Miami spent the offseason making the kind of move that usually forces the rest of the league to sit up and pay attention. ESPN’s NBA experts, though, are not ready to hand the Heat a spot near the top of the Eastern Conference.
In ESPN’s latest 2026-27 predictions, six teams were listed as the most likely to reach the Eastern Conference finals, and Miami was nowhere to be found. That’s despite the Heat landing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and building a new roster around him.
The voting went heavily in New York’s favor. The reigning NBA champion Knicks finished first with 68 points, while the Philadelphia 76ers came next with 51 after an offseason of their own. Boston and Detroit tied for third with 17 points each, Indiana collected 12, and Cleveland closed out the group with nine.
ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill made sure to call out Miami’s absence.
“Not mentioned: the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Miami Heat. Interesting as well,” Goodwill wrote.
The bigger takeaway from ESPN’s forecast is that New York and Philadelphia are viewed as the East’s top two teams. The Knicks are trying to defend the title they just won, and the 76ers have reshaped their roster by adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
“The Knicks and 76ers will vie for a spot in the NBA Finals, according to our forecast, a year after the two teams met in a second-round series, which New York won handily in four games,” Goodwill wrote.
Miami’s offseason makeover was massive. The Heat acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. from Milwaukee in a blockbuster deal that sent Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and a collection of draft assets to the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo instantly gives Miami a centerpiece few teams can match, and he joins Bam Adebayo to form a formidable duo. The Heat also added five-time All-Star Klay Thompson after his buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Even with all that, the East is packed with contenders. Detroit had the conference’s best regular-season record last season before falling to Cleveland in the second round. Boston finished with the East’s second-best record but blew a 3-1 series lead against Philadelphia in the opening round.
Indiana also drew attention as a sleeper, especially with Tyrese Haliburton back after the right Achilles tear he suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
“When Indiana was whole, it defeated the Knicks in the playoffs in 2024 and 2025,” Goodwill wrote.
Cleveland, which reached the conference finals last season, was included in the mix as well.
Still, Miami being left out of the top six is the part that jumps off the page. Antetokounmpo is still a two-time MVP, a former Defensive Player of the Year and an NBA champion, while Adebayo remains one of the league’s most established two-way players.
The Heat now have to show that the new pieces can actually fit and turn the offseason buzz into postseason results. Miami missed the playoffs last season, and this group has plenty to prove before it can be treated like one of the East’s true heavyweights.
For now, ESPN’s forecast suggests the league sees New York, Philadelphia and a handful of others as the stronger championship bets entering the season. For Miami, that leaves the Heat with an early chip on their shoulder and a clear message: the respect still has to be earned.
In Other News...
Former 76ers Pick Could Make Philly Regret Letting Him Go
Charles Basseys NBA path has taken him a long way from the nights when the 76ers drafted him five years ago and then struggled to find him steady minutes. After moving on from Philadelphia, the big man has bounced around to multiple teams, but this offseason brought a cleaner opportunity: a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, where the center depth chart is far less crowded and a real role is available.
For the 76ers, that kind of setup is exactly what can sting in hindsight. Bassey has long looked like the sort of player whose value depends on minutes and trust, and Golden State may be the place where both finally arrive. If he settles into the Warriors rotation and becomes a dependable piece, Philadelphia will be left wondering whether it let a useful frontcourt option slip away too early. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Face One Huge Question About Maxeys Role
The 76ers have spent the summer building a roster that looks as star-heavy as any in the league, and that naturally changes the conversation around everyone else in the rotation. With Jaylen Brown and LeBron James now in place, the attention has shifted to how the pieces fit, not just whether the talent is enough, and former NBA players Jason Williams and Patrick Beverley have both weighed in on the potential of the new setup.
For Philadelphia, the most interesting part may be less about the headline names than about where that leaves Tyrese Maxey in the pecking order. When a team adds two players with that kind of resume, the question becomes how the ball moves, who initiates, and how the group keeps its best players involved without losing the edge that made the roster so dangerous in the first place. The 76ers look built to contend, but the way those roles settle could end up being just as important as the talent itself. [Read more 🡒]
VJ Edgecombe Just Sent The 76ers Message Fans Wanted
VJ Edgecombe spent part of the conversation pushing back on the idea that a bigger-name Philadelphia roster would automatically mean a smaller lane for him. With the 76ers adding All-Stars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, there has been an obvious question about how much room Edgecombe will have to develop and how his touches might shift, especially for a player still carving out his place in the rotation.
Edgecombes answer was simple enough: he plans to stay aggressive offensively no matter how the minutes or shot chances break down. That mindset matters for Philadelphia, which is expected to manage his usage and lineup fits carefully so he can contribute alongside the stars instead of disappearing next to them. For a young player trying to prove he belongs, the challenge now is less about role anxiety and more about making sure his confidence travels with the changing roster around him. [Read more 🡒]