Taking a look back at my 2025-26 early-season observations on all 30 NBA teams.
Atlanta Hawks
I like what Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker bring on both ends. However, I think the Hawks have to figure it out on defense and also try to get 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher going more. Trae Young has been inefficient through his ten games played and mentioned in recent trade rumors while Porzingis’ health continues to be a problem (could be traded as well).
Notes: Atlanta went on a run during the second half of the regular season after trading Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kennard. Already being led by Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, the additions of CJ McCollum, Jonathan Kuminga, Jock Landale, Corey Kispert, Gabe Vincent, and even Buddy Hield as a veteran (7.3 MPG in 7 GP) made the Hawks a playoff team in 2026. The front office already re-signed McCollum and Landale, now I wonder if Kuminga will be back.
Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are doing it all without Jayson Tatum (White could be more efficient though). Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons, and Sam Hauser can heat up/Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, rookie Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Josh Minott have stepped up with Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet now gone. The biggest question I ultimately have is how this roster performs as a whole in the playoffs when Tatum returns.
Notes: Before going up 3-1 in the First Round vs. Philly, the Celtics were proving doubters wrong about what they could do during 2025-26. However, disaster struck soon after, as Jayson Tatum suffered left knee stiffness late in the series and Boston lost 4-3 (Derrick White shot 32.1% from the field/27.3% from three in seven games). And worst of all, Jaylen Brown gets traded for Paul George and future draft picks. Everyone besides Tatum and Brown clearly needed to be better in the postseason, and now, you have mostly the same supporting cast without Brown (signed Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley Jr.) and acquire an older Paul George.
Brooklyn Nets
The combination of veterans and young players has been positive so far for a team who wasn’t expected to do much. Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas could definitely help a lot of other rosters. I’ll be interested to see if any of those three veterans get traded. Also I wanna see how their five rookies progress (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf) and how consistent Noah Clowney can be.
Notes: Unfortunately for Cam Thomas, he was traded and is currently out of the NBA. Nic Claxton’s now a member of the Bulls after being dealt as well. I expect Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle to put up some big stat lines while the young guys try to make a name for themselves.
Charlotte Hornets
What we’ve seen from LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and rookie Kon Knueppel has been something to build on. Kon’s had a special impact, most notably as an elite three-point shooter. New veteran Collin Sexton and rookies Ryan Kalkbrenner, Liam McNeeley, and Sion James have fit right into the culture as well. While the health of Ball & Miller is always going to matter for Charlotte, Knueppel gives the organization some stability now as another possible star.
Notes: The duo of Brandon Miller & Kon Knueppel/re-signing Coby White made it easier to move on from LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Josh Green if you ask me. Moussa Diabate has developed into a starting big man, Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale will help as veterans, and Christian Anderson Jr. & Hannes Steinbach bring intriguing potential as rookies. Did I mention that Charlotte acquired a bunch of future draft picks, too?
Chicago Bulls
After a strong start, it’s been back to fighting for a play-in spot for Chicago. Seeing continued development from young players like Josh Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, Ayo Dosunmu, and Jalen Smith seems like their only hope to me. Hopefully rookie Noa Essengue can come back strong next season after getting surgery on his left shoulder.
Notes: Certainly a lot has happened with the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu were dealt at the trade deadline, Arturas Karnisovas & Marc Eversley got fired, Bryson Graham took over as Executive VP of Basketball Operations, and Tiago Splitter comes in as head coach (Billy Donovan goes to Spurs as lead assistant). Drafting Caleb Wilson 4th overall/trading for Nic Claxton/signing Norman Powell have been solid moves so far under Graham.
Cleveland Cavaliers
This is a huge year for head coach Kenny Atkinson come playoff time. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen need Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter to turn it up a level if they want to have any postseason success. Also the team’s physicality needs to be felt. I like what I’ve seen from Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson without Max Strus so far (still recovering from foot surgery).
Notes: Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter were traded. I felt for Garland due to his lack of availability, as acquiring James Harden didn’t get Cleveland over the top. You’ve got to give them credit for making the Eastern Conference Finals at least. The question remains if they can even get to Finals, never mind win one.
