With most of the major moves of the NBA offseason complete. It’s time to evaluate how each team fared. Let’s dive into NBA offseason grades for each Eastern Conference team. The same list for the Western Conference can be found here.
Grading Every Eastern Conference Team’s Offseason
Atlanta Hawks: B-
The Hawks had an intriguing offseason. They drafted Zaccharie Risacher. with the No.1 overall pick. He projects to be immediately impactful as a three-point shooter and has defensive upside. Risacher isn’t seen to have star potential but is a safer prospect as a tall shooter in the mold of Michael Porter Jr. The Hawks also traded Dejounte Murray in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, and two first-round picks. Look for Daniels and last year’s first-round pick Kobe Bufkin to make significant impacts. These moves don’t necessarily make the Hawks better from a talent standpoint. However, from a fit standpoint, they did especially around their star Trae Young.
Boston Celtics: A-
After an NBA championship, the Celtics didn’t have many areas of improvement. They elected to bring back virtually the same roster. The only addition is their first-round pick Baylor Scheierman who projects as an NBA-ready wing with a knack for shooting. Nevertheless, it’s unclear how much he will play as a rookie. Crucially, the Celtics extended Jayson Tatum to a record-breaking supermax and Derrick White to a four-year $126 million deal locking up their full core as a result. The Celtics also extended Sam Hauser and re-signed Xavier Tillman, Luke Kornet, and Neemias Queta. Boston now has the most expensive roster in NBA history but that’s the price you have to pay for greatness.
While this isn’t factored into the Celtics offseason grade it’s worth noting owner Wyc Grousbeck put the team up for sale. Ultimately, the Celtics were able to retain their championship-winning core and are still title favorites after this offseason.
Brooklyn Nets: A
The Nets decided to hit the full rebuild button by trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for five first-round picks. Brooklyn is poised to get a top pick in the 2025 draft. Bottoming out and cashing in on Bridges is a smart decision. The Nets won’t be good for several years but a youth movement gives them the best chance for eventually returning to title contention. Additionally, the Nets recovered some of their own picks in a trade with the Rockets. This offseason significantly moved the Nets in the right direction setting them up for future success.
Charlotte Hornets: B
The Hornets’ offseason was largely uneventful. Their two biggest moves were drafting Tidjane Salaun at pick six and re-signing Miles Bridges. While many were surprised at the Hornets selecting Salaun, he has incredible upside as a versatile two-way wing. Salaun will be a key piece of the Hornets’ rebuild. A week into free agency the Hornets re-signed Bridges to a three-year $75 million dollar deal. Given how late of a signing this was you have to wonder who were the Hornets competing against? Bridges is highly controversial due to a domestic violence case, many people believe he should be out of the league entirely. The Hornets also acquired Josh Green from the Mavericks the 23-year-old wing could shine with more opportunities.
Chicago Bulls: C+
The Bulls, finally committed to rebuilding through several moves however it came far too late. Notably, they traded Alex Caruso to the Thunder and DeMar DeRozan via a sign-trade with the Kings. The Bulls should have traded DeRozan before the trade deadline or last summer to get some real value for him. However, the sign-trade only gave the Bulls two second-round picks and Chris Duarte.
Nevertheless, the Bulls now have a young core of Coby White, Josh Giddey, and 11th overall pick Matas Buzelis. This group projects to be a young fast-paced core. Many would criticize the fact that Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have yet to be traded. However, their value, especially LaVine’s, is not high so they might be worth holding onto at least to start the year. Chicago notably signed young wing Patrick Williams to a five-year 90 million dollar extension. While this is a bet on Williams’ development it’s a risk worth taking as the Bulls enter a rebuild.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B-
The top Eastern Conference teams improved while the Cavs stayed the same. Notably, the Cavs didn’t sign a single free agent. Sure the Kenny Atkinson hire is a nice move and he is a creative offensive mind. Jaylon Tyson is a great draft pick as a well-rounded young wing. Additionally, the Cavs extended Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. In many ways, it makes sense to keep this core together. However, the fit between the core our of Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, and Darius Garland. might not be good enough to win multiple playoff series. Having two non-spacing bigs is the biggest problem and Allen is the one who should have been dealt given Mobley’s upside. Nevertheless, it’s worth giving this group another chance under a new coach but they could have at least made another move. Ultimately offseason is a massive bet on Mobley’s upside and offensive development especially as a shooter.
Detroit Pistons: B+
The Pistons made some great moves clearing house in their front office bringing in Trajan Langdon as their new General Manager. They also fired head coach Monty Williams after just one season and despite a massive contract number. The Pistons brought in former Cavs coach J.B Bickerstaff as his replacement who is a well-known developmental coach. An underrated move is hiring shooting guru Fred Vinson who could greatly help the Pistons’ young core who struggles with shooting. The Pistons ranked 29th in three-pointers made this past season.
The Pistons also gave Cade Cunningham a max extension. In free agency, the Pistons spent the majority of their cap space on Tobias Harris’ two-year $52 million dollar contract. Harris will help the Pistons with floor spacing, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. will also give them more shooting. Re-signing Simone Fontecchio was another smart move that improves Detroit’s floor spacing. The Pistons’ fifth overall pick Ron Holland notably struggles with shooting making his selection slightly questionable given the team-wide struggle with shooting. However, Holland has plenty of upside as a two-way wing.
Indiana Pacers: B+
After a surprising Eastern Conference Finals run the Pacers weren’t expected to make any big moves and they didn’t. The Pacers crucially re-signed Pascal Siakam to a four-year $189 million deal. Siakam gave the Pacers a new element as an elite all-around forward. The Pacers also re-signed Obi Toppin to a very fair four-year $60 million dollar contract. They also signed James Wiseman who will give them solid big man depth with some upside. Ultimately, even if they can’t fully replicate their success the Pacers’ focus on continuity is a wise decision after the promising season they had.
