1 Big Question for Every NBA Team at Training Camp
NBA teams are taking a big step toward the 2026-27 season with the opening of training camp.
They all have plenty to figure out over the coming days, weeks and months, but one question looms above the rest.
For some, it's obvious. Things like the Philadelphia 76ers' offensive pecking order and the Miami Heat's perimeter shooting have already been identified as major talking points. For others, some subsurface digging is required to uncover them.
Either way, we're here to pinpoint the most pressing inquiry facing each and every franchise.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Is there enough offense to contend?
History holds that it generally takes top-10 efficiency marks on both ends of the floor to contend for the NBA crown. Atlanta's defense feels like a lock for that lofty ranking; after Trae Young's final Hawks appearance on Dec. 27, they defended at a top-five level the rest of the way. And then they acquired 2024-25 All-Defensive first-teamer Lu Dort this summer.
So, the defense should be awesome. The question, then, is whether the offense can be better than average. Over that same Young-less stretch last season, they checked in at 14th in efficiency on the game's most glamorous end.
Is there another level Jalen Johnson can reach after his All-Star emergence? Can CJ McCollum handle near-featured duties in his age-35 season? Will Dort and Dyson Daniels make enough outside shots to not totally torpedo the spacing? It'll take at least a few definitive "Yes!" answers to elevate Atlanta to contender-level.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
What is the expectation now?
For reasons known perhaps only to them, the Celtics felt they couldn't move forward with Jaylen Brown. So, they flipped him for former star Paul George and a quartet of draft picks (two firsts and two seconds), leaving Jayson Tatum looming as a possible singular star in the heart of his prime.
Boston's financial books should be easier to balance now, but that can't be the carrot at the end of the Celtics' stick now, can it? Are they content with being a rock-solid regular season team that lacks the complementary stars needed to remain in the championship chase?
Is there some separate megaswap brewing behind the scenes? Because optionality only intrigues for so long. The idea of snagging a second star is a fun one, but the reality of having Tatum, some 16-odd months removed from an Achilles tear, serving solo duty under the spotlight could be awfully deflating.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
How good are the young guards?
Should this question instead be centered around the new frontcourt combo of Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle? Maybe, but when so much of Brooklyn's future—and a big chunk of its present—is wrapped around the development of Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr., it'd feel strange to put anything else under the microscope.
Because if Brown is ready to hit the ground running, and Dëmin is on the cusp of a sophomore leap, then maybe the Nets can be competitive enough to squeeze something of substance from those aforementioned forwards.
But if Brown looks like a wide-eyed rookie, and Dëmin doesn't dramatically improve his rookie per-game marks of 10.3 points and 3.3 assists, then the Nets are probably nowhere near their turning-the-corner arrival. And in that case, it'd be time to start seeing what the market might bear in exchange for the scoring forwards.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
How does life after LaMelo look?
The Hornets found some serious sting down last season's stretch, posting the highest net rating (while playing at a 55-win clip) after the calendar flipped to 2026. But they apparently never bought into their own buzz, as they swapped out two starters (including long-term franchise face LaMelo Ball) this summer.
The aim, as Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson told reporters after the Ball blockbuster, is "to get to the playoffs and stay there for a long time. And eventually contend to compete for championships."
Charlotte, which last celebrated a series win in 2002, is nowhere close to entertaining title talks, but there is obvious excitement around sophomore sharpshooter Kon Knueppel and fourth-year swingman Brandon Miller. Still, for an organization just starting to shift away from such a prominent piece of its identity, there is a bit of a blank-slate feel to the franchise now.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
Can the young forwards form a viable foundation?
Chicago's prolonged plug-pulling of its last ill-fated chapter put the Bulls behind the rebuilding 8-ball. The hope, though, is there is enough young talent already present for this to feel like something more than just starting from scratch.
Namely, there is an awful lot riding on the young frontcourt tandem of Matas Buzelis and rookie No. 4 pick (and Summer League sensation) Caleb Wilson.
The Bulls haven't rostered a transcendent talent since the healthy version of Derrick Rose was leading the charge, and while those are impossibly high hopes to pin on young players, this rebuild would get infinitely easier if one of those forwards (probably Wilson, but don't rule out Buzelis) flashes that type of elite ability.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
Can Peyton Watson solve the small forward puzzle?
For years, the Cavaliers have been trying to crack the code of finding the right small forward to slot in between their offensive-minded backcourt and their defensively dynamic frontcourt. They just placed a massive wager ($88 million and an unprotected future first) on Peyton Watson being their code cracker.
