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No NBA fan would have expected this reunion for Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers, who have played for the said team from 2011 to 2017, and was definitely the face of the franchise over those years before he went from one team to another. Now that he's back, albeit in his final season, it seems that the chase for glory still remains a big goal for one of the legendary guards to ever play the game. For starters, Paul isn't returning to the Staples Center (now the Crypto.com Arena), but will be playing in the Intuit Dome instead. He isn't starting for the same team he led for many years, but will be coming off the bench instead with the hopes of winning a championship alongside known NBA stars in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Bradley Beal – with the latter two also chasing their first respective rings. At this point, it is clear that Paul is making up for lost time with one of his most beloved teams in the NBA. He was a flashy playmaker at the time and was at the peak of his stardom. And yet he had no rings to show for it, nor did he have one when he played for four different teams since moving from the Clippers. One Last Run In the early parts of the offseason, Paul went on to announce that this would be his final NBA season – part of it came from having no assurance from the San Antonio Spurs, his previous team that is already gearing up to make an emergence in the Western Conference with their newfound young core. So when the Clippers came to him asking for a deal, it was quite a surprise that a contending team with a lot of aging stars would consider bringing him back. On top of that, they had a flurry of guards in their arsenal. So can they even try to make it make sense? Especially with the fact that they just had a Game 7 run in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. “It's wild that you get this opportunity again after those two years and the success that we had,” Paul said. “We definitely know we had unfinished business so we get a chance to see what's going on here.” Well, Paul himself his hunting for a ring, and so are the Clippers. It has been a while since the squad has shown a lot of potential for being a competitive team over the years. Paul knows that he defeated them one time when playing for the Phoenix Suns en route to the 2021 NBA Finals. Now it's time for him to bring them to the promised land, where the team has never dared to take a step. A Harden Reunion Another big thing to look out for in this return by Paul to the Clippers is that he is going to reunite with James Harden. In 2017, the two stars played together in Houston and went so close to reaching the NBA Finals in those two years. Now, the two stars are back together, and they are now fueled with desperation in their respective careers – add in Beal's chase for a ring as well. “I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,” Paul said. “I didn't even care what the team looked like, I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.” And to add a cherry on top, Paul also becomes the second player as an active 40-year-old in the NBA, alongside his good friend, LeBron James, who plays for the rival team Los Angeles Lakers.

After coming off the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder, Billy Donovan landed a new deal with the Chicago Bulls, which eventually led to the mediocre squad that hasn't made a stride in the playoff stage under his lead, which seems to be quite the deal breaker to begin with – but here we are. Donovan has amassed a standing record of 195-205 in his run with the Bulls, along with one playoff appearance. It does seem that the Bulls are always just a few improvements away from being a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Still, that doesn't mean that it's all Donovan's fault. After all, the former Thunder head coach has done a relatively good job with the team that's yet to tap its full potential. With a few roster tweaks in the Bulls roster, there are seemingly a lot of hopes for Chicago to come up with a deeper playoff run next season. Coby White is starting to emerge as the face of the franchise, and Josh Giddey is showing a glimpse of star potential with the team, which should definitely give them franchise stars to work with. The Bulls in the Offseason This offseason has been quite silent for the Bulls. They drafted Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick, which is not much of a big deal nor does it solve their needs. However, they also made a move to trade Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaac Okoro. On that regard, the Bulls have now gotten rid of its former players in DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Ball in the past few years. The Bulls are seemingly getting younger. It's just the fact that they are yet to become the team that has enough experience together on the bigger stages of the game to be the legitimate contender they are poised to reach if they get things right. So far, Donovan is tasked to get back on track in his work with the squad on that regard. For starters, the Bulls have not specified both the length and even the financial terms of the contract. This just means that they are bringing in Donovan for an undefined time with an undefined pay. The answer is on the internals of the Bulls, which is unlikely to be exposed soon enough. Donovan's Resume The Bulls are one of the many teams that have become a mid-tier team to look out for. But because of the rising talent in the squad, it cannot be denied that there's untapped potential in the roster that is expected to be unlocked anytime soon. With Donovan's experience in working with a talented team in Oklahoma City, it does seem that he could figure this one out. Donovan has a 438-362 record in his 10 NBA seasons as a head coach. He was one of the top masterminds in the market back in 2020 when the Bulls hired him after firing former head coach Jim Boylen. At the time, Donovan was coming off a five-year run with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which saw him go for playoff runs in all of those seasons. He amassed a 243-157 record in his OKC run and worked with top talents such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Chris Paul. If you are not impressed, Donovan's pre-NBA run was a total of 19 seasons at the University of Florida and won back-to-back NCAA titles. That's the value of experience that he brings to the table for Chicago at this point.