Dallas Mavericks
Nico Harrison got fired as general manager following a rough start to 2025-26 with Kyrie Irving sidelined (recovering from a torn ACL), as Cooper Flagg is living up to No. 1 pick status. I just hope Anthony Davis doesn’t get traded, so we can see what this roster actually looks like.
Notes: Anthony Davis got traded and Jason Kidd was fired as head coach. Dusty May comes over from college to help guide Dallas with Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg at the helm (roster as a whole clearly has to get healthy/prove themselves again).
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic has averaged another triple-double (currently out with a left knee injury), Jamal Murray is playing like he did during the 2023 postseason, and Aaron Gordon continues to get better as a trusted third option. You also gotta love the way Peyton Watson has developed. However, will the Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson trade help or hurt them in the postseason/can Jonas Valanciunas provide enough off the bench as a backup center when he returns from injury?
Notes: Cam Johnson didn’t have the best season, but he wasn’t the deciding factor to why Denver didn’t get far in 2026. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun weren’t fully healthy and Peyton Watson missed the playoffs due to a severe right hamstring strain. I definitely wonder what would’ve happened with full health, as Nikola Jokic averaged another triple-double/Jamal Murray made his first All-Star team.
Detroit Pistons
The physicality of this group causes many problems for opponents. Cade Cunningham has been an MVP candidate and Jalen Duren’s scoring ability is at an all-time best. Hopefully, Isaiah Stewart can stay healthy in the playoffs to set the tone (only appeared in one game last postseason vs. the Knicks due to right knee inflammation).
Notes: Detroit lost in seven games as the No. 1 seed in the East Semifinals to No. 4 seed Cleveland. Despite a marvelous season from head coach JB Bickerstaff, you wonder how they’ll look with John Collins & Isaiah Joe joining the team, Tobias Harris signing with San Antonio, and Isaiah Stewart getting traded to Memphis. And the most important question of all, will restricted free agent Jalen Duren re-sign?
Golden State Warriors
As for many seasons now, I think Golden State needs to figure out what to do with Jonathan Kuminga. Can Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green lead this average roster to a championship still? Maybe trading Kuminga for more firepower might help.
Notes: Moving on from Kuminga/acquiring Kristaps Porzingis felt necessary. Losing Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) and Moses Moody (torn left patellar tendon) to injuries was tough, but if they get LeBron James with Butler and Moody returning at some point, Golden State’s roster improves quite a bit from the start of last season (also drafted Yaxel Lendeborg).
Houston Rockets
Hopefully Fred VanVleet can return (recovering from a torn ACL) because this Rockets group definitely needs him at the end of the day to compete for a championship. Adding Kevin Durant improves any offense while Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard are valuable young players taking the right steps.
Notes: Fred VanVleet never returned, Steven Adams went down in January (season-ending left ankle surgery), and Kevin Durant appeared in one playoff game due to multiple injuries. Marcus Smart should provide a spark on defense as a veteran. Growth from the young guys needs to happen at a fast pace (lessons were learned in the 2026 postseason).
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton’s torn right Achilles tendon suffered in the Finals last season, not to mention a bunch of other injuries, has made life difficult for the Pacers during 2025-26. Pascal Siakam hasn’t missed a beat and Andrew Nembhard’s PPG & APG are up, but Bennedict Mathurin has been up and down while being a higher option.
Notes: The Pacers got Ivica Zubac in the Bennedict Mathurin deal, but lost their 2026 top-4 protected lottery pick. It’s go time in Indy for a team that nearly won the 2025 NBA Finals (lost in seven games to OKC/19-63 record last season). Hopefully Tyrese Haliburton and Zubac become a productive two-man threat/Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith can stay healthy, as their role players/bench need to have the same impact as 2024-25.
Los Angeles Clippers
I wouldn’t entirely give up on the Clippers as a whole, but Bradley Beal being out for the season, things not working out with Chris Paul, and Brook Lopez, John Collins (playing better as of late), and Bogdan Bogdanovic not being as effective as in the past has hurt the team (Bogdanovic injured for most of the year so far). Hopefully their role players can be better moving forward around Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac or I’d have to think the front office looks to make some moves.
