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The Los Angeles Lakers revamped their roster this offseason, officially making Luka Dončić the focal point.

As Dončić enters his third season in Los Angeles, he has already seen the legendary franchise be sold twice, but the All-Star guard has remained supportive of the ownership changes as the front office has continued to support him.

Dončić has proven he has what it takes to be a franchise star, leading a team to the NBA Finals when he took the Dallas Mavericks to the title series to end the 2023-24 season. The Boston Celtics beat the Mavericks 4-1.

It may take some time before there’s a better idea of what this Lakers team can look like and what that ceiling might be, but there have been some early glimpses during the preseason.

How much better do you think the Spurs are compared to last season? 

Marilyn Dubinski: It’s hard to put a number to it considering it’s almost the exact same team, with only other new talent guaranteed a main rotation spot yet to suit up, but even so, depth and maturity are already big factors that will make this team even better than last year.  There’s still plenty of room for internal growth from three of their best players in Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Caste and Dylan Harper, Tobias Harris brings depth and dimension they lacked last year, and more improvement from Carter Bryant and interior defense from Tarris Reed will help improve bench play.  If nothing else, the Spurs will be less dependent on their stars compared to last season.

Jacob Douglas: From a talent and experience perspective, they are a level above last year’s team. Dylan Harper looks to be making the turn from impressive rookie to a legitimate star guard. Victor Wembanyama’s passing and vision seem to have taken another step forward. Even Carter Bryant looks more confident and aggressive. The additions of Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. give them more depth and physicality on the interior.

I do expect their regular season record to dip a bit, however. Mitch Johnson seems set on experimenting with the three-guard lineup which will likely have its ups and downs, even if it’s for the best long term. With fewer teams tanking and San Antonio more likely to rest players, I think we will see a rockier regular season that could potentially pay dividends in the postseason and moving forward. 

Bill Huan: The team has leveled up on paper, as the young core continues to develop and gel. Even so, it’s entirely possible (and even likely) that they won’t get as far as they did last season, strictly due to the erratic nature of sports. Everything broke right for the Spurs during the playoff run, such as their core remaining relatively healthy, and things outside of their control went their way too: avoiding Denver in the postseason and facing an OKC team without JDub all contributed to the Finals run. So even if the team doesn’t make it back to the Finals, seeing the young core take another step forward should be considered a success. 

Devon Birdsong: I think the reality is that this team has finally reached the place where how good they are can really only be determined in the postseason. That being said, they bolstered their weaknesses at power forward and big man depth. At this point, it’s hard to figure out exactly what their weakness will be, and they still won 60+ games with obvious flaws last year. Unless Hector Banana Bread ends up out of the picture, I’d be shocked if they won less than 60 games. They could probably sleepwalk to that number, and you definitely couldn’t say that about them last year. 

Jeje Gomez: The big bet is on internal development, and it seems like a solid gamble. The names are largely the same, but several rotation players should be better. How much better and how much more cohesive can they be in a new starting lineup is the real question. I think the three-guard unit is worth exploring, but I don’t think it will necessarily get the team more wins in the short term. The incentive to not tank for the worst teams could also shave off a couple of wins. But ultimately, this seems like a more talented, well-rounded roster that should at least be as good in terms of seeding as last year’s squad.

True or false: Anything other than another Finals appearance would be a disappointment.

Dubinski: Mostly false (but we’d be lying to ourselves if we claimed we’d be fine with it come June). With so much parity in today’s NBA and teams barely even making consecutive Finals appearances, let alone winning consecutive titles, I wouldn’t kill them for missing the Finals.  However, anything less than a competitive Western Conference Finals appearance would be disappointing, especially when they (and the Thunder) are a clear tier above the rest of the West, and the East is now the deeper conference with more contenders.  (Unless of course their reason for missing the Finals is blown double-digit leads, then it would be a massive disappointment no matter which way you slice it.)

