The Southeastern division was steeped in mediocrity last season, with the Magic's 41-41 record sufficient to garner Orlando the division crown, the Heat seeing a major downturn and both the Hornets and Wizards falling short of 20 wins. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the Magic-Hawks-Heat triumvirate that finished as the top three appears likely to once again spearhead the group, with each making key offseason additions.
Orlando Magic 
2024-25 record: 41-41, 1st place
2024-25 postseason: Lost in Eastern Conference quarterfinal round to Celtics, 4-1
Key re-signings: F Paolo Banchero; F/C Moritz Wagner
Key additions: G/F Desmond Bane; G Tyus Jones
Key departures: G Cole Anthony; G/F Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; G/F Gary Harris
The Magic's backcourt has seen a significant makeover, one that certainly has the potential to result in incremental improvement and keep Orlando in the running for another division title. Desmond Bane's addition via trade – a transaction that saw Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope head to Memphis – gives the Magic that key third front-line piece to complement Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Additionally, a healthy Jalen Suggs, who was putting together a career-best season in the 2024-25 campaign before being shut down in March due to a knee injury, would certainly make Orlando's first unit even more potent. Tyus Jones' presence represents valuable veteran insurance.
Miami Heat 
2024-25 record: 37-45, 3rd place
2024-25 postseason: Lost in Eastern Conference quarterfinal round to Cavaliers, 4-0
Key re-signing: G Davion Mitchell
Key additions: F Simone Fontecchio;
The Southeastern division was steeped in mediocrity last season, with the Magic's 41-41 record sufficient to garner Orlando the division crown, the Heat seeing a major downturn and both the Hornets and Wizards falling short of 20 wins. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the Magic-Hawks-Heat triumvirate that finished as the top three appears likely to once again spearhead the group, with each making key offseason additions.
Orlando Magic
2024-25 record: 41-41, 1st place
2024-25 postseason: Lost in Eastern Conference quarterfinal round to Celtics, 4-1
Key re-signings: F Paolo Banchero; F/C Moritz Wagner
Key additions: G/F Desmond Bane; G Tyus Jones
Key departures: G Cole Anthony; G/F Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; G/F Gary Harris
The Magic's backcourt has seen a significant makeover, one that certainly has the potential to result in incremental improvement and keep Orlando in the running for another division title. Desmond Bane's addition via trade – a transaction that saw Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope head to Memphis – gives the Magic that key third front-line piece to complement Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Additionally, a healthy Jalen Suggs, who was putting together a career-best season in the 2024-25 campaign before being shut down in March due to a knee injury, would certainly make Orlando's first unit even more potent. Tyus Jones' presence represents valuable veteran insurance.
Miami Heat
2024-25 record: 37-45, 3rd place
2024-25 postseason: Lost in Eastern Conference quarterfinal round to Cavaliers, 4-0
Key re-signing: G Davion Mitchell
Key additions: F Simone Fontecchio; G/F Norman Powell
Key departures: F Kyle Anderson; F Kevin Love; F/G Duncan Robinson
The Heat's shockingly poor 2024-25 season didn't lead to wholesale changes this offseason, with Norman Powell's addition via trade qualifying as the most noteworthy move. However, the re-signing of Davion Mitchell, who enjoyed his best stretch of play with the Heat since his rookie 2021-22 campaign in Sacramento after being acquired from the Raptors on Feb. 6, is also expected to pay dividends by providing the second unit with a dynamic presence on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, Tyler Herro, Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo form a potent veteran first-unit quartet. Versatile seven-footer Kel'el Ware is expected to take the next step in his second season after drawing 26 combined regular-season and playoff starts as a rookie.
Atlanta Hawks 
2024-25 record: 40-42, 2nd place
2024-25 postseason: Lost No. 8 seed game in Play-In Tournament to Heat, 123-114 (OT)
Key additions: F/C Kristaps Porzingis; G Nickeil Alexander-Walker; G/F Luke Kennard
Key departures: C Clint Capela; G/F Caris LeVert; F Larry Nance Jr.; Terance Mann; Georges Niang
After yet another playoff disappointment for Trae Young and co., the Hawks were aggressive this offseason in their quest to get back to making deep postseason runs. The addition of Porzingis via a blockbuster three-team trade grabbed the most headlines and provides Atlanta a dynamic frontcourt duo in combination with the surging Onyeka Okongwu. The return to full health of Jalen Johnson, who was authoring a career-best season before a torn left shoulder labrum shut him down in January, and the Young-Dyson Daniels backcourt tandem will give the Hawks one of the East's most dynamic first units. Though, Porzingis' perennially shaky health will bear monitoring.
Charlotte Hornets 
2024-25 record: 19-63, 4th place
Key re-signing: G Tre Mann
Key additions: G/F Pat Connaughton; G/F Spencer Dinwiddie; F/C Mason Plumlee; G Collin Sexton
Key departures: G Vasilije Micić; C Jusuf Nurkić; F Josh Okogie; C Mark Williams
Dismal as their 2024-25 season was, the Hornets seemingly carry about as wide a range of potential outcomes into the new season as any team in the Eastern Conference. LaMelo Ball, whose availability will naturally be key to any significant success Charlotte might enjoy, had wrist and ankle surgeries this spring, pressing the reset button health-wise yet again. If Ball can play over 50 games for the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Hornets could make an incremental leap, considering the rest of the first unit consists of 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, rookie fourth overall selection Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges and the returning Mason Plumlee. Then, the additions of Collin Sexton and Spencer Dinwiddie give the Hornets the luxury of starting-quality backcourt depth that could prove especially valuable if Ball once again succumbs to the injury bug for significant time.
Washington Wizards 
2024-25 record: 18-64, 5th place
Key re-signing: F/C Marvin Bagley III
Key additions: G Malaki Branham; G CJ McCollum; F Dillon Jones; G/F Cam Whitmore
Key departures: F Saddiq Bey; F Anthony Gill; F/C Richaun Holmes; G Jordan Poole; F/C Kelly Olynyk; G/F Marcus Smart
The cellar-dwelling Wizards fittingly focused on adding some quality youth in the offseason that could pay dividends in coming years, but Washington also acquired a talented veteran in CJ McCollum via trade with the Pelicans. Malaki Branham and Cam Whitmore might be poised to make the biggest impact among the new arrivals, considering the playing experience they've garnered early in their careers with the Spurs and Rockets, respectively. Washington has an interesting mix of veterans and high-upside up-and-comers elsewhere. 2024 rookie first-round picks Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington could see noteworthy boosts in their sophomore NBA campaigns, while Bilal Coulibaly could be ready to blossom into an All-Star in his third season.
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