Every Team's Biggest Question After 2025 NBA Preseason

The NBA preseason is a feeling-out process.

New, and some familiar, faces are getting acclimated to new places. Returning rosters are figuring out whether they still have enough to match or exceed their recent performances. New coaches are test-running new systems. A lot is happening.

Some questions are even getting answered, or at least providing some hints about what the answers might be. And yet, there are still mysteries everywhere you look around the Association.

With the preseason slate now completed, let's dig into the biggest question we're still asking about every team.

Between a bargain trade for Kristaps Porziņģis, an aggressive signing of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the draft-night arrival of another talented, young forward (Atlanta native Asa Newell), the Hawks have assembled a roster that has a quietly decent chance to make noise in the wide-open East.

Are they actually committed to this core, though? Porziņģis is only signed for this season, and Trae Young could join him in free agency by declining his $49 million player option for next season. Atlanta could, of course, opt to solidify the future with both, but it seems like nothing is brewing with Young, and Porziņģis appears in no rush to ink an extension.

In a perfect world, the Hawks would have the right mix of talent, veteran savvy and youthful energy to exceed expectations. In reality, it's possible no one feels super comfortable with their positions with the franchise, and that uncertainty keeps this group from ever jelling.

While Jayson Tatum hasn't ruled out a 2025-26 return from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in May, the Celtics seem like they're approaching this as a gap year. They made a number of financially-driven subtractions this summer, which played a big part in Al Horford's decision to jump ship and join the Golden State Warriors in free agency.

"I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship," Horford told The Athletic's Nick Friedell. "And I think there was a lot of things up in the air—and it just felt like they weren't in the same, that same vision, obviously, because JT getting hurt, that takes a big toll."

While Boston didn't totally dismantle its roster—Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser are still around—this isn't close to the super-stacked squad it had fielded in recent seasons. And the most talented newcomer, Anfernee Simons, buzzed in trade talks almost as soon as he arrived. So, will the bottom line keep factoring into this club's personnel decisions, or do the Celtics still see themselves as a viable challenger in the East?

As wild as it was to see the Nets spend all five first-round picks they possessed this summer, the truly jarring part is that four were invested in prospects who count playmaking as their biggest strength: Egor Dёmin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.

While it's becoming a must for modern teams to have multiple playmakers on the floor, there is surely a point of diminishing returns with that approach. And then you have the typical there's-only-one-ball concern to weigh as well.

How can Brooklyn's young ball-movers all develop without stepping on each others' toes? Is an offense piloted by so many unproven players destined to be disastrous? And will anyone on this roster not named Michael Porter Jr. or Cam Thomas ever look at the basket? Nets fans might want to keep both eyes fixed on the 2026 draft class, because this tank-driven ride could be rough to watch.

Rather than rehash the typical concerns about LaMelo Ball's availability, let's focus on what could happen if he finally stays healthy. This offense might be really fun, assuming Ball is at his best, Brandon Miller bounces back from a rough, injury-riddled sophomore season and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel hits the ground running as a shot-making, smart-passing connector.

This defense, though, could be an unmitigated disaster. Ball has never done his best work (or anything close to it) on that end, Knueppel's lack of lateral quickness could be exposed by the Association's top athletes and there arguably isn't a single starting-caliber center in the rotation. Oh, and the team's top two stoppers, Grant Williams and Josh Green, are both banged-up.

If this offense isn't cracking the top-10 in efficiency—and it was 29th last season—then its net rating will have real trouble escaping the bottom-five.

The Bulls, who are still (perhaps begrudgingly) working their way through a rebuild, have kinda, sorta started to piece together a young core. Matas Buzelis showed promise in his rookie season's second half, Coby White is only a season removed from taking silver in the Most Improved Player running and Josh Giddey just got a $100 million investment in his future.

Is there a franchise player in the mix here, though? Can any member of this trio push for All-Star honors? Because even in a down year for the East, it'll still take some star power to capture the conference.

Granted, that probably isn't Chicago's immediate aim, but what will turn this team toward eventually pushing for something that ambitious? The Bulls seem like they're bound to be back in the play-in race, and they know all too well how difficult it can be to escape the crushing clutches of mediocrity.

The Cavaliers head into the regular season without any major immediate concerns. As long as Darius Garland's toe injury doesn't linger too long, this is a group that figures to factor prominently in the race for the East's top seed.

