By NBA insiders / ESPN, 2026-09-29 19:00:00
周一的媒体日拉开了全联盟NBA训练营的序幕，也让球迷首次一睹多位球星身披新东家战袍的风采。费城76人队或许拥有最重磅的休赛期，他们先是在7月1日交易得到杰伦·布朗，随后又在当月结束前签下联盟历史得分王勒布朗·詹姆斯。但大手笔运作的可不止76人一家。
詹姆斯的老东家洛杉矶湖人队也豪掷一注，交易得到前爵士中锋沃克·凯斯勒；扬尼斯·阿德托昆博则终于找到了新家——迈阿密热火。拉梅洛·鲍尔将联手安东尼·爱德华兹和明尼苏达森林狼，而贾·莫兰特则将在波特兰开拓者寻求新的开始。
重磅交易和签约并非休赛期唯一值得关注的故事线。底特律活塞能否解决杰伦·杜伦的合同纠纷？圣安东尼奥马刺在总决赛崩盘后将如何反弹？我们的NBA记者将为全部30支球队解答最重大的季前赛疑问。
跳转至球队：
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 | UTAH | WAS
亚特兰大老鹰
老鹰能否延续上赛季末的强势表现？
需要说明的是，我们所说的强势表现并非指老鹰在淘汰赛中惨败51分那场球。但老鹰确实拿下了尼克斯季后赛三场失利中的两场，而且在常规赛末段确定让CJ·麦科勒姆进入首发阵容后，打出了一波19胜4负、场均净胜13.9分的强势收官。
老鹰今夏进一步补强阵容——在乐透区选中金斯顿·弗莱明斯，并交易得到拥有总冠军戒指的优质角色球员卢·多特和阿隆·威金斯——同时球队已为交易截止日或明年夏天的大动作做好准备，届时老鹰可能拥有约4500万美元的薪资空间。——蒂姆·麦克马洪
波士顿凯尔特人
杰森·塔图姆准备好在球场上执掌凯尔特人了吗？
塔图姆特意在上赛季结束前重返赛场，证明跟腱伤病无法将他击倒。但短期效果喜忧参半：他的常规赛各项命中率全面下滑，还因左膝不适缺席了凯尔特人首轮系列赛的抢七大战。
交易杰伦·布朗，是对塔图姆驾驭球队能力的完全背书，同时也表明球队在重组阵容、重返冠军行列的过程中将围绕他展开。但塔图姆是否已完全康复并准备好接管球队？——文森特·古德威尔
布鲁克林篮网
篮网能否从惨不忍睹变得值得信赖？
篮网投入了一项长期重建计划：想想肖恩·马克斯在2025年选秀中紧握首轮签不放，而不是打包换取即战力球员。但随后乐透改革落地，迫使篮网在7月按下了快进键。
交易得到朱利叶斯·兰德尔提升了球队天赋，选中又一名控卫小米克尔·布朗也是如此。这支球队能否在没有“反正还有高顺位签”这张保底牌的情况下打出像样的表现？——古德威尔
夏洛特黄蜂
送走两位基石首发后，黄蜂能变得更好吗？
夏洛特的建队一直非常有条理，管理层和老板也努力避免上升期球队在追逐中游时容易陷入的陷阱。黄蜂上赛季确实打到了中游，但球队显然不相信拉梅洛·鲍尔和迈尔斯·布里奇斯——两人都拿着大合同、即将寻求续约——是球队崛起的一部分，因此他们试图通过交易两人来最大化自身筹码。
引进老将纳兹·里德、格雷森·艾伦和丹尼斯·施罗德，理论上可以辅佐新确立的基石布兰登·米勒和康·克尼普尔。但夏洛特需要与米勒达成一份对双方都合理的续约合同——这是个老生常谈的难题——而克尼普尔则遭遇中度腿筋拉伤，将缺席整个训练营和赛季初段的比赛。在竞争激烈的东部，重返附加赛可能都是一项艰巨任务。——布莱恩·温德霍斯特
芝加哥公牛
夏季联赛是否预示了卡莱布·威尔逊的前景？
今夏拉斯维加斯的球馆里，没有哪位新秀能像威尔逊那样引爆全场。他职业生涯首秀便砍下35分，单场命中的三分球数追平了他在北卡罗来纳大学整个大一赛季的命中数，还用暴力扣篮和追身大帽充实了自己的集锦。多年来，威尔逊首次让公牛对未来有了明确的乐观理由。——贾马尔·科利尔
克利夫兰骑士
佩顿·沃特森能否作为第五位首发带来改变？
多年来，骑士对五名首发中的四人投入巨大——前场是埃文·莫布利和贾勒特·阿伦，后场是多诺万·米切尔以及赛季中期交易换来达柳斯·加兰后加盟的詹姆斯·哈登。但填补他们身边最后一个位置的却是一批轮换人选——迪恩·韦德、马克斯·斯特鲁斯，最近是德安德烈·亨特——他们都没能提升这套阵容的上限。
24岁的沃特森刚在掘金度过生涯最佳赛季，如果他能在防守功底之上延续进步的三分投射，就有潜力将这支球队推向更高峰。——科利尔
达拉斯独行侠
库珀·弗拉格二年级还能进步多少？
弗拉格正在我们眼前成长——无论从字面还是比喻意义上说。继年度最佳新秀赛季之后，他今夏又长高了，不穿鞋身高达到6英尺10英寸（约2米08）。19岁的弗拉格仍在长身体，这恰如其分地象征着他看似没有上限的天花板。无论公平与否，在达拉斯，弗拉格将永远被拿来与卢卡·东契奇比较——后者在二年级便入选了NBA最佳阵容一阵。普遍的看法是，弗拉格正走在通往那种巨星高度的道路上。他能多快到达？——麦克马洪
丹佛掘金
阿隆·戈登能保持健康吗？
在掘金的六个赛季里，戈登不断进步，与尼古拉·约基奇的适配度也日益提升。他的重要性前所未有，但他的出勤率也前所未有地令人担忧。戈登两个赛季前缺席31场，上赛季缺席46场。两次季后赛之旅也都以带伤作战的戈登告终——腿筋拉伤和小腿拉伤让他要么严重受限，要么直接缺阵。
约基奇身边的阵容深度已经流失，但当戈登健康且在锋线高效输出时，掘金依然拥有全联盟最完整、最令人生畏的五人首发之一。可他能有多少时间在场上？据悉，他已为训练营做好了充分准备。——安东尼·斯莱特
底特律活塞
杰伦·杜伦会参加训练营吗？如果参加，他需要多久才能融入？
杜伦的合同风波整个夏天都笼罩着活塞，至今仍无定论。消息人士向ESPN的沙姆斯·查拉尼亚透露，杜伦周一没有出席活塞媒体日，预计也不会出现在训练营开始阶段。如果杜伦走极端接受资质报价，局面将不会轻松——毕竟拒绝2亿美元是史无前例的。
团队化学反应和阵容延续性是底特律从2024-25赛季的44胜跃升至上赛季60胜的原因，而阵容在今夏经历了变动。一个心怀不满的杜伦，可能导致球队在强手如林的东部开局缓慢。——古德威尔
金州勇士
我们何时能看到吉米·巴特勒？
巴特勒1月19日右膝前交叉韧带撕裂，2月初接受手术。康复初期进展缓慢，但整个夏天，巴特勒身边的人都不断传来积极消息：膝盖在变强，球场训练在增加，对他最终康复的乐观情绪在增长。巴特勒6月曾告诉ESPN，他期待恢复“到我一直以来的那个自己”。
训练营开启时，他将只能进行个人球场训练。1月或2月复出是一个大致目标，但具体取决于他获准增加对抗后膝盖的反应。勇士作为季后赛黑马的可能性，几乎完全取决于巴特勒能否在4月前恢复到接近昔日水准。——斯莱特
