theScore Ranks 30 NBA Teams by Top Offseason Additions After 2026 Draft

Q: Kawhi to Toronto, Ja to Portland: which high-risk superstar gamble will ultimately pay off?

Kawhi Leonard to Toronto looks more likely to pay off. Toronto’s bet is easier to justify because the upside is clear and the fit is clean. Leonard is coming off a strong season, averaging 27.9 points, and he already proved he can be the missing piece for this franchise. The Raptors were a solid team last season, and pairing Leonard with Scottie Barnes gives them a high-end two-way foundation. The main risk is familiar: Leonard is 35 and has a long injury history. But if he is available in the playoffs, Toronto’s path to real contention is obvious. Portland’s Ja Morant gamble has a wider range of outcomes and more ways to fail. Morant is still only 26 and, at his best, is an All-Star-level engine. That is why the acquisition is tempting, especially if the price was modest. But the concerns are heavier than with Leonard: repeated injuries, recent decline in efficiency, suspension history, and a more awkward roster fit. Portland is also trying to balance Morant with Damian Lillard’s timeline while integrating younger guards, which makes the project less straightforward. The difference is that Toronto is betting mostly on health, while Portland is betting on health, behavior, consistency, and fit all at once. That makes the Raptors’ gamble the safer and more credible one. Morant may still deliver the bigger surprise if he fully resets his career, but based on the available evidence, Leonard’s return to Toronto is the move more likely to produce meaningful winning.

Q: With Giannis in Miami and Brown in Philly, has the East's power balance decisively shifted?

Yes — the East has shifted materially, but not so decisively that it has a clear new ruler. Miami and Philadelphia made the two biggest moves in the conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo gives the Heat the kind of top-end force they have lacked for years, and his arrival pushed Miami’s title odds from roughly 30-1 to 18-1. He also removes Milwaukee from the East’s top tier entirely, since the Bucks are now widely viewed as a rebuilding team. That alone changes the conference map. Philadelphia’s addition of Jaylen Brown is similarly significant. Brown arrives off a career year and gives the 76ers a much higher ceiling next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, while also allowing Philadelphia to move off Paul George’s contract. The market reaction was strong: the Sixers’ Finals odds improved from 60-1 to about 22-1. Just as important, Boston took a step back by losing Brown and replacing him with an older George, a move many analysts see as lowering the Celtics’ playoff ceiling. But “decisively” may overstate it. The Knicks remain a major factor, Detroit is coming off a 67-win season, Cleveland is still stable, and Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard reunion adds another wild card. Miami also carries real risk because Giannis is 31 with recent injury concerns, while Philadelphia still depends heavily on Embiid’s health. So the balance of power has clearly been redistributed. The East is more open, less Boston- and Milwaukee-centric, and much deeper at the top — but not settled.

3 articles · Updated · theScore · Jul 10

Philadelphia and Miami got the biggest boosts in theScore’s post-draft, post-free-agency rankings, with Jaylen Brown pushing the 76ers into the title mix and Giannis Antetokounmpo making the Heat immediate contenders.
San Antonio, which reached the Finals in June, stayed near the top by adding Tobias Harris, while defending champion Oklahoma City strengthened its depth with 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara.
Several notable moves centered on frontcourt help: Boston signed Mitchell Robinson for three years and $47 million, Dallas added Santi Aldama, and the Lakers paid heavily for Walker Kessler on a four-year, $130 million deal.
The rankings also flagged high-variance swings, including Toronto’s reunion with Kawhi Leonard, Portland’s bet on Ja Morant rediscovering All-Star form, and Minnesota’s gamble on a LaMelo Ball-Anthony Edwards backcourt.
At the rebuilding end, Sacramento was urged to prioritize No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr., while Washington pinned hope on No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa after eight straight losing seasons.