‘Hindenburg of NBA teams’ set for ‘year from hell’; trade that could backfire in big way: State of Play

The NBA returns this week, with the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to defend their championship in a stacked Western Conference while there are two clear-cut contenders in the East hoping to take full advantage of two wounded heavyweights.

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Here, foxsports.com.au groups every team into tiers — from the one team in a tier of their own to contenders, could-be contenders and much more.

IN A TIER OF THEIR OWN

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder enter the season as undeniable title favourites and unlike the teams that feature in the championship or bust category, there isn’t nearly as much pressure on OKC to defend its crown. Sure, the fact it is almost assumed that the Thunder will make the Western Conference Finals at minimum means there is some level of pressure. But if Oklahoma City doesn’t make it back to the Finals, it’s not as if this is a team that is running out of time to cash in. The new CBA means the Thunder may lose some key role players like Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, but with Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all locked up the defending champions have much-needed continuity entering the 2025-26 season and beyond. Add in the haul of draft picks at their disposal and even if they lose the likes of Hartenstein and Caruso, OKC has the necessary firepower to make the moves around the margins to keep this roster in contention. For this upcoming season at least, the core of the playing group is back while Nikola Topić, who missed all of his rookie year with a torn ACL, will finally suit up. Although in the case of Topić, he will miss the first few weeks of the season after undergoing a testicular procedure.

The Thunder are a good chance of going back-to-back. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)Source: AP

CHAMPIONSHIP OR BUST

Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic has now finished first or second in MVP voting the last five seasons. The Nuggets wasted a truly remarkable offensive season from Jokic last year, with Denver’s pitiful depth showing up at the worst-possible time in the playoffs. In a bid to address that, the Nuggets added Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to their bench rotation while also giving Jokic the best back-up big man of his career in Jonas Valanciunas. To accommodate those moves, the Nuggets freed up salary cap space by trading their 2032 first-round pick and Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson. Porter Jr. is an underrated rebounder, particularly on the defensive glass, and they will miss that with a player like Johnson who doesn’t always play to his size. But Johnson is a more consistent outside shooter than Porter Jr., averaging 39 per cent from deep across his career, while he is also coming off a final season with the Nets which saw him shoot a career-high 47.5 per cent from the field and 89.3 per cent from the free-throw line. Johnson took on added responsibility for the undermanned and rebuilding Nets and while he will play off the ball more for the Nuggets, it was still proof that he can be an underrated playmaker in a way that Porter Jr. can’t be. The depth is there on the roster to put Denver in a position to push Oklahoma City to seven games again and considering the Nuggets have traded away so much of their future capital, they need to capitalise now — especially with Jokic still in his prime.

Jamal Murray could have a big season. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)Source: AP

Cleveland Cavaliers

Now, this isn’t an old roster so there is probably time for the Cavaliers to put it all together even if they can’t win the championship this year. But it will become an increasingly thin needle to thread with extensions for All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley kicking in this season, the Cavaliers are set to be in the second apron for the foreseeable future. As for what that means this season, ESPN’s front office expert Bobby Marks wrote that the Cavaliers will not be allowed to send cash in a trade, use more than 100 per cent of the traded player exception or aggregate contracts sent out if the post-transaction leaves it over the second apron”. All of this is to say the Cavaliers don’t have much room to move this season when it comes to upgrading this roster and while this is still a young core, the same group of key players have just two playoff series wins in three seasons together. Another failed tilt at the title, especially in a weak Eastern Conference, will only lead to more questions of this roster as currently constructed. Is a Darius Garland-Donovan Mitchell backcourt too small to contend for a championship? Could Garland, who is under contract for three more years at $127 million, be a trade candidate if things go sideways? It will be an intriguing season in Cleveland.

The pressure is on in Cleveland. Nick Cammett/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

New York Knicks

How can it not be championship or bust when their president Leon Rose literally said in the statement announcing Tom Thibodeau had been fired that the organisation is “singularly focused on winning a championship”? Rose went on to add that “this pursuit led us to the difficult decision” to move on from Thibodeau despite the former Knicks coach leading them to their best finish in 25 years. There were certainly reasons to be sceptical of Thibodeau as a coach, especially when it came to adjustments in the playoffs. After all, he loved to play his starters big minutes during the regular season and not only did that often leave them vulnerable to injury later in the year, but it also meant he didn’t get a look at alternative line-ups he could go to in the postseason. Thibodeau was far from a perfect coach, but this was a far from perfect roster as well and the hiring of his replacement was far from perfect as well. Rose said in a statement that Mike Brown “brings championship pedigree” to New York, having spent over 20 years on coaching staffs at the Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings. He was a fine hire but not necessarily the slam-dunk, clear improvement on Thibodeau and if he can’t deliver a championship? Well, the Knicks set that goal in writing themselves.

