The 2026 NBA offseason has already been hugely consequential, with superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown parting ways with their long-term franchises and the future of LeBron James keeping everyone in the league on edge.
Summer league is also now behind us, and teams and fans got a first glance at how the top rookies are shaping up in a professional environment. Top lottery picks such as AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer showed they’re ready for big roles on a big stage as the race for Rookie of the Year appears to be a close one.
Our NBA insiders recap an already busy offseason for all 30 teams, including notable additions and departures, plus what teams have addressed or still need to address this summer in our offseason edition of ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Zach Kram, Anthony Slater, Ben Golliver and Vincent Goodwill) think teams belong after a flurry of free agency moves. The most recent rankings were after the NBA Finals.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City, which is banking on the return to health of Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (calf), will enter the season among title favorites again. The trades of Joe, Wiggins and Dort, who were key role players during the 2025 title run but fell to the fringes of the rotation during last season’s playoffs, were cost-cutting moves that shed $200 million worth of luxury tax payments.
The Thunder filled those roster spots with a pair of first-round picks (Mara and guard Bennett Stirtz) and now have a total of seven second-round picks. -- Tim MacMahon
2. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio decided to run it back with virtually the same team from 2025-26: a squad that shocked the NBA world with a fairytale run to the Finals propelled by a young roster that hasn’t yet reached its full potential. Franchise superstar and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama improved the front office’s chances of keeping the squad together even longer by giving the organization a huge discount on what should have been a supermax extension.
San Antonio also enhanced its roster in free agency by acquiring a savvy, reliable veteran in Harris to bolster the team’s presence inside. -- Michael C. Wright
3. New York Knicks
The champions had one big edict from owner James Dolan: stay out of the second apron. That meant Robinson couldn’t return, and the eighth-year veteran defected to the Celtics with a three-year deal. Replacing him with Drummond is a clean transition for the Knicks, although Robinson’s defensive presence will be missed. The Knicks will still scour the market for another backup big.
Re-signing Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado to deals that were below market projections was a win for the front office. -- Vincent Goodwill
4. Denver Nuggets
If the Nuggets were feeling urgency to craft a new championship formula around franchise center Nikola Jokic, they sure didn’t show it this summer. Hardaway and Valanciunas cycled out of Denver after one-year stints, and Peyton Watson remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. After three years of backsliding since winning the 2023 title, Denver has done nothing of consequence to reverse its negative momentum. What’s the Nuggets’ plan for challenging the rising Thunder and Spurs other than blind faith in Jokic? -- Ben Golliver
5. Philadelphia 76ers
The embarrassment of getting swept by the eventual champion Knicks in the second round of the playoffs left a bad impression on the Philadelphia front office, leading to significant change this offseason. The 76ers wasted no time making a splash, adding Brown and shedding George’s contract. Coach Nick Nurse will have to integrate Brown while also keeping Tyrese Maxey featured, developing promising second-year guard VJ Edgecombe and managing Joel Embiid’s health.
The 76ers have plenty of offensive talent and added more options with Simons in free agency. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Philly. -- Goodwill
6. Detroit Pistons
After leading the East in wins last season and making it to the second round of the playoffs, the Pistons made only modest moves this offseason. They added some shooting in Joe and replaced the departing Harris with the versatile Collins. Detroit, however, is still waiting to resolve its situation with Jalen Duren, who is lingering as an unsigned restricted free agent.
Without taking a big swing this summer, Detroit will be counting on continued improvement from its young core, including Duren and Ausar Thompson, if it wants to be better prepared for the playoffs next season. -- Jamal Collier
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
In perhaps the biggest boom-or-bust deal of the offseason, the Wolves broke up a team that had made it to two conference finals in the past three years to acquire one of the most polarizing talents in the league in Ball. The skills the 6-foot-7 point guard possesses are undeniable, with a seemingly unlimited 3-point range and next-level court vision as a passer. But the 24-year-old’s decision-making on and off the court has caused a head scratch or two.