Over the past few weeks, multiple reunions have been made in the NBA. First it was Damian Lillard eventually signing a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Then it was later Chris Paul signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in the final year of his career. These point guard reunions with their former teams have ignited some interest from fans as they now hope to see Russell Westbrook return to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It can be remembered that Westbrook played against the Thunder last playoffs in their Western Conference Semifinals clash, with the guard helping the Denver Nuggets push the said series to a seven-game epic. But with the former not signing him to a new contract, it seems that Westbrook would be in for a new team moving forward. With the recent reunion trend between veteran guards, the former Denver playmaker is now linked to Oklahoma City. OKC is fresh off its first championship in the Thunder era. The team has notably not made any moves to acquire anyone in the market. They only handed extensions to key stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, as well as a few role players. But no signing has yet been made on their end. The Reunion Hype Paul is entering the final year of his NBA career, and so it was obvious that he would be playing for a winner with the hopes of landing one last chance to win an NBA title, with his last run ending in a futile finish in 2021 against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing the series in six games. With the San Antonio Spurs entering full-youth status, it made sense to let go of Paul, and the latter found his way to a contending Clippers side. On the other hand, Lillard got his Achilles torn in the previous playoffs, and while he was still on contract with the Bucks, only to have it waived by Milwaukee to make way for the signing of Myles Turner. He eventually agreed to a three-year deal with his former team in the Trail Blazers, who now looked like a legitimate contender heading into the season. So with Westbrook, the rumors seem to be gaining traction at this point. OKC has enough cap space to sign him to a minimum, and it definitely fits the bill for the former Thunder guard to be a solid force off the bench for OKC. That is, if Oklahoma City actually considers bringing in the guard for one last shot at a title of his own. Can Westbrook Fit with the Thunder? Not long ago, Westbrook was at the helm for the Thunder in its early era. He was the face of the franchise for years and led them to multiple playoff runs, even becoming the triple-double king with multiple seasons of the said feat, which proved to be the biggest achievement of his career. But with his current level of play, it is a bit rough to say if he's going to fit with the Thunder's play style. OKC runs a dynamic offense that relies on energy and hustle plays. That definitely puts Westbrook at an advantage as he plays with explosiveness and brute force. Despite his so-called decline since moving on from the Washington Wizards, Westbrook still proved to be a solid performer for the Nuggets at times. Last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game, which is quite satisfactory with him coming off the bench for Denver.

Let’s face it, Bronny James did not really have a lot of expectations to meet in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, as many fans didn’t really hope to see a lot more from his game with the way his stock was shaky since the start of the previous draft. But alas, his Summer League outing has been really making quite the impression that he may have a bright future in the league as well. Still, it should never be a common thing to shun one player’s potential just because he had an underwhelming rookie season – or even in Bronny’s case, was said to be not NBA-ready at this point. But we all know that Bronny was there for development, albeit at an accelerated pace. Now more than ever, it seems that the guard is going to make some good progress in his games with the Lakers. James couldn’t catch a break in the regular season as there wasn’t any good game for him in the previous season – especially with the fact that he didn’t play heavy minutes at the very least. Sure, there were flashes of high potential, but it is not enough to justify a lot of improvement on the way – at least until the California Classic and the Summer League came into play. A Bronny Resurgence? Bronny had a strong campaign in the California Classic with his impressive performances coming off an increased level of confidence, a better perception of the game, and his comfortable feeling in getting his game more acclimated into the NBA. That was seen for most of the California Classic and the Summer League, and James has surely made it look easy so far. In fact, Bronny is among the top performers in the Summer League, and a leading name among sophomores coming up with resurgent games in the July league. He has been really quite a performer, and his superior confidence in shooting the three really stands out now more than ever. In a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last July 14th, James proved to be one of the bright spots in the Lakers – as he dropped 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three 3-pointers. That is a complete game, and the mere fact that he averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game says a lot about the huge difference that he’s had in his game. Being able to involve his teammates, spark runs, initiate offenses, and create opportunities for himself sounds more like LeBron, which is definitely ideal if Bronny is going to have more value in the Lakers squad this season. Can Bronny Surge in the 2025-26 Season? Bronny is one of the project players for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are still hauling some talent into their squad, with Marcus Smart being the latest addition to the team. So far, the rumors of LeBron James playing nearly in his final season in LA do not bode well for Bronny, but with his budding game potentially coming up, perhaps there’s bigger hope for the team’s hopes of actually giving him more minutes. For now, all that Bronny needs to do is come up with a bigger game that would elevate him in the rotation. Considering the fact that there’s multiple instances where Bronny is given some playing time in the coming games, that is the prime chance for him to show that he has what it takes to win and be a consistent performer as well.

