Houston lands No. 1 in The Athletic’s offseason rankings by pivoting from rebuild to championship chase with Kevin Durant joining Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith. Durant brings elite scoring and off-ball gravity, while Sengun’s passing and Amen’s burst promise a faster, more efficient attack. Dorian Finney-Smith from the Lakers provides 3-and-D versatility to balance KD’s heavy usage. The gamble hinges onKD staying efficient without overloading the offense and on Houston’s core growing into the roles around him. It’s a bold bet, and if it pays off the Rockets sit at the top of the 2026 Finals conversation.

Durant’s fit isn’t just about scoring; The Athletics’ note that on-ball opportunities may still exist for Sengun and Smith hints at a balanced approach rather than isolation ball. DFS adds perimeter defense and reliable shooting to stretch defenses, while the Rockets’ front office avoided “bowing at the OKC altar” to chase the best possible return. The combination of Durant’s excellence with a rising core raises Houston from aspirant to serious contender, though the path requires smart rotation, development from the young talents, and KDAcceptable maintenance of chemistry. Aldridge’s ranking reflects the ceiling, not the guarantee.

LA Lakers offseason earns a wary nod from many analysts, landing at No. 24 in a league-wide ranking. Deandre Ayton arrives to shore up the center position, Marcus Smart brings back bruising perimeter defense, Jake LaRavia adds floor-spacing and youth, and Adou Thiero brings athletic upside. Yet the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith robs a crucial 3-and-D winger who helped spark the team’s late-season surge. LeBron James remains a constant, while the abstract question is whether Ayton and company can unlock a higher ceiling in a stacked West. The article notes the move to Houston for Finney-Smith as a depleting blow, even as LA hopes DFS’s replacement and the new pieces can push them past the skepticism. Still, several Lakers projects exist, giving the team a realistic path to proving the doubters wrong.

Ayton’s center anchor, Smart’s defensive intensity, and LaRavia’s shooting blend with a refreshed rotation could yield a more balanced, deeper roster. The Lakers’ upside hinges on Ayton recapturing previous form and integrating with LeBron, while Smart stabilizes the backcourt. The broader context frames this as a refining year for LA: not a guaranteed leap, but a credible chance to outperform expectations if the supporting cast rises to its potential. The article closes pointing to the potential uplift from several players, leaving the door open for a reborn West fight.

Kevin Durant’s fit in Houston looms as the marquee storyline in a summer of splashy roster moves. Durant moved from Phoenix in a seven-team blockbuster that also shipped Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in exchange for a No. 10 pick (Khaman Maluach) and multiple second-rounders. Cam Whitmore’s return home to Washington via a three-team swap reinforces a Wizards rebuild, while Houston beefed up with Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and Josh Okogie, and kept VanVleet, Adams, Tate, Holiday and Green as free agents. Ime Udoka’s defensive emphasis and the Rockets’ upgraded depth position Houston as one of the West’s top contenders behind OKC, Minnesota and Denver. The schedule moments teased—Durant vs. Whitmore in Houston, and Whitmore returning to D.C.—hint at a season full of intriguing matchups and fantasy wrinkles.

Whitmore’s Wizards debutation in Washington’s unfolding youth movement adds another layer to a league-wide reshuffle. The Wizards’ roster now includes Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, AJ Johnson and Carlton Carrington, with Whitmore eager to win games as Washington eyes a brighter horizon. For fantasy, Houston’s new core and Durant’s high usage profile reignite the Rockets’ ceiling and complicate backcourt and wing rotations, while Washington’s pieces could surge if Coulibaly and Kispert find early rhythm. The summer of moves sets a clearer path for KD’s prime era to intersect with a rising West and a Wizards club chasing a respectful perch in 2025-26.

D’Angelo Russell’s NBA journey reads like a tour through the league’s evolving guard landscape, culminating in a Dallas Mavericks chapter that could redefine his fantasy ceiling. From Lakers to Nets to Warriors to Timberwolves and back to the Lakers, then Nets again, his career has been about finding the right environment that refines decisions and consistency. Brooklyn’s structure helped him grow into a reliable playmaker, earning an All-Star nod in 2019. Dallas now inherits a veteran guard who can initiate, space the floor, and contribute as a secondary scorer, all while Luka Dončić operates as the focal point.

For fantasy managers, Russell’s profile combines steady counting stats with upside tied to Dallas’ spacing. His 2024-25 splits—roughly 12 points and 5 assists per game across 29+ games—hint at a workable baseline in a Luka-led system, with the potential for a higher assist and three-point ceiling as he acclimates to a familiar, but new, offensive rhythm. The trade-in-between environments shows he’s comfortable elevating his responsibility in the right culture, which could translate into steady mid-round value and occasional spike games if Dallas amplifies pick-and-rolls and late-game ball handling.

In a strategic move for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have bolstered their roster by signing key players, including center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart. However, the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith leaves them in search of a versatile 3-and-D player. A suggested trade with the Brooklyn Nets proposes acquiring Terance Mann, who is known for his defensive prowess and shooting ability.

Mann averaged 7.7 points per game last season, demonstrating significant defensive metrics that could enhance the Lakers' depth. This potential addition would complement the existing talent in the lineup, including LeBron James and Austin Reaves, providing much-needed perimeter defense and scoring off the bench.