Miami Heat: C-
The Heat didn’t make any significant offseason moves. Their biggest moves included drafting Kel’el Ware at pick 15 and Pelle Larsson at 44 as well as signing Alec Burks in free agency. Ware is a quality young backup to Bam Adebayo with plenty of upside while Burks provides needed perimeter depth. Caleb Martin left the team to sign with the 76ers his all-around contributions will be greatly missed. After back-to-back seasons as an 8-seed, the Heat needed to pick a clear direction this offseason. Yes, they did make an incredible finals run in 2023 but that can not be expected every year especially as the East keeps improving. Many were expecting a Jimmy Butler trade and a Heat roster reset. While it’s fine they didn’t go this route, opting to run it back with virtually the same roster is beyond questionable.
Milwaukee Bucks: C+
As every team got better around them the Bucks didn’t do much. The first season of the Giannis Antetokounmpo–Damian Lillard pairing had its fair share of challenges. Milwaukee needed some roster shake-ups as a result. The Bucks 19th ranked defense was a consistent concern especially their lack of point-of-attack defenders. Their notable moves were signing Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright while drafting AJ Johnson at pick 27 and Tyler Smith at 33. Trent is an ideal replacement for Malik Beasley. Johnson is a puzzling pick for a Bucks team needing win-now reinforcements as he is a raw wing with tons of upside. Ultimately, by opting to not make any major roster changes the Bucks are taking a big risk.
New York Knicks: A-
The Knicks made one of the more impactful moves of the offseason by trading for Mikal Bridges. While the price of six-first-round picks is quite high the move is well worth it as the Knicks are now legitimate title contenders. Bridges and OG Anunoby are two of the league’s best wing defenders making them a nightmare playoff matchup. Adding another creator, and elite defender next to star point guard Jalen Brunson is ideal for the Knicks. The Knicks were able to re-sign Anunoby to a hefty five-year $212 million dollar deal.
Additionally, the Knicks were able to extend Brunson on a bargain deal. Brunson took a historic $113 million dollar pay cut and has one of the best-value contracts in the league. Unfortunately in free agency, the Knicks lost high-quality big man Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder giving them a noticeable void at the center position. The Knicks’ remaining centers are Mitchell Robinson and recently re-signed Precious Achiuwa. Both are solid bigs but Robinson’s injury history and Achiuwa’s lack of size (6-foot-8) are concerning. Nevertheless by adding Bridges the Knicks had one of the best offseasons and are now a top-five level team in the league.
Orlando Magic: A
Orlando’s need for a perimeter shooting was apparent heading into the offseason. Notably, last season the Magic ranked last in three-pointers made, and 28th in three-pointers attempted. The Magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year 66 million-dollar deal. KCP is one of the best 3-and-D players in the league and has incredible experience as a two-time NBA champion.
Last season KCP shot 40 percent from three, his presence will elevate Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner’s games giving them a dependable shooter to find on kickouts. His fit next to Jalen Suggs defensively is also exciting as they are two of the best perimeter defenders in the league. The Magic extended Wagner to a five-year $224 million dollar contract. This might seem like a big contract but it’s worth the price to keep one of Orlando’s key young players. Additionally, the Magic drafted Tristan Da Silva at pick 18 who is a well-rounded NBA-ready wing. Ultimately, the Magic upgraded their roster in a real way and are poised to build off their stellar 2023-24 season.
Philadelphia 76ers: A-
With over $60 million dollars in cap space, it’s no surprise that the 76ers made some meaningful upgrades. Their biggest move was landing nine-time All-Star Paul George who was their top free agent target. The Sixers and George agreed to a four-year $211 million dollar contract. George is a perfect fit as a wing creator and high-level defender. The Sixers are now a potential top-three team in the East and have a roster that could compete for the title. There are some legitimate concerns about George’s fit given his advanced age of 34 and extensive injury history paired with Embiid’s injury issues. Regardless, signing George is a no-brainer given the upside of this move. Other notable moves for the Sixers include signing Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond, re-signing Kelly Oubre, extending Tyrese Maxey, and drafting Jared McCain at pick 16.
Toronto Raptors: B
The Raptors had a forgettable offseason. Their biggest moves were drafting Ja’Kobe Walter at pick 19 as well as extending Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley. Walter offers plenty of upside as a young 3-and-D wing who was once considered a lottery lock. Extending Barnes to a five-year $224 million deal was a no-brainer decision as he is the Raptors franchise cornerstone entering a rebuild. Quickley’s five-year $175 million dollar extension isn’t terrible value as the 25-year microwave scorer could reach another level in his game however, the deal is somewhat risky. The Raptors also traded for Davion Mitchell who could reignite his career with them.
Washington Wizards: B
The Wizards added some much-needed young talent to their core this offseason. They drafted three first-round picks, including Alex Sarr No.2 overall, Carlton “Bub” Carrington at pick 14, and Kyshawn George at pick 24. Sarr has the most star potential and projects to be a franchise cornerstone nevertheless all three of these players are important to the Wizards’ future.
The Wizards got good value when they traded Deni Avdija to the Blazers including the 14th overall pick which became Carrington and Malcolm Brogdon who will be a solid veteran presence. However, trading a 23-year-old coming off a career year is a puzzling move for a rebuilding squad. The Wizards should have instead tried to trade Kyle Kuzma or Jordan Poole, especially Kuzma as his value is far higher. The Wizards also signed big man Jonas Valanciunas to a three-year $30 million dollar deal and Saddiq Bey to a three-year $19 million dollar contract. Valanciunas will be a solid veteran presence and mentor to Sarr while Bey is a low-risk high-reward pick-up.
