With the return of the NBA season on the horizon, let’s take a look at how the Eastern Conference teams are looking ahead of this season. During the offseason, the Heat, Celtics, 76ers and Raptors all made moves in hopes of challenging the new NBA champs, the New York Knicks, for the Eastern Conference crown this year. So, let’s take a look at each team in the Eastern Conference and see who got better, who didn’t, and who is just building for the future, while giving them a grade and my opinion on what they did this past offseason.
Verdict: Got Better
The first category we are going to start with is the teams that got better ahead of this season.
Boston Celtics (56-26)
First team up is the Boston Celtics, and after a disappointing end to their season last year, which saw them choke away a 3-1 series lead to their rival Sixers, this horrid end to their season led to them making the second-biggest trade of the offseason with the same Sixers. They dealt star Jaylen Brown for the aging and expensive Paul George, plus two first-round and two second-round draft picks. The biggest question for the Celtics will be if Paul George can provide the secondary offence that they lose with trading Jaylen Brown, and if he can stay healthy for more than half the season after playing just 41 and 37 games the last two years.
The Celtics also went out and added NBA champion center Mitchell Robinson, providing some help in a weak spot on their roster. The Celtics have now formed one of the best starting fives in the East on both the defensive and offensive sides of the court, led by stars Jayson Tatum and Paul George. Can this offset their roster and scoring depth? This will be something to watch out for this season.
Time to give the Celtics a grade for this offseason, and for me, this was a C. Boston got worse with the Brown and George trade, and they made a division rival much stronger. The Robinson signing was amazing, but they also didn’t address the depth issues they will have.
New York Knicks (53-29)
Coming off finally ending their 53-year title drought, can this team, which didn’t have much roster turnover, continue where they left off, or will it be more disappointment in NYC? Looking at their roster, despite the loss of Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks have retained much of their core in Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and last year’s Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson. Despite keeping their Finals-winning starting five, the loss of Mitchell Robinson, which I mentioned before, will be big, as he is that pure rim protector on the roster, which is something Anthony-Towns just doesn’t bring for them. Outside of the Robinson loss, though, much of their bench in Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson, among others, all stayed around.
Despite the improvement at the top end of the East, this team is very much capable of being among the top teams once again and being right in the mix to retain their title. For the Knicks, I would give this offseason an A. They didn’t do much in terms of additions, but with a championship roster, there isn’t much room for improvement anyway. Of course, the loss of Robinson will be something the team feels this upcoming season.
Philadelphia 76ers (45-37)
After a pretty disappointing regular season last year, in which the 76ers finished in the play-in spots despite missing Maxey for 12 games and Embiid and George for much of the season, the 76ers won their play-in game before upsetting the much better Celtics. They were then easily swept by the Knicks, ending the 76ers’ season early once again.
This weird season led the 76ers to make one of the biggest trades of the offseason when they dealt aging star Paul George, plus some picks, to the Celtics for star forward Jaylen Brown, which shook up the top of the East. The 76ers then surprisingly won the battle to gain the signature of the King, LeBron James.
With these moves, the 76ers have once again positioned themselves as a favourite to challenge for the NBA title with the additions of James and Brown to the trio of Embiid, Maxey and breakout rookie VJ Edgecombe. This team’s biggest question mark will be how their star-studded starting five work together and if their weak point, their bench, can find a way to be effective. If so, this 76ers team will be dangerous.
I would give the 76ers an A+ for their moves. They had probably the best offseason of any NBA team, bringing in Brown and James to complete an amazing starting five. Their bench may not be the deepest, but they made enough additions that they should be effective enough to get the job done.
Toronto Raptors (46-36)
The Raptors are coming off a return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-2022 season and then getting eliminated in seven games by the Cleveland Cavaliers. This season was a real step forward for a Raptors team that had been stagnant for the previous two seasons.
