NBA 2025-26 preseason: Biggest question for all 30 teams

The NBA season is less than a month away, with 25 teams hosting their media days on Monday while the rest held theirs last week.

This offseason was full of ups and downs: Trades, contract stalemates and injuries were just some of the hurdles facing the league’s teams. And despite 22 days separating the preseason from opening night, not every team’s offseason storylines have been resolved.

Looking at the current state of each NBA team and the season ahead, our reporters asked and answered the biggest question facing each team to start the 2025-26 preseason: How will the Jonathan Kuminga saga trickle into the Golden State Warriors‘ season; how the LA Clippers will handle the league’s investigation involving Kawhi Leonard; and what are the expectations for the Indiana Pacers this season are just some of the largest storylines to follow entering the season.

Here are the biggest questions — and answers — facing all 30 teams this preseason.

Teams are listed in alphabetical order.

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS

Are the Hawks and Trae Young ready to contend in the East?

With teams such as Boston, Indiana and Milwaukee all expected to take a step back because of injuries, Atlanta decided this is the time to strike in the East. The Hawks acquired reinforcements in Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. Those three will help stretch the floor and provide Young, the reigning assists leader, with more weapons. With Jalen Johnson returning from shoulder surgery and expected to resume his breakout, and Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher continuing to develop and progress, Young might have his most talented roster yet. He will also be looking to prove that he is worthy of a four-year, $229 million extension that he is eligible for. — Ohm Youngmisuk

What is Boston’s objective this season?

The Celtics — for most of the past decade — have had a singular focus: try to hang more championship banners in the TD Garden rafters. But this season Boston is charting a different course with Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles and both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis having been traded in cost-saving moves this summer. But what, exactly, is that course? Will the Celtics still try to compete for a playoff spot behind Jaylen Brown and Derrick White — or will this be an attempted “gap year”? — Tim Bontemps

Will there be enough space and opportunity in the offense for Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr.?

Thomas comes in after a season full of nagging hamstring injuries. It limited him to 25 games and a subsequent disappointing run through restricted free agency, resulting in him taking a $6 million qualifying offer. Porter was acquired from Denver for Cameron Johnson in early July, after being a third wheel in that offense. Both are aggressive offensive players who relish freedom, and Porter has never taken more than 13.6 shots per game. Watching the balance between those two will be interesting as the Nets search for an identity. — Vincent Goodwill

Can LaMelo Ball be the star the Hornets desperately need?

It has been a rough three seasons for Ball, who has played in only 105 career games because of injuries. There is no denying Ball’s talent when healthy, as he averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 47 games last season. But Ball not only has to show he can stay on the court, but can he be the leader Charlotte needs him to be? Can he improve his shooting efficiency and defense? Brandon Miller‘s second season was limited to 27 games because of injury. While Charlotte is in store for another rebuilding season, second-year coach Charles Lee will want to see what his two young stars can do together over a full season alongside Miles Bridges and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel. — Youngmisuk

Will any of the team’s young players take the next step?

After moving on from the DeMar DeRozan–Zach LaVine era, the Bulls have transformed their roster into a collection of young players who they believe still have upside, including Josh Giddey (22), Coby White (24), Matas Buzelis (20) and Noa Essengue (18). But for a team that has made the playoffs once in the past eight seasons — including three straight losses in the play-in tournament — they’ll need a player to blossom into a star or the team will remain stuck in play-in purgatory. — Jamal Collier

Can the Cavs get over their playoff hump?

One of the most successful seasons in franchise history was followed by one of its most disappointing playoff losses, and the 2025-26 Cavs will be judged by how they bounce back from that. Their vaunted core four of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen all return with most of the team that led the East with 64 wins. Injuries certainly played a role in their playoff loss, but after being blitzed by the Indiana Pacers during their playoff series, the Cavs knew they were going to need some tweaks in both their play style and mentality. The Cavs are one of the teams in the East under the most pressure to get it done, or questions about their roster’s future could start to get louder. — Collier

When does Kyrie Irving return, and how soon can he get back to form?

Irving provided a glimmer of hope for Mavericks fans in September when he told TMZ his rehabilitation from a torn ACL is going “incredibly well.” So, there’s optimism for a potential Irving return as soon as January. In the meantime, Dallas needs to find a way to position itself for ideal conditions upon Irving’s return. To do that, Anthony Davis, who is back from offseason eye surgery, needs to carry the Mavericks on both ends of the court. The development of No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg will be key, too, as coach Jason Kidd plans to put the ball in the rookie’s hands often. — Michael C. Wright

Will the Nuggets’ depth and defense be enough?