Can Mike Brown deliver a championship to New York? (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)Source: AP

CONTENDERS

Minnesota Timberwolves

Unlike other top Western Conference contenders in Denver and Houston, who added to their roster in the hope of challenging Oklahoma City, Minnesota clearly believes it has the playing group capable of winning the title. There are no major changes to the team that went down 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals to the Thunder. Instead, the Timberwolves seem to be banking on another step from superstar guard Anthony Edwards along with at least one of their younger, emerging players in Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark becoming reliable contributors in the rotation. As long as Edwards is healthy this is still a team that is capable of winning plenty of regular season games, but they just can’t seem to take the next step in the playoffs and at this stage, particularly with the younger players on the roster needing to take a jump, it is even harder to see Minnesota going on a deep postseason run. Dillingham especially may need to shoulder more responsibility with the 38-year-old Mike Conley fading into more of a supporting role.

Can the Timberwolves make another deep playoff run? David Berding/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Houston Rockets

No Fred VanVleet could be a hammer blow to Houston’s hopes of contending for a title. It leaves the Rockets likely relying on Reed Sheppard to take on a larger role than expected, although that is also where Kevin Durant comes in. Houston made a big swing for the former Suns superstar in the offseason and the 15-time All-Star will definitely help address the Rockets’ problems scoring in the clutch. But he is a major injury question mark and unless Durant is healthy at the back-end of the season, it is hard to see Houston competing with the heavyweights of an incredibly stacked conference. Still, while the Rockets traded plenty away to land Durant, there isn’t the same level of urgency as a team like the Nuggets because the majority of this core is still incredibly young, headlined by Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. With new faces in Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Rockets also have the depth to deal with injuries across the squad. Losing Durant, however, would leave the Rockets short and without the certified bucket getter they need to challenge the best defences in the league late in games.

Fred VanVleet is a big loss. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Golden State Warriors

It is easy to forget just how good this Warriors team was after trading for Jimmy Butler. They were one of the most in-form teams in the NBA, going 24-8 with Butler in the mix and went on to eliminate the second-seeded Rockets in the first round of the playoffs before being bundled out by Minnesota in the second round. That was, however, after Steph Curry went down with a hamstring injury and before then they won Game 1. So it is worth wondering how far Golden State could have gone if Curry stayed healthy. Of course, that is the biggest question hanging over the Warriors at this point. Curry is 37, Butler is 36 and Draymond Green is 35. The core of this playing group is definitely on the older side, but there is enough youth around them to make sure that even if the Warriors can’t win another title in Curry’s prime they won’t be completely lost once he and the rest of their aging stars hang it up. Outside of keeping Curry and co. healthy, the only other concern for Golden State is finding a way to get Jonathan Kuminga involved after he ended his contract stalemate with the Warriors earlier in the month. Kuminga is at his best with the ball in his hands but playing in a team with Curry, Butler and Green means that won’t be happening much, so Kuminga will have to find a way to thrive in a more off-the-ball role.

The Warriors could make one final run at the championship. Alika Jenner/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

COULD BE CONTENDERS

Atlanta Hawks

If it doesn’t work out, with what on paper looks to be a much-improved supporting cast for Trae Young, it may be the end of the superstar guard’s time in Atlanta. Young is eligible for a four-year, $229 million max contract and while he has four All-Star appearances to his name, there are still questions as to whether the 27-year-old can deliver a championship in Atlanta. The Hawks clearly have questions too, with news they won’t reach an extension with Young before the season-opener. His shortcomings on defence are well-documented, but even they may be hidden behind what is the most talented roster Young has had to work with during his time with the Hawks. There is the added rim protection from Kristaps Porzingis, who is also the perfect pick-and-pop partner for Young, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard offer more shooting options. Jalen Johnson returns after an injury-interrupted 2024-25 season and if his early performances in the preseason are anything to go by, he won’t take long to make up for lost time. Dyson Daniels could take another leap on the offensive end having spent the summer working on his mid-range game and shooting mechanics, while his elite defence also helps cover up Young’s deficiencies on that end of the floor. Add in 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher and Onyeka Okongwu rounding out the frontcourt along with rookie Asa Newell and this is a deep team that will go as far as Young is willing to take them.

