Indiana’s season just got more difficult after the aggression from many Eastern Conference rivals, who improved their teams through trades and free agency. The Pacers are looking to return to their 2024 form, where they took the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals before losing. However, with a fully healthy team returning next season, the Pacers will face familiar Eastern Conference teams with some new additions, all ready to challenge them and make their season a little more difficult.
Pacers Face Tougher Season After Eastern Conference Upgrades
Over the past few weeks, many NBA teams have been aggressive in improving their team through trades or free agency. There have been multiple blockbuster trades, including Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to the Heat and Jaylen Brown being sent to the 76ers. Amid the recent wave of NBA free-agent moves, the Pacers signed Kelly Oubre Jr., a move that did not make a splash in the media but was a key one, making Oubre the right fit for the roster and bolstering it for the upcoming season.
Among these moves and many more, teams across the Eastern Conference are being aggressive and improving their roster, hoping to compete in the upcoming season. If this means anything for Indiana, who is also looking to make another playoff appearance, it is that the teams they will face in the regular season and playoffs will present a more difficult path to success for the Pacers.
Eastern Conference Teams that Improved their Roster
Miami Heat
If there was any offseason addition that caught the attention of everyone, it was the Miami Heat trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster deal, sending Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks, 1 second-round pick, and a pick swap for Milwaukee’s 2-time MVP and Bobby Portis.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NQT5ZhdJU9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Finishing 10th in the East last season, the Heat will have higher expectations after adding a superstar and look to be a team at the top of the Eastern Conference, which could cause some trouble for Indiana. The Tyrese Haliburton versus Giannis Antetokounmpo rivalry will continue, but this time, Haliburton will face Giannis on an entirely different team. Giannis will be paired with longtime Heat center Bam Adebayo, as well as forward Andrew Wiggins. However, the Heat gave up many rotational players, severely weakening their depth, which could very quickly become a problem for them if they rely too heavily on their new star. Indiana has one of the deepest benches in the league, and utilizing the diverse skill set of their bench players will be the biggest factor when playing against the Heat. The impact either team’s bench has on a game will be something to watch whenever the Pacers and Heat face off.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers were the other team involved in a major trade a few days ago, prompting the NBA world to react in many ways after they received Jaylen Brown from their rivals, the Boston Celtics, in exchange for Paul George and 2 1st- and 2nd-round picks.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Philadelphia will have all eyes on their team this year and has already set high expectations for the upcoming season because of their aggression in free agency, getting stronger with each new addition. The Pacers will have a harder time facing this 76ers team, and wins against them will not be easy to come by. Indiana will need to prioritize its defensive physicality and aggression whenever it plays the 76ers to try to slow down the offensive attack led by Brown, VJ Edgecomb, and Tyrese Maxey.
The Pacers need to stick to their identity as a team to win games against hard opponents, especially teams like the 76ers. In the 2025 playoffs, the Pacers scored 8.5 more transition points per game than their opponents, which could be a key to their success against this strong Philadelphia team. Indiana is at its best when they keep a fast pace of play, has good ball movement, and takes advantage of transition points. Indiana was the 6th-worst rebounding team in the NBA this season, averaging only 41.9 per game. With the addition of big man Ivica Zubac, Indiana can better protect the rim and try to win the rebounding battle versus Philadelphia.
It wouldn’t be surprising if these 2 teams make playoff appearances next year and possibly even meet in the postseason. The 76ers may be the team to beat in the NBA next year, and they will be one more team the Pacers will need to play their best basketball against to have success this upcoming year.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit had a very successful regular season, with an impressive 60-22 record; however, their lack of depth and supporting cast was ultimately their downfall in the postseason. The Pistons relied too heavily on star guard Cade Cunningham, and when he was locked down by opposing defenses, they often struggled to find another consistent scorer. With the additions of Isaiah Joe and John Collins, Detroit hopes they will bring more consistency to their offense.
The Pistons’ supporting-cast struggles could be key for the Pacers next season if Detroit is not able to establish another consistent scorer. When Indiana plays them, they will need to figure out how to disrupt Cunningham’s play and force the other Pistons to make plays. Indiana has solid defense across the board, but should rely on the defensive play of either Aaron Nesmith or Andrew Nembhard to disrupt Detroit’s offense. Forcing the ball into another player’s hands on the Pistons could hurt their scoring, leaving the Pacers to benefit from their mistakes and lack of scoring. If the Pacers can successfully shut down Cade, they should have a much easier time beating the Pistons whenever they meet next season.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors made a splash by reuniting with their 2019 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, bringing him back to Toronto after trading away multiple players and picks, including their 2026 top scorer, Brandon Ingram.