Despite the real jump this team showed with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram at the helm, the Raptors pulled the trigger on bringing back 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, which, as of this writing, has yet to be confirmed by the NBA due to the investigation into Kawhi’s contract back when he originally signed with the Clippers in 2020. Despite the loss of Gradey Dick and Brandon Ingram in the trade, the Raptors still have plenty of the core that helped the organization make the playoffs last year, and the Raptors hope that core plus Kawhi will make them a true contender for the Eastern crown.
I would give the Raptors a B for their moves this offseason. The Kawhi trade was probably the second-best trade a team made this offseason, and it certainly fixes part of the Raptors’ issues, but not all. The Raps failed to address, most importantly, their lack of a true pure starting point guard, and they failed to upgrade the starting center position, especially after Poeltl missed nearly half the season dealing with injuries. It appears like the center position will continue to be a weak spot this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30)
The Cavs are coming off a season in which they were once again a top dog in the East, finishing fourth in the conference. Then, in the playoffs, the Cavs survived a seven-game series against the Raptors. They then took down the top-seeded Pistons in another long seven-game series before being swept aside by the Knicks in the Conference Finals.
Having retained much of their roster from last year after locking up James Harden recently to a three-year, $97 million extension, heading into this season, the Cavs will have a formidable three-headed monster of Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Harden.
Along with their complementary pieces in Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, Dennis Schroder and Sam Merrill, this roster, with another year to build their chemistry together, will hope to be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
I would say this was a B+ offseason for the Cavs. Of course, Cleveland was able to retain the services of Harden, a big piece in the playoffs for them, but he played just 26 times with the team, so the team’s chemistry wasn’t as good as other teams. Another season with this same squad should make them a team to watch out for this season.
Detroit Pistons (60-22)
The Pistons are coming off their second straight playoff appearance, capturing the East’s top seed, plus their third-ever 60-win season and their first in 20 years. Led by their young stars in Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, along with a newer-looking supporting cast including the newly acquired John Collins, who they hope can replace what Tobias Harris offered, returning sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, Paul Reed, plus their other depth pieces, the Pistons will hope that the new additions will help this team continue to grow after a very successful regular season but disappointing postseason.
The Pistons’ offseason grade in my eyes would be an A. They, of course, lost a big piece in Harris but grabbed a younger and, some may debate, better replacement in Collins, who could turn out to be an even better fit for this team for the upcoming season. It was also a success keeping the rest of the 60-win team from last season together, which means that this young core has another year to grow from their playoff experience from this past season.
Washington Wizards (17-65)
The Wizards are coming into the season on the back of the worst record in the East and the entire NBA, but there is hope this season can be much different due to the fact that Trae Young played just five games for the organization and Anthony Davis played in no games for them. These two, plus first-overall pick AJ Dybantsa, returning veteran forward Khris Middleton and the rest of a young supporting cast, give hope that the Wizards can push for one of the four spots in the play-in tournament. But, of course, with a young core of talent, the Wizards’ front office will be in no hurry just yet to worry about any potential playoffs for this upcoming season.
The Wizards’ offseason moves get them a grade of an A. The Wizards added veteran center Deandre Ayton, who is still rather young. They also added fellow vet Khris Middleton and guard Tre Mann, plus drafting AJ Dybantsa first overall. With the rest of the young core they have, along with Trae Young and Anthony Davis both being set to play a lot more this year than last, this team may have only won 17 games last year but certainly seems set to make a massive improvement on that win total if all goes to plan.
Miami Heat (43-39)
The Heat, despite losing out in their one play-in game, were the team to win the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes after they acquired him and Bobby Portis for a massive package of players and picks. That trade, among others, has left them with a much-changed roster, with them being led by the newly acquired Giannis and Bobby Portis, plus Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, youngster Nikola Jovic and vet Tim Hardaway Jr., along with the addition of Klay Thompson. Miami, with these new changes, is most certainly set to be competing near the top end of the East once again, but with their lack of depth, will they be able to truly compete with the top teams come playoff time?
