Even before the world learned that the man sitting across from him would return to the Eastern Conference he once ruled, Tyrese Haliburton predicted on the live recording of LeBron James’ Mind The Game podcast earlier this month in New York that the East would, for once, be more interesting than the West in 2026-27.
“From a top to bottom conference perspective, you don’t know what could happen in our conference,” Haliburton said. “You really feel like there are six to eight teams that have a real chance to come out of the East.”
About a week later, James announced that he’d be signing with the 76ers on a two-year deal for the veteran minimum, bolstering a Philadelphia roster that had already added Jaylen Brown in one of the most surprising moves of the summer.
Those were two of several seismic moves made by Eastern teams as the conference’s other contenders look to dethrone the NBA champion Knicks. The Heat got back in the mix by trading for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Though the trade is still pending due to allegations that outside compensation during his time with the Clippers circumvented the salary cap. the Raptors at least initially agreed to a deal to reacquire Kawhi Leonard, a seven-time All-NBA pick and two-time Finals MVP who led Toronto to the 2019 title. The Hawks took advantage of the the Thunder’s need to shed salary by acquiring wings Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins, making an already nasty defense even more stingy. The Celtics probably got worse by trading away Brown, but they did get Paul George back in the deal and pried Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks.
The Pacers were in an awkward position with regards to the salary cap and caught a tough break with the draft lottery. Still, they took the biggest swing they could under the rules by signing wing Kelly Oubre Jr. away from Philadelphia, and the most important additions are the players who return from injuries, most notably Haliburton — who missed all last season with an Achilles tendon tear — and center Ivica Zubac, who played in just five games after he was acquired from the Clippers in February between the nagging ankle injury he brought with him and the broken rib that ended his season. The 2025 Eastern Conference champs have reason to believe they can compete for another one, but they also have reason to believe that a lot of other teams can too.
With that in mind, here’s a look at our power rankings in the East after the LeBron signing. It is a conference that is indeed as deep as Haliburton suggests, as there will be teams who enter the season with reason to believe they can win the conference who will find themselves starting their postseason in the play-in round.
1. New York Knicks
Additions: C Andre Drummond (free agent); F Tyler Nickel (draft), G Jack Kayil (draft trade)
Subtractions: C Mitchell Robinson (Celtics, free agency); C Ariel Hukporti (76ers, free agency)
Outlook: The Knicks are still the favorites because they still have the starting five that led them to their first title since 1973 with Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns and wings O.G. Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart all potentially under contract through at least the 2027-28 season, with Hart having a club option for that season. Owner Tom Dolan went into the offseason hoping to stay under the second apron and the Knicks were able to do so with a limited hit to their core.
The Knicks weren’t able to keep rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson or depth center Ariel Hukporti. However, they did manage to re-sign bench guards Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson — who all played a part in the playoff run — as well as promising forward Mohamed Diawara.
The Knicks title defense won’t be easy. There have been more talented defending champions even during this era of parity when eight teams have won the title in the last eight seasons. However, they will enter 2026-27 with a core of players who trust each other and who know what the playoff gauntlet is like. They leaned into depth under coach Mike Brown last season, which removes the weakness the Pacers exploited in the 2024 and 2025 playoffs. Despite all the movement, The Knicks still have to be considered the East’s favorites.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
Additions: F LeBron James, (free agency), F Jaylen Brown (trade), G Anfernee Simons (free agency); F Dean Wade (free agency); C Ariel Hukporti (free agency); G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (free agency) G Caleb Love (free agency); G Rayan Rupert (free agency); G Labaron Philon Jr. (Draft):
Subtractions: F Paul George (trade-Celtics); F Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agency-Pacers); G Quentin Grimes (free agency-Lakers); C Andre Drummond (free agency-Knicks); F/C Johni Broome (trade); G Kyle Lowry (retirement); G Dalen Terry (waived)
Outlook: It seems advisable to pump the brakes on 76ers hype given that the last time they made a major offseason move — adding Paul George in 2024 — they went 24-58 the following season because their big 3 of George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid barely ever saw the floor together. Embiid has been hobbled by a series of injuries since winning MVP honors in 2022-23. Even though he’s still one of the most dominant physical forces in the NBA when available — averaging 26.9 points per game and last season and posting two 30-plus point performances in the 76ers first-round upset of the Celtics — he has appeared in fewer than 40 games in each of the past three seasons. And of course, for as great as James still is, he will turn 42 in December and the days when he could carry shaky rosters to the Finals on sheer force of will have past.
