Central Division
Pistons | Bulls | Cavaliers | Pacers | Bucks
The Central Division loses one star, regains another, with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s departure from the Bucks and Tyrese Haliburton’s return to the Pacers. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers add an intriguing young talent; but will Peyton Watson be enough to supplant the division champion Pistons?
Chicago Bulls
No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson will look to make an immediate impact during his first NBA season.
Amid all of the roster shuffling and player development, the Bulls finished 31-51 and did not qualify for the postseason.
Offseason moves
• Additions: C Nic Claxton, G Norman Powell, F Dailyn Swain, F Caleb Wilson
• Subtractions: C Mouhamadou Gueye, G Kam Jones, C Nick Richards, G Collin Sexton, G Anfernee Simons
2026-27 season outlook
The Bulls will embark on an era of off-court change, with Bryson Graham taking over the basketball operations and Tiago Splitter replacing Billy Donovan as coach. There are all indications that Chicago will continue to sift through players this season to see who sticks around while the team continues to rebuild.
The highest hope lies with Wilson, their freakishly talented lottery pick. Injuries prevented him from having a full season at North Carolina, but in his brief time there, he showed great athleticism combined with solid skills.
The vision of Wilson next to Matas Buzelis is understandably exciting, but again, these two promising young talents will need time.
To help the maturation process, and maybe grab a few extra wins, the Bulls signed Powell, who’s coming off a solid season in Miami. Powell and the Bulls hope a young core, coach and front office will eventually pay off soon.
Cleveland Cavaliers
After inking a new deal, Donovan Mitchell is set to continue pushing for more in Cleveland.
Fortified by a midseason trade that brought James Harden, the Cavs went 52-30 and reached the conference finals.
Offseason moves
• Additions: F Mario Hezonja, C Khalifa Diop, G Meleek Thomas, G Peyton Watson
• Subtractions: G Keon Ellis, F Larry Nance Jr., F Georges Niang, G Dennis Schröder, F Dean Wade
2026-27 season outlook
How do the Cavaliers take the next step in a process that saw them reach the conference finals, yet come up well short against the Knicks?
For starters, the Cavs kept all the necessary rotational players, with the exception of Wade. Then they brought in Watson, who had a breakout stretch with the Denver Nuggets last season.
He’ll get ample time in the rotation, even more if his stint last season with the Nuggets wasn’t a tease. Assuming Watson is a real-deal solid two-way player, the Cavs will bring extra firepower against the top teams in the East.
This also includes Harden, who showed signs of wear during the playoffs but was otherwise productive and, with the addition of Watson, can maintain fresher legs for a deep run.
Detroit Pistons
The two-time All-Star averaged 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game with Detroit last season.
The Pistons earned the top seed in the East, helped by a stellar season from Cade Cunningham and finished 60-22 and reached the East semifinals.
Offseason Moves
• Additions: F John Collins, G Gary Harris, G Isaiah Joe, G Ebuka Okorie, C Ugonna Onyenso, F Taurean Prince
• Subtractions: F Tobias Harris, G Caris LeVert, G Marcus Sasser, C Isaiah Stewart
2026-27 season outlook
The competition for the top spot in the East will be stiffer this upcoming season; will the Pistons be able to string together another 60-win effort?
The Pistons lost Stewart, a decent backup center, but otherwise refrained from making any significant changes and essentially exchanged Harris and LeVert for Collins and Joe. The talent level among those four was virtually equal, so it appears to be a push.
Collins seems as if he’s been in the NBA forever, and yet he’s just 28 and seemingly still in his prime. As for Joe, who’s one year younger, he has a chance to gain more minutes and perhaps a higher role with the Pistons than the depth-heavy Thunder.
All signs point toward Cunningham once again and his ability to make teammates better. In that sense, the Pistons are in a good spot.
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton will be making a comeback this season after missing all of 2025-26 with a torn right Achilles.
It was, as expected, a bridge year for the Pacers as they allowed Haliburton to heal from Achilles surgery. Indiana finished 19-63, fifth in the Central Division.
Offseason moves
• Additions: F Larry Nance Jr., F Kelly Oubre Jr., G Braden Smith
• Subtractions: G Kam Jones, C Micah Potter
2026-27 season outlook
The Pacers go into the upcoming season hoping that the last 12 months were a commercial break. If so, and if Haliburton reverts back to normal quickly, the Pacers will be in the mix in the East, in case everyone forgot.
Yes, this team was one game away from a championship in 2025. And since then, they added Ivica Zubac from the LA Clippers, who has yet to play next to Haliburton.
That said, the Pacers remain virtually unchanged over the last year. They didn’t place enough solid protections on the 2026 first-round pick (among other assets) they surrendered to get Zubac. That pick was claimed by the Clippers in the draft lottery, meaning the Pacers denied themselves the No. 5 overall selection — this, on the heels of a throwaway season.
That’s why their summer was quiet. Nonetheless, a team with Haliburton back and Pascal Siakam playing at All-Star level, is poised to make noise anyway.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are entering a new era, fueled by a new coaching staff and a mix of young talent and seasoned players.
The last chapter of the Giannis Antetokounmpo book ended with his injury-interruption and a 32-50 record; the Bucks did not qualify for the postseason.
Offseason moves
• Additions: F Nate Ament, G Brayden Burries, G Tyler Herro, G Kasparas Jakučionis, G Jaime Jaquez Jr., G Caris LeVert, F Bogoljub Marković, C Kel’el Ware
• Subtractions: F Giannis Antetokounmpo, F Thanasis Antetokounmpo, G Gary Harris, G Andre Jackson Jr., F Bobby Portis, F Taurean Prince
2026-27 season outlook
There’s a feeling of relief that the Bucks can finally move on without the inflated hope of building a title contender around Giannis anymore. That ship, and Giannis, has sailed, and now Milwaukee can seek a new identity.
This process might take a minute, but at least the Bucks are laying the necessary youthful foundational pieces around the package they received from Miami in exchange for Giannis.
While Herro will assume most of the scoring load and Ware will have ample chances to establish himself as the big man replacement for Giannis, the Bucks also welcome a pair of first-round picks who should get immediate playing time.
Burries and Ament represent the rebuild, and maybe someday, will point the Bucks toward the postseason again.
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
