Kevin Durant Houston Rockets
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The 2025-26 NBA season officially gets underway on Tuesday night with the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to retain their spot atop the league after winning the franchise’s first championship in June.
While the Thunder enter the season as the prohibitive favorites to win it all, that doesn’t mean that they’re a lock. In fact, it’s been seven seasons now since the Golden State Warriors became the last team to win back-to-back championships.
In addition to several upstart young teams, a number of veteran-laden squads are hoping to reassert themselves, while new stars continue to announce themselves each season.
We’re counting down just a handful of the top storylines to keep an eye on throughout the 2025-26 season.
Top NBA Storylines Heading Into The New Season
Beyond the Thunder, it feels like every team in the league has some major question marks.
Have the Minnesota Timberwolves plateaued? Is the Denver Nuggets’ championship window closed? How do injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton shape the way the Eastern Conference plays out?
Some of those answers will probably come quickly. While others may take a little more time.
But when it’s all said and done, here are five questions we hope to have the answer to.
5) Is Victor Wembanyama healthy, and how good can the San Antonio Spurs be?
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama posts up Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
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A scary bout with blood clots limited San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama to just 46 games in his sophomore season. But Wembanyama looked every bit like an MVP candidate during those games.
The Frenchman averaged 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists per game in that times frame. This year, Wembanyama has reportedly added some muscle and worked with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his game in the post.
If Wembanyama is healthy, how far can he carry San Antonio, who adds No. 2 NBA Draft pick Dylan Harper to an already talented young roster?
Meanwhile, head coach Mitch Johnson takes the reins for his first full season after taking over for Gregg Popovich after the coaching legend’s retirement.
4) What Do The Kevin Durant-Led Houston Rockets Look Like?
Kevin Durant in the crowd at a basketball game
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets, under the direction of new head coach Ime Udoka, were one of the big surprises of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Houston went 52-30, good enough for the second-best record in the Western Conference. But when the playoffs rolled around, the Rockets’ biggest weakness was exposed, and they were eliminated in the first round at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
How did they address that?
Well, the Rockets went out and pulled off a blockbuster trade for superstar Kevin Durant. Houston routinely ran into trouble scoring in late-game situations. That problem goes away with Durant, who is perhaps the best iso scorer in NBA history.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, starting point guard Fred Van Vleet is out for the season after tearing his ACL. But it means Udoka gets to run out a starting five with rising star Amen Thompson at point guard and Durant at shooting guard. That means the smallest player on the court for Houston will be 6-foot-7, and that alone is fascinating.
3) Could Joel Embiid And The Philadelphia 76ers Rise From The Dead
Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid Paul George
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Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024-25.
Stars Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey combined to play just 112 games. Meanwhile, rookie Jared McCain emerged as one of the most exciting young guards in the league before tearing his meniscus just 23 games into the season.
However, there was a silver lining for Philly. The awful season meant they fell far enough the lottery to keep the first-round draft pick they owed Oklahoma City. The 76ers used the No. 3 pick in the draft to select guard VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor, and he has impressed in the preseason.
Many believed that Embiid’s latest knee troubles could spell an end to the former NBA MVP’s career. But he has returned in preseason looking slimmer and healthier than he has in several years. Meanwhile, Maxey is back to full health and George is working his way back.
If Philadelphia’s injury luck could take a turn for the better, suddenly the 76ers are back to being a serious threat to the rest of the league.
Which leads us to our next storyline…
2) What in the world happens in the Eastern Conference?
Tyrese Haliburton on the floor during a game between the Knicks and Pacers.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics entered last season as the defending NBA champions and heavy favorite to reach the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference.
Not only did that not happen, but superstar Jayson Tatum also suffered a torn Achilles in the team’s loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers took advantage by claiming the top spot in the east and pushing Oklahoma City to seven games in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they also lost their own superstar, Tyrese Haliburton, to a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the finals.
So, where does that leave the Eastern Conference?
The Knicks have a new head coach in Mike Brown. The Sixers could be a sleeping giant. The Orlando Magic are on the rise and just made a big move to acquire guard Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, Tatum is somehow already back on a basketball court, and the Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and it’s anyone’s guess who steps up to win it.
1) Is This The Final Season Of LeBron James’s Career
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The expectation among most NBA fans is that when LeBron James decides to end his legendary career, he will announce his plans before playing his final season.
James, for better or worse, has always loved pomp and circumstance.
But what if he doesn’t?
At 40 years old (soon to be 41), James is about to enter his 23rd season in the NBA. Despite that fact, he managed to play 70 games for the Los Angeles Lakers a year ago and played at a stunningly high level, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.
James finished sixth in NBA MVP voting…at 40 years old.
But the Lakers don’t seem to be getting closer to a championship. Maybe a full season of Luka Doncic, who is yet again in shape to start the season, changes that fact.
However, James is set to start the season on the injured list as he deals with sciatica, and the injuries are beginning to stack up.
If the Lakers somehow win it all, it seems obvious that it would represent the perfect off-ramp for James. If they don’t, how close do they have to be to keep him around one more season?