But even if the 76ers only have Embiid for a limited number of games and even if time chips away a little more at James, the 76ers have enough outside of those two Olympians to be a force in the East. Brown is coming off his best regular season as a pro and the 29-year-old has played in at least 63 games in each of the last five seasons while the 36-year-old George has played in 60 games just once since 2018-19. The 25-year-old Maxey was just named All-NBA for the first time and has averaged 25 points per game or better each of the last three years. Guard V.J. Edgecombe finished third in the Rookie of the Year balloting. If Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown stay on their trajectories, then whatever they get from James and Embiid will be a bonus.
The losses of Oubre, Grimes and Drummond were significant, but the Sixers picked up important pieces in Simons and Wade in free agency. Philon averaged 22 points per game as a sophomore at Alabama and 18.5 points per game at NBA Summer League, leading the Sixers squad. There’s enough depth for the Sixers to be a playoff team and at least win a round if James an Embiid don’t contribute much. But if they get a standard late-career season from James and Embiid gets even halfway from where he’s been to his MVP form, an NBA title is a realistic possibility.
3. Indiana Pacers
Additions: F Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agent); F/C Larry Nance Jr. (free agent); G Braden Smith (draft).
Subtractions: G Kam Jones (trade-Bulls) (then-waived, signed by Bucks); C Micah Potter (waived, signed by Trailblazers); G Taelon Peter (waived).
Outlook: Pacers executives Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan spent the summer trumpeting their belief in their core players and bet heavily on the belief that if they reached the NBA Finals once with this group, they could do it again. They’ll head into the 2026-27 season with four of the five starters and six of the top eight scorers from the 2024-25 NBA Finals team still on the roster. With Haliburton expected to be fully recovered from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals, the Pacers expect to be able to forget their 19-63 mark in 2025-26 as something of a bad dream.
That said, the few moves they have made over the last seven months do seem to specifically address the challenges they will face in what they hope is a return to contention. Oubre Jr. gives them the long-armed wing to defend the talented wings that the Knicks, 76ers and others have as part of their cores. The February addition of center Ivica Zubac gives them a necessary big man who at 7-foot, 250 pounds can trade blows with Towns, Embiid and the other top 5 men in the league.
There will be differences in how the Pacers operate with Zubac versus the floor-spacing Myles Turner. However, with Haliburton back they’re still going to base their philosophy on sharing the ball, getting pace in the game and bringing pressure on defense. Other teams know to expect that formula and have adapted to it, but that doesn’t mean it can’t take the Pacers to the Finals again.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Additions: G Meleek Thomas (draft).
Subtractions: F Dean Wade (free agency-76ers); G Keon Ellis (free agency-Nets); F/C Larry Nance Jr. (free agency-Pacers)
Outlook: Despite the push for something drastic after an embarrassing Eastern Conference Finals sweep at the hands of the Knicks, the Cavaliers haven’t made a big offseason move yet. They are still recovering from missing out on another return home from LeBron James and they weren’t able to keep Dean Wade in the fold.
Still, Cleveland has every reason to believe it should still be at least in the mix to win the East. Though he declined his player option, the Cavs have reportedly gotten every indication that James Harden will re-sign. They signed All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell to a massive extension and they still have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen under contract, and that core should keep them in contention. Their complimentary pieces, including Max Strus, Sam Merrill and Dennis Schroeder are trustworthy and they have reason to hope for development in some of their younger players including Jaylon Tyson and Nae’qwan Tomlin. Still, they have to fill out their roster and they should probably make at least one significant addition to keep pace with the rest of the East.