休斯顿火箭
火箭能否终于突破季后赛首轮？
自2019-20赛季以来，休斯顿从未突破首轮，而且随着未来名人堂成员凯文·杜兰特进入效力火箭的第二个赛季，球队已连续两年首轮出局。老将弗雷德·范弗利特和史蒂文·亚当斯的赛季报销，让休斯顿在2025-26赛季某种程度上成了一个过渡之年。
但与此同时，阿门·汤普森、里德·谢泼德、塔里·伊森、阿尔佩伦·申京和小贾巴里·史密斯等几名年轻球员，因球队主要进攻组织者的缺阵而承担了更多责任，并因此得到成长。这种进步能否延续到这支自视为争冠者的球队的新赛季？范弗利特真的是那块缺失的拼图吗？拭目以待。——迈克尔·C·莱特
印第安纳步行者
步行者能对泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿抱有何种期待？
距离哈利伯顿的上一场比赛已经过去16个月，当时步行者正打出联盟历史上最令人难忘的季后赛之旅之一，而他本人也上演了史诗级的关键球表演。哈利伯顿能从跟腱伤病中恢复到什么程度，是东部联盟一个令人费解的变数——自他上次出战以来，东部的竞争已愈发激烈。哈利伯顿能否夺回争冠球队核心的位置，还是已被其他竞争者甩在身后？——科利尔
洛杉矶快船
联盟对科怀·伦纳德事件的处罚会带来怎样的后续影响？
伦纳德如今已身在多伦多，但这并非与效力七年的球队好聚好散。快船老板史蒂夫·鲍尔默被停职一年，商业运营总裁吉莉安·祖克同样停职一年，篮球运营总裁劳伦斯·弗兰克被停职六个月。球队被罚款3000万美元，并将在2033年前被扣减五个首轮选秀权。
在这一切风波之中，这支拥有布兰登·英格拉姆、达柳斯·加兰、布拉德利·比尔、八村塁、马克斯·斯特鲁斯和布鲁克·洛佩斯——外加新秀基顿·瓦格勒——的全新阵容，将如何在残酷的西部立足竞争？——戴夫·麦克梅纳明
洛杉矶湖人
押注沃克·凯斯勒会得到回报吗？
湖人几乎押上了全部筹码完成这笔交易，得到这位25岁、身高7英尺2英寸（约2米18）的中锋，与卢卡·东契奇的魔法传球搭档。代价高昂：不仅是一份4年1.3亿美元的合同，还包括送往犹他爵士的两个无保护未来首轮签和两个未来选秀权互换。湖人主帅JJ·雷迪克甚至在训练营开始前就称凯斯勒是与东契奇和阿ustin·里夫斯搭档的“完美契合”，而湖人篮球运营总裁兼总经理罗布·佩林卡则为这次豪赌辩护，称这是得到凯斯勒这种球员的唯一可行途径。
“这种球员供不应求，”佩林卡说，“事实就是如此。看看你在选秀中可能得到什么、自由市场上可能出现什么，那样的中锋根本不存在。”
如果凯斯勒能达到湖人期望的一切，那这一切都值得。如果不能，球队在阵容灵活性上将陷入困境。——麦克梅纳明
孟菲斯灰熊
孟菲斯多久能重返强队行列？
灰熊总经理扎克·克莱曼上赛季在交易截止日前曾自信地表示，球迷们不必期待漫长的重建。而那还是在孟菲斯将球队门面球星贾·莫兰特交易至波特兰之前。“我们不是从零开始，”克莱曼说，“我们手里已经有不少筹码。我不认为这会是一个摆烂五年的过程。”
目前阵容中拥有扎克·伊迪、塞德里克·考沃德和3号秀卡梅伦·布泽尔等众多年轻天赋，但灰熊看起来可能还需要几年时间才能重返季后赛。——莱特
迈阿密热火
扬尼斯·阿德托昆博和巴姆·阿德巴约在进攻端如何兼容？
在多年追逐超级巨星之后，热火终于在今年夏天交易得到阿德托昆博。他与阿德巴约将组成联盟东部最令人生畏的前场组合之一，但两人在进攻端的兼容性却远没有那么明朗。
两人技术特点相似，都围绕篮筐打球、外线投射能力有限——而且两人都会被一名能创造轻松得分机会的控卫所吸引。热火本赛季需要阿德托昆博保持更健康的身体，才能在拥挤的东部竞争，并有足够时间与阿德巴约磨合出进攻化学反应。——科利尔
密尔沃基雄鹿
这些球员之间能产生化学反应吗？
对于后扬尼斯时代雄鹿如何前行，疑问不胜枚举，但在交易送走门面球星之后，雄鹿的阵容深度将比上赛季更厚。但拥有如此多能打的轮换球员——老将与年轻人混杂——如何让所有球员在每晚的比赛中各得其所，将是新帅泰勒·詹金斯的责任。雄鹿本赛季不拥有自己的首轮签，这也给了他们保持竞争力的动力——前提是能找到合适的球员组合。——科利尔
明尼苏达森林狼
拉梅洛·鲍尔和安东尼·爱德华兹能多快找到正确的进攻平衡？
将鲍尔带到明尼苏达的四方大交易于7月初正式完成。过去两个月里，鲍尔花了大量时间在明尼阿波利斯市中心的球队训练馆里，熟悉新球队和新队友。其中包括爱德华兹——过去一个月他频繁现身，试图加速推进这个联盟最耀眼的新后场组合的磨合。
对森林狼来说，跻身圣安东尼奥和俄克拉荷马城那个级别是一道很高的门槛，但如果鲍尔和爱德华兹能找到融合并放大彼此天赋的方法，他们就是西部竞争者中机会最大的那一个。——斯莱特
新奥尔良鹈鹕
鹈鹕选择沿用上赛季基本相同的班底，是不是一个错误？
表面上看或许如此。但考虑到阵容中的巨大天赋——从德章泰·默里、特雷·墨菲到杰迈亚·菲尔斯、锡安·威廉森和德里克·奎因——乔·杜马斯和特洛伊·韦弗显然认为，球队休赛期最重要的引援应该是一位能统领并培养这些天赋的主教练。
也许新奥尔良在贾马尔·莫斯利身上找到了答案，他曾在奥兰多主持重建，率领魔术连续三个赛季闯入季后赛。天赋异禀的威廉森因伤病史将永远是问号，但别惊讶，这位大个子本赛季可能会展现出更稳定的跳投。——莱特
纽约尼克斯
卡尔-安东尼·唐斯的续约僵局会影响冠军之师的和谐吗？
整个春天，尼克斯的氛围都非常好，最终以季后赛的一路横扫和53年来首座总冠军圆满收官。唐斯是尼克斯多位希望获得续约的重要球员中的第一个，但他尚未得到一份令自己满意的报价，因为老板詹姆斯·多兰下达了指令，要求避免触碰惩罚性的第二土豪线。
如果上赛季是牺牲的一年，那么面对明年夏天火爆的自由球员市场，他能否抵制住为自己谋取筹码的诱惑？尼克斯整个赛季都将背负众矢之的，他们承受不起任何内部失和。——古德威尔
俄克拉荷马城雷霆
杰伦·威廉姆斯能保持健康吗？
如果不是威廉姆斯反复发作的腿筋伤病使他缺席了常规赛大部分比赛和季后赛的绝大多数场次，雷霆或许早已成为自2017-18赛季勇士以来首支卫冕成功的球队。所幸的是，经过一个夏天的身体调理以最大化保持健康的几率，俄克拉荷马城希望不必再为此担忧。
只要在场上，威廉姆斯就是联盟最好的攻防一体侧翼之一——一名多面手式的破坏型防守者，同时作为第二持球点，为连续两届MVP谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大分担了大量压力。——麦克马洪
