The Atlantic Division will feel very different this season. A year ago, the Boston Celtics felt like a fledging dynasty; they were the reigning champs, with a star-studded lineup and impeccable winning pedigree. Then there was the Philadelphia 76ers, fresh off of signing Paul George to form the most talented trio in the NBA. Many viewed them as Boston's biggest challenger, with the New York Knicks not far behind. The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets were a bit further from the national conscience, but three bonafide contenders is a lot in one division.
Boston and New York more or less delivered on expectations, but the Celtics bowed out of the postseason early after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles. While Boston was good, they spent all season fighting off the malaise of a reigning champ resting on its laurels. New York finally cracked the conference finals for the first time in 25 years, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in a moment of painful dèjá vu.
The Sixers? Well, Embiid and George got hurt. A lot. And so did Tyrese Maxey. And so did Jared McCain, their unexpected Rookie of the Year contender for 23 games before his meniscus snapped in mysterious fashion. Philly wound up picking third overall in the draft after selling itself to fans as a title contender. Because of course they did.
As we move into 2025-26, the Celtics are taking a gap year. The Knicks are still the Knicks, but Mike Brown is the coach now — not Tom Thibodeau. The Sixers are hoping against hope for decent health, but god only knows if it's possible. The Raptors are ... actually kinda interesting? It depends on your Brandon Ingram opinion. The Nets? Well, that's the worst team the NBA has seen in a hot minute. Cam Boozer, here they come.
Let's dive into the division as a whole and pinpoint the most underrated offseason moves from each organization.
Brooklyn Nets: Drafting Nolan Traoré 19th overall
The Nets' main offseason haul came through the NBA Draft, in which Sean Marks acquired and executed five first-round picks. Egor Dëmin, the Russian point forward out of BYU, was Brooklyn's lottery selection at No. 8. That pick was met with broad skepticism, but a strong Summer League has fans believing.
Lost in the shuffle a bit, however, is No. 19 overall pick Nolan Traoré. The Nets basically selected three tall European point guards in the first round — a strange strategy, but Traoré was the best of the bunch in my book. The 6-foot-4 Frenchman, who only recently turned 19, immediately becomes one of the fastest end-to-end players in the NBA. He gets up and down the court with a purpose, skating past defenders to pressure the rim and kickstarting transition offense with his heads-up passing.
Traoré will require a patient hand, like most young point guards, but he should get steady reps on a rebuilding team without much depth beyond the rookie class. Scoring efficiency was a struggle against French competition, but Traoré made tangible strides with his jumper as the season progressed. He has workable touch and he shouldn't have a problem putting two feet in the paint and collapsing the defense, which gives me confidence in his long-term outlook.
Of note, Traoré led all rookies with an assist percentage only a hair shy of 50 percent. He's the most prolific table-setter in the draft and he's a bit further along in his scoring development than, say, someone like Dëmin. Brooklyn will lean heavily on two iso-heavy scorers in Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., so Traoré's ability to infuse the offense with tempo and set the table for Brooklyn's scorers will be incredibly valuable. A strong showing in Las Vegas breeds confidence in Traoré's progression.
Toronto Raptors: Signing Sandro Mamukelashvili
Sandro Mamukelashvili spent last season in a marginal role for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists on .502/.373/.741 splits in 11.2 minutes. He broke out down the stretch, however, as San Antonio committed to the tank. His best performance came against the Knicks on March 19, when Mamukelashvili hit 13-of-14 shots, including 7-of-7 from deep, to score 34 points in only 19 minutes.
That is an outlier scoring performance, but it's not like Mamu didn't put up other encouraging performances. He has been dancing around NBA margins his whole career at this point, but every time he sneaks on the floor, it feels like he's doing positive things. Every NBA team wants a stretch big. Mamukelashvili is perfectly happy to camp out behind the 3-point line and shoot a high volume from the perimeter. He also has a nifty face-up game, with the coordination to attack closeouts, shift gears with his handle and deliver live-dribble passes.
He won't ever be a standout defender, but Mamu consistently infuses the second unit with an infectious energy on offense. He's a funky, non-traditional big man, unafraid to think outside the box and get creative on his way to a bucket.
The Raptors will start Jakob Poeltl at center and lean heavily on his rim protection, but for a team with limited spacing across the board, Mamukelashvili's ability to space the floor and connect dots as a screener and passer could prove valuable. It can't hurt that he just led Georgia to an upset victory over Spain at Eurobasket.
Philadelphia 76ers: Drafting Johni Broome No. 35 overall
Philadelphia selected Baylor's VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick after a brutally bleak season. It was a moment of genuine excitement for the fan base, especially after Ace Bailey soured the discourse with an inexplicable decision to not work out for the Sixers. Edgecombe lived up to the hype and then some in limited Summer League appearances, showcasing his standout athleticism while also flashing important growth as a ball-handler and pull-up shooter.
