Bam Adebayo should still be a an above-average fantasy producer with the Heat’s addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Southeast Division experienced one of the biggest trades during the 2026-27 NBA offseason, as the Miami Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks for a package headlined by Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware.
That wasn’t the only notable movement in the Southeast Division ahead of the upcoming campaign in The Association, though. The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks return most of their core from 2025-26, the Charlotte Hornets parted ways with their star point guard, and the Washington Wizards should be a much-improved unit if both Trae Young and Anthony Davis stay healthy.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Southeast Division ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season from a fantasy standpoint.
Atlanta Hawks
Last season: The Hawks won the Southeast Division title with a 46-36 record after parting ways with Young midway through the 2025-26 campaign, sending him to the Wizards and giving Jalen Johnson the keys to the team. Johnson delivered an All-Star-caliber performance and carried Atlanta to the sixth seed in the East, although they lost in the first round to the New York Knicks.
What changed: The Hawks made their biggest change last season with the trade that sent Young to Washington. Their projected starting unit for the 2026-27 season is made up entirely of players who finished the 2026 NBA Playoffs donning a Hawks uniform: CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. After winning the division title in 2025-26, the Hawks are looking to bet on their continuity.
Fantasy outlook: Johnson remains one of the best point forwards in the NBA ahead of the 2026-27 season and should deliver late first-round or early second-round value if he stays healthy after posting 13 triple-doubles in 2025-26. Okongwu is an athletic center who has starter-level capacity thanks to his ability to contribute in multiple categories, while McCollum, Daniels and Alexander-Walker are solid, reliable mid-to-late options in most formats, with Daniels earning even more upside due to his defensive contributions.
Bottom line: The Hawks might not be able to win the title for a second straight season now that Antetokounmpo is in Miami, but they should still be a playoff team without needing to go through the Play-In Tournament.
Orlando Magic
Last season: The Magic needed the Play-In Tournament to sneak into the 2026 NBA Playoffs. After posting a 45-37 record in the regular season, Orlando lost to the Philadelphia 76ers (109-97) and defeated the Charlotte Hornets (121-90) to secure a postseason berth. Their playoff tenure was short-lived, however. Even though they came close to pulling off the upset against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons by holding a 3-1 series lead, three straight defeats in series-clinching scenarios eliminated them after a 116-94 loss in Game 7.
What changed: The Magic didn’t do much in the offseason aside from bolstering their frontcourt, essentially adding Nikola Vucevic for more frontcourt depth. The goal for the Magic ahead of the 2026-27 season will be to stay healthy after a 2025-26 campaign in which Jalen Suggs (57 regular-season games), Franz Wagner (34) and Paolo Banchero (72) all missed time.
Fantasy outlook: Banchero remains the go-to player for the Magic in fantasy this season, and as one of the best power forwards in the NBA, he has early-round value (especially in points leagues) as long as he can stay healthy. Suggs and Wagner are solid mid-round options in most formats, but there are availability-related concerns with both players. Wendell Carter Jr. can be a late-round option if you need a frontcourt boost. Desmond Bane is another player to keep close tabs on — he averaged 20.1 points per game in 2025-26, making it the third time in the last four seasons he’s scored at least 20 points per game.
Bottom line: If the Magic stay healthy, they’re a playoff team without the need for the Play-In Tournament. However, that’s easier said than done. Don’t be surprised if the Magic once again fall between the seventh and 10th seed in 2026-27, especially given how competitive the Eastern Conference will be.
Charlotte Hornets
Last season: The Hornets were one of the biggest surprises in the 2025-26 NBA season, going from being one of the worst teams in the league in 2024-25 to securing the ninth seed in 2025-26 and reaching the Play-In Tournament. They dispatched the Miami Heat (10th) in the first game, but a loss to the Orlando Magic in the decisive game prevented them from ending their playoff drought. Still, it was a successful season for a Charlotte team that hadn’t posted a winning season since 2021-22.
What changed: The Hornets won’t look as different as the Heat, but they made one of the biggest trades in the offseason after sending their starting point guard, LaMelo Ball, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They acquired Naz Reid on the deal to bolster their depth at power forward, and the re-signing of Coby White gives them stability at the point now that Ball is no longer in town. This is now Brandon Miller’s and Kon Knueppel’s team, and it remains to be seen how the Hornets will adjust.