Trae Young needs to step up. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Orlando Magic

If they can stay healthy, the Magic are a team capable of making some serious noise in the Eastern Conference. They know it too, having traded Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a bucket of future draft picks for Desmond Bane in the offseason. They also clearly knew outside shooting was a glaring weakness for this team, with the Magic finishing last in both 3-pointers made (11.2) and 3-point percentage (31.8 per cent) last season. The addition of Bane, who is a career 41 per cent 3-point shooter, should go a long way to addressing that issue, while the signing of Tyus Jones also gives the Magic a reliable, veteran playmaker whose defensive deficiencies won’t be nearly as much of an issue in this environment. If Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs can stay healthy, this Magic team has the defensive identity and upgrades to the roster to compete for an Eastern Conference Finals berth. The roster is young enough too that even if they shipped off a bundle of picks for Bane, there isn’t the same amount of pressure as some of the top contenders to strike right away.

The Magic traded for Desmond Bane. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Source: AP

Los Angeles Lakers

What will the first full season of LeBron James and Luka Doncic look like? Well, first the Lakers have to fix their frontcourt because if they can’t do that it may not matter. Deandre Ayton could be the answer, but his underwhelming previous seasons in Portland and Phoenix would hardly fill Los Angeles with confidence that is going to work out. The hope for the Lakers is that playing with James and Doncic will bring the best out of Ayton, who has the physical tools to be a solid NBA-level centre at minimum. He could be an asset in the lob game and pick-and-roll, but question marks over his defence and effort areas mean the Lakers will need a back-up plan. As for James and Doncic, they will have had a full training camp to develop chemistry and expectations are high. The clock is ticking on James’ career and so there is some level of pressure here, but at least in Doncic the Lakers have a clear centrepiece to build around after the ‘King’ steps down from his throne.

Can Luka and the Lakers put it all together? Kelsey Grant/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Los Angeles Clippers

They could have very easily slotted in the ‘Will our superstar stay healthy?’ category given the Clippers’ championship credentials seem to largely hang on whether Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy. But even if he misses time, the important thing is that he is firing by the playoffs because otherwise this has to be one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Clippers did incredibly well to fill out their depth in the summer, adding Brook Lopez and Chris Paul as backup point guards along with Bradley Beal while John Collins joined L.A. as part of a three-team trade. He offers the Clippers a genuine power forward for the first time in what feels like forever. While it is hard to expect James Harden and Ivica Zubac to play at the level they were last season, if they just don’t completely regress this is a star-studded roster that may be old but is also deep enough to account for injuries during the regular season. They just can’t afford to have their best players unavailable at the pointy end of the season.

Can Kawhi Leonard stay healthy? (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Source: AP

PLAYOFFS BUT NOT MUCH MORE

Detroit Pistons

They were the biggest improvers of the 2024-25 season, climbing up the standings from being the worst team in the league to sixth seed in the East with a 44-38 record. They may have been eliminated in the first round, but making it to the playoffs in itself was a major step in the right direction for a franchise that is stacked with young talent. Cade Cunningham took a big leap to earn his first All-Star honour and while the challenge will be for him to lead the way and build on that breakout season, there won’t be as much pressure with Jaden Ivey back in the fold. Although, Ivey won’t be back in the line-up right away after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to relieve right knee discomfort. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks. It is the last thing Ivey needed after he suffered a broken left fibula a few months into the season, but once healthy he offers a much-needed secondary ball-handling option. The Pistons have built around their young core by adding a pair of handy veterans in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, but losing Hardaway Jr. leaves them in desperate need of a lethal outside shooter and the hope is Robinson — a career 39.7 per cent 3-point shooter — can be just that. The Pistons should still be a playoff team this season but it is hard seeing them pushing the likes of Cleveland, New York and Orlando for any of the top three spots in the conference.

