A surprise Eastern Conference franchise is expected to enjoy the league's biggest year-over-year improvement in its total win tally. The 2025 offseason has already been filthy with player movement, beyond just free agent signings. The Orlando Magic now boast Desmond Bane in their backcourt.
Surprise East NBA Team Projected to Have Biggest Win Total Leap originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A surprise Eastern Conference franchise is expected to enjoy the league's biggest year-over-year improvement in its total win tally.
The 2025 offseason has already been filthy with player movement, beyond just free agent signings. The Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant. The Orlando Magic now boast Desmond Bane in their backcourt. The Boston Celtics flipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Miami Heat acquired Norman Powell.
But none of those squads (not that Boston, which is actively getting worse to avoid luxury tax obligations amid a "gap year" likely without Jayson Tatum) were awarded the top odds of improving their win total for 2025-26.
Instead, sportsbook BetOnline.ag predicts that the Detroit Pistons will enjoy the best win turnaround, with a +21-point swing from their 44-38 finish in 2024-26.
Led by a breakout All-Star turn from young point guard Cade Cunningham and some solid veteran additions, the Pistons made the playoffs for the first time in six years. Detroit fell in a hard-fought first round playoff series to the New York Knicks.
This year's Pistons have already lost some significant role players to free agency. Free agent shooting guard Malik Beasley is under federal investigation for possibly betting on games and remains unsigned. Point guard Dennis Schröder inked a deal to serve as a starter for the floundering Sacramento Kings. Swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. signed a below-value veteran's minimum deal to chase a championship with the Denver Nuggets.
So Detroit countered by bringing in sharpshooting wing Duncan Robinson via a three-year, $48 million sign-and-trade with Miami. The Pistons also signed wing Caris LeVert on a two-season, $28 million deal.
Clearly, bettors are confident that the team won't lose ground by swapping in Robinson and LeVert for the departed Schröder, Hardaway and (probably) Beasley — and that young players like Cunningham, center Jalen Duren, forwards Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, and especially shooting guard Jaden Ivey (who was only healthy for 30 games early in the year) will grow significantly in an injury-depleted East.
In fairness, the projected shift is more about where the Pistons' over/under was heading into last season, and where it is heading into 2025-26, than it is about predicting an improvement from that 44-win run. This season, Detroit's over/under win total is listed at 45.5 victories, a 21-point improvement on its 24.5 expected wins ahead of 2024-25.
Related: Grading the Detroit Pistons’ Free Agency So Far
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
