The 2025-26 NBA season is already a month into thrilling action, with spectacular moments that have set the pace of the competition. The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, in the first duel of the season, is a clear example of this, and the intensity has not diminished since then.
Although a month is not enough to draw definitive conclusions, as demonstrated last season with the Indiana Pacers, who recovered after a complicated start to reach the NBA Finals, it is enough time for plots to develop that could define the coming months, including the period before the trade deadline in February and the fight for the playoffs.
Considering this, and after talking with league experts during the last week, we analyzed a lesson learned by each of the 30 teams.
The statistics are updated to the matches on Wednesday.
Lesson after a month: There could be a plan for the post-Trae Young era.What’s rumored: Young’s knee injury on October 29th has given the Hawks the opportunity to evaluate what the team would look like if he left as a free agent, or via a trade, next summer, when he has a player option for $48.9 million. The early results are promising. Atlanta has a 7-2 record without their star point guard and, most interestingly, ranks fourth in defensive efficiency in that period. Atlanta has never finished above 18th in Young’s seven NBA seasons.
I think Trae Young’s situation is fascinating. They are a totally different team with and without him.
An executive from the Western Conference.This situation highlights the delicate balance between the face of the franchise and a team in possible transition. And, with several more weeks until Young returns, this period will only increase interest in knowing if his long-term future is in Atlanta or elsewhere.
Boston Celtics
Lesson after a month: The “Mazzulla ball” is not going away.What’s rumored: With Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles injury and the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Jrue Holiday during the summer, one of the curiosities in the league was whether Boston would move away from the three-point-focused approach it has maintained under coach Joe Mazzulla. The answer was not long in coming, as Boston, despite having fewer shooters on its roster, is only behind Cleveland in terms of three-pointers attempted per game. Mazzulla has always remained true to his coaching philosophy in his short time on the Boston bench. This year’s team is the most recent example.
Brooklyn Nets
Lesson after a month: Jordi Fernandez is not fixing things this time.What’s rumored: League experts praised the way Fernandez kept the Nets competitive during a 26-56 season that hovered around .500 until Thanksgiving last year before falling off. But no coaching ability will be able to boost a roster designed to ensure Brooklyn gets a top-tier prospect in the coveted 2026 draft. Several executives said this is the least talented roster in the league, with mixed results, at a minimum, from the five first-round picks the Nets made in the June draft.
Charlotte Hornets
Lesson after a month: Kon Knueppel’s chances of being Rookie of the Year are real.What’s rumored: First overall pick Cooper Flagg was expected to easily win the league’s Rookie of the Year award, but the Dallas star’s biggest competitor could be his former Duke teammate. Knueppel, with 18.3 points per game, the best in the rookie class, and 40% three-point shooting, has already impressed scouts with his shooting ability and understanding of the game.
Chicago Bulls
Lesson after a month: They could be a possible transfer destination.What’s rumored: The Bulls find themselves in a fascinating middle ground. Coach Billy Donovan has done a great job with this group, but the Bulls lack a star to build around. Second-year forward Matas Buzelis has shown interesting flashes, and the club has the ability to open up a lot of cap space this summer, but Coby White and Nikola Vucevic are about to become free agents.
That means the Bulls could go in several directions over the next few months, including adding to the current roster. This has led some sources to speculate on whether Chicago, with more than $80 million in expiring money, could be a suitor for Anthony Davis from Dallas and bring the Windy City native home.
I could see it.
An executive from the Western Conference who recently saw Chicago play.
“(Josh) Giddey has worked well with Vucevic, but could use a roll man to throw the ball to.”
Cleveland Cavaliers
Lesson after a month: The off-season changes are having an impact, but not a good one at the moment.What’s rumored: By essentially replacing Ty Jerome with Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers knew they were risking a lower ceiling in the regular season in favor of a higher one in the playoffs. That’s exactly what league experts are seeing during the first month of 2025-26. Jerome’s departure and the absence of Darius Garland, who has played only 73 minutes while dealing with a toe injury, has caused last season’s top-ranked offense to fall out of the top 10.
They are not great right now, but they have at least two fewer starters.
A Western Conference scout.
“Lonzo hasn’t been great.”
?Are they better (than last year)? Probably not. They have always needed Evan Mobley to improve even more, and he is not there yet.
