A new NBA season is just days away, and it promises to be the most fascinating and dramatic campaign in ages. Here are 15 key storylines to follow throughout 2026-27.
New-look Sixers: Superteam or trainwreck?
Whether you're a fan rooting for LeBron James or a hater praying for his downfall, you'll probably tune in. The fact that he'll now play on a team that also features Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and the equally divisive Jaylen Brown only makes James' record-setting 24th season more fascinating.
Mix in sophomore V.J. Edgecombe, the sideline histrionics of head coach Nick Nurse, and the general impatience of Philadelphia's rabid fan base, and the Sixers are easily the league's must-watch team, for better or worse.
The 76ers will have an overwhelming talent advantage most nights, and they clearly boast the Eastern Conference's highest ceiling. But between Embiid's injury concerns, James' age, Brown's debatable on-court value, a lack of depth, and serious defensive questions, Philly also has serious disaster potential.
Contract talks threaten to derail Knicks
The Knicks rode two-way dominance and a palpable camaraderie all the way to a championship last spring, ending the basketball world's most infamous drought. However, contract disputes with key extension-eligible rotation players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride threaten to erode that team spirit.
"Once you have a pretty good culture, it could be gone like that," head coach Mike Brown told theScore, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
Towns' stalled extension talks were the story of the preseason, and the Knicks eventually announced they've ceased all extension-related negotiations until later in the season. In addition, notorious team owner James Dolan announced shortly after winning the title that New York would avoid going over the second apron, which led to the departure of reserve center Mitchell Robinson.
Towns and his teammates are saying the right things about taking care of the task at hand, but it feels like some air has already been let out of the balloon. For his part, Brown believes the culture the Knicks have established will prevent the off-court distractions from carrying over to the hardwood.
"It helps a lot when you have a group like we do," Brown said before a preseason loss in Toronto. "We have our standard written down, and everybody signs it. It's similar to a contract. This way, it allows all of us - starting from the top to down - to hold each other accountable. We have good guys that are about the right stuff, that are all-in, and that have embraced our culture and our standard. That's something that we've leaned on when we go through challenging times or adversity."
Still, addressing such questions isn't how any champion wants to begin its title defense, especially in a deep and vastly improved East.
Can anyone stop Spurs vs. Thunder WCF?
When the Spurs and Thunder locked horns in the 2026 West finals, it was widely assumed to be the first of many chapters in what will become an annual rite.
Nothing that's happened since has knocked either team's trajectory off course. The West arguably got weaker, the Spurs added veteran scorer and floor-spacer Tobias Harris to its otherwise untouched core, and the Thunder replaced Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins with prime-time-ready rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz. Oklahoma City should also benefit from a healthier version of star forward Jalen Williams.
There's a reason the Thunder and Spurs have over/under win-totals of 60-plus, while no other West foe has a preseason line above 48.5.
Kawhi's Raptors reunion
After a scandalous year that ended in devastating cap-circumvention penalties for Kawhi Leonard's former team and a $700,000 slap on the wrist for the future Hall of Famer, Leonard returns to Toronto fully capable of taking the Raptors back to the promised land.
Even though Leonard only spent one of his first 15 seasons in Toronto, in many ways, it feels like the prodigal son has come home. As investigative journalists (and perhaps federal prosecutors) continue to probe his sketchy off-court dealings with the Clippers, Leonard has turned a new leaf north of the border. The famously quiet and stoic star has been more open, lighthearted, and accessible than ever. He also has the support of a rising young core led by two-way star Scottie Barnes.
If Leonard remains healthy enough to build on what was one of the best seasons of his career last year, he and his new (old) team should factor into a crowded field of East contenders. Either way, the 35-year-old will continue to generate headlines.
The Greek Freak takes South Beach
Giannis Antetokounmpo's 13-year run in Milwaukee - and his annual place in trade rumors - finally ended with a blockbuster trade to Miami. Now, the Greek Freak takes up the torch of Heat Culture and aims to become the latest legend to carry Miami to a title.
The Heat don't appear to have the type of playmaking and off-the-dribble creation to contend immediately, but between a defense anchored by Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, an impressive collection of shooters that now includes Klay Thompson, and the usual ingenuity of head coach Erik Spoelstra, this is not a team to sleep on.
Even in an injury-riddled season last year, Antetokounmpo still impacted winning like few superstars can. An overmatched Bucks team that played like a bottom-three squad when Antetokounmpo sat (minus-9.7 points per 100 possessions) performed like a top-10 club with the star forward on the court (plus-4.4 net rating).
