The Indiana Pacers and their fans should embrace the accomplishments from the 2024-25 NBA season.
The front office built a great roster, coach Rick Carlisle had them playing their best basketball at the right time, and point guard Tyrese Haliburton put on the cape and played hero in historical fashion throughout the postseason run.
Embrace it all because it won’t be duplicated.
At least not next season.
Haliburton will miss most — if not all — of the 2025-26 campaign with the Achilles tear, while big man Myles Turner took the money and ran to Milwaukee.
That means the Eastern Conference is likely going to see a new Finals contender for the eighth consecutive year.
Parity? Definitely, especially since commissioner Adam Silver has done all he can to dissolve the days of the super teams. But that’s also why a handful of teams in the East have turned up the aggressiveness on roster construction, looking to not only step into the expected Pacer vacancy but plant a flag on trying to change the torrent waters the league has leaned into.
So, with the draft in the rearview mirror and the free agent period alive and well, here are the five teams in the East that so far have made a jump toward claiming the throne.
1. Atlanta Hawks
Like the Bulls, Atlanta has lived in NBA purgatory the last five years. The difference now? They took an aggressive plan and executed it to perfection so far.
Step 1 came on draft night where they traded down 10 spots with New Orleans, acquiring an unprotected first-round pick from the Pelicans for next season. They then still added a talented prospect in Asa Newell.
The plan is clear — adding as many long defenders around Trae Young — and that’s why they have also grabbed Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, adding them to the likes of Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and last year’s top pick Zaccharie Risacher.
The cherry on top was getting three-point sharp-shooter Luke Kennard.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
While the addition of the Bulls’ Lonzo Ball in a trade doesn’t exactly temper the health concerns the Cleveland backcourt had at the end of the season, if Ball can stay healthy when it matters most it could feel like a poor-man’s Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade from last summer.
The Cavs are loaded with defenders in the frontcourt, but Indiana hunted down Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell — when healthy — that entire series.
Ball can quickly change that and help put one of the more talented teams in the East over the top.
3. Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham is a rising star and showed that throughout last season. Experience seemed to be the biggest problem with Detroit in the playoffs, but now they have felt what postseason intensity is about and then added to the depth.
Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson were great pickups to help in the outside scoring department and if Ronald Holland II — the No. 5 overall pick from the 2024 draft — can start finding his way, look out.
4. Orlando Magic
Golf clap to a front office that recognized what they were good at and what they needed to improve. That’s why the trade for Desmond Bane was so genius. They not only kept the defensive side of the ball intact but added a player that can only help their league-worst 31.8% three-point shooting.
Orlando also had a sneaky good draft night by jumping on a sliding Jase Richardson and then taking a swing on Noah Penda in the second round.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
It hasn’t been pretty by any means, as the Bucks feel more like a desperate gambling addict making one final push at the table. They used free agency to not only keep Bobby Portis home and add Gary Harris but stole Turner right out from Indiana’s noses.
To add Turner, however, they had to shock the NBA world by waiving Damian Lillard, opting to stretch the $113 million they still owe him. Kicking the can down the road to try and win one more with Giannis Antetokounmpo is somewhere between aggressive as heck bordering on recklessness.
