In the NBA's second apron era, deep rosters don't stay deep forever, team identities can flip at a moment's notice, and money can prompt painful divorces.
This summer alone, the 2026 champion New York Knicks lost beloved backup center Mitchell Robinson, the 2025 champion Oklahoma City Thunder shed three rotation players in cost-cutting trades, and the 2024 champion Boston Celtics traded away Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves sacrificed frontcourt depth to assemble a tantalizing backcourt duo, and LeBron James said goodbye to the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons.
Let's take stock of all 30 teams now that the offseason dust has settled and the preseason is in full swing. With so many salary cap rules preventing teams from aggregating talent, everybody is missing something, even the leading title contenders. But what, exactly, is each team's biggest hole?
Jump to a team: ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN NO | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
Atlanta Hawks
Roster hole: Superstar centerpiece
The Hawks have methodically constructed a balanced rotation with healthy doses of ballhandling, outside shooting and on-ball defense. After adding championship experience by nabbing Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder in offseason trades, Atlanta's biggest question is whether Jalen Johnson can elevate from All-Star to superstar.