Nikola Jokic is in his prime, and the Nuggets cannot afford to waste it. The new additions of Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown will boost the Nuggets’ once-shallow depth off the bench. But for all of Jokic’ brilliance, Denver’s defense gave up 115.1 points per 100 possessions last season, ranking 21st. If the Nuggets don’t improve on that end, then any hopes of a deep postseason push will be dashed. — Baxter Holmes

Where does Jaden Ivey fit in this new equation?

Ivey was having a career season, shooting 45% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers before fracturing his left fibula on New Year’s Day. The Pistons, 14-18 at the time, took flight after Ausar Thompson emerged in the starting lineup in Ivey’s absence. Thompson’s defense unlocks things in that first unit while Ivey’s scoring and speed complement Cade Cunningham‘s style, posing the question of whether Ivey will begin the season back in the starting lineup or as a sixth-man type. Also of note: Ivey and Jalen Duren are up for rookie-scale extensions. — Goodwill

Can they avoid the Jonathan Kuminga contract drama bleeding into the season?

The resolution on the Kuminga front will very likely determine both Kuminga’s early-season buy-in and his deadline tradeability. There’s a reason it has held the Warriors’ summer hostage and generated so many headlines. If the two sides come to a reasonable compromise, there’s a world where the awkwardness subsides swiftly. Kuminga is a helpful rotation wing and is either used or moved as a player to bulk up an older rotation in need of reinforcement. But, if it’s the qualifying offer or he is unhappy and on a path to 2026 unrestricted free agency, that could be a huge hit to the team’s rotation, flexibility and vibe. — Anthony Slater

Are the Rockets still contenders in the West after Fred VanVleet‘s potentially season-ending torn ACL?

Yes. They’ve got Kevin Durant, loads of young, hungry talent and strong coaching. ESPN’s Bobby Marks explained that, barring a trade, Houston can’t fill its lone roster spot with a free agent since it is $1.25 million below the first apron. So, the attention goes to potential replacements on the current roster such as Reed Sheppard, a sharpshooter and improved defender, undersized veteran Aaron Holiday and two-way phenom Amen Thompson, who probably will get first crack at replacing VanVleet. Thompson is poised to make a leap this season after devoting most of the offseason to improving as a playmaker and ball handler. — Wright

What should be expected of the Pacers this season?

Indiana’s Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals was not just crushing because of the missed opportunity for a championship, but because Tyrese Haliburton‘s torn Achilles was a huge setback for the 2025-26 Pacers. The team also lost center Myles Turner in free agency. It sets up the defending conference champions to enter a season without expectations. The Pacers have four centers on the roster to try out for Turner’s replacement. They’ll allow Andrew Nembhard to handle the ball more as point guard in Haliburton’s absence. To the outside world, it’s a gap year for a team missing its best player, but for a still-talented team that relished in defying expectations last postseason, the Pacers might have different ideas on how good they can be this season. — Collier

How will the Clippers handle another NBA investigation involving Kawhi Leonard?

The NBA’s latest and most high-profile investigation into the team and whether it circumvented the salary cap — one of the league’s cardinal sins — will cast a shadow over its season. And if new revelations emerge before the investigation is complete, it could become even more uncomfortable. Overall, the NBA’s inquiry could serve as a distraction, or the team could compartmentalize it and wait for the results, whatever might come. But, this is also a team built around players in the winter of their careers, including 40-year-old Chris Paul, 37-year-old Brook Lopez and 36-year-old James Harden, and given his injury history and overall mileage, even the 34-year-old Leonard. A potential rebuild looms in the near future, which means the team cannot afford to waste what might well be their last chance to squeeze some meaningful success out of the Leonard era. — Holmes

Will this be LeBron James‘ last season with the Lakers?

The Lakers went 15-8 with both James and Luka Doncic on the court together to close out the regular season. While their timely team-up secured L.A. the No. 3 seed down the stretch, James and Doncic were bounced by Minnesota in five games during the first round. With the West projecting even stronger conference competition than last season, will the Lakers’ all-world tandem and supporting cast be able to keep L.A. near the top of the standings in what could be one of James’ last go rounds? And if they aren’t winning, will James be content to finish out the season in L.A.? — Dave McMenamin

Does Memphis’ abrupt decision to retool better position the Grizzlies for long-term success?

General manager Zach Kleiman deserves some credit for taking a hard look at the roster and determining it simply wasn’t strong enough to compete consistently in the West. That led to the firing of coach Taylor Jenkins and elevating assistant Tuomas Iisalo. They also traded Desmond Bane to Orlando for a nice package of picks that helped the Grizzlies move up to land Cedric Coward. At the same time, Kleiman and the Grizzlies didn’t drastically impact the club’s ability to compete now, as they continued to build on the edges around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. with the additions of Ty Jerome and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. — Wright

Can the Heat rebound and erase the bad taste from last season?

