Teams to watch, championship odds, MVP favourites, Australians, biggest trades, opening games and full season preview

The 2026-27 NBA regular season is finally here.

After a crazy offseason which saw some of the biggest names in basketball change clubs, exciting young draft picks find their homes and all 30 teams get a fresh start, we finally get to see how it all plays out.

From the ‘Avengers’ Philadelphia 76ers to the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves and nine Australians looking to make their mark on the league, here is everything you need to know ahead of the new NBA season.

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.

NEW SEASON BEGINS

The NBA has seen eight different champions in the past eight seasons, with the Golden State Warriors the last team to go back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

The New York Knicks enter the new season as defending champions after finally ending their 53-year championship drought, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals.

But there are already some questions surrounding the Knicks, particularly when it comes to star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns is eligible for a five-year, $277 million extension, although the Knicks have reportedly ‘shut the door’ on getting a deal done this offseason.

Elsewhere, there have been some massive moves around the NBA.

LeBron James and Jaylen Brown have both joined the Philadelphia 76ers, LaMelo Ball has landed at the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Kawhi Leonard has made his way back to Toronto, where he helped deliver the Raptors their first NBA championship in 2019.

Leonard’s move also comes after he found himself at the centre of an NBA investigation into salary cap violations during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers were stripped of five first-round draft picks and handed a $30 million fine, while team owner Steve Ballmer was banned from all league and team activities for a year.

Leonard was also ordered to pay $700,000 following the investigation, although he avoided a suspension and will be free to play for the Raptors this season.

There were set to be 11 Aussies in the NBA this season, including 2016 No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, who had returned to the league with the Sacramento Kings after a year away from the game.

However, in a devastating blow just days out from the season opener, Simmons suffered a torn Achilles during training, ruling him out for the entire 2026-27 campaign.

It’s also been a tough few days for fellow Australian Alex Toohey, who was waived by the Golden State Warriors just days out from the new season, leaving him without an NBA team.

But Josh Giddey will lead a new-look Chicago Bulls, while Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale have teamed up at the Atlanta Hawks.

With plenty of new faces, some big-name moves and a championship up for grabs, all 30 teams will head into the new season with different expectations and plenty to prove.

HOW TO WATCH THE NBA SEASON

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.

TEAMS TO WATCH

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey.

The 76ers have assembled their own version of the ‘Avengers’, and now they have the chance to finally complete the long-awaited ‘Process’.

A lot will depend on Embiid’s health, what James can still produce at this stage of his career and how Nick Nurse manages to bring all that superstar talent together.

But if they can get it right, there’s no reason why this team can’t come out of the Eastern Conference and compete for an NBA championship.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

They already had Anthony Edwards, and now they’ve paired him with fellow top-three pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, LaMelo Ball.

Ball could be exactly what Edwards has been missing alongside him, with the Timberwolves knocking on the door of an NBA Finals appearance for the past three seasons.

They’ve been close for a while now, but with another superstar joining Edwards, this could finally be the year Minnesota takes that next step.

ATLANTA HAWKS

It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from the Hawks this season, but they do have two of the NBA’s best Aussies on their roster.

Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale will be key players for Atlanta this season after the franchise moved on from star guard Trae Young last season.

The Hawks won 46 games and made the playoffs last season before being knocked out in the first round.

With Young no longer around, it will be interesting to see how Atlanta goes with a new-look roster and Daniels taking on a bigger role.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

LeBron James has departed, and now this is the moment the Los Angeles Lakers have been waiting for since they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

Doncic has basically been the face of the Lakers since arriving in Los Angeles, but now it’s officially his team.

He will lead a side that includes Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Aussie Matisse Thybulle, with the expectations at one of the NBA’s biggest franchises still the same… championship or bust.

Whilst there hasn’t been a lot of talk about the Lakers this offseason, they will still be right in the mix.

A fit and firing Doncic could help the Lakers improve on their 53 wins from last season, but more importantly, take them further than the Western Conference semi-finals, where they were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

READ MORE

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BEN SIMMONS INJURY: ‘Not the end of my story’: Simmons breaks silence after devastating season-ending injury

PLAYERS TO WATCH

SHAI GILEGOUS-ALEXANDER

The back-to-back NBA MVP is hoping for more success heading into the new season.

After being knocked out of the Western Conference Finals by the San Antonio Spurs, Gilgeous-Alexander will be eager to get back to the top of the NBA after winning the championship in 2025.

He averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game last season, shooting an impressive 55 per cent from the field on his way to claiming his second consecutive MVP award.

And with the Thunder looking to bounce back from last season’s disappointment, expect Gilgeous-Alexander to be right in the MVP conversation once again.

NIKOLA JOKIC

Nikola Jokic is hungry for better results after leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship, but once again, there are questions over whether the Serbian big man has to do too much.

The three-time NBA MVP will lead a roster featuring Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and DeMar DeRozan, but after winning 54 games last season, the Nuggets were knocked out in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jokic averaged an incredible 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game last season, shooting 57 per cent from the field.

The numbers are still ridiculous, but Denver will need more from the players around him if they’re going to get back into championship contention.

JOSH GIDDEY

Josh Giddey is the face of the Chicago Bulls, and while the team is expected to struggle this season, there’s no doubt the Aussie is the man they are building around.

Giddey averaged 17 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, shooting 45 per cent from the field, although the Bulls managed just 31 wins.

Chicago will once again have one of the younger rosters in the NBA, but Giddey will be looking to take another step forward and establish himself as one of the league’s premier point guards.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA

If you thought Victor Wembanyama was scary last season, the Frenchman could be even more dangerous this year after falling short in the NBA Finals.

The 2026 Defensive Player of the Year is still just 22 years old and averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season, shooting 51 per cent from the field.

He will once again lead a young San Antonio Spurs core, and with the pain of last season’s Finals defeat still fresh, Wembanyama will be eager to take that next step.

The rest of the NBA should be worried.

AUSSIES IN THE NBA

Ben Simmons – Sacramento Kings* (ruled out for the entire 2026-27 season with an Achilles injury)

Josh Giddey – Chicago Bulls

Dyson Daniels – Atlanta Hawks

Jock Landale – Atlanta Hawks

Matisse Thybulle – Los Angeles Lakers

Josh Green – Utah Jazz

Johnny Furphy – Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Proctor – Cleveland Cavaliers

Duop Reath – Phoenix Suns

Rocco Zikarsky – Minnesota Timberwolves

READ MORE

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NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS

Oklahoma City Thunder – $3.75

San Antonio Spurs – $3.75

Philadelphia 76ers – $10

New York Knicks – $11

Boston Celtics – $17

NBA MVP ODDS

Victor Wembanyama – $3.30

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – $5

Luka Doncic – $6.50

Nikola Jokic – $7.50

Giannis Antekounmpo – $13

OPENING GAMES

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21

Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs

THURSDAY OCTOBER 22

Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic *

Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat *

Charlotte Hornets vs Brooklyn Nets

Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors *

Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies *

Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans *

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers *

Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers *

Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Clippers

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers *

Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets *

Dallas Mavericks vs Indiana Pacers *

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic *

Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards

Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat

Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks *

Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs

New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz *

Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers *

Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento Kings

* Games featuring Australian players