NBA offseason grades for every East team: Are Knicks, Bucks among contenders who aced the summer? Who flunked?

The article presents offseason grades for Eastern Conference NBA teams, following a similar analysis for the West. The conference suffered significant setbacks in the playoffs with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton both suffering torn Achilles tendons. This compounded the existing perception of a weakened conference, highlighted by its sixth seed losing to Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.

Further decline seemed possible if Giannis Antetokounmpo requested a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, but he did not. The Bucks reportedly made a major effort to satisfy his championship aspirations. Joel Embiid is expected to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, though his health remains a consistent concern.

Capitalizing on the injuries to Tatum and Haliburton, the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic made significant roster improvements. These moves position them as legitimate challengers to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, making the conference landscape look substantially different.

The article specifically details the Atlanta Hawks' situation: they finished the 2024-25 season with a 40-42 record. Their over/under win total projection for the 2025-26 season is 47.5 wins. Key additions include Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and Asa Newell, while key subtractions are Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., Georges Niang, and Terance Mann.