Douglas: False. But anything other than a WCF appearance would be. The Spurs and Thunder are clearly the two most talented teams in the NBA and will likely be fighting for the Western Conference crown for years to come. San Antonio won’t win all of those matchups. But failing to meet them in the WCF would be disappointing.  

Huan: Absolutely false. As I said previously, everything broke right for the Spurs last year, and their success this season shouldn’t just be evaluated on whether or not they return to the finals. The team could very well take another step forward without going on as deep a playoff run, as success should also be measured in the individual growth of the young core and how they all gel, especially in the three-guard lineup. 

Birdsong: Somewhat true, in the sense that the goal at this point should be chasing championships. Obviously there’s the reality that even the Duncan-era Spurs only made the Finals six times, but now that these Spurs have made the championship round, that’s going to be the expectation, especially as Wemby and Co. continue to ascend (and even more so in the event that they don’t). Yes, the young Spurs made their leap early, but that doesn’t exempt them from the weight of expectation. You can ask the Durant-era Thunder about that. I would say the difference is that it wouldn’t be a hopeless disappointment. With Timmy, it always felt like next year could still be their year. I think the same will be true with Wemby, even when they fall short. 

Gomez: True, I guess. When you make the Finals, keep your entire core intact, and add a few pieces, it feels like the expectations should be set high. I doubt anyone would be asking for Mitch Johnson’s head or for a big trade (not involving Fox) if the Spurs get to the Conference Finals and lose, but this team, as young as it is, is built to win big. If that doesn’t happen, I don’t think it would be crazy to call it a disappointment.

What’s your boldest prediction about the upcoming Spurs season?

Dubinski: Tarris Reed eventually passes Luke Kornet in the rotation.  Kornet was arguably the best backup center in the NBA last season before a disappointing playoff run, and that falloff from the playoffs would have to continue well into this season (proving it was no fluke and/or a sign that he has past his prime) for Reed to surpass him, but it’s certainly possible if it means not having to be too dependent on Wemby. 

Douglas: Jayden Quaintance plays meaningful minutes in the NBA playoffs. He will come back from knee surgery recovery in mid-February, ramping back up to a full minutes load by the end of the season. His defense behind Wembanyama will be so good that the team is forced to give him a role. His presence eliminates last year’s team’s problem of defensive drop-off when Wemby sits. 

Huan: This might be more of a hot take rather than a bold prediction, but I can see Castle sacrificing the most in the backcourt logjam. It’s clear that Harper will be the #2 option long-term with a ceiling higher than Castle’s, and Fox is still needed for his reliable ball-handling and veteran presence. Naturally, that would leave Castle as the odd man out, and I can see a scenario where he seems to stagnate a bit. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as it’s all a part of the growing pains for a young player and letting him develop some off-ball skills will be beneficial for everyone long-term. 

Birdsong: The Spurs will cut through the Western Conference in both the regular season and the postseason like butter, on the way to the title. The preseason is always the preseason, but I think that a lot of Spurs players have largely downplayed how locked in they’re going to be. A lot of the Western contenders have taken roster hits, and the top-heavy contenders in the East still have some chemistry things to figure out. Barring injury and/or the rise of someone or something completely unexpected, I think this is San Antonio’s year. I don’t just think they’re going to win, I think they’re going to dominate. No one is deeper, no one is angrier, and no one else is so obviously on the rise. 

Gomez: One of the three guards will be coming off the bench by All-Star weekend. I love that Coach Johnson is willing to give the combination a try but, at least right now, it seems like the best option is to play a more traditional, bigger lineup, arguably as soon as Tobias Harris is ready to go. The wear and tear that playing four smaller players and Wembanyama during the entire regular season would entail simply doesn’t seem worth it, unless the starting unit blitzes opponents into submission and the stars get to rest in the fourth quarter. I’m not sure that will happen, so I believe there will be an adjustment made midseason.

