The Jazz are clearly in a rebuild phase especially after finishing 17-65 & last place in the Western Conference. in 2024-2025. They have shifted to developing young players rather than competing immediately. They have a young core Walker Kessler, Kyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Ace Bailey to team up with star Lauri Markkanen. The front office appears comfortable with the how is roster is currently constructed which is development & draft positioning which will have them again at the bottom of the strong Western Conference & back into the Draft Lottery.

Los Angeles Lakers acquisition of Luka Doncic signaled a new era in LA. He gives the Lakers a generational-level star to build around. With the veteran presence of LeBron James bringing leadership & still high-level production in his 23rd season. They got some help defensively by bringing in Deandre Ayton & Marcus Smart. Can LeBron & Luka build chemistry with this Lakers team to get them to make a deep playoff run?

The Clippers finished last season 5th in the Western Conference, with a strong defensive but a middling offense. In the 2025 offseason they made significant moves with acquiring John Collins in a three- team trade. Signed veteran guards Bradley Beal and bring back Chris Paul to provide elite scoring and experienced playmaking. The Clippers also added a big man in Brook Lopez to help with their back up center position. Can James Harder & Kawhi Leonard stay healthy enough to help this Clippers team remain contenders & finally get them to the Western Conference Finals?

The Thunder come into the season as reigning champions, having posted a 68-14 record in 2024-2025 to claim their first NBA title. The core is intact with stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), Chet Holmgren & Jalen Williams. Historically, repeating is hard & with the Western Conference continuing to get stronger being champions means you're the target. Can the Thunder repeat last year's success?

The Timberwolves are coming off back to back deep playoff runs, most recently reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2025. The core of the team remains in tact, with Anthony Edwards ascending as a superstar & franchise leader & cornerstone. The locked in a key players in Naz Ried & Juilius Randle to multi-year extensions.The Wolves are firmly in contenders territory with expectations of them reaching at least the Conference Semifinals or possibly the finals.

The Spurs ended last season with a 34-48 record & missed the playoffs. Now Victor Wembanyama coming back after a health scare he looks more poised training with NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon & Kavin Garnett during the offseason. Now they have a potential elite cast of Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle & No. 2 pick Dylan Harper. The roster has more balance now of young guards, a top big man and role players to challenge as a playoff contender. Expectations are much higher securing a playoff spot will require consistency & avoiding long losing stretches to remain in competition with a stacked West.

When you think of the Golden State Warriors you think of the star power, experience & Championship mentality. Steph Curry remains the engine of the offense & one of the top shooters in NBA history. Jimmy Butler was acquired in February of 2025 & helped rejuvenate the team since his arrival the Warriors went 23-8 in that stretch. Draymond Green being the enforcer & anchor of the Warriors defense now has some help with Al Horford who is a champion and also provides some defensive help. Many of the core players are over 35 (Curry, Green, Horford, Butler) and the Western Conference remains loaded with younger teams, deeper and more athletic. Will the older Warriors core be able to keep pace in a 7 plus game playoff series?

The Charlotte Hornets finished last season with just 19 wins and finished 14th in the East. The Hornets young core of rising talent of LaMelo Ball running the show, and Brandon Miller is developing into a legit second option. Charlotte added some more shooters & shot creators something that was a weak spot for this roster. They drafted Kon Knueppel out of Duke to help provide the floor spacing with his shooting. Injuries with LaMelo Ball these last few years & other key players has derailed them from be a playoff contending team. They'll need major leaps from the young players & consistency to turn into a playoff team.

Chicago Bulls roster has young building- blocks with Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Coby White to team with some veterans in Kevin Hueter & Nikola Vucevic. It looks like the Bulls are looking for younger talent to carry this team going forward especially with drafting Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick in this year's draft. Nikola Vucevic has been in trade rumors in recent year's so depending on how the season goes he might be trade bait for a team competing for a deep playoff run. The Bulls will need tangible growth & perhaps a breakout from the younger players or either miss the play-in or playoffs again this year.

The Brooklyn Nets finished last year with only 26 wins and being one of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference. The Nets drafted five first rounders in 2025 NBA Draft which was the most this year. This team is clearly in a rebuild mode with the young assets but still have some veteran pieces in Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Terrance Mann which they are unlikely to compete for the playoffs.