It’s that ‘CRAZY’ time of the year again.
Every NBA fan thinks their team has improved, every young player is ready to take ‘the leap’ and somehow half the league believes they can make the playoffs.
Watch an average of 9 LIVE Regular Season games per week of the NBA regular season plus the best of the NBA Playoffs, including every game of the NBA Conference Finals & NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available on Kayo.
But let’s be realistic… they can’t all be good.
So, from the genuine championship contenders to the teams already dreaming about ping pong balls, here is where all 30 NBA teams sit heading into the new season.
TIER 1: THE ‘REAL-DEAL’ CONTENDERS
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
After going down 4-3 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals last season, the 2025 NBA champions will be eager to return to the big stage.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have a roster ready to be one of the league’s premier teams for the next decade.
But one question remains, and it surrounds their big man.
With Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs shaping as their biggest threat in the West for years to come, Holmgren is going to need to take another step.
That starts with being better than the four points on just two field-goal attempts he produced in Oklahoma City’s Game 7 loss to the Spurs last season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
They were beaten 4-1 in the NBA Finals last season, but did they make it there a year too early?
After winning 62 games, the Spurs made it all the way to the Finals in their first playoff run with Victor Wembanyama at the helm.
They eventually went down to a much more mature New York Knicks team, but with such a young roster, the Spurs should be around the top for a number of years to come.
Alongside Wembanyama (22), Stephon Castle (21), Dylan Harper (20), Carter Bryant (20) and Devin Vassell (26), the Spurs are right in the mix to build one of the strongest forces in the NBA.
And with arguably the best player in basketball controlling their fortunes, last season could have only been the beginning.
NEW YORK KNICKS
They were the 2026 NBA champions, but can they do something no other team has done since the Golden State Warriors?
What is that, you ask? Go back-to-back.
Since the Warriors won the 2017 and 2018 NBA championships, the league has seen eight different champions crowned across the past eight seasons.
The Knicks have a strong core on paper, but some front office issues are beginning to build, with the biggest concern surrounding Karl-Anthony Towns and his contract situation.
Towns has already admitted an extension before the season “don’t look good”.
Repeating is already one of the hardest things to do in the NBA, so will the Knicks have enough to do it while navigating some of these issues?
Nonetheless, they will still be right in the mix this season and enter as the front-runners in the Eastern Conference.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
When you bring in Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, you have to be in the championship conversation.
Add them to a lineup that already includes Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, while V.J. Edgecombe enters his second season, and the 76ers suddenly have the talent to finally complete ‘The Process’.
If everything clicks, this looks like the biggest threat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference and a genuine championship contender.
But with an ageing James and Embiid’s injury history, will their bodies hold up long enough to actually win it all?
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TIER 2: THE SECOND-STRING CONTENDERS
HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Rockets finished with 52 wins last season and will regain Fred VanVleet to an already stacked lineup.
Add him alongside Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, and Houston has the talent to take another step this season.
After falling short in the playoffs, they still have to prove they can put it all together when it matters most.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
In sports, trending in the right direction is important and the Timberwolves feel like they are getting closer every year.
Led by Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has reached two Western Conference Finals and a semi-final series across the past three seasons.
The question has always been whether Edwards has had too much to do.
After adding LaMelo Ball, the Timberwolves may finally have the piece they need to take the next step.
DETROIT PISTONS
After finishing atop the Eastern Conference, the Pistons were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semi-finals.
Led by Cade Cunningham, Detroit has one of the strongest young cores in the league with Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren continuing to develop.
Duren’s contract drama dominated their offseason, but with that now behind them, the focus turns back to basketball.
After jumping from 42 wins to 60 last season, can the Pistons continue their rapid rise?
TIER 3: THE ‘DON’T SLEEP ON THEM’ PACK
DENVER NUGGETS
The Denver Nuggets find themselves in an interesting spot heading into the season.
Since winning the NBA Championship in 2023, they haven’t returned to the Western Conference Finals, but with Nikola Jokic at the helm, you can never count them out.
Alongside Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and new recruit DeMar DeRozan, Denver still has plenty of talent to make another run.
They lost promising youngster Peyton Watson amid their contract concerns, but the biggest question remains… do the Nuggets still have enough around Jokic to contend?
MIAMI HEAT
Giannis Antetokounmpo now heads to Florida in a move that brings back memories of LeBron James joining the Heat in 2010.
He joins Bam Adebayo, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins as Miami looks to contend again after missing the playoffs last season.
After two first-round exits before that, adding Giannis immediately changes the expectations in Miami.
They have the superstar to make a run, but do the Heat have enough around him to seriously contend?
DALLAS MAVERICKS
We are now a few years removed from the Luka Doncic era in Dallas, but the Cooper Flagg era is well underway.
