The NBA is never boring — and this season is no different.
There have been surprising starts, both in good (we see you, Pistons) and bad (unfortunately, we see you, too, Clippers) ways. There have been scandals (yes, plural) that have cast a shadow over multiple franchises. There has been one ignominious ending (maybe) for an all-time great in Chris Paul, and we could potentially be seeing the last seasonof LeBron James, arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Along the way, there have been plenty of remarkable performances by the league’s stars, leading to fun action on a nightly basis.
With all of that in mind, we created a cheat sheet to get caught up on everything that has happened across the NBA over the past few months — and everything that is set to happen between now and June, when the next NBA champion will be crowned.
Here’s a look at the past, present and future stories across the league, and everything our reporters and analysts think you need to know:
Jump to:
What you missed so far | Biggest questions
All-Star projections | Award races
All-NBA ballots | Projected standings
Lottery watch | Trade candidates
Five things you might’ve missed so far
The champs are back with a vengeance, but can they go back-to-back? The 2024-25 Thunder were the second-youngest championship team in league history, behind the 1977 Trail Blazers. The Thunder followed that historic season with a 24-1 start to this campaign and a record-setting point differential. Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like their march to a second title — and snapping a seven-year stretch without a repeat champion — was inevitable.
But that was before three matchups with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in a 12-day span — one in Las Vegas in the NBA Cup semifinals, one in San Antonio and one in Oklahoma City — ended in OKC defeats.
After a double-digit win on Christmas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning MVP, said he couldn’t say the Thunder are better than the Spurs after losing three straight games. We won’t go quite that far — these Spurs have yet to play a playoff game — but between the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets and Timberwolves, the Western Conference playoffs should be tremendous.
Youth is being served across the league: The Pistons, just two years after setting the NBA’s record for consecutive losses, are atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-8 record behind early MVP contender Cade Cunningham(24 years old), rising big man Jalen Duren(22) and Ausar Thompson(22), one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders.
While the Rockets added veteranKevin Durant this offseason, continued growth from youngsters Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard have the Rockets primed for a deep playoff run. And did we mention what the Spurs have done so far?
Meanwhile, the rookie class has had an instant impact. Cooper Flagg is off to a terrific start in Dallas, andDylan Harper in San Antonio and VJ Edgecombe in Philadelphia are playing significant roles for playoff teams. They aren’t alone. Kon Knueppel has been outstanding in Charlotte, where second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner also might be a long-term option to start at center. Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are off to impressive starts for the Pelicans, too, andCedric Coward has established himself as a future building block for the Grizzlies. That’s a lot of impact from one rookie class, particularly before the calendar flips to January.
The year will never be forgotten in Dallas: Chaotic doesn’t begin to describe these past 12 months for the Mavericks, from the stunning Luka Doncic trade to Kyrie Irving tearing an ACL to landing Flagg via the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. The chaos ultimately led to general manager Nico Harrison dismissala few weeks into this season after a dismal start and ongoing anger toward him for trading Doncic to Los Angeles.
But while that trade will never have a good explanation, the Mavericks’ landing Flagg presented them with the two-way superstar teams dream of landing. In the first few weeks of his pro career, Flagg showed why he was such a coveted prospect. He has repeatedly done things that only one other touted teenager, LeBron James, has ever done.
A rough three months for the Clippers: The franchise was projected as a top-six seed in the Western Conference with the 2026 All-Star Game headed its way. It has made headlines on and off the court, however, and none have been positive.
Since September, the Clippers have been under investigation for salary cap circumvention relating to a sponsorship deal with Kawhi Leonard. Earlier this month, the team shockingly parted ways with franchise icon Chris Paul. And the roster, the oldest in the NBA entering the season, is near the bottom of the standings at 10-21.
To make matters even worse, LA’s unprotected 2026 first-round pick is headed to the Thunder as part of the 2019 Paul George trade — the gift that keeps on giving for the defending champs.
Federal investigations into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games: The indictments of Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones rocked the league and have left both organizations scrambling.
Billups and Rozier were placed on indefinite leave by the NBA. Billups has been replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former Spurs center Tiago Splitter. From an NBA perspective, the most interesting questions surrounding the Heat are whether they will get compensation for the first-round pick traded to acquire Rozier in January 2024 and whether Miami will be allowed to trade him. — Tim Bontemps
Five big questions
Is the Thunder’s chase for the wins record already over?
