Now that LeBron James has inked a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, the outlook for the 2026-27 season is much clearer. Here, theScore’s NBA editors answer some of the biggest questions around the league.
Which team had the best offseason?
Philadelphia 76ers: Is there any debate when you land both James and Jaylen Brown in the same summer? Mike Gansey couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to his tenure as he looks to end the 76ers’ 43-year title drought.
While James and Brown will rightfully dominate the headlines, Gansey has done a good job filling out the rest of the roster. Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bring the 3-and-D skill set that’s been a staple of James’ previous championship teams. Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers’ 2026 first-round pick, is a strong point-of-attack defender and gives Philadelphia another floor-spacer off the bench alongside Anfernee Simons. – Chicco Nacion
Toronto Raptors: Give me the Raptors, contingent on the expectation that Toronto emerges from the summer with Kawhi Leonard. As detailed in June, Leonard is a worthwhile gamble for the Raptors, just as he was eight years ago before leading them to their only NBA championship.
The two-time Finals MVP would complete a devastating defensive frontcourt alongside Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles. Offensively, Leonard would address virtually every need that hindered the Raptors during their 46-win campaign last season. If the trade for Leonard goes through, Toronto will add an All-NBA second team superstar without surrendering any of the team’s five most-utilized players from its 2026 playoff rotation. – Joseph Casciaro
Dallas Mavericks: Among the teams unequivocally not in win-now mode, the Mavericks are at the top of the pile for having a standout summer, continuing to construct their roster around Cooper Flagg.
Dallas added shooting and length to complement the reigning Rookie of the Year, acquiring Santi Aldama and Zaccharie Risacher without giving up much in return. Drafting Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth overall pick addresses the team’s defense and size deficiencies, while grabbing Sergio de Larrea at No. 25 provides a savvy playmaker to first-year bench boss Dusty May’s young core. If Kyrie Irving returns from injury and makes an impact, the Mavs could swiftly outpace last season’s 26-win haul. The Nico Harrison era seems like a distant memory. – Michael J. Chandler
San Antonio Spurs: Doing the obvious and locking up Victor Wembanyama long term would’ve been enough to consider the summer a success for the Western Conference champs. But the generational 7-foot-4 phenom willingly left about $50 million on the table to help the franchise continue to build around him.
On top of Wembanyama’s generosity, San Antonio pried Tobias Harris from a Detroit Pistons team that topped the East last season, bringing in a respected vet with years of extended playoff experience to a Spurs squad still light on it. Factor in inexpensive deals to re-sign key rotation pieces in Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie, and San Antonio has quietly accomplished exactly what it needed. – Jonathan Soveta
Which team had the worst offseason?
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans had only the 58th overall pick in the latest draft after inexplicably trading an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to the Atlanta Hawks to move up 10 spots and grab Derik Queen last year.
And despite finishing 26-56 last season, New Orleans has also been inactive on the trade market and in free agency. Its lone signing was bringing back DeAndre Jordan on a two-year deal. While adding an experienced voice in a young locker room isn’t the worst idea, the Pelicans could’ve inked Jordan to a one-year contract at the veteran’s minimum, which the NBA would’ve partly reimbursed. Instead, they’ll now be on the hook for his full $7.9 million salary over the next two seasons. – Nacion
Detroit Pistons: It’s hard to argue with taking the Pelicans, but let’s go with a more competitive (and relevant) team in Detroit. In the midst of a stunning 60-win campaign, the Pistons elected to stay quiet at the trade deadline, with the consensus being that they would make their big move this summer. So much for that.
The Pistons have largely remained stagnant while the rest of the Eastern Conference has moved forward. Although Detroit hasn’t completely sat on its hands – John Collins and Isaiah Joe, in particular, should contribute positively – the offseason moves fall short of expectations for a team coming off 60 wins, a No. 1 seed, and a disappointing postseason. Replacing Isaiah Stewart, Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, and Marcus Sasser with Collins, Joe, Gary Harris, and Taurean Prince just isn’t what Pistons fans had in mind. Not to mention, Detroit still has a Jalen Duren-sized elephant in the room to address. – Casciaro
Cleveland Cavaliers: Even if the Cavaliers re-sign James Harden to an equitable deal, this has been an offseason of misses for a club that was steamrolled in the East finals.
Notably, Cleveland failed to seal a second reunion with James, whose move to Philadelphia strengthens a conference rival. Rotational pieces Dean Wade, Keon Ellis, and Larry Nance Jr. also walked in free agency. Meanwhile, re-signing Thomas Bryant and adding Mario Hezonja on a low-risk one-year, $2.8-million contract won’t inspire much confidence. The one positive might be second-round pick Meleek Thomas, who impressed in Summer League by averaging 27.2 points in 29 minutes per game. Still, that’s hardly the caliber of moves an organization like the Cavs should be content with. – Chandler
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both tried to downplay the significance of the Warriors losing the LeBron sweepstakes, but they may be in the toughest spot of all the teams that missed out.
The playoffs are far from guaranteed in Golden State anymore, and asking a 38-year-old Curry to attempt to push this jalopy to another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it play-in berth seems like a bleak scenario. The Warriors are one of just a couple of clubs not to add a single player this summer through a trade or free agency, which doesn’t sound like a franchise urgently trying to make the most of the twilight years of its greatest ever talent. – Soveta
Which newcomer will have the biggest impact?
