Eastern Conference 4th seed: Cleveland Cavaliers
After losing the LeBron lottery, the Cavaliers are at a bit of a crossroads. James Harden declined his player option to negotiate a new contract, likely because Cleveland wanted to make a move on James. With him now officially a 76er, it's time for the Cavs to renegotiate with Harden. Reportedly, their intentions are to sign him up for the long-term with the team.
The question is why? Harden is a great player in the regular season. The skinny on him has always been that he falls apart in the playoffs, and 2026 was no exception. Donovan Mitchell tried to carry him up the mountain, but it was just too much for Spida. This is a Harden reality that many of the greatest players in the league today have faced and fallen short of a title because of.
Outside of whatever is happening with Harden, the Cavs extended Mitchell and drafted Meleek Thomas. That's pretty much their offseason in a nutshell. Keeping that lack of changes in mind, Cleveland will get the fourth seed in the East again this season and also get knocked out of the playoffs before the finals. If they still have Harden on the roster, they'll be lucky to get that far.
Eastern Conference 3rd seed: Philadelphia 76ers
Everyone in the East should be scared. Philly now has a starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron James. It's pure insanity. The only hope the Eastern Conference has is that this lineup just doesn't vibe and falls apart on its own.
That's the reason why this team doesn't have the number one seed in their conference locked down right now. It's going to take time for them to find a rhythm that works for them. If they get to that point, this crew has the potential to be an unstoppable basketball force.
Keep in mind that the 76ers have also added some reasonable bench depth. That includes signing free agents Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade, as well as drafting Labaron Philon Jr. Philly can put out a solid lineup with at least two All-Stars whenever they want at this point.
This isn't a joke. This is an alarm bell for the rest of the league. Even if Embiid is injured for 50% of the season, the 76ers still have three backup centers and a starting lineup of heavy hitters to carry the load. They are coming for a title as early as this season, next season at the latest.
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