To actually win it, though, the Cavs do need to apply lessons from the last two seasons. For one thing, they simply need to show more collective will than they did after their Game 1 collapse in the Eastern Conference Finals as they lost the last three games of that series by a combined 66 points. If they’re going to keep Harden, they need more from him and they certainly need to see a leap from Evan Mobley. The Cavs could be the Eastern team that finally puts it all together in 2026-27, or they could be the team that ends up the odd team out and finds itself needing to start over.
5. Toronto Raptors (pending)
Additions: F Kawhi Leonard (pending trade); F Kyle Anderson (free agency): F Allen Graves (draft); G Jaden Bradley (draft).
Subtractions: F Brandon Ingram (pending trade-Clippers); F Gradey Dick (pending trade- Clippers); C Sandro Mamukelashvili (free agency-Lakers); G/F Garrett Temple (retirement); C/F Jonathan Mogbo (free agency-Kings).
Outlook: The Raptors roster is very much on hold as the NBA continues its investigation of Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement contract with Aspiration — a green banking firm and a sponsor of the Clippers — and whether it represented a circumvention of the salary cap by Leonard and the Clippers. The Raptors were informed they would be on the hook for any punishment against Leonard so they put the trade on hold.
Whether they get Leonard or not they will still be a tough out. If they back out of the trade, they get to keep Brandon Ingram, an All-Star last season who led Toronto in scoring. However, getting Leonard means creating a formidable duo of two-way wings with him and Scottie Barnes. Barnes, who will turn 25 on Aug. 1, is hitting his stride after earning his second All-Star nod and first All-Defensive team selection. Leonard may be on the back half of his career at 35, but he’s coming off his best statistical season since 2019-20 as he finished seventh in the MVP voting with a career-high 27.9 points per game.
The Raptors have been leaning into long-armed defensive wings for years — going back to Leonard’s first tenure with the team — and bringing him back even further emphasizes that focus. They finished fifth in the NBA in defensive rating last year and could improve in that regard. The Raptors can surround Leonard and Barnes with R.J. Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles plus a pair of point guards who can defend in Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead. They could use a better center situation, but they are strong enough 1-4 with or without Leonard to be a playoff team and a tough out again.
6. Atlanta Hawks
Additions: G Luguentz Dort (trade); G Aaron Wiggins (trade); G Devin Carter (trade); G Ryan Nembhard (trade); F Jalen Wilson (free agency); G Kingston Flemings (draft); C Zuby Ejiofor (draft); C Henri Veesaar (draft/trade).
Subtractions: F Zaccharie Risacher (trade-Mavericks); F Jonathan Kuminga (free agent-declined option); G Gabe Vincent (free agent); G Keaton Wallace (free agent); C Tony Bradley (free agent)
Outlook: The Hawks were the last team in the East to beat the Knicks in a playoff game and held a 2-1 lead in the series before New York rallied back. They’ve been building a defensive identity led by All-NBA wing Jalen Johnson and two-time All-Defensive team pick Dyson Daniels and they leaned into that even further with their offseason moves.
Luguentz Dort is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and certainly one of the most physical guards in the NBA and he gives the Hawks a defensive answer for the point guards who drive the East. The Hawks had to part with former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to get Dort but he fits perfectly into their philosophy. They also added Aaron Wiggins for not much, kept lead guard C.J. McCollum on board and drafted their point guard of the future in Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 pick they got in a deal with the Pelicans.
7. Detroit Pistons
Additions: F John Collins (trade); G Isaiah Joe (trade); F Taurean Prince (trade); G Gary Harris (trade); G Ebuka Okorie (draft/trade); C Ugonna Onyenso (draft/trade).
Subtractions: F Tobias Harris (free agency-Spurs) F Isaiah Stewart (trade-Grizzlies); G Caris LeVert (trade-Bucks)); G Marcus Sasser (trade-Mavericks).
Outlook: It speaks to the state of the arms race in the East that the Pistons posted the conference’s best regular season record in 2025-26, lost in a tough seven-game series to Cleveland in the conference semifinals and return the only player from the Eastern Conference who was first-team All-NBA last season in Cade Cunningham but could see themselves drop in preseason rankings and seem in danger of ending up in the play-in. However, they found themselves over-reliant on Cunningham for offense in the playoffs and they didn’t do quite enough to remedy that situation in the offseason.
