping head coach Tom Thibodeau, who led them to the Eastern Conference finals, for Mike Brown, remains a question mark. Who knows if his offensive schemes can squeeze more from a roster that Thibodeau mostly maximized around Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, despite their built-in defensive limitations. At the very least, Brown should be able to enter this coming season’s playoffs with a more rested roster, thanks to their offseason additions.
Grade: B
Orlando Magic
- 2024-25 record: 41-41
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Desmond Bane • Tyus Jones • Jase Richardson • Noah Penda
- Key subtractions: Cole Anthony • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope • Cory Joseph • Gary Harris
No team in the East took a bigger swing at contention in the absence of Tatum and Haliburton than the Magic, who swapped Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rights to four first-round draft picks with the Grizzlies for Desmond Bane, one of the most underrated shooting guards in the league.
Orlando was a pesky out in the first round of the playoffs, as both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner flashed their worth as max-contracted players. It was clear the Magic lacked talent in the backcourt, where Jalen Suggs was injured for the postseason. He will return to a corps that now includes Bane, Tyus Jones and rookie Jase Richardson. That is a sizable upgrade for a team in desperate need of shooting.
Grade: A
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2024-25 record: 24-58
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: VJ Edgecombe
- Key subtractions: Guerschon Yabusele
The 76ers stunk last season, which is how they ended up with the No. 3 overall draft pick, which they used to select VJ Edgecombe, prioritizing his dependability over the upside of Ace Bailey. Edgecombe joins Tyrese Maxey and a rehabbed Jared McCain in what is a young and talented backcourt. It could get even more talented if Philadelphia comes to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.
The Sixers should not stink as bad as they did last season. Then again, their success hinges almost entirely on the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George, both of whom are still nursing knee injuries. The loss of either to an extended absence would make Philadelphia feel Yabusele’s departure a little more.
Grade: B
Toronto Raptors
- 2024-25 record: 30-52
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Collin Murray-Boyles • Sandro Mamukelashvili
- Key subtractions: Chris Boucher
The Raptors, who fired longtime executive Masai Ujiri, replacing him with longtime general manager Bobby Webster, entered the offseason with a salary cap sheet full of overpaid players and did nothing to assuage those concerns. They are on the hook this season for about $156 million for Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, and I am not sure any other team would want to pay any of them what they are owed. That makes it hard to make moves in the summer.
So, instead they made an annual pick around No. 9 in the draft, taking Collin Murray-Boyles, who prognosticators liked. How he develops in the presence of so many players who are trying to earn their contracts is anyone’s guess. Most likely he will be joined by another pick around No. 9 next season.
Grade: D
Washington Wizards
- 2024-25 record: 18-64
- 2025-26 wins O/U: 5
- Key additions: Tre Johnson • Cam Whitmore • CJ McCollum
- Key subtractions: Jordan Poole • Marcus Smart • Saddiq Bey
The Wizards entered the offseason with the league’s second-worst record, one win better than the Utah Jazz, and somehow fell to the No. 6 overall pick. They still scored Tre Johnson, who impressed in summer league. They also took a flier on Cam Whitmore, an under-utilized talent on the Houston Rockets, and all it cost them was a couple of second-round draft picks. Add Johnson and Whitmore to a young core that now includes Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington, among other recent first-round draft picks.
Oh, and the Wizards shed $77.5 million worth of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey in favor of CJ McCollum’s $30.7 million expiring salary, bringing in one of the league’s most respected veterans and opening up even more salary cap space for next summer. They are doing smart things in Washington for once; etc.
NFL 2025 offseason power rankings countdown guide: Packers are No. 7 as they try to make the jump to contenders
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 21: Amed Rosario #13 of the Washington Nationals runs to first base against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on July 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The 2025 NFL season will be here before you know it. It starts with training camps in July and the Hall of Fame Game on July 31. As anticipation builds, catch up on everything you need to know with Frank Schwab’s team previews countdown.
A new preview will drop every weekday as we get closer to the Detroit Lions facing the Los Angeles Chargers in Canton, Ohio. Who will be No. 1 going into the season? Where will your team rank? Here’s your guide for all the answers. Click on below to jump to that team, then click on the team name to read the full preview.
No. 32 Titans | No. 31 Saints | No. 30 Browns | No. 29 Panthers | No. 28 Jets | No. 27 Giants | No. 26 Raiders | No. 25 Patriots | No. 24 Colts | No. 23 Dolphins | No. 22 Jaguars | No. 21 Falcons | No. 20 Steelers | No. 19 Cardinals | No. 18 Cowboys | No. 17 Seahawks | No. 16 Texans | No. 15 Bears | No. 14 Bengals | No. 13 49ers | No. 12 Rams | No. 11 Broncos | No. 10 Commanders | No. 9 Chargers | No. 8 Buccaneers | No. 7 Packers | No. 6 Vikings | No. 5 Bills | No. 4 Chiefs
No. 32: Tennessee Titans
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
A 3-14 season was a wake-up call. The Tennessee Titans not only fell to the bottom of the NFL, they slid deep into obscurity. Tennessee was truly awful but other than regular Will Levis memes and first-year head coach Brian Callahan’s outward hostility toward Levis, nobody cared. They had no identity, no marketable star, a decayed roster and only one hope for the future.
That hope was the first pick of the draft. The Titans could have traded that pick or taken Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, but they knew the best path back to relevance was hitting on a pick at quarterback. That’s why Cam Ward, who set an NCAA record with 158 touchdown passes at Incarnate Word, Washington State and then Miami, is a Titan.
No. 31: New Orleans Saints
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
New Orleans has reached a point in which a horrific season is the best outcome. It would be a wake-up call and perhaps lead to a franchise-changing quarterback. Like the first two games last season, the Saints’ idea that they can turn things around doing things the same old way seems to be nothing but a mirage.
No. 30: Cleveland Browns
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
A key decision at the top of the draft was the unofficial start of reshaping the roster. The Browns passed on the chance to draft Travis Hunter second overall to get a huge haul from the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade. It included the fifth overall pick and the Jags’ first-round pick next year. It had to be hard to give up Hunter, but it was probably the right move.
The big part of the rebuild will be figuring out quarterback, and the Browns are taking a shotgun approach to it this year. They have four relatively low-cost quarterbacks and are praying one is the answer. Joe Flacco is the 40-year-old stopgap, Kenny Pickett is the reclamation project, Dillon Gabriel was the rookie the Browns drafted proactively in the third round, and Shedeur Sanders is the fifth-round pick everyone wants to talk about. If Sanders climbs up from fourth on the depth chart and starts any games this season, the Browns suddenly will become one of the most watched teams in the league.
