The NBA regular season is very long and every team goes through their respective peaks and valleys. With the end of the 2025–26 campaign coming to a close on Sunday, it’s an appropriate time to remember all those peaks and valleys for each of the league’s 30 teams. The front office personnel that make up those teams will be doing the same, and most will be looking for reasons to be optimistic about how the season unfolded—from the unexpected development of a young player to smart in-season transactions and anything in between.
We’d like to do the same. To recap this past NBA season, we dug into every team’s campaign and found one positive takeway for each organization to chew on as the offseason officially begins for those who didn’t qualify for postseason play. Some takeaways are significant, such as the 76ers hitting big on VJ Edgecombe. Others are more minor wins, like the Kings finding something in Maxime Raynaud. But they all represent good developments that should carry over into future seasons no matter how felt the impact might be.
Thus, we present one thing every team should take away from the 2025–26 season.
Atlanta Hawks
Takeaway: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a certified baller
The Hawks have plenty to enjoy this season as they return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, but the sweetest surprise has been the play of Alexander-Walker. Inked to a very reasonable deal in free agency to provide quality two-way backcourt play off the bench, NAW was quickly forced into the starting lineup by Trae Young’s injuries and took a huge step forward as a result.
The 27-year-old more than doubled his scoring output year-over-year while playing better defense than ever. That sort of improvement is rare, and even more rare coming from a free agent signee. No matter how this postseason goes Atlanta deserves to pat itself on the back for adding Alexander-Walker to an already-talented core.
Boston Celtics
Takeaway: Jaylen Brown is a certified No. 1 option
While there is no lack of debate around Brown’s status as an MVP candidate, it’s undeniable he stepped up in a huge way this season. For the first time since his rookie year Brown had to play most of a season without Jayson Tatum alongside him. There were so many questions about his ability to not only elevate his own game but that of his teammates that everybody assumed Boston would be among the tanking teams this year.
Instead the 29-year-old star proved he could shoulder a larger offensive load while still putting up big-time scoring numbers and cracked five assists per game to boot. Whatever might change about his role in the future with Tatum back in the lineup there’s no longer any doubting Brown’s capability as a No. 1 option for a winning team.
Brooklyn Nets
Takeaway: The Michael Porter Jr. trade is a big win
There wasn’t a ton to celebrate in Brooklyn this season as the Nets’ five rookies all failed to pop in a significant way amid another tanking season. But the MPJ trade should definitely put some pep in the front office’s step. The veteran forward proved a much more capable individual scorer than the departing Cam Johnson and the Nets got a first-rounder out of the Nuggets for the privilege of enjoying Porter Jr.’s talents.
Is he overpaid? Perhaps. Should he share less during podcast appearances? Probably. But pure talent has been lacking in Brooklyn for a while and Porter Jr. has that in spades.
Charlotte Hornets
Takeaway: The future is bright
After a bad start to this season the Hornets seemed on the verge of another blow-up, with a young roster unable to shake the injury bug (and one that struggled to play together when everyone was healthy). Then, when the calendar flipped to 2026, something just… clicked. Everyone got healthy but, more importantly, started buying what coach Charles Lee was selling. The result? One of the best in-season turnarounds we’ve seen in modern NBA history and full-throated confidence around the league that LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Kneuppel and Moussa Diabaté make up an excellent long-term core. Charlotte is finally on the rise and the future is undeniably sunny.
Chicago Bulls
Takeaway: They finally picked a direction (or so it seems)
Since trading Jimmy Butler in 2018 the Bulls have become the NBA’s textbook example of mediocrity. In every season since, ownership seemed perfectly content to finish near the bottom of the East playoff bracket and pull in postseason revenue even if there was never any hope for a championship. That appeared to finally change this year as Chicago shipped off its veteran talent in exchange for younger players and draft picks before firing the front office duo of Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley that oversaw these recent seasons of assertively average play. Change appears on the horizon in the Windy City and that marks a reason for optimism, even if the new direction isn’t yet clear.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Takeaway: Jaylon Tyson’s growth as a three-and-D wing
There has been and will continue to be plenty of focus in Cleveland around the James Harden situation and the various ways this playoff run will determine the Cavaliers’ direction this offseason, which means it’s been lost a bit that Tyson is turning into one of the most important players on the roster. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2024 draft but failed to crack Kenny Atkinson’s rotation. It is now official that he’s taken a sophomore leap.