Probably. It seemed more reasonable two weeks ago when they stormed into Las Vegas for the NBA Cup on a 16-game win streak with a sparkling 24-1 record, the exact mark that the 73-win Warriors had through 25 games. But the Thunder lost to the Spurs in Vegas, succumbed a lateAnthony Edwards-ledsurge in Minnesota and then were blown out two more times by the Spurs.
So they’re 27-5, putting them notably behind pace for the record. Those record-breaking Warriors were 36-2, 37-3, 48-4 and 55-5 as they rolled through the regular season. The Thunder are capable of rattling off a few more major win streaks to threaten an outside shot at the record, but they can afford only three more losses. Even reaching 70 wins has become a stiff challenge. They’d have to go 43-7 in the final 50 games. — Anthony Slater
Could this be LeBron James‘ final season?
Just look at the clues so far. James is in the final year of his contract. His longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN over the summer that James didn’t ask for an extension with the Lakers. We’ve also seen James stop to smell the roses in some instances — like when he posted love for the city of Toronto after L.A.’s lone trip there this season, and when he waxed poetic about how much he will miss electric road arenas after the Lakers played in Philadelphia.
James has also let it be known how much he is ready for other things to occupy his time and interests besides NBA basketball. In the past week, he said he isn’t qualified to speak about Jazz guard Keyonte George‘s All-Star credentials because he is watching too much YouTube golf in his spare time. He also said at this point in his life, he is ready to be home with his family rather than playing on Christmas Day.
This could just be the extended wind-down to a Hall of Fame career and the countdown will really begin in his 24th or 25th season. Then again, we could also be looking ahead at the last 50 or so regular-season games that James has left in him. — Dave McMenamin
Are the Pistons for real?
Some of the numbers suggest so, even if the rocket-like trajectory can give one pause. The Pistons ranking second in defense, trailing only Oklahoma City, would support that theory. Cunningham being a top-five MVP candidate, along with Isaiah Stewart being one of the league’s best interior defenders, are two elements that can’t be ignored. It feels like being a bottom-third team in 3-point shooting will hurt them, but it hasn’t so far because they’re so good in the clutch (No. 1 in the league) and hellacious on defense.
The Pistons don’t feel the need to tinker with the roster yet, preferring to let the young players jell together more. Even if the Knicks overtake them atop the East, it’s hard to see any other team in the conference doing so. They’re real. — Vincent Goodwill
Could Giannis Antetokounmpo really be traded?
The chasm between the Bucks and championship contention has grown exponentially this season. The Bucks sit in 11th place, 1.5 games back from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Before the season, Antetokounmpo said one of the goals for the team was to not be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and as it stands, the Bucks are looking at not even reaching the first round. Antetokounmpo has missed 12 games due to injury, and his supporting cast has gone 2-10 without him.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Dec. 3 that Antetokounmpo and his agent opened discussions with the team about his future. Since then, the Bucks have been in a free fall, which is why all eyes across the NBA are focused on Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo’s future. — Jamal Collier
What is next for the Clippers?
Before the Clippers lostIvica Zubacto an ankle injury that will sideline him for several weeks the Clippers lost 13 of 15 games. The season has been an absolute disaster and that’s not even accounting for the Aspiration cloud that hovers over the franchise, or the Chris Paul fiasco. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Clippers opting for a full reset. Oklahoma City controls their 2026 first-round pick and swap rights to the 2027 first-round pick, so there’s no incentive to tank.
At the same time, they will be mindful of maintaining future flexibility. For years, the Clippers have been planning to make splashes in the summer of 2027 when Kawhi Leonard‘s contract comes off the books. James Harden also has an option for $42 million for the 2026-27 season. Unless Harden sours on L.A. and wants a move to a contending team, the sound prediction is the Clippers will explore options to improve around Leonard and Harden near the deadline and climb into the play-in.
The Clippers will always believe they can make some postseason noise with a healthy Leonard and Harden if they can add more scoring, defense and much-needed younger athletic legs. They have some vets such as Brook Lopez and Bogdan Bogdanovic with reasonable expiring contracts that contain team options to possibly make moves before the deadline. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Projecting the rest of the season
Here’s how ESPN’s Basketball Power Index sees the season playing out:
A close race for the top seed in the East: Detroit is currently up 2.5 games on New York, but the Knicks’ stronger preseason projection means they have a slight edge in this battle. New York earns the top seed in 61% of simulations using BPI, as compared to 33% for the Pistons. Health the rest of the way could shape whether the East playoffs run through Detroit or New York.
