A closer look at projected risers and fallers in the East
Well, we’re in the doldrums of the NBA offseason. The opening of free agency (which was busy for the Bucks) and Summer League came and went. Teams may continue to sign free agents and extend eligible players, but this time of year gets pretty quiet. With that in mind, we might as well look ahead to how the 2025–26 season might shake out.
If you’re anything like us at Brew Hoop, Bucks fans are probably feeling a bit uncertain about the future. We’ve had a disappointing run the last few years, with the team not quite living up to the lofty expectations that came with our 2021 championship run. While we have to be grateful for that, the manner in which the team has stalled out these last couple of seasons has justifiably left a bad taste. After this Eastern Conference preview, I am going to take a closer look at the Bucks to identify effective playstyles that might suit this reshaped roster, as well as how the front office might continue to improve the team moving forward. Stay tuned for more offseason insights!
Seeding methodology
While this list is one ultimately of my own creation, I called on the support of the Brew Hoop staff to send me their 2025–26 projections. I used that additional input to influence my final rankings and kept every pick within the range surveyed. It’s junk science, but it helps to have some general consensus. While some picks were easier (all of us picked the Bucks between five and seven, with the majority picking six), some were truly tricky (we had six differing opinions on the 76ers, all the way from a four seed to an 11 seed). Keep in mind these are projected rankings for the end of next regular season; teams on tighter timelines with legacies to preserve (like the Bucks or Celtics) will be out for blood come playoff time.
Enough chatter, let’s take a look at the season ahead!
2025–26 Eastern Conference preview
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (last season: 1)
If the Cavs don’t break up the band, it’s hard to imagine they’ll fluctuate significantly from what was an excellent regular season run last year. They certainly underestimated the Pacers, but some untimely injuries to their stars didn’t help. Still, the Cavs will have one of the strongest starting lineups in basketball top to bottom, with legitimate weapons off the bench to boot. They also acquired Lonzo Ball, who if healthy, should boost the second unit. Most of the Brew Hoop staff agreed that the Cavs will finish first in the regular season next year.
2. New York Knicks (last season: 3)
With injuries to the best players from Boston (whom they beat) and Indiana (who beat them), the Knicks should have a great chance of securing the two seed based on the fact that they should be able to retain most of their core, and they should all be healthy to start the season. The Knicks hired a steady and respected coach in Mike Brown, and it will be interesting to see how he utilizes the core pieces of Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns. Regardless, All-NBA talent paired with a fairly cohesive core group, going up against many teams missing star players or in a rebuild, gives the Knicks the clearest path to the two seed.
3. Detroit Pistons (last season: 6)
Health is the name of the game, and last year, the Pistons ascended to a level that probably surprised even themselves. Their young core, headed by Cade Cunningham, is only getting better, and with a promising six-game series against the ECF-losing Knicks, the future looks bright. In a big hit to the Pistons’ success last year, former Buck Malik Beasley won’t likely be playing basketball anytime soon due to a myriad of off-court gambling accusations. However, the Pistons shored up some of that scoring void with the additions of Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. With Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum down, plus Damian Lillard out of the picture, this is the logical time for the Pistons to leap past teams that placed ahead of them last season.
4. Orlando Magic (last season: 7)
With one of the first big moves in free agency, the Magic shored up one of their glaring weak spots: shooting. The addition of Desmond Bane and good health should make the Magic a dangerous team in a weakened East. Swarming, discombobulating defense is their forte. Plus, having a true superstar in Paolo Banchero gives this team a combination of talent and continuity that many teams will lack. They struggled with health last season, and they lost a bit of depth, but with a wide-open East, a top-four seed has never been more in reach for the young Magic group.
5. Atlanta Hawks (last Season: 8)
Hawks teams over the past few years exemplify how difficult it is to string together consistent winning seasons in the NBA. Any time they gain traction and have a solid season, it seems like they just as quickly slide back to irrelevance. That said, with nice off-season acquisitions, the Hawks are reloaded and looking to make waves. The upside is there—Trae Young is still a borderline All-NBA talent, Dyson Daniels took a huge leap, plus they acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kennard. The on-court fit should be great, so I can see the Hawks grabbing a five seed. However, the above teams have better continuity, so I don’t quite have them snagging home court.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (last season: 5)
Expectations for where the Bucks end up this season are understandably complicated. With that in mind, half of the Brew Hoop staff think the Bucks will end up a six seed, with a quarter placing them at five and the remaining quarter placing them at seven.
What we thought would be a season mostly without Dame turned into one definitively without Dame, after his contract was waived and stretched to sign Myles Turner. Other free agency moves like shoring up their young talent (Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Jericho Sims all coming back), extending veterans (Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince), and adding capable pieces (the aforementioned Myles Turner, plus Cole Anthony and Gary Harris) have made this team younger and more athletic than they have been in years. Yet, based on how they struggled against good teams last season, it still feels like the Bucks lack the top gear to unseat the home-court teams, even in a weakened East.
We’re still hoping the front office pushes to acquire another high-level piece this offseason or at the deadline. A lot of responsibility also rests on Doc Rivers’ shoulders to experiment with the lineup, allow young players to rise to the moment, as well as build a system that plays to Giannis’ and the roster’s strengths. Speaking of Giannis, there’s some good news: on any given night, the Bucks should still have the best player in the East, and arguably the world. The conference is truly as wide open as it has been in years, and if there’s any season to learn and grow as you go, it’ll be the 2025–26 season.