The Pistons brought in an explosive frontcourt athlete in Collins and an excellent shooter in Joe. They also re-signed Kevin Huerter and added an explosive scorer in the draft in Okorie. However, those additions were offset by significant losses. Tobias Harris was their second-leading scorer in the postseason with 18.1 points per game behind Cunningham. Isaiah Stewart, hot head though he may be, has grown into one of the toughest defensive forwards in the NBA. Ausar Thompson will still spearhead a tough defense, but it’s weaker without Stewart.
The Pistons also still haven’t re-signed restricted free agent Jalen Duren. though it seems unlikely at this point that he’d go elsewhere. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the regular season to earn third-team All-NBA honors but just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in the playoffs.
The Pistons could put all of their pieces together and apply the lessons of their playoff exits the last two seasons to make a leap this year and win the East, but they’ll need a lot more from their supporting cast. Cunningham might be the best guard in the East, but the other players in that discussion — Brunson, Mitchell, Haliburton and Maxey among others — have better supporting casts and that could lead the Pistons to being the team that slips in 2026-27.
8. Miami Heat
Additions: F Giannis Antetokounmpo (trade); F Bobby Portis (trade); G Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agent); G Ryan Conwell (draft); G Tre Donaldson (undrafted free agent).
Subtractions: G Tyler Herro (trade-Bucks); F Jaime Jaquez Jr. (trade-Bucks); C Kel’el Ware (trade-Bucks); G/F Kasparis Jakucionis (trade-Bucks); G Norman Powell (free agent-Bulls);
Outlook: The Heat have to be considered a threat to win the East simply because they now have the best player in the East.
For as much discussion as there now is about the 76ers’ signing of James, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in the prime of his career at age 31. He played in just 36 games last season due to injuries so he wasn’t eligible for postseason awards, but he averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game when he was available, shooting 62.4% from the floor. Prior to that, he finished in the top four of the MVP voting and first-team All-NBA for seven straight seasons with two MVP awards in that stretch. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is the only Eastern Conference player who finished ahead of Antetokounmpo in the MVP voting in any of those years.
The Heat’s problem is that acquiring Antetokounmpo required a lot of young talent and Miami is now left with a roster that isn’t exactly balanced. Antetokounmpo and center Bam Adebayo will make Miami very hard to score on around the rim and could make them overwhelming in the paint on offense. Swingman Andrew Wiggins gives them another tough and experienced two-way player. However, those three will combine to make about $140 million this season and having them together doesn’t allow for much else. Along with all the pieces the Heat had to send to the Bucks, they also failed to keep Norman Powell after his first All-Star season. They’re losing four of their top 3-point shooters in terms of percentage which could create issues in terms of floor spacing.
Forward Bobby Portis came with Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee and should help on a number of levels. So should the signing of Tim Hardaway Jr. after he finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting in Denver. However, it will probably take another season before the Heat can put together a championship caliber roster around Antetokounmpo.
9. Boston Celtics
Additions: F Paul George (trade); C Mitchell Robinson (free agent); G Mike Conley Jr. (free agent); F/C Chris Cenac Jr. (draft); F Dillon Mitchell (draft).
Subtractions: F Jaylen Brown (trade-76ers); C Nikola Vucevic (free agency-Magic); G Max Shulga (free agency-declined option).
Outlook: The Celtics had a chance to come out of the offseason as the favorite to win the East after overachieving for most of last year while Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles tendon tear. However, their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo fell short and the fallout from the mention of Jaylen Brown in deals apparently convinced the Celtics they had to move on from the 2024 Finals MVP. Now the whole league is wondering what the future is for a Boston team that not long ago looked like it had a chance to dominate the East for years.
In the short term, there’s still a chance for Boston to be dangerous in the East. Though trading 29-year-old Brown for 36-year-old Paul George causes obvious issues for the long term, Tatum and George can be a dominant duo when healthy. The Celtics still have Derrick White as a stalwart two-way point guard and dangerous shooting threats in Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. Though newly added center Mitchell Robinson and re-signed big man Neemias Queta both have some limitations offensively, they can be forces around the rim and on the glass on both ends. They also have a talented collection of young, cheap players that includes Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Jordan Walsh.