No. 29: Carolina Panthers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
After being benched earlier in the season, Bryce Young got another shot to start in Week 8 and looked like a new player. He might not have played to the level you’d dream of for a first overall pick, but he was much better. By the time he put up 251 yards and three touchdowns (one of which he finished with a confident look-away celebration with the ball in the air) in a season-ending win at the Atlanta Falcons, it seemed like a new world from the depressing low of benching a first overall pick two weeks into the season.
“I think we’ve got our QB here,” Panthers owner David Tepper told NFL Media’s Cameron Wolfe after that win.
The Panthers still have a long way to go. The defense gave up more points than any other team in NFL history and, while there were some offseason fixes, it’ll take at least another offseason to get it to a respectable level. Young made strides but he’ll need to show more improvement to live up to what the Panthers invested in him. Drafting receiver Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall should help Young.
No. 28: New York Jets
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Aaron Glenn seems to be a good hire to lead the rebuild. The new Jets head coach has already done well handling a tough market and also an uncomfortable Aaron Rodgers situation. Rodgers felt put out when he flew across the country to meet with the Jets, just to be greeted with a no-nonsense 15-minute meeting. Glenn and new Jets general manager Darren Mougey told Rodgers they were moving on and didn’t ask for Rodgers’ input on the direction of the franchise, which Rodgers thought he’d provide. Glenn and Mougey didn’t want to hear it. The meeting was short, sweet and to the point. Plenty of fans probably appreciated the new Jets brass after that story, especially after dealing with plenty of Rodgers drama and the franchise bending over backward for him.
Justin Fields is the next quarterback, a fairly low-cost gamble that the Jets can easily move on from if it doesn’t work out. The Jets have plenty of talented players, which was the reason they had hopes for a big season last year if Rodgers was simply an average quarterback. The Jets have a miserable ownership situation with Woody Johnson, and that will be a constant obstacle, but there are some seeds of optimism.
No. 27: New York Giants
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The tone for this season all about whether head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen can survive again.
Jaxson Dart is the best path to showing progress. Dart is an interesting first-round pick out of Ole Miss. He will take some time to learn an NFL offense, but he has enticing skills. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed before Dart was picked, and presumably Wilson will begin the season as the starter. If the Giants aren’t much better than last season, the biggest question will be when to give Dart a shot. The reality is that decision will be made by a coach and general manager who are in self-preservation mode. Whatever is best for their survival will play a role in that decision.
The Giants have a really good defensive line, a secondary that has gotten an influx of talent, a future star in receiver Malik Nabers and not much else. There’s still a long way to go before the Giants are contenders again. Daboll and Schoen need some results this season to stick around for those better days.
No. 26: Las Vegas Raiders
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Raiders are one of the NFL franchises on a never-ending road to nowhere. Over the past 22 seasons, the Raiders have had 13 head coaches and two playoff appearances.
Pete Carroll becomes the Raiders’ 14th head coach since their last playoff win, which came Jan. 19, 2003. It is odd for the rebuilding Raiders to hire a coach who will turn 74 years old in September — when the season starts Carroll will break the record as the oldest head coach in NFL history — but given team owner Mark Davis’ ineptitude at picking the right coach, at least he got someone with a winning history.
At least the Raiders have potential stars to build around. Crosby is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Brock Bowers is coming off the best season for a rookie tight end in NFL history. Ashton Jeanty is one of the best running back prospects in many years, and the rebuilding Raiders thought he was worth the sixth pick of the draft. Geno Smith isn’t a star, but when the Raiders traded for him from the Seattle Seahawks they upgraded from what might have been the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.
No. 25: New England Patriots
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Patriots have a proven head coach in Mike Vrabel, an exciting quarterback in Drake Maye, and just had the best offseason in the NFL. Their win total at BetMGM is 8.5, which means oddsmakers believe the Patriots could be a .500 team. They’ve won eight games the last two seasons combined. Part of that optimistic win total is a schedule that is projected to be one of the easiest in the NFL this season. A bigger part is spending a ton of money on free-agent upgrades and potentially nailing the draft.
It’s not like the Patriots will be a Super Bowl contender this season. The offensive line is a big question, even if their rookie left tackle plays well. The Patriots’ longstanding ineptitude at drafting receivers means Maye’s supporting cast probably won’t be great. The defensive additions were plentiful, but they all need to fit together. New England had one of the worst defenses in the NFL a season ago, so there’s a long way to go.
But it seems like the miserable fall from grace after the NFL’s greatest dynasty had ended is a lot further in the rear-view mirror than it actually is. It didn’t take long for the Patriots to reinvent themselves.
No. 24: Indianapolis Colts
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Quarterback play, whether it’s Anthony Richardson’s progress or Daniel Jones’ ability to turn his career around, is the key issue hovering over the Colts going into this season. The Colts won eight games even with a team passer rating of 75.8, which was 31st in the NFL. There’s plenty of talent on offense, like running back Jonathan Taylor, receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and new rookie tight end Tyler Warren. The defense was good enough to keep the Colts in games. Head coach Shane Steichen might be a good coach, just one that hasn’t been able to fix Richardson’s problems. But it’s hard to get excited for the Colts if the quarterback play is near the bottom again.
No. 23: Miami Dolphins
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
It’s hard to look at the 2025 Dolphins and be overly optimistic. Tua Tagovailoa continues to be underappreciated but his concussion issues became a big story again in 2024. Tyreek Hill’s numbers took a stunning drop, and the team and Hill’s camp had to smooth things over after his proclamation that he was done in Miami. Jaylen Waddle’s production fell off a cliff, too. The explosive plays on offense disappeared. The offensive line was bad. The defense got a lot worse. There has been plenty of offseason trade speculation with cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, two of the Dolphins’ few bright spots last season.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has gone from a likable whiz kid to being on the hot seat, especially after it was revealed that some players were repeatedly late for meetings despite being fined. That makes it seem like he’s losing the locker room. Maybe the real warning sign came when players revolted against and practically ran off 2023 defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, one of the great coordinators of this era. Last season, Fangio turned the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense into the best in the NFL and finally got himself a Super Bowl ring. The Dolphins could have used a coach like that.
No. 22: Jacksonville Jaguars
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Jacksonville traded several picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up and draft Travis Hunter as a unique, game-changing prospect at No. 2 overall. So they got him, no matter the cost.
Maybe that’s a good thing. The Jaguars might benefit from not following the same draft charts as everyone else. Jacksonville has zero Super Bowl appearances, only two playoff berths since the 2007 season and many years of being practically anonymous in the NFL. It hasn’t gotten very far by following the book.
No. 21: Atlanta Falcons
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Falcons are hopeful that Michael Penix Jr. is fantastic right away and helps elevate the rest of the roster. Penix, Bijan Robinson and Drake London could form the foundation of an exciting offense. The defense is a work in progress, but doubling up on pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round of the NFL Draft might fix Atlanta’s massive and longstanding weakness on the edge.