Notes: The Clippers parted ways with James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Bogdan Bogdanovic (declined team option on Nic Batum/also Bradley Beal is an unrestricted free agent). So yeah, this is going to be a different roster. Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, and rookie Keaton Wagler look like the future of LAC right now. I wonder if restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin will be back.
Los Angeles Lakers
Does Marcus Smart’s defense alone put the Lakers over the top? Offense comes easy to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James most of the time, so my X-factors on both ends will be Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia come playoff time.
Notes: The Lakers made it to the Second Round, and even though they were without Luka Doncic, getting swept by the Thunder made it obvious that LA was far away from being a championship team. LeBron James and Marcus Smart won’t be back/Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili join the team in free agency. I’ll be interested to see where Rui Hachimura signs/how rookie Cameron Carr plays in summer league.
Memphis Grizzlies
New head coach Tuomas Iisalo clearly understands the game at a high-level, but the team’s start hasn’t really convinced me that firing Taylor Jenkins was the right move (16-20 record). Jaren Jackson Jr. has been great for the franchise on and off the court and rookie Cedric Coward could become a star one day. However, Ja Morant’s poor efficiency (40.1% FG/20.8% 3-PT this season) and Zach Edey not being healthy (11 games played) could become problematic. Ty Jerome still hasn’t made his Grizzlies debut as well (recovering from a high-grade right calf strain) while Scotty Pippen Jr. is at zero games played and Brandon Clarke’s logged two total (left big toe and right knee/calf injuries).
Notes: Head coach Tuomas Iisalo’s strong collaboration with the players/drafting Cameron Boozer 3rd overall/acquiring Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the Ja Morant deal/trading for Isaiah Stewart were all positives. But in reality, if Cedric Coward, Ty Jerome, and Zach Edey aren’t healthy, this Memphis team isn’t going anywhere.
Miami Heat
Miami’s fast-paced offense has certainly helped the roster find a groove on that end. Young players progressing was a need coming in, and that’s what has happened so far. New guard Norman Powell is playing even better than last season with the Clippers. Now let’s see if Powell, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Andrew Wiggins can help the team make any noise in the play-in or playoffs.
Notes: You got the sense that something might happen with Miami after underachieving again. The Heat made a multi-player trade for Giannis and also lost Norman Powell. Now without Herro, (dealt to Milwaukee along with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis) and Powell (signed with Bulls in free agency), the Heat will rely heavily on Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins with Bobby Portis Jr., Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio, and Nikola Jovic needing to be at their all-time best.
Milwaukee Bucks
Despite his defensive presence, signing Myles Turner wasn’t going to move the needle for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo has stayed loyal to the organization his whole career, so do the Bucks just keep making moves to try and get a championship-caliber team around him while Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and AJ Green continue to develop?
Notes: Time ran out for the Bucks and Giannis’ window to win a championship, as Antetokounmpo got traded to the Heat. New head coach Taylor Jenkins and a younger roster seems like the right fit to start this new era (Doc Rivers departed in April). Hopefully, former Heat players like Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis can find comfortability/make an impact right away.
Minnesota Timberwolves
You can’t complain about starters Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid as sixth man. However, how the roster as a whole holds up in the playoffs is a question I have with Mike Conley Jr.’s minutes down this season.
Notes: The Timberwolves re-signed Ayo Dosunmu/moved on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid after losing in the Second Round vs. San Antonio (Donte DiVincenzo also went down in the playoffs with a ruptured right Achilles tendon). LaMelo Ball will bring excitement offensively. However, defense will be needed to win at the highest level out West, which is why I see athletic shot-blocker Joan Beringer and new guard Josh Green becoming interesting pieces in 2026-27.
New Orleans Pelicans
Willie Green was fired as head coach early on while interim HC James Borrego is still trying to win more games for this group. Rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen flash high-level potential each game, but in my opinion, eventually trading veterans like Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Poole, Jose Alvarado, and even the still injured Dejounte Murray might be the best option going forward (traded 2026 first-round pick to get Queen).
