Atlantic Division Preview: Knicks, Celtics, Nets, 76ers, Raptors

The Atlantic Division has always lived loud. This year, it roars.

A reigning champion in Manhattan. A superstar swap between Boston and Philadelphia. LeBron James walking into the Wells Fargo Center. Brooklyn betting big on bruising help for a fragile star. Toronto quietly sharpening its edges.

Training camps haven’t even opened, and the East’s most volatile neighborhood already feels like it’s in midseason form.

New York Knicks: From parade route to target on their backs

Fifty-three years of frustration ended in confetti and disbelief. The Knicks went 53-29, then stormed through the playoffs to an NBA title, finally rolling a championship float down the Canyon of Heroes.

Now what?

The offseason in Manhattan was surprisingly quiet for a team that just broke a half-century drought. The biggest loss was Mitchell Robinson, who cashed in with Boston. New York responded by bringing in Andre Drummond, a veteran rebound vacuum, to back up Karl-Anthony Towns. Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel round out the incoming group, while Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan also depart.

That’s it. No splashy blockbuster. No panic moves. Just a champion betting on continuity.

And they can. With Towns spacing the floor, OG Anunoby blanketing wings, Josh Hart doing everything in between, and 2026 Finals MVP Jalen Brunson running the show, the Knicks don’t need noise to validate them anymore. They already have the banner.

There’s no mandate to repeat in year one of the city’s basketball renaissance. But with this core, and the weight of history finally off their shoulders, the Knicks have a real chance to make the next wait in New York measured in months, not decades.

Boston Celtics: Jaylen out, pressure in

Boston’s season never quite felt whole. Jayson Tatum missed most of the regular season, and Jaylen Brown responded with an MVP-caliber campaign that dragged the Celtics to a 56-26 record. Then the playoffs arrived, and the run ended abruptly in the first round.

That version of the Celtics is gone.

Brown is now in Philadelphia, and Boston has pivoted into a new identity. Mitchell Robinson arrives from New York to anchor the paint. Paul George, Mike Conley, Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell join the rotation. Dalano Banton, Chris Boucher, Max Shulga and John Tonje exit with Brown.

This is Tatum’s team in a way it has never quite been before. The burden is clear: carry the offense, set the tone, and drag Boston back into contention.

George, coming off an uneven stretch, becomes the swing piece. If he finds his legs and Derrick White rediscovers his best form, Boston has enough experience and two-way talent to re-establish itself as a postseason fixture. Robinson’s rim protection and vertical threat give them a different look inside, one they’ve lacked in recent years.

The rivalry with Philadelphia just added another chapter, but first the Celtics must answer a simpler question: can Tatum alone be enough star power to justify the upheaval?

Brooklyn Nets: Help for Porter, hope for relevance

The Nets spent last season learning the hard way what a youth movement really looks like. They handed the keys to their young core, stumbled to a 20-62 record, and finished fifth in the division.

This summer, patience met reality.

Brooklyn moved on from Nic Claxton and Ziaire Williams and brought in Julius Randle, Moritz Wagner, Keon Ellis, Tyler Bilodeau, and rookies Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson. Randle, a former All-NBA forward, returns to familiar territory after some of his best years with the Knicks. His job is simple: take pressure off Michael Porter Jr., who was stretched thin as the primary option.

Brown Jr., drafted No. 6 overall, arrives from Louisville with combo guard versatility and a clear runway to minutes. On a team in transition, he doesn’t need to wait his turn. Jefferson, taken at No. 28 with an extra first-round pick acquired in the Randle deal, adds another long-term piece to the puzzle.

This isn’t just about development anymore. The Nets don’t control their own first-round fate next year; Houston holds swap rights. That alone changes the calculus. Brooklyn needs progress in the standings, not just in practice.

The rebuild remains, but the training wheels are off.

Philadelphia 76ers: LeBron, Jaylen, Embiid – and the weight of 1983

Philadelphia has lived this story before: Joel Embiid dominates, gets hurt, and the season veers off course. Last year, the 76ers still clawed their way to 45-37 and a trip to the conference semifinals, but the ceiling felt familiar.

So they blew it open.

Out go Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond, Dalen Terry, Trendon Watford and Johni Broome. In come LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ariel Hukporti, Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade.

Even in a league numb to star movement, this one jolts the senses. Brown crossing the border from Boston to Philly would have been seismic on its own. LeBron choosing the 76ers over other suitors sent the shockwaves into another stratosphere.

On paper, the starting five is terrifying: Embiid, a former MVP; LeBron, still a playmaking force; Brown, fresh off an MVP-level year; Tyrese Maxey, an All-NBA guard; and VJ Edgecombe, an All-Rookie revelation. Caldwell-Pope and Simons deepen the backcourt options, while Hukporti and Wade fortify the front line.

The questions are obvious and unavoidable. Can LeBron’s body keep pace with his ambition at this stage? Can Embiid finally stay healthy when it matters? If those two cooperate with the calendar, the 76ers have a legitimate shot at ending a title drought that stretches back to 1983.

Expectation won’t be a slow build. It hits them on opening night.

Toronto Raptors: Quiet, dangerous, and growing from within

Toronto didn’t crash out of the postseason. It went the distance. A No. 5 seed in the East, a seven-game first-round series, and a sense that this group is closer than many realize.

The Raptors barely touched the roster.

Sandro Mamukelashvili leaves. Kyle Anderson, Jaden Bradley and Allen Graves arrive. That’s not a team chasing headlines; that’s a team convinced its best leap will come from the players already in the building.

They might be right. Few offenses in the league can match Toronto’s balance. On any given night, three – sometimes four – Raptors can hang 20 points on you, and they can do it without sacrificing defensive competence.

The development arc is promising. Collin Murray-Boyles grew steadily as a rookie and then punched above expectations in the postseason, showing polished post moves and soft touch around the rim. Guards Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead appear to be tracking upward as well.

All of this orbits around Scottie Barnes. With Barnes and RJ Barrett as the pillars and a young supporting cast sharpening their games, Toronto doesn’t need a splash to stay relevant. It needs internal growth and health.

The East just got tougher. The Raptors look ready to meet it head-on.

The Atlantic Division has seen realignment before, but rarely with this much star power swapping jerseys inside its own borders. A champion Knicks team defending its crown. A retooled Celtics side leaning on Tatum. A Nets franchise refusing to bottom out. A Raptors group betting on its own trajectory. And in Philadelphia, a superteam built on fragile timelines and sky-high stakes.

Someone in this division is going to be disappointed. Someone else is going to feel vindicated.

Which front office will be able to say it got this wild summer right when the playoffs arrive?