NBA Eastern Conference Tiers: Ranking All 15 Teams

The Eastern Conference is wide open with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers forced into down years after injuries to their star players. It’s an opportunity for a new team to reach the NBA Finals, with other long-term contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers also a long way from winning the title.

It might be the NBA’s considerably weaker conference, but that doesn’t mean the East is deprived of intrigue.

We have broken all 15 teams into distinct tiers:

Finals Contenders: Cavaliers, Knicks, and Magic

The Cavs, Knicks, and Magic are competing to fill the void left by the Celtics and Pacers.

Cleveland is running it back after consecutive playoff disappointments. New York has swapped Tom Thibodeau for Mike Brown and bolstered its bench with Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. Orlando made the biggest move of the three, swinging a trade for Desmond Bane.

The Magic have the most to prove. This group has suffered successive first-round exits, and the addition of Bane needs to prompt a seismic increase in their offensive efficiency.

A fully healthy Cavs roster is the best in the Eastern Conference on paper. Brown is tasked with finding the balance between offense and defense while keeping Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor.

If Everything Goes Right: Hawks, Pistons, and Sixers

Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard represented an excellent offseason for the Hawks. This season is a test of whether a title contender can be built around Trae Young.

Detroit had a quieter summer, with Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson as the key additions. Their young core projects to improve further, and Jaden Ivey’s return from injury raises their ceiling.

What can we make of Philly? The health reports on Joel Embiid and Paul George are discouraging. V.J. Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain are potentially an exciting young core. What if the star veterans get healthy at the right time and others take a leap?

The range of outcomes is huge for the Sixers. Atlanta could be anywhere from the bottom half of the play-in to a top-three team. Detroit has the highest floor if Cade Cunningham is healthy, but they need a lot to fall into place to compete for a Conference Finals berth.

Mediocrity Beckons: Bucks, Raptors, Bulls, and Heat

Milwaukee looks set to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their floor is probably seventh if the Greek Freak is healthy, even with a lack of talent around him. Their ceiling is probably a first-round exit.

Chicago seems committed to play-in purgatory. Miami isn’t going anywhere with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo as their star pairing, though they will likely hover around .500. Toronto falls into the same category, as this Raptors roster is ill-fitting and looks destined for a play-in spot.

It’s hard to see what these front offices are expecting in 2025–26, with the exception of Milwaukee. The Bucks are clearly happy just retaining the greatest player in franchise history, but the Bulls, Raptors, and Heat are chasing something thoroughly unexciting.

None of these teams have much upside barring a stunning midseason trade. All seem content to shoot for sixth or seventh and hope things fall right for a playoff series win.

Year Off: Pacers and Celtics

Indiana and Boston could be playoff teams, even without Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, which reflects how weak the conference is. The Pacers have the higher floor of the two teams, though, with Boston relying heavily on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White after clearing out most of their 2024–25 roster.

The Celtics could give up on the season if Brown or White miss significant time through injury. Indiana is likely to be more competitive, but they are unlikely to finish higher than eighth or ninth unless there’s a big-time breakout year from Bennedict Mathurin.

Planning for Future: Hornets, Nets, and Wizards

Charlotte is clearly the top team in this tier. A play-in spot might be within reach if a couple of teams above suffer season-ruining injuries or decide to tank down the stretch.

Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Mason Plumlee were added to help the Hornets win games while bringing veteran presence to a roster that has lacked direction.

Brooklyn is in the depths of a rebuild. Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton should be traded in the next 12 months. Their future is bleak, with minimal young talent to build around and a roster unlikely to win more than 25 games in 2025–26.

The Wizards aren’t going to be good, but at least their fans have some developing players to watch in Alex Share, Bilal Coulibaly, Cam Whitmore, and Bub Carrington. CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton are good veterans to have on board.

Destined for a high draft pick in 2026, Washington might have the worst Eastern Conference record in the upcoming season, yet their future is brighter than many teams above them in these rankings.

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