NBA 2026-27 season preview: Burning questions within the Eastern Conference

A summer time of famous person swaps could have sparked loads of sizzling takes and daring predictions, however that point is over.

Opening week of the 2026-27 NBA season is right here — actions will do the speaking from right here on out.

Zooming in on the Eastern Conference, there’s been a drastic makeover: One former MVP moved from Milwaukee to Miami, whereas a pair of L.A. luminaries made shock returns to the alternative aspect of the bracket. Those are simply a few of the strikes which have reshaped what was a top-heavy convention a season in the past, to the purpose the place 7-to-8 groups have a reliable case to be included when asking who’ll make it out of the East — one among many questions which have lingered over the convention for months.

And whereas groups will get their alternative to fill in these blanks as soon as motion ideas off on Tuesday, let’s use this time to get a pair extra in.

Here are the burning questions for each Eastern Conference workforce.

Atlanta Hawks: Will lack of dimension proceed to be a problem?

After buying and selling for not one, however two of Oklahoma City’s high eight rotation gamers from final season in Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins, it is no secret the Hawks are hoping the Thunder’s loss might be their achieve.

And in doing so, Atlanta now has such a full secure of guards — between final season’s beginning trio of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels, the additions from OKC and this yr’s No. 8 choose Kingston Flemings — that it turns into troublesome to see how there are sufficient minutes to go round until Quin Snyder additional commits to small-ball. And whereas that strategy led to some success in 2025-26, like establishing a pesky top-10 defence (that ought to solely get higher) and taking two video games off the eventual-champion New York Knicks within the playoffs, it additionally harm the Hawks at instances as a bottom-half rebounding workforce within the NBA and bottom-third paint defence.

Boston Celtics: Can Jaylen Brown’s influence be replicated within the mixture?

A brand new period in Beantown is underway as “The Jays” tandem is not any extra. With Brown now on the division-rival Philadelphia 76ers, he’ll nonetheless be making loads of appearances at TD Garden, simply not in Celtics inexperienced.

When the shock commerce was made in July, Boston’s entrance workplace signalled a want to unfold the wealth each actually and figuratively. With the previous Finals MVP gone, 70 per cent of the wage cap was not tied to the Brown-Jayson Tatum duo, permitting Brad Stevens extra roster flexibility and Joe Mazzulla a possibility to flex his reigning Coach of the Year muscle tissue with a extra egalitarian strategy.

But can a 36-year-old Paul George coupled with extra reps for a recently-extended Payton Pritchard, Year 2 Hugo Gonzalez and Derrick White on the heels of a career-worst capturing season actually make up for the lack of an All-NBA second-teamer who simply completed sixth in MVP voting?

Brooklyn Nets: Who’s going to be a long-term piece?

It’s now Year 3 for Jordi Fernandez main the Nets, and his workforce remains to be very a lot entrenched in a rebuild with 13 gamers aged 25 or youthful on the roster. Even the important thing veterans aren’t all that previous in Keon Ellis (26), Michael Porter Jr. (29) and Julius Randle (31).

And with the NBA’s new anti-tanking guidelines coming into impact, Brooklyn has to begin transferring in the wrong way after 4 straight seasons of lowering win totals. The greatest solution to make that occur is by figuring out expertise value constructing round and expertise with sufficient worth to dangle on the commerce market. Time will inform if these sorts of gamers exist on the present roster, however count on sophomore Egor Demin and rookie Mikel Brown Jr., a pair of top-10 picks, to be given loads of runway to determine themselves as constructing blocks.

Charlotte Hornets: Can Brandon Miller carry the offence early?

The post-LaMelo Ball period is formally underway in Buzz City, and it begins with Charles Lee having to determine learn how to maintain final yr’s No. 5 offence buzzing with out its engine.

Charlotte’s plan coming into the season was to take action by focusing its on-ball efforts across the trio of Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Coby White. The pattern was very small final yr, however in 45 minutes sharing the ground, they maintained a 131.1 offensive ranking and had been plus-27.6.

