Preseason Check-In: Key Developments for 14 NBA Title Hopefuls
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The 2025-26 NBA season tips Tuesday in Oklahoma City, where the reigning champion Thunder will raise their first banner before facing former franchise cornerstone Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. As exhibition play winds down, several contenders have already revealed early trends, injury updates and lineup questions.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks
Training camp opened with a rare sight in Atlanta: an empty trainer’s room. Newcomers Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard have joined a healthy group led by Trae Young. Forward Jalen Johnson, back from left-shoulder surgery that ended his 2024-25 campaign, scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 25 minutes against Memphis. Coach Quin Snyder said Johnson’s defensive growth will be critical as the Hawks chase a step forward.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland’s depth will be tested immediately. Guard Max Strus is expected to miss several months with a Jones fracture in his left foot, while Darius Garland is sidelined for the season’s opening weeks after turf-toe surgery. Newly acquired Lonzo Ball will not play back-to-backs, and veterans De’Andre Hunter and Dean Wade carry long injury histories. The club, top seed in the East last spring, enters another season managing health concerns.
Detroit Pistons
Third-year wing Ausar Thompson has been handed greater playmaking duties. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff used Thompson as a change-of-pace ball handler alongside Cade Cunningham, especially with Jaden Ivey easing back from left-fibula discomfort. Team insiders say Cunningham’s strong preseason suggests last year’s breakthrough was no anomaly.
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains committed to Milwaukee for now, but the two-time MVP continues to signal he will not settle for anything short of championship contention. After three straight first-round exits, the Bucks face heightened pressure to advance deep into the playoffs.
New York Knicks
The organization’s offseason dialogue with Milwaukee about Antetokounmpo could hover over the locker room for months. On court, new coach Mike Brown wants faster pace and more three-point attempts; four preseason games suggest that overhaul is still in progress. A soft early schedule may offer an early gauge of Brown’s system.
Orlando Magic
Healthy starts for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are welcome after the duo missed 58 combined games last season with oblique injuries. Guards Jalen Suggs (left knee) and Mo Wagner (torn left ACL) remain out. Orlando added Desmond Bane and is pushing tempo; 104 possessions per game through three exhibitions contrast sharply with last year’s league-low 96.5. Improving a 31.8% three-point mark is a priority.
Philadelphia 76ers
For the moment, Joel Embiid looks on track for opening night against Boston on Oct. 22. The reigning MVP has practiced regularly, took part in Sunday’s open scrimmage and is slated to play Friday versus Minnesota, a change from last year’s wait-and-see preseason due to knee issues.
Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks
General manager Nico Harrison preaches “defense wins championships,” but Dallas is still searching for perimeter answers. Coach Jason Kidd experimented after Charlotte poured in 95 points through three quarters, assigning 35-year-old Klay Thompson to LaMelo Ball. With D’Angelo Russell resting against Utah, Kidd tried a starting group featuring P.J. Washington and 18-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg as lead creator.
Golden State Warriors
Veteran center Al Horford has blended smoothly with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, but coach Steve Kerr plans to monitor Horford’s minutes. Kerr hinted at a small lineup that could include Moses Moody and rookie Brandin Podziemski; Moody’s left-calf strain clouds his availability. The tentative opening group: Curry, Podziemski, Butler, Green and Horford.
Houston Rockets
Coach Ime Udoka is confident the Rockets can absorb point guard Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury by sharing ball-handling duties. Early exhibitions have featured Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson initiating sets, with Kevin Durant and second-year guard Reed Sheppard also facilitating.
LA Clippers
An ongoing NBA investigation involving the franchise has not slowed preseason momentum. Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points in 18 minutes in one outing and 17 in 19 in another. New faces Brook Lopez, John Collins and returning guard Chris Paul have integrated quickly. The Clippers possess one of the league’s oldest yet deepest rosters, potentially easing the workload on veterans.
Los Angeles Lakers
Hopes for an extended, uninterrupted camp fell short. LeBron James has dealt with sciatica and missed all preseason action, while Luka Dončić carried a reduced workload after summer EuroBasket play. New guard Marcus Smart (Achilles), forward Maxi Kleber (quad) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee) were also limited. Coach JJ Redick summarized, “These are the cards we were dealt.”
Oklahoma City Thunder
Finals standout Jalen Williams is unlikely to suit up opening night while he rehabs the right-wrist ligaments he tore during last postseason. The All-NBA wing, who underwent surgery July 1, has only recently resumed shooting with his right hand and has not been cleared for contact. “Whenever I feel like I can be a hundred percent … then I’ll rock out,” Williams said.
San Antonio Spurs
First-year head coach Mitch Johnson, promoted after working under team president Gregg Popovich, is installing fresh concepts that emphasize speed and athleticism. Victor Wembanyama said the staff crafted “a more extended plan” this summer, while veteran Harrison Barnes noted noticeable changes in daily processes as the Spurs look to play faster.
The NBA’s dress rehearsal phase ends this week. When the regular season begins, the league will quickly learn whether these early developments hold—or merely reflected October experimentation.
Source: ESPN.com
