1 of 14

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

30. Sacramento Kings

Improved organizational stability and a beefed up scouting department didn't prevent the Kings from bumbling through yet another curious offseason. The decision to select Marvin Bagley III at No. 2 overall looked foolish from the outset, and Bagley's 33.3 percent shooting in summer league (before a pelvic bone bruise ended his participation) didn't do much to dispel the idea that the Kings reached for the wrong guy.

Luka Doncic was right there waiting for them, and even if he wasn't their preferred target, the Kings could have telegraphed an intent to pick him that would have netted them a sweet trade offer. That's what the Atlanta Hawks did, and they earned a 2019 first-round pick for their trouble.

Instead of using cap space to absorb bad money with assets attached, the Kings took a wild swing at restricted free agent Zach LaVine, only to be bailed out when the Chicago Bulls recklessly matched the four-year, $78 million offer sheet. Sacramento then turned to Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, two players it managed to sign after they'd appeared to reach deals with other teams.

General manager Vlade Divac may bear responsibility for some of the worst trades in modern NBA history, and he's definitely the reason the Kings don't own their 2019 first-rounder, but at least he's shown the ability to woo targets seemingly committed elsewhere. That's something, at least.

29. Memphis Grizzlies

Several figures in Memphis' front office have been around a long time; general manager Chris Wallace's tenure started way back in 2007. Rather than relitigate every move of the last decade, we'll judge this brain trust on the more recent past.

Almost all of which has been bad.

Chandler Parsons' $94 million contract has been an abject disaster, enormous deals for Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are already aging poorly, Tyreke Evans walked for nothing after Memphis failed to trade him, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff remains in charge after a a 15-48 record as interim head coach.

At least stretchy, defensive-minded big Jaren Jackson Jr. looks like the right pick at No. 4. That means Memphis could have its first star-caliber selection since Conley in 2007.

28. Charlotte Hornets

Mitch Kupchak replaced former GM Rich Cho in April, which gives us yet another limited sample to judge.

Kupchak's biggest move was canning Steve Clifford in favor of former Spurs assistant and one-time Magic head coach James Borrego.

The Hornets are perhaps the NBA's most consistent mediocrity treadmill runners, which means that even after Kupchak moved on from Dwight Howard, the roster is still full of hefty deals for veterans. Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller are all playing on above-market contracts.

None of that is Kupchak's fault. And trading Kemba Walker, which the Hornets should do despite the All-Star guard's professions of commitment, may not be allowed by ownership. Tax-averse and enamored with names (which partially explains the addition of Tony Parker on a two-year deal), Charlotte's ownership group makes life difficult on a GM.

Kupchak, the front-office equivalent of a coaching retread, has a tough job ahead of him. Based on how poorly he ran things at the end of his tenure with the Lakers, it's difficult to be optimistic.

27. Cleveland Cavaliers

We can't penalize general manager Koby Altman for failing to mend fences between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving last summer, but it's fair to knock him for indirectly clearing a path for James to join the Lakers with that ill-fated deadline blockbuster in February.

The Collin Sexton pick was reasonable, but extending Kevin Love for four more years at $120 million feels like a massive risk. At least the Cavs timed the extension in such a way that Love can be traded at this year's deadline.

Ultimately, running a franchise that includes James (always the most powerful figure in the organization) is almost impossible. Altman and the Cavaliers front office can now start conducting business in a more conventional environment. A year from now, we'll have a much better idea of where this group ranks.

26. Detroit Pistons

Stan Van Gundy and Jeff Bowers were the ones who gave fat deals to Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, and the desperate trade for Blake Griffin (on an awful contract) was a classic "save our jobs" gambit. Almost everything wrong with the Pistons, then, falls at the feet of the failed regime now deposed by owner Tom Gores. Top personnel man Ed Stefanski is running things now.

The Pistons still don't have a team president or a general manager, and the new front office's only moves of note include hiring head coach Dwane Casey, drafting theoretical three-and-D wings Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown Jr. and signing Glenn Robinson III to an above-market deal.

Stefanski has been in NBA management roles for various teams since 1998, though his track record is spotty at best. Hiring Casey before installing a GM feels risky, but it's ultimately too early to know how this front office will perform. So if this ranking feels low, take heart in knowing it's a lot better than the No. 29 spot that would have gone to the Van Gundy-Bowers pairing.