Jimmy Butler III moved on to the Warriors at the trade deadline last February. But, the Heat never truly recovered from a tumultuous divorce, culminating in Miami being blown out in the first round by Cleveland. Miami went out and acquired Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio, and drafted Kasparas Jakucionis to add more offense. But already, the Heat are off to a tough start before camp with Tyler Herro out for eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his left foot. Powell displayed what he can do with more opportunity when he played at an All-Star level to start last season when Kawhi Leonard was sidelined because of injury for the Clippers. The Heat will need Powell to help Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins shoulder the offensive load. But if there is anyone who can keep it together and help the Heat rebound from last season, it’s coach Erik Spoelstra. — Youngmisuk

Can the Bucks become a contender again with Giannis Antetokounmpo?

The Bucks enjoyed a full, healthy season from Antetokounmpo in 2024-25, playing like an MVP contender in 67 regular-season games and then raising his game to another level in the playoffs. Yet, Milwaukee still lost in the first round for the third consecutive season. It has been seven years since Antetokounmpo won his first MVP award, and the Bucks have aggressively retooled their roster year after year in an attempt to remain in contention. But even in a weakened Eastern Conference, the Bucks are trying to find a way to reopen their window and give Antetokounmpo another chance to compete for championships in Milwaukee. — Collier

Are Minnesota’s young players ready to step up?

After a second straight Western Conference finals defeat — this time at the hands of the younger, deeper Oklahoma City Thunder — Minnesota coach Chris Finch vowed to expand his rotation in the coming season and explore the prospects his organization already had in-house. With Mike Conley turning 38 next month and Nickeil Alexander-Walker signing with Atlanta in free agency, Finch’s plan to infuse new talent into his team is prudent. The question is, are Minnesota’s young pups ready for the task? Guards Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark and front-court options Leonard Miller and rookie center Joan Beringer are all unproven. With the Wolves’ core of Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo all established, it will be interesting to see how much patience Minnesota will have with the new crew before looking elsewhere for upgrades. — McMenamin

Can the Pelicans stay healthy?

Avoiding injuries matters for every team, of course, but just consider what happened to the Pelicans last season when Zion Williamson played 30 games. Dejounte Murray played 31 and Herbert Jones played 20. If their best players suffer a similar fate this season, then the Pelicans will be back in the draft lottery. For now, the additions of guard Jordan Poole and rookie guard Jeremiah Fears are compelling, and there’s hope that Saddiq Bey can bounce back after sitting out last season because of a torn ACL. But, using history as a guide, the team’s injury report probably will dictate their record. The stakes are higher, though, because the Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta for Derik Queen, the No. 13 pick in the 2025 draft. Which means that another bad season won’t end in them being rewarded in the draft. — Holmes

Will new coach Mike Brown change the starting lineup?

Last spring’s playoffs had Mitchell Robinson starting the last four games of the conference finals at center, sending utility man Josh Hart to the bench. Robinson can dominate on the offensive glass, enabling Karl-Anthony Towns to play a more natural fit as power forward. Hart started all 77 games he played for the Knicks last season and led the league in minutes, perhaps being relied upon too much by Tom Thibodeau. With so much riding on this Knicks season, every decision by Brown will be magnified, starting with the first five. — Goodwill

Will there be a championship hangover?

The Thunder return every rotation player from a team that won the championship three months ago. Their three best players are 23 (Chet Holmgren), 24 (Jalen Williams) and 27 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). They have a layer of youth rising below them. So, there’s no plausible reason to doubt their personnel; in fact, the best team in the world should only be getting better. The question is more about mindset. They go from hunter to hunted. Motivation and fatigue can hit a bit different in a title defense season after a short summer. Could that lead to any type of regular-season dip? — Slater

Can Desmond Bane help Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner take that next step?

The Magic sensed this was the time to make moves to try to win the East. Orlando, which banked four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap for Bane, is hoping he is the missing player that will help Banchero, Wagner and Suggs win the East. First, the Magic have to stay healthy: Banchero played only 46 games, Wagner logged 60 games and Suggs was only able to play in 35 games because of injuries. But, if that young trio can come back healthy and strong, it will have Bane to improve the team’s 3-point shooting. Bane, 27, is in his prime and is capable of taking the offensive burden and has playoff experience (Orlando has yet to get out of the first round in the Banchero era). Tyus Jones provides veteran depth at point guard as well. — Youngmisuk

Will Joel Embiid be healthy?

