This season several teams got much better across the NBA, including the Eastern Conference's Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, thanks to big trades and signings. Philadelphia's been all the rage as far as people picking the best of the East, since the team trade with the Boston Celtics to add Jaylen Brown, and then signed LeBron James to a two-year deal. However, Miami also made serious strides, winning the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes and landing him in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
They weren't done, though, as the Heat recently signed veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson to a two-year deal, which further upgraded their roster. According to former NBA star Jeff Teague, he now believes they're a top contender in the Eastern Conference, over the 76ers. I told y'all the Heat was gonna be better than the Sixers. ...
We got Bam [Adebayo], Giannis, Klay, [Andrew Wiggins], [Davion] Mitchell, [Tim Hardaway Jr.] off the pine, [Bobby Portis Jr.] off the pine. We got a nice seven, Ryan Conwell. I like ol' buddy too, Nikola Jovic.
He ain't bad," Teague said on the "520 Club" podcast. More news: Miami Heat Send Message to Klay Thompson After Signing 2-Year Deal Thompson is just one part of the roster, and despite the ESPN depth chart showing him as a reserve, Teague and company believe he'll start, with Hardaway Jr. coming off the bench. Adding a shooter of Thompson's caliber gives the Heat plenty of ways to score in multiple areas of the court.
Teague also has firsthand experience playing on a roster that included two of the new Heat stars. He last suited up during his playing career for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 season, when they won the NBA championship. Portis and Antetokounmpo were teammates, and both were part of the Bucks' Greek Freak trade to Miami.
However, it seems like a stretch to put the Heat over the 76ers so soon, especially since Philadelphia also has quite the starting lineup, featuring four All-Stars, two of whom have won championships: Brown and James. Additionally, James and Joel Embiid have won the league's MVP Award before, and VJ Edgecombe is on the rise after his successful rookie season. It's tough to suggest Philly won't be right up there as one of the best in the conference.
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