ESPN offseason grades highlight Spurs, Jazz and a reshaped NBA market

ESPN’s supplied offseason grades put the Spurs and Jazz at the top of the early evaluation board, with both receiving an A. San Antonio’s headline move was Victor Wembanyama’s 25% maximum extension, while Utah’s high grade centered on the draft value it received in the Walker Kessler trade.

The grading framework treats a C as neutral, so the teams above that line are being judged as having advanced their offseason plans in some way. In the available section, Atlanta, Charlotte and Philadelphia also scored strongly, with the Hawks adding depth, the Hornets shifting toward a younger core, and the 76ers improving at forward with Jaylen Brown and Dean Wade alongside Joel Embiid.

Several major moves came with more complicated reviews. Miami landed Giannis Antetokounmpo but was not framed as an automatic title favorite because of backcourt, depth and asset concerns. Memphis moved on from Ja Morant for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray without draft picks attached, while Milwaukee’s return for Giannis was viewed more positively than its reported four-year, $64 million deal for Gary Trent Jr.

The broader theme is that offseason grades are not only about star names. Contract structure, future picks, roster balance and depth all shape how a summer is judged, and some teams appear to have chosen flexibility or long-term positioning over immediate improvement.