Biggest Winners and Losers from 2026 NBA Preseason

The NBA doesn't crown a champion or hand out awards for preseason play, but dismissing exhibition games as meaningless is a mistake.

The preseason offers the first hints about which rookies are ready to report for duty, which teams might already be behind the injury eight ball and which theoretical contenders might be even more formidable in practice.

This year, the Memphis Grizzlies used the preseason to showcase their exciting new core, while the retooled Philadelphia 76ers got a terrifying glimpse into their potential frailties. Nothing we've seen so far is set in stone, but a few clear signs are worth reading into.

Let's get our bearings before opening night by checking in on the 2026 NBA preseason winners and losers.

Winner: Memphis Grizzlies

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Zach Edey

Zach Edey is meeting athletic forwards at the rim, Cam Boozer already looks like a legitimate offensive hub, and GG Jackson seems primed for a leap.

In other words, there's been a whole lot to like about the Memphis Grizzlies this preseason.

Boozer is probably the most important of Memphis' frontcourt trio, and he's been as good as advertised. The rookie forward appears slimmer and more athletic than he did at Duke, but his leaner look isn't limiting his power. He had several forceful drives and finishes against the Bulls on Oct. 9 and has had no issue bullying his way to the foul line.

The quick processing and unselfishness that defined Boozer's game in college are intact, only now they're buttressed by improved self-sufficient scoring.

The Grizzlies ended an era by shipping out Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant over roughly 13 months. The preseason suggests they've already laid the foundation for a new one.

Loser: Philadelphia 76ers

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VJ Edgecombe, left, and Joel Embiid

It's an annual tradition to fixate on how many games Joel Embiid will be able to play in the upcoming season. Recent history says that number could be anywhere between zero and 50, and that uncertainty is the one great variable in the Philadelphia 76ers' outlook.

Based on his preseason debut, Embiid's number of games might matter less than the quality. Or lack thereof.

In his debut against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 8, Embiid shot just 1-of-5 from the field, turned the ball over eight times and moved like he was stuck in mud. This, by the way, might be as physically spry as the former MVP is going to look at any point during the year.

You don't get to fret about Embiid's ability to hold up physically over several months and also act as if he's going to work his way into shape. Not even after an improved showing in the team's final preseason contest.

Odds are Embiid will still be able to threaten defenses as a spot-up weapon, and he's not going to throw the ball all over the gym once he's used to his new teammates. But his preseason debut raised fresh concerns about how much athleticism he can recover after so many injuries.

Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder

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Bennett Stirtz

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the only teams that could afford to lose three rotation players in a cost-cutting summer, and that was before it seemed clear that rookie Bennett Stirtz was ready to take on a significant role.

The Iowa product racked up 61 points and drilled 13 threes across his first three preseason games, handing out 13 assists for good measure. While most assumed Cason Wallace would pick up the bulk of the minutes made available by the departures of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, it appears Stirtz is worthy of some, too.

Perhaps most importantly, Stirtz's offensive production could address what might be the Thunder's only real needs. OKC won the 2025 championship in spite of occasionally substandard half-court creation and spacing, two areas in which Stirtz excelled during the exhibition season.

In a draft class that saw plenty of point guards come off the board in the top 10, OKC's No. 16 pick is so far outproducing all of them.

The rich get richer.

Loser: Charlotte Hornets

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Brandon Miller

If you believed the Charlotte Hornets were going to prove their doubters wrong by winning at least as many games without LaMelo Ball this season as they did with him last year, well...you probably assumed the revamped roster was going to stay healthy.

The preseason hasn't exactly been a good omen on that front.

Kon Knueppel suffered a hamstring strain during an offseason workout that has kept him out of action. Coby White, whose assumption of primary playmaking duties was always going to be critical in a post-Ball world, strained his calf.

Then Brandon Miller, no stranger to injuries during his three-year career, missed the preseason opener with a shin contusion before returning to score 18 points against Milwaukee.

There's still a ton to like about the Hornets. They pulled off a heist in trading Miles Bridges to the Suns, figure to score in bunches using a triple-heavy style and still have a shot to be a better collective unit without Ball. But all of those positives shrink in importance if several key players can't be in top form by the time the real games start.

Winner: Milwaukee Bucks

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Kel'el Ware

It's going to take some time for the Milwaukee Bucks to rebuild after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their preseason play has offered nothing but hope about the tools they've assembled for the task.

Kel'el Ware turned in a pair of double-doubles in his first two appearances, even starting alongside Myles Turner in a rare "double-big, double-stretch" frontcourt combo. The third-year big man is a potentially dominant threat above the rim and shoots the deep ball with smooth, confident form.

Tyler Herro, another piece that came back in the Antetokounmpo deal, may not be a potential keeper like Ware. But he'll be a valuable trade chip if he continues his preseason trend of logging more points than shot attempts.

Rookie Brayden Burries was Milwaukee's Summer League story, while fellow newcomers Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis have also shown positive preseason flashes.

The Bucks may not intend to win a ton of games during the upcoming regular season, but their road back to respectability looks promising.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.