奥兰多魔术
定义本赛季的将是“斯威尼效应”还是一笔大交易？
上赛季对魔术而言是一次挫折，他们曾重金投入以保罗·班切罗、弗朗茨·瓦格纳、杰伦·萨格斯和德斯蒙德·贝恩为核心阵容。但部分由于伤病，球队上赛季不进反退。据消息人士透露，管理层从上赛季到今夏一直在考虑大动作——这确实难以置信，因为杰夫·韦尔特曼在任期间以不轻易交易著称——但最终他们决定换帅，解雇了颇受欢迎的贾马尔·莫斯利，改由肖恩·斯威尼执教，后者被视为联盟顶级助教之一。
魔术始终未能在真正关键的比赛中得分，而拿到顶薪合同的班切罗，也未能持续融入围绕球队其他基石构建的有效阵容。因此，战术变革能否奏效，就看斯威尼的了。过去几个赛季，斯威尼在帮助独行侠和马刺充分挖掘阵容潜力方面发挥了重要作用。如果做不到，你可能会看到魔术罕见地在赛季中期陷入交易传闻之中。——温德霍斯特
费城76人
新援们需要多久才能磨合到位？
交易得到2024年总决赛MVP杰伦·布朗，对76人来说已是足够戏剧性的转折，几周后，四届总决赛MVP、四届常规赛MVP兼联盟历史得分王勒布朗·詹姆斯又宣布加盟。对于主帅尼克·纳斯来说，如何最大化这套阵容没有任何现成蓝图——不仅有这两位新面孔，还有冉冉升起的新星泰瑞斯·马克西，以及过去十年一直是费城“当家”的乔尔·恩比德。
詹姆斯打过NBA历史上最多的比赛，见惯了大风大浪，也正期待着接下来的磨合期。“我们必须有同舟共济的心态，”詹姆斯上周在他的播客节目《Mind the Game》一期中表示，“唯一重要的是我们每天宣扬的东西，以及我们如何相互督促。”
詹姆斯有经验知道如何保持定力，但他的许多新队友从未经历过与他相近的NBA生涯。——麦克梅纳明
菲尼克斯太阳
杰伦·格林如何融入这支球队？
菲尼克斯是上赛季联盟中令人惊喜的成功故事之一：在乔丹·奥特执教的首个赛季赢下45场，并迅速摆脱了黯淡的凯文·杜兰特时代。但其中大部分胜利，都是在24岁的得分后卫格林作壁上观时取得的。格林因持续的腿筋问题缺席了50场比赛，而在他出战的比赛中，太阳仅取得17胜15负。他最初被视为杜兰特交易中的关键筹码，结果却是狄龙·布鲁克斯在伤病困扰格林之际打出了爆发的进攻赛季。
格林的缺阵也让科林·吉莱斯皮和乔丹·古德温获得了更多出场时间，两人都打出了出色的赛季，并在休赛期获得了新合同作为回报。格林的合同还剩最后一年，价值3630万美元，不过他下赛季拥有3600万美元的球员选项。如果他保持健康，能否找回节奏？还是说他作为得分手的看家本领，在德文·布克已经占据球队领袖和头号得分手角色的情况下会显得多余？——麦克梅纳明
波特兰开拓者
开拓者如何安置他们的后卫群？
开拓者今夏聘请米卡·诺里为薪资最低、合同最短的主教练，然后交给他一份与球队未来风暴期格格不入的阵容。如果你愿意乐观一点——为什么不呢——只要诺里能把这一切拼凑成一个中游水平的赛季，他大概就会赢得普遍赞誉。
达米安·利拉德回来了，既回到了波特兰，也从跟腱撕裂中走了出来。这很棒。贾·莫兰特在过去三个赛季总共只打了79场比赛后被交易而来。这很有意思。朱·霍勒迪——两届乔·杜马斯NBA体育道德风尚奖得主、卡里姆·阿卜杜勒-贾巴尔社会正义冠军奖得主——是领导力的定海神针。这很美好。前3号秀斯库特·亨德森刚打出生涯最佳赛季，但仍在努力提升效率，并争取在今年秋天拿到一份大额续约合同。这算个看点。谢登·夏普刚打出生涯最佳赛季，正处在一笔4年9000万美元合同的开端，却撕裂了半月板，预计将缺席赛季大部分比赛。这很扫兴。
如何让这一切运转起来，将是本赛季成败的关键。——温德霍斯特
萨克拉门托国王
扎克·拉文和多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯能否重振职业生涯？
拉文和萨博尼斯在过去几个交易周期里都被摆上货架，但国王总经理斯科特·佩里始终没有收到足够有吸引力的报价。于是两位老将回到这支处于过渡期的年轻球队，基本上只是首发位置的临时占位者，与球队的未来并无太多明显的羁绊。
如果他们打得好，对双方都有利。对内而言，国王决心至少比上赛季的22胜有所提升，并避开新乐透改革的降级区。拉文和萨博尼斯可以为此出力，而这样做也能重振他们的交易价值，或许还能让他们前往更有吸引力的球队，同时为萨克拉门托换回交易资产。——斯莱特
圣安东尼奥马刺
马刺能不负众望吗？
圣安东尼奥带着冲击季后赛前六种子的目标进入2025-26赛季，却一路杀进总决赛，震惊了整个NBA。如今，在终于终结六年季后赛荒之后，马刺带着现实的夺冠期望迈入2026-27赛季。维克托·文班亚马和马刺本赛季将出战34场全美直播比赛，并列联盟最多。
这支相对缺乏经验的球队将如何应对聚光灯？管理层通过仅引进一名（托拜厄斯·哈里斯）能进入轮换的球员，表达了对现有班底的信心。如果文班亚马延续上升轨迹，这或许终于会是他的MVP赛季。——莱特
多伦多猛龙
科怀·伦纳德与斯科蒂·巴恩斯的组合是笔妙棋吗？
猛龙上赛季有喜有忧。喜的是他们确实取得了进步，打进了季后赛，并在赛季末缺少伊曼纽尔·奎克利和布兰登·英格拉姆两位首发的情况下，仍与骑士鏖战七场。巴恩斯打出了精彩的攻防一体赛季，成长为人们一直期望他成为的那种力量。
忧的是多伦多的阵容薪资高昂，且改善空间有限。此外，球队迎来了新的控股老板埃德·罗杰斯，这种变动总让人人心惶惶。于是猛龙不得不冒险一搏，而令人惊讶的是，他们押下的正是2018年夺冠时的同一种冒险：交易得到伦纳德。哦，还在他刚从洛杉矶一场巨大丑闻的阴霾中走出之际，给了他一份2年1.15亿美元的续约合同。
巴恩斯与伦纳德——后者在2025-26赛季打出了华丽的表现——的组合设想令人垂涎。将两名身材出众、得分能力强的攻防一体前锋与年轻的科林·默里-博伊尔斯组合在一起，可能让猛龙拥有联盟最好的前场之一。可能而已。指望伦纳德，这十年来一直是场傻瓜游戏：祝所有相关人士好运！——温德霍斯特
犹他爵士
爵士能实现向竞争力球队的巨大飞跃吗？
正如篮球运营总裁奥斯汀·安吉所言，在经历了痛苦的重建过程之后，爵士计划本赛季踩下油门。犹他已积累了一批引人注目的天赋，但随着这群年轻人学习如何在NBA赢球，成长阵痛在所难免。小贾伦·杰克逊是队内唯一拥有季后赛经验的核心球员。——麦克马洪
华盛顿奇才
安东尼·戴维斯的问题将如何收场？
