Gonzalo
NBA Media Day wrapped up on Monday, training camps are open, and the preseason tips off in the coming days, starting with the NBA Canada Game between the Heat and Raptors in Quebec City. With 67 preseason games on the slate before rosters are finalized for Opening Day, here's a look at the teams carrying the most expectation, and the most pressure, into 2026-27.
Philadelphia 76ers: The Biggest Swing of the Offseason
No team's offseason turned more heads than Philadelphia's. After adding Jaylen Brown on July 1, the Sixers followed it up by landing the league's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, before the month was out. LeBron spoke to the media for the first time as a Sixer on Monday, and the pairing with Joel Embiid (who reportedly showed up to media day noticeably leaner) and Brown instantly makes Philadelphia one of the most fascinating teams in the league. The pressure here isn't subtle: health for Embiid, chemistry for a roster built on the fly, and a real shot at contention for a franchise that's underachieved for years.
New York Knicks: Defending It All
The reigning champions kicked off their title defense at media day, with head coach Mike Brown and the roster fielding early questions about Jalen Brunson's wrist, Karl-Anthony Towns' extension, and Deuce McBride's future. Running it back as champions brings its own weight, and the Knicks open preseason October 5 against the very Sixers team gunning to dethrone them.
Los Angeles Lakers: Doncic's Team Now
With LeBron gone to Philadelphia, the Lakers enter a clear new era under Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, with coach JJ Redick looking to build continuity. The front office added size in a trade for former Jazz center Walker Kessler. The pressure question for LA is straightforward: can Doncic carry a franchise the way LeBron once did, right away?
Miami Heat: The Giannis Experiment
Giannis Antetokounmpo's move to Miami remains the offseason's biggest trade, and the two-time MVP is still settling in, joking at media day about even the local wildlife. Paired with Bam Adebayo, Miami's ceiling changes overnight if the fit clicks early. Fittingly, the Heat get the first competitive minutes of the season, facing Toronto in the NBA Canada Game.
Toronto Raptors: Kawhi's Fresh Start After a Historic Punishment
Kawhi Leonard arrives at this season having already been through the fire. On September 2, 2026, the NBA officially announced the findings and penalties from its nearly year-long investigation into salary cap circumvention involving Leonard and the Clippers. Investigators found the Clippers had arranged off-court endorsement income for Leonard through companies like the now-bankrupt Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance, worth tens of millions of dollars, as a way of skirting the salary cap.
The punishment was the most severe in league history for a team: the Clippers forfeited five consecutive first-round picks (2029-2033), were fined $30 million, and owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for a year. Leonard himself wasn't suspended but was fined $700,000. The NBA and NBPA declared the penalties final and binding, with no appeals process, though the Clippers have vowed to challenge it in court.
For Leonard personally, it's close to a best-case outcome. He walks into a new chapter in Toronto largely unscathed while the Clippers are left rebuilding around the fallout. At Raptors media day, Leonard said he wants to move forward, but how the situation shapes perception of him around the league, and how it affects a Raptors team now carrying a player at the center of the biggest scandal in NBA history, remains one of the season's more unusual storylines.
Detroit Pistons: A Camp Without Duren
Not every storyline out of media day was celebratory. Center Jalen Duren was notably absent from Pistons media day amid a contract dispute and isn't expected at the start of training camp either, per reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania. That's a real complication for a team trying to build on progress from last season.
San Antonio Spurs: Real Expectations, Finally
San Antonio's rise from a six-year playoff drought to a surprise Finals run last season resets expectations entirely. With Victor Wembanyama entering another season of growth, the Spurs head into 2026-27 with legitimate title aspirations for the first time in years, a very different kind of pressure than the rebuilding years that came before.
Golden State Warriors: Good Vibes, Same Questions
Media day in Golden State was lighthearted, Stephen Curry showing off new dance moves, Draymond Green trading banter with rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, but the underlying question doesn't go away: how many more windows does this core have left to contend?
Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks: First Onto the Court
Houston and Dallas already held their media days last week ahead of a preseason doubleheader in China on October 9 and 11. Rockets center Steven Adams got things started with jokes about GTA VI's November release affecting player performance, a lighter note before the real basketball questions take over.
Key Dates to Know
- Preseason begins with the NBA Canada Game: Heat vs. Raptors in Quebec City
- NBA China Games: Rockets vs. Mavericks, October 9 and 11
- Preseason ends October 16
- Rosters set for Opening Day, October 19
PHOTO CREDIT: YAHOO SPORTS