Still, Ball, Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu combining their offensive talents while being supported by Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels on defense should keep Minnesota in the mix near the top of the West. -- Dave McMenamin
8. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have had a quiet offseason, but as coach Kenny Atkinson noted during a summer league broadcast, they are still waiting on a potentially big addition. “That could be our real jump,” Atkinson said, referring to LeBron James’ impending decision. Cleveland currently has its roster mostly intact from last season.
Despite James Harden opting out of his current contract, the expectation remains that the Cavs and Harden will reach a new agreement. But James’ decision could still swing the offseason. -- Collier
9. Boston Celtics
The Celtics added much-needed interior depth with Robinson and positioned themselves to have greater future salary cap flexibility by moving Brown. Was accomplishing those goals worth splitting up the decorated duo of Jayson Tatum and Brown? That remains to be seen, but George plugs in as an experienced and versatile replacement for Brown, and Boston is set to return the most important pieces from its quality second unit. -- Golliver
10. Houston Rockets
After locking up future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant last summer, Houston kept a low profile in free agency, adding veterans Smart and Bogdanovic to bolster depth and shooting after injuries last season proved they lacked in both areas. Houston wants to rely on the added depth and growth from players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason, as well as the return of veterans Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams.
Plus, Durant’s improved comfort in Year 2 on the Rockets could finally push this team over the hump. Pressure is mounting, considering the Rockets haven’t advanced past the first round in the past two postseasons. Still, general manager Rafael Stone has been steadfast in his belief in the group. -- Wright
11. Los Angeles Lakers
Eight hours before free agency officially opened, James’ agent, Rich Paul, informed the Lakers that his client would be moving on after eight seasons with the franchise. James’ exit signaled the start of retrofitting the roster around superstar Luka Doncic, beginning with a sign-and-trade with the Jazz for 7-2 center Kessler.
L.A. opened its wallet (four years, $130 million) and all but exhausted its future assets (sending two unprotected first-round picks and two future pick swaps to Utah) to close the deal, which could make or break Doncic’s tenure as a Laker. -- McMenamin
12. Miami Heat
Heat president Pat Riley landed his star in trading for Antetokounmpo, but it remains to be seen whether the Heat can persuade LeBron James to return. Until James decides, the Heat have more moves to make that are on hold, such as adding more shooters/scorers and potentially another big. Adding Portis should not be overlooked in the Antetokounmpo deal.
His physicality, ability to score and role as a sixth man provide the Heat with a nice trio of big men with Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, but the Heat will need to replace Powell’s and Herro’s perimeter shooting to help space the floor for those two stars. -- Ohm Youngmisuk
13. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors’ offseason is in a holding pattern as they await the conclusion of the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration investigation. If all goes as Toronto intends and the team reacquires the two-time Finals MVP, then the Raptors will be positioned as one of the top Finals contenders in the East. But if the Leonard deal falls through, Toronto will be running back most of its 2025-26 roster, just with the loss of Mamukelashvili’s valuable bench contributions but the addition of promising first-round pick Allen Graves. -- Zach Kram
14. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks re-signed CJ McCollum and Jock Landale this offseason. McCollum will get the opportunity to see what he can do in a full season in Atlanta after being traded from the Wizards last February and then helping the Hawks take two games against the eventual champion Knicks in the first round. Atlanta made two of the most underrated moves of the summer by trading with the Thunder for Dort and Wiggins.
Atlanta now has elite perimeter defenders in Dyson Daniels and Dort. Wiggins is another young wing with potential to receive a bigger opportunity in Atlanta like Nickeil Alexander-Walker last season. The Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option. -- Youngmisuk
15. Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s most notable “additions” are the return of Tyrese Haliburton, who sat out the 2025-26 season because of an Achilles tear, and the full arrival of Ivica Zubac, who suffered a season-ending injury soon after he was acquired via trade last season. With them healthy, the Pacers should boast one of the NBA’s best starting lineups. Meanwhile, Oubre will help bolster the bench of a team that likes to play a deep rotation. With his ability to run the floor in transition and switch on defense, the veteran wing seems like a strong fit in Indiana. -- Kram
16. Orlando Magic
The Magic’s biggest addition was adding coach Sean Sweeney, who is tasked with making an already stellar Magic defense into an elite one and improving the offense by getting Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane playing their best together.
