27. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers, despite trading Malcolm Brogdon during the offseason to the Boston Celtics, are still a team that is stuck. They have one foot in a rebuilding stage and one in a retooling stage. Though, the hope is they clear some of that up by possibly trading Myles Turner and Buddy Hield at some point this season.
The Pacers have a few interesting young prospects in Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Smith, Chris Duarte, and rookie Bennedict Mathurin. If each of those players, especially Haliburton, can make big strides this season, Indiana could be an interesting threat in the East.
I still don’t believe they have a roster that’s ready to compete for a playoff spot but the could at least make life difficult for teams that are hoping the Pacers offer them an easy win on any given night.