NBA season preview: Rankings, predictions and what to know for all 30 teams

It has been 120 days since MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder raised the Larry O'Brien Trophy successful a grueling seven-game Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

Now, determination is lone 1 time until the commencement of the 2025-26 NBA season, and excitement looms arsenic players and teams hole for the agelong roadworthy to the postseason.

The league, arsenic always, looks a batch antithetic than a play ago. Superstar Kevin Durant volition marque his Houston Rockets debut, and Damian Lillard, who volition miss the play due to the fact that of a torn Achilles, has returned to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Injuries person besides shaken up some conferences. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are retired for the play aft tearing their Achilles tendons, leaving the East wide open. And Kyrie Irving, aft tearing his ACL past season, has nary steadfast timeline for erstwhile he'll beryllium backmost for the Dallas Mavericks.

However, Dallas is acceptable to debut its 2025 No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, who has already been turning heads. Along with Flagg, determination is simply a plethora of rookies acceptable to interaction the league this season, including San Antonio Spurs No. 2 prime Dylan Harper.

But we can't hide astir the superstar veterans. LeBron James enters his NBA-record 23rd season, looking to adhd a 5th title to his accomplishments. But who is adjacent to marque that adjacent level leap?

Our NBA insiders previewed each 30 teams for the 2025-26 NBA season, broke down what they'll beryllium watching, elaborate each team's biggest spot and interest and added their bold (but realistic) predictions.

Note: Team rankings are based connected wherever members of our sheet (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Kevin Pelton, Vincent Goodwill, Zach Kram and Anthony Slater) deliberation teams beryllium heading into this season. ESPN Research's Matt Williams besides contributed to this story.

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