Hiring Jeff Ulbrich, formerly of the New York Jets, to be their new defensive coordinator could help too. The Falcons were 8-9 last season despite uneven quarterback play and a poor defense. Improvements in each area could put them in line to take the NFC South.
We’ll need to figure out what Atlanta has in Penix first. At this moment the Falcons are pretty happy to have their second-year quarterback. Nobody saw that coming when he was drafted.
No. 20: Pittsburgh Steelers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Maybe the Aaron Rodgers signing works out like Brett Favre joining the Vikings after a season with the Jets, when he had maybe the best season of his career and nearly took Minnesota to a Super Bowl. The Steelers seem unlikely to completely collapse; we all know the history of Tomlin not having a losing season.
The defense is still quite good, and the Steelers clearly thought cornerback Jalen Ramsey was an upgrade over safety Minkah Fitzpatrick when they swapped the two in an interesting midsummer trade. The offense might be better with the additions of star receiver DK Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith, drafting Kaleb Johnson could give a spark to the running game and perhaps a young offensive line will improve. Pittsburgh made the playoffs with Russell Wilson starting most of last season, and Rodgers is probably an upgrade even as he is about to turn 42. And then in mid-July, the Steelers got T.J. Watt’s massive extension done.
No. 19: Arizona Cardinals
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Last season was supposed to be a step forward for Kyler Murray, and maybe the Cardinals, and in some ways it was. Arizona did improve from 4-13 to 8-9. Murray’s 93.5 passer rating was his best since 2021. The defense improved from 32nd to 14th in DVOA. There was tangible progress, despite plenty of injuries and ballyhooed rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. not having a massive impact.
The next question is what the Cardinals’ true ceiling is. There was a lot of talent added on defense for coach Jonathan Gannon, a respected defensive mind. Trey McBride blossomed into an elite tight end (the first Cardinals tight end since Jackie Smith in 1970 to make the Pro Bowl), James Conner is a reliable workhorse at running back and if Harrison has a big second season the Cardinals’ offense gets pretty interesting.
No. 18: Dallas Cowboys
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Cowboys’ drought follows them around everywhere. Their last Super Bowl season was 30 years ago. They haven’t made a conference championship game since then either, amazingly enough the longest dry spell in the NFC. When Jerry Jones says the Cowboys are going “all in” on offseason moves and it doesn’t happen, he hears about how long it has been since they won the championship. When he makes the unexciting hire of first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer, everyone wonders why there wasn’t more urgency.
There is talent on the roster. Dak Prescott has a long history of being productive, as long as he’s healthy. CeeDee Lamb is a legitimate No. 1 receiver and George Pickens, acquired in a trade with the Steelers, has the ability to be one of the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL. Of course, that depends on Pickens’ attitude, which caused the Steelers to give up on him after three seasons. Dallas’ defense wasn’t good last season but can bounce back quickly with new coordinator Matt Eberflus and annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons.
Schottenheimer will have to manage championship expectations for a team that hasn’t made the NFL’s final four in three decades, which isn’t easy. For any other coach taking over a 7-10 team in his first job, he wouldn’t be answering many questions about when he’ll make a Super Bowl.
When you’re coaching the Cowboys, you can’t escape it.
No. 17: Seattle Seahawks
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Most 10-win teams don’t make major changes. The Seahawks made a couple. They swapped out quarterbacks, trading away Geno Smith and then paying Sam Darnold in free agency. Smith wanted a new contract, but it’s not like he got that much more from the Raiders than Seattle paid Darnold. The Seahawks made a choice to move on to the younger Darnold. Then the Seahawks traded away perhaps their most marketable star, receiver DK Metcalf. They got a second-round pick in return, which wasn’t the kind of offer they couldn’t refuse. They just wanted to be done with Metcalf before they had to give him another contract, and Metcalf wanted out too. The Seahawks could have run it back with Smith and Metcalf. It wouldn’t have been cheap, but they could have figured it out. They chose a different path.
That’s not how most NFL teams operate. Teams will talk themselves into the idea they’re closer than they actually are, and stick with the status quo to avoid second guessing. Give the Seahawks credit for being bold.
No. 16: Houston Texans
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
C.J. Stroud is just 23 years old but comes across as wise beyond his years when he speaks of his craft. He didn’t make excuses for a down 2024 season. He saw it as part of the process.
And it wasn’t all that bad. The Texans won a division title. They followed that up with a playoff win against the Chargers and a competitive divisional-round loss at the Chiefs. It’s hard to say 10 regular-season wins, an AFC South title and a playoff win was a miserable season.
What’s next? It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Stroud is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season. His rookie season was no fluke. The Texans’ defense carried the team last season and should be good again. Head coach DeMeco Ryans is proving himself to be one of the NFL’s best.
No. 15: Chicago Bears
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Bears seemed reluctant to pay top dollar in its coaching search when it started, but eventually paid Ben Johnson handsomely to leave his job as the Detroit Lions‘ offensive coordinator. Johnson is one of the league’s most respected play-callers and the Bears hope that leads to a big improvement for Caleb Williams. The Bears also revamped their offensive line and then drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and receiver Luther Burden III in the second round, giving the Bears a deep group of skill-position players.
With an exciting offensive-minded coach, a good offensive line, a fun group of pass catchers and the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft at quarterback, if the Bears can’t get that elusive first 4,000-yard passing season, maybe the franchise is just doomed at the position.
No. 14: Cincinnati Bengals
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Bengals paid big to keep receivers Tee Higgins and Chase, and that was the right plan. But there weren’t many other significant additions. A team that missed the playoffs despite a great season from its star quarterback decided, practically, to run it back. And if contract disputes with defensive linemen Trey Hendrickson and rookie Shemar Stewart aren’t worked out, it will be a worse group than the one that let down Burrow last season. The Bengals’ defensive DVOA was the sixth-worst in the NFL last season and the main culprit in those eight losses, and it wouldn’t be any better without last season’s league sack leader or this year’s first-round draft pick.
The Bengals’ biggest offseason move came when they fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Al Golden, who ran Notre Dame’s defense last season. Golden has been a coach for 32 seasons and only six of those were in the NFL, without a role higher than linebackers coach in the pros. Golden could work out tremendously as an NFL defensive coordinator, but it was the only move that should give Bengals fans hope that things will be totally different from last season.
No. 13: San Francisco 49ers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Deebo Samuel asked for a trade and was shipped to the Washington Commanders. The 49ers lost eight free agents who got at least $10 million per season elsewhere. Their three biggest free agent additions were all backups (tight end Luke Farrell, quarterback Mac Jones, receiver Demarcus Robinson) at low-cost contracts. The 49ers couldn’t spend much because they were keeping the decks clear for Brock Purdy’s five-year, $265 million extension, which was signed in May. Aiyuk’s recovery from his knee injury seems to be going a bit slow and he could start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Now Jauan Jennings, who’s grown into a valuable contributor at wide receiver, wants a new contract — or a trade. It was a horrible offseason for San Francisco.
