NEW YORK, New York – Once again, this astute ranking assigns a grade to each Eastern Conference club based on the amount of off-season business completed. Check out the lower bracket of the ratings. These are still high rated teams, to inform with who’s on top!

Orlando Magic: Grade B-

With their ample cap space, the Magic made sense in every single move. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is an excellent 3-and-D wing to start with. There is never too much of those. Mo Wagner, Gary Harris, and Goga Bitadze were all signed to fair contracts as backups who are highly tradeable. Jonathan Isaac’s decision to renegotiate and extend was a brilliant move.

After they cleared his salary before their young players became more expensive, his contract dropped. For the 2028–2029 NBA season, the greatest defender per minute is expected to make 7.27% of the salary cap. That’s one of the greatest contracts in the NBA, if he remains healthy. It’s harmless if he doesn’t. Money is not assured beyond the 2026–2027 season.

Indiana Pacers: C+

Here, there is just one noteworthy veteran switch. Lottery flop turned reliable reserve Jalen Smith headed to Chicago. James Wiseman, a lottery flop the Pacers are hoping to develop into another reliable reserve, took his spot. When it comes to producing players on that track, Indiana is superior to most teams. Take a look at how many players in their rotation were formerly first-round selections by other teams: Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin all match that description. Though Wiseman most likely won’t be much more than a backup for him, this is precisely the kind of squad that ought to have given him a chance. He’s going to love hauling in lobs from Haliburton, if nothing else.

Toppin’s $60 million, four-year contract ought to hold up. That’s about appropriate for a top-tier sixth man, and it will appear like a steal if he can raise his 3-point percentage while keeping up his efficiency from the previous season (40.3%). Additionally eligible for a four-year, $75 million contract is Andrew Nembhard. If he signs it, the Pacers will have signed fair contracts with the majority of their youthful roster. It remains to be seen if this team can compete in a less injury-plagued conference, but for the time being, sticking together was the proper decision.

Hawks of Atlanta: C+

All things considered, the Dejounte Murray deal was a fairly decent value. A decent price for a guy who was obviously required to be dealt includes two relatively valued first-round selections, a veteran in Larry Nance Jr. who could presumably be sold for something else worthwhile, and a versatile wing two years removed from being a lottery pick himself in Dyson Daniels. The Hawks didn’t seem to be interested in selling their selections back, so a full-scale rebuild was out of the question until at least the 2027–2028 season, when Atlanta will once again own the top pick in the draft. Surrounding Trae Young with a bunch of young wings wasn’t the worst idea in terms of time-bidding tactics.

Washington Wizards: C

The Hawks part on the Risacher vs. Sheppard discussion is applicable to the Wizards and Alex Sarr, but with the disclaimer that Sarr’s play in Summer League was horrible, at least offensively. He was not able to design his own appearance. In pick-and-roll, he was unable to score. He appeared disoriented. He clearly has a lot of opportunity to improve, but Washington isn’t the best place to do it. Sarr really needs a true point guard to put him up early for easy baskets. Right now, Bub Carrington and Jordan Poole appear to be his starting backcourt. Perhaps Washington signs Tyus Jones again to be the adult in charge of the room during Sarr’s rookie season. If that was the intention, it most likely would have taken place by now.

Again, this quick approach assigns points to Eastern Conference teams based on how much effort they put in over the off-season. Keep watch for improved performances in their next games, as these grades are not permanent.