It was already an enormous wager to take, however now doubly so contemplating the latter two are sidelined with out clear timetables for return as Knueppel (hamstring) and White (calf) battle lingering accidents. Instead, Miller will look to maintain the Hornets afloat alongside low season additions Naz Reid and Dennis Schroder till his major operating mates return.

Chicago Bulls: Can Tiago Splitter set up an identification?

It was one recreation into final season when the retired participant turned assistant coach was thrust into an interim bench boss function with the Portland Trail Blazers. An unenviable job for anybody, however Splitter embraced the chance and led the Blazers to their most wins (42) and first playoff look since 2021.

Now he is with the Bulls, who’ve solely made one post-season look since 2017 and are within the midst of a four-year drought — hoping Splitter can flip them round with equal haste, even when that is asking lots. The Blazers could have solely been a touch higher offence than the Bulls, however that they had a transparent model to hold their hats on as a top-half defence that was as excessive as seventh in forcing turnovers and eighth in scoring off these further alternatives. And whereas Chicago was one among simply eight groups to play an excellent quicker and extra frenetic tempo than Portland did, it completed a lot much less doing so, rating backside 10 on each ends of the ground.

Needless to say, Splitter could have his work minimize out for him, however at the very least the now-permanent head coach has high quality veterans in Norman Powell and Nic Claxton to pair with kids like Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and rookie fourth-overall choose Caleb Wilson. The winds of change could also be heading to the Windy City.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Does Evan Mobley have one other stage to his recreation?

After advancing previous the second spherical for the primary time since 2018, even when solely to get swept by the eventual champions, it was a significant step ahead. Enough to persuade Donovan Mitchell to increase with the Cavs for 4 extra years and for James Harden to re-sign by means of 2028-29.

But that feeling of progress could not be prolonged to Mobley, who, for a fourth consecutive playoff run, noticed his numbers and influence dip under his regular-season manufacturing. Cleveland has preached continuity and endurance with its frontcourt pairing of Jarrett Allen and Mobley over the past 5 seasons, however with the latter now accounting for over 30 per cent of the wage cap and making north of $50 million, role-player manufacturing will not minimize it when it issues most.

The expertise is simple — simply ask the 33 per cent of NBA GMs who, 5 years in the past, predicted Mobley could be the highest participant from his draft class by this level. And when he took house the Defensive Player of the Year award and an All-NBA choice simply two seasons in the past, that prediction was beginning to appear to be prophecy. But was that the height of Mobley’s powers, or is there extra?

Detroit Pistons: Are there any lingering results from low season drama?

After incomes high spot within the East for the primary time in practically 20 years, vibes had been purported to be excessive this low season within the Motor City, even after a second-round exit. Natural development paired with a few notable additions ought to’ve had the Pistons wanting like one of many favourites to come back out of the East. Instead, the Pistons’ strikes had been extra of the lateral selection at greatest, swapping Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert for John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince.

And then there was the Jalen Duren of all of it, who, after a breakout All-NBA season, majorly disenchanted within the playoffs earlier than spending months in a contract stalemate with the franchise whereas rumours of him pursuing different groups stored getting louder. In the top, the 2 sides settled on a five-year, $200 million contract — larger than the $170-190 million vary the Pistons had been reportedly providing at first however decrease than the $287 million max deal Duren was eligible for. Will bygones be bygones or will new cracks inevitably kind?

Indiana Pacers: Back to enterprise with Tyrese Haliburton’s return?

It seems to be all techniques go for Indy now that its flooring common is again in motion. Haliburton and Co. will attempt to show that final yr’s 19-63 report was merely a pace bump for a Pacers workforce that made back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances and was in Game 7 of the Finals earlier than the star guard went down with harm and missed all of 2025-26.

While the core round Haliburton stays largely unchanged, apart from the departures of Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin, he is now received a brand new large man to pair with in Ivica Zubac, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers ultimately yr’s commerce deadline — a transfer that wound up costing Indiana the fifth-overall choose. And if pre-season is any indication, the guard-centre duo ought to hyperlink up a lot this upcoming marketing campaign, as a 3rd of Haliburton’s assists throughout the exhibition schedule had been to Zubac for straightforward finally ends up shut.

