The 2025-26 season was a difficult one for Adam Silver. He made a series of missteps as the NBA struggled to navigate a laundry list of issues. However, TV ratings were up, and the NBA playoffs were captivating.
Looking ahead to 2026-27, while some of the core issues remain—the Kawhi Leonard/L.A. Clippers investigation is still dragging on—Silver may have lucked out again. The wildest NBA offseason in history led to several All-Stars changing teams, highlighted by:
LeBron James is with the Philadelphia 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo is with the Miami Heat
Jaylen Brown is with the Philadelphia 76ers
Ja Morant is with the Portland Trail Blazers
Kawhi Leonard is expected to be with the Toronto Raptors
LaMelo Ball is with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Paul George is with the Boston Celtics
In terms of interest, the most noteworthy was last week’s Friday shocking news dump of James’ decision to join the 76ers. It was the culmination of a flurry of offseason activity we have never seen before. This is great news for Silver and his league’s broadcasting business partners. For years, people have been skeptical about the importance of the 82-game slate. But now, suddenly, the NBA regular season has additional juice, which could translate into a ratings boost.
WILDEST OFFSEASON EVER SO FAR? 🤯🤯
How the Association is looking at this point, pending the Kawhi trade. pic.twitter.com/YvXsT8ezuM
— ESPN (@espn) July 24, 2026
The engineer piloting this ratings train will be James. Amazingly, a guy who turns 42 in December remains a news-cycle catalyst. He will be a key storyline of the 2026-27 season as he tries to help the 76ers win an NBA championship and earn an unprecedented fourth title with a fourth different team. James might not match Michael Jordan’s six rings, but what he’s trying to achieve now is arguably more impressive.
People will tune in to see how this experiment fares. Will there be load management for James? Sure. But given the Eastern Conference’s top-end depth, with the Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Detroit Pistons, the 76ers probably can’t afford to rest him too much. Win or lose, LeBron will be must-see TV.
The best thing about 2026-27 is that there will be plenty to watch. Before James, the most noteworthy offseason move was Antetokounmpo taking his talents to Miami. It will be fascinating to see the Greek Freak with one of the NBA’s best organizations. Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra know how to build a championship culture. Antetokounmpo has already won a title with Milwaukee and is in his prime at 31.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NQT5ZhdJU9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Another former NBA Finals MVP who could draw eyeballs is Kawhi Leonard. Assuming the Leonard trade is upheld and he isn’t subject to a long suspension, Leonard rejoining the team he left after winning a championship is a career arc nobody expected. Leonard might be famously boring off the court, but the salary-cap circumvention scandal has made him a much more intriguing figure.
Before all these moves, the NBA was already in a healthier place thanks to parity, the continued rise of Victor Wembanyama, and the New York Knicks’ magical run. That momentum will only continue now with new storylines to follow.
That’s great news for Silver, his broadcast partners, and basketball viewers.