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2026 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division
My preview of the 2026 NBA season continues with the confusing Atlantic Division, home of some of the NBA’s most stories franchises.
New York Knicks
Additions: Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson
Subtractions: Cam Payne, Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, Delon Wright
Other: Replaced Tom Thibodeau as head coach with Mike Brown Extended Mikal Bridges for four years
Outlook: The Knicks maybe slightly disappointed in the regular season last year, but more than made up for it in the playoffs by making their first Eastern Conference Finals since the 1990s. The Knicks are returning their top-seven rotation players and adding a competent forward in Yabusele along with what will probably be an overused depth piece in Clarkson. The Knicks are thin – one injury trims a very good 8.5 man rotation to a somewhat shakier 7.5 in a hurry – but the top of their rotation is talented, fits well, and in their collective primes. It’s tough to see the Knicks not finishing as a top-three team in the East next year, and they’re right there with the Cavs in terms of winning the Conference outright. Could this be the year the Knicks finally break through? I wouldn’t bet against it.
Prediction: 52-30 (Last year 51-31, predicted 53-29)
Philadelphia 76ers
Additions: VJ Edgecombe (3rd pick in 2025 Draft), Trendon Watford, Johni Broome (35th pick in 2025 Draft)
Subtractions: Guerschon Yabusele, Ricky Council IV, Jeff Dowtin Jr., Jared Butler
Other: Quentin Grimes is still hanging in restricted free agency limbo, Re-signed Kyle Lowry, Re-signed Justin Edwards, Re-signed Eric Gordon
Outlook: I have no idea what to do with the Sixers – but neither does anyone else. They won just 24 games last year in a campaign that went about as badly as possible. Even with the Sixers’ bad luck, there is bound to be some regression: Maxey, PG, and Joel Embiid will all probably play more games (52, 41, and 19 respectively last year), Jared McCain likely won’t get a season-ending injury after 1.5 months, and the team’s spirit will be less broken. Still, it’s also impossible to predict them as being a true contender like everyone thought they would be last year, not after Embiid’s injuries and Paul George’s steady decline. I thus forecast them to be somewhere in the middle, a team that might look quite good on certain nights when Embiid is in the lineup and PG is healthy, but will also have stretches without key guys where young players and washed vets will have to play far too many minutes. At the very least, Maxey, McCain, and Edgecombe are three youngsters to be excited about.
Prediction: 42-40 (Last year 24-58, predicted 51-31)
Boston Celtics
Additions: Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez (28th pick in 2025 Draft)
Subtractions: Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Torrey Craig
Other:
Outlook: This might seem like a very low wins projection for the heavyweight Boston Celtics, but have you taken a look at their depth chart? Neemias Queta and Chris Boucher might well be starting for them in the frontcourt on opening night, and if not them, it’s going to include someone from the Josh Minott, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman pupu platter. Yes, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser are still around from their championship team. And yes, Joe Mazzulla is a good coach. That’s why I think the Celtics are going to be mediocre instead of outright awful – a real feat considering their macabre frontcourt.
Prediction: 38-44 (Last year 61-21, predicted 58-24)
Toronto Raptors
Additions: Collin Murray-Boyles (10th pick in 2025 Draft), Sandro Mamukelashvili
Subtractions: Chris Boucher, Colin Castleton, Jared Rhoden
Other: Extended Jakob Poltl for three years, Re-signed Garrett Temple
Outlook: I’m not sure what the Raptors have been doing over the past three years, but I don’t like any of it. Their projected starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram (acquired last season but did not play), Scottie Barnes, and Poltl has a lot of talent, but is an awful fit with poor spacing and too many guys who need the ball in their hands. Add in the unfortunate fact that every single one of those players is overpaid (extending Poltl for an additional three years to carry him through his age 35 season might have been the most inexplicable move of the summer) and you have a mess. The Raptors have too much veteran competence to be truly bad, but not enough high-end talent to be very good, and none of their younger players seem like high-upside swing pieces (I did love the Collin Murray-Boyles pick, however). The Raptors might be better than this, but I’m betting against their fit and in favor of either younger, hungrier squads or more put-together teams that have better chemistry.
Prediction: 35-47 (Last year 30-52, predicted 32-50)
Brooklyn Nets
Additions: Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Haywood Highsmith, Egor Demin (8th pick in 2025 Draft), Nolan Traore (19th pick in 2025 Draft), Drake Powell (22nd pick in 2025 Draft), Ben Saraf (26th pick in 2025 Draft), Danny Wolf (27th pick in 2025 Draft)
Subtractions: Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, Trendon Watford, Maxwell Lewis, Tosan Evbuomwan, Cui Yongxi, Jaylen Martin
Other: Re-signed Cam Thomas, Re-signed Day’Ron Sharpe, Re-signed Ziaire Williams
Outlook: The Nets are one of the easiest teams to predict heading into this season – they are going to be very, very bad. Jordi Fernandez is a good coach, and the Nets have just enough veteran competence – Porter Jr., Mann, Highsmith, and Nic Claxton – to not be historically bad. Add in a record-breaking five first round draft picks and you have a team that might actually be fun to watch, but will probably be bottom-five on both ends of the court. Of their youngsters, I’m most intrigued by Traore and Wolf, but we will see how the prospects shake out over the course of their rookie seasons. If any of them look like future stars, the Nets’ future would get a whole lot brighter.
Prediction: 21-61 (Last year 24-58, predicted 20-62)