Dallas Mavericks
Lesson after a month: A trade for Anthony Davis won’t be easy.What’s rumored: The Mavericks are expected to explore a trade for Davis between now and the February trade deadline, something rival teams also expect to happen. The problem for the Mavericks is that any potential return will look more like the Kevin Durant trade to Houston: a couple of solid players and a draft pick, than, for example, the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades from Utah a couple of years ago, which each obtained control over several first-round picks.
With the lack of picks in the league now, that’s what you should expect for a deal for (Davis).
A Western Conference scout.
Several other sources had difficulty producing a deep list of suitors for Davis, who is scheduled to earn $54.1 million, $58.4 million, and $62.7 million in the next three seasons.
Denver Nuggets
Lesson after a month: The end-of-season Jamal Murray has arrived early.What’s rumored: Murray has long been viewed by rival scouts and executives as a player who slowly adapts to the season. But if the guard’s early games are any indication, Murray could be changing that narrative. The 28-year-old is averaging 22.5 points, the highest figure of his career, a production that Denver will need to continue with Christian Braun out until around the New Year due to a severe sprain in his left ankle.
He’s moving well, his body looks good… I’m impressed.
An Eastern Conference scout.
It has been a very important part of their good start. They are in the inner circle of contenders largely due to the work he has been doing alongside Jokic.
Detroit Pistons
Lesson after a month: Jalen Duren made the right decision.What’s rumored: Virtually no discussion occurred about Duren and Detroit reaching an agreement before the league’s rookie extension deadline on October 20, and sources said at the time that the two sides were quite far apart on price. Duren has responded with the best month of his career, with highs not only in points (20.6) and rebounds (11.9) per game, but also a significant defensive improvement. Duren, after allowing 62% of shots in the shooting zone last season, has dropped to 53% this season. That has led league experts to firmly include him in the Most Improved Player race, and to project a good payday when he becomes a restricted free agent in July.
Golden State Warriors
Lesson after a month: Kuminga’s situation remains unresolved.What’s rumored: It wouldn’t be a Warriors season without the drama surrounding Kuminga’s future, who, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, remains in limbo with the team. While Kuminga’s role has fluctuated from starter to substitute before dealing with a knee problem, the same underlying inconsistencies that have followed him during his early years have resurfaced once again.
He is who he is, even though he is young.
A scout from the East.
She has looked better and has been trying to fit in, but she still goes back to her old habits.
The calculation for a possible Kuminga transfer remains complicated, as Golden State is not going to get rid of him, and with the Warriors flirting with the second apron, it’s difficult to find value for him and a team that acquires the 23-year-old player.
Who is going to take it?
The scout.
¿And are they going to transfer it for things they don’t want, or will they simply wait? It’s very difficult to find a transfer that makes sense for everyone.
Houston Rockets
Lesson after a month: Houston has the opportunity to be the best offensive rebounding team in history.What’s rumored: The Rockets are grabbing more than two out of every five missed shots. To put their absurd 40.5% offensive rebound rate into perspective: the difference between Houston and second-place Portland is the same as between the Trail Blazers and the 16th-ranked Nets. No team since 1996-97 has exceeded 38% in a full season. This is how the Rockets have the best offense in the league, while being last in 3-point shot volume, being the only team attempting less than 30 per game.
Indiana Pacers
Lesson after a month: It’s a good time for a sabbatical.What’s rumored: Indiana was expected to regress with Tyrese Haliburton’s injury absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and the departure of center Myles Turner to Milwaukee as a free agent. But no one could have predicted this start for the current Eastern Conference champions, who have started with a series of injuries beyond Haliburton. The Pacers have the worst offense in the league with the second-worst net rating, just ahead of Washington. The consolation for Indy is that, after reacquiring their 2026 draft pick from New Orleans in June, the team can hope to land an elite prospect next spring.
LA Clippers
Lesson after a month: You can get old quickly in the NBA.What’s rumored: At the start of the season, the Clippers were seen by many scouts and executives I spoke with as the best team in Los Angeles, praised for essentially replacing Norman Powell with John Collins and Bradley Beal and then signing Brook Lopez and Chris Paul to bolster their depth. But Beal is out for the season with a hip injury, and Lopez and Paul have looked 37 and 40 years old, respectively. It has all left the Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard injured once again, in a position where they could send an unprotected lottery pick to the Thunder next spring, as the Paul George trade continues to give to the current champions.Legend: Stephen A. Smith explains why the conference finals are the ceiling for the Lakers this season with the return of LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers
Lesson after a month: They are good, but how good?What’s rumored: It’s been a fascinating opening month in Los Angeles. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have posted huge numbers, and LeBron James has basically missed everything. Deandre Ayton has been productive… but the Lakers are several points better per 100 possessions with him on the bench than with him on the court.
