The Knicks and Nets might not have made any particularly splashy acquisitions, but they certainly engineered their share of changes. The two New York teams lead the Eastern Conference with eight newcomers apiece for the 2015/16 season, meaning that the majority of the players on their respective rosters weren’t there at the end of 2014/15. Some will be familiar to fans in the Big Apple, as the Nets signed Andrea Bargnani and Shane Larkin away from the Knicks. Still, both teams in the NBA’s largest market will feature decidedly different-looking teams as the season begins.
By contrast, the roster in the East’s second largest market is nearly intact from the end of last season. Rookies Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio are the only players who weren’t around for the team’s playoff exit last spring, though new coach Fred Hoiberg will bring a fresh approach.
See the newcomers in the Eastern Conference and how the teams stack up in terms of roster turnover:
Knicks (8) — Arron Afflalo, Jerian Grant, Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn, Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Seraphin, Sasha Vujacic, Derrick Williams.
Nets (8) — Andrea Bargnani, Wayne Ellington, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Shane Larkin, Chris McCullough, Willie Reed, Thomas Robinson, Donald Sloan.
Hornets (7) — Nicolas Batum, Tyler Hansbrough, Aaron Harrison, Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky, Jeremy Lamb, Jeremy Lin.
Pistons (7) — Aron Baynes, Steve Blake, Reggie Bullock, Darrun Hilliard, Ersan Ilyasova, Stanley Johnson, Marcus Morris.
Pacers (7) — Chase Budinger, Rakeem Christmas, Monta Ellis, Jordan Hill, Glenn Robinson III, Myles Turner, Joe Young.
Raptors (7) — Anthony Bennett, Bismack Biyombo, DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, Norman Powell, Luis Scola, Delon Wright.
Sixers (7) Richaun Holmes, Carl Landry, Kendall Marshall, T.J. McConnell, Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, Christian Wood.
Celtics (5) — R.J. Hunter, Amir Johnson, David Lee, Jordan Mickey, Terry Rozier.
Hawks (5) — Tim Hardaway Jr., Justin Holiday, Lamar Patterson, Tiago Splitter, Edy Tavares.
Bucks (4) — Chris Copeland, Greg Monroe, Greivis Vasquez, Rashad Vaughn.
Cavaliers (4) — Jared Cunningham, Richard Jefferson, Sasha Kaun, Mo Williams.
Heat (4) — Gerald Green, Josh Richardson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Justise Winslow.
Magic (4) — Mario Hezonja, Shabazz Napier, Jason Smith, C.J. Watson.
Wizards (4) — Alan Anderson, Jared Dudley, Gary Neal, Kelly Oubre.
Bulls (2) — Cristiano Felicio, Bobby Portis.