10 teams looking to return to the postseason
NBA.com previews the upcoming 2026-27 season by highlighting ten teams looking to return to the postseason. The article discusses roster changes, draft picks, and key player health updates for teams like the Nets, Bulls, and Pacers.
Why it matters
This provides fans and analysts with a roadmap for team development and competitive expectations in the professional basketball landscape.
Ten teams watched last year’s postseason from home. Now, they’re looking for a way back in.
Some return with healthy stars. Others feature new faces, promising young cores or entirely new identities.
With the 2026-27 season approaching, here’s one key storyline for the 10 teams looking to return to the postseason, starting in the East.
Brooklyn Nets
No team scored fewer points than the Nets last season (105.9 ppg). In response, Brooklyn added three-time All-Star Julius Randle this summer to provide an immediate lift. But how high the team can climb may depend on its youth.
After taking five first-rounders in the 2025 Draft, Brooklyn added another potential building block this summer in No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr., a dynamic guard who will look to boost the backcourt alongside Egor Dëmin.
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