The end of the previous season and offseason activity set the agenda for the new NBA campaign. Some players are under pressure to prove doubters wrong. Others are key pieces on potential contenders and need to show they can step up to aid their team’s title chances.
So much about basketball is measurable. We have advanced statistics to show where defenses are vulnerable and which shots players are most likely to miss. Pressure, however, is a word thrown around in sporting discourse perhaps more than any other, and it is entirely subjective. It is, nonetheless, important in all sports.
Some players struggle under pressure, while others thrive on having a point to prove. All of these players are facing pressure in 2025/26 to some degree:
Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray started last season very slowly after a disrupted summer. He got hot in December and carried that momentum through the rest of the year, including a dominant February.
We got a brief glimpse of vintage Playoff Murray against the Clippers before he struggled with the Thunder’s stifling defense in the second round. Denver was a winner of the offseason by bringing in Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, and others, but their ceiling is dictated by the level at which Murray performs.
Nikola Jokić is the best player in the world, but even he cannot do it alone. If the Serbian finishes his career as only a one-time champion, it would be a disappointing outcome for one of the best offensive peaks in league history. Murray has a massive role to play in ensuring Jokić’s legacy includes more team hardware than just their 2023 title.
Darius Garland
Due to miss the start of the season after surgery on a toe injury, all eyes will be on Darius Garland’s return. His role in the Cavaliers’ premature playoff exit last year was limited because of the injury, and he looked rattled by the Celtics’ defense in the 2024 postseason.
Cleveland has opted to run it back with their core four players. They resisted the temptation to trade Garland or Jarrett Allen. If the Cavs underwhelm in the regular season or fall short in the playoffs again, it is very likely Garland and/or Allen will be moved before 2026/27.
The backcourt relationship with Donovan Mitchell has worked well, but Garland needs to prove he can elevate his game in the postseason to ensure he is a long-term member of this exciting Cavs team.
Trae Young
We know Trae Young is a productive offensive hub. Since his rookie year, he has averaged 26.5 points and 10.2 assists per game over 402 regular-season appearances. He is a durable player, with only one season below 60 games played over that stretch.
The fluky Conference Finals appearance aside, however, Young’s big numbers have not translated to team success. Atlanta has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and fell in the first round in the two years before that.
This summer the Hawks added Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard. They already had an exciting young core in Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher, who bring the defensive acumen to compensate for Young’s most glaring weakness.
It does not look like the Hawks are willing to offer Young the max extension he wants this offseason. Atlanta is right to want to see how this roster performs before committing to an undersized guard for the next half-decade. Young is under pressure to deliver a top-six finish and at least one playoff series win.
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant was traded again this summer. He forced his way from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns, where the wheels quickly fell off. Phoenix did not even make the play-in last season and won a total of one playoff series during Durant’s two and a half years there.
An inner-circle Hall of Famer, Durant is on course to climb into the top five in regular-season scoring. He has done it all as an MVP, two-time Finals MVP, and two-time champion. He is not under any pressure to perform individually.
Team success, however, has been elusive since he left the Warriors. His decisions to join the Nets and Suns unraveled quickly. Durant now joins a Rockets team with a clear identity and infrastructure, led by a strong coach in Ime Udoka.
His presence should elevate Houston into contention, but what if they exit in the first round again? How does that reshape the narrative around Durant’s career?
Franz Wagner
Orlando went all-in this summer by acquiring Desmond Bane. It was not only a bet on Paolo Banchero being good enough to lead the team to the Finals, but also a belief in Franz Wagner rediscovering his jump shot.
Two seasons ago, Wagner hit 36.1% of his threes. Over the last two years, though, he has attempted 5.2 threes per game across 132 regular-season contests and made them at just a 28.9% clip. For all his excellent overall play, his broken jumper is a major liability. It compromises Orlando’s spacing and makes life more difficult for Banchero as a point forward.
The Magic have to win a playoff series this year. The Eastern Conference is very weak, and their rotation is highly talented. Their chances of advancing are limited, however, if Wagner cannot shoot at least league average from deep.
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