For making arguably the biggest splash of the summer, the Heat should be getting an A, but they also made quite a few other moves, resulting in them getting an A+. Alongside picking up Giannis, they brought in Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson, bringing in great shooters to surround new superstar Giannis. Miami has certainly boosted itself into title contention with the moves it has made, but its lack of true impact depth could be its ultimate downfall.
Verdict: Didn’t Do Enough
Next category up is teams that just didn’t do enough over the offseason, and first up is the Charlotte Hornets.
Charlotte Hornets (44-38)
The Hornets are coming off a weird season in which they made the play-in and won their first game but got blown out by the Magic, which then led them to dealing star guard LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves for a massive package of picks. The Hornets will now be hoping Brandon Miller can continue to take steps forward and be that true number one option for the team, and for second-year guard Kon Knueppel to build off a great rookie season and have a great second season in which he will have an even bigger role. Those two, along with secondary pieces Coby White and Naz Reid, should have them in contention for those play-in spots or even one of the top six spots in the conference.
Despite making the play-in and showing a lot of growth as a team, the Hornets decided to make a strange move this offseason while also not bringing in a replacement, and so their grade is a C. Despite showing, as I had said before, some growth this past season, management decided to move on from guard LaMelo Ball, a move that makes them worse as a team. Outside of that move, they are returning much of the same roster outside of the additions of Naz Reid, Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith and Grayson Allen, who are all just depth pieces. With a lot of the other teams in the East making big additions to their rosters, the Hornets just haven’t done that and instead lost a big piece of their team last season and added a bunch of depth guys, hoping to paste over that loss.
Indiana Pacers (19-63)
The Pacers are coming off a very tough season in which they finished second-last in the East and in the entire NBA. Of course, last season the Pacers were without star guard Tyrese Haliburton. They also traded Bennedict Mathurin, which was a massive loss after already being without Haliburton.
Heading into this season, along with the finally returning Haliburton, they will be bringing back star forward Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, who is coming off a breakout season, Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and Ivica Zubac. Outside of Zubac, all of the other core guys on the team were with the Pacers when they went to the Finals two years ago and will hope they can get back to that form this season with a much-improved conference.
After a tough season finishing second-last in the East, I expected more changes coming from the Pacers, but they didn’t really come, so their grade is going to be a C-. They didn’t really add much this offseason, with the return of Haliburton coming with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr., which just aren’t the signings this team really needs to potentially jump back into the top half of the East. They also didn’t address the need for another center, with Zubac as the only true center in the expected rotation for this year. At the end of the day, management just didn’t add what was needed for this team to be more competitive.
Atlanta Hawks (46-36)
The Hawks are coming off a year in which they shockingly made the playoffs despite trading star guard Trae Young to the Wizards and big man Kristaps Porzingis. Of course, they got back CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga, but with not much depth, this team wasn’t expected to be all that much, and they weren’t when the playoffs came around, as they lost in six to the eventual champions, the New York Knicks.
The Hawks will be hoping McCollum and Kuminga, plus Jalen Johnson, new man Lu Dort, Alexander-Walker and Okongwu, will be able to build off of their playoff berth and return to the playoffs once again in a very strong top end of the East.
For their offseason grade, the Hawks get a B-. Now, yes, a B- isn’t too bad of a grade, but their main pickup was getting Lu Dort from the OKC Thunder. That was a great pickup for the Hawks, but they didn’t grab a new starting point guard or bring in a backup guy to help out Dyson Daniels. They will be banking on big jumps from all of Daniels, Johnson and Kuminga (as of writing was on the hawks roster still) to get them back to the play-in and the playoffs. But the moves they have made just feel too small for them after the Heat, Wizards, Raptors and 76ers all got better, and three of those teams were in and around where the Hawks were last season.
Orlando Magic (45-37)
The Magic, despite having quite a great regular season that saw them qualify for the play-in, which they lost to the 76ers before beating the Hornets to make the playoffs and face off with the Pistons. In that series with the Pistons, they ran out to a 3-1 series lead before seemingly running out of gas and losing the next three straight to go home in disappointing fashion.