After two seasons of collecting top picks in the 2025 and 2026 drafts, the Nets seem ready to compete again. Brooklyn has little incentive to lose on purpose, as the Houston Rockets own swap rights to the Nets’ 2027 first-round pick.

Brooklyn already has forward Michael Porter Jr.,who had a career year in 2025-26. With the addition of three-time All-Star Julius Randle via trade, the Nets now have two players to rely on to create shots. But can the rest of the team’s youth join them for the ride? Let’s dive into what this season should look like.

Scoring combo

The addition of Randle should help address Brooklyn’s offense that ranked dead last in offensive efficiency (108.2 points per 100 possessions) last season. Over the last several years, Randle has proven that he can create his own scoring opportunities, averaging over 20 points a night six of his last eight seasons. But where he should have the most impact is creating looks for others. The power forward has averaged at least 4.1 assists in all of the past six seasons.

Brooklyn can run its offense through Randle, who is capable of initiating through pick-and-rolls as a screener or ballhandler. He should also help put Brooklyn’s other players in more advantageous positions to score. A beneficiary from Randle’s presence will be Porter. The small forward is coming off a strong debut season with the Nets, averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 52 games.

Despite the career year, Porter’s efficiency dipped slightly. Adding a scorer and playmaker like Randle should allow Porter to slot into a role as second option with easier scoring opportunities. This year is important for Porter. He’s eligible for a contract extension, so proving that last year wasn’t a flash in the pan will be important for his future with the team.

Despite making three All-Star teams, Randle does have his flaws. He can be careless with the ball, creating turnovers. His defensive effort waxes and wanes on a regular basis. And he’s a career 33.2 percent shooter from the three-point line, making him a suboptimal floor spacer.

But Brooklyn is aiming for respectability, which Randle brings as a proven veteran. And we’ve seen Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez excel in the past despite a limited roster. 

Show-and-prove

The Nets have had seven first-round picks over the past two years. Two of those seven players seem guaranteed to receive consistent minutes: Egor Dëmin and rookie Mikel Brown Jr. 

The sixth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Brown had a decent Summer League. He only played in Brooklyn’s preseason finale after missing time with an injury. At 20 years old, Brown has potential as a shot creator and playmaker at the point guard position. But it will likely take him time to establish a consistent NBA rotation player. 

Entering his sophomore season, Dëmin was spoon fed minutes in his rookie campaign, where he showed that he makes good reads as a passer. Dëmin also shot 38.5 percent from the three-point line. However, he needs to improve as a driver and finisher around the paint to be a starting caliber player. There are high hopes for his second season.

Brown and Dëmin will be given tons of opportunity. And with Dëmin’s 6-9 frame, they both should be able to play in the backcourt together. 

Outside of Randle, the Nets made a couple of moves in free agency, signing center Moe Wagner and guard Keon Ellis to contracts. Reserves Josh Minott and Terance Mann could also see some time.

With very few veterans on the roster there will be opportunities for the five other recent first-round picks. Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf,Danny Wolf, Drake Powell and Joshua Jefferson will all have chances to crack the rotation. Specifically, Traoré, Saraf, Wolf, and Powell are all entering their second season. They will have to show some progress to justify a long-term roster spot past this season.

Starting caliber

To acquire Randle, the Nets had to send mainstay Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal. Claxton’s defense and rebounding had dipped over the past few years. The center’s departure creates an opportunity for Day’Ron Sharpe to start at the five. Sharpe re-signed on a two-year, $20 million deal during the offseason.

Sharpe has been a per-minute darling over the past several years, dominating opposing backup centers by feasting on the offensive boards and finishing around the basket. Over five seasons, Sharpe is averaging 16.3 points, 13.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per 36 minutes. His work on the offensive glass will be a big help to Brooklyn creating more scoring opportunities. When Sharpe is on the floor, the Nets have played better. Teams outscored Brooklyn by 4.3 points per 100 possessions in 1,160 minutes last year, a figure far better than the -12.9 net rating the Nets had in Claxton’s minutes.

