Jaylen Brown is off to Phili. Paul George is heading to Boston. Nikola Vucevic is back in Orlando.And that's just since 3 o'clock, eastern time.Kawhi Leonard is going back to Toronto; Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking his talents to Miami; LaMelo Ball is on his way to Minnesota.The Eastern Conference just got a major shake up from top to bottom.Which Contenders will be left standing when the sandglass settles?BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026How does Orlando rank among playoff contenders in the new-look East ?Dec 7, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) passes the ball around LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY SportsWith Orlando currently projected to enter the season at full strength, this Magic team is mostly running it back with last year's squad, a team that ultimately found a winning formula to take a 3-1 lead over the 1-seed Detroit and break out of the play-in purgatory vs Charlotte.This time, once again the Magic are just hoping the injury bug looks the other way.New faces in the mix include the highly-touted basketball mind of new head coach Sean Sweeney, plus one familiar face for Magic fans with the return of Nikola Vucevic. Whether Vooch is used in any switching schemes or kept in drop coverage where he's best remains to be seen, but at this point in his career, Orlando seems to just hoping for some 3pt shooting, connective playmaking, and break-in-case-emergency mismatch scoring out of Vooch, despite the likely need of covering up any negative defense impact he may bring by flanking positive active versatile defenders in front of him.Did adding Vucevic while keeping Jonathan Isaac, Jamal Cain, Jevon Carter, and losing Moritz Wagner to Brooklyn do enough to keep Orlando afloat in the Eastern Conference Playoff race?The Magic already expect to roll out a starting unit of Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr.; Orlando wasn't expecting to make huge splashes in free agency, anyway.Anthony Black brings starter-level two-way impact off the bench, while Tristan da Silva, Noah Penda, and Jase Richardson could continue to show real development. Rookie Izaiyah Nelson adds an x-factor as an energetic defensive option at forward on the depth chart. With Jevon Carter, Cain, Isaac, and Vucevic signed, the team has rounded out most of its two-way depth around its star scorers, once again just rooting for good health to see it all together.There's an elite defense, with elite scorers, with connective playmaking and capable 3pt shooting in the right spots around them if this Magic team can untap its full potential.As other teams shuffle ahead of them in the East, though, the road to contending just got crowded.The Sixers add Jaylen Brown to a team with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and impressive young talent like VJ Edgecombe and Labaron Philon. The 76ers are one immediate problem makeshift contender to worry about, quickly looking like a contender with all that starpower.Toronto upgraded from Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Kawhi Leonard, going from playoff pretender to instant contender in one trade for Kawhi yet again.The Raptors are combining elite defense and a lethal downhill force frontcourt attack led by Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, with scoring guards Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, plus an impressive rookie prospect in Allen Graves; this frontcourt epitomizes high-feel winning plays like offensive rebounds, steals, blocks, and assists while minimizing turnovers and fouls.Boston swiped the shot-swatting glass-crashing extraordinaire Mitchell Robinson away from the defending champion New York Knicks, as the Celtics are also bringing in Paul George and first round picks in the Brown deal. Orlando should leapfrog Boston in theory after all these moves, if the Magic stay healthy this time, but it’ll make for a competitive playoff matchup nonetheless.The Hornets are still a pesky upstart to keep an eye on in the East, despite losing their core offensive engine in Ball to the Timberwolves. Christian Anderson is a legit three-point shooter and connective playmaker, and Charlotte added a lot of versatility and flexibility this summer. Orlando should win more games and be a better playoff team, but the Hornets will remain a tough out under Charles Lee.Giannis joining Bam Adebayo in Miami? An elite defense and immediate contender is born overnight. Time for Pat Riley and Eric Spoelstra to do what they do best and round out the roster with winning players on the margins, like finding and developing three-point shooting and playmaking in the back court to set up these two strong defensive anchor play-finishers. Orlando might have the edge on MIami until the Heat put this all together, but the Sunshine State Rivalry just got a lot sweatier.The Hawks look as dynamic as ever, doubling down on that two-way versatility by drafting Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar. How will the Cavaliers revamp the roster for next season? As of 9pm EST on July 1st, 2026, LeBron James has announced he will be leaving Los Angeles, but hasn't said where he's taking his talents yet, either.This Magic team, if fully healthy and truly maximized by its new head coach, could still be as talented as any team in the East. If everything goes right, they could outright win the 1-seed with an elite defense, elite scoring, elite foul-drawing, and an elite points off turnover ratio, if they find their peak form that results in at least average 3pt spacing with proper positioning and ideal shot locations for teamwide efficiency.The Magic still have to go out on the court and prove it, just like everybody else.At their best, Orlando can win any of these matchups in a 7-game playoff series, but they might not be favored in any.Vegas will project the Magic back into the play-in range this season, but this is still an Orlando Magic team that can compete for home court advantage in the Eastern Conference if they stay healthy, even with superstars shooting across the sky crashing into new team sites in every direction.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow