The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching. Newsweek Sports takes stock of each of the league’s six divisions heading into next year in an ongoing series.
As for the Southeast Division, two Florida clubs are aiming for the second round and beyond this season, while the rest of the division has undergone major changes.
Orlando Magic
Last year, the Magic returned to the playoffs for the first time since they wisely traded All-Star center Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls for two future lottery picks at the 2021 trade deadline. Led by a pair of promising young forwards in All-Star power forward Paolo Banchero and likely future All-Star small forward Franz Wagner, Orlando went 47-35 and pushed the veteran-laden Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in a first-round matchup.
The Magic were younger, taller and longer than the Cavaliers, but they were incredibly raw on offense. That’s what ultimately sealed their playoff fate.
Orlando made just 11 three-point attempts per game last season, tied for the worst in the league with the Detroit Pistons. This summer, as the Magic look to take the next step, they signed veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a free agent and two-time starter with the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
Learn more: Magic set to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to lucrative contract
Thanks to their youth movement, the Magic should win more games than any other team in the division, but for now, the team still lacks an above-average starting point guard. That lack of a playmaker could still cost Orlando in the playoffs. Or the team could simply make a trade.
Miami Heat
After a surprise appearance in the 2023 Finals as the No. 8 seed, the Heat were likely hoping to improve on their 2023-24 regular-season record to avoid being a perennial playoff underdog last spring.
Miami struggled with injuries and finished the season with a mediocre 46-36 record. Thanks to a play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami once again found itself stuck in 8th place.
The Heat’s playoff run was cut short in a five-game first-round series against the Boston Celtics. With All-NBA forward Jimmy Butler and starting point guard Terry Rozier out for the entire series due to injuries, Miami never really had a chance of eliminating the eventual league champions.
Learn more: Two key Heat players are still recovering from months-long injuries
This summer, the already-strapped Heat haven’t done much to improve their roster, other than bringing in veteran wing Alec Burks, who signed a veteran minimum deal. Instead, Miami is hoping for better health for Butler, Rozier and Kevin Love, growth for All-Star center Bam Adebayo after an impressive performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and for younger players like Jaime Jaquez and Tyler Herro to take the next step.
Miami’s biggest signing is probably rookie center Kel’el Ware from Indiana, who the Heat can count on to replace Adebayo immediately.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Atlanta Falcons
After posting a miserable 36-46 record and finishing 10th in the East (they lost their first play-in tournament game), the Hawks seemed to signal they knew a change was needed when they sent former All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans this summer.
Learn more: Hawks, Pelicans reach deal to send Dejounte Murray to New Orleans
Atlanta received guard Dyson Daniels, veteran forward Larry Nance Jr. and two future first-round picks from New Orleans.
In addition to those assets, the most important player the team added this offseason from a fan excitement standpoint is probably forward Zaccharie Risacher, selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets, believe it or not, are hoping to rebound in spectacular fashion after a miserable 21-61 season.
Charlotte selected former Cholet Basket forward Tidjan Salaun with the sixth overall pick in this summer’s draft. The club is no doubt hoping Salaun can join a developing core of youngsters that includes All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball — who missed most of the last two seasons — struggling All-Rookie First Team forward Brandon Miller and struggling forward Miles Bridges.
This year, assuming Ball, Miller and Bridges are healthy (and Miller and Bridges avoid further legal trouble), Charlotte could be a strong contender — for a spot in a play-in tournament, anyway.
Washington Wizards
Washington went a brutal 15-27 last season. The club knows it’s now in tank mode, so it traded 23-year-old wing Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon’s expiring $22.5 million contract (which could still have trade value to contending teams), two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks. One of those picks was used as the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft, former Pittsburgh point guard Bub Carrington.
The Wizards also curiously chose to draft French big man Alex Sarr with their second overall pick, Sarr appears to be extremely raw. In his four Summer League games, he averaged just 5.5 points on .191/.118/.500 shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 0.8 steals per night.
This team will continue to be bad, but at least with Carrington and Sarr — along with sophomore forward Bilal Coulibaly — Washington will have some intriguing young players for fans to get behind. Washington is clearly hoping for a chance to draft Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in 2025.
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