7. Indiana Pacers (last season: 4)
From “Yes ‘Cers” to “oh no, sir” in a moment, one of the most ascendant teams of the decade suffered a brutal loss when Tyrese Haliburton went down with a ruptured Achilles in the Finals. To make matters worse, their bitter rival (that’d be our dear Bucks) snagged one of the biggest fish in free agency from them in Myles Turner. While the Pacers remain a well-coached team with solid depth, it’s hard to replace the offensive engine that Haliburton provides and the defensive anchor that Turner is. That said, Rick Carlisle is as crafty as they come, and it’s not unlikely to imagine they’ll put together a good enough regular season to compete next year. Had they retained Turner and Haliburton were healthy, I’d have undoubtedly seeded them in the top three.
8. Boston Celtics (last season: 2)
There’s a common theme in this territory: good teams last season who are going to be hampered by injury this season (and in the case of the Celtics, money). Superstar Jayson Tatum will be out for most of the regular season, and with the Celtics running into the realities of the second apron, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were shipped out. However, the Celtics did grab Anfernee Simons in the Holiday trade, a young and capable scorer. They’ll still have All-NBA talent in Jaylen Brown and excellent rotation players. I would be surprised if they missed the playoffs and expect them to grab at least a play-in spot.
9. Miami Heat (last seas: 10)
A lot of us at Brew Hoop had the Heat finishing at nine or 10, and that wouldn’t surprise me one bit. They, like the Raptors below, seem to have some positional redundancy, with Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, and new addition Norman Powell all excelling in similar spots on offense. Wiggins (a potential player for the Bucks to target) has succeeded in a more flexible role with the Warriors, and he’s a solid defender, so it might work. Plus, Bam Adebayo is still a top-tier big in this league. All that said, the Heat never really got rolling last year, and they haven’t made many moves beyond Powell, so a fringe playoff team seems like a good spot.
10. Toronto Raptors (last season: 11)
In a surprise move, the Raptors parted ways with former NBA Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri this offseason, so free agent movement for them has been minimal. They have a fair bit of talent, but most of it is concentrated on the wing, with Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett creating some redundancy. It feels likely that one of them is moved, and signs point to Barrett as the odd man out (whom some of us at Brew Hoop would like for the Bucks to target). I think there is enough in the core to challenge for a playoff spot, but the Raptors weren’t healthy or particularly cohesive last season, so it’s hard to imagine they’ll take a huge leap.
11. Philadelphia 76ers (last season: 13)
In a bucket of what-ifs this season, the 76ers might just claim the most uncertainty. What if they get fully healthy and reclaim a top-four seed? What if Joel Embiid continues to deteriorate and play fewer than half the games in a season? What if “The Process” continues with cutting losses and trying again? Everything is on the table for Philly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the playoffs, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t. Hence, a spot right on the edge of the play-in. Don’t get it twisted: when healthy, they boast a ton of talent and Tyrese Maxey is the truth. But they’re aging, there’s no timeline for Embiid’s return, Paul George had another surgery this offseason, and they haven’t played competitive basketball in some time. If Embiid returns healthy, though, they can certainly take on the play-in teams at least.
12. Chicago Bulls (last season: 9)
Similar to the Nets, but with a bit of late-season spark that complicated the approach to the offseason, the Bulls are caught in a parbaked rebuild. On the one hand, they have some promising young players that are finding their footing (Matas Buzelis, Coby White, Josh Giddey), but on the other, they sent Lonzo Ball to the Cavs and have other potentially valuable pieces that might be worth cashing in on (like Nikola Vucevic). It’s not hard to imagine the Bulls put together another top-10 season in the East, but I expect this year to be a bit rocky as they look ahead to a year or two in the future.
13. Washington Wizards (last season: 15)
The Wizards finished last season with the worst record in the NBA, so they can’t go much lower. With that in mind, I expect them to be better, marginally. Washington still has a slew of picks, a bunch of youthful roster potential, and some tradeable vets like Khris Middleton, CJ McCollum, and Malcolm Brogdon, who also seem slightly redundant. I expect at least one of those three to get shipped this offseason or at the deadline. While they will very likely fall short of the playoffs, the Wizards’ approach to rebuilding feels more purposeful and promising than some competitors.
14. Brooklyn Nets (last season: 12)
Though the rhythm of the rebuild has been unpredictable, the Nets are definitely looking toward the future. They don’t have a very complete team, and right now, it seems like securing assets to build for the future is their best move. After many deadline rumors, Cam Johnson was traded to the Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr., a talented but more limited option. Cam Thomas rumors also swirl, but it feels increasingly beneficial for him to return for this season and look elsewhere next year. What remains to be seen is how hard they try to stay near the bottom of the league to benefit their draft outcome.
15. Charlotte Hornets (last season: 14)
The Hornets are a tough nut to crack. Injuries ravaged their season as badly as any team in the league, with Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, Grant Williams, and Mark Williams (traded to the Suns this offseason) all missing significant time. In theory, and even as of a couple of seasons ago, they weren’t bottom-of-the-East bad. But it feels like whatever experiment they have been running has reached its end, and it might be time to capitalize on tradable assets while they still hold some value. That said, when healthy, they have exciting players with serious talent, and it’s well within the realm of possibility for them to snag a play-in spot.
How did I do? We’re curious to hear your Eastern Conference seeding for next year. How do you think the 2025–26 season will shake out?