As has been the case for years, the Celtics will have a high ceiling when they hit 3s. However, with Tatum and Brown they would have had a higher established floor. Now they’ll be hoping for a full season of All-NBA caliber play from George, a six-time All-NBA pick who last earned that honor in 2021 who has only played 65 regular season games once in the past seven seasons.
10. Orlando Magic
Additions: C Nikola Vucevic (free agent); C Izaiyah Nelson (draft/trade)
Subtractions: C Moritz Wagner (free agency-Nets) G/F Jett Howard (free agency-Mavericks).
Outlook: The Magic were relatively quiet in terms of moves this offseason but made their big transaction on the coaching front, firing Jamahl Moseley after Orlando blew a 3-1 series lead to the Pistons in the first round and hiring Sean Sweeney off the Spurs’ bench.
The move gives Orlando an opportunity to re-set. They’re pot-committed to their core with guards Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane, forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero and center Wendell Carter Jr. all under contract through at least the 2028-29 season. (Carter has a team option for that year.) Injuries have frequently set them off course, but that five is a talented enough group to challenge for the East some time in that window. It’s probably unfair to peg them this low, but they’ve lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and have to do more to prove they belong in the contention discussion because of the amount of talent in the East.
11. Charlotte Hornets
Additions: F/C Naz Reid (trade); G Grayson Allen (trade); F Royce O’Neale (trade); F Dorian Finney-Smith (trade); F Mouhmadou Gueye (trade); C Hannes Steinbach (draft); G Christian Anderson (draft); G Kylan Boswell (undrafted free agent); F Michael Ajayi (undrafted free agent).
Subtractions: G LaMelo Ball (trade-Timberwolves); G Josh Green (trade-Timberwolves); F Miles Bridges (trade-Suns); G Tosan Evbuomwan (waived).
Outlook: The Hornets took as chaotic of an approach to the offseason as any team in the league. They ended the season with a clearly ascending trajectory, posting their first winning season since 2021-22 and even won a play-in game before they were eliminated by the Magic. And then they traded two of their top four scorers, including the former Rookie of the Year who was arguably their franchise player.
With LaMelo Ball gone to Minnesota and Miles Bridges gone to Phoenix, the Hornets still have a very intriguing roster built around two young wings who can shoot and score. Forward Brandon Miller is the second-leading scorer in terms of average in the draft class of 2023 behind Victor Wembanyama. Guard Kon Kneuppel just finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting to former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg by leading the NBA in total 3-pointers with 273 and shattering the previous NBA rookie record with that number. They also have a number of young, interesting role players in rebounding machine Moussa Diabate, center Ryan Kalkbrenner and guard Sion James. They added big man Hannes Steinbach and point guard Christian Anderson in the draft and both of them might be able to make an immediate impact.
The additions of Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith bring veteran gravitas to that group. However, the Hornets are elevating Coby White from Ball’s backup to their lead creator and they’re giving him a three-year, $74 million contract to do it, and that represents a bit of a risk.
In many years in the East, the Hornets would have plenty enough talent to be a postseason team. This year it will be tough for them to pull that off as they look to create a new identity without Ball. However they could still be dangerous and could move up the standings if more established teams falter.
12. Washington Wizards
Additions: C DeAndre Ayton (trade); F Khris Middleton (sign-and-trade); G/F A.J. Dybantsa (draft); C Felix Okpara (draft/trade).
Subtractions: G D’Angelo Russell (trade-Grizzlies); G Jaden Hardy (trade-Lakers).
Outlook: Since February, the Wizards have drafted the centerpiece of their future in A.J. Dybantsa but also added a group of veteran players that would have been considered a super team in about 2021. However, they still count nine players age 23 or younger on that roster, and that makes it difficult to figure out exactly how the Wizards plan to approach the 2026-27 season.