Kevin Durant started the star exodus in Phoenix, and with Devin Booker signing an extension deal with the Phoenix Suns, star guard Bradley Beal has taken the next best path around to move on from the team, by agreeing to a buyout and then signing a new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now it is an end of an error in the Arizona state. The Houston Rockets' decision to pull off a trade for Durant meant that Phoenix was no longer going to hold on to Beal. But with the guard harboring a no-trade clause, it meant that a contract buyout was the only way to move on from him. Luckily, Beal agreed to the proposal, and the Suns also allowed him to entertain notable parties, later leading to the new signing with the Clippers. Finding the best basketball situation seemed to be the motive here. Beal’s time with the Suns did not work out well as the team failed to become relevant in a stacked Western Conference team – despite having enough talent to build around. Committing to Booker’s later years means that Beal would not be there to witness a rebuild – and instead mend a hurting contender’s chances in Los Angeles. Beal on the Move Beal signs a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers heading into the 2025-26 season. This includes a player option in the second year – and the deal is a shining show of commitment for Beal to allow the Clippers to find a leeway to bring him in while also not affecting much of the team’s salary cap in the long run. The Clippers are already committed to both stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and so bringing in a third star in Beal should have been problematic had it not been for the guard’s decision to take a pay cut at this point. He is playing for a winner, not for another year of tanking. Los Angeles was eliminated in the 2025 NBA Playoffs in the first round, losing to the Denver Nuggets in seven games. It felt like the Clips were close to coming up with a promising run to the top of the West that time, and now they believe that adding Beal to the lineup would actually solve their scoring needs moving forward as they try another year with nearly the same roster. But that is such a big gamble. Sure, Phoenix is expected to be out of the picture in the coming years in order to replenish its draft capital. However, there are a lot of teams to beat for Beal to have his big chance at the league title or even making it out of the Western Conference to begin with. What Made Beal Leave the Suns? Aside from the impending rebuild and the clear commitment to Devin Booker, Beal opted to move on from the Suns after he was forced out of the starting lineup last season. He was even linked a lot of times to Jimmy Butler with the latter’s exit from the Miami Heat, although it didn’t come to fruition. Beal’s no-trade clause in the five-year, $251 million deal that he signed back with the Washington Wizards clearly hurt the Suns’ flexibility in the market, and it played a role in the Butler deal not to push through with Phoenix. Before the buyout, Beal was still owed nearly $111 million on his contract. To top it all off, Beal was coming off his worst season in his career, just averaging 17 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 32.7 minutes of action. Now he has a chance to redeem his worth in Los Angeles.