And yet, the 49ers built such a deep, talented roster over the past few years that there’s hope for this season. McCaffrey should be back. Purdy is an efficient master of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Other players like George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are among the best in the NFL at their positions. Shanahan is one of the NFL’s best coaches, and he made a good hire to bring Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator. BetMGM has the 49ers with one of the highest win totals in the NFL, at 10.5, and it’s justifiable. The 49ers had one of the unluckiest seasons possible, and that won’t repeat. There’s tremendous talent on hand.
No. 12: Los Angeles Rams
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Maybe this season the Rams go further than the divisional round. They suddenly have a fun, young defense, which made the transition after Aaron Donald’s retirement a little easier. Matthew Stafford is at an age in which his play can deteriorate suddenly, but he was good again last season and has Nacua and new addition Davante Adams (who replaces the released Kupp) to work with. There is enough talent on both sides of the ball, and a top-five coach in Sean McVay.
If last season showed anything, it’s that the Rams will never be down for long if McVay is still around.
No. 11: Denver Broncos
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Expectations weren’t high for the Broncos last season, given the rookie quarterback situation, questions on the roster and the playoff drought everyone talked about, and it’s a lot different this season.
The Broncos still play in a tough division led by the reigning AFC champs. Bo Nix has to avoid the sophomore slump that has hit plenty of other quarterbacks. The defense has to keep its massive gains — it went from being ranked 30th in DVOA in 2023 to fourth last season — and we often see defenses that grow that much take a step back.
But suddenly, the present and the future of the Broncos looks pretty good.
No. 10: Washington Commanders
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
It’s OK to celebrate a storybook season, be excited for the future with an instant superstar at quarterback, and acknowledge that the next step may not be forward.
The Commanders were never meant to be a Super Bowl contender in 2025, and absolutely no one expected it in 2024. The roster needed a lot of work going into last season; it looked like a long-term rebuild. But GM Adam Peters did a good job boosting roster depth last offseason, new coach Dan Quinn was a strong candidate to win NFL Coach of the Year, Jayden Daniels changed practically everything, and the Commanders arrived much sooner than expected. That doesn’t mean all the holes on the roster were filled.
Maybe Daniels is so good that Washington will never slip. He was incredible last season and probably deserved to make a few NFL MVP ballots, even as a rookie. But the same things were said about C.J. Stroud a year ago, and his play slipped a bit in his second season.
No. 9: Los Angeles Chargers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The talent is there for the Chargers to do even better than go 11-6 and make the playoffs. Justin Herbert had a fantastic season and is just 27. First-round pick Omarion Hampton and free-agent addition Najee Harris improve the running back position. Receiver Ladd McConkey was fantastic as a rookie, and 2025 second-round pick Tre Harris, who ended his holdout, could be a good complement to him.
The offensive line added guard Mekhi Becton to go with two talented tackles. The defense persuaded Khalil Mack to return instead of retire and has other stars, like linebacker Daiyan Henley and safety Derwin James Jr. And Jim Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in football.
No. 8: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The fact that Todd Bowles spoke in the offseason about winning the division speaks to the Buccaneers’ mindset and expectations. Squeezing out a division title in a bad NFC South isn’t good enough anymore. They are good enough to be one of those teams that clinches a division title a few weeks before the season ends and then focuses on improving its seed. It just hasn’t happened yet.
Maybe this is the season. The rest of the NFC South has plenty of questions. Tampa Bay has an absolutely loaded offense, led by Baker Mayfield and bolstered by a very good 2024 draft class, and there are reasons to believe the defense can carry over an improvement from late last season. Tampa Bay’s defense doesn’t need to be great when its offense is coming off a 502-point season and should be even better.
No. 7: Green Bay Packers
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
When you have no real weakness, chasing championships is a realistic goal. The challenge is figuring out a way to elevate after the oddity of a fairly disappointing 11-win season.
The quickest path is if Jordan Love recaptures the form that he had late in the 2023 season, which helped him get a four-year, $220 million contract extension. Love wasn’t bad last season. He just wasn’t better than the previous season, leading to some questions about his true ceiling.
The Packers can also point to their historic youth as a way for the roster to improve. Two years ago, the Packers were the youngest team based on weighted age (which takes into consideration how many games each player appeared in) to win a playoff game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Last season the Packers were again the youngest team in the NFL. None of the Packers’ key players, other than 2024 addition McKinney, are considered to be the best at their position in the NFL, but being really good in your early 20s gives you a chance to be elite in your mid-20s. Maybe natural progression pushes the Packers to being contenders.
No. 6: Minnesota Vikings
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Vikings showed last season that their foundation is strong. Kevin O’Connell has shown he is one of the NFL coaches who can elevate whatever roster he is given to work with, especially at quarterback, and his 2023 hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores changed Minnesota’s defense. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (who could face a suspension after pleading to a lesser offense following being arrested on suspicion of DUI), T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones are very good skill-position players around the quarterback position. The offensive line got some huge upgrades in free agency, and getting left tackle Christian Darrisaw back from a knee injury will be big, even if the Vikings take it slow with Darrisaw and he misses the beginning of the season.
There are some tangible reasons, aside from the quarterback change, to believe the Vikings don’t come close to 14 wins again. They won eight of nine games decided by one possession, which was a bit lucky. The schedule gets tougher. Maybe opponents finally have a plan to beat Flores’ hyper-aggressive approach.
But the Vikings were a good team last season. Assuming J.J. McCarthy isn’t a total bust, they should be pretty good again, even if nobody seems to be projecting that to be the case.
No. 5: Buffalo Bills
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The Bills will have to depend on variance to get them over the hump, because the roster led by reigning MVP Josh Allen is mostly the same. Continuing to take shots with the same strong core is the smart approach. There weren’t many huge additions. Defensive linemen Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi were added, but both will serve six-game suspensions for violating the league’s PED policy. Defensive end Joey Bosa is a big name but games missed due to injuries have been more frequent than sacks for him the past few seasons. Receiver Josh Palmer was signed to a surprising three-year, $29 million deal, and perhaps he moves the needle more than expected, but he has never been an impact player before. The draft brought some defensive help, but every other AFC contender had draft picks too, and most of them picked before Buffalo.
And there’s nothing wrong with running it back with mostly the same roster, in addition to some gambles on a few flawed veterans. The Bills had a tremendous offense led by the MVP and the defense has been consistently good under Sean McDermott’s watch. They haven’t gotten to the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean they can’t.
The Bills just have to figure out how to finally beat the Chiefs. Easier said than done.
No. 4: Kansas City Chiefs
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
If this were any other team, we’d look at these stats and immediately recognize a team that got incredibly lucky last season and is due for a massive regression after being exposed by what looked like a far superior team in their final game. But this is the Chiefs. They have Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Steve Spagnuolo and others. We treat them differently, and they have earned that.
