2026 NBA Offseason Grade: Atlantic Division

Finally, I can get around to writing these 'offseason grades' posts.  All of the major dominoes have apparently fallen, except for maybe Kawhi, who can't seem to stop tripping over his own shadow type shit.

BOSTON CELTICS: C-

I know that Boston has the tendency to overachieve, and they have some solid players, but honestly, I'm not expecting much out of this roster.  First of all, it's mostly reliant on Jayson Tatum who, for all we know, may never be able to play over long stretches again.

More notably, let's not forget that the Celtics more than willingly gave up their best player, making them arguably the dumbest braintrust of the offseason.  So the only reason they didn't get a flat F is because they were able to acquire Mitchell Robinson, i.e. the most-consequential 2026 free agent within the context of the Wemby era (tho of course he's no replacement for Jaylen Brown).  Also, even though Paul George gets dissed a lot these days, dude can still score.  So it's not like the last couple of months have been all bad.

But that said, what's really making the Celtics look ass backwards is the fact that a few of their main (conference) competitors have gotten noticeably better, while they have rather downgraded, so to speak.  Even a C-, all things considered, may be generous.  They must really, really, really be looking forward to Payton Pritchard taking a major step forward this coming season.

BROOKLYN NETS: C-

I'm looking forward to Porter Jr. + Randle being one of the better F combinations next season.  But damn, the rest of the roster has virtually zero name recognition.  This has to be, like by far, the least-popular team in the league, which is pretty amazing when you consider all of the hype surrounding Brooklyn a few years back.  Where's Jigga when you need him?

One of the biggest problems with the Nets, not even looking back at the past, is that they've come to rely too heavily on young, unproven players.  But at the same time, the braintrust like sucks when it comes to drafting.  So speaking of non-stars needing to take a major step forward next season, man.  Porter + Randle may be formidable, but if other guys don't overachieve, forget about it.

If anything, I guess we can say that Brooklyn needs to solidly lock that pair down, so at least they have a set foundation to build on.  If they do trade Porter Jr. like really, who are they going to get return to stand at the center of a young rebuild?

NEW YORK KNICKS: C+

Giving NYK a C may be generous because, in reality, they downgraded this offseason.  In terms of all-around talent, they still have the best starting five in the league.  But honestly, if not for their bench overachieving, it's unlikely they would have won that championship.

Meanwhile, the Knicks have lost their most-notable bench player (to a direct competitor), that being Mitchell Robinson.  Andre Drummond, despite being relatively slow and kinda one-dimensional, isn't a slouch.  He's also a better rebounder than Robinson.  But it's like, yeah.  When Wemby comes to town, there's going to be a problem.

But at least the Knicks were able to keep all of the rest of their dudes, and at least the team hasn't gotten smaller while the rest of league is sizing up.  But as it currently stands, given that latter fact, i.e. competitors getting bigger or deeper, I'm not overly confident they will repeat.  Also, it does look like the powers-that-be assisted them in winning, and there's no guarantee they'll get that favor again.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: A

I can't give the Sixers an A+ because despite having the most-newsworthy offseason of 2026, they failed to address their biggest issue - the inconsistency of Embiid's health.  They went out and got Brown plus Lebron "Donatello" James, the latter of whom, now willing to be paid like a NBA layman, ended up being the most-heavily recruited free agent.  But there are a number of elephants in the room.

First of all, to reiterate, we can't rely on Joel being consistently available.  Second, every other viable contender is bigger, i.e. taller, than Philly.  And third, oh shit, they don't even have a backup center.

Meanwhile, the idea of Lebron playing smallball 5 is no longer valid because again, competitors are now too big besides LBJ, at his current age, sucking on defense.  But since they are going to be forced to play smallball nonetheless, I have floated the idea of Ben Simmons, who can also play the 5, perhaps coming back.