FULL TRADE DETAILS:
Raptors receive:
Kawhi LeonardClippers receive:
Brandon Ingram
Gradey Dick
2 1st-round picks
A pick swap
2 2nd-round picksWOW. pic.twitter.com/RykTB6lTiF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 30, 2026
The Raptors’ trade for Leonard shows they want to return as another win-now team next season. The Pacers will have yet another strong opponent in the East, and will need to take advantage of the Raptors’ poor rebounding and lack of depth at the center to win games. The Raptors have a great defense, led by Scottie Barnes, but they were the 5th-worst team in the NBA in rebounding last season, averaging only 41.7 rebounds per game. Jakob Poeltl isn’t a great rim protector, but he is the Raptors’ best option at center. When he is off the court, they do not have many paint defenders, which could create easy opportunities for the Pacers to score inside and get 2nd-chance opportunities from offensive rebounds, especially now with an established center who can rebound well in Ivica Zubac. The Pacers will need to create shots and get the ball to their playmakers, like Tyrese Haliburton, to succeed against a strong Raptors defensive frontcourt that has the potential to be one of the best in the league.
New York Knicks
The reigning NBA Champions look to repeat next year and will have a very similar team compared to last year. Led by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks will remain competitive and will be a team at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks did lose key contributor Mitchell Robinson, but they did their best to replace him with Andre Drummond.
The Knicks-Pacers rivalry is always fun to watch, and it will be reignited with the return of Tyrese Haliburton. Brunson and the Knicks have struggled to get past Haliburton and the Pacers in the playoffs when the teams meet, with the Pacers 2-0 in series that feature both players. In 2024 and 2025, Haliburton and the Pacers knocked out Brunson and the Knicks from the playoffs before the Knicks finally won the finals in 2026, where they did not see Indiana in the playoffs. With a fully healthy Pacers squad, Indiana will look to repeat their recent success against the Knicks.
Again, Indiana needs to rely on its transition offense and fast-paced play to win against the Knicks. The Pacers are known for their pace of play, and last season they led the NBA in distance traveled per game and were 2nd in average speed per game. Indiana plays at a much faster pace than the Knicks and can look to benefit from this mismatch in transition.
In the 2024 and 2025 playoffs, the main reason the Pacers were able to knock out the Knicks was their pace of play, which forced offensive pressure at all times against New York and ultimately made them more physical in games. Returning to the 2026 season with similar players from their 2024 and 2025 playoff runs will be crucial to success against the Knicks, as the Knicks will continue to play at a fast pace and win in transition.
Good News for Indiana
Among the Eastern Conference teams that improved their rosters, some have downgraded this offseason, which should help the Pacers have more success against them than in the past.
The most notable team is the Boston Celtics, who traded away Jaylen Brown, leaving them objectively worse without him. The Celtics lost their 1-2 punch with Brown and Jayson Tatum and may lose a few more games than usual next season. Brown was able to lead Boston to 56 wins without Tatum for most of the season due to injury, and now the Celtics will rely more heavily on Tatum. The Celtics did add Paul George in the trade, but he is declining with age. They also added Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson in free agency, but the hole Brown leaves in the Celtics’ lineup may be irreplaceable. The Celtics may struggle in the upcoming season as they transition away from playing with Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics will still be a competitive team and have a good shot at making the playoffs, but will more than likely be less of a threat. Indiana can take advantage of this major roster change by the Eastern Conference juggernaut, but will still have to play at a high level to win. Without Brown, the Pacers have one fewer offensive threat to worry about when playing the Celtics and can play better defense by focusing more on Tatum while forcing other players on the team to score. Boston still has a roster full of offensive weapons, but Jaylen Brown is a big loss, with much of the Celtics’ offensive attack centering around him. Boston will need to find a different identity on offense without him, and a transition year without Brown could prove a struggle, one the Pacers can capitalize on.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have not made any new additions in the offseason and have lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis. The Cavaliers will have a similar lineup led by Donovan Mitchell, and have appeared in the playoffs the last 4 seasons, but they have struggled to find the missing piece that can elevate them to the NBA Finals. However, they are among the teams likely to be a destination for LeBron James, possibly reuniting with their 2016 Finals MVP. This could make the Cavaliers Finals contenders, but as of now, they remain playoff contenders and could struggle to get past stronger teams if they keep the roster they have now. Indiana can benefit from this, and they have also proven capable of beating the Cavaliers, knocking them out of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The Pacers will need to lean on physicality and pace of play like they will with other opponents. Indiana’s famous Game 2 stunner, where they won after coming back from a 7-point deficit with 48 seconds left, finished off by Haliburton’s game-winner, was largely due to Indiana’s physicality and pressure against the Cavaliers, paired with efficient shooting in clutch time.
The Last Word
The Eastern Conference will be loaded with talent and teams that are capable of making a Finals run. The Pacers, returning with a similar lineup that includes the return of Haliburton, look to fight their way through the conference and, hopefully, back to the Finals. The path may be more challenging than before, and the Pacers may not be the favorites. Still, if any team is full of surprises, it is the Indiana Pacers, who play with a fast pace, intense defense, and are always capable of pulling off a comeback.