Notes: Obviously, the Pelicans didn’t think the same as me in terms of trading anyone besides Jose Alvarado. New head coach Jamahl Mosley will bring a much needed defensive focus, but like every year, the Pelicans have to actually prove they aren’t just a play-in team or worse.
New York Knicks
I’d say there’s some postseason pressure around new head coach Mike Brown to get the Knicks to the Finals. Brown has played a deeper rotation than Tom Thibodeau, which has helped at times, but the consistency of Jalen Brunson & Karl-Anthony Towns in the postseason/how physical they can be overall will eventually determine how far they go.
Notes: Everything went right after going down 2-1 to Atlanta in the First Round. Mike Brown got it done for the Knicks in his first season with New York, cutting down starter minutes and playing the right role players like Mitchell Robinson (signed with Boston in 2026 free agency), Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Landry Shamet during crucial moments. Jalen Brunson & Karl-Anthony Towns were tremendous, but NYK couldn’t have completed their run without OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart all complementing a fantastic starting lineup.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending champs haven’t had many bad nights so far this season, and were without Jalen Williams for many of those early wins. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to win MVP again and their defense is still wreaking havoc, but there’s no doubt the West has gotten better (0-3 vs. Spurs).
Notes: Jalen Williams played just 33 games, and the Thunder still won 64 regular season games. The real problem was the postseason, where he appeared in just five games. 2025-26 also consisted of a size issue when dealing with San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, as 7-foot-3 incoming rookie Aday Mara should help take some pressure off Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Orlando Magic
Giving up multiple future draft picks and a pick swap means Desmond Bane has to have a productive tenure in Orlando. Despite shooting a career-low 35.1% from three-point land, he’s done just about everything else and fits into the culture seamlessly. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs mean a whole lot to this team, so I hope all three are on the court together more as the season goes on (all have missed multiple games). Also, I have to mention the leap Anthony Black is making as a scorer.
Notes: Blowing a 3-1 Eastern Conference First Round lead to the Detroit Pistons/seeing Jamahl Mosley get fired was very unfortunate. One aspect that will probably always sting for Coach Mose was the lack of health. Although, I do have high hopes for what new head coach Sean Sweeney can do with this roster.
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey is playing like one of the best guards on the planet and rookie VJ Edgecombe has been special. The questions I have are how healthy Joel Embiid can stay all season and if Paul George, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain will be more efficient. Keep an eye on Dominick Barlow’s development, he’s been a solid addition as a two-way player.
Notes: Joe Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe led Philly past Boston in the First Round. Paul George helped them win that series as well, but now that the Sixers acquired Jaylen Brown, fans probably aren’t that sad about losing him (McCain was dealt during the season/Kelly Oubre Jr. & Quentin Grimes left in free agency/Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, and Ariel Hukporti ink contracts). This is a great chance for Embiid to win a title, so I hope he can stay on the court.
Phoenix Suns
New head coach Jordan Ott’s culture has been super beneficial to this Phoenix roster. Everybody plays extremely hard and defends, and when you have Dillon Brooks, it’s easy to buy into that style. They’ve been impressive without Jalen Green (two games played), as Collin Gillespie has had a lot to do with their early success. Brooks’ career-high 21.2 PPG alongside Devin Booker and shooters like Gillespie, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale is helping the offense thrive.
Notes: Phoenix got to the playoffs as the West’s No. 8 seed, but didn’t end 2025-26 with much momentum heading forward (weren’t very healthy to end the season). How far can having Jalen Green and other starters at full strength, re-signing key players from last year, and new veterans Miles Bridges & Luke Kennard really take this group?
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers knew they weren’t gonna have Damian Lillard all season and got a surprise with Chauncey Billups’ situation, but Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, and Matisse Thybulle have missed time and Scoot Henderson hasn’t played yet. However, Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara have been tremendous with players out for interim head coach Tiago Splitter.
