Less than three weeks before the start of the 2025-26 season, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers inaugurated the NBA preseason in Abu Dhabi.
In an offseason marked by significant moves, several players and staff face new challenges: a point guard adapting to a new team, a coach with high expectations, and young talents facing crucial opportunities. These factors make them key figures in defining the NBA season.
This analysis, which was updated a year later, highlights names like Joel Embiid of the 76ers, JJ Redick, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Wyc Grousbeck, former majority owner of the Boston Celtics, among others.
The list does not focus on the best or most important players in the league, so players like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic are not included.
Here’s a look at 10 figures who will play important roles next season, both on and off the court, considering the trade deadline, the draft, and free agency.
Later, when asked about Bucks owner Wes Edens’ statements about a conversation in June in which Antetokounmpo said he was “committed to Milwaukee”, Antetokounmpo claimed not to remember the conversation. Ironically, on the court, Antetokounmpo could be on the verge of having his best statistical season. With Lillard out of the game at the end of last season, his numbers skyrocketed. Coach Doc Rivers is expected to repeat that strategy this season, which could turn Antetokounmpo into a statistical machine. With less than two years until Antetokounmpo becomes an unrestricted free agent, and a team with many unknowns, aside from Turner, it’s safe to say that the topic of Antetokounmpo’s future will remain present.“It’s a disservice to basketball and to the game not to want to compete at a high level, to wish your season would end in April,” he said. “It’s practically the same thing. It’s not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year. I had the same thoughts two years ago.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo
De’Aaron Fox, point guard for the San Antonio Spurs
There is great excitement and anticipation for the return of the Spurs’ center, Victor Wembanyama, especially after he rose to number 5 in ESPN’s annual NBA rankings. But as brilliant as Wembanyama is, making the ballots for Most Valuable Player and All-NBA teams doesn’t just depend on individual excellence. It also requires a team to be able to progress alongside its young star and be in a position to reach the playoffs, even in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. For the Spurs to reach those heights this season, it’s very likely that Fox will be a good co-star alongside Wembanyama. In the brief time the two shared the court in February, the results were mixed (although the 120-minute sample should be taken with caution). Fox was acquired in a major trade in February and then received a maximum contract extension in August when he was eligible to receive it. Their investment in him is a sign that they believe he is an optimal teammate for Wembanyama. Fox will also have to fit in alongside the number 2 pick, Dylan Harper, and the reigning Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle. The lack of consistent shooting among the three could make them fit in strangely. (As an aside, I’m proposing a nickname for Wembanyama: The Anomaly. I’d say it qualifies as an anomaly, and I like it much more than calling him extraterrestrial).
Adam Silver
Even before the Clippers investigation took center stage, it was already shaping up to be a pivotal season for the NBA commissioner as he enters his 12th full season in the role. How Silver decides on the case will be one of the enduring storylines of this season and possibly of his tenure as commissioner. But that’s not all. In recent months, Silver has repeatedly spoken about the league’s interest in expanding to Europe and creating a new league there to challenge the Euroleague, the best league outside the NBA. That league could potentially see the creation of several new expansion teams, with billions in expansion fees for the 30 NBA owners and new options with large resources to buy NBA teams. Then there’s national expansion, which remains a hot topic within league circles. When Silver was asked if Europe was a priority over national expansion last month, he strongly rejected the idea, saying that both projects can operate in parallel, and that’s what they’re doing. Expansion is still considered something that is a matter of when, not if. Seattle remains an obvious market to expand into, while several ownership groups are interested in pursuing a team in Las Vegas. But the coming months could show us how legitimate Silver’s argument about parallel paths is and how long expansion might take to reach the NBA.
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets guard
The number 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Thompson, quickly established himself as one of the most intriguing talents in the NBA and is poised for a successful season. Fred VanVleet suffered an ACL tear in offseason workouts, meaning Houston will be without his long-range shooting, defense, and leadership this season. But it creates a great opportunity for Thompson. Last season, he took on a more significant role in ball-handling, third on the team in terms of bringing the ball up the court behind VanVleet and Jalen Green, who has since departed. The stage is set for Thompson to lead the team and set the table for stars Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun in Houston. The Rockets didn’t make the Kevin Durant trade for this season to be a transition year. And if Thompson, a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year contender and an excellent passer, takes advantage of this opportunity, he could easily be an All-Star, the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season, and make Houston still a real threat to challenge Oklahoma City in the West.Trae Young, point guard for the Atlanta HawksNot long ago, Young would have been seen as an automatic candidate for a maximum extension. But those days were before the current collective bargaining agreement. Since the spring of 2023, teams are more reluctant to grant that kind of deal. Atlanta is entering the most anticipated Hawks season in years after an acclaimed offseason under the new head of basketball decision-making, Onsi Saleh, which could boost Young’s market in free agency next summer if the two parties do not reach an agreement. We could be entering a new era of team building and spending in the NBA, and Young’s deal could be at the epicenter of this.
