Three of last year’s four Play-In Tournament games in the Eastern Conference featured Southeast Division teams. The Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat competed to keep their middling seasons alive, but none made a run to remember. These results likely change for the 2025-26 campaign. Each squad made significant moves this summer to upgrade its roster and compete in an open Eastern Conference. The Magic acquired Desmond Bane, Norman Powell landed in Miami, and Atlanta traded for Kristaps Porziņģis, among other acquisitions. Here is how all three squads look after making big splashes this summer.
Top 3 Teams In Southeast Division Set To Compete Next Season
The Magic Needed Three-Point Shooting in the Worst Way
Orlando’s length and hard-nosed attitude on defense have been its calling card for the last couple of years. Last season, the Magic finished second in defensive rating at 109.1 and gave up a league-leading only 105.5 points a night. However, offensively, it was an entirely different story. They struggled to generate consistent half-court offense, especially from beyond the arc. Orlando ranked last in triples made, percentage, and 27th in offensive rating. Bane undoubtedly boosts this struggling offense in a big way.
“He has an ability to not just shoot the basketball, but create his own shot. Playmaker as well.”
Orlando HC Jamahl Mosley on what Desmond Bane adds to this Magic team. pic.twitter.com/Kq9seUDNtF
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 15, 2025
Bane averaged 19.2 points and shot 39.2% from deep on 6.1 attempts per game across the 2024-25 campaign. He is not just a sharpshooter but a downhill driver and playmaker in the pick-and-roll as well. The former Memphis Grizzlies guard operated as the point guard with Ja Morant missing significant time over the last two seasons. He now shares the backcourt duties with Jalen Suggs, who was just finding his footing before left knee trouble limited him to 35 games a season ago. Bane will see many open looks when defenses have to stop Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but he can also operate as a connective guard and secondary scoring option when either wing sits. The 27-year-old guard gives the Magic much-needed offensive firepower instead of just relying on their defense each night.
Heat Bring in Another Shot Creator to South Beach
Similar to Orlando, the Heat led with their defense last season. They ranked 21st in offensive rating and ninth in defensive rating. Despite their struggles offensively, Tyler Herro earned his first All-Star selection, averaging 23.9 points and 5.5 assists per game. However, after the Jimmy Butler saga ended, Andrew Wiggins became the de facto secondary shot creator on the perimeter. This season, that role will shift to Powell- a 21-point scorer from a season ago.
BREAKING: The Clippers, Jazz and Heat have agreed to a trade that sends Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to Los Angeles, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o0FkV0o2l8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025
Powell had a career-best season at age 31, shooting 41.8% from deep on 7.1 attempts per game. He thrived as the Los Angeles Clippers’ secondary scoring option when Kawhi Leonard missed the first few months of last season. Powell’s ability to move with and without the ball allows him and Herro to take pressure off each other. His three-point prowess will be crucial to giving Miami’s offense ample space, especially if head coach Erik Spoelstra starts Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware next to each other. The Heat ranked 29th in fourth-quarter points last season and often lost double-digit leads when the game slowed down due to their offensive struggles. Adding a big shot creator and maker like Powell can certainly reverse this pattern next season.
Hawks Trade for NBA Champion Center
Onyeka Okongwu emerged as a strong starting center to end last season. He was a surefire option to start in the 2025-26 season until Atlanta traded for Porziņģis earlier this summer. Head coach Quin Snyder finds a good problem on his hands when deciding who starts at the five on opening night.
BREAKING: Boston, Atlanta and Brooklyn are finalizing a three-team trade that sends Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, Terance Mann and Atlanta’s No. 22 pick to the Nets, and Georges Niang and a second-rounder to the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/1fcbIslyVF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2025
Porziņģis brings a skill set on both ends that Atlanta has not had in a long time. He is a 7-foot-2-inch shot blocker who can routinely knock down triples. The Latvian big man averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and shot 41.2% from three on 6.0 attempts per game. Regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, he forms a deadly duo with Trae Young in pick-and-pop situations. Atlanta struggled to guard bigger teams last season, such as Orlando and Miami, after Jalen Johnson went down. Now, the Hawks can play Porziņģis and Okongwu next to each other to combat two-center lineups.
Questions always surround Porziņģis’ health. However, if he does miss time, Atlanta has the depth in Okongwu to stay afloat. The 29-year-old center is a free agent after this season, but the Hawks did not have to pay a hefty price to acquire him from the cost-cutting Boston Celtics.
It will be interesting to see which teams come out on top of the Southeast Division next spring.
© David Butler II-Imagn Images
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