Perhaps you are a fan of the NBA that doesn’t pay much attention to the offseason. Let’s take a look at the best veteran newcomer on each Western Conference team. (The best veteran newcomer on each Eastern Conference team can be found here.) Rookies were excluded.
The Best Veteran Newcomer On Each Western Conference Team
Dallas Mavericks – Klay Thompson
Yes, if you haven’t been paying attention to the offseason, Klay Thompson is no longer with the Warriors. Thompson was a member of four championship winning teams with Golden State since being drafted by them in 2011. The 34-year-old may have slowed down a bit, but he still remains one of the biggest threats from downtown and led the league with 92.7% free-throw accuracy in 2023-24.
Denver Nuggets – Russell Westbrook
The all-time triple-double king Russell Westbrook is heading to Denver to play with the current triple-double master, Nikola Jokic. While Westbrook certainly isn’t stuffing the box score as he did in his earlier days, he still puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. Turning 36 on November 12, Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 22.5 minutes per contest with the Clippers in 2023-24.
Golden State Warriors – De’Anthony Melton
De’Anthony Melton or Buddy Hield? Both ended last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Let’s give the edge to Melton who started 91 of his 115 appearances with Philadelphia the last two seasons. The 26-year-old has reached double-digit scoring averages each of the past three seasons.
Houston Rockets – Steven Adams
Maybe this is cheating a little bit since the Rockets traded for Steven Adams in February of last season. He hasn’t yet played for Houston though after missing all of last season with a knee injury. The 31-year-old has been one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and averaged 5.1 on the offensive glass in 2022-23 with Memphis.
Los Angeles Clippers – Derrick Jones Jr.
Now 27 years old, Derrick Jones Jr. was the starting small forward for a Dallas team that reached the NBA Finals last season. Entering his ninth season, Jones Jr. averaged a career-high of 8.6 points in 2023-24. He also shot a career-best 34.3% from beyond the arc last season.
Los Angeles Lakers – Christian Koloko
Selected 33rd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Christian Koloko started 19 games as a rookie for the Toronto Raptors in 2022-23. Unfortunately, blood clot issues sidelined the 24-year-old for the entire 2023-24 season. He is still waiting to be cleared to play again after signing a two-way contract with the Lakers.
Memphis Grizzlies – Jay Huff
Memphis didn’t sign a newcomer to a standard contract. They will instead be relying on better health from players such as Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Jay Huff, signed on a two-way deal, is really the only option to choose. He has appeared in 31 games over the last three seasons with three different teams (Lakers, Wizards, and Nuggets).
Minnesota Timberwolves – Julius Randle
In his five seasons with the New York Knicks, Julius Randle was named an All-Star three times and made two All-NBA teams. Turning 30 on November 29, Randle was shipped to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster trade. Over the last four seasons, Randle has averaged 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
New Orleans Pelicans – Dejounte Murray
Named an All-Star in 2021-22, Dejounte Murray was acquired by Atlanta in the following offseason. The backcourt pairing with Trae Young never quite worked out, and Murray has again been dealt, this time to New Orleans. In 78 games last season, the 28-year-old posted averages of 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Isaiah Hartenstein
This could be Alex Caruso too, but the slight edge goes to Isaiah Hartenstein. The seven-footer agreed to a three-year, $87 million contract with Oklahoma City after a career-best season with the Knicks. The 26-year-old is an excellent passer for his size and has become one of the better rim protectors as well.
Phoenix Suns – Tyus Jones
The Suns went last season without a true lead guard, and they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Phoenix signed Tyus Jones in the offseason, surprisingly to a veteran’s minimum deal. That should turn out to be a steal for the Suns after the 28-year-old averaged career-bests of 12.0 points and 7.3 assists with the Washington Wizards in 2023-24.
Portland Trail Blazers – Deni Avdija
Selected ninth in the 2020 NBA Draft, Deni Avdija was traded to Portland from Washington in the offseason. Avdija should slide into the starting small forward slot after starting 75 games for the Wizards last season. The 23-year-old finished fourth in Most Improved Player voting in 2023-24 after averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
Sacramento Kings – DeMar DeRozan
Ranking 31st in NBA history with 23,582 career points, DeMar DeRozan is entering his first season with the Kings. The 35-year-old has averaged more than 20 points each of the last 11 seasons. DeRozan led the league averaging 37.8 minutes per outing last season with the Chicago Bulls.
San Antonio Spurs – Chris Paul
Now 39 years old, Chris Paul certainly is no longer the player who was seen as one of the best point guards of all-time, as he was in his prime. He is still coming off a season with Golden State where he had more than a five-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. Paul should be providing plenty of easy buckets for the Spurs star player, Victor Wembanyama.
Utah Jazz – Drew Eubanks
Drew Eubanks signed a two-year, $9.75 million contract with Utah in the offseason. The 27-year-old has mostly been used as a reserve center in his six NBA seasons. In 2023-24 with the Suns, Eubanks averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game.
