Way-Too-Early Eastern Conference Power Rankings: Where Do The Hawks Land?

The NBA offseason is moving fast and furious.

The landscape of the Eastern Conference has changed significantly since the New York Knicks won the NBA Championship and it will be a much tougher road for the defending champions next season. Toronto, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, and Indiana are all going to be be tough teams next season and the Pistons, Hawks, and Cavaliers are not going anywhere either.

Atlanta has not made massive changes to their roster like these other teams, but CJ McCollum, Mouhamed Gueye, and Jock Landale are back, they drafted three exciting rookies, and made shrewd trades to land Aaron Wiggins and Devin Carter. More moves are likely on the way, but Atlanta is hoping to see what they have with this group before determining that.

While there is still plenty of offseason left, here is how I see the Hawks in the Eastern Conference right now.

15. Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee made the right decision to move Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if it was a year too late, and now the Bucks will begin their rebuild. This is going to be one of, if not the worst team in the NBA next season, and it would be a surprise if they won 30 or more games.

14. Brooklyn Nets

Will Brooklyn be as bad as they were last season? No, Julius Randle is going to help give them a higher floor than that and they still have Michael Porter Jr, but the rest of the roster is a bit strange.

Brooklyn does not have a surefire rotation player in their five first round picks from last season (ok, maybe Egor Demin), and Day'Ron Sharpe is now going to get his first chance to start at center. This team has made marginal moves this offseason and I would not expect them to be real playoff contenders.

13. Chicago Bulls

Chicago is entering year one of their rebuild, but this team could actually be a fun watch and frisky to beat good teams from night to night.

The No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson is going to be the player to watch and Bulls fans have to be hoping he is the player who could lead them back to prominence. Add in Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, and Matas Buzelis, and you have an ok team that can compete most nights.

12. Washington Wizards

I don't think the previous three teams really have much of a shot to make the play-in or playoffs, but if things went just right, it is not crazy to think the Wizards could make a run.

A lot depends on how healthy Trae Young and Anthony Davis stay (assuming Davis remains on the team), how much of a leap third-year players such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and others make, as well as seeing what kind of impact No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa makes.

This will be a fun team at the very least.

11. Charlotte Hornets

Following the LaMelo Ball trade, I would expect the Hornets to take a bit of a step back, but this is still going to be a very competitive team. Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Naz Reid, Coby White, and a deep bench will have this team contending for a play-in spot. This team also has plenty of assets to make moves in-season (or in the weeks ahead) to improve their roster and I would not count them out of anything.

10. Orlando Magic

The top 10 in the Eastern Conference has a chance to be really, really good and any of these teams has an argument to be in the top six.

I think it is possible that with a new head coach, Orlando will look more like a competent all-around team with the talent they have, but I have to see it first. The Magic did not look good for much of the second part of the season, though they stepped up in the postseason. The depth is a bit of a question, but Orlando has the talent to be a top-six seed.

9. Detroit Pistons

I think the top ten teams in this conference could win 45 games this season.

This might seem like a shocking fall, but I have not loved the Pistons offseason so far and the Eastern Conference has gotten much better around them. They still have to figure out what to do with Jalen Duren (I assume he will be back) and they lost a key piece of their bench with Isaiah Stewart leaving.

This team still has Cade Cunningham though and Isaiah Joe will improve their shooting a bit. I still think they need more shooting and playmaking or they could risk taking a steep dropoff.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Eastern Conference runner-ups will have a tough road to get back to where they ended last season. They have already lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, while they may or may not get LeBron James to come home to help them pursue another title before he retires.

This ranking is more out of respect for what they accomplished last season, but this team has gotten worse so far and the Eastern Conference has gotten better.

7. Atlanta Hawks

I think this is a fair spot for Atlanta. I think anywhere between 6-10 is a landing spot for them and the Hawks will be hoping that the improvement they showed at the end of last season, injected with their rookies and new arrivals for the bench will be able to keep them in the mix.

The Hawks were the only team in the NBA to beat the Knicks multiple times in a series, they have tons of young talent that can get better, and they have plenty of assets to make moves to upgrade their team as the year goes on. It won't be easy, but Atlanta found an identity last season and now have a full year to put it together.

6. Miami Heat

After trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami has gotten into the playoff tier in the East, but they still have a ways to go before they should be considered one of the best teams in the NBA.

Miami is losing Norman Powell and their shooting and depth is shaky at best. Still, Giannis and Bam Adebayo are a great duo and this team should be excellent on defense.

5. Boston Celtics

Boston is still going to be a great regular season team, even without Jaylen Brown, but their postseason ceiling is lower.

This team is still going to have Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Paul George (I think), Sam Hauser, Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta, and Payton Pritchard. Add in an excellent coach in Joe Mazzula and you have a 50-win team.

4. Indiana Pacers

Remember these guys?

Indiana should be right back in the mix in the Eastern Conference with Tyrese Haliburton fully recovered from his Achilles tear he suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals and along with Ivica Zubac, this Pacers team should be excellent.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Has any team improved their title contention status more than the 76ers this offseason?

I would say no and there is still a chance they add LeBron James to the roster. Jaylen Brown is going to be a major upgrade over Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, and Joel Embiid is still an elite player when on the floor.

It will come down to how healthy Embiid is, but this team should be excellent.

2. Toronto Raptors

Adding Kawhi Leonard to this team should make them and NBA Finals contender.

This team is going to be a handful on defense and have more depth than you might think. I am banking on another leap from Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles becoming one of the best defenders in the NBA.

1. New York Knicks

Yes, the Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson, but their starting five is back after a historic playoff run and Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and Deuce McBride are back on the bench.

This team needs another big, but they are going to be locked and loaded for another run at the NBA Championship.

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