Worst of the East
The bummer here is not the East, but what they keep doing to our East. Sure, the East won the last title, took the 2025 Finals to seven games, won in 2024 and 2021 and 2019. Nice outputs, poorly sustained so far.
At least those teams tried, even if it did mean hiring Kyle Kuzma or Anfernee Simons or waiting too long to trade Pascal Siakam and then biffing the return but somehow turning it all into the guy Siakam replaced (but while he's embroiled in a salary cap subversion scandal). The Pacers lost their starting center for nothing and then paid through the nose to replace him yet Indiana still isn't bad enough to make this list and the defending NBA champions are.
A Finals appearance is routinely for the taking, yet the East's grimest ranks repeatedly refuse to step into the situation when it calls for it. Every team in this column requires someone to put them over the top.
Or several people. Let's start with da worst.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
IN: Brayden Burries (No. 10 pick), head coach Taylor Jenkins, Nate Ament (No. 13 pick), Bogoljub Markovic (2025 No. 47 pick), Malique Lewis (No. 60 pick), Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 2030 first-round swap rights with Miami, 2031 and 2033 first-round picks from Miami, 2032 second-round pick from Heat, two second-rounders from Detroit.
OUT: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis.
KEPT: Jericho Sims (player option), Kevin Porter Jr. (player option), Ousmane Dieng (three years and $17.5 million with team option), Gary Trent (four years and $64 million).
As bad as offseasons run: Kevin Porter Jr., traded the generational star for every day players who are everyday players, drew everyone's attention with that Gary Trent Jr. contract "agreement."
Porter is worst of all. Another "liberal" owner and GM combo tossing all credibility away for a player who stinks outside of lowering his head and driving a lot. You're going to be bad, why be bad with such a shitty guy?
Trent is the opposite, hilarious. Milwaukee's only defense is the front office's own incompetence, beginning with Exhibit A (Cole Anthony). The arbitrator or jury will require counseling well before they get to Exhibit K (Kyle Kuzma).