We all know about Edgecombe, but one of Daryl Morey's best traits as GM in his ability to locate value late in the draft. Philadelphia, in extremely predictable fashion, added Auburn's Johni Broome with the No. 35 pick. Broome was the best player in college basketball last season, with the exception of Wooden Award-winning freshman Cooper Flagg.
Broome was a bit of a lighting rod for debate pre-draft due to his unconventional play style. He doesn't look like an NBA player at first glance. He dominated college defenses in the post, relying on touch and creative footwork to compensate for a distinct lack of vertical pop. Broome won't be able to bully-ball his way to points the same way at the next level, but underdiscussed is Broome's incredible basketball IQ.
He might just be the Sixers' best passer next season. On a team that has struggled to accurately distribute the rock over the years, Broome provides extremely sharp processing skills. He can deliver on-time, on-target dimes with either hand, whether he's slowly snaking through traffic in the post or facing up at the elbow. He should spend time at the four and the five spot in Philadelphia, where his screen-setting, connective passing and high-energy rebounding should all pay dividends.
The Sixers' inability to rebound has done them in for years. Broome is genuinely elite on the glass, on both ends. He also plays hard as s**t. Philly needs someone to crank up the energy a bit in the second unit. Broome is a hellacious competitor who rose to the top of the college ranks by out-hustling and out-working everyone. He won't reach the same heights in the NBA, but as an energizer off the bench? A smart, stretchy big who competes like hell sounds perfect.
New York Knicks: Signing Jordan Clarkson
It has been a largely uneventful summer for the Knicks aside from that whole firing Tom Thibodeau thing. New York made the understandable but gutsy decision to can its highly accomplished and respected head coach after its first conference finals appearance in over two decades. It's not often that coaches break through like Thibs did this season and still get the axe.
Mike Brown, a classic retread hire, is Thibs' replacement after the Knicks tried and failed to interview every acclaimed active head coach in the league. While Brown's reputation is complex, I fall on the positive side of evaluation here. He transformed Sacramento into the best offense in the NBA just a couple years ago. He also has that hard-ass, no-nonsense approach that Knicks fans (and players) are plenty used to after Thibs, so it's not too seismic a shift.
As for offseason additions, the Knicks did very little. That said, signing Jordan Clarkson after his buyout with the Utah Jazz was a savvy move. Clarkson's career has featured more than its share of ups and downs, but the bubbly scoring guard brings a valuable new dynamic to the Knicks bench. This is a half-court offense that is extremely dependent on Jalen Brunson's ability to break things down and create from scratch. Some of New York's issues stemmed from Thibs' lack of creativity, but the half-court offense needs a facelift. Clarkson can provide it in bursts.
He shouldn't be asked to do too much, but in a streamlined bench role, Clarkson rocks. He's a proficient spot-up shooter who is equally comfortable shaking and baking his way to buckets in the mid-range. He's going to have his bouts of streakiness — and he's going to get a little too confident in the jumper from time to time — but on the whole, Clarkson's arrival should prove quite useful for the Knicks.
Boston Celtics: Signing Luka Garza
Luka Garza won the Wooden Award in 2021 with Iowa. He was among the most dominant college stars of this generation, leading the Big Ten in scoring as a junior and a senior. He wound up going No. 52 overall to Detroit in the 2021 NBA Draft. Professional reps were hard to come by, however, as Garza spent the majority of his first few seasons — in Detroit, then in Minnesota — either glued to the bench or racking up G League minutes.
To his credit, Garza was a dominant force in the G League, whatever that counts for. In 22 career games in the G, Garza averaged 23.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on .559/.349/.694 splits in 32.1 minutes. The G League is a far cry from NBA competition, but Garza has proven, time and time again, that he can beat up on inferior opponents.
He's too good for the G League. Now we wait to see if he can cut it in the NBA. He inked a one-year minimum contract with the Celtics, a team whose only other viable center option right now is Neemias Queta. This feels like Garza's last, best shot to stick in the league. And folks, there's a decent chance he takes advantage.
The biggest swing factor for Garza will be defense. He needs to prove that he can guard out in space and keep NBA offenses from targeting him on an island and living at the rim. Offensively, however, it's pretty clear that Garza can hang. He's going to drill spot-up 3s, set thundering screens with his 6-foot-11, 265-pound frame, and clean up on easy finishes at the rim. He's a slick post scorer, and a smart passer from the block. Everything we saw at Iowa and in the G League should translate at a smaller scale.
Boston may have no choice but to lean on Garza a lot. Again, defense is a concern — he's not Kristaps Porziņģis protecting the rim — but Boston relies on winning the math game. Joe Mazzulla is a sicko for 3s and he will view Garza as an extremely polished and efficient 7-footer who can execute his scheme. Don't be shocked if the Celtics can transform Garza from a fringe NBA player into an everyday rotation piece.