Tiers of the East, 2026-27 Edition

This still isn't a preview; these still aren't predictions. Is there any way to make sense of and group the Eastern Conference teams before the season?

Good morning. It's a great day to abandon the CSAM-factory Twitter if you're still on there. Let's basketball.

A week ago, I broke the 15 West teams into tiers and only made like four head-slapping errors. The goal for the East this week is fewer. Maybe even zero! As a refresher: this is not thorough enough to be a preview and it is too early for this to constitute predictions. It's more of an assessment of where things appear to stand going into training camp.

Here were last season's preseason tiers:

MAJOR CONTENDERS: Knicks, Cavaliers

MINOR CONTENDERS: Sixers, Magic, Bucks

PLAYOFF MIX: Pistons, Hawks, Heat, Pacers, Celtics

PLAY-IN MIX: Raptors, Bulls, Hornets

TANK TIME: Nets, Wizards

The Bucks were three tiers too high in the end. The Pistons and Celtics were two tiers too low. The Raptors and Hornets were one tier too low. The Sixers, Magic and Heat were one tier too high. The Bulls were one tier too high. The Pacers were two tiers too high. The Knicks, Cavaliers, Hawks, Nets and Wizards were in the correct spots. I will accept debates around the Cavaliers, but they did make the conference finals. Technically.

With that, here we go.

TIER 1: MAJOR CONTENDERS

New York Knicks
It feels like there are two relatively sure things in the Eastern Conference going into training camp: this team and the Bucks. But even this team was on a legendary heater to win the championship, lost its crucial back-up center and has extension talks hanging over the team's most emotional star.

Philadelphia 76ers
Look, a 45-win team replaced their very good starting small forward who has played a combined 2,400 minutes over the past two seasons with a younger, more explosive version who finished No. 6 in MVP voting last season ... and added a 41-year-old who was the best player in a West playoff series win last year. There Are Questions but this is a major contender (on paper) (as of now).

TIER 2: MINOR CONTENDERS

Miami Heat
This might be another selection that sparks debate, but the strength of Giannis Antetokounmpo had my silly arse putting Milwaukee in the Minor Contenders tier last season, so what'd you think would happen here? Still a top-4 NBA player when healthy, which is most of the time. (Remember that the Bucks iced him against his will down the stretch to improve their draft status, and that he was mad about it). The Heat also had a surprisingly good offseason beyond Giannis: the Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson acquisitions might be game-changers on the margins.

Cleveland Cavaliers
I feel legally and morally required to put them here, but I still don't feel good about it. It doesn't help that while they did make the conference finals a year ago, it took 7-game series against both opponents, each of whom saw their offenses dissolve. How much credit do the offense-first Cavs get for that? Little, once you see the Knicks rip right through them like a chopsaw on an oven-ready lasagna noodle. But alas, I feel legally and morally required to put them here. Stuff happens, and Cleveland could take advantage.

Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren will be a Piston in 2026-27, and the overwhelming odds are that he will be on a long-term contract. Beyond the loss of Isaiah Stewart, the roster, as such, hasn't really suffered – John Collins is a different player than Tobias Harris, but not necessarily worse – and the younger players (Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham even, Duren, Ron Holland) should still improve. Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince are here, and they can both shoot! A small step back as opponents figure them out, perhaps, but still in the mix.

Toronto Raptors
I wrote about T-Dot on Tuesday. The Raptors have a chance to be quite good.

TIER 3: PLAYOFF MIX

Atlanta Hawks
Replacing Zaccharie Risacher and Jonathan Kuminga with Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins is a choice, one that speaks to a potential level of seriousness we don't expect from the post-Budenholzer Hawks. Alas, the East is crowded. Eager to see which podcaster will carry the banner for a surprising rise for the Hawks this season. (Tangent: it would be hilarious if the Wolves are approved to move to the East right as the East becomes the dominant conference.)

Boston Celtics
No idea where to put the Celtics after their shockingly competent regular season, their shocking exit from the first round and the shocking Jaylen Brown trade. Much rides on Paul George's availability, Jayson Tatum's comfort back at a very high usage for high minutes and Derrick White's shooting. This does feel like a floor, though.

Indiana Pacers
I want to pick the Pacers as my preseason champion, but I really need to see Tyrese Haliburton on the floor first. Otherwise, this team checks every box for me: some defensive hellions, a serious coach, supplemental individual scoring, shooting around an insanely creative playmaker, an identity, a history of playoff success. I want to pick them! Can we get a super early exhibition game, please?

Orlando Magic
This could be a tier too low or too high depending on that old canard _{availability of star players} as well as whether the offense can develop with Jalen Suggs at point and the two forwards soaking up lots of usage. I've been waiting for a team to hire Sean Sweeney; we'll see how it goes with that. Not all high-end assistants can do it. It really does feel like a Prove It season for these guys (meaning Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner).

TIER 4: PLAY-IN MIX

Charlotte Hornets
The near-term fall-off should be relatively slight. The team's defense might be improved with Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball gone (I'm a little worried about Coby White and Kon Knueppel in a starting five on that end) and the offense might take a hit, though Naz Reid paired with Kon gives some really good stretch. Another play-in nod feels right. Unfortunately, I've already listed 10 teams in tiers above this!

Washington Wizards
That's also bad news for the Wizards, who decided to stop the tanks right as the East got crazy deep. Missed your window, guys! There's a chance the Wizards are a tier too low, especially since it seems like they really are going to start the season with Anthony Davis. That said: neither Victor Wembanyama or Cooper Flagg's teams were all that competitive when they were rookies. A.J. Dybantsa is good, and he has Trae Young, who is better than any (healthy) vet point guard Wemby or Coop had. But it's a long way from 17 wins to the playoffs.

TIER 5: TANK TIME

Brooklyn Nets
When I tried to refresh myself on any possible under-the-radar moves Brooklyn made this summer, this happened.

Probably for the best.

The Nets don't control their own pick (the Rockets have swap rights) so Brooklyn doesn't need to worry about the Zone of Shame. We might, however, still get some all-time facial expressions and body language from Julius Randle.

Chicago Bulls
I wanted to put the Bulls in the play-in mix but then I was reminded that a) there are 12 teams in that tier and higher already; someone has to lose games and b) they traded Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, two of their most productive players, at the deadline last season, and rookie stars usually don't produce winning basketball. One more year.

Milwaukee Bucks
The craziest thing that could actually happen this season is the Bucks being kinda competent. Taylor Jenkins had coached teams to surprise competence in the past. Of course, he had very young versions Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in those examples. One factor here is that the Bucks do not control their pick, so there's no real incentive for competence other than personal pride and a longshot attempt to make the play-in.

There we go: tiers. All organized and everything. And I don't think I got the coach of a single team wrong! Progress.

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