Flagg enters his second season reportedly 10kg heavier and now measuring 6’10.5”, after being listed at 6’9” when he entered the NBA.
The Mavericks will also welcome back Kyrie Irving, despite his name already coming up in trade talks this offseason.
Dallas won just 26 games last season, but Flagg showed incredible poise as a rookie, averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
If he takes another leap this season, don’t sleep on how quickly the Mavericks could improve.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
LeBron James is gone and this is now Luka Doncic’s team.
The Lakers won 53 games last season and have continued building around Doncic and Austin Reaves, adding Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Aussie Matisse Thybulle.
Doncic has already shown he can lead a team deep into the playoffs when given control.
But is there enough around him in Los Angeles to seriously challenge the Spurs and Thunder in the West?
BOSTON CELTICS
The Celtics broke up their championship-winning duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this offseason, replacing Brown with a 36-year-old, injury-prone Paul George.
Boston still won 56 games last season despite Tatum returning late, before being eliminated by the 76ers in the first round.
Now Tatum and George headline a roster that still includes Derrick White, Mitchell Robinson and Payton Pritchard.
There is still plenty of talent in Boston, but did the Celtics take a step backwards by breaking up their championship core?
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers were reportedly close to bringing LeBron James back to Cleveland this offseason, but instead added promising youngster Peyton Watson.
Cleveland won 52 games last season before being swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Their roster remains strong across the board, led by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Aussie Tyrese Proctor.
But after falling short again, have the Cavaliers improved enough or will another year together be what finally gets them over the hump?
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TIER 4: THE PLAYOFF HOPEFULS
INDIANA PACERS
“I’m healthy, I’m 100%… I am ready to go for the year,” Tyrese Haliburton said at Pacers media day.
It is a welcome sight for Indiana fans, with Haliburton’s last season on the court ending with the Pacers reaching the NBA Finals and falling to the Thunder in Game 7.
He returns alongside Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Nembhard after Indiana won just 19 games last season.
Can Haliburton take the Pacers back towards the team that won 50 games in 2025, or are they starting too far behind the eight ball?
LeBron James: 76ers Press Conference | 18:02
TORONTO RAPTORS
Kawhi Leonard has returned to the city he helped deliver a championship to in 2019, this time with plenty of drama surrounding him.
The two-time NBA champion joins Scottie Barnes, who led Toronto back to the playoffs last season before a first-round exit.
After winning 46 games, the Raptors now have Leonard alongside Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
There is enough talent to return to the playoffs, but how far can Kawhi push this team in his return to Toronto?
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry couldn’t believe expectations for the Warriors this season were simply to make the playoffs, but is even that a little steep?
Golden State won just 37 games last season and there hasn’t been much change to suggest a major jump is coming.
Curry has re-signed for another two seasons, Jimmy Butler is expected back around Christmas from his ACL injury and Draymond Green returns after almost leaving this offseason.
There is some youth in Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski, but with plenty of teams around them improving, can the Warriors keep up?
ORLANDO MAGIC
Led by Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, the Orlando Magic are still waiting for their breakthrough season.
Three straight first-round exits have left them searching for answers, despite having plenty of talent around their stars with Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner and Nikola Vucevic.
Orlando won 45 games last season, but at some point this young core has to take the next step.
TIER 5: THE ‘WHAT EVEN ARE YOU?’ TEAMS
ATLANTA HAWKS
It is easy to ask what exactly this Atlanta Hawks team is, especially after trading franchise star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards.
Atlanta won 46 games last season, but it remains unclear where the franchise sees itself in the NBA landscape without Young.
With Aussies Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale alongside Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, there is still plenty of talent on this roster.
The Hawks could either shock the NBA and remain firmly in the playoff picture, or quickly find out where they really stand without their franchise star.
PHOENIX SUNS
The Phoenix Suns are still led by Devin Booker and Jalen Green, but their season could depend on whether the pieces around them can take another step.
Phoenix won 45 games last season before being eliminated by the Thunder in the first round.
Khaman Maluach, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks give the Suns plenty around their star duo, but is it enough to push them further up the Western Conference?
If not, Phoenix could quickly become a team to watch when the trade deadline rolls around.
‘I didn’t leave my family to lose’ | 00:57
PORLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson are all on the same team. Add Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe and Jrue Holiday and you begin to wonder what exactly this Portland team is.
According to Jake Fischer, rival executives are watching the Trail Blazers closely following their move for Morant, with the belief Portland could look to rebuild his value before moving him either during the season or next offseason.
The Trail Blazers won 42 games last season and certainly have enough talent to remain around the playoff picture.
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TIER 6: THE REBUILDERS/RETOOLERS
UTAH JAZZ
The Utah Jazz are firmly in rebuild mode, but there are finally signs they are heading in the right direction.
