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playTim MacMahon: Lakers should pay Reaves, keep him with Luka (2:22)Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Jay Williams discuss what offseason decisions the Lakers should make regarding LeBron James and Austin Reaves' futures with the franchise. (2:22) For 26 NBA franchises, the 2026 offseason has begun. Which teams are ready to take the next step in their rebuilds? Which have massive draft and trade decisions ahead? Could stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant be on the move this summer? And, with the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason officially underway, where will LeBron James be in 2026-27? We're breaking down the potential moves for each eliminated franchise, including a look at the state of the roster, finances, front office priorities, extension candidates to watch, team needs and future draft assets. Jump to a team: ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND LAC| LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN NO | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS 2025-26 record: 60-22 Draft picks in June: No. 21 (via MIN) Jalen Duren (restricted, Bird)Tobias Harris (unrestricted, early Bird)Javonte Green (unrestricted, non-Bird)Wendell Moore Jr. (unrestricted, non-Bird)Daniss Jenkins ($4 million, team option)Kevin Huerter (unrestricted, Bird)Tolu Smith ($2.4 million, team option)State of the roster: The Pistons are a good example that, when it comes to roster building, patience is not always rewarded. After a 30-win improvement last season and first playoff appearance since 2019, Detroit took a conservative approach in the 2025 offseason. "We're not going to be super aggressive this summer, I don't think," general manager Trajan Langdon said last June. "It's just developing from within and hoping to keep a couple vet pieces that we had on the roster this past year. If we can add around the margins to get better, we will." The Pistons added veterans Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert to replace Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder over the summer, then traded for Kevin Huerter at the February deadline. The additions and internal development -- Cade Cunningham and Duren were selected as All-Stars and Ausar Thompson was named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year -- resulted in the third-most wins in franchise history and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. But regular season success did not carry over. Among playoff teams, Detroit allowed the fourth most turnovers and went 4-4 in clutch games en route to its second-round exit. Games 5 and 7 marked the first time all season that Detroit lost back-to-back home games. Falling in the conference semifinals after being up 2-0 against Cleveland will test Langdon's patient approach, but the front office is well positioned to tweak its roster or even make radical changes this summer. Not only do the Pistons have the financial flexibility to absorb salary in a trade, they also boast five tradeable first-round picks, including the 21st selection in June's draft. They are one of 10 teams controlling their next seven first-round picks. The Pistons have $139 million in salary but will likely stay over the cap because of Duren's $19.5 million free agent hold. Detroit could create up to $32 million in room but at the expense of renouncing every free agent except for Duren, waiving Robinson and Paul Reed and declining Jenkins' team option. (Team options for Jenkins and Smith need to be exercised by June 29.) The Pistons have an $8.7 million trade exception that expires on July 6, and if they remain over the cap they will add the $15 million non-tax midlevel exception. Duren's free agency. First, the Pistons will tender Duren a one-year $9.6 million qualifying offer prior to June 30. Duren will then become a restricted free agent, allowing Detroit to match any offer sheet. The franchise will then need to weigh Duren's regular-season impact against his playoff struggles. Duren, who averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game, became the first player since Charles Barkley in 1988-89 to record four games with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 80% shooting during the regular season. Duren trailed only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson for the most points in the paint, and the Pistons were plus-12.2 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court, per Cleaning the Glass. The results were mixed in the playoffs. Through Game 5 against the Cavs, Duren averaged 10.1 points per game across the two series, the second largest decrease from the regular season by a current All-Star in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. In the Game 5 loss to Cleveland, Duren was minus-16 and did not play in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Duren did rebound on the road, with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the Game 6 win. It was only his third double-double of the postseason. As for his next contract, negotiations can begin the day after the NBA Finals on a deal up to five years, $239.3 million. If Duren is named A

NBA offseason guides: Draft, free agency, trade ta...

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