Where do the Hawks fit in new-look Eastern Conference?

The Eastern Conference looks a lot different heading into the 2026-27 season.

On Friday, 22-time All-Star LeBron James announced his decision on his landing spot after three weeks of speculation. He will head to Philadelphia, where he will team up with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid and recently acquired Jaylen Brown.

The four-time league MVP’s move to the 76ers adds another challenge for the Hawks in the upcoming season. The competitiveness of the Eastern Conference had already trended upward, as three of the last six champions have come from the East, including two in the last three years.

For their part, the Hawks got tougher after they acquired Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder. They also acquired Ryan Nembhard from the Mavericks and Devin Carter from the Kings.

They also extended two veterans, CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, to one-year deals.

The Hawks still have a lot of youth on their roster, but they added more depth and breadth of experience.

Last season the Hawks finished 15th in the league in offense but eighth in defense.

Dort’s elite defensive skills allow the Hawks to diversify the lineups they’ll have to deploy, especially against a team like the 76ers that will look to put offensive strain on opponents.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Dort ranked in the 50th percentile last season in transition defense, allowing zero points per 100 transition possessions. He gave up 1.9 points per 100 transition plays (a shot, turnover or free throw) to opponents, which ranked him in the 60th percentile.

Of course, where the Hawks fall will depend on how they’re able to gel and how quickly they can do it.

But the 76ers aren’t the only reason the Eastern Conference became more competitive. Here are some others:

- The Knicks did not make a lot of changes, but they returned the majority of their key contributors to their championship-winning roster.

- The Raptors could take a leap depending on the conclusion of the Clippers-Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard investigation.

- The Heat, of course, made a huge move. They acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks and will look to pair him alongside All-Star Bam Adebayo.

- The Pacers should return to the mix with star guard Tyrese Haliburton expected to be back and healthy. They’ll also see how center Ivica Zubac fits into the lineup after acquiring him from the Clippers at last season’s trade deadline.

- The Pistons, who are in the middle of negotiations with All-Star Jalen Duren, retained much of their young stars, like Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.

- The Cavaliers doubled down on their backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who can push them through the regular season. The strength of their bench remains a question mark.

- The Wizards, of course, added No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa and expect to have a healthy Trae Young and Anthony Davis ready to play with their young core of Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly.