NBA Swing 2025-26 Preview: Four Questions for the Season

Read Time:5 Minute, 1 Second

With the NBA just under three weeks away from the beginning of training camp, the 2025-26 season is slowly approaching. The 2025 offseason has been one of the slower offseasons in recent memory, but it has been full of drama in recent weeks. Heading into the 2025-26 season, there are several questions to be asked regarding the state of the league, big-name players, and more.

Is this LeBron’s last season?

One of the biggest stories heading into the 2025-26 season is the future of LeBron James. Heading into his 23rd season and age 41, LeBron James has done it all and is in the twilight of his career. Last season, James averaged 24.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 8.2 APG across 70 games. Despite the Lakers finishing third in the West with a 50-32 record, the team would be eliminated in just five games in the first round of the playoffs. The summer saw the Lakers make a few notable additions, as it’s clearer that the team is shifting towards Luka Doncic as the centerpiece of the team.

Over the summer, there have been numerous rumblings that there could be frustration from LeBron towards the Lakers, while there have also been rumors that LeBron could request a trade. James would opt into his player-option this offseason instead of becoming a free agent. With the growing competition in the West, there are questions about whether the Lakers are a true championship contender with the current roster they have. For James, that may be enough to call it a career after 23 seasons. While he could continue to play another couple of seasons, given his play 20+ seasons into his career, he has nothing left to prove at this point in his career.

How much does the new media rights deal affect viewership?

The NBA would sign new media rights deals starting with the 2025-26 season, with this upcoming season being the first of the 11-year deals with NBC, ABC, ESPN, Peacock, and Amazon. The addition of Amazon and Peacock alongside the reunion of the NBA and NBC sees the league expanding even more ways to watch, in addition to numerous regional channels and NBA League Pass. Compared to the 1980s and 1990s, it has become more difficult to watch the NBA, requiring numerous subscriptions to watch. NBA ratings have been on the decline for years, with NBA viewership declining 2% from the 2023-24 season.

While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has argued about the decrease in ratings by mentioning the shift to streaming, the league has spread its focus, with upwards of five subscriptions needed to watch most NBA games starting next season. Seven years ago, it would cost a fan around $69/month to watch most NBA games, spending $40/month on YouTube TV and $28.99 for NBA League Pass. Next season, it will cost an NBA fan around $145/month to watch most NBA games, spending over $80 on YouTube TV, $16.99 on League Pass, $14.99 for Amazon Prime, $10.99 for Peacock, and $19.99 for FanDuel Sports Network for regional games. Viewership may be going down, but the revenue has never been higher for the league. For the fans, it has never been more difficult to watch.

Do Wemby and the Spurs take the next step?

After a strong rookie season, Victor Wembanyama immediately stepped up in year two. He would average 24.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.8 BPG in 46 games. Many would say Wembanyama’s season would be cut short due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder. The 2024-25 season would see the Spurs make a huge move to pair a star guard alongside Wembanyama, trading for De’Aaron Fox. The two would only play five games together before both were shut down for their respective injuries.

The Spurs would have a quiet but solid offseason, trading for Kelly Olynk, signing Luke Kornet away from the Boston Celtics, and drafting Dylan Harper with the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, among other moves. Wembanyama has been cleared to play, and Fox is expected to be ready for the season. While there is not expected to be a lot of movement in the West this season, a healthy Wemby and Fox could be ready to take the Spurs to the next level. Finishing 34-48 and 13th in the West, the play-in tournament could be a target for the Spurs.

How does the Kawhi Leonard scandal affect the Los Angeles Clippers?

In early September, it was reported that Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had been accused of being paid $28 million by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer in an attempt to circumvent the NBA salary cap while doing nothing to earn that $28 million. On the YouTube channel Pablo Torre Finds out, Pablo Torre spoke about the potential scandal with quotes from legal documents, accusing Steve Ballmer of paying Leonard $28 million through a company funded by Ballmer.The last time something like this happened and was proven to be legitimate was with Joe Smith with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1999. Smith would essentially be paid under the contract to take a smaller contract to help the owner, Glenn Taylor, build a better team around Kevin Garnett. The NBA Commissioner would fine the Wolves $3.5 million and take away five first-round picks from the team. The Clippers could face severe punishment for these actions if the accusations come out as legitimate. They could be fine, lose draft picks, and for Kawhi Leonard, his contract could be voided, meaning if this ends up being true, Kawhi could end up no longer being a part of the Clippers. While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been seen as more of a “player’s commissioner”, this could be a significant moment for Silver, the Clippers, Kawhi, and the NBA as a whole.