The question is can Sharpe be healthy and withstand a bump in minutes? He’s never played more than 62 games in a season and never averaged more than 18.7 minutes in a season. Also, he will now be matched up with the likes of Nikola Jokić, Karl-Anthony Towns and Bam Adebayo, a step up from his days as a backup.

Prediction

The Nets should be better than last year. The addition of a multi-time All-Star like Randle is a step in the right direction. And the NBA’s arrangement to disincentivize tanking of the draft will make the team naturally more competitive. But that also means the competition will also be trying.

Brooklyn’s lack of depth and heavy reliance on unproven youngsters means it’s unlikely the club will be competing for a playoff spot. Dëmin and Brown will need to wildly exceed expectations for a massive leap. Let’s go with 30-52.

The Knicks entered last season with the highest expectations in recent franchise history. This year, they enter the campaign having finally met them for the first time in 53 seasons.

For many that would be enough, but this squad looks intent on repeating, which would break the NBA’s streak of eight consecutive different title winners. 

With the roadmap already laid out for more or less the same roster, there’s no reason New York shouldn’t be right there once again.

Here's SNY's 2026-27 season preview...

What worked

Head coach Mike Brown was brought in for one reason -- to get his team over the hump behind increased communication, a reformed offensive system, and heavier reliance on their depth. He accomplished all of the above, giving the Knicks a blueprint of a championship season they can fall back on if things get tough.

But Brown’s success wasn’t immediately apparent. As promised, he spent much of the regular season experimenting with schemes and rotations. 

At times, that left some members of the team unsure of their roles. At others, the team was stuck in a rut. But everything clicked beginning with Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs in Atlanta.

Everybody comfortably settled into their roles at once, with the big change being how the team utilized Karl-Anthony Towns' playmaking. Each player locked in defensively and flourished as part of the team concept offensively.

Jalen Brunsoncontinued his postseason heroics while mixing in enough off-ball play to keep him fresh.OG Anunoby put together a historically efficient scoring run.

They found basketball nirvana, entering a flow state of ball movement and abandoning any other motives. How much of this can they carry over with the ground shifting underneath them?

What’s changed? 

While the Knicks brought back most of their championship roster, this team isn’t identical to the one that won it all. They lost Mitchell Robinson, their backup center who was a key man all season but especially in slowing down Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals. 

Replacing him is Andre Drummond, another rim-runner with a knack for offensive rebounding, though generally considered a tier below Robinson overall. Drummond will bring durability, free throw shooting and a couple other skills Robinson lacked, but this potential downgrade could impact their title hopes. 

While the rest of the core roster is more or less the same, the conference surrounding the Knicks has improved dramatically. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown after their Eastern Conference Semifinals beatdown at the hands of New York, Indiana is getting a healthy Tyrese Haliburton back, the Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Toronto added Kawhi Leonard.

This, while contenders like Boston, Cleveland, and Detroit remain in the picture. Even if the Knicks wholly recapture their magic, facing stiffer competition makes repeating much harder. 

But perhaps the biggest year over year difference is the black cloud that’s hung overhead the past few weeks -- extension talks. Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride can all test free agency relatively soon, with the front office shelving extension talks until later in the season.

Playing through uncertain long-term security can be a distraction, and if the Knicks re-engage on talks before the trade deadline unsuccessfully, it could open a much bigger can of worms. But all parties seem to want to come together on this, so there’s reason for optimism. 

Finally, how does Brown adjust to all of this? Fans shouldn’t expect him to stay content with last year’s playbook and approach, and to continue experimenting with options through this regular season.

He’s mentioned evolving the Towns hub package as well as working in additional pick-and-roll reps for Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. There’s sure to be additional twists on the winning formula as well. 