That said, with or without Embiid, the Sixers should dominate other smaller teams.  Also, we have to take into consideration that besides having a boatload of talent, these guys probably want to win more than anyone else.  The energy is super exciting, to the point that losing is not an option..

TORONTO RAPTORS: F

The Raptors get an F for now for a couple of solid reasons.  They tried to trade one of their star players, only for the transaction to be voided or whatever.  That isn't ideal, because you have to presume that Ingram, despite always being in trade talks, feels at least a tad bit disgruntled.  You try to trade someone, renege and then expect him to report to the organization and give his very best, even though his (multi-million dollar) salary has already been set.  Okay.

But even more alarming is that, outside of that one failed and overall questionable move, dudes have made zero attempts to upgrade.  Granted, Kawhi is definitely worth the wait or whatever.  But if the trade ultimately doesn't go through, Toronto just completely wasted an offseason while, once again, the Eastern Conference at large has gotten better.  And it's not like the Raptors are contenders already.  That isn't admirable braintrusting.

CONCLUSION

The Atlantic should be one of the most interesting divisions next season, even if a couple of teams may be overrated.  They have the reigning champions, as well Lebron and, even though he's switched teams, Jaylen has stuck around also.  But there is balance in that the Nets, i.e. the least-interesting team in the NBA, is also present.  And as for the Raptors, they may continue to be respectable even without Kawhi.  But if he doesn't come to town, no one outside of Canada will really care to follow them.

Loyalty vs. Progress (The Denver Nuggets' Story)

According to Google, the Denver Nuggets are the only team currently set to enter next season within the 'dreaded second apron'.  But if you look at their roster, it's like oh sh*t, what are they spending that money on?

Under conventional logic, being the most-expensive team would mean the roster is replete with superstars or at least has a big three.  That's not the case with Denver.  Or let's say they may have been big, back when these contracts were signed.

NIKOLA JOKIC

I'm not about to engage in any Jokic bashing.  But let me say that just like virtually everyone else, you have to put him in the right kind of environment to succeed.

And that's one funny thing about the Nuggets' braintrust, even though they're relatively good.  It seems that it never dawned on them to actually build a team around Nikola.

That's the ultimate honor in a way, having a braintrust construct a roster around your skillset.  But now that I think about it, the two most blaring examples of that phenomenon which comes to mind - the Iverson Sixers and the Nash Suns, neither resulted in a championship.

AARON GORDON

Aaron Gordon is the perfect type of frontcourt running mate for Jokic, which may sound like a contradictory statement based on what I just said.  Don't forget that he was, at one time, an alpha.  And you have to give it up to Aaron for being able to go from a number one option to a role player.

Gordon's ability to play like a traditional big while at the same time not clogging the lane fits Nikola well.  But the problem is, oh sh*t, he's noticeably past his prime - in a league that, despite outlawing straight from high school, feels like it's getting younger.

Meanwhile, Jokic never had an intimidating athletic build to begin with.  And both, as partners within the current "parity" system, are being paid like kings.

MICHAEL PORTER JR.

Letting Michael Porter Jr. go, all things considered, may be the biggest mistake Denver made in relation to their current situation.  He was supposed to be the future of the team so to speak, not Christian Braun or Peyton Watson.

Back in his Nuggets' days, I criticized dude a lot for being too passive.  Now, what I'm starting to believe is that he was relegated to that disposition due to the structure of the roster (i.e. lacking seniority) and also health-related issues.

Porter Jr., at 6'10", is what we would conventionally define as a big, even if he plays like a wing.  He went from being a third or fourth option in Denver to averaging 24pts and 7assists in Brooklyn.  If the pitiful Nets had won a respectable amount of games, he would have likely been an allstar.

I predicted his potential way back in the day, which is one of the reasons I was pissed he wasn't trying harder.  But I mean, the Nuggets knew what time it was also.  Remember how highly regarded he was, despite being a 14th pick.

CHRISTIAN BRAUN

Christian Braun is now the scapegoat, which is kinda poetic, considering how Denver rationalized clearly prioritizing him over Westbrook.

