Even though the NFL season just kicked off, basketball is coming. Thursday marks three weeks until the NBA preseason opens with the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers squaring off in Abu Dhabi.
Although continuity is the name of the game for the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who bring back every player who saw at least 50 minutes of action during last season’s playoff run, the teams chasing them have made important changes this offseason, including the Knicks replacing Tom Thibodeau on the sideline.
The Houston Rockets made the biggest splash, adding two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant to a young core that finished second in the West last season before losing in the opening round. The Denver Nuggets took a different approach, supplementing their Nikola Jokic-led core with Cameron Johnson and upgrades to their bench.
Meanwhile, lottery picks such as the Philadelphia 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe could be difference-makers for the unlikely teams that jumped up in May. ESPN’s Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton spotlight newcomers to watch heading into the 2025-26 season — with coach Mike Brown joining 13 players on the list — ranked by who will be the most impactful and give a look at their significance next spring and beyond.
ESPN Illustration
1. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Durant, who turns 37 later this month, is the best-known player and lone MVP on this list. The Rockets are hoping he can be the finishing piece for a franchise striving for a third NBA championship. His role in Houston couldn’t be clearer. In joining the club that finished dead last in the league in effective field goal rate in the clutch (43.8%) during the regular season, Durant will be expected to serve as a closer and No. 1 option on offense when the going gets tough. — Herring
2. Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic
The 27-year-old swingman’s move to the Eastern Conference for four first-round picks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony was one of the most seismic moves all summer, and highlighted the fact that the Magic want to go all-in right now. Acquiring Bane, a career 41% shooter from 3 on ample volume, makes all the sense in the world for a club that finished last in the league in triples and 3-point percentage. He’ll instantly help in that regard, while also alleviating some of the offensive pressure that sat on the shoulders of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. — Herring
3. Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets
Given the remarkable similarity between Johnson’s production for the Brooklyn Nets and the production of the player he’s replacing in Denver (Michael Porter Jr.), one of the fascinating questions going into this season is whether Johnson will perform better now that he gets to team with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s poor season with the Orlando Magic has fueled the idea of a Jokic effect on 3-point shooting in particular. The larger sample is mixed.
Nuggets newcomers since 2018-19 who have attempted at least 100 triples have shot about one percentage point better in Denver (37.2% compared with 36.2% over the previous three seasons). Meanwhile, Caldwell-Pope is an outlier among players leaving the Nuggets, who have gone from 36.7% with the Nuggets to 36.2% with their new teams. — Pelton
4. Mike Brown, New York Knicks
Perhaps no coach in the league will face as much title-or-bust pressure as Brown this season. One indication of that: Upon announcing the decision to fire Brown’s predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, Knicks president Leon Rose said, “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.” New York is coming off its best season in 25 years, which ended with two All-NBA selections and a run to the conference finals. It will be incumbent upon Brown to figure out how to get more out of the team’s starting lineup and improve the club’s defensive issues. — Herring
5. Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers
This surely won’t be Ayton’s last chance to live up to the potential that earned him a max contract bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers on the eve of free agency. It might be his best. During Luka Doncic’s NBA career, players who have screened for him have an effective field goal percentage of 63% when they end up shooting on the play, best of any ball handler with at least 500 such plays according to GeniusIQ tracking. Ayton must feast on those opportunities and be a defensive upgrade on incumbent center Jaxson Hayes. — Pelton
6. Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks
Arguably no move this offseason was more stunning than the one that made Turner a Buck. (The transaction that made acquiring Turner possible for Milwaukee was eye-opening as well, with the club opting to waive and stretch the remaining contract of nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who is set to miss the upcoming season after rupturing his Achilles.) Turner was once a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and still carries a good reputation on that end as a rim protector along with his floor-spacing ability. All of his skills will be necessary to help elevate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks beyond the first round, which they’ve failed to do since 2022. — Herring
7. Kristaps Porzingis, Atlanta Hawks
Last season was a tough one for Porzingis, who missed the first month of action recovering from an offseason surgery before struggling at times — including during the playoffs — to perform at his best due to a mystery upper-respiratory virus that sapped his energy throughout the campaign. But between that and Boston’s need to trim salary to avoid the second apron, the Hawks were able to swoop in and acquire him, giving Atlanta an elite rim protector and floor spacer for Trae Young. Porzingis simply needs to stay healthy. — Herring
8. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
The consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft is in an unusual spot for a No. 1 pick. The Mavericks were in the NBA Finals 15 months ago and played for a spot in the playoffs despite trading away Luka Doncic midseason and suffering a second-half injury cascade. Flagg isn’t Doncic and will need time to develop, but his well-rounded game should allow him to contribute to a playoff push immediately as he develops into the next great Dallas star. — Pelton
9. Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Miami was dreadful last season following the Jimmy Butler trade, going 14-21 and losing 10 straight games in March before turning things around and earning a postseason spot through the play-in games. More than anything, the offense desperately needed a leg up this offseason. That’s where Powell, who’s playing the best ball of his career in his early 30s, comes in. He isn’t the biggest facilitator, but the man can score on and off the ball, and from both inside and outside the arc. He has shot nearly 40% from deep for his career. Expect him to be an enormous help to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo on the offensive end. — Herring
10. Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns
The former No. 2 pick gets a new start — and a new position — in Phoenix after the Durant trade. The Suns are expecting Green to start at point guard alongside Devin Booker, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. Green showed only modest playmaking in four seasons with the Rockets, topping out at 3.7 APG. And Green hasn’t yet been an effective pick-and-roll ball handler. Screens for him have resulted in just .95 points per chance the past two seasons, 33rd among the 40 players who have run at least 2,500 pick-and-rolls according to GeniusIQ. — Pelton
11. Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies
The 28-year-old guard had a breakout season for Cleveland in which he finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. But with the Cavs facing what would have been a tax penalty of a quarter billion dollars for keeping their roster fully intact, they punted on bringing Jerome back, allowing him to strike a three-year, $28 million deal to serve as Ja Morant’s backup in Memphis. It’s worth remembering that one of the biggest strengths the Grizzlies had during their two 50-win campaigns with Morant was their steady backup guard play from Tyus Jones. It gives Jerome something of a blueprint as he joins the club, particularly if and when Morant has to miss time. — Herring
12. Bradley Beal, LA Clippers
Beal had been mentioned endlessly as a disappointment with an underperforming Phoenix club over the past two seasons, which was understandable, given he was playing out the remainder of a maximum contract. But the context is much different now, with him on a reasonable two-year deal with LA (it explains why so many clubs were interested in picking up Beal on a smaller contract). He should slot in beautifully as a third scorer, and the Clippers’ depth should benefit greatly from having him — and fellow newcomers Chris Paul and Brook Lopez — in reduced roles. — Herring
13. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
It’s worth watching this year’s No. 2 pick as a rookie, not so much for how it impacts the Spurs’ season — playing behind newly extended De’Aaron Fox, Harper’s role might be limited with the team at full strength — but for the future. The sooner Harper looks ready to take over at point guard, the more difficult decisions San Antonio could face with Fox. Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who can also handle the ball and is an iffy outside shooter like Fox and Harper, further muddies the Spurs’ backcourt of the future. — Pelton
14. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Edgecombe needed just one appearance at the Salt Lake Summer League to show why the 76ers took him third overall. In his debut, Edgecombe had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, using his explosiveness to live in the paint. Joining a veteran Philadelphia squad that was surprised to end up in the lottery, Edgecombe might not have the opportunity to handle the ball so much early in his rookie season. But if the Sixers again struggle to stay healthy, Edgecombe represents the promise of a new era in Philly. — Pelton
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