Tyson is a good-to-great isolation defender who shot 44.6% from three on 4.5 attempts per game. Sizable wing players who can hold their own defensively and require a defender to be glued to them beyond the arc are easily the most valuable non-star commodities in the NBA today, and Tyson has room to grow yet.
Dallas Mavericks
Takeaway: Cooper Flagg is the prince that was promised
It’s been a very sad 16 months in Dallas. There’s no getting around that. But Flagg is awesome. Even for a prospect of his caliber there were a thousand different ways for his rookie season to go sideways, and things haven’t gone right for the Mavericks on the court since Feb. 1. Yet there’s no reason to worry. Flagg’s first NBA season was rocky at points but he is clearly a superstar in the making with the potential to be one of the best players in the NBA. And he isn’t even 20 years old yet!
The Anthony Davis trade was tough to swallow and the Mavs really have to nail their pick in this upcoming draft with no control over future assets for the coming years. But it all feels a little better after seeing Flagg, somehow, live up to the absurd hype he entered the league with.
Denver Nuggets
Takeaway: Peyton Watson is finally delivering on his potential
In his third NBA season, Watson officially broke out. After spending two years as a chaotic whirl of defensive potential who was still clearly learning how to best translate his outstanding athleticism to productive basketball, the 23-year-old found his stride to great effect for the Nuggets. He boasts the potential to be a game-changing defensive presence on the wing with enough offensive skill to be more than a floor-stretcher offensively. It might make for a tricky decision this offseason after Denver opted to sign Christian Braun to a big extension last offseason, but those are good problems to have; hopefully Watson’s hamstring issue won’t stop him from impacting the Nuggets’ upcoming playoff run.
Detroit Pistons
Takeaway: Bask in the glory of victory
There were plenty of individual things to highlight from Detroit’s 60-win season, from Cade Cunningham’s ascension to MVP candidate to Jalen Duren’s first All-Star nod to the surprising unearthing of Daniss Jenkins. But none of that compares to the sunny feeling Pistons fans feel right now after this team (and several players still on the roster) was down in the darkest, dankest of dumps merely two years ago.
At this time in 2024 Detroit was finishing up a heinous 14-win campaign that could have derailed the entire franchise for years. Instead the organization enjoyed a complete cultural reset and needed only one year to bounce back before putting up its best record in decades this season. No matter what happens going forward the Pistons and their fanbase should feel comfortable enjoying this moment because it wasn’t so long ago winning 40 games (much less 60) was a pipe dream.
Golden State Warriors
Takeaway: Appreciate Steph Curry while he’s here
The fact that Curry is still at the peak of his powers may be cause for frustration when considering the state of the Warriors; Golden State’s various attempts to capitalize on his greatness have completely flopped for reasons both foreseeable and otherwise. Instead of getting too hung up on that, though, we contend it’s better instead to appreciate the fact that Curry, at 37 years old, is still the best show in the NBA. He can and will light it up at a moment’s notice and no number of miles on his body can slow him down. The days of seeing Curry shine for 60 or even 50 games a season might be behind us but he’s just as exciting as ever and that is worth appreciating.
Houston Rockets
Takeaway: Reed Sheppard is pushing back on his “bust” status
Given the injuries and rather poor vibes in Houston this season it’d be fair to wonder how many positive takeaways there really were from this regular season. But Sheppard definitely counts. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft barely played as a rookie and seemed to confirm all prior concerns that he wouldn’t be able to score nearly well enough to offset the inherent defensive issues all small point guards face. Sheppard completely reversed course this year, forcing Ime Udoka to keep him on the court by shooting nearly 40% from three on seven attempts per game. The Rockets really needed backcourt production after Fred VanVleet went down and Sheppard was valuable in providing that. But it’s even more encouraging to see a leap from a top pick in a recent draft after his rookie year suggested he had “bust” written all over him.
Indiana Pacers
Takeaway: Jay Huff proved pretty good
The Pacers accomplished their big-picture goal of finishing the year with a terrible record, one that became even more important after trading their 2026 first-round pick with only top-four protections for Ivica Zubac at the deadline. But it isn’t that fun to celebrate tanking, even an ethical tank like Indiana’s. So in the “little things” realm—Huff proved a great find in free agency.