Where do the Chiefs go from here? Does the dynasty roll on? For that the Chiefs would either need to improve overall or maintain a mind-blowing run in close games. Perhaps both happen. Every time it seems like the Chiefs are showing some kind of weakness, they win another AFC championship. This season they’ll welcome back receiver Rashee Rice from a season-ending knee injury, though he could face an NFL suspension for his role in a multi-car accident last year. Running back Isiah Pacheco never seemed right after returning from a fractured fibula, and it should help if he returns to form. Travis Kelce decided to return for another season instead of retiring. Kansas City was able to retain some key free agents this offseason. There are positive signs going into the season.
Kansas City seems determined to show that Super Bowl LIX was a fluke. On the other hand, it can be argued plenty of its 2024 season success was fluky.
WNBA truths and fictions: the real state of the league in 2025
Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever speak to the media prior to last week’s WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.Photograph: Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The WNBA is one of those leagues that is perpetually at the crossroads. In the 1990s, the league saw off the challenge of the American Basketball League (ABL), which paid higher salaries but lacked the NBA’s marketing muscle, but perhaps that victory gave the NBA and WNBA a dose of complacency. Attendance steadily dropped for several years, and went through revolving doors from city to city – or into permanent hiatus.
Now, with women’s sports in the middle of a growth spurt and the dazzling skills of Caitlin Clark on display, the WNBA has an age-old issue: More money, more problems – or, at least, more critics conjuring up more questions.
In All-Star voting, WNBA players ranked Caitlin Clark ninth. Is that absurd?
We live in a media landscape in which the fretting over “generational talents” is so robust that NBA fans started panicking about Cooper Flagg when he had a poor shooting performance in his first Summer League game. As anyone knows from following her college career, she doesn’t just have extraordinary shooting range. She can dominate a game with her passing even if her shots aren’t falling.
To be sure, Clark certainly has a lot of work to do before she turns the corner from being the league’s most exciting player to becoming the league’s best player. In her rookie year, Basketball Reference calculated her PER, a measure of overall effectiveness, at 18.8, nowhere near the top four of A’ja Wilson (34.9), Breanna Stewart (26.4), Brittney Griner (26.0) and Napheesa Collier (25.1).
But PER tends to favor forwards and centers – such Clark’s Indiana teammate, 2023 top overall draft pick Aliyah Boston, who was also ahead of Clark. Among guards, she was third. She also led the league in assists per game with 8.4, with only Alyssa Thomas (7.9) anywhere close. On the other hand, she also led the league in turnovers with a staggering mark of 5.6 per game – Thomas again was second at 3.6.
This year, Clark is struggling with injuries, and most of her scoring and shooting numbers have dropped significantly. Given the ridiculously short window of a WNBA season, she may not have time to pull her season averages up to where they were last year.
The WNBA actually has a trio of young “generational talent” guards who have come into the league in the 2020s. The first was Sabrina Ionescu, a record-smashing triple-double machine from Oregon who had a slow, injury-riddled start to her pro career but has since made the All-WNBA second team three straight years – and surely had a case to make the first team ahead of Clark last year. The next is Paige Bueckers, who is putting together a rookie season almost on par with Clark’s season last year. In a year or two, depending on when she declares for the draft, the WNBA will add USC’s JuJu Watkins.
In the media and player All-Star voting, the leader was Allisha Gray, a former Dallas player now in Atlanta.
So the fans got it wrong in ranking Clark first and Ionescu fifth. But the players’ votes were harsh on stars (Clark) and Olympians (Jackie Young was 12th; Kelsey Plum a bewildering 16th). For once, the media may have gotten it right, ranking her third.
Is the league too dependent on Clark?
In a recent anonymous survey of WNBA by the Athletic, a majority of respondents said Clark will be the face of the WNBA in five years. But it was a slim majority of 53.8%. Watkins was second, Bueckers was third. Next was the first non-guard, Clark nemesis Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson, who was merely the MVP of the WNBA (for the third time) and the Olympics in 2024.
And yet the WNBA is headed toward its highest average attendance ever (see below), propelled somewhat by Clark but also by the fervor behind the expansion Golden State Valkyries. While ratings certainly drop when she’s out injured, they don’t fall through the floor.
Perhaps the fact that Clark has not immediately established herself as the best player in the league has made people realize that veterans like Wilson, Stewart, Griner, Collier and Ionescu know how to play some ball, too.
The lack of dunking holds back the league
In the cartoon Futurama, a female computer is horrified to learn that the men who have landed on an all-women’s planet made fun of women’s basketball.
“What??! Did you explain how the women’s good fundamentals make up for their inability to dunk?” roars the computer, voiced by Bea Arthur.
The men scoffed at the concept. But WNBA players’ fundamentals are indeed pretty good, most notably free throws – the NBA’s highest overall percentage of the past 10 years (78.4%, 2023-24) trails behind the WNBA’s lowest (78.5%, 2024, down from 80.0% the year before and 80.8% in 2021).
The WNBA is also more of a passing league than the NBA, which sees its stars shine in one-on-one isolations. In 2024, 68.6% of field goals in WNBA play were the result of assists. In the NBA last season, the number was 63.6%.
In the NBA, you may see Anthony Edwards explode past a defender for a dunk. In the WNBA, you may see Caitlin Clark whip a pass through a seam mere mortals wouldn’t have anticipated. True basketball fans appreciate both, and the US has a lot of true basketball fans.
Is the WNBA plagued by substandard refereeing?
WNBA officials have had their share of detractors this year, among them standout players Angel Reese (Chicago) and Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles), coaches Natalie Nakase (Golden State) and Stephanie White (Indiana).
The latter’s criticism followed a game against the Connecticut Sun in which Clark was poked in the eye in the third quarter, and Clark’s assailant was fouled near the end of the game with the outcome not in doubt, prompting a scuffle that saw three people ejected.
White’s complaint was a familiar refrain: “The referees lost control of the game.”
Did they?
The eye poke on Clark drew a flagrant foul on Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon, while Clark and two Connecticut players got technical fouls for the ensuing fracas. In the last minute, Sheldon drove into Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham, who pulled Sheldon down onto the floor.
Cunningham could argue that Sheldon initiated the contact by lowering her shoulder and charging into her like a running back or rugby player, and that she accidentally pulled down Sheldon while stumbling backwards. But she and the Fever have embraced the notion that Cunningham filled the role of an NHL enforcer, protecting their star player when the refs wouldn’t. Cunningham’s jersey sales went through the roof, and entrepreneurs are selling commemorative T-shirts in her honor.
Maybe the WNBA has found a new source of revenue?
WNBA refs are paid far less than their NBA counterparts, so no one should be surprised if the men’s league attracts more experienced referees. But the refs aren’t the ones escalating things even after the flagrant and technical fouls have been called.