The Pistons have a young core to build around. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)Source: AP

Miami Heat

At this point we know what to expect of the Heat under Erik Spoelstra. Even without Jimmy Butler, this is a team that will fight for every win and in the case of last season, they became the first No.10 seed to reach the playoffs from the play-in tournament. From there they were promptly swept by Cleveland but again you can expect the Heat to be in contention for the play-in and for the lack of top-end talent to show up if they get beyond that point. They added another scoring option in the summer by trading for Norman Powell and he will be much-needed early in the season with Tyler Herro sidelined after undergoing surgery on his left foot in late September. This season will be about further transitioning away from the Butler era and seeing development in their younger players, headlined by rookie standout Kel’el Ware.

Tyler Herro will miss the start of the season. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Memphis Grizzlies

After all, the Grizzlies don’t seem to be expecting much more themselves after trading Desmond Bane for our first-round picks and a pick swap from Orlando. Two of them were used on rookie guard Cedric Coward, who joins Ty Jerome and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the fresh faces in Memphis. But in some ways it may feel like Ja Morant is a fresh face too, with the Grizzlies’ superstar guard missing at least 20 games in each of the last four seasons. A successful season for the Grizzlies will be one where Morant stays healthy and avoids off-court issues, returning to his electrifying best and reannouncing himself as a potential face of the NBA. If he does that, even if it’s not enough to get the Grizzlies into the playoffs, it will be enough to at least give the front office confidence this project is heading in the right direction. If not, could Morant be on the trade block? Outside of Morant, Memphis’ success will also largely hinge on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s health. He is recovering from offseason surgery for a turf toe injury and expected to miss the start of the season along with Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke, which should see Australian Jock Landale get considerable minutes early on.

Ja Morant is back. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP

San Antonio Spurs

There really isn’t pressure for the Spurs to take any enormous leap this season. If anything, making the playoffs would be an added bonus. That is the luxury of having a roster littered with young and emerging talent headlined by Victor Wembanyama, new addition De’Aaron Fox, Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and new second overall pick Dylan Harper. While Wembanyama has been cleared to return from the blood clot that cut his second season in the league short, there is no urgency for San Antonio to play him big minutes. Plus, there also has to be some level of patience as the Spurs find the best way to fit Harper into their line-up. They already are blessed with options at the guard spot with Fox, Castle and Devin Vassell but Harper was the best player on the board and so the Spurs went for talent over positional need. It makes for a tricky situation in his rookie season but a welcome headache and if Harper can prove himself to be a reliable outside shooter he will simply have to get significant minutes given Fox and Castle’s deficiencies in that area.

Excitement is high for Victor Wembanyama is his third season. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

WTF EVEN ARE YOU?

Chicago Bulls

A team content on staying in the middle, that’s what the Bulls are. But seriously, for the past few seasons this has been a front office content on selling tickets and putting bums on seats. That has meant not picking any clear direction to go in outside of qualifying for the play-in tournament and on the odd occasion they have made the playoffs, as was the case in the 2021-22, bowing out with a whimper in five games against the Bucks. Forever stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity, the Bulls signed Australian Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100 million contract with the hope he can be the face of the franchise’s present and future. But Giddey doesn’t necessarily project as the guy. He fits the fast pace the Bulls want to play at, but his limitations as a shooter and defender mean Chicago — or any team that takes him on — would be somewhat restricted in how it constructs the roster around him. To Giddey’s credit, he took major leaps both as a shooter and defender in the second half of last season but the challenge will be for him to carry that onto his second year with the Bulls. Beyond Giddey, the Bulls have another major decision to make with Coby White also eligible for a big-money extension. It doesn’t seem like Chicago is going to be able to afford him though, which makes White a trade candidate along with Nikola Vucevic. But if the Bulls are instead prioritising qualifying for the play-in tournament or a brief playoffs appearance like they have in years past, it is hard to see them moving either. Should that be the case, both Giddey and second-year forward Matas Buzelis will need to carry over their strong form after the All-Star break to give the Bulls a chance of making some noise.

