Best and worst moves of the 2024 NBA offseason: Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division is home to some heavy hitters in the Eastern Conference. The reigning champion Boston Celtics will be looking to defend their crown, while the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks have loaded up with their eyes on taking the throne.

Conversely, the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets are prioritizing the development of young players and have made a point to unload veterans over the last few months to do so.

All in all, the very active offseason for this division has yielded largely positive results. There were multiple blockbuster moves that will likely impact the Eastern Conference title race, while there was also a lot of big money thrown around, which carries some risk for those teams. Here is a look at the best and the worst of what occurred in a busy summer.

Boston Celtics

The defending champion Celtics are just running it back, and why not? They’ve constructed a roster with as much versatility and depth as you can ask for. They cruised through the Eastern Conference to the Finals and while the Mavericks put up an admirable fight, it just never seemed like the Celtics were really in danger of losing. This summer, the team extended or re-signed Luke Kornet, Sam Houser, Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, Derrick White, and Jayson Tatum, without losing anyone from their regular rotation. After accomplishing all this, they come into the 2024-25 season as favorites to repeat as champions.

Best Move: Extend Derrick White for 4 years, $118 million

The Tatum extension was kind of a no-brainer, so we’re going with a veteran extension for do-it-all guard Derrick White. Before this agreement, White would have gone into the 2025 offseason as an unrestricted free agent and free to take his talents wherever he liked. Now, he is locked in for the rest of his prime with the team that he has blossomed with over the last few years. White is basically the perfect role player, so much so that he got a short notice call to join the 2024 U.S. Olympic team and was immediately inserted into the Team USA rotation by Head Coach Steve Kerr.

The depth of quality players on this team is its biggest strength. They may not have a Luka- or Jokic-level talent on their roster, but they principally run out five two-way players who are all arguably in the top 25-30 players in the league. This makes retaining the players around their two stars of paramount importance. White takes and makes 3s, shows up everywhere on the defensive end, finishes at the rim, takes care of the ball, doesn’t foul, and even protects the rim better than any guard in recent memory.

Now, none of this is to say that this deal doesn’t come without risks. White will be 34 by the end of the contract and has a Player Option on that last year, giving him all the leverage at that point. While the salary figures are not as crazy in relation to the cap as they may seem at first, he will still be on the books for approximately 16 to 18 percent of the salary cap, which is not nothing for a guy on the wrong side of 30. There is going to be a time of reckoning with this roster soon, as it is going to become exceedingly expensive, even for a perennial contender. Inking this deal now, though, keeps him out of free agency next summer, where you never know what can happen with all the money being thrown around in the NBA.

The team’s overall payroll may end up hurting down the road and there’s a slight chance of age-related decline that makes this deal a bit icky, but keeping this team together in the immediate future is worth all the questions that may arise later. And more than likely, he’ll just do what he does and be worth every penny.

Worst Move: Sign Sam Hauser for 4 years, $45 million

As a reminder … “worst” is a relative term. The Celtics honestly did nothing this offseason that looks objectively bad at the moment. That said, $45 million guaranteed for Hauser has some potential to look iffy moving forward. The guy shoots the lights out, making 42 percent of his 3s throughout his career and ranking 96th percentile in points per shot on jumpers in each of the last two seasons, per Synergy. With all the attention the stars get and their unselfishness, this is an important skill to have on the roster.

If Hauser shows any slippage as a shooter or a defender (where he’s been quite solid, actually), then this contract might be difficult to move if the Celtics end up needing to address their financial crunch. The most damning thing that can be said about this deal is that it’s fully guaranteed and goes out a full four years.

Can we just change the worst move to be “none?”

Brooklyn Nets

Since breaking up their “super team” seemingly as quickly as they put it together at the trade deadline in 2023, the Nets have traveled a winding road of relative obscurity. They had a plucky half-season when they received Mikal Bridges, who went supernova for a couple of months. But they went out quietly in those playoffs and have been wandering in the wilderness without a clear direction since. This summer, they’ve taken a definitive turn toward a rebuild, clarifying their goals and providing a clearer picture.

