The 2026 offseason has already been one to remember, and plenty of major moves are still looming.
When the NBA introduced an overhaul to the CBA in 2023, people expected that it would become difficult to retain key players while also signing talented stars from outside organizations.
Those people were right - the days of a 73-9 team being able to sign Kevin Durant, or the Miami Heat signing LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade in one offseason are over. The second apron is a tax penalty that no owner is willing to pay, making it almost impossible to build a team that consists of multiple max contracts, along with filling in key role players.
However, nobody expected the sheer amount of moves to be made per offseason. This year already we've seen Kawhi Leonard get traded back to Toronto simply because the Clippers were unwilling to give him a large extension. Giannis Antetokounmpo was finally dealt from the sliding Milwaukee Bucks, Walker Kessler was traded to the Lakers, and the Knicks were unable to retain a key piece in their championship run in Mitchell Robinson.
On top of those moves, Ja Morant and Miles Bridges were also traded. Don't forget the in-season moves last season that included a James Harden trade, Anthony Davis trade, and a Jaren Jackson Jr. deal.
Plenty of moves are still coming. LeBron has to decide on a team, a Jaylen Brown trade seems inevitable, and Denver Nuggets' key young player Peyton Watson is looking for a massive pay raise that Denver might not be able to afford.
The NBA is extremely volatile now, but the parity is the best it has ever been. There hasn't been a repeat champion since the 2017 and 2018 Warriors, and the second apron has made that a very difficult task.
Here's a look at the current odds for the top-15 teams to win it all a day after free agency tipped off:
+260 | +260 | ||
+700 | +800 | ||
+2200 | +2200 | ||
+2500 | +2500 | ||
+2500 | +2500 | ||
+3500 | +3500 | ||
+4500 | +5000 |
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All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