The battle for second in the West: Houston is fourth in the standings, but a favorable remaining schedule (easiest among likely West playoff teams, per BPI) and a robust plus-8.8 point differential (third best in the league) mean the Rockets still finish second in 40% of simulations, more than the 35% for the Denver Nuggets. The San Antonio Spurs (20%), currently second, are also very much in the mix.
Top teams in play-in? The Cavaliers and Warriors both won playoff series a year ago, but BPI suggests both could land in the play-in this season. (Golden State was in the play-in a year ago, falling just short of a top-six seed after adding Butler at the trade deadline.) The Warriors finish in the top six in just 37% of simulations, while Cleveland is at 66% — a far cry from last year, when the Cavaliers were battling for the NBA’s best record at this point. — Kevin Pelton
Trade candidates to watch
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Kristaps Porzingis, Atlanta Hawks
The list of candidates is headlined by the two-time MVP Antetokounmpo and the 10-time All-Star Davis. But just because both will be mentioned in trade conversations leading up to the deadline does not mean either will be moved. While the Bucks are on the outside of the playoffs, they are still looking to improve their roster around Antetokounmpo. They have one tradable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and Myles Turner, Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma — three players combining to earn $60 million this season.
Meanwhile, after starting 5-15, the Mavericks are 7-6 and in contention for one of the final play-in spots. Will that success and a possible return of Kyrie Irving put the Davis trade talks on hold? Or will a looming extension this summer — Davis is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million deal — have the Mavericks still looking to move the big man?
Elsewhere, Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $46.5 million contract in late September, becomes eligible to be traded on Jan. 15. After starting the Warriors’ first 12 games, Kuminga has fallen out of the rotation, not playing in seven of the Warriors’ past eight contests.
In New Orleans, injuries continue to impact Williamson. He is averaging 21.1 points, 2.7 assists and shooting 58.6% from the field in December. The 2019 No. 1 pick and All-Star is on pace to play fewer than 65 games for the sixth time in seven seasons. Due to those injuries, Williamson’s salary in 2026-27 and 2027-28 remains non-guaranteed.
Finally, despite playing only 13 games with Atlanta, Porzingis’ $30.7 million expiring contract is a valuable trade chip. Porzingis is currently out with an illness. — Bobby Marks
Projecting the All-Star rosters
The All-Star Game format has changed again, with three teams featuring eight-man rosters — two of which will be made up of American players, and a third of international selection. Here’s what Zach Kram predicts the rosters will look like for the game, which is Sunday, Feb. 15, in Los Angeles:
Eastern Conference
Write it in pen:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Write it in pencil:
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Norman Powell is the first man out in the East. There might be room for just one All-Star from the Heat, and Adebayo has a slightly stronger case because of his defensive contributions and Powell’s relative slump in December. Pascal Siakam and Michael Porter Jr. have excelled for bad teams, and OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have looked great, but are the third and fourth options in New York. Orlando is the one team in the East’s top 10 without a player on this All-Star list, because it’s hard to determine who would make sense to represent the Magic: Desmond Bane endured a horrible, prolonged period before finding his footing, and Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have lost production due to injuries.
Western Conference
Write it in pen:
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Write it in pencil:
Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
The West All-Star race is incredibly crowded, leaving many worthy candidates on the outside looking in. Devin Booker is the greatest snub here, as the leader of the West’s most surprising competitor, but his efficiency (thanks largely to a 30.1% 3-point stroke) isn’t up to the level of the other All-Star candidates. Julius Randle is a tough cut as well, and the cases for Lauri Markkanen, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard suffer because their teams are so far behind in the standings.
Per the requirements of the new All-Star format, the current projected rosters include either 15 Americans and nine international players, or 14 Americans and 10 international players, depending on which group gets Towns, who was born in New Jersey but plays for the Dominican national team. That would leave a spot or two open for commissioner Adam Silver to add to the Americans’ All-Star class, which is good news for Booker and Randle. — Kram
Early award race ballots
We asked our insiders to give us their rankings for the major awards:
MVP
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
4. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
5. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
At this point, by very slim margins, Jokic takes it. Recently, Jokic’s greatness has been reaffirmed, while Oklahoma City’s blistering pace has tailed off. Jokic is the league leader in win shares per 48 minutes, which has historically been the greatest indicator of the award over the past 40 years. Cunningham has not only taken a leap this season, but he’s easily the best defender among the candidates. Doncic and Brunson have been excellent and should be names to watch as this race nears the finish line. If the Cavaliers weren’t struggling so mightily, we’d be talking about Donovan Mitchell. Same with Tyrese Maxey in Philly. Doesn’t it seem like everyone is holding a place until Victor Wembanyama starts placing his name on the award annually? — Goodwill
Rookie of the Year
1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
2. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
3. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
The rookie class has adjusted nicely, with a number of players already making real contributions, albeit not all in winning contexts. Flagg has settled in nicely in December, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game. His college teammate, Knueppel, is on his heels, becoming the fastest player ever to 100 made 3-pointers and looking like a future cornerstone for the Hornets. Meanwhile, Queen has done all he can to make Pelicans fans forget what it cost to acquire him on draft night.