联盟内众所周知，奇才老板——基本上就是泰德·莱昂西斯——已经厌倦了连续多年的失败，包括上赛季以28场比赛输掉27场的惨淡方式收尾。如今的指令是快速、快速、再快速的翻身，这也是上赛季交易得到戴维斯和特雷·杨的出发点。理论上，状元秀AJ·迪班萨的加入，让这支17胜球队闯入季后赛的设想勉强说得过去。但在戴维斯的问题上，奇才给自己挖了个棘手的坑。
球队曾与杨达成默契，将给他一份大额续约合同——这是让他同意赛季报销的必要条件，否则进入自由市场会损害他的价值——以帮助球队提高获得状元签的几率。奇才如愿拿下状元签，杨也获得了4年2.12亿美元的新合同。
与戴维斯之间却没有这样的默契。尽管他从夏天起就有资格续约，奇才却告知他希望再等几个月再展开谈判。戴维斯周一表示，他将在打完华盛顿的赛季后再决定合同事宜。这可不是健康的球星与球队关系的配方。这就是为什么戴维斯将成为赛季初联盟最受关注的球员之一。也许这次快速翻盘会让奇才看起来像天才，他们的管理层会因这场可能成功的高空走钢丝表演而获得年度最佳高管和续约奖励的赞誉。又或者，戴维斯会像以往那样反抗，局面演变成一场危机。但有一点可以肯定——而且这话已经很久没说过了：奇才将成为必看之队。——温德霍斯特
由生成式 AI 翻译，翻译内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
查看原文：NBA preseason: Answering big questions for all 30 teams
NBA preseason: Answering big questions for all 30 teams
Monday’s media day kicked off NBA training camps around the league and offered a first look at several stars in their new homes. The Philadelphia 76ers had perhaps the biggest offseason, adding Jaylen Brown on July 1 and then the league’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James before the month was over. But the Sixers aren’t the only ones who made big moves.
James’ former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, took a big swing in trading for former Jazz center Walker Kessler, and Giannis Antetokounmpo finally found a new home in the Miami Heat. LaMelo Ball is teaming up with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Ja Morant will look for a fresh start with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Big trades and signings aren’t the only noteworthy storylines coming out of the offseason. Will the Detroit Pistons resolve Jalen Duren’s contract dispute? How will the San Antonio Spurs rebound after collapsing in the Finals? Our NBA Insiders answer the biggest preseason questions for all 30 teams.
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 | UTAH | WAS
Atlanta Hawks
Will the Hawks build on their strong finish to last season?
To be clear, the Hawks’ 51-point loss in their elimination game isn’t the strong finish we are referring to. But Atlanta did account for two of the Knicks’ three playoff losses, and the Hawks went on a 19-4 run with a plus-13.9 average point differential at the end of the regular season after committing to CJ McCollum in the starting lineup.
Atlanta added to the roster this summer – drafting Kingston Flemings in the lottery and trading for ring-earning role players Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins – and is positioned to be aggressive at the trade deadline or next summer, when the Hawks could have about $45 million in salary cap space. – Tim MacMahon
Boston Celtics
Is Jayson Tatum ready to assume command of the Celtics on the court?