I'm not a Braun basher and can somehow see why the Nuggets believed in him, to the tune of about $25mil/season(!).  They thought he had more potential than has thus far been displayed, which may be true if he didn't get injured (though I kinda doubt it).

Also, he's entertaining to watch.  That's true for all white players who are respectable wings, maybe just because they look different.  But also, in the case of Christian, he can like dunk and shit.

Let's not forget that he was also, even as a rookie, a notable part of that Nuggets' rotation who won a championship.  And that brings me to the heart of this post.  I do believe Denver may be one of those franchises that really values loyalty or continuity, to the tune of overpaying dudes they're committed to.  And I mean, you can appreciate why a braintrust would feel that way after winning a championship and especially with a roster consisting largely of homegrown talent.

JAMAL MURRAY

For example, let's not forget that Murray has been running with Jokic since day one.  If Jamal was in the East, he'd probably be a perennial allstar.  He's like a poor man's Steph, so to speak.

But I mean, so what?  It ain't exactly like dudes are Steph + Draymond, you know, having won four championships and shit.  I appreciate that even winning one is hard enough.  But it shouldn't be that the nostalgia persists into perpetuity.

THE DUBS' MODEL

We see this same type of loyalty, arguably, with the Warriors.  Yes, they let Klay walk in a less-than-ideal fashion.  But \they also behave questionably when it comes to appreciating youth.

When it comes to NBA executives, a lot of times we see younger, attractive dudes front and center.  But I do believe many of these organizations are run by old dawgs.  And the point being made is that, changing one's way of thinking isn't easy.  Some decisionmakers may still be stuck on the 20th century model.

And it's all good.  Again, winning a championship is a rarity.  So the next best option is to at least keep yourself in the game.  You know, like the 1990s' Jazz.  Malone + Stockton never won a championship, and so what?  At least you can't look back and say the team wasn't garbage.  The most you can ask for really is a fighting chance.

CONCLUSION

All of that is a euphemistic way of saying that unless the Nuggets do land DeRozan or possibly Kuminga, it's really hard to get excited about their upcoming season. And the moral of the story is that you shouldn't pay top dollar for a roster that was a contender three years ago.  But maybe the braintrust didn't foresee the powers-that-be's decision to raise taxes or probably didn't even care.  So all things considered, I mean yeah, they remain the most expensive roster despite losing a coveted player, one that fit well into their rigidly-set system.  Ultimately, you can't knock an organization for showing love to some of its most storied employees.

Continued Indecisionism, and other Musings

BEAL CHOOSES A HOME

Rather, this subtitle should be something like 'Beal Stays Home', as he opted to remain with the Clippers.  And that brings me to something I want to say about this organization.  In 30+ years of following the NBA, I can't remember LAC ever being contenders.  During the Lob City era, maybe I was out of touch or something, but I just never saw them like that.  Must watch, yes.  But contenders, not really, even though now looking back, they really did have a formidable, balanced roster.

But one thing you have to respect is, when have you ever heard of the Clippers tanking?  Even if Kawhi leaves, the way their roster is constructed, it's obvious that they intend to compete and are not undergoing a rebuild.  Indeed, I can't recall LAC ever intentionally going through a rebuild either.

It doesn't look like the Clippers will be as deep as they were last season.  But in a roundabout way that may be good thing, as now expectations will be even lower.

That said, Beal, if healthy, isn't a slouch.  What's rather been established these past couple of seasons is that he isn't a superstar either.  And that's a good thing, because again, it isn't ideal to have unrealistic expectations.  If LAC overachieves, I mean no one can see the future.  But if not, don't try to fit a square peg into a round hole type shit.