There might not be a bigger question in the league than this one. If Embiid is right, Philadelphia could realistically be a threat to contend in the Eastern Conference. But if he’s not, the 76ers would be drawing dead for a second straight season. There would be realistic questions about whether Embiid will ever return to the heights he reached during the prime of his career, including when he won the MVP award in 2022-23. — Bontemps

How will the Suns’ rebuild affect Devin Booker?

Since being selected by Phoenix with the No. 13 pick in 2015, Booker has had one of the more distinctive career trajectories of any player in the league. The newly hired Jordan Ott will be Booker’s eighth coach in his 11 seasons with the franchise. Despite the turnover on the sidelines, Booker has blossomed into the Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 16,452 points and counting. He helped lead the team to four playoff appearances, including a trip to the Finals in 2021. But, in the past two seasons, Phoenix was swept in the first round in 2023 and missed the postseason altogether in 2024, prompting the front office to dismantle its ill-conceived big three with Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. How keen will Booker, who turns 29 next month, be waiting for the Suns’ rebuild to take hold? — McMenamin

Can Scoot Henderson make the leap before Damian Lillard‘s return?

Henderson’s first two seasons could be categorized as mildly disappointing, considering the expectations. But, the last several months of Year 2 saw an upward trendline, coinciding with a 23-18 Blazers finish after a 13-28 start. Entering his third season, the Blazers are putting Henderson in point guard school — Chauncey Billups is his coach, Jrue Holiday is his backcourt mate, Lillard is the veteran voice rehabbing his torn Achilles while presumably mentoring Henderson. By the time Lillard returns for his final Portland chapter, will Henderson look like the heir to his throne? The start will be stunted. Henderson tore his hamstring and is out for 4-8 weeks. — Slater

Can the offense hide the Kings’ serious defensive flaws?

There’s some serious individual offensive talent on the roster. Zach LaVine averaged 23 points and made nearly 45% of his 3s last season. DeMar DeRozan is one of 27 players ever to score 25,000 points, Domantas Sabonis racks up numbers like a slot machine and Malik Monk nearly won Sixth Man of the Year two seasons ago because of his scoring punch. But there are some serious questions about how it fits together into a winning mix. The past samples generate skepticism: The team ranked 22nd in defensive rating last season (115.3). Assuming they’ll have a bottom-10 defense, a top-10ish offense is probably required for them to overachieve. — Slater

Can San Antonio overcome its lack of 3-point shooting around Victor Wembanyama?

It’s possible if the Spurs lean into one of their biggest strengths: the multitude of guards capable of attacking downhill to nail high percentage shots in the driving lanes. Wembanyama’s gravity and willingness to shoot 3-pointers will consistently pull opposing bigs out of the paint, which should open driving lanes for slashers such as De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper. It’s also worth noting that Fox and Wembanyama played only five games together last season. Expect more lethality this season between the two in pick-and-rolls and improved outside shooting from Fox. — Wright

What will Toronto look like this season?

This season’s Raptors are one of the league’s biggest unknowns. Brandon Ingram was acquired in February but never played a game because of an ankle injury. Since Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett arrived close to two years ago, they’ve played a total of 724 minutes together (by comparison, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges played more than 1,000 more minutes than that last season alone). How coach Darko Rajakovic can put these players together, and what they look like on the court, will not only define this season but could define his tenure in Toronto. — Bontemps

Do the Jazz take another step forward in the rebuilding process?

The Jazz believe they have the right man to guide the rebuild in coach Will Hardy, who signed a multiyear extension in May to oversee a team that finished last season with the league’s youngest roster. Hardy will push Utah to the next step with help from some veteran additions. The club jettisoned vets Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Collin Sexton in the offseason, and added more experience with Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love and Georges Niang to help a young core led by Lauri Markkanen. Utah’s frontcourt looks promising. But the team’s overall prospects will be determined by development in the backcourt. — Wright

In another rebuilding season, can the young Wizards continue to develop and be more competitive?

The Wizards have shed the contracts of Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, freeing up plenty of shots and room to grow for a roster full of developing talent. And Washington is expected to have over $80 million in cap space available to use next offseason. While player development is key to the Wizards’ process, the franchise has suffered through 64- and 67-loss campaigns the past two seasons. The young core of Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Cam Whitmore and Will Riley have to be more competitive in games this season after Washington dropped 25 games by 20 or more points. Vets such as CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton will try to mentor the youngsters on how to win. The Wizards might be in for another long season, but seeing the young core fight in contested games could be a massive key to the ongoing development. — Youngmisuk