Opponents are having fun at the rim, as the Lakers are yielding 69% of shots within 5 feet (the fourth-worst in the NBA). While they have an 11-4 record, they have mediocre overall efficiency numbers (11th in offense, 17th in defense, 14th in net rating). Add it all up, and although it’s been an impressive start in the standings, it’s still unclear how high this team’s ceiling really is, which was reflected in this week’s conversations with sources from around the league.
Are they up there with Oklahoma City, Denver, and Houston? No.
An Eastern scout.But they are clearly in the top six. Their overall depth isn’t good, but their top-line talent makes them a team you wouldn’t want to see in the playoffs.
They’re definitely from the top three. When you have Luka, you’re always going to be in the mix.
A Western scout.
Memphis Grizzlies
Lesson after a month: Ja Morant is not the same player.What’s rumored: There’s a very simple way to demonstrate the above statement: the percentage of Morant’s shots taken from within three feet. That figure, according to Basketball Reference, has gone from 39.6% of his shots as a flying rookie to a notable 15.4% this season and has decreased in each of his seven seasons. Since Morant hasn’t improved as a shooter (he had a terrible 10 of 60 in three-pointers before his last calf injury), it’s easy to see why he’s not the same player who electrified the league and seemed to have Memphis on a championship-caliber trajectory a few years ago. Sources expect Memphis to explore the trade market for Morant but, like Davis, believe it will be difficult to get value for him.
I think they’re going to move it.
A scout from the West.
Legend: Stephen A. Smith weighs in on whether the Heat or the Magic are a bigger threat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
Miami Heat
Lesson after a month: Last year was not a coincidence for Norman Powell.What’s Rumored: There’s been a lot of talk about Miami’s new offensive system, but no one has adapted better than Powell. When the Clippers decided not to extend him this past summer and sent him to Miami in a three-team deal that saw the Heat get him almost for free, it was considered a win-win situation. But even the most optimistic Heat supporters would have had a hard time imagining how Powell has adapted to life on the shores of Biscayne Bay, where he is averaging 25.5 points, the highest figure of his career, with an absurd 46% from three-pointers and has kept Miami in the top 10 in offense with Tyler Herro still to play this season and Bam Adebayo missing a good part of it.
Milwaukee Bucks
Lesson after a month: Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the NBA MVP.
What’s rumored: During the first month of the season, when Antetokounmpo has been on the court, the Bucks have had an offensive rating of 123.5 points per 100 possessions, the equivalent of the best offense in the NBA. However, when he hasn’t been on the court, Milwaukee has had an offensive rating of 102 points per 100 possessions, a couple of points below the league’s number 30 team (Pacers). With Antetokounmpo out for up to two weeks with a groin strain, coach Doc Rivers must devise a system that supports this group without its star, a path that sources believe will be difficult to navigate.
Of course not.
An executive.
When asked if he thought Milwaukee could stay afloat without Antetokounmpo, pointing to the lack of other ball creators on the roster.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Lesson after a month: Rob Dillingham is still a work in progress.What’s rumored: When Minnesota made a bold trade on the night of the 2024 draft to move up to number 8 and select Dillingham, it envisioned the team’s point guard of the future to replace Mike Conley. But, while Conley has moved to the bench this season, it has been in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Dillingham’s minutes have been an issue.
The sophomore guard is shooting 39% overall, 23% on threes and is being outscored by 14 points per 100 possessions in the over 100 minutes the Timberwolves have with him on the court, an astonishing 24-point swing with the plus-10 net rating they have in the over 500 minutes with him on the bench.
I’m not sure that’s ever going to work.
A scout from the East.
Perhaps things will change, but it’s hard to see it.
New Orleans Pelicans
Lesson after a month: They are what the league thought they were.What’s rumored: As the Pelicans have progressed through the first month of the season, with a 2-13 record and the firing of coach Willie Green, sources across the league have continued to express their bewilderment at New Orleans’ decision not only to trade their unprotected draft pick to Atlanta in 2026, but also to return their selection to Indiana, which happened just before Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
In an alternate reality, the Pelicans have two lottery picks in a loaded draft to add to their core. Instead, a season spiraling out of control will come with no benefit. And although sources have been impressed with the team’s two lottery picks, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, both have performed well enough to enter the starting lineup, it doesn’t make the pain hurt any less.