Miami Heat: Can Erik Spoelstra scheme round spacing issues?

The largest star to maneuver this summer time landed in South Beach and gave the workforce its most proficient participant since LeBron James. But to be able to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat needed to intestine a lot of the roster within the course of. While the two-time MVP and Bam Adebayo kind a formidable duo and may spearhead a vaunted defence, the new-look squad is much from infallible.

Aside from becoming Antetokounmpo into the free-flowing, seldom-scripted model that coach Spoelstra carried out final yr, the bench boss should navigate what may very well be a clunky match with two bigs who do not area the ground all that a lot — despite the fact that Adebayo did make strides from past the arc final yr, hitting a career-best 1.7 triples per recreation — and a roster that is not affected by perimeter manufacturing. The additions of veteran snipers Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. may assist as long as they are not making a gift of these factors the opposite method, as would Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins persevering with their sizzling distance capturing from final yr.

Milwaukee Bucks: Is anybody on this roster value constructing round?

The Band-Aid has lastly been ripped off and it is formally time to begin over in Milwaukee. Luckily for the Bucks, buying and selling away Antetokounmpo recovered a few of the draft capital misplaced within the many efforts to maintain him round, and in addition introduced in a haul of gamers who may both be foundational to the rebuild or flipped alongside the best way.

Tyler Herro is again in his hometown, solely two seasons faraway from being an all-star and remains to be simply 26 years previous. He holds actual worth, whether or not that is in Milwaukee or the open market. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis are all top-20 picks inside the final three years and have loads of runway as prospects, whereas 24-year-old Ryan Rollins completed fifth in Most Improved Player voting for 2025-26.

It’s removed from a vibrant future for the Bucks, however there could be a lightweight on the finish of the tunnel if new head coach Taylor Jenkins can develop the abundance of youth on the roster, together with Tenth-overall choose Brayden Burries, who 30 per cent of GMs across the league voted because the steal of the draft.

New York Knicks: Will ‘tabled’ contract talks stymie championship chemistry?

If there are two issues that may derail the Knicks’ title defence, it is the truth that no workforce has received back-to-back championships since 2018, intently adopted by the existence of the second apron.

Well, three, if counting proprietor James Dolan, who’s the one insisting — even after the franchise’s first title in 53 years — that he wouldn’t be prepared to abdomen top-end luxurious tax funds to maintain the championship roster intact. A state of affairs that is led to the departure of Mitchell Robinson (now with the Celtics) and left a pair of extension-eligible starters in Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart with out new offers heading into the season.

Both have stored their ideas largely near the chest, however Towns did admit he was “very disappointed” after the Knicks publicly introduced they’d not focus on a potential extension till after the season. Now if there is a workforce that may block out most noise, it is the Knicks who demonstrated loads of composure within the largest moments throughout their historic run. But it is also true that lesser distractions have induced rifts earlier than.

Orlando Magic: Can Sean Sweeney unlock Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner?

It’s Year 5 for the partnership between former top-10 picks, with little extra to indicate for it than three straight first-round exits and an offence that has ranked within the backside half of the league each season throughout that span.

Although a few of that disappointment has been attributable to accidents, as Banchero and Wagner have performed simply 205 video games collectively out of a potential 328. Yet there is definitely potential there, as they’ve usually been constructive when sharing the ground, together with a plus-3.01 web ranking in simply over 400 minutes final yr.

Sometimes all it takes is a brand new voice and a recent perspective to make all of it click on. It’s an apples-to-oranges comparability, however swapping Tom Thibodeau for Mike Brown was sufficient to get the Knicks, specifically Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, over the hump. Can the newly employed Sweeney — after serving to the San Antonio Spurs to a Western Conference title — comply with swimsuit and work some magic in Orlando?

Philadelphia 76ers: Can Joel Embiid keep wholesome and does it even matter?