The Magic’s addition of Vucevic should help. When Orlando’s offense went dry and the Magic lost a 3-1 lead in the first round vs. Detroit, a couple of easy buckets could have made the difference and sent Orlando into the second round. Vucevic could be the answer in those moments and also space the floor with his career 35% 3-point shooting. -- Youngmisuk
17. Utah Jazz
The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade before last season’s deadline -- when Memphis received a package that included Utah’s 2027 first-round pick -- made it clear that the Jazz were committed to making a competitive leap this season. Kessler’s departure lowers the Jazz’s ceiling this season, but No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson joins Jackson, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey as the foundation for the franchise’s foreseeable future. -- MacMahon
18. Portland Trail Blazers
After watching his value dwindle the past couple of seasons, the Blazers jumped at the chance to grab Morant and needed zero draft picks to acquire the former All-Star. They are bringing back the core of a 42-win upstart playoff team but remaking their backcourt with a pair of high-usage scorers in the process.
Morant and franchise legend Damian Lillard (who missed all of last season recovering from an Achilles tear) are projected to start together, and the young core of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan will need to learn how to work around that pair of megawatt personalities and the established Deni Avdija on the wing. -- Anthony Slater
19. Golden State Warriors
As July nears a close, the Warriors are bringing back essentially the same core as the 37-win team that limped to the finish line this past April. Before the market even opened, they worked out contracts with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis to keep their veteran frontcourt intact. They opted for a reunion with De’Anthony Melton over a pursuit of Anfernee Simons with the biannual exception.
There’s some internal excitement about the type of immediate impact they can get from No. 11 pick Lendeborg, but it’s difficult to envision the contributions of a rookie significantly changing the outlook of an older team buried in the standings a season ago and without both of their injured starting wings (Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody) for the first few months. -- Slater
19. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix followed up its solid 45-37 season under first-year coach Jordan Ott with a string of transactions that kept the core in place while swinging for one major new addition in Bridges. The 28-year-old forward averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for Charlotte last season.
The Suns, however, parted with two rotation players in Allen and O’Neale to acquire Bridges, but the 2-for-1 pact could help Ott find minutes for everyone this season, especially if Jalen Green is back healthy from his hamstring injury that sabotaged his first season with the team. -- McMenamin
21. Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte lost two starters, one of them its biggest star, but gained depth -- and valuable draft picks -- with its trades this summer. Even with Ball gone, don’t be surprised if the Hornets lead the league in 3-pointers again next season, as Reid, Allen, O’Neale and a healthy Finney-Smith can all space the floor. They also re-signed free agent Coby White, who joined the Hornets halfway through last season.
But the biggest source of intrigue for Charlotte is whether Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller take more steps forward next season, as the team reoriented its timeline around those two younger stars in waiting. -- Kram
22. Washington Wizards
The Wizards made big moves last season, trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Now they will add the No. 1 pick, Dybantsa, to a young core led by Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Will Riley and Bilal Coulibaly. Ayton gives the Wizards some much-needed depth at center with Sarr returning from a fractured right foot. He also gives the Wizards another center to play alongside Davis if needed. Middleton is another veteran the Wizards hope will help their team take the next step to playoff contender. -- Golliver
23. Dallas Mavericks
New team president Masai Ujiri is taking a patient approach as the franchise focuses on building around teenage phenom Cooper Flagg, and now the Mavs have added another No. 1 pick in Risacher (2024) after a three-team deal. Three rookies -- lottery pick Morez Johnson Jr., first-rounder Sergio de Larrea and EuroLeague veteran Tarik Biberovic -- will have an opportunity to immediately earn a role.
