It's been just two weeks since the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA title, yet the Eastern Conference, with several landscaping-shifting moves early this offseason, looks tighter than ever.
The Knicks, flush with years of draft capital, finally spent big, landing Mikal Bridges to pair with newly signed OG Anunoby to help defend Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics. The Sixers then, at long last, got their man in free agency, giving them hope that the trio of Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid will be enough to break through. The Cavs made their move Tuesday, re-signing All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to a max contract extension. The Magic sneakily signed away critical role player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Nuggets, hoping he brings much-needed shooting to an already stout perimeter defense.
With those moves in mind, and considering all the ones to come, we examined the entire conference. How close, exactly, are the Knicks and Sixers to the Celtics now? What's happening in Milwaukee?
Here's an early look at six contender tiers, featuring all 15 teams - from the defending champions to the ones undergoing a full reset.