Overview

• Oklahoma City brings back its championship core after a 68-14 title run and is widely projected as the early favorite to repeat despite recent parity making repeats rare.
• Houston elevates its ceiling by trading for Kevin Durant and signing veterans such as Clint Capela, Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie after sending out Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.
• The Lakers pivot to a Luka Dončić-led roster following the Anthony Davis deal, adding Deandre Ayton at center beside LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
• Denver reloads around Nikola Jokić by re-adding Bruce Brown and bringing in Cameron Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas to bolster shooting and depth.
• Early predictions highlight Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP favorite, Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year and Victor Wembanyama as a top DPOY pick if healthy for training camp.