2026-27 NBA Season Preview: Team outlooks, power rankings, players to watch, fantasy spin

The 2026-27 NBA season is here. We're rolling out our team-by-team previews, rankings and more to get you ready for Opening Night on Oct. 20.

Team-by-team previews

Opening schedules. New-look rosters. Best- and worst-case scenarios. Here's everything you need to know for all 30 teams.

East:Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

West:Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

2026-27 NBA title contenders(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Nine teams enter this season with championship odds of 25-to-1 (+2500) or better. Those nine teams also feature major questions that must be answered between now and the postseason. Let's get reacclimated with the NBA's expected upper echelon by considering the cases for and against the top nine contenders this season. Dan Devine

• Jones: 5 NBA dark-horse contenders to watch

Division previews(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Nekias Duncan breaks down every division, including what to like and be concerned about, a lineup to watch and a reasonable range for each team to finish in the standings. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Atlantic (coming Fri.) • Central • Southeast • Northwest • Pacific • Southwest

Play Fantasy Hoops!Henry Russell

We're back with our fantasy hoops draft kit for the upcoming season, your one-stop shop for all the latest rankings, strategy and player analysis to help you dominate your fantasy basketball league in 2026-27.

Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit

Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 season

Rising stars to watch(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Who could make their first All-Star appearances in 2027? Here are 24 choices, from best bets to long shots: Kevin O'Connor

• Devine: The five rising sophomores to watch

• Jones: Early NBA rookie rankings

• O’Connor: Can Cooper Flagg make the leap?

NBA storylines to watch(Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Devine: The five most interesting newcomers

Iko: The Wolves' plan for Ant-Man and LaMelo

Devine: NBA's most interesting comeback players

Iko: Will the Spurs’ bold tweak around Wemby work?

NBA Power Rankings(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Let's count down from 30 to 1 based on every team's chances of winning the NBA Finals, and look at what's changed, what's exciting, and what's concerning for each team. Kevin O'Connor's Power Rankings

NBA Pressure Rankings: Who faces the most heat this season?