Despite that, Orlando will hope that the disappointing exit will help their young core of Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black grow and lift this team to being more of a threat to the big teams in the East. With another year of this core together, could the Magic be a surprise contender at the top of the Eastern Conference?
The Magic are another team where I felt like they needed an extra upgrade with their injury issues but didn’t really get it, so for me, their grade is a B-. Despite paying four guys over $30 million a season, they were able to keep their core guys together for another season. But your only two additions can’t be a 36-year-old Nikola Vucevic and 31-year-old Jevon Carter, who also happens to be the only point guard on the team. They also failed to address the depth at small forward, especially with the injury issues Franz Wagner has. They also failed to address their lack of scoring depth on their bench.
Brooklyn Nets (20-62)
After a third straight season without any playoffs, ending the year with a 20-62 record, the Nets have brought in Julius Randle from the Timberwolves, who will bring a great second option along with Michael Porter Jr. But outside of those two, there really isn’t much to be excited about on this weak roster. In a division and conference stacked at the top with teams considerably better than this Brooklyn team, it is destined to stay near the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the third straight season.
My offseason grade for the Nets is a C. This was a strange offseason, in my opinion, for the Nets, who missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Instead of going fully into a rebuild with all of the young guys they had, they decided to bring in Randle and Mo Wagner to bring their total to five players 26 or older. Wagner, of course, dealt with injury issues last season, which aren’t going to go away at 29. But despite getting better in a sense, this roster just isn’t deep enough to do much of anything, especially since much of their depth is 24 years old or younger. Despite trying to make moves to get better, their improvements just aren’t enough to make any difference, and they would’ve been better off being bad and giving their young players more game time.
Verdict: Building for the Future
Lastly are the teams building for the future. First up is Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Bucks (32-50)
The Bucks are coming off the first season in which they missed the playoffs since Giannis Antetokounmpo’s third season in the league in 2015-2016. Nobody on the Bucks this season played in all 82 games, with everyone missing four or more games. Giannis missed significant time, playing only 36 times, and still led the team in PPG with 27.6. The second-highest scorer, Kevin Porter Jr., played in just 38 games. Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner all played in just 67, 69 and 71 games, respectively. The significant games lost for their big boys via injury led to their 32-50 record.
This season, the Bucks will, for the first time since 2012-13, play without superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after they traded him and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and a couple of draft picks.
The Bucks are expected to once again be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole. The Bucks’ offseason grade is an A. Really, they got a massive package for Giannis that included no players over 30, which leaves them with a great group of young players to build around for the future while pairing them with three great vets. This team, while being able to put out a decent starting five, will still remain near the bottom of the East once again. But a silver lining for Bucks fans is that their future is looking brighter than it did just a year ago.
Chicago Bulls (31-51)
Chicago is coming off another season without the playoffs, which extends that streak out to four straight seasons. This Bulls team is still rather young, with just one player over the age of 30 and mostly everyone else on the team being 27 or younger. Their young core is made up of Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams, Isaac Okoro and Nicolas Claxton, along with the experience of Norman Powell. The Bulls will hope their young group can continue to build and grow off of an otherwise disappointing year.
The Bulls’ offseason grade is a B+. The Bulls have done a great job of making their roster younger, not just this offseason but also during the season. A great example is bringing in 27-year-old Nic Claxton to replace 36-year-old Nikola Vucevic. The only other move they made this offseason was bringing in vet Norm Powell, who is the only guy 30 years or older on the roster at 33. The Bulls may be in for another year without the playoffs, but with most of their roster 27 years or younger, their future is still very bright.
My Final Thoughts
With all the movement during the NBA offseason, it is safe to say we should be in for a very exciting time in the East. It is safe to say the Knicks will have a tough time retaining their spot on top of the East, with many of the teams who made the playoffs making big additions in hopes of dethroning the champs. But as always, games are won on the court and not on paper.