It's an ambitious ask, but hardly a hopeless one. Watson has flashed game-changing abilities as an all-purpose stopper and chaos-creator on defense, and his three-ball showed legitimate signs of life last season (41.1 percent makes).
Still, this is far from a foolproof plan. It's a bet on Watson continuing to evolve on the offensive end, which would require him to either do things he's never done or do more of what he has (that three-point percentage loses some luster when considering he averaged fewer than four attempts per outing). Maybe he makes those strides, but the Cavaliers lack a safety net if he doesn't.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
How does Kyrie Irving impact Cooper Flagg?
Speculation around Kyrie Irving's future in Dallas might be at least a bit rooted in external optimism—he could be a great get for a win-now shopper needing more offensive oomph—but it exists for a reason. The Mavs might have genuine hopes for the Irving-Cooper Flagg pairing, but they'll never square the timeline gap between the 34-year-old Irving and 19-year-old Flagg.
That doesn't have to be a training camp topic, though. For now, Dallas can simply laser in on all of the different ways in which a proven (and super potent) shot-creator like Irving can make Flagg's life easier.
Flagg did so much heavy lifting on the offensive end en route to winning Rookie of the Year. While that could do wonders for his long-term development, he could be dramatically more effective and efficient finishing simpler plays created by others. Irving, an all-timer in terms of NBA creativity, should be up to that challenge—for however long he sticks around.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
Is the defense fatally flawed?
Denver fielded a bottom-third defense last season. With that level of generosity, it was surely fortunate to enjoy as much success as it did. The Nuggets weren't merely the lone 50-game winner in that bottom-third; they were its lone resident that wasn't a 50-game loser.
Still, for them to enter the title race—which is exactly where a Nikola Jokić-led team should expect to be—the defense can't be this disastrously bad. But how can it expect significant improvement when its best perimeter defender, Peyton Watson, exited over the offseason?
Great question, and one that's surely keeping Nuggets skipper David Adelman up at night. Having a healthier Aaron Gordon would help (36 games played last season), and maybe newcomer Alpha Diallo (2025-26 EuroLeague Defender) claws out a rotational role, but skepticism around this defense won't disappear until the Nuggets force it to.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
What's happening with Jalen Duren?
This section should have featured a straightforward examination of Detroit's ongoing challenge to generate more scoring and creation from players not named Cade Cunningham. But given the ongoing stalemate between Duren, a restricted free agent, and the only NBA employer he's ever known, our hands are tied.
Not unlike how things sound between Duren and the Pistons, honestly. No agreement has been reached despite there being a five-year, $200 million offer on the table—curiously featuring "a weight clause requiring Duren to check his weight monthly throughout the calendar year," per The Athletic's Hunter Patterson and Sam Amick.
This staredown has to end soon, but it's somehow still too early to say how this gets resolved. Duren is reportedly "seriously considering taking the one-year, qualifying offer," per The Athletic scribes, and still has a few external suitors.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
Will they ever be healthy enough to matter?
While most NBA players will soon claim to be in the best shape of their lives, the Warriors have a lot of older players teetering toward (or clearly in) past-their-prime territory. They are also (perhaps predictably) loaded with availability concerns due to players who either are injured (Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody) or have earned the injury-prone label (Kristaps Porziņģis, De'Anthony Melton).
It is, objectively speaking, an absolute bummer of a way to spend the twilight years of Stephen Curry's unforgettable career. Especially when the two-time MVP still feels an "absolute desperation to win," as he told ESPN's Anthony Slater.
If Golden State could ever get to full-strength, there might be an interesting team here. Not a championship contender, but certainly an experienced and savvy squad that no one would want to face come playoff time. But what if that clean bill of health never comes? Or arrives too late for this club to position itself for postseason success?
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
Can anyone organize the offense?
Sideswiped by the late September loss of floor general Fred VanVleet to an ACL tear, last season's Rockets never found a way to coalesce offensively. They still managed to field a top-10 attack on the strength of their star power and some ridiculous offensive rebounding (league-leading 38.8 percent), but the whole never matched up to the sum of the parts.
With the right conductor, Houston's offense could harmonize in top-five fashion. But is that player on the roster?
VanVleet is healthy, but he's also a 32-year-old (33 in February) who hasn't suited up in 17 months. Reed Sheppard's arrow should be pointing all the way up entering his third NBA season, but his game might be better suited for combo-guard duties.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Will Tyrese Haliburton hit the ground running?
