Luka Doncic is doing his best to bring Los Angeles Lakers closer, planning a recent visit to the Porsche Driving Experience to bond the team.
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler is also looking for ways to build camaraderie, holding a recent pre-training camp retreat at his San Diego home.
The success of Doncic and Butler in their first full seasons with their new teams will go a long way in determining how things go in the wild Western Conference, where the Lakers and Warriors have championship hopes.
They are poised to compete for Pacific Division supremacy, and the midseason acquisitions of Doncic and Butler should provide each team with added stability and leadership alongside superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
“You don’t become a team overnight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It's a long season. The more guys that can do that off the court, I think the better team we'll be.”
Doncic, who just received a three-year, $165 million max contract extension that keeps him with the team through 2028, can't wait to play a full season with James and company.
“This is one of the best organizations in the world. This is the first time I've had a whole preseason and I'm just excited to play for the Lakers,” Doncic said, adding that he now feels more comfortable.
“Coming into a new team, it's hard to gain leadership, but that's what the pre-season is for. I had a great time with the team and worked on my leadership role a bit, so I feel a lot more comfortable.”
Butler invited his teammates for a vacation, which he considered an important part of the Warriors getting to know him even better, away from basketball.
“He has the emperor’s wine cellar,” Draymond Green said.
“It was important for me to welcome — these guys are just like my family — (them) into my house and have a good time,” Butler said, “and let them into a little bit of my life.”
The Warriors added veteran center Al Horford after finally being able to complete the roster following the three-month contract of forward Jonathan Kuminga. Guard Gary Payton II returns, and Curry's younger brother, Seth, is another veteran.
“This team has championship aspirations and they have to do it,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “It will be interesting to see them.”
Sacramento Kings took a hit when forward Keegan Murray injured his left thumb in an exhibition game against Portland on Oct. 10, requiring surgery and sidelining him for more than a month.
Here's a look at each Pacific Division team in projected finishing order:
James begins his record-breaking 23rd NBA season in unfamiliar territory: For the first time in his life, he is not the most important player on his team.
The leading scorer in NBA history appears to be focused on building a relationship with Doncic rather than retiring or moving on to a closer title contender. Redick is confident this partnership will flourish, especially if the Lakers can get enough practice time early in the season to put the superstars' games together.
The Lakers' secondary appears to have improved with the additions of center Deandre Ayton, guard Marcus Smart and the versatile Jake LaRavia. Austin Reaves will be very motivated in his contract year if, as expected, he declines his player option for the 2026-27 season. But everyone understands that the defending division champions will go as far as Doncic and James can.
The addition of Horford to complement Green will be key following Kevon Looney's departure to New Orleans as the Warriors chase another championship while Curry, Butler, Green and coach Steve Kerr are still together.
Golden State once again has versatility and depth, with Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski offering Kerr options in his back rotation along with Curry and Butler, who could both need regular rest days. Payton delivers a defensive punch off the bench for a team that lost to Minnesota in five games in the Western Conference semifinals after Curry went down with a hamstring injury in the Game 1 win.
The Clippers have one of the oldest teams in the league—like the aging Warriors—with James Harden (36) and rookies Chris Paul (40) and Brook Lopez (37). Only 28-year-old rookie John Collins is under 30. With age comes experience, but they will have to avoid injury throughout the 82-game season plus playoffs. Kawhi Leonard is ready to start the season after playing in just 37 games last season and recovering from a knee injury. The Clippers addressed their biggest need by trading Collins and signing Lopez to back up big man Ivica Zubac.
The Suns made significant changes this offseason, hiring first-time NBA head coach Jordan Ott and building a roster with four-time All-Star Devin Booker. Phoenix hopes that guards Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, acquired in the deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Rockets, can form a stable backcourt with Booker. The team also acquired center Mark Williams in the draft from the Hornets and hopes improved health will help unlock his significant potential. Rookie center Haman Maluah is an intriguing prospect, but may need time to develop considering he is still only 19 years old. He was taken at number 10.
Three years after ending the NBA's longest playoff drought, the Kings are once again trying to figure out how to get back to the postseason. In his first full season as an NBA head coach, Doug Christie wants his players to prioritize defense and be tough on both ends of the floor.
The signing of Dennis Schröder this offseason by first-year Sacramento general manager Scott Perry was the first step in making that approach successful. Fresh off being named Team Germany's MVP at the FIBA EuroBasket, Schröder isn't a top-notch defender, but he plays with the tenacity that the Kings lacked on defense. Schröder's arrival also allows Zach LaVine to return to his normal shooting guard position, a position he held for most of the 2024-25 season since he was acquired in a multi-team trade that sent point guard De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio.
This should open the door for the rest of the Kings offense. Three-time double-double center Domantas Sabonis anchors a frontcourt featuring DeMar DeRozan and Murray. There's some punch on the bench with perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk and guard Keon Ellis.