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Put aside Antetokounmpo’s clunky offensive fit with Bam Adebayo and Miami’s need for more shooting, playmaking, and off-the-dribble creation for a second and focus solely on the two-time MVP’s otherworldly powers. Even in a diminished state due to nagging calf, knee, and groin injuries, Antetokounmpo still averaged roughly 28 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game on 66% true shooting last season.
To give you an idea of how wildly impactful the Greek Freak remains: the Milwaukee Bucks played like a bottom-three squad in 2025-26 when Antetokounmpo sat (minus-9.7 points per 100 possessions) but performed like a top-10 club when he was on the court (plus-4.4). Now imagine what a healthier and rejuvenated Antetokounmpo might do in Miami. – Casciaro
Walker Kessler: The Los Angeles Lakers probably overpaid to acquire Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, but they now have their long-term solution at the five.
Kessler gives the Lakers a rim-running big man who’s historically performed well alongside Luka Doncic. The 7-foot-2 center also provides Los Angeles with a bona fide rim-protecting presence that the team has lacked in recent years. Kessler finished in the NBA’s top five for blocks in each of his first three campaigns and should vastly improve a unit that finished 29th last season in opponent field-goal percentage in the restricted area. The biggest concern surrounding Kessler is health, as a torn labrum in his left shoulder limited him to only five appearances in 2025-26. – Nacion
AJ Dybantsa: You could argue that Dybantsa has already made the most significant impact by simply restoring a long-lost hope for the Wizards, who have one playoff victory in the last eight seasons and haven’t been to the second round in nearly a decade. But he also has a chance to contribute to winning basketball that most No. 1 picks aren’t usually afforded in their debut year.
Though Trae Young and Anthony Davis will ultimately bear most of the responsibility for how well Washington performs, Dybantsa won’t be relegated to a backseat role, either. If the two vets require scheduled rest (particularly after their injury-riddled 2025-26 campaigns), the high-flying 19-year-old will have plenty of opportunities to carry the offensive load as he did at BYU. – Soveta
Cameron Boozer: Other rookies like Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson may have higher ceilings, but few – if any – prized first-year players will make as immediate an impact as Boozer, the third overall pick, will have on the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies’ roster teardown is complete following the departures of Ja Morant and Aldama. In Boozer, Thomas Iisalo and Co. have recruited a player with a proven pedigree who’s poised to contribute to immediate wins. His elite basketball IQ and polished skill set should slot in seamlessly alongside Zach Edey and Cedric Coward, providing Memphis’ wholesale rebuild with a much-needed franchise cornerstone. – Chandler
What was the strangest offseason move?
Gary Trent Jr: There’s a reason the NBA is investigating the Bucks’ four-year, $64-million deal with Gary Trent Jr. The 27-year-old wing is coming off a thrifty two-year deal worth just over $7.5 million and his worst scoring season (8.1 points) and field-goal percentage (38.7%) since his rookie campaign.
A veteran’s minimum or biannual exception makes sense for a player of his caliber, not a full mid-level contract. Considering all four years of the deal are guaranteed, the Bucks are rebuilding, and his value as trade bait is now nearly nonexistent, this pact feels like a favor done for a player who charitably inked team-friendly deals in the past. – Chandler
Kawhi Leonard: Toronto unexpectedly agreed to reacquire its 2019 championship hero despite knowing of the investigation into Leonard and the Clippers over purported salary-cap violations. That trade now wallows in basketball purgatory after the NBA cautioned the Raptors that any hypothetical punishment for Leonard, like a lengthy suspension, would fall on them, something the organization apparently hadn’t considered beforehand.
Perhaps even stranger, Leonard reportedly pushed to return to Toronto despite having spurned the club seven years ago to go home to L.A. Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick are also left in limbo with no clarity on a timeline for a resolution. – Soveta
Jaylen Brown: The Celtics’ brass was set for awkward conversations with Brown after reportedly including him in trade talks for Antetokounmpo. But not only did Boston deal Brown for pennies on the dollar, his move indirectly influenced James’ decision to join the 76ers.
Paul George is coming off a solid postseason, but the 36-year-old is often injured and has two years and $110.7 million left on his contract. The Celtics also somehow got less draft compensation for an All-NBA talent than the Jazz did in its sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers for Kessler. Meanwhile, Brown will spend his prime years on a rival team, potentially haunting his former club. – Nacion
Norman Powell: As a veteran scorer coming off an All-Star appearance and having missed the playoffs last season for only the second time in his 11-year career, Powell was widely expected to join a contender. Instead, he signed a two-year contract with the rebuilding Bulls, who are projected to be a bottom-five team next season.
Powell’s pact instantly became one of the most surprising moves of the offseason, but it also made him an obvious trade candidate going forward. The 33-year-old could be the No. 1 option in Chicago. If he continues to pile up points and shoot the ball well, contenders will likely come calling, giving the Bulls the chance to turn a well-respected vet into more future-oriented assets. – Casciaro
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Source: Sports Basketball – The Score