When the Pacers last had a healthy Haliburton, they were locked into a seven-game fight with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton's fingerprints were seen all over that postseason run, too, as Indiana feasted off of his full-throttle playmaking and ridiculous clutch-shooting run.
But that run of course ended with Haliburton suffering an Achilles tear in Game 7, and he hasn't hit the hardwood since. The Pacers played a disastrous 2025-26 season without him, losing 63 games and not even collecting a top draft prize to show for their struggles, since their first-round pick went to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.
Indiana holds some wait-and-see appeal this season, but that might be the extent of external interest until folks see Haliburton back in action. If he returns to his All-NBA form, the Pacers could absolutely factor into the Eastern Conference race. But if he's rusty or at all limited, then Indiana probably lacks the horsepower to keep up.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
What are the organizational goals now?
Kawhi Leonard is gone, and after the completion of the league's investigation into salary cap circumvention, so are the Clippers' draft assets for the foreseeable future. The organization is presumably resetting itself, but it's doing so without the necessary tools for the task.
So, what is L.A. even trying to accomplish here? Tanking is off the table since the club doesn't control its 2027 first-round pick, so do the Clippers just try to cobble together a competitive play-in club around Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram?
Or do they sell off any and all available veteran talent for picks and prospects after the league cleared out the Clippers' cupboards? Is the organizational focus just all-development, all-the-time now? And if it is, is this the type of team Tyronn Lue will even want to coach?
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
Was Walker Kessler worth it?
The Lakers clearly needed an impact center, and they reportedly landed the one that Luka Dončić wanted "most of all." Some might argue that alone makes Kessler worth the cost.
Then again, that cost was massive. Because Kessler was a restricted free agent, L.A. first had to incentivize the Utah Jazz to let him go by giving up two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps (essentially all of its remaining capital), and then had to pony up a four-year, $130 million deal for the 25-year-old non-star (who played five games last season before having shoulder surgery).
Even while acknowledging the obvious positional need and all of the good vibes sent Dončić's direction, this was clearly an overpay. It could still be worth it if Kessler is a reliable rim-runner and impact defender, but this organization just staked its entire future on his ability to complete its championship picture.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
How much (if any) star power is present?
Don't be surprised to hear any training camp chatter about the Grizzlies having a chance to be sneaky-good this season. Cam Boozer seems like the odds-on favorite to make the biggest immediate impact of this rookie class, and this young core featuring him, Zach Edey and Cedric Coward is surrounded by tons of depth.
Memphis fans have reasons to be excited. That doesn't mean those reasons will add up to an instant turnaround from 57 losses to Play-In Tournament qualification.
Boozer's next NBA minutes will be his first. Edey's apparent sophomore leap spanned just 11 games before the injury bug forced him off the floor. Coward had a good rookie season, but not the kind that guarantees stardom in his future. The Grizzlies need high-end talent to make any noise in the West, and there's no telling if they actually have that.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
Is there enough perimeter punch to complement the frontcourt?
It took years and years of waiting, but the Heat finally reeled in their long-targeted whale this summer. And while doing so, they happened to form a devastating frontcourt combo with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
They also happened to strip their backcourt collection down to the studs. They've cobbled together whatever their pocket change could afford to patch up some of the problem, but things look pretty bleak with this perimeter group.
Shooting, an absolute must given the lack of spacing up front, could be decent, so long as Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. play passable enough defense to stay on the floor. But where is the shot-creation and scoring coming from? Defensive specialist Davion Mitchell might have the richest offensive track record, which says everything you need to know about what Miami has (and doesn't have) in its guard group.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
Is Tyler Herro a building block or a trade chip?
There is a potentially fun narrative built around Herro, a Wisconsin native, returning to his home state and helping the Bucks stay afloat after being forced to trade away arguably the best player in franchise history.
It's just not at all the likeliest way things play out.
Milwaukee might be facing a years-long rebuilding project, which feels like an awful way for Herro (27 in January) to play out his prime years. Especially when the Bucks might need more developmental minutes in the backcourt for Ryan Rollins and rookie lottery pick Brayden Burries.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
How do the Wolves form their identity?
Since adding interior anchor Rudy Gobert ahead of the 2022-23 season, the Timberwolves have become playoff regulars on the strength of a defense that consistently ranks inside of the top 10 (and always ahead of the offense).