And NBA refs aren’t exactly above reproach. Even if we toss out the aberration of Tim Donaghy, the referee who spent time in prison after a gambling scandal, NBA referees have been the object of many fine-worthy infractions through the years. Anthony Edwards’ fines in a single season could pay several WNBA players’ salaries.
Should WNBA refs do more to protect stars like Clark so that Cunningham won’t feel compelled to do it herself? Maybe. But they’d also do well to avoid the absurdity of the 1990s, when the mere act of trying to guard Michael Jordan could draw a whistle.
That’s not the easiest set of questions, and it’s just part of the league’s to-do list right now. The WNBA has to manage expansion carefully while also landing a fair collective bargaining agreement to prevent a work stoppage.
But these are also happier questions to consider than “Will the league survive the season?”
• This article was amended on 26 July 2025. An earlier version said Allisha Gray plays for the Dallas Wings; she has been with the Atlanta Dream since 2023.
MLB trade deadline: Nearly every prospect dealt in 2024 looks like a dud
Major League Baseball’s annual transaction bazaar is nearly here. And for fans of less-dominant teams, the concept of “selling” at the trade deadline holds some appeal.
It might indicate their favorite franchise is showing some semblance of direction, that the hope of the unknown remains preferable to the drudgery of the present. But in this era of deadline gridlock thanks to extra wild card berths and clubs clutching their best prospects ever closer to them, the gifts that arrive at the end of July are more suitable for a white elephant exchange than an actual holiday.
And for clubs hovering around or just below .500, selling means kicking the can down the road again, at least in part because internal “playoff odds” might not suggest earnestly competing is the best choice.
So just what did last year bring, and are the sellers better off?
Not a lot: Of the 83 prospects acquired, three have become replacement-level big league regulars, and one – Marlins slugger Kyle Stowers – an All-Star. Two more are platoon players.
Yet just two traded prospects cracked the top five of the acquiring team’s most recent prospects list as rated by Baseball America, while 17 others are currently in an organizational top 30. And not a single current top 100 overall prospect changed organizations.
Trade deadline additions Jack Flaherty and Tommy Edman celebrate the Dodgers’ 2024 NLCS win.
Just call the following an exercise in managing expectations.
USA TODAY Sports examined the biggest deals in the last week leading up to the 2024 deadline, excluding trades that didn’t involve obvious buyers and sellers, blatant cash dumps, those involving players designated for assignment and similarly minor moves.
As that seven-day window opens for 2025, is it worth it for clubs to get “something” instead of nothing? Let’s see:
The biggest deals
Dodgers get: INF/OF Tommy Edman, RHP Michael Kopech, RHP Oliver Gonzalez
Cardinals get: RHP Erick Fedde, OF Tommy Pham
White Sox get: INF Miguel Vargas, INF Jeral Perez, INF Alexander Albertus
Outcome: Dodgers win World Series; Cardinals finish 83-79; White Sox finish 41-121
Aftermath: The two Dodger blockbusters certainly pushed them over the top to a World Series title and they even convinced Edman to stick around a while. Kopech was a regular season and playoff savior, posting eight scoreless outings in 10 postseason games, although he’s been injured almost all this year. The Cardinals failed to make the postseason and Fedde, though solid down the 2024 stretch, was designated for assignment last week. For all those moving parts, the White Sox got little assurance of a future cornerstone. Vargas flourished momentarily with a long runway for big league at-bats but now has a .221/.304/.402 line with 12 homers. Perez, 20, is ranked 22nd in the Sox system and has a .296 OBP at high A while Albertus has played just 19 career games outside of complex league ball.
Dodgers get: RHP Jack Flaherty
Tigers get: SS Trey Sweeney, C Thayron Liranzo
Outcome: Tigers win wild-card series, lose in AL Division Series
Aftermath: The trade that broke all conventions. The Dodgers snagged the most significant starting pitcher upgrade just before the deadline and Flaherty started three of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason victories. Meanwhile, the Tigers regrouped behind a “pitching chaos” plan, gained an everyday shortstop in Sweeney, reached the playoffs – and re-signed Flaherty in the off-season. Kids, don’t try this at home. Something about the exception that proves the rule.
As for assets? Check back. After solidifying shortstop last season, Sweeney has produced negative WAR and a 63 adjusted OPS this season, which included a brief trip to Class AAA. Liranzo, 22, is No. 4 in Baseball America’s midseason re-rank of the Tigers’ system, with a .748 OPS at Class AA.
Padres get: LHP Tanner Scott, RHP Bryan Hoeing
Marlins get: LHP Robby Snelling, RHP Adam Mazur, LHP Jay Beshears, INF Graham Paulling
Outcome: Padres win wild-card series, lose in NL Division Series; Marlins finish 62-100
Aftermath: San Diego won the stakes for the top reliever on the market and gave the Dodgers their toughest fight of October, losing a five-game NLDS thriller. Scott left as a free agent; Hoeing remains a member of the Padres’ bullpen.
The Marlins fortified their system, getting their current No. 4 (Snelling), No. 7 (Mazur) and No. 22 (Paulling) prospects, though only Snelling – having a nice bounceback year at Class AA and AAA – projects as a potential impact player.
Astros get: LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Blue Jays get: INF/OF Will Wagner, INF/OF Joey Loperfido, RHP Jake Bloss
Outcome: Astros lose AL wild card series; Blue Jays finish 74-88
Aftermath: A pretty good ol’ fashioned deadline deal here, even as there’s no carrying potential star in the return. Kikuchi pitched great in Houston (5-1, 2.70 ERA) yet somehow did not start a playoff game before the Astros went two-and-out. Wagner and Loperfido have played in 33 and 10 games respectively for the Jays, each sitting on 0.0 WAR (and if that’s not the perfect illustration for the modern trade deadline return…). Bloss, now the Blue Jays’ No. 13 ranked prospect, underwent Tommy John surgery in May after six rocky outings at Class AAA.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) on third base against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia on July 19, 2025.
Yankees get: INF Jazz Chisholm
Marlins get: C Agustin Ramírez, INF Jared Serna, INF Abrahan Ramírez
Outcome: Yankees advance to World Series
Aftermath: Chisholm was a key immediate and future piece for the Yankees, producing an .825 OPS and 11 regular season homers and filling a massive hole at third, sometimes with difficulty defensively. He’s their everyday All-Star second baseman this year.
It looked like a strong return for the Marlins after Agustin Ramírez debuted April 21 and slugged six homers with a .923 OPS in his first 23 games. He’s hit eight more homers but with just a .674 OPS and 19% K rate in the 54 games since. Abrahan Ramírez is their No. 22 prospect but at 20 is still in the Florida complex league; Serna, 23, is on the 40-man roster but has a .569 OPS at Class AA.