Once the playoffs arrive, though, that's when some worry could enter the equation. It's not that Cleveland definitely lacks what it needs to contend for the crown, it's that folks still don't know if this core can click in the postseason even though Donovan Mitchell is about to tip his fourth campaign in Northeast Ohio.

The Cavs have yet to push past the second round during Mitchell's tenure, and while injuries have played a part in that, there have also been concerns about the backcourt defense and frontcourt's scoring and spacing limitations. Evan Mobley's leap last season hopefully takes care of the latter, but no one will know for sure until this bunch is back on the big stage.

While winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes gave the Mavericks a safety net to swiftly recover from the Luka Dončić deal, the top pick is walking into an interesting situation. Dallas boasts a deep, talented roster, but it has a funky feel to it.

Having a healthy Kyrie Irving might give it a more cohesive construction, but since he's still nursing a torn ACL, that won't immediately help Flagg figure things out. And, yes, it sure sounds like he'll be the one tasked with sorting out all of the (mostly jumbo-sized) puzzle pieces with point guard duties already on his to-do list.

The 18-year-old is an instinctive passer with advanced awareness, but he's not some dizzying dribbler or the kind of quarterback (right now) who can serve as a primary playmaker. Then again, if D'Angelo Russell gets a little too shot-happy or defensively indifferent in his minutes, the Mavs may not have alternatives until Irving gets back.

The Nuggets' championship count still sits at one during the Nikola Jokić era. That's obviously not nothing, but it's also not quite what you'd expect from the team rostering a player widely considered as the best on the planet for several years running.

It's why Denver got busy building up its depth this offseason. When Jamal Murray's availability issues haven't undone this team, a lack of reliable role players has.

Hopefully, that's a thing in the past now that the Nuggets added Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas, Bruce Brown and Cam Johnson (added at the expense of Michael Porter Jr.) this summer. Add in a healthy DaRon Holmes II, the 22nd pick of the 2024 draft who had his would-be rookie season wiped out by a torn Achilles, and quantity should no longer be the problem. If the supporting cast's quality turns out to be an issue, though, it'll be back to the drawing board.

Cade Cunningham's All-Star ascension, improved offensive spacing and major strides on the defensive end keyed Detroit's 30-win turnaround and snapping of a five-year playoff drought last season. While there's realistic hope for better things to come—the bulk of this roster hasn't even approached its prime—development doesn't always happen on its expected timeline.

Plus, the thing the Pistons arguably need to engineer another leap is something they don't necessarily have: a second star to pair with Cunningham.

They have a few candidates, like bouncy big man Jalen Duren, speedster scoring guard Jaden Ivey and shapeshifting versatile stopper Ausar Thompson. None of them is definitively perched atop a launching pad, though. And if they aren't ready for take-off, Detroit might spend this season trying to sustain its successes from last season rather than build off of them.

The Warriors' re-signing of Kuminga didn't exactly solidify his standing within the organization. Even in the initial reporting of the two-year, $48.5 million deal, ESPN's Shams Charania noted that the team option on the second season was "designed for the Warriors—or another team if and when Kuminga is traded during the upcoming season—to rip up and complete a fresh new contract after the 2025-26 campaign."

So, while Golden State ostensibly kept around a 23-year-old with elite athleticism and knockout-powered downhill scoring punch (two roster needs, by the way), what it really did was keep a sizable salary slot on the books to potentially facilitate a blockbuster trade. Especially if coach Steve Kerr still holds concerns about Kuminga's impact on this core's spacing (and it sure sounds like he does).

As mentioned above, though, Kuminga can theoretically give the Warriors things it otherwise lacks. It's just that there seems to be a big discrepancy in his mind and theirs over how he can be best utilized. He isn't filling a featured role as long as Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are around, so Kuminga must either embrace a limited support role or just bide his time until he's able to join a team more willing and able to extend his offensive leash.

Houston's grading scale went into championship-or-bust mode the second Kevin Durant arrived. Hopefully, the Rockets' young guards are ready to fill the void created by Fred VanVleet's ACL tear, because Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard will feature prominently in their attempt to replace their floor general on the fly.

"I think it will be different guys kind of thrust into a role," Rockets coach Ime Udoka told ESPN's Michael C. Wright. "For instance, Reed, you take Amen, guys that have done it some with Fred being out at times on a smaller stage. We really leaned on [VanVleet] the first few years to be that experience, that IQ out there at the point guard spot. But I think it'll just be a committee, honestly, like different guys initiating offense."

