Bucks projected 15th, Nets 14th in early East forecast

Chicago, Washington and Orlando round out the bottom five

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 271 min read

What happened: Miami is slotted 10th, Charlotte ninth and Indiana eighth. The exercise assumes Kawhi Leonard lands in Toronto and Jalen Duren re-signs with Detroit.

Why it matters: LeBron James' arrival in Philadelphia and the expected Leonard deal add two veteran stars to the East. Miami's No. 10 placement shows skepticism of an immediate payoff after adding Giannis Antetokounmpo.

By the numbers: Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Chicago, Washington and Orlando combined for a 145-265 record last season, a .354 winning percentage. Orlando supplied 45 of those wins, while Washington had 17.

What to watch: Leonard's move and Duren's contract outcome remain the two variables most likely to alter the order.

Sources

Yahoo NBA 2026-07-27T22:42:49.659780+00:00

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