The Five NBA Teams Most Likely to Take a Big Leap This Season

A new season brings new beginnings. Before the NBA tips for its new year, all 30 teams have reasons to look ahead to greener pastures.

After a wild offseason, the league’s powerhouses remain at the top. The Thunder are still the Thunder and the Spurs are still the Spurs. The Knicks are running it back—more or less—after dominating the field on the way to the franchise’s first title in 53 years. Everyone else is coming, though.

The 76ers built a loaded roster, while the Cavaliers retooled after an unceremonious exit to New York in the Eastern Conference finals. Like Philadelphia, Miami and Toronto made superstar additions and plan to be in the mix as the NBA begins the chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month.

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Outside of the teams responsible for the splashy offseason, others have trusted the process (pun intended), prioritized internal development and improved around the margins. With another season and a full summer behind for the league’s youngest stars, their teams are bound to improve in the process. Here’s a look at five organizations most likely to take a step forward this season:

Utah Jazz

Keyonte George will enter his fourth season with the Jazz | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2025–26 record: 22–60 (missed playoffs)

Utah may be over the hump in its rebuild. Despite many trade rumors swirling around Lauri Markkanen over the past couple years, the Jazz were a buyer at the February trade deadline and added former Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. Jackson played just three games in a Jazz uniform last season, so the franchise will get its first real look at the star frontcourt pairing.

Keyonte George had his best season yet last year despite Utah’s poor record. The third-year point guard averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game in 54 appearances and looked like one of the NBA’s brightest young guards. If he can keep it up amongst an improved roster, those are All-Star numbers. The Jazz’s biggest offseason addition was No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson, the coveted prospect out of Kansas. He may need some time to transition to the next level, but he has real upside to become a premier scorer in the NBA. A solid roster around Peterson will make his development and adjustment much easier.

The Jazz lost Walker Kessler to the Lakers, but acquired two first-round picks and two pick swaps in the prospects—a massive haul for a team on the rise. With George already extension eligible and the need to pay Peterson and Ace Bailey in the future if all goes well, Utah bodes well without a big contract for Kessler on its books. Jusuf Nurkić was solid when available last year, and he’s back to fill the hole Kessler leaves as the starting center on an affordable two-year deal. Plus, Utah signed Jaxson Hayes for center depth.

With a deep roster made up of solid veterans and exciting young players, the Jazz will be frisky in the Western Conference at the very least.

Dallas Mavericks

2025–26 record: 26–56 (missed playoffs)

Cooper Flagg has begun his path to superstardom, which gets a huge boost this season with Kyrie Irving’s return. Flagg and Irving are on opposite timelines, and it may make sense for Dallas to get off Irving’s contract before he presumably picks up his $42.4 million player option for the 2027–28 season. Seeing as the star point guard hasn’t been traded yet, though, the Mavericks seemingly want to see their star pairing on the floor.

Maybe things change by the trade deadline, but if Irving raises Flagg’s floor and the Mavs are better than expected, why move him? Over the summer, the franchise took a flier on 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher who could benefit from a change of scenery. Santi Aldama was brought in through a trade with Memphis, while Dallas committed to Naji Marshall with a reasonable extension. We will see some trades out of Dallas—whether or not Irving is involved is the big question. Moving off Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington’s long-term contracts specifically makes sense as the franchise moves deeper into its Flagg era.

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A wonky season marred by Nico Harrison and the end to Anthony Davis’s brief stint was highlighted by Flagg’s immediate arrival as an NBA star. The Rookie of the Year is only getting better and the Mavs should see a better season as a product. They won’t be a serious contender in a stacked West, but the Mavs will be a tough out at minimum.

Indiana Pacers

2025–26 record: 19–63 (missed playoffs)

The Pacers had a down year after their run to the Finals, but with Tyrese Haliburton back, so is Indiana. Without their franchise guard, the Pacers fully bottomed out and finished in the basement of the NBA with a better record than only the league-worst Wizards. The presumed off year after the Pacers came one win short of the title came to fruition, but the front office stayed busy.

At the trade deadline, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard dealt for Ivica Zubac as a key piece alongside Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. The Pacers parted with a protected first-round pick in the process, which came back to bite after their 2026 pick landed at No. 5 and went to the Clippers. Any higher, the selection would’ve remained with Indiana. Missing out on a high first-round pick after such a dreadful year is brutal, but the Pacers made the Zubac trade to win now. This year, we see how it all plays out.

Adding an elite center next to Haliburton fills the void that Myles Turner left a year ago. Zubac helps Indiana immensely on the defensive end, the franchise’s biggest issue from its Finals season. After such a long layoff, Haliburton will likely need time to adjust. However, hopefully the prolonged recovery helps avoid aggravation concerns after such a severe injury. If he’s back to his normal self, the Pacers will have a say in the suddenly loaded East.

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Philadelphia 76ers

Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brow — Jaylen Brown will link up with Tyrese Maxey after he was traded by the Celtics | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2025–26 record: 45–37 (No. 7 seed in Eastern Conference, swept by the Knicks in second round)

How can we discuss teams who will make a jump this season and leave out the hottest team of the summer?

After the shocking trade for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers cemented themselves as a true title contender once the franchise won the LeBron James sweepstakes. Beyond the flashy additions, Philadelphia had a nice offseason with the signings of Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. The departures are often swept under the rug, but losing Andre Drummond, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre is significant. Plus, the Jared McCain trade still stings.

Bringing in two superstars (one of which being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer) makes that understandable. The biggest question that faces Philly is health. If Joel Embiid remains healthy and LeBron (who turns 42 in December) doesn’t run into similar issues that aging brought a year ago, it’s hard to imagine a world where this team isn’t near the top of the East. Even if either misses time, the roster is deep enough to stay competitive. Brown and Tyrese Maxey each finished as top-five scorers last season, plus there’s potential for a second-year leap from V.J. Edgecombe after a strong rookie season.

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The Sixers pulled off a 3–1 comeback against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last year before they ran into the red-hot Knicks. As the winner of the NBA offseason, Philly enters the year as a legitimate threat to spoil New York’s title defense.

Chicago Bulls

2025–26 record: 31–51 (missed playoffs)

The East is too stacked for the Bulls to seriously compete, but Chicago should be much better than last year. Matas Buzelis has All-Star potential and Josh Giddey was on that path until he missed time with ankle and hamstring injuries last season. The big addition over the offseason was Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the draft. The North Carolina freshman was next after the draft’s “big three” of Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. Landing the No. 4 spot left the Bulls with the easiest pick in the draft, adding a young wing with immense upside to the core. And, boy, did Wilson steal the show at Summer League.

Beyond the exciting young core, Chicago added Norm Powell in free agency and acquired Nic Claxton from the Nets for nothing as the Timberwolves dumped Julius Randle’s salary to Brooklyn. Powell had his first All-Star season last year and brings a true scoring punch alongside the youngsters, while Claxton steps in as an elite rim protector.

Most importantly, the Bulls are starting fresh with a new front office and head coach. New coach Tiago Splitter did an admirable job as he stepped in for the Trail Blazers last year with a similar project ahead in Chicago. Bryson Graham has made some nice moves around the margins to complement the franchise’s cornerstones.

The Bulls still need some time, but the tide is turning. Chicago sports are having a moment and the Bulls are another mallet banging that drum.

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