NBA Roster Changes Heading Into the 2025-2026 Season

It’s that time of year again–the start of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) regular season. This is always an exciting period, as the start of a new season poses the opportunity for teams to achieve the highest triumph: winning the championship. During the offseason, many organizations have taken action to boost their rosters and build exactly what they need to improve their chances of earning a title. Some of the most notable changes include:

1. Damian Lillard (free agent) to the Portland Trail Blazers

Damian “Dame Time” Lillard has demonstrated one of the most explosive and successful careers any point guard has ever shown. With the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, the Trailblazers selected Lillard and kept him on their roster for the first eleven seasons of his career. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 and spent two seasons there, but was waived earlier this year due to his inability to play. His return to the Trailblazers is significant; his accolades include making history in Portland as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, winning Rookie of the Year in 2013, and being selected for the All-Star team nine times. While his career has been offset numerous times by injury, including his current torn Achilles tendon (which will most likely prevent him from playing much–if at all–this season), Lillard has still cemented himself in NBA history as one of the greatest players the league has ever seen, known for his impressive shooting and clutch game-winning shots.

2. Al Horford (free agent) to the Golden State Warriors

At 39 years old, Al Horford is one of the oldest players in the league–but he is still making current history. His father, Tito Horford, was the first Dominican player in the history of the NBA, and in 2024, Al became the first Dominican player to win an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. His departure from the Celtics was shocking, as it seems unusual to willingly leave a team that has just recently won a championship–which he played an integral part in defensively. However, Horford cited financial opportunity and contending for the title as his two reasons for leaving. As the Celtics have recently traded other crucial players such as Kristaps Porziņġis and Jrue Holiday in an effort to manage the team’s salary budget, Golden State proves to present more of an opportunity for Horford to chase the championship he wants alongside legends like Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. 

3. Kevin Durant traded to the Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant has been traded from the Phoenix Suns to Houston as the centerpiece to a historic seven-team trade–the largest trade in NBA history. Durant, 39, has proven to be one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the league. He is a fifteen-time All-Star, has won two championships (both with the Golden State Warriors, being awarded the Finals MVP title both times), was named the NBA MVP in 2014, and was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2008. He has also made Olympic history, being the first man to win four gold medals in a team sport with Team USA and being the leading scorer in USA’s Olympic basketball history. Additionally, he earned the FIBA World Championship gold title in 2010, being the first basketball player to win MVP in the NBA, World Cup, and Olympics. The Rockets’ acquisition of Durant will surely prove to be a lucrative transaction, where he is expected to thrive alongside excellent players such as Fred VanVleet, Alperen Şengün, and Amen Thompson.

4. Norman Powell traded to the Miami Heat

In a three-team trade, Normal “Pow Pow Pow” Powell was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Miami Heat, while the Clippers acquired John Collins from the Utah Jazz. Powell has made waves as a consistent starter on the Clippers’ roster, but his most notable years were his first six seasons with the Toronto Raptors. While he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the forty-sixth overall pick, his draft rights were traded to the Raptors. In Toronto, he won his first and only NBA Championship in 2019 alongside Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, and Kyle Lowry–among other notable players. Powell was also instrumental in Los Angeles–where he was traded in 2022–with a career-high average of 21.4 points in the 2021-2022 season. On the Heat, he will play alongside Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Andrew Wiggins (who was traded in February of this year from the Warriors to send Jimmy Butler to Golden State).

5. Russell Westbrook (free agent) to the Sacramento Kings

Before the start of the new season, Russell Westbrook’s patience was prevalent in the offseason as he remained unsigned dangerously close to the season opener. Westbrook has displayed an incredible amount of tenacity and athleticism throughout his career. His most notable years were with the Oklahoma City Thunder, to whom he was drafted fourth overall in 2008 and where he completed the Big Three of the roster alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. While he is signed on a veteran’s minimum deal, he has had a spectacular seventeen seasons; he has earned numerous accolades such as winning the NBA MVP award in 2017, being selected for the All-Star team nine times (two of which he won All-Star MVP), and winning two Olympic gold medals with Team USA. He has also made NBA history by scoring the most triple-doubles in league history. Westbrook is known for his agility and quick thinking on the court, and on the Kings, he is expected to finish off his monumental career. 

There are numerous other trades and signings that have occurred in the previous offseason, such as Chris Paul’s signing to the Los Angeles Clippers, Desmond Bane’s trade to the Orlando Magic, and Jordan Poole’s trade to the New Orleans Pelicans–but these five moves have been the most significant so far. There is still the opportunity for mid-season trades to be made, but as various franchises attempt to idealize their rosters, players will surely continue to perform to the best of their abilities and make themselves known in their respective new teams.