What to watch

The Knicks open up their repeat run against a slew of contenders, so the first month of the season will serve as an early test of the team’s preparedness. How they set the pace - hangover or hunger - will tell us a lot about the season to come.

It’ll be interesting to see how else Brown messes with his talent. One name that deserves added attention is Mohamed Diawara, who had an impressive though short-lived rookie season. 

He’s arguably the team’s most tantalizing prospect, and as a big wing helps address a couple needs. If he can keep up his 40 percent shooting clip from three and show a little more consistency in his dribble and defensive games, watch out. 

Then there’s James Wiseman, the former second overall pick that was brought into training camp and earned himself the third string center spot. That may not seem like a crucial position, but Towns' recurring foul trouble and the scarcity of reliable backups make him a pivotal piece.

Can he shake off his injury history to recapture some of his lottery upside? 

Bench ball handling is another point of emphasis, with Jordan Clarkson moving more into a wing role and McBride potentially on the chopping block. Jose Alvarado has been their go-to but can have rough stretches, leaving Tyler Kolek as the remaining option here.

Whether we see more opportunities for Kolek or a trade, getting Brunson adequate ball-handling help proved invaluable during last year’s playoffs and will be this year, too. 

Finally, the age old question for any contender. Now that everybody’s individual sacrifices paid off, will they continue to sacrifice, or will some guys now look to cash in on their own success, especially with extensions and aprons being a hot button issue? 

Prediction

The Knicks have some concerns on the margins, but this group is returning healthy and largely intact, giving them some of the best title hopes in the league. The Knicks repeat as champions, 4-2 in the NBA Finals over San Antonio. 

This upcoming regular season is the most exciting and anticipated one of this era of Sixers basketball and then some. Not only has Philadelphia loaded up their roster with aspirations of winning the conference and more, but over half the East has done the same.

The word bold would normally go before the word “predictions” in a piece like this. Between the reigning NBA champions, some of the biggest offseason moves in league history, and the potential for former powerhouses to return from injured form, this is one of the hardest seasons to predict. None of these feel like particularly bold predictions, but here are five Sixers things I’m expecting to happen this season.

Joel Embiid leads the Sixers in scoring again

Though I don’t expect him to qualify for any sort of scoring title. The big question for this team is how are they going to spread just the one basketball around such a talented starting five. How often that starting five actually plays together will go a long way in answering that question. At the risk of jinxing him, I do think Embiid will be on the court a lot this season barring something really going wrong (knock on every piece of wood you can see).

When Embiid is on the court, he’s the one starter I see the rest of the team bending their game to the most. Working out of the free throw line area, Embiid makes as much sense as any to operate as a hub from the free throw line area. He proved last season that when he’s going offensively, he’s still plenty dominant to command double teams as he tries to attack the basket.

Those double teams will be deadly with the full starting five on the court — there’s just not going to be anyone on the floor the defense feels comfortable leaving alone. If that premise is true, and Embiid is who the healthy starting five functions around, he will be the leading scorer on this team easily.

After wracking up multiple scoring titles, Embiid’s points per game obviously took a big hit in the 2024-25 season when he was only able to play 19 games. He spent a good part of the first half of last season ramping back up into shape and only got on the floor for 38 games, but he still nearly caught up to Tyrese Maxey in points per game despite Maxey’s torrid start to the season. Embiid finished last year at 26.9 points per game compared to Maxey’s 28.3. With all the messaging from the team, including Maxey himself that he’s going to be playing off the ball more this year, I predict the Sixers to have a new top scorer this season. Well, somewhat new.

Dominick Barlow is the best internal option at backup center

Speaking of messaging, I’m not loving what we’re hearing about Barlow out of training camp so far. He’s one of three Sixers who didn’t play in preseason this year with an injury. While Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona are back on the practice court, the Sixers have yet to provide a timeline on Barlow as he deals with some sort of back issue.