Best Move: Mikal Bridges trade

Since one more than likely would not have happened without the other, we’re going to lump the Nets’ trade of Mikal Bridges to the Knicks in with their draft pick swaps to the Rockets. All told, Bridges principally netted salary cap relief, five first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap for the Nets.

Though the upside of some of the picks is rather limited, the sheer volume makes it a worthwhile package to cash in on their most valuable trade asset when the team was going nowhere fast. Bridges is a fantastic plug-and-play wing on any team, but the sobering reality is that he has never made an All-Star team and demonstrated the limited upside of a team counting on him as their top scoring option, so this bundle of picks is something they had to take.

Separately (but not really), the Nets regained the rights to their own first round picks in 2025 and 2026, completing the transition to a clear direction. When your team is not talented enough to compete, the simplest way to turn things around is with your own draft picks, which are going to be at the top of the draft due to a poor win/loss record.

This was not so straightforward for the Nets before this swap, but now becomes their primary goal for the next two seasons. They had to give up some juicy picks far out in the future to get it done, but if they can capitalize on the top prospects of the next two drafts, it will have been worth it.

Worst Move: Sign Nic Claxton for 4 years, $97 million

This is another team where it’s tough to find any transaction to argue too much with. Some fans are likely impatiently waiting for them to jettison their additional veterans, but that isn’t really what we’re looking for. We’ll settle on the big-money move they made this summer in bringing back starting center Nic Claxton.

Almost $100 million for a center who has little offensive game outside the paint could end up being dicey. He’s a good finisher at the rim and protects the rim well on the other end, both of which are valuable skills, but should they cost this much? Opponents have also had their way with the Nets on the offensive boards when he’s on the court throughout his career, which can partially be attributed to his lean frame and perhaps chasing blocks a bit. He’s very good at what he does, but lacks some versatility in his game, particularly on the offensive end.

It's really not a bad deal at all … the salary declines as time goes on and he’s still a very young, productive player. He’s a plus on defense and has flashed a bit of passing acumen here and there as well. There’s just not much to choose from here, as the rest of the team’s moves will have little to no impact on this season or any beyond.

New York Knicks

The Knicks made headlines in June as the Nets’ partner in the Mikal Bridges trade. His addition has been met with widespread praise and their perimeter rotation is going to be the envy of most teams in the league. They are still banking rather riskily on the health of Mitchell Robinson to maintain their front court but looking like a significant threat in the Eastern Conference.

Best Move: Extend Jalen Brunson for 4 years, $156 million

As great as the Bridges trade was for them, the Knicks really won their offseason with a major assist from their star player Jalen Brunson. Coming off a career year where he earned All-NBA honors and capped it with a playoff run where he dropped 32 points per game, his stock was as high as it has ever been.

While eligible for an extension during the offseason, conventional wisdom said that he was unlikely to sign one, as the maximum salary that can be offered is based on the player’s current salary. Brunson is already on a relative bargain of a contract, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to agree to an extension at this point if he was looking to maximize his earning potential. He shocked the NBA world and did just that, though, sacrificing heaps of money in the short term, making the lives of the Knicks’ front office personnel much easier.

This move gives the Knicks much-needed breathing room for managing their team in an era of roster-building limitations brought on by the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). If they can properly take advantage, this could end up being the most impactful move of the whole summer.

Worst Move: Sign OG Anunoby for 5 years, $212 million

OG Anunoby is an absolute menace on the defensive end of the court. He is huge, quick, strong, and knows how to keep opposing scorers off balance. He has also turned himself into a useful offensive player. Though not an offensive engine, he shoots efficiently inside and out, using his physical tools to finish inside while also shooting 38 percent from 3 in the last two seasons. He was also an immediate fit with the Knicks, who went 20-3 last season with him in the lineup after he arrived midseason.

On the other hand, $200 million for a high-level role player is … a lot. He squeezed the Knicks for a maximum salary, a player option in the final year, and even a 15 percent bonus in the event he is traded. This type of contract is usually reserved for the best of the best in the league. As great a player as he is, he has never earned All-Star or All-NBA honors and critically has not played over 70 games in a season since his rookie year (six seasons). Fittingly, he ended last year’s playoff run making an ill-fated attempt at playing with an injured hamstring, encapsulating an unfortunate theme of his career.

