2025-26 season preview: New landscape in Central Division after injuries

MILWAUKEE — Two of the Achilles tendon injuries that shook up the 2024-25 postseason also reshaped the NBA Central Division landscape for the upcoming regular season. Not only did Indiana lose two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton for the season after he tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Pacers saw Myles Turner leave for division rival Milwaukee in free agency. The Bucks gained the ability to fit Turner into their salary cap by waiving Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles tendon during Milwaukee's first-round playoff loss to Indiana. The unavailability of Haliburton and the loss of Turner create major obstacles for Indiana in its bid to repeat its success from last season. "There will be some adjustments as we start and keep moving forward," said Indiana's Rick Carlisle, who needs seven wins to become the 11th coach in league history with 1,000 coaching victories. "Tyrese is really such an unusually important player to us on the one hand. On the other hand, our core principles we want to keep the same. Most of it begins with hard play and fast, hard play, so we'll make adjustments." Indiana's upheaval leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers as clear favorites to win a second straight Central Division title. Two-time All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell leads a team that went 64-18 to lead the Eastern Conference. The next step is to make a deeper postseason run after two straight second-round exits. "We're here with renewed energy because we know the talent we have," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We know we're in that group of four to six that have a chance at winning this thing." Milwaukee's addition of Turner is part of a roster overhaul that has occurred since last season's trade deadline as the Bucks look to bounce back from three straight first-round playoff losses. "I think ultimately we're a faster, more athletic, more versatile offensively and defensively suited team," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. Here's a look at each Central Division team in predicted order of finish: Cleveland Cavaliers The Cavaliers are one of the favorites to win the East with their core four of Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. Garland will be sidelined for at least the first two months after toe surgery, while Max Strus will also be out at least one month due to foot surgery. Mobley, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had career highs in points (18.5) and assists (3.2) per game last season while expanding his perimeter game to go along with his drives to the lane. Cleveland was confined by the salary cap, but it did add some valuable bench pieces in Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant. Atkinson says Ball has been a valuable resource in discussing some strategies on offense and defense. Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks want to replicate what worked for them when they surged late last season while Lillard was out with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. That means surrounding two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooters, attempting more 3-pointers and playing at a faster pace. Milwaukee wants the ball in Antetokounmpo's hands as much as possible as he builds on the playmaking role he adopted when Lillard was hurt. The Bucks believe Turner's combination of rim protection and 3-point shooting ability makes him an ideal complement to Antetokounmpo and provides what they lost when 7-footer Brook Lopez signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Indiana Pacers The Pacers are learning to regroup without Turner or Haliburton, who will miss the entire season. Indiana also won't have backup point guard T.J. McConnell for most of the first month due to a hamstring injury. That will test Indiana's depth, which was the Pacers' biggest strength during their run to the NBA Finals. Turner's absence doesn't just hurt Indiana from a defensive standpoint. It also takes away a stretch-5 3-point shooter. Haliburton ranked third in the NBA in assists last season after leading the league in that category in 2023-24. Without those two players, the Pacers will need another big season from Pascal Siakam, who led the Pacers in scoring (20.2) and rebounding (6.9) last season. Detroit Pistons The Pistons surprised the NBA with their turnaround last season after having the league's worst record the previous two years. They won't sneak up on anyone this season. Cade Cunningham leads the way, bouncing back from an injury-stunted start of his career after Detroit drafted him No. 1 in 2021. The Pistons didn't attempt to sign or keep high-priced free agents or to acquire expensive veterans in trades because they don't know if Cunningham's surrounding cast will be part of the team's long-term future. It's a big year for center Jalen Duren and guard Jaden Ivey because they're eligible for contract extensions. Chicago Bulls The Bulls opted to stand pat rather than go bold this past summer despite finishing 39-43 for the second straight season and missing the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Their most notable moves were re-signing Josh Giddey, trading Ball to Cleveland for Isaac Okoro and drafting Noa Essengue out of the French Basketball League with the No. 12 pick, yet executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas continues to preach patience. That's a tough ask for a frustrated fan base. The Bulls have just one playoff appearance since Karnisovas was hired before the 2020-21 season, and they've been knocked out of the play-in tournament by Miami the past three years. AP Sports Writers Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Joe Reedy and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report.