We are nearing the midway point between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of training camp, and most of the league’s offseason business is done. A dwindling contingent of players, including Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard and Markelle Fultz, remains unsigned, but it is unlikely any of them swings a championship.
So we feel comfortable issuing report cards for each of the Eastern Conference’s 15 teams. Here goes …
The Hawks lucked into the No. 1 overall pick, moving nine spots up in the lottery, and from there it is difficult to earn a bad offseason grade. They pegged Risacher as the best prospect in an underwhelming draft class. The 6-foot-9 wing is heralded for his defense, and he shot 38.7% from 3-point range for his French league team last season. Theoretically, he fills a position of need on a Trae Young-heavy roster.
Atlanta deemed its Young-Murray backcourt a failure two years into the experiment and dealt Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hawks did a decent job recouping the assets they traded for Murray, securing two first-round draft picks in addition to Daniels, Nance and Zeller. The 21-year-old Daniels, a top-10 pick in 2022, is full of potential, and the veteran Nance will be a benefit both on and off the court.
GRADE: B
What do we want from a champion? A legitimate title defense, and the Celtics have gotten the band back together with aplomb. They returned every member of the rotation but Oshae Brissett, who could still re-sign. Kornet and Tillman already opted to return on minimum deals. An injection of Scheierman, the final pick of the first round, should also inspire some healthy competition among the team’s reserves.
Extensions for Tatum and White locked up Boston’s top six for next season and its vaunted starting lineup for at least the next two seasons. Tatum’s contract was a foregone conclusion. White and Hauser accepted slight discounts from what they could have earned next summer, when they were eligible to become free agents. The Celtics’ tax bill will soar in 2025, but that is a concern for a different day — or someone else, if you are the team’s ownership group, which announced its intent to sell the storied franchise.
GRADE: A
Claxton is an average starting center, so a near-nine-figure deal for solid defense and limited offense feels steep, but the Nets likely could return equal value if they decide to move the 25-year-old’s contract.
The big news of Brooklyn’s summer was the Bridges trade, and the Nets managed to extract a king’s ransom from the New York Knicks, receiving the rights to six first-round draft picks in return. Not only that, but they retrieved their own first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 from the Houston Rockets, clearing the way for a two-year tanking period. At least Brooklyn has its direction in the post-Kevin Durant era.
GRADE: B-
The Hornets rightfully leaned into youth, drafting Salaün, who has as much upside as anyone in his class, and acquiring Green, a 23-year-old who cracked an NBA Finals rotation last season. Charlotte also added some second-round draft capital in exchange for taking Jackson’s deal off the Denver Nuggets‘ hands.
At the same time, the Hornets recommitted to their existing core through the 2026-27 season, signing Bridges for the next three seasons. They owe a combined $97 million to Bridges, Green, LaMelo Ball and Grant Williams in 2026-27, when Brandon Miller will be in line for his rookie-scale extension. Charlotte’s success will entirely depend on the development of that core under new head coach Charles Lee, which is a fine plan, though I am not sure there is a paradigm-shifter in that mix. Maybe Salaün will be the savior.
GRADE: B-
The Bulls drafted Buzelis, a hometown kid who has shown promise in summer league, and acquired Giddey, a 21-year-old who has shown promise at the NBA level. This is good work, as is the decision to (finally) embrace a rebuild. Chicago has been stuck in the league’s dreaded middle for some time now, and choosing a direction, even if it is a downward spin, at least lays out the front office’s game plan.
You know what might have helped this plan? Trading DeRozan, Caruso and Drummond — all of whom held some value — before the February deadline. The Bulls instead received just two second-round draft picks for the lot of them. They also committed $117 million to Williams and Smith, a pair of players whose NBA futures are uncertain at best. Nothing about this summer in Chicago screamed “maximizing value.”
GRADE: D+
The Cavaliers cemented their most important players, Mitchell and Mobley, as franchise cornerstones. Mitchell is signed through the 2026-27 season, when he holds a $53.8 million player option, and Mobley has been extended through the 2029-30 campaign, when he will be owed $51 million. Assuming Mitchell is content in Cleveland and Mobley continues to develop, they are the foundation of a near-50-win team.
How well the Cavaliers perform in the playoffs depends on how they manage the redundancies on the roster. Mitchell and backcourt mate Darius Garland both need the ball to be at their best, while Mobley and fellow big Jarrett Allen are both non-shooters. The Cavaliers did nothing to address these issues, other than ousting head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in favor of Kenny Atkinson. The latter may extract more from this misfit group of All-Star-caliber players, but their collective shortcomings are not going away.
GRADE: B-
The Pistons rebuilt much of their roster. In what direction is unclear. They probably could…
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