It's tough to know how much leverage he truly had to receive every bell and whistle in his contract from the Knicks, but after having recently traded for him and with the 76ers’ cap space potentially looming, the Knicks ended up biting the bullet to make a run at a championship.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers took a risk by bringing a large amount of cap space into this offseason and it worked out about as well as they could have possibly hoped for. After another injury-plagued season from Joel Embiid, they remade their rotation with new and returning faces and look primed to make a run in the East. Back are Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, and Kelly Oubre Jr, while newcomers Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin look to figure prominently in the rotation as well.

Best Move: Sign Paul George for 4 years, $211 million

Paul George made huge waves in the offseason for the second time in the last five years. After having orchestrated a trade to the Clippers back in the summer of 2019, he has again changed teams by signing a max deal with the 76ers here in 2024. After tumultuous negotiations with the Clippers over the preceding months, he ultimately moved East and added even more intrigue to the top of the Eastern Conference.

George’s addition provides a third star for the team who gives All-Star value on both ends of the court. He should be an amazing fit while also not having to carry too large a burden while Embiid and Maxey are in the lineup, making it a win-win for both George and the Sixers. Making a move like this goes a long way in increasing the Sixers’ title odds and creates a dynamism from behind the 3-point line that the team has been lacking. His size and skill on the defensive end will also be invaluable as the team contends with the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and others in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

As far as altering the on-court destiny for a team, this could be the most impactful move of the offseason for the entire league.

Worst: Sign Eric Gordon for 2 years, $6.8 million

This was a minimum salary signing for the Sixers, so there’s only so poorly it can actually work out. The team was a bona fide winner in this offseason, so there isn’t much to dislike. Eric Gordon just may not be quite the boon some expect.

Gordon is pushing 36 years old and simply not the player he used to be. The former 6th Man of the Year will still knock down open (and deep) 3s, making him a welcome addition in that respect. Unfortunately, he is not bringing much else to the table at this point in his career. He no longer puts much pressure on the rim, he has never shown any interest in crashing the boards, and he showed a lot of disinterest on the defensive end last year in Phoenix.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are continuing to attempt a rebuild on the fly while resisting the temptation to completely bottom out. Having lost the rights to their pick in the 2024 draft to the Spurs due to a previous trade, their ability to add young talent was significantly hindered. Additionally, after picking up the Team Option on the contract of Bruce Brown, they did not have any significant cap space to use either. With these things in mind, their offseason was rather quiet, save for doling out large amounts of cash to a couple of their players.

Best: Sign Immanuel Quickley for 5 years, $162 million

This contract for Quickley carries some sticker shock for most fans. $32 million per year for a guy who has never been a full-time starter is a tough pill to swallow. This is not a max contract, however, and the salary remains flat for the entirety of the deal. By the end, it is estimated to be around just 16 percent of the salary cap. If Quickley continues to show the progression he has throughout his career, that could end up being a bargain for a dynamic starting point guard.

While he struggled a bit with his shooting after moving to Toronto and becoming a full-time starter, he showed a previously untapped ability to make plays for others (29.3 assist percentage) while also doing very well at taking care of the ball (9.2 turnover percentage), per data from Cleaning the Glass. He also continued to show proficiency in drawing fouls, while being a good defender, particularly when navigating screens in pick-and-rolls and handoffs.

Quickley showed an ability to scale up in usage while maintaining much of his effectiveness during his time in Toronto. He also proved to be a solid conceptual fit with Scottie Barnes, as he operates well on and off the ball as a shooter, while bringing energy to the defensive end.

Worst: Extend Scottie Barnes for 5 years, $225 million

Admittedly, this extension is kind of par for the course for a guy who was a top-five pick, won Rookie of the Year, and made an All-Star team during his rookie contract. If he continues to make leaps as he made from year two to year three, he will have more than justified this extension and likely even triggered the Designated Rookie language to earn even more money.

On the flip side, he is operating as a high-usage point forward who is a good but not great ball handler and passer and a mediocre shooter. He operates largely in the mid-range where he scores at middling efficiency. His size allows him to take advantage of mismatches, he rebounds well and makes plays defensively. But if he doesn’t make sizable improvements in playmaking and scoring efficiency, he’ll have a hard time living up to this contract.