Multiple veterans on the roster are known to be available in the trade market, but Kyrie Irving is not included in that group. -- MacMahon
24. LA Clippers
The Clippers agreed to trade franchise forward Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and significant draft compensation, but the deal is on hold until the NBA finally releases the results of an investigation into Leonard. Assuming the Leonard trade eventually goes through, the Clippers will have executed a swift pivot to a youth movement after opening last season as the league’s oldest team.
With that said, LA, which hasn’t yet re-signed restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, is likely headed for a short-term step back in the standings. -- Golliver
25. Chicago Bulls
No rookie had Las Vegas summer league buzzing more than Wilson. In four games, he averaged 23.5 points on 50% shooting (42% from 3), 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.5 blocks. Take his summer league production with a grain of salt, but the No. 4 pick gives the Bulls a sense of direction the organization hasn’t had in years.
His development alongside fellow young players such as Matas Buzelis, Swain (No. 15 pick) and Noa Essengue, last year’s No. 12 pick who missed nearly his entire rookie season because of a left shoulder injury, will be key to a successful Bulls season. -- Collier
26. Memphis Grizzlies
General manager Zach Kleiman predicted a speedy rebuild after the trade deadline, and he used the offseason to execute that vision with a busy summer highlighted by the selection of Boozer with the No. 3 pick. The addition of Boozer enhances the young core led by Cedric Coward and big man Zach Edey, who played just 11 games last season before eventually undergoing season-ending left ankle surgery.
The club also finally jettisoned Morant while landing a potential starter in Grant. The Morant trade marked the final piece in the teardown of what was once one of the league’s rising young cores. But along the way, Kleiman acquired young talent and assets while cleaning up the team’s cap sheet. -- Wright
27. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans needed a summer shake-up as badly as any team in the league, so it’s baffling they have punted to this point. Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, lottery picks in 2025, enter their second seasons fighting with veterans for minutes, and new coach Jamahl Mosley has his hands full making sense of a roster filled with mismatched pieces. Looney’s departure after one injury-plagued season isn’t a big hit, but the real cost of a stagnant offseason is lost time.
New Orleans, which staggered to 26 wins last season, needed to spend this summer getting to work on its next chapter. Will Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson ever be traded? -- Youngmisuk
28. Brooklyn Nets
The new lottery rules prompted the Nets to accelerate their rebuild and trade for Randle, a former Knick who returns to New York after two years in Minneapolis. Brown (the No. 6 pick) was one of the most promising point guards in this year’s draft class, exploding onto the scene in his single season at Louisville following his performance on the U19 national team in 2025. He joins a team that has a plethora of young point guards.
There’s also an infusion of veteran talent, including Ellis, who the Nets hope will help lead this young group after being the odd man out in Cleveland during the playoffs. -- Goodwill
29. Milwaukee Bucks
It’s a new era for the Bucks after trading Antetokounmpo, ending a 13-year run of trying to compete with him at the forefront. Milwaukee has a deep rotation after gaining four players from Miami in the return to add to the mix of Myles Turner, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. -- another reason the Gary Trent Jr. signing baffled many around the league -- plus a pair of rookie lottery picks they hope will benefit from playing alongside so many veterans.
The Bucks are rebuilding, but they don’t own their own draft pick next season and will try to be competitive. -- Collier
30. Sacramento Kings
The Kings’ front office appears to be all-in on a not-so-subtle youth movement, letting their two leaders in total points from a season ago (DeRozan and Westbrook) depart while backfilling the roster with three rookies expected to step in to immediate roles. Acuff, the No. 7 pick and likely starting point guard, is the high-usage headliner. He just fired up 100 shots in five summer league games.
Around him, Acuff still has Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray -- the theoretical shell of a mildly intriguing offensive group (and questionable defensive group) if Acuff can prove to be a capable scorer and facilitator in his age-20 season. -- Slater
