The 2025-26 NBA calendar has flipped past its first 30 days, giving front-office personnel enough tape and data to form preliminary judgments. Over the past week, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps spoke with scouts and executives around the league to learn one key lesson for all 30 franchises. Statistics are updated through Wednesday night’s games.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks
With Trae Young sidelined by a sprained knee since Oct. 29, Atlanta is 7-2 and ranks fourth in defensive efficiency. Executives are watching closely to see if that formula influences the club’s approach to Young, who can opt out of his $48.9 million deal next summer.
Boston Celtics
Despite roster turnover and Jayson Tatum’s recovery from a torn Achilles, Joe Mazzulla has doubled down on a three-point-heavy system. Boston trails only Cleveland in attempts from deep.
Brooklyn Nets
Jordi Fernández impressed last season, but insiders say even strong coaching cannot mask what several executives call the league’s least talented roster. Early returns on Brooklyn’s five first-round picks are lukewarm.
Charlotte Hornets
Rookie forward Kon Knueppel is averaging 18.3 points on 40 percent from three. Scouts believe he is the most serious Rookie of the Year challenger to No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
Chicago Bulls
With more than $80 million in expiring contracts, the Bulls are viewed as a possible landing spot for big names—Dallas center Anthony Davis among them—between now and the trade deadline.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Swapping Sixth Man finalist Ty Jerome for Lonzo Ball has hurt the Cavs’ regular-season offense, which has fallen outside the top 10. A toe injury has limited Darius Garland to 73 minutes.
Detroit Pistons
Center Jalen Duren gambled on himself after failing to reach an extension and is averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and improved rim protection, positioning him for a lucrative restricted-free-agent summer.
Indiana Pacers
Injuries—and the season-long absence of Tyrese Haliburton—have produced the league’s worst offense and second-worst net rating. After reacquiring their 2026 first-round pick, the Pacers could enter the lottery with optimism.
Miami Heat
Norman Powell, obtained cheaply from the Clippers, is posting a career-best 25.5 points while shooting 46 percent from deep, keeping Miami’s offense afloat without Tyler Herro and during Bam Adebayo’s missed time.
Milwaukee Bucks
When Giannis Antetokounmpo plays, Milwaukee scores 123.5 points per 100 possessions; without him, that figure plummets to 102. The MVP front-runner is out up to two weeks with a groin strain, testing Doc Rivers’ creativity.
New York Knicks
Under new coach Mike Brown, New York ranks fifth in passes and third in three-point attempts after years near the bottom of both categories, fueling hopes of an Eastern Conference breakthrough.
Orlando Magic
The club has not finished better than 20th in offensive rating since 2011-12. Off-season acquisition Desmond Bane started slowly—31.5 percent from three on 4.9 attempts—but recent scoring surges will be tested during a daunting nine-game stretch against winning teams.
Philadelphia 76ers
Guard Quentin Grimes accepted the $8.7 million qualifying offer to preserve Philadelphia’s cap flexibility and is now averaging 17.1 points on 40.9 percent from three, vaulting into Sixth Man of the Year discussions.
Toronto Raptors
Health and depth have propelled the 10-5 Raptors to second in the East. Top quartet Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett have appeared in every game.
Washington Wizards
Second-year wing Kyshawn George, drafted 24th in 2024, is shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc and is widely regarded by scouts as Washington’s best player during a 1-13 start.
Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas will explore trading Anthony Davis before February, but executives liken potential returns to the modest Kevin Durant-to-Houston package—solid players and a pick—rather than blockbuster hauls seen in earlier superstar deals.
Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray, long known for slow starts, is averaging a career-high 22.5 points while Christian Braun recovers from an ankle sprain, solidifying Denver’s contender status.
Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga’s role remains inconsistent, and with Golden State up against the second luxury-tax apron, rival teams question whether a trade that satisfies all parties can be found.
Houston Rockets
Houston is reclaiming 40.5 percent of its own misses—the highest offensive-rebound rate on record since tracking began in 1996-97—and owns the league’s top offense despite ranking last in three-point volume.
Los Angeles Clippers
Bradley Beal’s season-ending hip injury, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul’s age, and Kawhi Leonard’s latest setback have left the Clippers vulnerable to sending a 2026 lottery pick to Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are piling up numbers while LeBron James sits, but opponents are finishing 69 percent inside five feet. At 11-4, L.A. boasts top-line talent yet sits mid-pack in efficiency (11th offense, 17th defense).
Memphis Grizzlies
Only 15.4 percent of Ja Morant’s shots are within three feet, down from 39.6 percent as a rookie. Combined with poor outside shooting (10-for-60 from three), insiders expect Memphis to gauge his trade value.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Second-year guard Rob Dillingham is shooting 39 percent overall and 23 percent from deep; Minnesota is minus-14 per 100 possessions with him on the floor, plus-10 when he sits, raising doubts about his long-term fit.
New Orleans Pelicans
A 2-13 start and Willie Green’s firing are compounded by the offseason decision to surrender future first-round picks, leaving no lottery cushion despite promising play from rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
Oklahoma City Thunder
At 15-1 with a 15.3 net rating, OKC is outscoring opponents by 15.9 points a night. Multiple insiders believe 70 wins are attainable if the Thunder choose to chase the milestone.
Phoenix Suns
New coach Jordan Ott has the Suns at 9-6 with a grittier identity centered on Devin Booker, defense and supplemental shooting. Phoenix owns just one win over a plus-.500 opponent but looks positioned for a playoff push.
Portland Trail Blazers
Deni Avdija is averaging 25.9 points—nearly 10 above his previous best—and has already tied Damian Lillard for the second-most 30-point triple-doubles in franchise history, putting him in All-Star contention.
Sacramento Kings
A 3-12 record, Zach LaVine’s benching and Domantas Sabonis’ meniscus tear have league observers speculating on coach Doug Christie’s future and potential teardown trades involving LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or other veterans.
San Antonio Spurs
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle has jumped to 17.3 points and 7.5 assists but remains a sub-25 percent three-point shooter. How he, rookie Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox coexist remains unresolved.
Utah Jazz
Lauri Markkanen is back to All-Star form with 30.6 points on 48.5 percent shooting. Under new basketball-operations president Austin Ainge, Utah could command significant assets if it decides to move the 7-footer before the Feb. 5 deadline.
The coming weeks, leading into the February trade window, will reveal which early trends hold and which clubs pivot as the playoff race sharpens.
Source: ESPN.com