Josh Giddey is the guy this year. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Source: AP

Toronto Raptors

Don’t get it twisted. This is a talented roster. But the Raptors profile as a team that can make it to the first round of the playoffs and maybe, if they’re lucky, the conference semi-finals. But beyond that? You typically need some transcendent talent to fire in the big moments. The Knicks have Jalen Brunson. The Pacers had Tyrese Haliburton and the Celtics had Jayson Tatum. There may be questions as to if Donovan Mitchell is truly that guy for Cleveland, but the Cavs also have a defensive phenom in Evan Mobley who could take another major step this season. As for the Raptors, they have a middling roster that just doesn’t look capable of competing with the best of the best. It is a mishmash of players in Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl who would walk into any starting line-up across the NBA but on paper looks to have shooting deficiencies and lacks a clear go-to option unless Ingram can stay healthy and be more consistent.

Brandon Ingram in action for the Raptors. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)Source: AP

Sacramento Kings

Speaking of a mishmash of players, that applies to what the Kings have going in Sacramento too. Once again, there is no superstar talent on this roster and that is an even bigger issue in the Western Conference. Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis are all more than capable players who, like the Raptors, would be automatic starters on most other teams across the NBA while Malik Monk was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year in the 2023-24 season. But this is a starting line-up with players who are at their best with the ball in their hands and without a clear focal point to the offence, the fit just looks too awkward. In fact, Zach Lowe went as far as to call them the “Hindenburg of NBA teams”. “I hate this team. I hate this roster. I hate that Keegan Murray is already injured. I hate the vibes. I hate everything. I think this is going to be a year from hell for the Kings,” Lowe said. It will take time for the Kings to find their identity and in an ultra-competitive Western Conference where the margins for error are already so thin, that just won’t be good enough for them to threaten. They do have five tradable first-rounders, but what player could become available to put them over the top?

Keegan Murray just signed a big extension. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)Source: AP

Portland Trail Blazers

Now, identity wise, it isn’t hard to figure out what the Blazers team will look like. They are a team stacked with defensive talent that will be scrappy and make even the top teams in the league fight for wins, especially on the road. But after trading for Jrue Holiday, it’s tricky to understand what direction Portland is heading in. You would think sending away an ascending player like Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks for Holiday is a move that puts Portland closer to contention. But this isn’t a team on paper that looks capable of contending for a title unless Scoot Henderson, who is already going to miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury, takes the next step. With Henderson sidelined the Blazers are without a clear, pure point guard option with Holiday not necessarily profiling as that kind of a player at this point of his career. Damian Lillard is also back but obviously won’t play this year as he recovers from his torn Achilles. Both he and Holiday can help as veterans to teach this younger group, but if that is the plan, was that worth sending Simons and two picks away? Otherwise, if the plan is genuine to push for the playoffs and beyond is that realistic in the West?

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)Source: AP

SUPERSTAR ON TRADE WATCH

Milwaukee Bucks

Make no mistake, the Bucks are under enormous pressure to produce from the jump. Otherwise? Well, after it was reported in the summer that Giannis Antetokounmpo was “open-minded” about the possibility of playing outside of Milwaukee, the spotlight will squarely be put on the two-time MVP’s future. It already is. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier in the week that it is “expected that Antetokounmpo will keep his options open depending on how the Bucks start the season” and that “the pressure is apparent throughout the organisation like never before”. “It’s seen as a make-or-break season in Milwaukee,” he added. The Bucks were obviously feeling the pressure, waiving Damian Lilliard and stretching the $113 million it owed him over the next five seasons to open the cap space to sign Myles Turner. With Brook Lopez off to the Clippers, Turner should be a relatively seamless replacement given he is both a strong rim protector and floor spacer. Kevin Porter Jr. and Cole Anthony fill out the backcourt, but it all will be on Antetokounmpo. Of course, the Bucks are hoping the supporting cast is strong enough so Antetokounmpo doesn’t feel like it is all on his shoulders but this team will only go as far as the two-time MVP can take them. In an injury-hit Eastern Conference, maybe that could be pretty far. If not, the calls will start coming.

