Sleepers, breakouts and busts for the 2025-26 fantasy season: Castle, Sarr, Porter Jr., Murphy III and Buzelis offer high upside as sleepers, with Castle perched outside the top 100 but ready to contribute across points, dimes, and boards. Breakouts like Miller, Flagg, Giddey, Wells, and Ware carry league-winning potential as their roles loom larger. Busts include George, Morant, Zubac, Claxton and VanVleet, where durability, minutes, and surrounding talent may cap upside.

Ballmer bought the Clippers in 2014 with bold, championship dreams. Leonard arrived amid a blockbuster era that included the George trade and a culture of secrecy, scrutiny and league probes that reshaped the franchise.

Even with 50-win seasons, injuries and sponsorship disputes hung over the team as it chased a title. For fantasy managers, Leonard's health, Beal and Harden fit, and cap maneuvers loom large this season.

Philadelphia targets a bounce-back season with Embiid and George healthy, while Maxey enters a pivotal development year. Morey added youth to weather an 82-game grind as Philly eyes a wide-open East and a playoff push, despite +4000 title odds from FanDuel. The Sixers’ fate hinges on health and depth, with rookies stepping up to support a veteran core.

Key factors: Embiid’s dominance, George’s versatility, and Maxey’s growth. If health cooperates, Philly could surge in a conference that looks vulnerable, provided the new pieces mesh and the bench can absorb the load when needed.