Orioles get: LHP Trevor Rogers
Marlins get: OF Kyle Stowers, INF Connor Norby
Outcome: Orioles lose in AL wild card series
Aftermath: Like the Flaherty trade above, this one went haywire from the jump. Rogers was bad and injured for a very good Orioles team down the stretch; he’s now very good for a bad Orioles team this season. Meanwhile, the Orioles made a potentially crushing mistake in choosing Stowers to deal from their surplus of outfielders. After three years on the Baltimore-AAA shuttle, he’s an All-Star and possible superstar in Miami, with 22 homers, a .295 average and .937 OPS. Norby started out hot in Miami but has cooled, with a .291 OBP and 13 homers in 108 games as a Marlin. Still, he’s a useful big league piece and if there’s anything we learned from this deadline, it’s this: The Marlins seem to know what they’re doing.
Orioles get: RHP Zach Eflin and cash
Rays get: INF Mac Horvath, RHP Jackson Baumeister, OF Matthew Etzel
Outcome: Rays finish 80-82
Aftermath: Eflin served his purpose, delivering a 2.60 ERA in 10 starts and a representative playoff outing; he’s been injured and inconsistent in 2025 and, having just returned from the IL, is a likely candidate to get traded again this week. The modern front office is unafraid to trade within divisions and the Orioles appeared to pull this deal off without getting burnt by the savvy Rays.
Baumeister, a second-round pick and the highest-drafted pitcher in the Mike Elias era, fell out of the Rays’ top 30 and is on the 60-day IL in Class AA after a 6.86 ERA in 10 Class AA starts. Horvath (23, .765 OPS at high A) and Etzel (23, .707 at AA) don’t appear to be impact players.
Phillies get: RHP Carlos Estévez
Angels get: LHP Samuel Aldegheri, RHP George Klassen
Outcome: Phillies lose in NLDS; Angels finish 63-99
Aftermath: Kind of the platonic ideal deal for both franchises. The Phillies burn trade capital to try and win now under Dave Dombrowski, who’s ultimately undercut by his bullpen. And the Angels acquire OK talent that’s, in Aldegheri’s case, rushed to the majors with uninspired results. Aldegheri posted a 4.85 ERA in three starts last year and two relief appearances this year; he has a 4.75 ERA at Class AA and is ranked No. 8 in the system. Klassen, 23, has a bit more upside, ranked No. 4 in the system and a Futures Game pick this year thanks to what Baseball America calls “mid-rotation upside.” But his command remains iffy, with a 5.86 ERA and 28 walks in 58 ⅓ Class AA innings.
Jason Adam throws a pitch in the eighth inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres.
Padres get: RHP Jason Adam
Rays get: RHP Dylan Lesko, OF Homer Bush Jr., C J.D. Gonzalez
Aftermath: Padres first-rounders are drafted to be traded and in two years Lesko went from 15th overall pick to the Rays’ system, as Adam was a stalwart in ’24 and an All-Star this year for the ever-contending Padres. The cost? Not much. Lesko, 21, made just four starts this year at high A before he was shut down. Bush is ranked No. 24 in the Rays’ system and has speed (33 steals at Class AA) but zero power. Gonzalez, 19, is on the 60-day IL at high A rehabbing an injured elbow and has slipped out of the organizational top 30.
∘∘
Royals get: RHP Lucas Erceg
Athletics get: RHP Mason Barnett, RHP Will Klein, OF Jared Dickey
Outcome: Royals win AL wild card series, lose in ALDS: Athletics finish 69-93
Aftermath: A great pickup for Kansas City, giving it a stout bullpen for the playoff drive and a controllable relief arm; in fact, Erceg may be flipped this year as the Royals hover near the buy-sell line. The A’s landed their now-No. 4 prospect in Barnett, who shined at Class AA before a mixed stint at AAA this year. Klein was sold to Seattle in January.
Mariners get: OF Randy Arozarena
Rays get: RHP Brody Hopkins, OF Aidan Smith and a player to be named
Outcome: Mariners finish 85-77
Aftermath: The Rays have built mini-empires off trading with Jerry Dipoto, though this one was pretty symbiotic. Seattle missed the playoffs last year but Arozarena is still producing at an All-Star level this year, even as Tampa Bay has largely readjusted its offense without him. Hopkins, a Futures Game selection, has made gains in the Rays pitching program and is now their No. 5 prospect, with 99 strikeouts in 81 innings and a 3.32 ERA in 18 Class AA starts. Smith, who turned 21 July 23, is No. 12 in the Rays’ system and trending well at Class AA, his 10 homers and 26 steals auguring a versatile offensive profile.
Guardians get: OF Lane Thomas
Nationals get: LHP Alex Clemmey, INF Rafael Ramirez Jr., INF Jose Tena
Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Nationals finish 71-91
Aftermath: Thomas hit an epic postseason home run in Cleveland, though his overall production tailed off switching leagues in the trade. The Nationals hit on Clemmey, a Futures Game participant who’s now their No. 5 prospect, but still has a long climb ahead from A ball. Tena has shown no power or speed and league-average hit ability in major league stints, while Ramirez has spent all season on the Class A injured list.
Guardians get: RHP Alex Cobb
Giants get: LHP Jacob Bresnahan and player to be named (INF Nate Furman)
Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Giants finish 80-82
Aftermath: Cobb didn’t pitch for the Giants in ’24 due to injury but made three effective starts down the stretch and started two playoff games for the Guardians, who won his ALDS outing against Detroit before he was injured again in the ALCS.
Bresnahan, 20, is ranked 16th in the Giants system and having a decent year in low A; Furman has yet to play in their system due to injury.
Royals get: RHP Michael Lorenzen
Rangers get: LHP Walter Pennington
Outcome: Rangers finish 78-84
Aftermath: In a weird buy-sell deadline for the Rangers, the Royals got the veteran arm they needed for a playoff drive as Lorenzen posted a 1.57 ERA down the stretch, joined the playoff bullpen and re-signed in K.C. Pennington made a one-game debut with the Rangers but was placed on waivers in April and claimed by Baltimore.
Diamondbacks get: LHP A.J. Puk
Marlins get: INF Deyvison De Los Santos, OF Andrew Pintar
Outcome: Diamondbacks finish 89-73, miss playoffs on tiebreaker
Aftermath: Puk pitched splendidly down the stretch for Arizona, but underwent an internal brace elbow reconstruction in June; he should recover to pitch in the 2026 second half before hitting free agency. Whle De Los Santos, now the Marlins’ No. 18 prospect, led all the minor leagues with 40 homers in 2025, his strikeout rate – 27% this year, with 11 homers – has long diminished his stature as a prospect. Pintar, 25, has reached Class AAA but is not on the 40-man roster.
The middling middle
Mariners get: DH/INF Justin Turner
Blue Jays get: OF RJ Schreck
Aftermath: Turner was solid (.363 OBP, .766 OPS) in 48 games with the Mariners and while they didn’t make the playoffs, his lasting impact was as hitting counselor for franchise player Cal Raleigh. Schreck, 24, is Toronto’s No. 16 prospect and has reached Class AA (.941 OPS in 41 games).