All eyes will be on Giannis Antetokounmpo if things go south in Milwaukee. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Phoenix Suns

As for the Suns, there haven’t been any reports indicating that Devin Booker could be looking elsewhere, but after trading away Kevin Durant in the summer this looks like a franchise slowly heading towards a full-scale rebuild. Bradley Beal also exited along with coach Mike Budenholzer, with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks the fresh faces after the Durant trade while the Suns also bolstered their otherwise bleak frontcourt with rookie Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams. Booker signed a two-year extension with the Suns in July, so there is at least some indication that he sees a future for himself in Phoenix but that could quickly change if they struggle again this season in a competitive Western Conference. Green is the biggest question mark, while Williams has struggled to stay healthy. There also isn’t much for the Suns to offer in any potential trades for win-now pieces, with no first and only three seconds they can move. They can take back more money in a trade and aggregate contracts, but otherwise the Suns seem to be entering a soft reset period and it would become something more if Booker asks out.

Could Devin Booker grow impatient? Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

WILL OUR SUPERSTAR STAY HEALTHY?

Philadelphia 76ers

Although in the 76ers’ case, it may be more accurate to write can their superstars stay healthy because last year Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey only played 15 games together. Rookie of the Year candidate Jared McCain, meanwhile, played just 23 games. It doesn’t necessarily sound all that positive on the injury front going into this year either. George is limited to individual workouts after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in July while McCain tore the ulnar collateral ligament in the thumb on his shooting hand in late September, meaning he won’t be seeing the court until next month at the earliest. It all comes down to Embiid though. If he can stay healthy and return to the MVP-calibre form he was playing at before his recent run with injuries, the Sixers have the blend of youth and experience to make some noise in the East. If not, Philadelphia is in an awkward position where it could go in two directions. Either continue to try and find a way to thread the needle with Maxey and an aging George or commit to the youth movement and build around Maxey, McCain and V. J. Edgecombe.

Can Joel Embiid stay healthy? Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

New Orleans Pelicans

Now, more than ever, it is important that Zion Williamson stays healthy. He may be in the best shape of his life (how many more times can we hear this) and more motivated than ever (again, how many more times can we hear this), but this time around the Pelicans actually need Williamson to stay on the court and produce all season. Otherwise, having sent their unprotected first-round pick in 2026 in a draft day trade with Atlanta to move up and select Derik Queen, the Pelicans are at risk of tumbling down the standings and giving up a very lucrative pick in a loaded draft class. Without Williamson, the Pelicans just don’t have the depth or experience to stay afloat in a stacked Western Conference and they can’t afford to lose their best defender in Herb Jones either. Otherwise, as much as Trey Murphy III is coming off a breakout year and Jordan Poole is always going to deliver highlight plays, neither are plus defenders and across the board this profiles as one of the worst defensive units in the league, even if close to 100 per cent health.

Zion Williamson needs to stay healthy. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)Source: AP

Dallas Mavericks

Because if Anthony Davis can’t stay healthy, what hope are the Mavericks without Kyrie Irving of making a genuine push for the title in the Western Conference? Dallas GM Nico Harrison can keep saying “defence wins championships” all he wants but if Davis isn’t on the court, the Mavericks won’t have the elite defensive stopper to make up for trading away Luka Doncic. They’ll at least have rookie sensation Cooper Flagg and expectations are high for him to hit the ground running right away considering he was widely viewed as one of the safest first overall prospects the draft has seen in years. Without Irving for the foreseeable future, with no firm timetable on the Mavericks guard’s return from an ACL injury, Flagg will handle more on-ball reps in his rookie year and share the point guard duties along with D’Angelo Russell, who is a decent stop-gap option. But it all hinges on Davis staying on the court. This, of course, is a player who missed significant time last season after dealing with several different injuries and has rarely been the beacon of health throughout his career. At least Flagg will give the Mavericks fans something to look forward to, but it won’t make the reality of trading Doncic away for an injury-prone Davis any easier to stomach.

The Mavericks need Anthony Davis to stay healthy. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

ON A GAP YEAR

Boston Celtics

When Jayson Tatum went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon in Boston’s playoff series against the Knicks, it didn’t just derail the Celtics’ hopes of back-to-back championships — it altered the franchise’s plans for the 2025-26 season too. With Tatum and Brown already extended on big-money contracts, the Celtics were a second apron team. It meant Boston, even without Tatum available, was going to be severely handicapped from improving its roster and with little hope of competing for a title, it made sense to shake up the roster given “hard decisions” were coming anyway as president Brad Stevens admitted. So, they traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Those were the main moves in a summer shake-up which saw the Celtics shed more than $300 million to get under the second apron.

