NBA Central Division Preview 2025-26

Donovan Mitchell (YouTube)

In the second of a six part series leading up to the commencement of the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a look at each division in the league. Here is the Central Division.

Big Storyline

The most noteworthy storyline heading into the season is not who is playing but who is not. Just like in the Atlantic Division, where Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum suffered a massive injury in the 2025 NBA playoffs, a significant injury within the Indiana Pacers organization in the 2025 NBA postseason will impact them significantly in 2025-26 too. In game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury and is gone for the entire 2025-26 NBA season.

Most notable acquisition

In the offseason, an instrumental piece of the Indiana Pacers team that went to the 2025 NBA Finals, signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Myles Turner of Bedford, Texas, who has led the NBA in blocks per game in a single season twice, signed a four-year contract worth $107 million. This past season, Turner averaged 15.6 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, two blocks per game, and 1.5 assists per game. He also had a field goal percentage of .481, three point percentage of .396, and a free throw percentage of .773.

Divisional Outlook

Without Turner and Haliburton, the Pacers are expected to take a huge step backwards. In fact, ESPN is projecting the Pacers to finish in fourth place. The Pacers’s misfortune means the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell and reigning defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, are projected to win the Central. They will be followed by the Milwaukee Bucks in second place, the progressing Detroit Pistons in third place, and the Chicago Bulls in the basement.