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Western Conference: Roundup of deals

:Headline: Western Conference: Roundup of deals: ID:169732: from db_amp
Sports Mole takes a look at the business completed by the Western Conference sides so far this summer.

NBA general managers have been busy all summer attempting to build the right team for a successful season.

Below, Sports Mole continues its look at the deals concluded by the teams by rounding up the business completed in the Western Conference.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors

New head coach Steve Kerr will be looking to continue the improvements made by Mark Jackson last season, and he has made his mark by bringing in experienced duo Shaun Livingston and Brandon Rush.

Los Angeles Clippers

It was the Clippers who won the race to convince Spencer Hawes to sign after interest from a number of other franchises. There was a clear need for Doc Rivers to add another guard to his roster, and he reacted by bringing in Jordan Farmar on a two-year deal.

Los Angeles Lakers

The key for the Lakers could be the fitness of Kobe Bryant following another season battling injuries, but the backroom staff are attempting to ease the pressure on the returning veteran. Julius Randle arrived as the seventh pick in the NBA Draft, while the deals for Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin will add crucial scoring options to Byron Scott's team.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns managed to offload Alex Oriakhi in a sign-and-trade deal which saw them acquire Isaiah Thomas from the Sacramento Kings to add a proven scorer to their roster.

However, the future of Eric Bledsoe remains unclear as he continues to consider offers from other teams, despite Phoenix's eagerness to retain the 24-year-old.

Sacramento Kings

The departure of Thomas produces a big hole on the court for Sacramento, but Mike Malone will be hopeful that Darren Collison can hit his best form after leaving the Clippers. Former University of Michigan guard Nik Stauskas arrives with a big reputation, which earned him a spot as the ninth pick in the Draft.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas was considered a potential new home for Carmelo Anthony before his decision to stay in New York forced the franchise to look at other targets, but Knicks duo Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton did make the switch to the Mavericks.

Chandler Parsons moved across Texas after appearing to drop down the pecking order with the Houston Rockets, and Rick Carlisle will be confident that he can make a big impact alongside Dirk Nowitzki, who also signed a new three-year deal.

Houston Rockets

It's been a summer of frustration for the Rockets as interest in LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh came to nothing, and the departure of Parsons increased the need for the franchise to enter the trade market.

Houston responded well as they acquired Washington Wizards guard Trevor Ariza in a multi-player trade which also included the New Orleans Pelicans.

Memphis Grizzlies

A dramatic game-seven defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder prevented the Grizzlies from progressing past the first round of the playoffs, but there didn't appear to be a big reason to change their roster.

The crucial piece of business has already been concluded, with Zach Randolph signing a new contract last month, while Jordan Adams arrived in Tennessee via the Draft.

New Orleans Pelicans

No big changes are expected in New Orleans, but making sure they were involved in the Ariza-to-Houston trade proved to be beneficial, with Omer Asik completing his move to the Pelicans.

San Antonio Spurs

Head coach Gregg Popovich committed his future to San Antonio once again by signing a new contract, while the franchise's hierarchy ensured that Tony Parker, Patty Mills and Matt Bonner all received extensions.

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets

Arron Afflalo spent just two seasons in Orlando after leaving the Nuggets, and the deal to bring him back to Colorado has been seen as one of the best trades of the summer.

Evan Fournier departed as part of the trade, while Erick Green, Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris have all signed deals with Denver.

Minnesota Timberwolves

It could be a season of transition following the retirement of head coach Rick Adelman, and the summer of challenges are not over for his replacement Flip Saunders.

A lot will depend on the future of Kevin Love, who is being courted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as they look begin a new era of success with LeBron James, but any potential deal is likely to see number one pick Andrew Wiggins move to Minnesota.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma don't need to fix something that is broke. MVP Kevin Durant will be the main man once again, and having a fully fit Russell Westbrook operating for the whole seasons means that they are title contenders once again.

However, there has been some business completed, with Sebastian Telfair and Anthony Morrow joining Draft pick Josh Huestis in signing deals with the franchise.

Portland Trail Blazers

The big challenge for Portland will be to go one step further than the semi-finals of the Western Conference, and a lack of experience has been addressed this summer, with Chris Kaman and Steve Blake both signing two-year contracts.

Utah Jazz

Plenty of people will be tuning in to watch the Jazz early in the season as they look to find out just how well Dante Exum can do in the NBA. The Australian was selected with the fifth pick in the Draft, but some experts believed that may have been a spot too low.

However, making sure Gordon Hayward signed for another four years could be the most important piece of business as Utah look to improve last season's 25-57 record.

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