The 2026 NBA offseason has the opportunity to provide plenty of fireworks.
There's the possibility that Giannis Antetokounmpo could finally be traded. Plus, there are the ripple effects of the San Antonio Spurs storming through the Western Conference and the shift toward building a young, exciting team that should only keep getting better.
Similarly, the Eastern Conference is looking up at the New York Knicks, who should have their entire core group back after making the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a quarter century.
And then there's LeBron James, whose free agency status could allow him to change teams for the first time since 2018 -- if the 41-year-old chooses to continue playing at all.
With the NBA Finals complete, let's look ahead at the 10 most interesting offseason teams and why they will dictate how the summer winds up shaking out.
Jump to a team: Celtics | Cavaliers | Nuggets Pistons | Clippers | Lakers | Heat Bucks | Timberwolves | Thunder
Boston Celtics
Bontemps: Last summer, Boston entered the offseason with a projected payroll and luxury tax bill north of $500 million but managed to get below the luxury tax by February's trade deadline without giving up a first-round pick. Boston went on to win 56 games and claim the second seed in the East -- a bonus with Jayson Tatum sitting out most of the regular season because of a torn Achilles tendon.
But this summer presents a different set of challenges. After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs by blowing a 3-1 series lead, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talked openly about Boston's 3-11 record against the top five teams in the NBA last season. It's a sign that the Celtics need more talent, especially after losing Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet in the 2025 offseason with no replacements.
Another glaring issue for the Celtics is their lack of tradable salary to bring in talent, bringing us to the Jaylen Brown situation.