As Spoelstra told reporters before a preseason game in Quebec City, Antetokounmpo and the Heat share an obsession with winning. "It’s very important to him. That’s our language," Spoelstra said.
This might be a match made in heaven.
Can LaMelo lift Wolves to new heights?
Timberwolves president Tim Connelly deserves credit for his unrelenting pursuit of a championship for Minnesota. But in trading Julius Randle, Naz Reid, control of four first-round draft picks, and seven picks overall for LaMelo Ball, Connelly might have finally spent his remaining chips.
Ball, an outrageously gifted playmaker and offensive talent, gives Anthony Edwards the most dynamic backcourt partner of his career. There's certainly a contending-level ceiling and a scenario where Minnesota is the league's most entertaining team.
However, Ball has a reputation as a deeply unserious star both on and off the court, he's missed an average of more than 30 games per 82 contests in his six-year career, and he hasn't played a minute of playoff basketball. There's a reason Charlotte traded Ball immediately after one of the franchise's best seasons.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch made headlines recently when he said Minnesota "traded moodiness for giddiness," which was largely perceived as a jab at Randle and a celebration of Ball. However, most seem to have ignored the other part of Finch's quote: "We've got to kind of get back to some sort of equilibrium."
Ball's arrival gives Minnesota massive boom-or-bust potential.
Will Boston get the last laugh?
The Celtics were clowned for seemingly selling low on Jaylen Brown after the former Finals MVP's career year, trading Brown to Philadelphia just months after Boston was eliminated by its hated rival. Don't be surprised if the Celtics get the last laugh.
Jayson Tatum should be closer to his All-NBA form after his late-season return from a 2025 Achilles injury. Head coach Joe Mazzulla always seems to get more out of his teams than the sum of their parts. And the new-look Celtics are quietly a more cohesive club.
At this stage of their respective careers, Paul George can't shoulder the same high-volume offensive usage as Brown, and Boston will miss the latter's downhill pressure. But if you're looking for a 3-and-D wing player who fits Mazzulla's preferred style of play, George is the less intrusive, more seamless fit. George's durability is a concern, but if he can stay even relatively healthy, he should help Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and company rack up a bunch of regular-season wins.
In addition, the newly acquired Mitchell Robinson and underrated center Neemias Queta will make Boston one of the league's best offensive-rebounding teams.
Hali's return ... and revenge
The last time we saw Tyrese Haliburton playing (non-preseason) basketball, he got his Pacers within one win of what would've been the most stunning championship run in decades - if not ever - before tearing his Achilles.
Few players are capable of maximizing the talent around them and driving offensive success like Haliburton, who averaged 20 points and 10 assists on 61% true shooting over his last three seasons. He now returns to a Pacers squad that's added underrated two-way center Ivica Zubac to a supporting cast that still features Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith, among others.
Indiana is almost unanimously projected to be a play-in club. Expect that perceived disrespect to fuel Haliburton's revenge tour.
The Joker's contract year
The only reason this storyline is so low on our list is because Nikola Jokic maintains that he'll sign a new contract with the Nuggets next year, when he'll become eligible for an NBA-record, $359.5-million deal.
That said, until pen is put to paper, the vultures will circle, looking for any hint of trouble in Denver. We're talking about a three-time MVP who just averaged a roughly 28-point triple-double last season. As long as he's a pending unrestricted free agent, his situation is worth monitoring.
Is the clock ticking on Luka's Lakers?
Also worth monitoring? Luka Doncic's future in Los Angeles.
The Lakers might be the league's glitziest franchise, but with only two guaranteed years remaining on Doncic's contract, L.A. needs to prove it can contend if the team wants to avoid some uncomfortable questions. That might be a problem given the way the Lakers retooled following LeBron James' departure.
Sure, the team retained Austin Reaves and finally acquired a long-term center to pair with Doncic in Walker Kessler, but the Lakers spent a lot of money - and, more importantly, a lot of draft capital - to do so. What's left is an incomplete, one-way squad that looks like a second-tier West club at best, and one that lacks the assets to do anything about that in the near future.
Cooper Flagg's leap year
Don't expect a sophomore slump for Flagg, whose rookie performance surpassed even our generational expectations for the 2025 No. 1 overall pick.
Flagg averaged roughly 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two stocks per game as a 19-year-old rookie, and he should be in the All-Star and All-NBA discussions as a 20-year-old sophomore. His combination of size, ball-handling, court-vision, and defense has "future MVP candidate" written all over it. The sneaky deep Mavericks - who have Kyrie Irving back in the fold - can compete for a postseason berth if Flagg stays healthy and they avoid a veteran sell-off.