Plenty of other rookies have had strong moments, including Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Jeremiah Fears. How this group evolves over the next few months and beyond should continue to justify all the optimism. Flagg is the headliner, but there’s a lot more regular season to be played here. — Jeremy Woo
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
This will be Wembanyama’s award to lose, presuming health, for years to come. It’s amazing to see how just his presence on the court causes even the best scorers in the game today, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson, to play differently. However, it’s a realistic possibility Wembanyama won’t meet the 65-game threshold. In that case, Holmgren — as the rim-protecting anchor of one of the best defenses in the league — should be a heavy favorite to claim the honor. — Bontemps
Most Improved Player
1. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
2. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
3. Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics
As a matter of personal philosophy, my favorite MIP candidates are already a few seasons into their careers, when it’s more impressive to improve from a set baseline than for second- or third-year players. Johnson and Avdija are the favorites for now, as the two 24-year-olds should both make their first All-Star teams due to massive leaps with more on-ball responsibility than ever before.
Among at least a dozen other reasonable candidates for the final spot on this early ballot, Queta gets the nod because of his importance to an overachieving Celtics squad. In the first extended starting stretch of his career, as a fill-in for the departed Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet, the Celtics have a plus-6.6 net rating with Queta on the court, versus just plus-2.6 without him. — Kram
Early All-NBA ballots
We also asked Kevin Pelton to give us his All-NBA predictions:
First team
1. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
2. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
5.Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Second team
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
3. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
4. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
5. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Third team
1. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
2. Jimmy Butler III, Golden State Warriors
3. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
5. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
The challenge of doing All-NBA teams before the season’s midpoint is how to handle injuries. Right now, the 12 games Wembanyama has missed because of a calf strain represent nearly a third of the schedule. By season’s end, they could be a footnote — unless Wembanyama misses enough additional games (at least 17 total) to be ineligible for All-NBA, a looming threat for Antetokounmpo as well.
For now, I’ve slotted them as if they’re eligible, but they have played so relatively little time, which bumps Antetokounmpo to the second team and Wembanyama to the third team. Stephen Curry (nine games missed) is in a similar spot in terms of eligibility, but he hasn’t been quite as dominant when healthy and doesn’t earn a spot. Neither does Austin Reaves, who has played at an All-NBA level thus far but will miss an extended period because of a grade 2 calf strain.
Of course, the most notable exception is LeBron James, who has already missed 16 games, meaning he will almost certainly be ineligible to extend his record streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA appearances.— Pelton
Projecting the 2026 NBA draft lottery
Here’s how ESPN’s Basketball Power Index sees the order for the lottery, which will take place in May:
The pronounced race to the bottom that league insiders have anticipated for months has been compounded by just how strong the very top of the 2025 draft class looks. The standings are tightly packed, and all four lottery spots will carry major consequences this season. While ESPN’s No. 1 prospect Darryn Peterson has missed much of the season because of injury, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer have stepped forward as two of the best players in college basketball. Caleb Wilson and Kingston Flemings are among the next group coming on strong. This is a season when losing big comes with extra incentive.
It’s worth noting that the BPI index looks somewhat favorable for the Clippers, predicting a return to the middle of the pack. With that pick currently belonging to Oklahoma City, the rest of the league would likely approve of that scenario. Some improvement is also expected from New Orleans, which will likely convey its pick to Atlanta unprotected.
The ultimate look of the lottery will hang on who has which pick, similar to what we last saw in 2022. Peterson’s absence has left the door wide open for Dybantsa and Boozer, who are each making convincing cases to go No. 1, challenging what had been a soft preseason consensus in favor of the Kansas guard. How that trio fares during conference play will have major implications, but suffice it to say, there will be multiple teams who leave the lottery room grinning in May. — Woo
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