Also, I must say once again - the Raptors will likely be contenders with Kawhi, which you gotta respect, but the Clippers would be better served retaining his services also.  Will Leonard sticking around, even if healthy, suddenly make them contenders?  No, not likely.  But even though this braintrust may not have a loser mentality, it's also obvious - after the failed, multi-year superteam experiment - that they've taken their foot off the gas a bit.  But I mean, yeah.  That's how good Kawhi is.  And even more than the Raptors, I'd love to see him go back to the Spurs.

THE KUMINGA SAGA DRAGS ON

I saw some headline on the Kuminga saga today but didn't even bother to read the article.  His situation doesn't have that same type of intensity as the Lebron indecision drama.  Also, it doesn't appear so much that Jonathan is undecided as it is him feeling undervalued or whatever.  But what I'm imagining is something like the Cavs underpaying the Beard and using the extra dough to pick up Kuminga on a respectable contract.

That said, earlier today I was watching some clips of that amazing first game he had upon being traded to the Hawks last season (who did Golden State get in return anyway?).  But by the time all was said and done, i.e. ATL getting their asses trounced in the playoffs, like Kuminga wasn't even part of the rotation.  Meanwhile, he was like the biggest dude on the roster, and they obviously needed some size against NYK.  But again, he was relegated to the end of the bench or in any event was akin to a nonfactor.

So I mean yeah, it's understandable why teams, all thing considered, aren't in a rush to pay him the $20mil or whatever he's demanding.  But that said, it's kinda similar to the Beal situation.  Sometimes, you can only truly tell how much potential a player has by placing him in diverse situations.  And what's been established is that Steve Kerr and co. did a good job developing Kuminga into a multi-faceted player.  Dude seemingly came into the league raw, albeith athletic AF, but now he can dribble, shoot and all that sh*t.  However, that doesn't mean you actually want him playing point or being ball dominant, which makes a team like Cleveland most ideal.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DEROZAN?

In terms of consistency, predictability and accomplishments, I would argue that DeRozan is preferable to both Beal and Kuminga.  So it feels kinda odd that certain teams, like the Heat for instance, don't appear to be making more of an effort to acquire him.  I would imagine that virtually any team in the league could use a 'midrange assassin'.  What about the Pistons?  It all just feels kinda weird, like DeMar has fallen out of grace, though it's hard to imagine why.  Maybe appearing in too many rap videos and shit like that?

And speaking of Detroit, might as well make peace with Duren already.  Whether or not he's worthy of a max, I mean how many guys on max contracts can really and truly will their teams to (postseason) wins to begin with?  And the more important question - who TF wants to play for the Pistons anyway?

Let's say Jalen doesn't sign an extension and leaves next offseason.  Whether he proves to be a true superstar or not, who are they gonna get to replace him?  What free agent of his caliber would sign with Detroit and furthermore for the non-max money they're asking him to take?  Maybe this braintrust knows something I don't.

THE CELTICS CONFIRMED WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING (AND IMPLYING?) ALL ALONG

Reading in between the lines of the statement the Celtics just released, they indirectly verified what I've been saying all along, that they actually prefer Tatum over Brown.  Again, I don't know what's actually going on behind the scenes, but I'd be compelled to believe that colorism is a factor.  That is to say that it's really hard to make sense of this decision from a purely basketball standpoint.

You have two supermax players who together are going to consume 70% of the payroll, and meanwhile, there's 13 other dudes to pay.  Okay, one of them has to go.  So which one do you get rid of?  Do you trade the one that previously won Finals MVP, unexpectedly was in the regular season MVP race just last season, has proven he can perform without the other and is also sturdier?  Or do you choose the one who, as formidable as he may be, is coming off a major injury and has never proven the ability to perform alone, so to speak.

So if it isn't colorism, then the organization must genuinely like Jayson better as a person, or maybe they even flatout dislike Jaylen, because otherwise, again, it's hard to make logical sense out of their argument.  And that said, no, I don't believe Tatum can lead this team, even with its revamped roster, to overachieve the way Brown did.  And if his health fails again, this decisiion is gonna get ugly real quick.