Utah selected Darryn Peterson with the second pick in the NBA Draft, adding him to a young core featuring Ace Bailey and Keyonte George alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen.
The Jazz improved from 17 wins to 22 last season and enter this year with very few expectations.
That might be exactly what they need, with another season to develop their young core, potentially land another top-five pick and continue building towards the future.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
The Washington Wizards might be one of the more intriguing teams towards the bottom of the NBA this season.
A roster featuring Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton suddenly has plenty of established talent.
They also added AJ Dybantsa with the first pick in the NBA Draft, joining a young core that already includes Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Mann.
Washington has won just 51 games across the past three seasons, but what comes next?
MEMPHIS GRIZZLES
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are gone, and a new era has officially begun in Memphis.
Cameron Boozer from Duke and Karim Lopez from the NBL arrive after the Grizzlies landed two picks inside the top 21 of last year’s NBA Draft.
After winning just 25 games last season, Memphis will now look towards the likes of Walter Clayton Jr., Isaiah Stewart, Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells to help build around their new young core.
With the Morant era and all the distractions that came with it now behind them, the Grizzlies can finally move forward and kickstart their rebuild.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
After winning just 26 games last season, the New Orleans Pelicans have a roster that looks solid on paper but simply hasn’t worked.
Led by Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray, there is enough talent for New Orleans to be a competitive team.
Mix in some of their younger pieces and there is certainly a world where the Pelicans climb the Western Conference this season.
But there are still far too many questions surrounding this group to have them any higher right now.
TIER 7: PING PONG BOUND
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
This offseason has been one out of horror story for the Los Angeles Clippers.
They lost five first round picks, were fined $30 million and their owner Steve Ballmer has also been suspended from all league and team activities for one year, following the conclusion of an investigation into the team and Kawhi Leonard.
With that, the Clippers no matter how bad will not have this years first round pick which could be a high pick and their rebuild is going to struggle going forward.
They acquired Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick as a part of the Leonard deal but Ingram is expected to miss some time with an Achilles injury.
Darius Garland is the sole promising building block going forward for the team alongside Cam Christie, Rui Hachimura and Keaton Wagler – who will be their highest pick for the next five seasons.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
After winning 44 games last season, the Charlotte Hornets elected to blow things up over the offseason.
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges were both moved on, paving the way for Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to become the faces of the franchise going forward.
There is still some solid depth around them with Coby White, Grant Williams and Naz Reid, while last year’s first-round pick Hannes Steinbach adds another young piece to develop.
Charlotte could still surprise and win some games, but another season towards the bottom and another high-end prospect might be exactly what this franchise needs as it looks to build something beyond the Ball era.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
For Aussie fans, there is plenty of intrigue around Sacramento this season with Ben Simmons making his NBA return.
The former Rookie of the Year is back on a one-year deal and will be eager to prove his doubters wrong after his time away from the league.
He lands in an interesting situation, with the Kings coming off just 22 wins despite having established names in Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and De’Andre Hunter, while last year’s No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. adds some youth.
Sacramento has enough talent to be competitive, but if things go south early, they could quickly become one of the teams contenders look towards to bolster their rotations for a playoff run.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
No Giannis Antetokounmpo, no Bobby Portis and no Doc Rivers. So, what exactly are the Milwaukee Bucks going to be going forward?
Antetokounmpo managed just 36 games last season as Milwaukee won 32 games and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Now, with the two-time MVP in Miami, expectations in Milwaukee are as low as they have been in a very long time.
Tyler Herro, Myles Turner, Gary Trent Jr. and Caris LeVert headline a new-look rotation, while first-round selections Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries and Nate Ament give the Bucks some young talent to build around.
Milwaukee has a long way to climb back.
CHICAGO BULLS
This team sucks… but they have Josh Giddey.
The Chicago Bulls won just 31 games last season and have now missed the playoffs four years in a row as they continue trying to figure out exactly what direction this franchise is heading.
Giddey is now the centrepiece of a young core featuring recent high draft picks Noa Essengue, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson.
Veterans Buddy Hield, Nic Claxton, Zach Collins and Norman Powell provide some experience around them, but this season should largely be about finding out which pieces can be part of Chicago’s future alongside Giddey.
BROOKLYN NETS
The Brooklyn Nets have been trending in the wrong direction, dropping from 32 wins to 26 and then just 20 across the past three seasons.
They haven’t been able to properly rebuild or retool since the Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving era came to an end.
There are still some established names on the roster in Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr. and Moritz Wagner, while Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson arrived as first-round picks last year.
But Brooklyn still needs more young talent to emerge before there is genuine excitement around this team again.
And in an already tough New York market, with the Knicks as good as they have been in decades, the Nets desperately need to give their fans something to believe in.
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