Add ESPN to the list of publications that don't like what the Celtics have done this offseason.
ESPN's Zach Kram graded how he thinks each NBA team has done this offseason. His grades are based on trades, free agent signings and extensions, but do not include draft selections. He says a "C" grade is neutral.
Kram gave the Celtics a C-, tying the franchise with the Pistons for one of the worst grades on his list. The only teams below the Celtics and Pistons are the Magic (D+), Wizards (D+) and Pelicans (D), while both the Clippers and Raptors earned incomplete grades.
To no surprise, the Jaylen Brown trade is a big reason Kram gave the Celtics a below-average grade.
"The Celtics undercut the Knicks with their addition of Robinson and signed Neemias Queta to a great extension. But their offseason will be defined by the stunning Jaylen Brown trade, which shocked the basketball world not because it happened but because it brought back such a light return from the 76ers (Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks) for the player who finished sixth in MVP voting last season."
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"President of basketball operations Brad Stevens might prove right in the long run," Kram added. "But right now, it seems like the Celtics reduced their 2026-27 championship equity without saving all that much money, so they receive one of my worst offseason grades."
In addition to trading Brown to the 76ers in a deal headlined by Paul George, the Celtics signed Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley this offseason.
Robinson is the splashier signing of the two, giving the Celtics some much-needed depth at the center position. Robinson played a key role in New York's championship run with his shot-blocking and offensive rebounding.
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There's no denying the Celtics have had an odd offseason, but they're still expected to be among the best teams in the Eastern Conference next season. Steph Noh of The Sporting News has them winning 54 games and placed them No. 6 in his latest Power Rankings.
How that translates into postseason success is the big question Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have to answer.
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