The committee approach could work, but only if Thompson can expand his offensive game and Sheppard can prove himself worthy of holding down a rotation role. If those things don't happen, Houston could wind up scrambling to the trade market, and while it has the assets needed to make a big addition, that would also leave this club racing to find its rhythm ahead of the postseason.

While the Pacers weren't really great at anything last season, their good offense (ninth in efficiency) and above-average defense (14th) proved a potent enough pairing to fuel their Finals run.

Now, though, there's real concern for some potentially significant backtracking on both ends. That's because the quarterback of their offense and backbone of their defense have both been removed from the equation. Lead guard Tyrese Haliburton won't suit up this season while recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 7 of the championship round, and interior anchor Myles Turner surprisingly skipped town in free agency.

Can Andrew Nembhard dramatically ramp up his distributing? Will any member of the center rotation provide sufficient resistance at the rim? The Pacers still have depth and a great coach, but it'll be a challenge to hold even second-tier status in the East.

While every well-seasoned squad features its share of injury concerns, the Clippers feel uniquely vulnerable on that front. And, no, we're not just saying that solely for the presence of Kawhi Leonard, who has averaged 52.3 appearances over the past three seasons.

Sure, Leonard is a part of this concern, but this goes well beyond him, because this roster is historically ancient. They'll almost exclusively rely on 30-somethings, and many of their rotation-regulars have resided in that age bracket for a while.

Their combined smarts might be through the roof, but they can't outsmart their odometer reading. And since they're already a group that can probably only contend if everything breaks right, it might only take an untimely absence or two to torpedo any title hopes they have.

When LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option for this season, his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Shams Charania about a potential disconnect from his client's preferred timeline and the team's.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul said. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future."

James never really walked those comments back, and the front office had seemingly little reaction to them. There were players added—Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia—but the organization stopped short of brokering the kind of impact moves that would have cut into its collection of long-term assets.

So, the Lakers still don't have a great point-of-attack option on defense, nor many high-volume floor-spacers. And who knows whether Ayton can carry all of the slack at center. While a team with James and Luka Dončić will always be dangerous, if that's the only factor in their favor, there's probably a cap on how dangerous they can be.

While the Grizzlies gained plenty of future flexibility with this summer's Desmond Bane blockbuster, they're still clearly hoping to compete sooner than later. If not, 26-year-olds Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. would've likely followed the 27-year-old Bane out the door.

For all of the myriad factors that will determine whether Memphis can make any noise in the West, the biggest win is likely the simplest: Can Morant play often enough and at a high enough level to rejoin the elite ranks.

He booked All-Star trips and collected MVP votes during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, but he hasn't sniffed either while making just 59 total appearances in the two campaigns since. And since he's already fighting an ankle injury, things are off to an ominous start.

Should we add Miami fielding a bottom-third offense to the list of life's certainties next to death and taxes? OK, that's overstating things, but here's where the Heat have finished the past three seasons in offensive efficiency: 25th, 21st and 21st. And, remember, this three-year stretch featured three playoff berths and three series wins, because Erik Spoelstra is a mastermind, and Playoff Jimmy was him.

Even without Jimmy Butler now, Miami could conceivably capitalize on a wide-open East by fielding even an average offense. But how is that supposed to happen? Shot-creation was already a question mark before Tyler Herro had surgery on his left foot in September.

Bam Adebayo is in a two-year scoring decline. Norman Powell faces plenty of sustainability questions following an age-31 breakout, and he's a play-finisher, not a creator. Nikola Jović has had trouble staying on the floor (and, at times, in the rotation). Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis may not be ready. So, it might be another round of nightly searches for scoring chances.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has had multiple chances to shut down trade speculation. And while he at least hasn't asked out of Milwaukee, he has made it a point to keep the door ajar.

"I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "Now if in six, seven months I change my mind, that's human, too. You're allowed to make any decision you want."

This topic, in other words, isn't going away. It could, however, get pushed closer to the back burner if the Bucks manage to sprint out of the starting blocks and look like a real threat to get out of the East. But if they tumble out of the gates and are clearly not part of the championship chase, then trade rumors could get louder or perhaps even result in an actual, landscape-altering type of transaction.