To describe the low season as transformative for the City of Brotherly Love could be an understatement. After the sneaky-good additions of Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and Ariel Hukporti, Philly went big-game looking by buying and selling for Brown after which signing LeBron James. So now it is formally title-or-bust time for the 76ers because the NBA’s all-time main scorer chases yet one more championship earlier than calling it quits.

But regardless of all of the change in Philadelphia, one factor stays the identical: loads of uncertainty surrounding the well being standing of Embiid. The seven-footer is coming off three consecutive seasons of lower than 40 video games performed and is now 32 years previous. And whereas Embiid was comparatively accessible for the 2025-26 post-season, taking part in in seven of eight video games after lacking the 76ers’ first three playoff contests, it was a story of two collection for the previous MVP. He appeared spry and energetic within the first spherical, averaging 36.6 minutes and 28.0 factors, however was equally as sluggish and enemic by the convention semis, dropping these averages to 29.0 minutes and 18.7 factors.

To his credit score, Embiid has slimmed down tremendously heading into camp — again to his rookie weight — to attempt to tackle his conditioning issues, however there’s nonetheless no assure he makes it by means of an 82-game season unscathed. Especially now that his projected backup in Hukporti has been misplaced for the season to harm. And but, even with Embiid’s standing looming massive, the 76ers could determine all of it out anyway. They now haven’t one, however two of the sport’s most sturdy and versatile stars in Brown and James and have coupled them with a pair of uber-athletic ascending guards in Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.

Toronto Raptors: Is one other commerce a matter of when, not if?

With Kawhi Leonard’s unprecedented return north of the border, it signalled a way of urgency from the entrance workplace that despatched loads of followers on a visit down reminiscence lane. Although this iteration of the Raptors is much totally different than the workforce Leonard led to a title in 2019, it is not troublesome to attract parallels. And if that is the case, it begs the query: is a Marc Gasol-esque commerce nonetheless wanted for Toronto to actually contend?

Leonard’s addition will undoubtedly tackle issues the Raptors have struggled with since his departure — i.e., pull-up scoring, three-point quantity and fourth-quarter manufacturing — however anticipating a 35-year-old with a checkered harm historical past to paper over each deficiency on the roster could be asking lots. Even if he’s coming off one among his healthiest and best seasons.

Which is the place eyes shift to the remainder of the starters not named Scottie Barnes. The trio of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl every definitely present worth in their very own methods, but additionally have clear limitations and are marred by less-than-ideal cap circumstances.

On one hand, Quickley’s lack of point-guard instincts, Barrett’s lapses on defence and Poeltl’s waning mobility may very well be addressed with a little bit of inner growth — whether or not that is any of the three making strides of their very own, or reserves like Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles forcing their method up the pecking order. It’s all potential, however how doubtless is any of it inside the restricted Leonard-Barnes window?

The older trio have had loads of runway within the NBA, and whereas development is hardly linear, it turns into more durable to consider in because the years move. As for the children, every has made loads of strides however nonetheless enter the season effectively behind the older three so far as common productiveness/versatility go, so it might even be a shocking flip of occasions. That leaves Bobby Webster and Darko Rajakovic to find out if their solutions lie on the roster or elsewhere.

Washington Wizards: Can each timelines co-exist?
It’s manifestly apparent that the Wizards are attempting to push towards even the slightest little bit of respectability after three straight seasons of lower than 20 wins and a five-year playoff drought.

So a lot in order that Washington hit fast-forward on the rebuild by buying and selling for Trae Young — and re-signing him — and Anthony Davis earlier than buying one other former high choose in Deandre Ayton to pair with budding gamers like Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George and rookie No. 1 total choose AJ Dybantsa.

If head coach Brian Keefe can thread the needle between the vets and kids, basketball within the DMV space may very well be thrilling for the primary time in a very long time. But if not everybody sees eye-to-eye, and say private pursuits, like Davis eyeing a brand new deal, get in the best way, the Wizards could have to choose a aspect.