Kawhi Leonard is finally a member of the Toronto Raptors after a prolonged holdup centered on the NBA's investigation into the L.A. Clippers' alleged cap circumvention. The Clippers accepted the NBA's terms of punishment on Sunday and made the Kawhi trade official on Monday, acquiring Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks in exchange for the embattled All-NBA forward.
Leonard now launches the Raptors into a new tier of contention in the Eastern Conference, which has improved almost across the board this offseason. From the 76ers' new superteam, to the Heat, Pacers and Cavaliers all taking major steps to improve, the East is transformed. Let's rank all 15 teams by their odds of competing for a title next season.
Eastern Conference NBA power rankings after the Kawhi Leonard trade
Team | 2025-26 Record |
|---|---|
1. New York Knicks | 53-29 |
2. Toronto Raptors | 46-36 |
3. Philadelphia 76ers | 45-37 |
4. Boston Celtics | 56-26 |
5. Indiana Pacers | 19-63 |
6. Cleveland Cavaliers | 52-30 |
7. Detroit Pistons | 60-22 |
8. Atlanta Hawks | 46-36 |
9. Miami Heat | 43-39 |
10. Orlando Magic | 45-37 |
11. Charlotte Hornets | 44-38 |
12. Washington Wizards | 17-65 |
13. Brooklyn Nets | 20-62 |
14. Chicago Bulls | 31-51 |
15. Milwaukee Bucks | 32-50 |
Raptors are New York's greatest challenger on paper
A helpful reminder that the NBA almost never abides by what the "paper" tells us. But the Raptors are stacked, very much built in the fashion of modern contenders: size across the positional spectrum, with multiple elite defenders, a variety of different looks to throw at opponents and an elite half-court shot creator now spearheading the offense in Leonard.
Toronto will need favorable health, as Kawhi is no spring chicken and Immanuel Quickley has dealt with his own rash of injuries in recent years. But depth-wise, the Raptors are well equipped to survive periodic absences from core contributors. Jamal Shead has acquitted himself well as backup point guard; Collin Murray-Boyles can scale up and carry a greater load, on both ends, when needed.
Jamison Battle and Alijah Martin might not play everyday, but both are rotation-caliber pieces on most teams. Even rookies Allen Graves and Jaden Bradley figure to contribute on some level — especially Graves, whose defensive instincts are superhuman.
Toronto has the personnel to smother opponents on defense and score in a variety of ways, whether it's Scottie Barnes pushing the tempo off a rebound or Leonard slowing things down, applying pressure in the middle of the floor and torching opponents in the mid-range. In terms of cohesion and now top-end talent, the Raptors are truly built to challenge New York atop the East.
Knicks are still the team to beat — for now
Respect must be paid to the reigning champs. We have not seen back-to-back champions in eight years, but the Knicks are fresh off the most dominant postseason run in recent memory. New York unlocked a higher gear, melding elite positional size and consistent wins on the margins, plus an all-world shot generator in Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks lost some depth this summer, most notably with Mitchell Robinson departing for Boston, but New York is still well-equipped on the perimeter, with several interchangeable wings and a strong guard battalion behind Brunson. How the frontcourt holds up behind Karl-Anthony Towns is a fair question — Andre Drummond was barely postseason-caliber in Philadelphia, last we saw him — but the Knicks' cohesion is their superpower. This team has been there and done that. For now, they ought to be regarded as the team to beat.
The East runs 10 teams deep, legitimately
The Raptors are far from the only team that has improved this offseason. The Sixers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, boasting the most talented and dynamic starting five in the NBA — again. on paper. The Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, forming the most formidable two-way frontcourt east of San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Pacers are welcoming back a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. The Celtics dealt Jaylen Brown, but now add Paul George alongside a healthy Jayson Tatum. The Cavs even swooped in to acquire Peyton Watson for pennies on the dollar.
The Pistons, ranked seventh in these power rankings, won 60 games last season and should eventually agree to terms on a new deal for All-NBA center Jalen Duren. The Hawks were the only Eastern Conference team to meaningfully challenge New York in the playoffs, lest we forget. The Magic took the 60-win Pistons to seven games in the first round as the No. 8 seed, and now welcome a new coach while hoping for a healthier Franz Wagner. Orlando, on paper, has the makings of a top-five defense.
A solid 10 Eastern Conference teams have a credible path to the conference finals, depending on how the dominoes fall. There will be health questions, continuity questions and other unknowable variables that ultimately determine the East champs. But, as the Raptors go all-in, so do several other teams. Expect a bloodbath.
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