The most anticipate summer in NBA free agency history is just about wrapped up. Josh Howard and Shaquille O’Neal are still out there, they should make a impact with whatever team offers them a deal but for the most part all the drama, rumors and anticipation is finally over. The only thing left to do is grade the teams that made the biggest and/or no improvements since July 1^st.

The Good

Miami Heat: A++
This grade seems to be pretty obvious. I think we can all agree that the Heat are favorites to win next year’s NBA Championship. With the addition of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and keeping Dwayne Wade this team will be the favorite to win the next four-to-six years.

One of the most interesting and odd contracts to be offered this summer were by the Heat. GM Pat Riley offered Joe Anthony a contract worth $18 million. This is odd because the 6-foot-9 Center out of UNLV averaged 2.7 points and 3.1 rebounds last year. He is a undersized Center at 6-9, 245 pounds. The added 14-year vet Zydrunas Ilgauskas to back Anthony up who followed LBJ from Cleveland where he spent all of this 14 professional years.

Key Additions: LBJ, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Key Losses: Michael Beasley

Chicago Bulls: B+
Fans and critics seem to think since the Bulls didn’t land LBJ that it was a failure, I disagree. The Bulls got 2-time All-Star Carlos Boozer. Boozer has spent the last six seasons in Utah battling some injuries but consistently averaging a double-double each night.

He will fit well within their system and team. The Bulls already had a lot of young talent (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng) and ended up with a much better team than the one they had at the end of April. The Bulls front office also added sharp shooter, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer (who also came with Boozer via Utah) and CJ Watson.

Before the trade deadline last year the Bulls traded John Salmons to Milwaukee and Kirk Hinrich to the Washington Wizards in order to get Boozer, Korver, Brewer, Watson and a second-round pick.

Key Additions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer

Key Losses: None

The Bad

New Jersey Nets: D
New Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Rap Mogul Jay-Z couldn’t get LeBron to make the leap to New Jersey. LBJ wanted to win now and took less money rather than starting over with New Jersey but make more. I give the Nets a D because they couldn’t get one big name in this summer’s pool of free agents. It’s not to say they didn’t upgrade, which they did just not enough to get them out of “The Bad” category. First round draft pick (3^rd overall), Derek Favors, is raw talent and will begin to learn how to loose.

Given the addition to a big time scorer in a trade or perhaps next summer’s free agency could put the Nets back on the map.

Key Additions: Jordan Farmer, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw

Key Losses: Chris Douglas-Roberts

Golden State Warriors: D+
The Warriors got new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and made an instant splash by acquiring in a sign-n-trade with the New York Knicks. This isn’t to say I like the Lee deal (I love the Knicks), but he'll be a heck of a pick-and-roll partner with Stephen Curry. If the Warriors can find some defensive players to put around those two, especially a tough center, and convince a dumb franchise that Monta Ellis is really good (look at his scoring averages the last three years), the rebuilding period may be brief.

Key Additions: David Lee

Key Losses: Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Morrow

The Not so Ugly

New York Knicks: B
The Knicks made the front page first by getting Amar’e Stoudemire to reunite with his x-coach from their Phoenix days, Mike D’Antonio. Stoudemire signed a huge 5-year, $100 million dollar contract. New York City and the Knicks thought with the signing of Stoudemire he would help lure LBJ to New York, he didn’t. They did indeed upgrade at the point guard position with the signing of Raymond Felton to replace Chris Duhon. Felton fits perfectly in Coach D’Antonio’s face paced offense. The next step in the Knicks rebuilding process is to add All-Star, Caremlo Anthony.

Key Additions: Amar’e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike

Key Losses: David Lee

Milwaukee Bucks: C+
Human free throw machine Corey Maggette gives them the kind of shot-creating scorer that they desperately needed a year ago, and he cost them nothing. He has his faults, but fans overlook how effective a scorer he is because so many of his points come via the relatively uninteresting free throw.

Drew Gooden was another solid get, providing a massive upgrade from age-less vet, Kurt Thomas and Dan Gadzuric a year ago. Ideally his deal would be a year or two shorter, but given what other teams paid for front-court talent, the Bucks still got a good price. Meanwhile, keeping John Salmons was crucial, unfortunately expensive in this market. Remember, teams over the cap have an incentive to overpay their own free agents since it's impossible to replace them, so from that perspective Salmons' price makes sense.

Milwaukee's end-of-roster moves were just as strong. Jon Brockman was flat-out stolen from Sacramento for a second-round pick after leading the NBA in offensive rebound rate last year. Chris Douglas-Roberts also cost the Bucks a second-rounder, but fills a need by giving them another wing that can score. Keyon Dooling can’t replace what Luke Ridnour gave them a year ago, but that was the one sacrifice they had to make to pull off the other moves.

Key Additions: Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden, CDR, Jon Brockman

Key Losses: Luke Ridnour

Cash Scott for Citadel Digital © 2010