For some, the turning of the leaves and the crisp fall air signify that October is here, and autumn has arrived. For others, the turning of the seasons means just one thing: the NBA is back.
After an exuberant offseason highlighted by Kevin Durant joining the Houston Rockets, Damian Lillard returning home to Portland, and the Dallas Mavericks landing the No. 1 overall draft pick after trading Luka Dončić, basketball fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. With so much happening between June’s NBA Finals and now, here are the key storylines to watch for this year across the league.
Injury bug out East
Following three gut-wrenching Achilles ruptures from superstars Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Lillard in last season’s playoffs, the fight for this year’s top spot in the Eastern Conference remains open-ended. However, leading NBA Senior Insider Shams Charania reported that the Boston Celtics “have not ruled Tatum out (for the season)” and notes that the franchise is “cautiously optimistic” about the 27-year-old’s return to the hardwood. “Clearly, Jayson Tatum has a goal in his mind that he wants to play,” said Charania, as evidenced by the recent workout videos surfacing online. “He is moving differently than anyone I’ve seen four-five months removed (from tearing an Achilles tendon),” Charania concluded.
Should Tatum return to action before the playoffs, he will have to hope that his All-Star teammate, Jaylen Brown, can lead the Celtics into a contending spot come April. However, losing bigs Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis leaves the Celtics with a concerning hole in the frontcourt. Yet, with head coach Joe Mazzulla at the helm, it’s difficult to rule Boston out completely.
Although Tatum may yet see the parquet floor of TD Garden in 2026, Haliburton will have to wait another year before checking in at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In his absence, forward Pascal Siakam will look to lead Indiana back to the NBA Finals with a notable young core of Andrew Nembhard, Benedict Mathurin, and Aaron Nesmith. While playing basketball in June seems improbable for the Pacers, head coach Rick Carlisle has repeatedly proven he can win as an underdog. Like Mazzulla, a Carlisle-run team is tough to discount, especially if he has his group peaking at the right time.
A lackluster 2025 postseason performance and relatively quiet offseason have led many to forget about the Cleveland Cavaliers. As the conference’s reigning No. 1 seed, it is rare to see a former 64-win squad disregarded to start the year. Luckily, the one-two punch of Donovan Mitchell and Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley does not seem to care about their underrated status. Following career years for both, the Cavs appear primed for another successful season. While injuries to All-Star guard Darius Garland and wing Max Struss hinder the team out of the gate, Cleveland expects them to make full recoveries before the turn of the calendar year. Winning ways will continue to be the expectation in The Land this season.
The Big Apple is home to the largest market in the NBA, and its fans have high hopes for the New York Knicks to perform well each season. Following a stretch of disappointing years in the 2010s, star guard Jalen Brunson has brought the Knicks back to basketball prominence since joining the organization in 2022. Last season’s addition of Karl Anthony-Towns proved to be vital to New York’s Eastern Conference Finals run, and the stretch big man appears to be settling in well after a shocking trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Knicks opted to keep their roster essentially the same over the offseason, quietly signing veteran guards Malcom Brogdon and Jordan Clarkson to one-year deals. With momentum on their side, Knicks fans hope to crowd the streets for their first championship parade since 1973.
Another scuffle in the West
The Western Conference has historically been a battleground each year, and this season appears to be no exception. While the reigning NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, will presumably find themselves at the top of the standings again, the following spots should remain separated by a slim margin.
In the biggest acquisition of the summer, the Houston Rockets added Kevin Durant to an already prolific young squad. KD forms a pseudo “Big 3” with Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, and joins a more well-rounded roster than he had last year with the Phoenix Suns. However, the Rockets will still have to deal with their in-state counterparts, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, if they hope to make it out of the West.
Victor Wembanyama enters the third year of his career looking to be in the best shape of his life, and his skillset remains uncanny. The 7′ 5″ unicorn and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle welcome the promising duo of Dylan Harper and Carter Byrant from this year’s draft, laying the foundation for another potential dynasty in San Antonio. To the north, the Dallas Mavericks’ No.1 overall pick Cooper Flagg teams up with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson in a dynamic composition of players. With Irving sidelined until the new year with a torn ACL, Flagg may see more room to operate and showcase his underrated playmaking abilities. Should the Mavericks get and remain healthy, they are undoubtedly a threat to win the conference in May.
Halfway across the country, Luka Dončić is coming to terms with his shocking departure from Dallas and returns to the Los Angeles Lakers with a revamped body and mind. After his weight was a concern for most of last year, Dončić’s trainer told Men’s Health that Dončić “avoid(ed) the basketball court for one month in this offseason” to work on his physical health. The result? A slimmer and more conditioned Dončić, ready to dominate the hardwood with a 40-year-old LeBron James. Even entering his 23rd season, James remains one of the top players in the NBA. With two basketball super-computers leading the Lake Show, matchups with their cross-city rival will be as competitive as ever.
The Los Angeles Clippers racked up a quiet 50 wins last season, mainly due to the play of veteran guard James Harden. In Kawhi Leonard’s absence due to injury, Harden worked his way back into star status with averages of 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per night. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how much the aging duo has left in the tank, similar to a group of future Hall of Famers in the Bay Area.
After a 2023 matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN reporter Lisa Salters noticed Stephen Curry looking tired postgame. When asked about his condition, Curry replied, “I’m just getting old,” an inevitable part of the game. Now two years later, Curry and running mates Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green continue to battle the clock. In a race against time, the Golden State Warriors look to add one more championship banner to the Chase Center before Curry’s retirement, hoping the Joker from Denver doesn’t get the last laugh.
Even amidst a criticized roster, counting out three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić is not a strategy other teams want to rely on. Jokić elevates any group of players on the floor, taking them from a stagnant unit to an offensive machine. With the acquisition of Cam Johnson hopefully improving the flow of Denver’s rotation, the Nuggets look to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy yet again, if not stopped by a young wolf out of Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards enters his sixth year in the league primed for a shot at MVP and the NBA Finals. After progressing his game each year, “Ant-Man” looks to take another leap on both ends of the court. However, his play can only take the Minnesota Timberwolves so far without the help of his supporting cast. The Wolves return almost the entirety of their core roster, including Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid. After reaching the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons. Edwards and company look to deliver Minnesota to its first Finals appearance and hopefully secure a championship ring.