Tatum made it a point to get back on the court before last season ended, proving his Achilles injury couldn’t keep him down. The results were mixed in the short term, as his regular-season percentages were down across the board and he sat out Game 7 of the Celtics’ first-round series because of left knee discomfort.
Trading Jaylen Brown was a full endorsement of Tatum’s ability to take the throttle while retooling to get back to championship status. But is Tatum fully recovered from the injury and ready to assume control? – Vincent Goodwill
Brooklyn Nets
Can the Nets go from deplorable to dependable?
The Nets invested in a long-term rebuilding plan: think of those first-round picks Sean Marks held onto in the 2025 draft, rather than attempting to aggregate them for impact players. But then lottery reform happened, forcing the Nets to press the fast-forward button in July.
Trading for Julius Randle upgraded their talent, as did drafting another point guard in Mikel Brown Jr. Can this team look competent without the benefit of knowing another high draft pick is on the way? – Goodwill
Charlotte Hornets
Can the Hornets be a better team after trading two cornerstone starters?
Charlotte has been very methodical in its build, and ownership and the front office have taken strides to avoid falling into the traps that ascending teams can sometimes make when they chase the middle. The Hornets got to the middle last season but clearly the team didn’t believe that LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, both of whom have expensive contracts and will be searching for extensions soon, were part of the rise so they tried to maximize their position by trading both.
The acquisitions of veterans Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder, in theory, augment newly established cornerstones Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. But Charlotte needs to get Miller into an extension that makes sense for both sides – an age-old tale – and Knueppel suffered a moderate hamstring injury that is going to cause him to sit out all of training camp and the start of the season. In a very competitive Eastern Conference, getting back to the play-in might be a chore. – Brian Windhorst
Chicago Bulls
Was summer league a preview of what we will see from Caleb Wilson?
No rookie had the Las Vegas gym buzzing quite like Wilson did this summer. He put up 35 points in his first game as a pro, knocked down as many 3-pointers in one game as his entire freshman season at North Carolina and rounded out his highlight reel with ferocious dunks and a chase-down block. For the first time in years, Wilson gives the Bulls a clear reason for optimism going forward. – Jamal Collier
Cleveland Cavaliers
Can Peyton Watson make a difference as the fifth starter?