Notes: Tiago Splitter didn’t return to fill the official head coaching position following an impressive run to the playoffs, as Micah Nori now takes over a difficult job. He’ll be expected to win, but the question everyone’s asking after the Jerami Grant & Kris Murray for Ja Morant deal is how Portland’s guards/playmaking forward Deni Avdija fit as a whole?
Sacramento Kings
Inefficiency and injuries have hurt Keegan Murray from blossoming into a possible #1 option for Sacramento. At this point (8-29 record), I think going younger should be the focus. I’d be surprised if trading Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan hasn’t come up in front office discussions so far this season.
Notes: Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine are surprisingly still on the team while DeMar DeRozan seems to be on his way out. Will Malik Monk get traded? Hopefully rookie Darius Acuff Jr., Keegan Murray, De’Andre Hunter, Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell can be counted for the future.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have had their ups and downs, but there’s been more positives than negatives (top three start out West). The rest of the roster has really settled in with Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle at the helm. Unless injuries or an unexpected dropoff occurs, I believe learning in the postseason will do wonders for the team no matter the result.
Notes: I don’t think many people thought San Antonio would get all the way to the Finals, but that question faded as the playoffs went on. This group is legit with Wemby leading the way. Obviously, De’Aaron Fox’s poor play in the Finals while rookie Dylan Harper balled out has been a hot topic. However, Fox was dealing with a severe right ankle sprain and wasn’t nearly 100%.
Toronto Raptors
Brandon Ingram is performing like an All-Star and Scottie Barnes continues to stuff the stat sheet. RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl fit very well as starters, but I wanna see more consistency from Immanuel Quickley. Also I’ve got to credit head coach Darko Rajakovic for giving this mostly young roster supreme confidence every day.
Notes: It was tough to see 2026 NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram go after getting along so well with head coach Darko Rajakovic and the team making the playoffs. However, Kawhi Leonard being back clearly gives Toronto a better shot at possibly winning it all again. The question during 2026-27 will be if this roster actually has all the right pieces to win a championship again.
Utah Jazz
Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are definitely players the Jazz could keep long-term to have as top options. Lauri is back to his 2023 All-Star level after somewhat of a down season last year (averaged 19.0 PPG in 2024-25/now putting up 27.7) while Keyonte’s career-high 50.5% 2-PT percentage/37.8% 3-PT percentage/7.2 free throw attempts per game have opened up his full offensive game as a three-level scorer and playmaker (6.8 APG). Also, I can’t forget about the five games of improvement Walker Kessler showed as a big man on both ends before going down with a season-ending left shoulder injury (14.4 PPG/10.8 RPG/3.0 APG/1.4 SPG/1.8 BPG/70.3% FG/75.0% 3-PT/70.0% FT). Besides those three though, I wanna see more progression from all their young guys, especially rookie Ace Bailey as he continues to learn.
Notes: It was hard to keep up with who was actually active for the Jazz during the last couple months of 2025-26, but Jaren Jackson Jr. and 2026 No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson give this group a real chance at a playoff spot in 2027. Losing Walker Kessler isn’t as bad with the additions of Jackson and Jaxson Hayes (also re-signed Jusuf Nurkic), but when you look at the entire roster, their young role players will need to be ready. Can head coach Will Hardy make his postseason debut/what will Ace Bailey’s role look like?
Washington Wizards
If young players are developing, then the organization should be happy, and that’s what’s happening right now in DC with sophomores Alex Sarr/Kyshawn George/Bub Carrington and rookies Tre Johnson & Will Riley (Sarr’s offensive growth and improved strength have really stood out). I just wonder if defensive stopper Bilal Coulibaly will ever find an efficient jumper/how long veterans like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton will stay on the team.
Notes: CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton were unsurprisingly traded. Another losing season focused on youth development is behind them, as Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and 2026 No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa give this young group a new look as a big 3 (really can help the offense alongside young players who are mostly better defenders than scorers). Head coach Brian Keefe clearly needs to get a winning season under his belt. Also does D’Angelo Russell stick around?