Mariners get: RHP Yimi Garcia
Blue Jays get: OF Jonatan Clase, C Jacob Sharp
Aftermath: Garcia was a decent high-leverage relief prize (2.70 ERA) at the deadline but didn’t pitch nearly as well (6.00) in 10 games with Seattle. For that, the Blue Jays got a utility guy who produced a 64 adjusted OPS in 112 plate appearances this year before heading to the minors, and a 23-year-old Class AA catcher with a .195 slugging percentage.
Brewers get: RHP Nick Mears
Rockies get: RHP Bradley Blalock, RHP Yujanyer Herrera
Outcome: Brewers lose in NL wild card; Rockies finish 61-101
Aftermath: Mears is still paying dividends for the ever-contending Brewers, with a 0.85 WHIP this year. Blalock has a 7.18 ERA in 14 games, 11 starts, for Colorado the past two years and has an 8.32 ERA at Class AAA. Herrera, 21, underwent Tommy John surgery in October.
Mets get: OF Jesse Winker
Nationals get: RHP Tyler Stuart
Outcome: Mets lose in NLCS
Aftermath: The vibes were good enough for Winker in New York, who goes back to childhood in Orlando with Francisco Lindor, that they re-upped him in the winter, and he’s produced at replacement level for a calendar year. Stuart, who turns 26 in October, is the Nationals’ No. 18 prospect but is out for the year with an elbow injury that’s limited him to 10 appearances.
Rangers get: C Carson Kelly
Tigers get: RHP Tyler Owens, C Liam Hicks
Aftermath: Kelly’s star turn wouldn’t come until he joined the Cubs this year; he provided an 84 adjusted OPS to Texas’ futile playoff run. Owens, 24, is Detroit’s 16th-ranked prospect and made three relief appearances this season, but has been hit hard in Class AAA Toledo’s pen.
Padres get: LHP Martín Pérez
Pirates get: LHP Ronaldys Jimenez
Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86
Aftermath: Pérez was a near-ideal deadline stopgap, pitching to a 3.46 ERA in 10 starts, though he did not make San Diego’s postseason rosters. Jimenez, 19, has a 4.28 ERA as a reliever for the Pirates’ Florida complex team.
Brewers get: RHP Frankie Montas
Reds get: RHP Jakob Junis, OF Joey Wiemer, cash
Outcome: Reds finish 77-85
Aftermath: The fifth trade of Montas’s career, he made 11 starts for the Brewers and one playoff start, his 3 ⅔ innings apparently convincing the Mets to give him an ill-advised contract last winter. Junis was on an expiring contract, while Wiemer played in two games for the Reds and was a throw-in in the winter deal sending Jonathan India to Kansas City for pitcher Brady Singer. He’s spent all season in Class AAA.
Diamondbacks get: RHP Dylan Floro
Nationals get: INF Andres Chaparro
Aftermath: Floro had a 2.06 ERA when the Nationals flipped him; he posted a 9.37 mark in 15 games with Arizona. Chaparro, 26, got three hits in his major league debut with Washington but batted .186 (24-for-132) since and has a .228/.333/.465 line at Class AAA.
Rangers get: LHP Andrew Chafin
Tigers get: RHP Joseph Montalvo, RHP Chase Lee
Aftermath: Yet another uncommon W for the Tigers, who deal a major league regular yet finish 34-19 and reach the playoffs while adding Lee, now their No. 15 prospect and a reliable (1.05 WHIP) member of their big league bullpen.
Yankees get: RHP Mark Leiter Jr.
Cubs get: INF Ben Cowles, RHP Jack Neely
Outcome: Cubs finish 83-79
Aftermath: A classic get-us-an-arm deal, Leiter provided the Yankees a relief body and was actually better (1.98 ERA) in the postseason than the regular season (4.98). Cowles, 25, has a .233/.296/.379 line at Class AAA; Neely made six relief appearances for the Cubs last season but has a 6.91 ERA in AAA.
Smaller potatoes
Red Sox get: RHP Luis Garcia
Angels get: RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, CF Matthew Lugo, RHP Yeferson Vargas, 1B/DH Niko Kavadas
Outcome: Red Sox finish 81-81
Aftermath: A classic modern Red Sox half-measure, where they don’t really sell but also don’t buy anything of significance and leave fans wondering what the point was. Garcia logged an 8.22 ERA in 15 games; while the Red Sox basically gave the Angels a bunch of guys, Zeferjahn, Lugo and Kavadas have made their major league debuts, with Lugo a potentially useful utility player. Warm bodies, anyway, more than the Red Sox can now say about Garcia.
Red Sox get: C Danny Jansen
Blue Jays get: SS Eddinson Paulino, INF Cutter Coffey, RHP Gilberto Batista
Aftermath: See above. Jansen capped off the worst year of his career by hitting .188 in 30 games for Boston. None of the Jays’ acquisitions rank in their top 30, and only Paulino, a 155-pound 23-year-old, is playing above A ball.
Mets get: RHP Huascar Brazoban
Marlins get: OF Wilfredo Lara
Aftermath: Brazoban was good (2.90 ERA) for the Marlins, bad (5.14, no playoff run) for the Mets, though he’s still around as a sentient member of the Mets’ bullpen, striking out a batter an inning. Lara, 21, has a .203/.300/.326 line at high A.
Pirates get: INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Blue Jays get: OF Charles McAdoo
Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86; Blue Jays finish 74-88
Aftermath: Hey, remember the time the Pirates were buyers, kind of? Yeah, we don’t, either. But Pittsburgh was 55-52 before finishing 21-34 and just two games ahead of Toronto – which added who’s now its 20th-ranked prospect in McAdoo, 23, who has a .749 OPS and 10 homers at Class AA.
Pirates get: LHP Jalen Beeks
Rockies get: LHP Luis Peralta
Aftermath: Those swashbucklin’ Pirates were active at the deadline, though Beeks produced a 1.79 WHIP in 26 games for them. Peralta has made 24 relief appearances over two sesons with the Rockies but has a 10.72 ERA at Class AAA this year.
∘∘
Mets get: RHP Paul Blackburn
Athletics get: RHP Kade Morris
Aftermath: Blackburn was hurt before this deal and also this year but was a five-start stopgap for the NLCS finalists. Meanwhile, the A’s coached up Morris, 23, into their No. 8 overall prospect after a strong half season at Class AA.
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Diamondbacks get: 1B Josh Bell
Marlins get: Cash considerations
Aftermath: The “or player to be named later” never showed up so this was just a cash dump; Nationals fans should have similar expectations with Bell on the block once again, though he did have a .796 OPS in Arizona’s failed playoff drive.
Source: USA Today| The Guardian | AOL | Yahoo Sports