The Cavs have been heavily invested in four of their five starters for years – Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the front court with Donovan Mitchell and now James Harden, after a midseason exchange for Darius Garland, in the backcourt. But they’ve had a rotating cast filling out the last spot next to them – Dean Wade, Max Strus or De’Andre Hunter, most recently – all of whom have failed to raise the ceiling of the lineup.
Watson, 24, is coming off his best season with the Nuggets and has the potential to push this group over the edge even more if he can continue his improved 3-point shooting to go along with his defensive chops. – Collier
Dallas Mavericks
How much better can Cooper Flagg be as a sophomore?
Flagg is literally and figuratively growing up before our eyes. He got taller over the summer after his Rookie of the Year season, measuring at 6-foot-10 without his shoes. The fact that the 19-year-old Flagg is still growing serves as symbolism of his seemingly limitless ceiling. Fair or not, Flagg will always be compared in Dallas to Luka Doncic, who was a first-team All-NBA selection in his second season. Conventional wisdom is that Flagg is on the trajectory to ascend to that level of stardom. How soon can he get there? – MacMahon
Denver Nuggets
Can Aaron Gordon stay healthy?
In his six seasons with the Nuggets, Gordon has only improved as a player and elevated as a fit next to Nikola Jokic. His importance has never been greater, but his availability has never been more in question. Gordon sat out 31 games two seasons ago and 46 games last season. Both playoff runs also ended with a hobbled Gordon dealing with a hamstring strain and a calf strain that either had him significantly limited or sidelined.
Denver’s depth has eroded around Jokic, but when Gordon is healthy and productive on the wing, they still have as complete and feared of a five-man starting unit as any team. But how often will he be out there? Word is he is geared and ready for camp. – Anthony Slater
Detroit Pistons
Will Jalen Duren attend training camp, and if so, how long will it take for him to acclimate?
The Duren saga has loomed over the Pistons all summer, and there still is no resolution. Duren was not at Pistons media day Monday and is not expected at the start of training camp, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. If Duren goes the extreme route of taking a qualifying offer, it won’t make for a comfortable situation – along with the unprecedented act of turning down $200 million.
Team chemistry and continuity were reasons Detroit went from 44 wins in 2024-25 to 60 last season, and the roster has gone through changes this offseason. The possibility of an unhappy Duren creates the possibility of a slow start in a stacked East. – Goodwill
Golden State Warriors
When will we see Jimmy Butler?
Butler tore his right ACL on Jan. 19 and had surgery in early February. The early months of rehab went slow, but there was steady word over the summer from those around Butler that his knee was strengthening, his court work was increasing and the optimism about his ultimate recovery was growing. Butler told ESPN in June he expected to get back “to who I’ve always been.”
He will be limited to individual court work when camp opens. A January or February timeline appears to be a soft target, but it will depend on how his knee responds to increased contact once he is cleared. The Warriors’ viability as a dark horse playoff threat is almost entirely contingent on Butler getting back to somewhere near his old self before April. – Slater
Houston Rockets
Will the Rockets finally advance beyond the first round of the playoffs?
Houston hasn’t advanced past the opening round since the 2019-20 season and is coming off back-to-back first-round exits as future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant enters his second season as a Rocket. Season-ending injuries to veterans Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams created somewhat of a gap year for Houston in 2025-26.
But at the same time, several young players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. grew due to increased responsibilities created by the loss of the team’s main offensive facilitator. Will that development carry over to this season for a team that fancies itself a contender? Is VanVleet truly the missing ingredient? We’ll see. – Michael C. Wright
Indiana Pacers
What can the Pacers expect from Tyrese Haliburton?
It has been 16 months since Haliburton’s most recent game when the Pacers put together one of the most memorable playoff runs in league history as he went on an all-time run of clutch performances. How well Haliburton will bounce back from his Achilles injury is a perplexing wrinkle in an Eastern Conference that has become even more competitive since he last played. Can Haliburton reclaim his spot at the top of the contenders or has the rest of the competition passed him by? – Collier
LA Clippers
What will be the fallout from the league’s punishment for the Kawhi Leonard saga?
Leonard is now in Toronto, but it’s not as if it was a clean break after seven seasons with the franchise. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended for a year, as is president of business operations Gillian Zucker. President of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, is suspended six months. The franchise was fined $30 million and will be docked five first-round draft picks between now and 2033.
With all that swirling around, how will this new-look roster with the likes of Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura, Max Strus and Brook Lopez – alongside rookie Keaton Wagler – be able to compete in an unforgiving Western Conference? – Dave McMenamin
Los Angeles Lakers
Will the bet on Walker Kessler pay off?
The Lakers pushed virtually all of their chips to the middle of the table to make a move on the 25-year-old and pair the 7-2 center alongside Luka Doncic’s wizardry. The cost was prohibitive: not just a four-year, $130 million contract, but two unprotected future first-round picks and two future pick swaps sent to the Utah Jazz to make it happen. Lakers coach JJ Redick called Kessler a “perfect fit” alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves before training camp even opened, and L.A.'s president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, defended the gamble by suggesting that it was the only viable way to land a player like Kessler.
“There’s a scarcity of supply,” Pelinka said. “There just is. And if you look at what you could potentially get in the draft or what is potentially going to come in free agency, those centers just don’t exist.”
If Kessler is everything L.A. hopes he will be, it will all be worth it. If he’s not, the franchise will be in a tough spot with roster flexibility. – McMenamin
Memphis Grizzlies
How soon can Memphis return to relevancy?
Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman confidently said last season at the trade deadline that fans shouldn’t expect a long rebuild. And that was before Memphis traded franchise star Ja Morant to Portland. “We’re not starting from scratch,” Kleiman said. “We already have a lot to work with. I don’t think this is some five-year, try to be terrible [by tanking process].”
The current roster features plenty of young talent in Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer, but it appears the Grizzlies might still be a couple of years away from returning to the postseason. – Wright
Miami Heat
How will Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo fit offensively?
After years of trying to add a superstar, the Heat finally traded for Antetokounmpo this summer. Together, he and Adebayo will be one of the most formidable front courts in the conference, but their fit offensively is much less clear.
Both have similar skill sets, play around the basket without much of an outside shooting game – and both would be enchanted by a point guard helping create easy offense. The Heat are going to need a much healthier Antetokounmpo this season to compete in a crowded East and provide enough time to find offensive chemistry with Adebayo. – Collier
Milwaukee Bucks
Do any of these players fit together?
There are no shortage of questions for how Milwaukee moves forward in the post-Giannis era, but in the aftermath of trading a franchise player, the Bucks’ roster will be deeper than it was last season. But with so many capable rotation players, including a mix of veterans and young players, the onus will be on new coach Taylor Jenkins to figure out how all the players fit together on a nightly basis. The Bucks do not own their draft pick this season, which gives them incentives to try to remain competitive if they can find the right player combo. – Collier
Minnesota Timberwolves
How quickly can LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards find the correct offensive balance?
The four-team blockbuster that landed Ball in Minnesota was finalized in early July. Ball has spent a chunk of the past two months in the team’s practice facility in downtown Minneapolis getting acclimated with his new franchise and his new teammates. That has included Edwards, who has been around plenty the past month, attempting to expedite the progression for the league’s most spectacular new backcourt experiment.
It will be a high bar for the Timberwolves to rise into the San Antonio and Oklahoma City tier, but if Ball and Edwards can figure out how to fuse and amplify each other’s talents, they have the greatest chance among West competitors. – Slater
New Orleans Pelicans
Did the Pelicans make a mistake in choosing to run it back with essentially the same group as last season?
It might look that way on the surface. But considering the immense talent on the roster – from Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy to Jeremiah Fears, Zion Williamson and Derik Queen – it’s clear that Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver believed the club’s biggest offseason acquisition needed to be a coach to lead and cultivate all the talent.
Perhaps New Orleans found that in Jamahl Mosley, who presided over a rebuild in Orlando, leading the Magic to three consecutive postseason berths. The talented Williamson will always be a question because of his injury history. But don’t be surprised to see the big man showcase a more consistent jumper this season. – Wright
New York Knicks
Will Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract extension standstill affect the champions’ harmony?
The vibes were great for the Knicks all spring, culminating in a romp through the playoffs and their first championship in 53 years. Towns, the first of several Knicks impact players hoping to get extended, hasn’t been rewarded with an offer he likes, as owner James Dolan issued the edict to avoid the punitive second apron.
If last season was one of sacrifice, will he fight the temptation to set himself up as a factor in a robust free agent market next summer? The Knicks will have the target on their backs all season long, and they can’t afford to be disjointed in any way. – Goodwill
Oklahoma City Thunder
Can Jalen Williams stay healthy?
Maybe the Thunder would have been the first repeat champions since the 2017-18 Warriors if not for Williams’ recurring hamstring injuries that sidelined him for much of the regular season and the vast majority of the playoffs. The hope is that Oklahoma City won’t have to wonder after a summer of Williams working on his body to maximize his chances of staying healthy.
Williams is one of the best two-way wings in the league when he’s on the court – a versatile, disruptive defender who also alleviates a lot of pressure on back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a secondary creator. – MacMahon
Orlando Magic
What will define this season: The Sweeney effect or a big trade?
Last season was a setback for the Magic, who invested heavily into their core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane. But, partially because of injuries, they backslid last season. The front office contemplated major moves last season and into the summer – this is tough to believe, admittedly, because Jeff Weltman has been known for not making trades during his tenure – but it did happen, per sources. Instead they decided to change the coach, firing the popular Jahmal Mosely and replacing him with Sean Sweeney, regarded as one of the top assistants in the league.
The Magic haven’t been able to score when it truly matters and Banchero, to whom they’ve given a max contract, has not consistently been able to be part of effective lineups around the team’s other cornerstones. So it’s on Sweeney to see if tactical changes can make a difference. Sweeney has played a big role in helping the Mavericks and the Spurs get more out of their rosters over the past few seasons. If they don’t, you might see the Magic in the rare position of being involved in trade rumors by midseason. – Windhorst
Philadelphia 76ers
How long will it take for all the new players to come together?
As if trading for 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown wasn’t a dramatic enough fork in the road for the Sixers to navigate, four-time Finals MVP, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, joined a few weeks later. There’s no roadmap for coach Nick Nurse to follow to maximize a group like this, with not only those two new faces, but an ascendent star in Tyrese Maxey and the player who has been “the man” in Philadelphia for the past decade in Joel Embiid.
James, having played more NBA games than anyone in history, has seen it all and is anticipating the discovery period ahead. “We have to have a bunker mentality,” James said on an episode of his podcast, “Mind the Game,” last week. “The only thing that matters is what we preach every day and how we’re going to hold each other accountable.”
James has the experience to know to stay the course, but many of his new teammates haven’t lived anywhere close to the same NBA existence that he has. – McMenamin
Phoenix Suns
How does Jalen Green fit in with this group?
Phoenix was one of the surprise success stories in the league last season, winning 45 games in Jordan Ott’s first year as a head coach and quickly pivoting from the lackluster Kevin Durant era. But most of that winning was done with 24-year-old shooting guard Green in street clothes. Green sat out 50 games because of persistent hamstring issues and in the games he did play, Phoenix went just 17-15. Initially seen as the key player in the Durant trade with the Rockets, it was Dillon Brooks who ended up having a breakout offensive season for the Suns while injuries limited Green.