After being held to just 46 games last season due to an unwarranted blood clot, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is now all clear to play in the 2025-26 season for the team. Reports claim that the big man’s deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder has fully healed and is now ready to take the helm for the team moving forward. Barring anything that would keep him out of the coming season, Wembanyama is now set to participate in the Spurs’ training camp this fall. Although no official word has come out, it seems that the big man himself believes that there’s a lot of expectations for him after he fell short of what could have been a promising second season to remember. The Spurs have also not disclosed any details regarding the potential for a clot to return at any point in the next season. There are rumors that the disease may be genetic, but research also suggests that it was provoked, ruling out any untreatable situations that could threaten the French phenom’s star’s future in the NBA. Wemby All Set for 2025-26 Despite his limited run in the 2024-25 season, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game, leading the league in that department for the second straight year. Wembanyama also posted career-highs in minutes per game (33.2), field goal percentage (47.6%), 3pt percentage (35.2%), and free throw percentage (83.6%). Had it not been for his injury that failed to at least put him into the Defensive Player of the Year discussions, the Spurs center would have easily won that award even after being out for the rest of the season. He even got to play in the 2025 NBA All-Star game before the said blood clot was revealed, which eventually led to him missing the rest of the season. Still, the Spurs finished with a 34-48 record, finishing fourth in the Southwest Division and 13th overall in the Western Conference. Of course, a lot of critics claim that San Antonio would have been at least in the Play-In Tournament and might have gotten lucky enough at least to secure a playoff spot by the end of it. Now that the team is coming for a new run, Wembanyama has some small adjustments to make. After all, it does seem that the Spurs look brand new with the addition of Dylan Harper in the Draft, and De’Aaron Fox in the trade deadline back in February. That’s going to be a big chance for him to push through that end then. Will Wemby Stay Healthy? Health is a major concern for any big man in the league of Wembanyama’s frame. It can be remembered that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren – often compared to Wembanyama – also missed 32 games last season due to a hip fracture. “I was afraid of not being able to play basketball anymore,” Wembanyama said in the interview. “I think that we all have thoughts sometimes. Irrational thoughts about the things we care about most. But this type of thinking also changes you as a person, for the better.” Still, many athletes have dealt with DVT before – Serena Williams came back from the same issue and dominated the WTA Tour after that. Chris Bosh also retired after he was diagnosed with multiple blood clots. NHL player Tomas Vokoun had surgery to relieve his clotting problem and did not return to play in the league.

With all the big signings that the Oklahoma City Thunder have made this offseason, it does seem that the team is eagerly on the prowl to make a chase for the league championship in the coming season as well. But is the Branden Carlson signing the best move they’ve managed to pull off so far? In case you didn’t notice, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren have all been signed to major extension deals. There are also minor deals to the likes of Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell. While the rest of the squad are still under contract and will be in the roster for the next two or three years, it does seem that two-way deals matter in this team as well. Interestingly, rookie Brooks Barnhizer has already taken one of the three two-way spots for the Thunder. Carlson, who played last season for the Thunder’s majestic campaign, also headlines the next two-way deal that the Thunder can field for the upcoming 2025-26 season. While this is not a big move, this stands as the best signing that the Thunder has made this offseason. Carlson is a High-Potential Player Two-way players are given a chance to play a set number of games in a regular season and are ineligible for postseason action. Usually, these slots are given to players who are somewhat deserving of a deal but can only show up in limited games. This is still a better proposition than a 10-day contract or a five-game show contract.  So in Carlson’s case, it puts OKC in a cost-efficient situation with the way he has played. In the previous season, Carlson was a great performer in 32 games for the Thunder in his rookie run, and had it not been for the structure of the team’s roster, the big man would have probably made it to the rotation for the team’s playoff campaign as well. Whenever he plays double-digit minutes, Carlson averages 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. If you are not impressed, the big man put up 26 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in 38 minutes when he played against the New Orleans Pelicans in the season finale. Carlson is also one of the modern-day bigs of the NBA – who can play as a rim protector and create spacing opportunities on the floor with his stretch offense and the ability to hit the three. These attributes were well on display on the court as he proved to be one of the reliable performers that the Thunder can rely on. A Potential Permanent Big Man Carlson’s presence on the court is invaluable; he has proven to be a capable big man in his own right, even registering a +9.4 net rating in his debut campaign as well. However, what makes him a great signing for the team is that he can also deliver impressive performances, potentially securing a permanent spot in the team in the long run. That being said, incoming rookie Thomas Sorber is an impressive selection for OKC, but then the Thunder could well use Carlson more should the rookie center find it hard to adjust in the NBA and spend more time in getting acclimated with the pros. Securing Carlson in a two-way deal that doesn’t require much of the Thunder’s payroll says a lot about the bright move that they just made even in the two-way slots. It is another proof of how the Thunder’s future remains so bright at this point in time.