The Timberwolves have forced their way into back-to-back Western Conference finals. Unfortunately, their record in the NBA's penultimate round is a forgettable 2-8.

Four series wins in two years still feels the work of a full-fledged contender, but it still feels like Minnesota is a half-step away from entering that inner circle. So, how does it get over the proverbial hump?

Is an MVP run from Anthony Edwards required? Might it take more scoring from defense-first swingman Jaden McDaniels? Do the Wolves need significant growth from young players like Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark? Could this challenge be great enough that the answer is all of the above? Or are the Timberwolves still a significant trade away from their championship breakthrough?

Joe Dumars was hired as the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations in April and immediately went about putting his fingerprints on the franchise. He was most aggressive around the draft, first parting with the Pacers' top-four-protected 2026 first for the No. 23 draft, then pairing that pick an unprotected 2026 first (the best of their own or the Bucks') to move up to No. 13.

New Orleans now rolls into the upcoming campaign with a pair of lottery picks (Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen), a new primary ball-handler (Jordan Poole) and zero safety net if—or, given this franchise's history, maybe when—things go wrong.

The Pelicans look more talented, but talent has never been their issue. The whole has yet to measure up to the sum of its parts, usually because all of the parts aren't available at the same time. If that's the case again this season, New Orleans could be looking at another wasted season and colossally steep price for its struggles.

The Knicks return the bulk of their key contributors from last season's Eastern Conference finals run, and new head coach Mike Brown is hoping this club is unrecognizable. On offense, at least.

There's where Brown hopes to leave his biggest imprint, and it's also where things went awry during that playoff push. The Knicks lost nearly five full points from their regular-season offensive efficiency (117.3 to 112.7), and they struggled to find consistent scoring support for Jalen Brunson.

Brown is looking for a big change on that end, as he attempts to install a read-and-react system that increases the pace and three-point volume while lessening the burden on Brunson. It sounds good in theory, but there's no way of knowing yet if it'll be any better equipped against postseason defenses.

There's no objective argument against the Thunder being the NBA's best team last season and no obvious reason to believe they won't hold that title once again. They return, almost entirely intact, a roster that won 68 games, (comfortably) set the all-time mark for scoring differential and went home with a title.

That said, these weren't exactly the Sooner State Steamrollers in the playoffs. While they made quick work of the Grizzlies and Timberwolves, they needed all seven games to fend off a Nuggets team featuring an injury-impacted Michael Porter Jr. and an unreliable reserve unit. Then, they needed another seven tilts to get past the superstar-less (and, for much of Game 7, Tyrese Haliburton-less) fourth-seeded Pacers.

None of that diminishes their accomplishment, obviously, but did those series show any vulnerabilities that were otherwise seldom seen? OKC did have some shaky shooting moments, and if there's any weakness with this team, that's probably the one.

No team was worse from range than the Magic last season: not by volume, not by accuracy. And since perimeter woes were hardly a new problem for this team—it was 30th in makes and 24th in percentage the season prior—the front office finally felt compelled to act this offseason.

In short, the Magic converted most of their trade chips into Desmond Bane, a 27-year-old near-star with a 41 percent splash rate over five NBA seasons. They also added veteran point guard Tyus Jones, who has never taken a ton of threes but has made them at a 39.8 percent clip over the past four seasons.

Orlando obviously needed what both will bring, but does it need even more to enter the East's elite tier? This defense is stingy enough (second-best in the league last season) that it shouldn't need to be overwhelmingly great on offense, but history generally holds that it takes top-third efficiency ranks on both ends of the court to contend.

Injury issues might be a threat for every team, but the risk is greater for some than others. And it's greatest at the moment for the 76ers, who careened past their worst-case scenario in last season's 58-win mess and enter this one with still-not-100-percent versions of Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Oh, and Jared McCain, last season's biggest bright spot in Philly by far, will miss the start of this season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb.

Is this core just cursed? Do the basketball gods have some grudge against Daryl Morey or something? Whatever it is, hopefully the Sixers can find some reprieve and soon. If this roster could ever get and remain full strength, it still makes a ton of sense on paper and feels capable of competing in the East.

The Suns were all-in on the Devin Booker-Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal trio until they weren't. This offseason, in fact, is when they pivoted away from their flawed-from-the-start plan of hastily assembling a supposed contender.

"After last season, we said, 'That old stuff that we did? It didn't work,'" Suns governor Mat Ishbia told reporters. "Let's get it done the right way. Let's build an identity.'"