Green’s absence also allowed more minutes for Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, who both had strong seasons and were rewarded with new contracts in the offseason. Green is in the last year of his deal for $36.3 million, although he has a player option for next season at $36 million. Will he be able to find his stride if he can stay healthy, or will his best skill as a scorer be redundant with Devin Booker already filling that role as the leader of the team? – McMenamin
Portland Trail Blazers
How do the Blazers fit all their guards?
The Blazers made Micah Nori the lowest-paid, shortest-term coach this summer and then gave him a mismatched roster in the middle of a storm about the future of the franchise. If you want to be an optimist, and why shouldn’t one, Nori will probably get universal praise if he’s able to stitch it together for even a middle-of-the-road season.
Damian Lillard is back, both in Portland and from an Achilles tear. That’s awesome. Ja Morant has been acquired by trade after playing 79 games total the past three seasons. That’s interesting. Jrue Holiday, two-time winner of the Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award and winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, is a rock of leadership. That’s wonderful. Former No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson is coming off his best season, but is still trying to improve his efficiency and get a big contract extension this fall. That’s something. Shaedon Sharpe is coming off his best season and is at the start of a four-year, $90 million contract but tore his meniscus and is expected to sit out most of the season. That’s a bummer.
Figuring out how to make all of that work is going to be a huge key to the season. – Windhorst
Sacramento Kings
Can Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis recharge their careers?
Both LaVine and Sabonis have been available for trade during the past few transition cycles, but Kings general manager Scott Perry has not received an appealing enough offer to strike. So both veterans return to a young team in transition, serving essentially as starting placeholders without much obvious loyalty to the franchise’s future.
It would benefit both sides if they play well. Internally, the Kings are intent on making at least a small leap from the 22 games they won last season and avoiding the new lottery relegation zone. LaVine and Sabonis can aid in that, and doing so would also resuscitate their value and perhaps get them to more appealing situations while netting Sacramento trade assets in return. – Slater
San Antonio Spurs
Can the Spurs live up to the hype?
San Antonio entered the 2025-26 season with the goal of earning a top-six seed for the postseason and shocked the NBA with a run to the Finals. Now, the Spurs head into 2026-27 with realistic title aspirations after finally breaking through a six-year playoff drought. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs play in a league-high-tying 34 nationally televised games this season.
How will this still relatively inexperienced team handle the limelight? The front office displayed confidence in the group on hand by bringing in only one player (Tobias Harris) who will crack the rotation from last season. If Wembanyama continues on his trajectory, this could finally be his MVP season. – Wright
Toronto Raptors
Is the Kawhi Leonard-Scottie Barnes pairing a home run?
The Raptors had good news and bad news after last season. They absolutely took a step forward, making the playoffs and taking the Cavs to seven games despite not having starters Immanuel Quickley or Brandon Ingram by the end. Barnes had a brilliant two-way season, maturing into the kind of force they always hoped he’d become.
But the bad news was Toronto had an expensive roster and it was not in a great position to improve it. Plus, there’s a new controlling owner, Ed Rogers, and that sort of stuff gets everyone on edge. So the Raptors had to stick their necks out a little and take a risk and it, surprisingly, was the same risk they took in 2018 when they won the title: They traded for Leonard. Oh, and gave him a two-year, $115 million extension as he was stepping out of the cloud of a massive scandal in L.A.
The idea of Barnes and Leonard, who had a spectacular season in 2025-26, is delicious. Combining two two-way forwards with great size and scoring ability with young Collin Murray-Boyles could give the Raptors one of the best frontcourts in the league. Could. Counting on Leonard has been a fool’s game this entire decade: Good luck to everyone involved! – Windhorst
Utah Jazz
Can the Jazz make the massive leap to competitiveness?
After a painful rebuilding process, the Jazz plan to hit the gas this season, as president of basketball operations Austin Ainge put it. Utah has accumulated an intriguing collection of talent, but there will be some growing pains as the group learns to win in the NBA. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the team’s only foundational player who has any playoff experience. – MacMahon
Washington Wizards
What happens with Anthony Davis?
It is well known in the league that Wizards ownership, basically Ted Leonsis, is fatigued of multiple years of failure that included a gruesome end to last season with losses in 27 of 28 games. And now the mandate is a fast, fast, fast turnaround, which was the basis of the trades for Davis and Trae Young last season. The addition of No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, in theory, makes the idea of going from a team that won 17 games to the postseason a mildly plausible concept. But the Wizards have given themselves a prickly situation with Davis.
The team had an understanding with Young that he’d be getting a big extension, which was needed to get him to agree to shut down for the season – a move that would have hurt his value if he’d gone into free agency – to help improve their odds of securing the No. 1 pick. The Wizards landed the No. 1 pick and Young got a new deal for four years and $212 million.
There was no such understanding with Davis. And even though he has been eligible for a new extension since the summer, the Wizards informed him they wanted to wait for a couple of months before entering talks. Davis said Monday that he will decide on contract discussions after finishing the season with Washington. This isn’t the recipe for a healthy star-team dynamic. This is why Davis is going to be one of the most watched players in the league in the early going. Maybe this quick flip makes the Wizards look like geniuses, and their front office gets a nod for Executive of the Year and rewarding contract extensions because of this innovative high-wire act they might be able to pull off. Or maybe Davis revolts, as he has before, and it turns into a triage situation. This, for sure, can be said – and it hasn’t been in awhile: The Wizards are going to be must see TV. – Windhorst
By NBA insiders / ESPN