A journeyman center on his fifth team in five years, the Virginia product appeared in all 82 games for Indy this season with career-high numbers across the board. He also showed an affinity for reverse dunks, an increasingly hard-to-find skill even among today’s ridiculous NBA athletes. He should return to the Pacers next year as a solid backup for Zubac and as one of the few genuine positives to come out of this grin-and-bear-it campaign for Indiana.
Los Angeles Clippers
Takeaway: Early returns on Darius Garland are trending positive
The Clippers’ decision to trade James Harden for Garland came out of nowhere but made plenty of sense from 1,000 feet up. Harden is better and more reliable than Garland right now but he’s 37 years old with a player option this offseason. Garland, despite his concerning recent injury history, is a 26-year-old All-Star who is under contract for another two seasons after this one. It was a sensible swing for Los Angeles to take and it’s looking like a smart move with big upside. Garland was healthy starting in March and looked very much like his old jitterbug self, darting through defenses with the ball on a string. Who knows what the offseason holds for this organization but the midseason swap to bring Garland in is looking pretty, pretty good thus far.
Los Angeles Lakers
Takeaway: Austin Reaves’s leap from good to great
Reaves has been a good player for several years now and will be the poster boy of the Lakers’ scouting department triumphs for the foreseeable future. But this season he took an even bigger step forward than expected despite having to share the ball with Luka Dončić and LeBron James. The fifth-year guard averaged a career-high in points and field goals per game while recording three 40-plus point games (including his first 50-burger); he entered the season with only one 40-point performance in four seasons.
It makes Reaves much more expensive to retain once he likely hits free agency this summer, but Los Angeles shouldn’t complain. The leap from a good tertiary scorer to a dangerous primary scorer is hard to take but Reaves appears to have done just that and it only portends good things for the Lakers—even if the team doesn’t last long enough in the playoffs for the 27-year-old to return from his oblique injury.
Memphis Grizzlies
Takeaway: Those 15 games of Ty Jerome were pretty sweet
It was… a tough season in Memphis. This year officially marked the end of the Ja Morant/Jaren Jackson Jr. core as JJJ was shipped off to the Jazz while Morant spent half the year on the trade block. Injuries once again played a big role in derailing whatever hopes the Grizzlies began the season with.
But how about Jerome! The offseason free agent signing barely played this season due to a calf strain but looked good in his 15 games, leading the team with 19.7 points per game and shooting a hot 42% from beyond the arc. He’ll be useful as the franchise enters rebuilding mode, whether as an offensive creator for a young roster or a trade chip to be cashed when a contender comes calling for a sixth man.
Miami Heat
Takeaway: Bam Adebayo is now immortal
In the grand scheme it’s definitely been a frustrating year for the Heat that ended in a fourth play-in appearance. But who cares when Bam Freaking Adebayo scored 83 points? No Miami fan is going to remember this campaign for the frustrating inability to compete with the top teams in the league or Tyler Herro missing half the season for the second time in three years. They will remember where they were when Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant on the all-time single games scoring list. It was a magnificent, magical evening for the star center and his team that will live forever in NBA history and no amount of debate over his free throw numbers will change that. An achievement like that rightly overshadows anything and everything else that might’ve unfolded this year.
Milwaukee Bucks
Takeaway: How about that Ryan Rollins?
Boy. The Bucks and all their fans are probably happier than anybody this season is finally over. The Giannis Antetokounmpo situation marred an already-ugly season and everything Milwaukee has been trying to build is now in pieces. But how about that Ryan Rollins! The former second-round pick out of Toledo showed flashes last season but made a name for himself in this campaign, going from an unknown 10th man to a legitimate starter at the NBA level. Seeing that happen in the span of one year is exceedingly rare and genuinely joyful to watch. Rollins is a top candidate for Most Improved Player and would make for a deserving winner. He also may be the only positive development of this Bucks season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Takeaway: Ant Man continues to improve
For a contending team the Timberwolves put forth a somewhat frustrating season defined by inconsistent play. But in the bigger picture Anthony Edwards continued his rise to superstardom and that’s what matters most. The 24-year-old increased his scoring output and efficiency for the sixth year in a row despite injuries forcing him to miss a career-high 21 games.
Most importantly Edwards took a leap as a passer. His assist numbers are actually down year-over-year but his 2.9 turnovers per night are his lowest mark since his sophomore season. Simply from an eye test perspective the young star looks much more comfortable manipulating defenses with his passing and in particular double teams, a strategy that stopped him in his tracks too often last year. It’s the natural next step in his evolution as a star and one Minnesota should be thrilled to see unfold.
New Orleans Pelicans
Takeaway: The rooks will be alright
Dejounte Murray coming back better than ever from a torn Achilles was a close second to the big season takeaway in the Big Easy. But the trajectory of the Pelicans’ two rookies is just too exciting to not discuss. Jeremiah Fears, taken seventh in the 2025 NBA draft, played all 82 games and really came into his own by the end of the season as a microwave scorer; he hit the 20-point mark in five of New Orleans’ last six games, including a strong 40-point showing that featured only five free throws.
Derik Queen, conversely, hit the typical rookie wall but boasted several quality stretches of play that inspired loose comparisons to Nikola Jokić as he racked up points, rebounds and assists in great quantity despite relatively limited athleticism. He is not the second coming of Jokić, of course, and even in light of his solid debut campaign it’s worth questioning the Pelicans’ decision to trade their 2026 pick to get him. But they make for legitimate pieces as New Orleans fights through another rebuilding period.
New York Knicks
Takeaway: Mitchell Robinson’s load management plan worked out well
The organization’s decision to replace Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown last offseason was not universally praised, but the changes the new coach brought with him were obvious from the get-go. No more so than in the case of Mitchell Robinson. The seven-footer is the best offensive rebounder in the NBA and a unique weapon for the Knicks even if he can’t hit a free throw to save his life. But injuries have consistently been an issue, and after he missed the opening games of the year with an ankle injury, New York launched into a full load management plan. The big man didn’t play more than 20 minutes in a game until nearly Thanksgiving and, even after getting back to full health, didn’t suit up for the back-to-backs all season long.
And it worked! Robinson played 60 games for the first time since 2022 and posted his highest rebounds per game average since ‘23. While the same ankle issue kept him out of the final two games of the year he should be as ready as he’ll ever be to provide a spark for the orange-and-blue in the postseason, a poster boy for Brown’s coaching priorities compared to Thibodeau’s.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Takeaway: Ajay Mitchell is ready for the spotlight
Of the success stories that dot the Thunder’s roster, Mitchell’s is the most significant for this season. OKC needed someone to step up with Jalen Williams missing most of the year and Mitchell obliged. The 38th pick in the 2024 draft who appeared in only 36 games as a rookie, Mitchell came out of nowhere to provide a quality scoring punch off the bench—and did so without a deadly three-point shot. His reliability as a ballhandler and consistent defense rounds him out as one of the best sixth men in the league, as well as a luxury for an already-loaded Thunder team.
Orlando Magic
Takeaway: Anthony Black’s ascension
There was a lot more bad than good basketball happening in Orlando this season but it’s impossible not to feel positively about Black’s development. The third-year guard had shown consistent flashes of being a game-changing defender in the early going but managed to put that together on a more consistent basis this season. As the cherry on top, he took a big-time leap as a scorer, going from 9.4 ppg last year to a clean 15.0 this year. Defenses can no longer ignore him on that end which greatly improves his viability as an impact player in crunchtime situations. Black’s potential career trajectory looks a lot better after this season.
Philadelphia 76ers
Takeaway: VJ Edgecombe is a huge hit
Edgecombe got off to the best start of all the rookies in an absolutely loaded 2025 class. He faded afterwards and eventually fell behind the leaders in the clubhouse for Rookie of the Year but there’s no doubting the 76ers absolutely nailed this pick. The Baylor product is a fierce competitor with the athleticism and instincts to be a very pesky defender. Offensively he’s averaging 16 ppg and his game suggests there’s plenty of room to grow in that department. Entering a season with plenty of questions about what the future holds, Philadelphia can now move forward with confidence that Edgecombe is a long-term piece with genuine star potential; the backcourt of him and Tyrese Maxey is already one of the best in the NBA with only better things to come for both young players.