While it will take some time for that identity to fully form—given the amount of unpaid draft debts, it could be a while—the current iteration feels like Devin Booker's one-man show. He should be a monster in fantasy basketball, but he needs a lot more help to make any waves in the West.

Portland has quietly pieced together a supporting cast that would snugly and seamlessly fit around a superstar centerpiece. Now, if the Blazers can only send that star into orbit.

It might be too late for Damian Lillard to reprise his old role as the franchise face, particularly if the 35-year-old will, in fact, miss the entirety of this season. Hopefully, it isn't too soon to ask for that out of Scoot Henderson, although nothing from his first two seasons suggests he's remotely close to making that level of leap.

It's just that if it's not Henderson, then who will it be? Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara are rock-solid on the wings, and Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen intrigue on the interior, but this group is begging for a franchise floor general to lead it. If Henderson can't handle that, the Blazers could again be on the hunt for Lillard's heir apparent.

What are the chances that new $140 million man Keegan Murray can serve as the kind of all-purpose stopper who shuts down attackers of all sizes and play styles? Because Sacramento doesn't have many other places to turn for defensive stops.

Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are all offense-first (borderline offense-only) contributors. They're also the three highest-paid players on the roster—up next is Malik Monk, another player with an offensive disposition—so they'll tasked with leading this team until something changes.

The Kings should be hard to handle on offense, but their defense might be so deficient that it doesn't matter. If they're, say, top-seven in offense and bottom-seven in defense, they'll get left behind in the overloaded West.

The Spurs clearly have one of the best players on the planet in Wembanyama. And, no, it isn't too soon to make that claim about the 21-year-old. If anything, the only thing that might be worth debating by season's end is how many other players will still slot alongside him in that discussion.

They also have some roster redundancies and limitations to figure out. And that puzzle probably needs solving soon, since Wemby might scale further up the ladder following an offseason he described as "brutal," "violent" and "my best summer so far."

The Spurs have three ball-dominant, shaky-shooting guards in the backcourt. Their frontcourt has a few flat-out non-spacers. A lot of their young talent isn't fully established, and some of their veterans might be aging into their declines. It's a bit of a complicated group, but maybe Wembanyama's supreme talent is enough to overcome it all.

You can look over the Raptors roster and come away with the impression that this group might be halfway decent. What's trickier to figure out is how it will be better than that—this season, but also moving forward.

Toronto could've entered a full-scale rebuild while shredding all the remnants of its 2019 title team, but it never really went that route. It really just pivoted toward a younger core that has some promise but could struggle to reach the highs of the old DeMar DeRozan-Kyle Lowry-led Raptors.

Find the superstar among the Scottie Barnes-Brandon Ingram-RJ Barrett-Immanuel Quickley-Jakob Poeltl quintet. It's impossible, right? Well, the Raptors better not believe that, otherwise why are they paying them a combined $156.5 million this season (and even more the next)? Toronto has thrown tons of resources at a team that figures to see its best-case scenario top out around the sixth seed.

If you're a Jazz fan looking for excitement that isn't tied to the 2026 draft class, you're almost surely focusing on the frontcourt.

That's where you'll find All-Star Lauri Markkanen, elite defensive anchor Walker Kessler, Summer League MVP Kyle Filipowski, 2023 No. 9 pick Taylor Hendricks and 2025 No. 5 pick Ace Bailey. If Hendricks finds his footing, and Bailey is more boom than bust, that's a legitimately interesting group.

Or rather, it could be if this unproven (and, in some cases, underwhelming) backcourt actually gets it the basketball. And if this front office doesn't just pull the plug upon the first signs of life knowing it has a top-eight-protected pick to...well, protect.

The Wizards are doing what every rebuilder should do: Throwing a bunch of young talent at the wall and seeing what sticks. Nine players from this round were first-round picks from the past three drafts. There's potential just about everywhere you look on this roster.

What doesn't really exist, though, is any clear hierarchy among the prospects. Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in 2024, and Tre Johnson, this year's No. 6 pick, have the most prospect pedigree, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll stick at the top of this food chain.

While Washington will be juggling a ton of developmental projects during a development-driven season—again, as it should—the hope will be at least a few of these players start flashing building-block abilities. Not all of these players will be long for the Wizards' rebuild, but hopefully at least a few can start shaping its direction.