Chet Holmgren was instrumental in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s bid for a league title in the 2024-25 season. Despite missing a full year and then nearly half of the previous season, Holmgren proved to be pivotal in impacting OKC’s offense and defense, which led to the team to eventually push to sign him for more years to come. This comes as a timely extension after the Thunder have also signed superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a four-year, $285 million deal. The KIA MVP, WCF MVP, and Finals MVP have earned it well after a majestic season in which he also finished as the league’s scoring champion among many accolades, as well as being recently named the cover athlete of NBA 2K26. Holmgren averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 blocks per game for the Thunder last season. Despite what can be seen as his worst season, it only gets better from there. Oklahoma City’s plan to run it back rests on having its big three core intact together, and now it is going to be one heck of a push to make them all stay for more years to come. OKC has ticked two, now there’s only one left. The Holmgren Deal With SGA finally done with his extension and guaranteed to stay until the 2030-31 season, it definitely made sense that Oklahoma City would now move to its next stars at hand for a chance to keep them together. With the deal, Holmgren is now slated to make about $41 million per year starting the 2026-27 season, which is the start of the extension. Next year, however, the Thunder big man will make $13.7 million – which is the final year of his rookie deal. This should be a landmark season and a chance to improve his numbers before entering the prime years of his career with OKC. Holmgren has already proved his worth on the big stage when he averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 23 playoff games – never missing a single one when it mattered most. OKC capped off a massive run where they managed to beat Indiana in a seven-game clincher. For what it is worth, Holmgren had his ups and downs, and yet he managed to come back strong for OKC when it mattered most, and that says a lot about his value for the team. Facing Adversity with Grit Holmgren was selected as the no. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft behind Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero. Had it not been for his foot injury, he may have ended up winning Rookie of the Year. Instead, he redshirted the entire season while also paving the way for the breakout of fellow 2022 pick Jalen Williams. “They went through a fair amount of adversity during the season,” Presti said last month in his end-of-season meeting with reporters. “In reality, a lot of that adversity forged us into the team that we were, playing different lineups and being without certain players and then getting those players back, and the selflessness and humility that the players coming back had to have in order to fit into a team that was really cooking without them. Chet is one example of that, but we had many others.” The Thunder center then returned in the 2023-24 season and played all 82 games to showcase his ability to stay on the court when healthy. OKC reached the semis in that run but was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks. Holmgren also had a great start in the 2024-25 season, going as far as being the top three in MVP talks before his hip injury.

After a massive buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, Deandre Ayton is now moving his sights to the California scene as he is slated to join the Los Angeles Lakers in their pursuit of a league title this season. With the center position being a huge concern for the 2020 champions, Ayton’s addition is expected to be a huge boon for their winning chances now more than ever. It can be remembered that the Lakers moved on from Anthony Davis when they pulled the trigger to make a blockbuster trade that sent the Los Angeles big man to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. This left the Lakers bare in the center position – with Jaxon Hayes, a power forward, filling in for the void left by Davis’ absence. That lack of positional depth in the center spot has led to the team’s first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Portland committing to its young core, Ayton’s exit comes as a timely move for both teams. Now the big man is going to play alongside LeBron James and Doncic as the main trio for the squad while also hoping to reposition themselves in the Western Conference for a massive finish once more. A Lakers Redemption The Lakers were heavily criticized for not being able to bring in a center by the trade deadline of the 2024-25 season. Sure, they ended up as the third seed in the rough Western Conference, but then they lost in five games to the Timberwolves – who fielded a double big lineup of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. It can be remembered that it was Gobert’s massive performance and dominance in the paint in that Game 5 loss for the Lakers that was led to the team’s strong need to find a massive big man who can prove to be a huge force in the paint. In the 2024-25 season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 56.6% shooting per game, which says a lot about his efficient impact on the Lakers, provided that he plays the same way. It all means that the former Blazers big should fit in well moving forward as Los Angeles now eyes to see a new hope to prove that they are still one of the biggest teams to watch in the league. Domin-Ayton in LA? Ayton is one of the top players who is still just entering his prime years. At the age of 26 – he is of the same Draft Class as his teammate Luka Doncic, who is another young prodigy who is even pegged to become the face of the league at this point in time. We all know how Ayton has been able to prove his worth over the years, especially in his 2021 Finals run. Considering the fact that he plays the same way as he did with the Blazers, the Lakers are getting a pivotal piece now more than ever. The former Phoenix Suns big man agreed to have his contract bought out by Portland, which means he will be paid more than $25 million by the Blazers while playing for the Lakers next year. Without Davis, the Lakers ran pretty much the second half of the 2024-25 season without a true big man who could grind his way in the paint and come up with impressive runs on the boards. That’s the same level of expectation that Ayton will find his way in moving forward.