But is defense still driving this team after its bold blockbuster trade for LaMelo Ball? You know, the flashy offensive player who has so often been dinged for playing an unserious (see: not conducive to winning) brand of ball?
The defense shouldn't fall off a cliff, since Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are still around, but it may not be an identity-forming strength anymore. So, is the offense going to prove so potent that it offsets any defensive decline? That has to be the hope, but that wish is by no means definitely getting granted.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
Can Jamahl Mosley make sense of this roster?
The Pelicans have lost 117 games over the past two seasons. A lot of franchises would've interpreted this mountain of misery as an alarm signaling the glaring need for radical change.
And yet, New Orleans had one of the league's quietest offseasons. It took a flier on Bennedict Mathurin and split from the disappointing Jordan Hawkins, but that was sort of it on the player front.
The Pels did, however, hire a new coach and seemingly hope that Mosley can somehow solve this puzzle. With veteran mouths to feed, prospects needing developmental minutes and a seemingly endless swirl of trade speculation, that will be no small task.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
What is the right number on a Karl-Anthony Towns extension?
Some might point toward New York's ability to adequately replace Mitchell Robinson, but it's hard to panic about the loss of a sub-20-minute reserve who had major availability issues. Especially when it sounds like extension talks might be entering an uncomfortable spot with a locked-in and critically important starter.
There might be some gaps in Towns' game, but his importance as Jalen Brunson's co-star and offensive release valve is hard to overstate. Towns, more than anyone, packs the kind of scoring punch that either prevents opponents from overloading on Brunson or punishes them for doing it.
Given Towns' impact on New York's title run, you might think that would've cemented him into the organization's long-term plans. But he could hit free agency as soon as next summer ($61 million player option for 2027-28), and recent talks about an extension have "stagnated," per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
Who is ready to join the rotation?
You know the old adage about not trying to fix something that isn't broken? Well, the Thunder had a tried-and-true formula for winning big (132 games, six series and a title over the past two seasons), but they forced themselves to search for a few fixes after feeling financially squeezed into subtracting Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe this offseason.
"We have to give ourselves time to figure out the best way to position this team because those guys played a lot," Thunder general manager Sam Presti told reporters at his season-opening press conference. "They were big influences on things. We're going to have to kind of learn a new way, which is healthy."
Could that new way involve introducing new players to this rotation? It almost has to. Fortunately, there is no shortage of candidates—including rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, plus recent first-round picks Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber—but none are proven contributors the way Dort, Wiggins and Joe were.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Will coaching change remove this club's first-round ceiling?
Despite showings of defensive greatness, offensive inconsistency and untimely injuries have kept the Magic from collectively climbing above pretty-goodness. They've booked three straight playoff trips, but all three were extinguished in the opening round.
Orlando opted against any major roster changes this summer, perhaps hoping that new coach Sean Sweeney can connect dots better than his predecessor, Jamahl Mosley, did during his five-year tenure.
Maybe the Magic felt they had no other choice, since they are very financially committed to this core and short on movable draft assets after last summer's Desmond Bane blockbuster. Hopefully, though, it's more a sign of believing that this young roster is capable of more than it has shown.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
How does the offensive hierarchy take shape?
Any time a new superteam is spawned, the same concern sounds: There's only one basketball to go around. It is a valid issue teams have to figure out, even if elite talent typically finds a way to make it work.
Things are no different in Philadelphia. In fact, the star power feels so overwhelming that there could be some real hiccups on the road to getting this right.
LeBron James is a realistic answer to the GOAT debate. Joel Embiid is a former MVP. Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey are both coming off All-NBA campaigns. All four have averaged better than 28 points in a season. Each is a reasonable candidate to carry an attack (in crunch time and all the minutes before it), leaving it up to Sixers skipper Nick Nurse and the stars themselves to disperse touches and shots in a way that maximizes what each can offer.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
Is there another level Jalen Green can reach?
The Suns have a certified star in Devin Booker and a bunch of scrappy role players around him. They just proved that's a workable model to construct a winning record and support a brief playoff run.
The bar has to be higher than that, though, doesn't it? Why stiff-arm the mere idea of dealing Booker for assets if you're not going championship-chasing through his prime? And why burn an unprotected future first-round pick for Miles Bridges if the goal isn't to win right this second?
