By Ryan Ottiger, Staff Writer
Following a long offseason of blockbuster deals, key signings and another incredible draft class, the 2026-27 NBA season is officially underway.
This summer, the Philadelphia 76ers went for the biggest splashes on the market, acquiring five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown from their rival, the Boston Celtics. This was in exchange for Paul George and four draft picks. LeBron James also joined the 76ers in free agency.
Even with the star acquisitions, the 76ers maintained their core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, allowing them to run a star-studded lineup. This makes them one of the top picks for an NBA championship this year.
The Miami Heat is another team that went all-in on stardom, trading for one of the greatest players of the modern NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was exchanged for Tyler Herro, some role players and draft picks.
The benefit of acquiring Antetokounmpo is huge, but the basketball fit alongside Bam Adebayo, combined with a weaker guard room, may make the Heat less likely to contend for an NBA championship.
After a surprising season last year, the Toronto Raptors reacquired Kawhi Leonard, who led the team to a championship in his only season with the franchise in 2019. Leonard is now set to join a Raptors team featuring a potentially emerging superstar in Scottie Barnes. This makes Toronto one of the top teams in next year’s Eastern Conference.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are the last highly competitive team to have made major roster changes, adding star point guard LaMelo Ball in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets. The Timberwolves have been a competitive playoff team for the last half-decade, and they hope Ball’s addition will give them a better chance against the top-heavy teams in San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
Last year’s top three teams, the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder also made moves during the offseason. The Knicks lost their vital backup center, Mitchell Robinson, and brought in Andre Drummond as his replacement.
The Spurs kept their entire core together and signed Tobias Harris to provide more size and scoring at forward. They also drafted backup centers Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. to play behind Victor Wembanyama.
The Thunder lost Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe but drafted University of Michigan star center Aday Mara and University of Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz to help avenge their loss to the Spurs in last year’s Western Conference finals.
The offseason shakeups have significantly strengthened the Eastern Conference, especially with Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton returning from injury after leading the team to a near NBA championship title.
The likely tiers for each conference are as follows:
Western Conference
The Juggernauts: San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder
Dark Horses: Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers
Playoff Hopefuls: Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors
The Rest: Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings
Eastern Conference
Most Likely Finals Bets: New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers
Less Likely Finals Bets: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks
Wildcards: Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic
The Rest: Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls
Of the two conferences, the East seems much harder to gauge, with most teams likely believing they can reach the NBA Finals in June. The West is likely to be a battle between the Spurs and Thunder, with both teams being incredibly young, dominant and deep, led by MVP frontrunners Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The path for other Western Conference teams to get past those two groups seems less plausible than in the East, where the talent is more evenly distributed.
There are also many key storylines to watch this season. The last time the NBA had a repeat champion was in 2018, when the Golden State Warriors won their second consecutive title during their all-time great dynasty.
The Spurs and Thunder will look to get revenge after last season, while the Pacers hope to return to the championship hunt with Haliburton’s return from injury.
Considering the top-heavy Western Conference, rejuvenated Eastern Conference, loaded rookie class and compelling storylines, this NBA season is lining up to be great once again.