San Antonio’s 2025-26 outlook centers on Victor Wembanyama returning fully healthy and surrounded by a new guard trio in De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and plus frontcourt depth from Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk. If Wemby stays on the floor and the shooting gravity improves, 45+ wins is within reach as Fox and Harper accelerate the offense while boosting defensive schemes around the star rookie. Atlanta’s makeover around Trae Young offers a similar upside: Porzingis’ floor-spreading presence, Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s playmaking, Luke Kennard’s shooting, and Risacher’s two-way upside could push the Hawks toward a 50-win ceiling if all clicks and Johnson returns healthy. Philadelphia faces a tougher path with Embiid’s health uncertainties, but a high-usage Embiid season paired with supporting pieces could still land them in the playoff mix. The piece also notes parallel wild cards across the league—Detroit and Houston had breakout seasons last year, Memphis’ Desmond Bane trade shakes West power dynamics, and Orlando’s Bane acquisition plus future picks add a new layer to the playoff scramble.

Across the West, the predicted turnover implies more than a few playoff spots will open. The article frames three clear candidates—Spurs, Hawks, and 76ers—as teams capable of crashing the postseason after missing last year, driven by a mix of elite talent, improved supporting casts, and health luck. Fantasy managers should weigh Wembanyama’s health trajectory, Fox’s full-season role, Porzingis’ availability, and each team’s depth rotations as weekly value bets and potential DFS sleepers while monitoring backcourt and wing shooting in San Antonio and Atlanta as critical swing factors for wins and fantasy upside.