At the trade deadline, the Wizards let C.J. McCollum escape their cycle of tanking and set him to Atlanta for four-time All-Star Trae Young. They also surprisingly acquired 10-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA pick Anthony Davis from Dallas. Young played just five games with the Wizards after the trade, however, and Davis didn’t play at all as the Wizards posted their third straight sub-20 win season, earning the league’s worst mark at 17-65 and using it to get the No. 1 overall pick. However, rather than finding a way to move on from Davis and Young’s considerable salaries, they gave Young a four-year, $213-million deal after he declined his player option. The Wizards will be paying Young and Davis about $108 million this season, so supposedly they’ll want them to actually play and even try to win. Beyond those two, the Wizards also signed Khris Middleton and De’Andre Ayton and presumably they’ll want them to play as well.
However, if too many minutes go to those 28-and-over veterans it could disrupt the development of the young players the Wizards have been bringing along before Dybantsa, including center Alex Sarr, wings Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George and guards Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson. The Wizards haven’t reached the playoffs since 2021 and haven’t had a winning season since 2017-18 so there’s something to be said for giving Washington fans any kind of relief from incessant tanking, but it’s also necessary for them to stay committed to a long-term plan with all that young talent.
13. Milwaukee Bucks
Additions: G Tyler Herro (trade); F Jamie Jaquez Jr. (trade); C Kel’El Ware (trade); G Kasparas Jakucionis (trade); G caris LeVert (trade); G Brayden Burries (draft); F Nate Ament (draft/trade); F Malique Lewis (draft/trade), F Boboljub Markovic (2025 draftee coming to U.S.). G Kam Jones (free agent).
Subtractions: F Giannis Antetokounmpo (trade-Heat); F Bobby Portis (trade-Heat); G Gary Harris Jr. (trade-Pistons); F Taurean Prince (trade-Pistons); G Andre Jackson Jr. (declined option); F Thanasis Antetokounmpo (free agency).
Outlook: The Bucks made the decision to move on from one of the greatest players in their history, the man who brought them their first title since 1971. Their choice to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo created the chain reaction that informed almost every other big move the rest of the summer.
And now it leaves the Bucks trying to figure out their next move. There’s still some talent on the roster thanks in part to the haul they got from Miami led by home-state guard Tyler Herro, but it’s likely the Bucks will lean into a full rebuild with Burries and Ament their most important young pieces.
14. Chicago Bulls
Additions: G Norman Powell (free agent); C Nic Claxton (trade); F Caleb Wilson (draft); G Dailyn Swain (draft); G Vsevolod Ischenko (draft).
Subtractions: G Anfernee Simons (free agent-76ers); G Collin Sexton (free agent-Lakers); F Guerschon Yabusele (free agent-Panathinaikos, Greece); F Mohamadou Gueye (trade-Hornets); C Nick Richards (released).
Outlook: After years of middling about at the play-in level, the Bulls seem to have committed to a real reboot that started with the hiring of Bryson Graham as their top executive and Tiago Splitter as head coach. No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson gives them a foundational piece and his willingness to go the distance in Summer League speaks well for his approach to that role. The Bulls also have a lot invested in Josh Giddey and the additions of Nic Claxton and Norman Powell could make them reasonably competitive for the time being, but they’ll likely end up back in the lottery looking for more pieces to combine with Wilson.
15. Brooklyn Nets
Additions: F Julius Randle (trade); G Keon Ellis (free agent); C Moritz Wagner (free agent); G Mikel Brown Jr. (draft); F Tyler Bilodeau (draft); F Joshua Jefferson (draft/trade).
Subtractions: C Nic Claxton (trade-Bulls); F Ochai Agbaji (free agency); F Ziaire Williams (free agency-Lakers); F Jalen Wilson (free agent-Hawks).
Outlook: The Nets got better with the addition of Julius Randle and the drafting of Mikel Brown Jr., who might end up being the lead guard they desperately needed. However, Brooklyn still appears to have the least evident vision of any of the teams that were in the lottery and they haven’t had much in the way of direction since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2023. They’ve acquired piles of draft picks in that time and turned them in to some talent, but they don’t seem to have a cornerstone piece yet. Until they do, they have to be considered the team most likely to finish at the bottom of the improving East.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA East Power Rankings: Where do the Pacers land in the rebuilt conference?
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
