TITLE: Durant-to-Houston deal tops insiders’ list of offseason wins; Pelicans draw most criticism in annual NBA survey
SLUG: durant-trade-headlines-2025-nba-off-season-survey
CONTENT:
The NBA preseason countdown has begun, and with media days set for Tuesday, ESPN surveyed 20 coaches, scouts and front-office executives to gauge reactions to the 2025 offseason and expectations for the 2025-26 campaign.
MVP favorite and current best player
Projected 2025-26 MVP: Nikola Jokić (7 votes) narrowly edged Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5) and Luka Dončić (4). Victor Wembanyama (2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (1) and Anthony Edwards (1) also received support.
Best player right now: Jokić dominated, collecting 19 of 20 votes; Dončić claimed the lone remaining ballot.
Looking ahead
Best player in 2030: Wembanyama (16) was the runaway choice, followed by Dončić (2), Gilgeous-Alexander (1) and Jayson Tatum (1).
Best American player today: Stephen Curry (11) led Anthony Edwards (8) and Donovan Mitchell (1).
Best American player in five years: Edwards (11) finished ahead of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg (5), Tatum (2), Paolo Banchero (1) and Jalen Williams (1).
Rookie projections
Rookie of the Year: Flagg (19) was nearly unanimous; Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel (1) prevented a sweep.
Best 2025 draft prospect in five years: Flagg (18) again led, with Dylan Harper (1) and Ace Bailey (1) receiving single votes.
LeBron James watch
Respondents were split on where LeBron James will open the 2026-27 season: Los Angeles Lakers (7), retired (5), Cleveland Cavaliers (4), Golden State Warriors (2), Dallas Mavericks (1) and Miami Heat (1).
Offseason scorecard
Best overall offseason: Atlanta Hawks (7) topped Denver Nuggets (4), Houston Rockets (3), Oklahoma City Thunder (2), Orlando Magic (2), LA Clippers (1) and Lakers (1).
Worst overall offseason: New Orleans Pelicans (9) led Phoenix Suns (4), Sacramento Kings (2), Chicago Bulls (1), Lakers (1), Memphis Grizzlies (1), Philadelphia 76ers (1) and Portland Trail Blazers (1).
Individual moves
Best move: Rockets acquiring Kevin Durant (11) beat Magic landing Desmond Bane (5), Hawks obtaining the Pelicans’ lottery pick (2), Nuggets trading for Cameron Johnson (1) and Lakers re-signing Dončić (1).
Worst move: Pelicans surrendering an unprotected pick swap (11) topped Trail Blazers trading for Jrue Holiday (3), Suns waiving and stretching Bradley Beal (3), Pacers losing Myles Turner in free agency (1), Suns trading for Mark Williams (1) and Kings signing Dennis Schröder (1).
Most surprising move: Milwaukee Bucks signing Turner after waiving and stretching Damian Lillard (16) dwarfed smaller surprises such as the Hawks adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker (1), Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau (1), Trail Blazers trading for Holiday (1) and Jonathan Kuminga staying with Golden State (1).
Offseason trends
Respondents cited luxury-tax maneuvering—especially efforts to avoid the second apron—as the top trend (7 votes). Other themes included prioritizing size (6), youth and depth (4), the quiet free-agency market (1), restricted free agents getting squeezed (1) and the rise in waiving and stretching contracts (1).
Conference and championship forecasts
Eastern Conference champion: Cleveland Cavaliers (9) edged New York Knicks (7), with the Hawks (2), Milwaukee Bucks (1) and Magic (1) also in the mix.
Western Conference champion: Defending champion Thunder (18) were overwhelming favorites, with the Nuggets (2) the only other team named.
NBA champion: Thunder (18) received nearly unanimous backing; Denver (2) claimed the remaining votes.
The survey was conducted before training camps open next week, offering an early snapshot of league sentiment ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Source: ESPN