Fantasy outlook: White will operate as the de facto point guard in Charlotte, but Miller will be the one in charge of initiating the offense, and his usage rate should increase considerably with Ball no longer on the roster. Knueppel and White should be a steady source of scoring and three-pointers, but their contributions in other categories are limited — even if White opens the season as the PG1. Reid will get the chance to start on a steady basis after thriving in a sixth-man role in Minnesota — he averaged 18.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game in 17 starts in 2024-25, though had just three starts last year.
Bottom line: The biggest question is whether the Hornets can build off their impressive 2025-26 season now that Ball is no longer on the roster. However, at least on paper, they project to be near the bottom of the division standings after seeing the upgrades in Miami and Washington, as well as the continuity in Atlanta and Orlando. They’ll be competitive, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they fall short of a playoff berth.
Miami Heat
Last season: The Heat were one of three Southeast Division teams to reach the 2026 Play-In Tournament, but they lost in the first game against the Hornets in a thrilling 127-126 overtime defeat. The Heat went 43-39 in the regular season but fell short of the postseason, and this disastrous season made them one of the most active teams in the offseason, eventually leading to the Antetokounmpo trade.
What changed: The Heat made swing after swing until they got their man, acquiring Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. They also secured the services of Bobby Portis Jr. while parting ways with Ware, Herro, Kasparas Jakučionis and Jaime Jaquez Jr. alongside draft capital. The Heat roster is far from set, and they’re still looking to add floor spacers and three-point shooters, but the upside of the team with Antetokounmpo as their go-to scoring weapon is higher than it’s been in the last few years.
Fantasy outlook: Antetokounmpo is coming off the worst season of his career from an availability perspective, but if the star forward stays healthy, he should deliver first-round value due to his usage rate, elite scoring skill and rebounding. Bam Adebayo won’t have as much upside as he did in 2025-26, as he’ll be tasked with playing a secondary role next to The Greek Freak on offense, but he should still be an above-average fantasy producer. The rest of the roster will probably take a hit in fantasy usage, though names such as Andrew Wiggins, who shot a career-high 41.4 percent from deep last season, and Davion Mitchell are still worth targeting in mid-to-late rounds purely based on their starting roles.
Bottom line: The Heat aren’t the best team in the Eastern Conference yet, as that honor probably belongs to a team like the 76ers, the Pistons or the reigning NBA champions, the Knicks. But there’s no question that Miami should be far more competitive with Antetokounmpo as their go-to option offensively. How far Miami will go in the 2026-27 season will depend on how healthy Antetokounmpo is after missing 46 regular-season games in 2025-26, and on how the team rounds out the roster.
Washington Wizards
Last season: It was the same old story for the Wizards, as another year of their rebuilding process saw them end the 2025-26 regular season with the worst record in the Association at 17-65. However, there were glimpses of young talent showing consistency, and a couple of trades that set them up well for the long-term future made the 2025-26 season a successful one in Washington, even if the record says otherwise.
What changed: The Wizards should be a much-improved team in 2026-27. They drafted AJ Dybantsa out of BYU with the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and if both Davis and Young are healthy, this team suddenly has the makings of a potential Play-In team due to their mix of experience and rising talent. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly are among the young players who should continue to carry the team, while their most notable free-agent signing was veteran sharpshooter Khris Middleton.
Fantasy outlook: Will Davis and Young play regularly, and if so, how long will they be on the court? If they play in similar ranges to their career averages, both are players worth targeting in early rounds due to their ability as a scorer and passer (Young) and do-it-all big man (Davis), respectively. Dybantsa might be a rookie, but his game looked NBA-ready in the Summer League and should be a player worth targeting in early rounds in redraft formats — and in the first round of dynasty leagues. Sarr, Coulibaly, Johnson and George also carry upside, though with the rotation not being set in stone yet, they might be better suited to be mid-round targets in the best-case scenario, especially when factoring in the moves the Wizards made this summer.
Bottom line: If Davis and Young are healthy throughout the season — and that’s a big if — the Wizards could contend for a playoff berth. But even if they don’t, the franchise is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with a solid young core of Sarr, Dybantsa, Johnson and others. Even if Davis and Young miss considerable time again in 2026-27, the Wizards should be more entertaining — and most importantly, a better team — this upcoming season.