The sooner he’s able to get back on the floor the better, as the season-ending injury to Ariel Hukporti has put stress on the backup center position before the regular season has even started. Barlow didn’t play a ton of minutes at the five last season, only 10% of his minutes, according to Cleaning the Glass.

The biggest sample might have been their second round slaughter by the New York Knicks, where Barlow was thrown in there as a necessity with Embiid and Andre Drummond just unable to keep up with New York’s big men. Barlow acquitted himself fairly well in that time, helping provide some of the only competitive minutes of that series.

He doesn’t give you the option to stretch the floor like Jabari Walker is appearing to, he is not going to protect the rim with the springiness of Bona, but he does meet in the middle of those two in terms of rebounding prowess and athleticism. He’s generally been long enough and strong enough to defend centers bigger than him. There will be nights where the Sixers wish they have a bigger look or one with more rim protection, but Barlow is currently the best option to backup Embiid on any given night, and the Sixers should hope he’s able to get back on the floor sooner rather than later.

Tacko Fall plays real minutes

To that end, hopefully this Barlow injury isn’t serious. The backup center situation is such a conundrum because the Sixers can’t do much about it for quite some time. They can’t sign another free agent until mid December, and then they’ll only have a minimum contract to offer. They can make a trade, but those are difficult with how close the Sixers are to their first apron hard cap.

They’re going to have to get creative to eat innings Embiid is not available for, especially if their supposed backup option is already dealing with an injury. Walker and Bona can hopefully fill a lot of these minutes, but they, as well as Barlow, lack the true size for the biggest matchups in the league. While Fall may not be able to provide anything else, he certainly provides that.

It may become apparent quick that Fall, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022, was only on an Exhibit 10 contract that was converted this weekend, and missed most of training camp with a hip injury, isn’t a playable option at all. When the Sixers run into some big teams early, such as the Detroit Pistons on a back-to-back in the first week of the season, they may be pulling out all the stops at the center position.

The Sixers finish exactly as the four seed

This will definitely be the one you can yell at me for. While there will certainly be some growing pains as this group figures each other out, I’m not as concerned with this as others have expressed. Despite the backup center concerns, the roster is objectively improved over the group that won 46 games last year, and there’s enough infrastructure to improve on that.

The problem is the East is loaded and there could be some teams to rack up some wins. It’s been hard to predict the seeding of this conference because I do think the Sixers will win a lot of games — I also think there might be some regular season machines in the East. Of these four teams, I expect three to finish ahead of the Sixers in the standings: the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Pistons and Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors could very well have the best defense in the league. They are going to be annoying to play no matter how many times Kawhi Leonard is in the lineup. Detroit won the most games last season and while they had a weird offseason, there’s nothing to indicate they can’t come close to replicating that regular season success.

The Celtics have been lock for over 50 wins, and now they’re getting their best player back for what they hope is a full season of health. If there’s one team in this group that might fall behind the Sixers, it might be the reigning champions. The vibes in New York haven’t felt great as they’ve struggled to give contract extensions to some of their biggest pieces. It’s also a group that has coasted through stretches of the regular season in years past.

This season I predict the Sixers to have homecourt in the first round of the playoffs, but it will be a battle to get it, which would create a whole lot of discourse around my next prediction.

Four out of five Sixers’ starters make the All-Star game

This year’s Sixers will come just short of matching the 2015 Hawks. Embiid, Maxey, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are all going to have really good years. VJ Edgecombe will too, he’ll make the kind of second year leap that will have everyone in the Delaware Valley thanking their lucky stars the ping pong balls fell the right way in 2025.

He’ll fall just short of making his first All-Star game in his second season for one reason: the Sixers won’t be high enough in the standings to justify their entire starting five making an All-Star game. For better or for worse, team record does come into account in close calls when it comes to All-Star voting. The entire starting five will make great cases this year, but voters will have a hard time putting them all in if there are a few teams ahead of the Sixers in the standings.