Phoenix Suns
Takeaway: No tanking here
The Celtics of the West in many ways, the Suns were widely expected to struggle this season after jettisoning Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and their head coach in a soft reset of sorts. Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks were having none of that, apparently. The two veterans, in tandem with rookie coach Jordan Ott, have played gritty, winning basketball in a fiercely competitive Western Conference all season long. Phoenix is bought into the idea of hard defense as an identity and many nights just out-hustled opponents. It only led to the seventh seed in the conference but what was looking like a dire season turned into a fun year for the Suns.
Portland Trail Blazers
Takeaway: The Chauncey Billups indictment somehow didn’t derail the season
The NBA season is so long it’s easy to forget some things, but it is going far too under the radar that the Trail Blazers had their coach arrested on federal charges in October and were able to stay afloat. Even better, they gave themselves a legit shot at a playoff appearance for the first time since Damian Lillard led the franchise on the court. Interim coach Tiago Splitter deserves a huge amount of praise. What’s more, the leaps taken by Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan make up for the lack of such a leap from Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. What could have been an absolute disaster of a campaign in Portland is instead a triumph.
Sacramento Kings
Takeaway: Maxime Raynaud was a good find
Not much to celebrate in Sacramento other than the end of another losing campaign and the chances of a brighter future. But Raynaud’s development proved a pleasant surprise. A second-round pick out of Stanford, the rookie big man was immediately pressed into service as injuries hit the Kings’ roster quickly after the season began and he proved very capable of holding his own. At worst Raynaud looks like a rotational piece going forward, which is a great find in the second round and constitutes a win in a season lacking many. At best he could be a reliable starter for a long time by setting good picks and crashing the boards while raking up points on the margins. Not bad for the 42nd pick in the 2025 draft.
San Antonio Spurs
Takeaway: Everything is ahead of schedule
Unlike nearly every other team on this list, it’s hard to find something about this Spurs season that didn’t go well. Victor Wembanyama took the leap from very good to MVP candidate. Lottery picks Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant were big parts of San Antonio’s winning campaign despite playing relatively minor roles for rookies of their pedigree. Stephon Castle swerved around the sophomore slump and improved his game greatly instead in his second season. Coach Mitch Johnson proved ready for the moment in his first full campaign as the leader on the sideline. They won 60 games!
Every part of the team’s long-term plan is ahead of schedule; this upcoming playoff run will show just how far ahead of schedule they really are.
Toronto Raptors
Takeaway: Scottie Barnes’s defense continuing to improve
Barnes has been one of the NBA’s best defenders for a while now. But this year he made his case to be considered the very best in the league, non-Wemby division. Barnes averaged 2.8 steals and blocks per game this season, which are impressive counting numbers, but he’s one of the few defenders in the NBA who pops off the screen every time you watch him. He is constantly cleaning up mistakes with his pterodactyl-like wingspan, can be heard barking at his Raptors teammates from the backline on every possession and is as hard to score on individually as any isolation defender one can find. At only 24 years old Barnes has room to grow, too.
Utah Jazz
Takeaway: Keyonte George’s emergence
The Jazz found at least one star part of their core by trading for Lauri Markkanen a few years back. Since then the franchise has been waiting for one of the various high draft picks on the roster to pop. This season, George finally obliged. The 22-year-old and 16th pick in the 2023 NBA draft took a giant step forward as a creator this season and averaged 23.6 ppg with multiple explosive outings. Injuries slowed him down in the second half of the season but George solidified his place in Utah’s long-term plans as a skilled backcourt scorer.
Washington Wizards
Takeaway: This front office knows what it’s doing
The Wizards were the worst team in the NBA this season (on purpose) and thus it’s a bit tricky to feel like any on-court takeaways will have staying power. Off the court, however, Washington made a great impression thanks to a pair of savvy deals near the deadline. The Wiz landed two All-Star talents in Trae Young and Anthony Davis at massive discounts; Young was acquired for matching salary and Davis required only two draft picks (neither of which belonged to Washington) along with filler. Only Young was able to suit up in a Wizards uniform and how long either of them will be in D.C. is yet to be determined, but there’s no denying this front office maneuvered the trade market beautifully to land two high-caliber players at a pittance, which should inspire great optimism for how they choose to go about the next stage of the franchise’s future.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Positive Takeaway for Every NBA Team From the 2025–26 Season.