A first-time All-Star in his third season, and an NBA Champion as well, Jalen Williams has a lot to be happy about in the offseason. However, the guard is planning to undergo surgery on his right wrist, which he injured heading into the final stretch of the 2024-25 season. All this time, the Thunder guard was playing through injury after all and is now set to have it fixed. Williams did not miss a single game in the 2025 Playoffs, playing all 23 postseason games and helping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren lead the way for a promising championship in the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder eventually finished with a wire-to-wire victory in Game 7 to claim their first league title in OKC. In an end-of-season presser, Thunder GM Sam Presti discussed how the Thunder played through a lot of injuries for most of the season – and yet still managed to win 68 games. He also claimed that Williams was inactive for the final two games of the season after playing 36 minutes in a 125-112 victory over Phoenix on April 9. He opted to rest his wrist, but had to play through pain in the playoffs. An Injured Williams Performing Williams kept a brace in his wrist – which also happened to be his shooting hand at times in the playoffs. It was even taped during games, and that may have been one of the reasons why he shot poorly from three at 30% in the postseason – which is 6% off his season percentage. There were also a lot of times when Williams had a very rough game, especially against the Denver Nuggets. He was criticized well for not being able to show up in multiple closeout games against the Nuggets and the Pacers in both Game Sixes. “The part that I’m most impressed with is in our modern era, when someone has a poor performance or they’re not playing to their capability in a game and there’s a lot of attention on it, you often see a little birdie make sure that everybody knows that the player is not 100%,” Presti said during his season-ending meeting with reporters. “Never happened with this guy, not one time. He powered through. He showed incredible mental endurance and security in himself.” If you are not impressed, Williams also powered a massive 40-point burst in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to help the Thunder take a 3-2 series lead. He was even in the conversations for the Finals MVP alongside SGA before Game 7. Thunder Injuries Addressed OKC was one of many teams that didn’t play at full strength for the 2024-25 season. Isaiah Hartenstein injured his finger before the campaign while Chet Holmgren was out after just 10 games and missed a huge chunk of the season. There’s also multiple injuries to SGA and even Williams himself, but the Thunder still found ways to win, which is such an impressive way to talk about a team that eventually ended up winning the championship. As the 2025-26 looms ahead, the Thunder seek to stay healthy and in shape as they also gear up for their first title defense and prove that their win was not a fluke, but rather a hope that they can start a dynasty of winning and the continuation of the arrival they’ve been looking forward for years.

After yet another exit in the first round in the playoffs, LeBron James opts in with the Los Angeles Lakers with his player option to play one more year with the Purple & Gold as he seeks to come up with another championship run heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. With this decision, James now becomes the first player to play a 23rd season in the history of the league. James is slated to earn $52.6 million on his final deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and will become a free agent by July 2026 provided that he does not sign any other deals with the Lakers or other teams. On top of that LeBron also returned to on-court workouts this week after taking some time to recover from his sprained knee ligament that he suffered in Game 5 of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. In that regard, it seems that Los Angeles will be keeping its main star for one more year as they hope to come up with a promising campaign that will have them ready for another competitive run. After all, James is still seeking his first NBA title since winning last 2020, and that would be a legendary finish to his already majestic NBA career. Was There Any Doubt? Ahead of the final games of the 2025 NBA Finals, James has released a few videos detailing his future and hinting at one more season to play in the NBA at the very least. LeBron, at the very least, didn’t have any doubts about staying in the league as he still has a very healthy finish compared to most players. “I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James said in that interview. James is known well for his longevity in the league. He has rarely missed a lot of games in a single season, and is rarely hurt and struck by major injuries that we have seen from the likes of Tyrese Haliburton most recently. So far, it seems that LeBron is keen to return to play one more year for now. While talks about his retirement are still largely buzzing, this decision by the four-time MVP is certainly going to trim a lot of those discussions moving forward into the offseason. Big LeBron Run Coming Up As he is set to return, LeBron will now be playing alongside his co-star Luka Doncic for the first time in a full year. Doncic was traded last February to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. While they did made better strides en route to the playoffs, Los Angeles eventually fell to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round in five games. Still, the Lakers finished at a satisfactory pace as the third seed in the West. James is also set to turn 41 this December – although it is unlikely to affect his level of play. If you are not impressed, note that James has averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in the previous campaign – that is way better than many other young players in the league right now. Oh, and he is still slated to add more to his points tally as the NBA’s All-Time scoring leader.