This is still a roster that can remain competitive in the East, with Jaylen Brown now leading the way as the main man along with regular role players like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. Pritchard was more of an X-Factor player last season though, and now will be leaned on more heavily this season. Meanwhile, with Al Horford and Luke Kornet out of the picture along with Porzingis, there is also a serious void in the frontcourt, with Neemias Queta expected to take on a bigger role.

Jaylen Brown will need to step up this season. Brian Fluharty/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Indiana Pacers

They were the fairytale story of last season but it ended in heartbreak when Tyrese Haliburton went down with an Achilles injury, taking Indiana’s championship hopes with him. Without their superstar guard, the Pacers are no hope of replicating last year’s run — even if this is a scrappy team under coach Rick Carlisle who will still remain competitive in a relatively wide-open Eastern Conference. But with Myles Turner also leaving for Milwaukee in free agency, this is well and truly a retooling year for the Pacers, who will turn their attention back towards competing for a title in 2027. Johnny Furphy could be a beneficiary of the gap year in Indiana, with Haliburton’s injury opening up minutes for the versatile Australian to build on a promising rookie year. More directly, it will be Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard filling the Haliburton void.

Furphy could have a breakout season. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)Source: AP

TANKING

Charlotte Hornets

They could get out of the doldrums this year, but a lot of that will depend on whether LaMelo Ball can stay healthy. That has consistently been a challenge for him for a number of years now and last season injuries to Ball and Brandon Miller forced the Hornets to settle for another tanking seasion as they prioritised the development of their younger players. The young core will be the focus again this season, having added Kon Knueppel with the fourth overall pick. He should help Charlotte’s outside shooting, which has ranked 21st or worse in the past three seasons, while the additions of veterans in Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Pat Connaughton and Mason Plumlee round out the young core to add much-needed balance to the roster. Just how far the Hornets can go will hinge on whether Ball and Miller can stay healthy.

There is plenty of pressure on LaMelo Ball. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)Source: AP

Washington Wizards

Last year they were 18-64. The season prior? 15-67. Wizards fans haven’t seen a whole lot of winning recently and that is unlikely to change this season. There is plenty of talent on this roster though, with 12 players who were selected in the first round of the NBA draft since 2021, including this year’s pick Tre Johnson and last season’s second overall selection Alex Sarr. There are a few veterans to lean on in Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum, although the challenge for head coach Brian Keefe will be striking the right balance in keeping those guys engaged while also giving his younger players like Johnson and Sarr the space to grow and make mistakes. Results on the court don’t matter as much as seeing genuine development from their draft picks.

The Wizards have intriguing young players like Alex Sarr. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)Source: AP

Brooklyn Nets

There were stages last season where the Nets were good. Too good. Brooklyn was sitting around .500 after the first quarter of the season and that was enough for general manager Sean Marks to take action and put a stop to the needless winning, trading veterans Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith. The Nets weren’t quite able to bottom out enough though, ending up with the eighth overall pick, which they used to draft Egor Dëmin. But they had five first-round picks all up, which means this will be a very young roster entering the 2025-26 season. They also pocketed another future first-rounder, Denver’s 2032 pick, after a trade that sent Cam Johnson to the Nuggets and Michael Porter Jr. back to Brooklyn. Porter Jr. will offer a proven scoring option in a roster jam-packed with playmaking after the Nets drafted five guards in the first round. Figuring out how they all fit together will be the biggest challenge for coach Jordi Fernandez, along with maintaining a competitive environment while also trying to position themselves for a high draft pick in what should be a loaded 2026 class.

Egor Demin is one of Brooklyn’s exciting rookies. Evan Bernstein/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Utah Jazz

They finished with a league-low 17 wins last season. What does that mean for Lauri Markkanen? The 28-year-old is too good to be part of this blatant tank job and if the Jazz want to use this season to get a real look at all the young players they have drafted in recent years, it would make sense to move off Markkanen. One of those young players is this year’s first-round pick Ace Bailey, who reportedly didn’t want to end up at Utah and was the most controversial prospect in the class. For a Jazz team that has hit plenty of singles and doubles with its picks in recent years, it would be a big win if Bailey is the upside, home-run type swing this franchise needs to give it a clear cornerstone piece to build around.

Lauri Markkanen remains at the top of his game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images