NBA Swing: Four Teams with the Most on the Line Next Season

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The 2025-26 NBA season is set to be one of the more unpredictable seasons, given the numerous teams in the Eastern Conference and multiple teams in the Western Conference bolstering their teams back into championship contention. The following four teams are nearing their breaking point and need much-needed changes.

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks would have a strong 2024-25 NBA season, finishing 51-31 as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. New York would have a strong run through the first two rounds of the playoffs before all of their weaknesses were exposed in their first Eastern Conference Finals in a quarter of a century. The Knicks would lose in six games to the Indiana Pacers, and the organization would make its first adjustment in the offseason by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau would lead the Knicks to the second round two years in a row and lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals in his last year with the team. Now with a new head coach in Mike Brown and giving Mikal Bridges a four-year, $150 million extension, the expectation is the finals, especially in an Eastern Conference that is at its weakest point in years. If the Knicks cannot reach the Finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs, it is expected that big changes will be made.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers may be at the end of the Joel Embiid era. Recent reports have noted that there are genuine concerns regarding Embiid’s future following his numerous knee injuries. Embiid would only play 39 games in the 2023-24 NBA season and would play just 19 games during the 2024-25 NBA season. Set to make $240 million over the next four seasons, Embiid’s contract is not justifiable when he’s missing so many games. The same can be said for Paul George, playing 41 games and averaging his lowest points per game since his second season in the league.

While there we rumblings the Sixers could attempt to move on from George, those rumors have been shut down by NBA insiders. With the Eastern Conference being at its weakest, the 2025-26 season may be the last season the current Sixers core has a chance to compete. While moving on from a player like Embiid would be a tough task for the Sixers, the team may have to consider moving on from both him and Paul George to preserve their immediate future.

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings would go from a feel-good back to disappointment and mediocrity in just a couple of seasons. The 2024 offseason would see the Kings add DeMar DeRozan and would then trade DeAaron Fox around the 2025 trade deadline, bringing back Zach Lavine as a part of their three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Sacramento would finish one game under .500 as the ninth seed and would lose in the play-in tournament.

Recent reports would note Sabonis hasn’t requested a trade and the team is still committed to him, while other reports and rumors suggest Zach Lavine is unlikely to get an extension offer from the team and DeRozan could be in trade rumors with several teams. In a tough Western Conference, the Kings’ current core is struggling to compete with other teams. While they can’t compete for a championship, they do have several valuable pieces that could bring them back promising young players and potential draft picks. If recent history repeats itself, the Kings may be forced to make a move or two depending on how the 2025-26 season goes.

Cleveland Cavaliers

For all three seasons of the Donovan Mitchell era of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team has had a strong regular season, only to fall apart in the playoffs. The 2024-25 season would be the worst example of this, finishing with a 64-18 record and losing in the second round of the playoffs against the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers in five games. Rumors in late June would suggest that the Cavs offered Darius Garland in a potential trade for Kevin Durant, but that was never confirmed. The team would make very few changes in the offseason, letting Ty Jerome walk and trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball, among other moves.

Bringing back mostly the same team while other teams in the East have fallen due to injuries, the 2025-26 season is the perfect opportunity for the Cavs to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018. If the Cavs cannot reach the finals this season, it is time to break up the current core the Cavs have. Having one of the best backcourt duos in the league, the 2025-26 season could show the Cavs that the core they have cannot win a championship.