Dallas should be incentivized to win this year after punting on last season, as 2026 represented the last time the team controlled its own first-round pick until 2031. New team president Masai Ujiri might not be ready to press the accelerator, but he's surely interested in seeing how high Flagg and Irving can lift the Mavs.
A rookie class worth watching
Flagg edged out Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel for last season's Rookie of the Year award, and those two headlined an awesome freshman class. But this group of first-year players could be even better and deeper.
Grizzlies big man Cameron Boozer might join Wembanyama and Blake Griffin as the only rookies this century to average 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jazz guard Darryn Peterson will have the chance to run an offense for a postseason hopeful. Bulls big man Caleb Wilson might be the young franchise cornerstone Chicago has been waiting for.
Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. is an explosive, NBA-ready scorer who should put up numbers, although he's going to give most of it back on the other end. Yaxel Lendeborg looks like a revelation in Golden State. Mara and Stirtz appear to be real rotation players for a championship front-runner. All that and we haven't even mentioned No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa. The Wizards forward might be overshadowed by veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis in a potentially dysfunctional situation, but Dybantsa has franchise-changing potential.
And we've surely omitted some future stars.
New lottery rules, less tanking
Roughly a third of teams tanked down the stretch of the 2025-26 regular season, leaving a bitter taste in league stakeholders' mouths. As a result, the NBA implemented new draft lottery rules to discourage tanking.
This season will mark the first year of a three-year period for a new 3-2-1 lottery system. The NBA's fourth-worst through 10th-worst teams will share the best odds of winning the lottery. The three worst teams overall share the next-best odds with the two worst play-in clubs, and the 7-versus-8 play-in losers also take part in the lottery. In addition, all 16 lottery selections will now be drawn rather than just the top four, meaning most teams can select anywhere between first and 16th. In the past, clubs were guaranteed a draft position no worse than four picks below their lottery slot.
Here's how the 3-2-1 format breaks down:
| Standing | Balls (No. 1 odds) | Draft range |
|---|---|---|
| Nos. 21-27 | 3 (8.1%) | 1-16 |
| Nos. 28-30 | 2 (5.4%) | 1-12 |
| 9-10 play-in teams | 2 (5.4%) | 1-16 |
| 7 vs. 8 play-in losers | 1 (2.7%) | 1-16 |
In this system, the worst teams will want to avoid the bottom-three "relegation zone," bad teams won't have any incentive to drop further down the standings, and even mediocre teams get a shot at lottery salvation. All of that should lead to more meaningful games, no matter the time of year or where teams are in the standings.
Rebuilding clubs will always have some incentive to lose while draft position remains tied to the inverse standings, and new rules always bring some unintended consequences, but this will discourage the most shameless forms of tanking. That's a win.
Less pushing off and flopping?
NBA officials begin each season with various points of emphasis. This year, two of those points are of particular interest, as the league intends to crack down on the practice of offensive players pushing off with their off arms and the practice of flopping (embellishing).
Whether referees remain committed to the bit remains to be seen, but if you're the type of fan who's been complaining about "free-throw merchants," this should be music to your ears.
Still, the best players in the league at drawing fouls are the best for a reason, and they're the ones doing it within the rules. "Usually the free throws come from putting the defender out of position," Devin Booker told theScore last season. "Usually (the defender is) trying to get back in position, and that's when a lot of the fouls occur."
Oklahoma City defensive star Alex Caruso said: "There are 50% of them that are just trying to get fouled. But there is also an element of guys just being so good offensively, using angles and space, and understanding body movements. That type of athleticism is underappreciated in the NBA." Caruso cited Doncic and teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as two players who draw fouls thanks to their natural abilities.
"Luka's strength and his brakes - his stop-start - is really good, and I think that's probably why Shai is up there as well," Caruso said. "He can go by you, but he can also stop faster than you, so now you're at a disadvantage trying to move to keep up."
Expansion on the docket
Finally, expect answers to the NBA's biggest expansion-related questions at some point this season.
Commissioner Adam Silver has said he wants a vote on the matter before the end of this calendar year, which could bring the futures of potential expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle into focus.
Will both markets be rewarded with new teams? How high will expansion fees rise? When will new teams join the league? What might expansion drafts look like? We should get answers to all of these questions in the coming months.
What seems certain is that the NBA's 30-team era is approaching its end.
Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.