Phoenix must be pushing for more, but with so many assets already out the door, all hopes for improvement come from within. More specifically, it'd be super helpful if Green, the No. 2 pick in 2021, suddenly tapped into his predraft billing as a rising star and became greater than the inefficient scoring specialist he's been so far.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
Will Deni Avdija get lost in this guard-heavy shuffle?
There might be a million and one questions regarding why the Blazers felt compelled to roster four high-profile point guards and how they can all coexist, but this one feels the most pertinent. Because unless Damian Lillard rolls back the clock, or Ja Morant rediscovers his pre-injury form, there isn't a more important player in Portland than Avdija.
He gave Blazers backers a reason to pay attention last season. Besides debuting as an All-Star and joining Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić as the only players to average 24 points, six assists and six rebounds, Avdija filled the starring role in Portland's surprise playoff push.
He also did all of the above while upping his on-ball responsibilities and overall usage (career-high 29.3 percent). And that's where all the congestion among the guard group becomes concerning. Because they're largely on-ball contributors, too, but if letting them do what they do best denies Avdija the chance to do the same, then it's hard to see how Portland would come out ahead.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
Do the veterans need to go regardless of the return?
The Kings would like to get started scripting their next chapter. They just need the trade market to take an interest in what they've been offering for months: former All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, plus athletic spark plug Malik Monk.
Clearly, Sacramento is holding out for something the market has yet to offer, but there's a real chance the market never forks over whatever that is. Should the Kings just yank the Band-Aid off and take whatever they can get?
That's rarely advisable, yet this might be an exception. The Kings know this core is going nowhere, and they've signaled that they know these players aren't part of their next core. So, there could be real value (if not actual trade value) in the addition-by-subtraction sense, shipping out the vets and letting the young players start finding their way.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
Have they figured out how to navigate major moments?
Hoops historians will remember San Antonio's three-year run of drafting Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper among the most transformative stretches ever. But all of the ahead-of-schedule awe surrounding last season's Finals trek is out the window now.
The Spurs have obviously (and completely) arrived as a heavyweight contender. Between the big-stage experience they gained and the blue-chip talent they've amassed, championships should be the expectation in the Alamo City now.
So, San Antonio better be ready to execute in ways it never fully harnessed across those championship-round clashes. The Spurs can't have the same deer-in-headlights turnovers, rushed shots and generally aimless possessions that poisoned them at the least opportune times in that series.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Are the Raptors contenders again now that Kawhi Leonard is back?
The last time Toronto rostered Leonard, it followed his lead to 58 wins and the first title in franchise history. He is eight years older now and certainly no less of a walking availability concern, but could his addition be just as impactful?
That depends on a lot of things, including how often (and how effectively) he plays. He basically looked like his superstar self with the Clippers last season, so if he's suiting up regularly, he is probably doing his part.
This also hinges on whether the rest of this roster is ready for the spotlight, then. And while the core took a collective step forward last season—46 wins, fifth in defensive efficiency—championship contention is a much different challenge than being surprise sleepers.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
Which Darryn Peterson are the Jazz getting?
The 2026 draft class was among the most celebrated in recent memory. Many observers regarded Peterson as its best overall prospect even after his strange stop-and-go season at Kansas.
But what, exactly, did that turbulent collegiate campaign reveal? Was he merely a victim of severe cramping issues and less than ideal offensive conditions around him? Or did his play reveal real concerns regarding playmaking and rim pressure?
In short, should the Jazz expect to get the do-it-all dynamic player who rose above the rest as a prep player? Or are they getting the confounding, often frustrating version who managed 24 uneven appearances with the Jayhawks?
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
Is Anthony Davis a long-term keeper?
The Wizards and Davis have been technically linked since February, but they really haven't started the process of feeling each other out. That's why neither has a clue about whether this relationship is worth extending.
Contract extension talks have been tabled for now, per ESPN's Shams Charania, with both sides needing to learn more about the other. Can the Wizards compete on Davis' timeline? Can he be a big enough part of that competitiveness to justify a potentially massive deal (up to four years, $275 million)?
There is plenty else to watch in Washington, of course, including the arrival of top pick A.J. Dybantsa, the impact of offensive maestro Trae Young and the ongoing maturation of this core. But so many of these things can be seen through the prism of Davis' situation. If an extension makes sense for both sides, a lot of things will have gone well in Washington.
.jpg?w=2560 "Stafford No. 1 on Pick-6 List")
.jpg?w=2560 "Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups 👀")
.jpg?w=2560 "Blood Led To Maye's Fumble 🩸")
