NBA Offseason Grades: Sixers, Raptors, Spurs, Blazers, Suns

Continuing our series of offseason grades, it’s time to look at five teams that cover every inch of the success and failure spectrum.

The Philadelphia 76ers had an extremely disappointing 2024-25 campaign after coming in with championship aspirations. The Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers are looking to ascend from a rebuild to the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns are a team trying to pivot from a series of unfortunate transactions.

Does the vision for any of these teams appear clearer heading into 2025-26? Here’s how they fared:

Philadelphia 76ers

Notable additions: VJ Edgecombe, Trendon Watford

Notable departures: Guerschon Yabusele

TBD: Quentin Grimes

Philadelphia lucked out in the draft lottery by moving up to third overall. Edgecombe could prove to be a very good selection, even if he may not possess the ceiling of Ace Bailey, who was initially projected to go third.

As things stand, he also provides some insurance for a potential Grimes departure. That would certainly be a blow to Philadelphia’s depth.

Yabusele is a loss for the Sixers’ rotation and Watford will likely be a downgrade.

It is not a good sign Paul George picked up an injury during an 0ffseason workout that required surgery. The most concerning aspect is he will be re-evaluated at training camp. Usually, with insignificant injuries or minor procedures during the offseason, the medical update will indicate the player is expected to be ready for training camp. That’s not the case here.

Then, there’s the Joel Embiid of it all. The ESPN story, which highlighted how much his body has suffered the last several years, was sad to absorb. He has fought a good fight but his body may be nearing the point where it can’t take much more. The 31 year old played 19 games last season and even doubling that would feel like an accomplishment.

Grade: C

Toronto Raptors

Notable additions: Collin Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili

Notable departures: Chris Boucher

For the Raptors, the main “offseason” work actually came at the trade deadline. The Brandon Ingram acquisition was purely about 2025-26, as he didn’t play a single game for Toronto in 2024-25.

Though Collin Murray-Boyles figures to have tremendous defensive upside, it was disappointing, even if unsurprising, to see the Raptors double down on a defense-first forward with challenges shooting the ball. The organization prioritizes selecting the best player available in the Draft and Murray-Boyles is who they most believed in at No. 9.

The most significant move for the Raptors came in the front office, with Masai Ujiri’s tenure as team president coming to a close. What’s been happening behind the scenes screams of an ownership group which may not have winning at the highest level as its top priority. That alone makes this a deeply disappointing offseason for a franchise six years removed from winning a title.

GM Bobby Webster is reportedly the favorite to become the new president and is well qualified for the job. This is a team that should compete for the top six in the East but it’s the big picture that appears uncertain due to ownership.

Grade: D

San Antonio Spurs

Notable additions: Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk

Notable departures: Chris Paul, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, Sandro Mamukelashvili

Chris Paul’s leadership will certainly missed by a team looking to graduate to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

That being said, coming away with the second pick in the lottery and selecting Harper is a huge win. A guard with great size could make the Spurs play some fascinating jumbo lineups in the future.

Bryant should fit like a glove for the Spurs as someone who projects to be a quality long-term three-and-D role player. Kornet is a great free agent addition for the role he’ll play behind Victor Wembanyama and possibly alongside him in certain lineups as well.

Wembanyama getting the green light to resume basketball activities with just over two months before training camp is a huge boost.

There is still a looming question as to whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Spurs have the assets to acquire him if the opportunity presents itself.

Grade: A-

Portland Trail Blazers

Notable additions: Jrue Holiday, Yang Hansen, Damian Lillard

Notable departures: Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton

When you’ve identified “your guy,” you do whatever it takes to go out and get them. That’s what the Blazers did by selecting Hansen 16th overall in the Draft. Hansen was widely projected to be available in the second round but Portland wasn’t taking any chances.

At Summer League, Hansen flashed some of the big man playmaking skills the Blazers found so tantalizing. The marketing potential is off the charts for Hansen, having already featured in content involving Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard. Portland also made clear it wanted nothing to do with Ayton, electing to buy out the veteran center.

Holiday will provide a huge defensive upgrade over Simons and a necessary veteran presence for a team looking to build off a 23-18 record in the second half of last season.

Adding back a franchise icon in Lillard is going to be great for the young players. He’ll likely sit out the season as he rehabs from a ruptured Achilles and then we’ll see what he’s got left in the tank in 2026-27.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns

Notable additions: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming

Notable departures: Kevin Durant, Tyus Jones, Cody Martin, Mason Plumlee, Bradley Beal

A disastrous effort to turn a former NBA Finals team into champions ends with missing out on the Play-In Tournament and moving on from both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

The Suns saw no other alternative than to rip the band-aid off and suffer the necessary pain by shifting to (hopefully) something better. They wanted center depth and now have it in the form of both Williams and Maluach. They will be thrilled Maluach fell into their lap at No. 10.

What happens at the wing spots will be interesting. Green, Brooks, Devin Booker, Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen all have to be accounted for, even after the departure of Beal.

Losing Beal via a buyout and Durant in a deal that didn’t address major roster weaknesses is going to hurt for some time.

It’s worth acknowledging the Suns did save $175 million in luxury tax payments. That’s not nothing. New general manager Brian Gregory was dealt a tough hand and tried to make the best of a disastrous situation.

Grade: C