As the NBA playoffs heat up, the offseason has already kicked off for 10 franchises that missed the postseason, with the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and Sacramento Kings among those eyeing major moves in the 2026 draft, free agency, and trades. According to an ESPN analysis, these teams are at various stages of rebuilds or retools, armed with lottery picks, cap space, and draft assets to reshape their rosters. For the Wizards, who finished the 2025-26 season with a league-worst 17-64 record, the focus is on integrating newly acquired stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis while navigating contract decisions that could define their future.
The Wizards enter the June draft with the No. 1 pick, along with the No. 51 selection via Minnesota and No. 60 via Oklahoma City, giving them a 14% chance at the top spot. President of basketball operations Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins have orchestrated 21 trades in under three years to stockpile assets, including financial flexibility from expiring contracts like those of CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, which were flipped to land Young and Davis. This approach allowed Washington to avoid mortgaging their own future picks or young talents such as Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Tre Johnson.
Despite the additions, caution surrounds the Wizards' young roster, the second-youngest in the league, with seven players on rookie deals and nine under 24. The team struggled mightily this season, winning consecutive games only four times and no streaks longer than two, starting 1-15 and dropping 24 of their final 25 contests. Offense and defense both ranked 29th, though Young and Davis are expected to boost those numbers—Young with his elite playmaking, averaging a career 9.8 assists per game, and Davis as a two-way force with at least two blocks and one steal in 11 seasons, per ESPN Research.
Financially, Washington projects $19 million under the luxury tax after the trades, with $80 million in cap space pre-acquisitions now adjusted, plus a $15 million non-tax midlevel exception and trade exceptions of $26.8 million and $13.5 million. Key dates loom: June 23 for Young's $49 million player option, and August 6 for Davis's potential four-year extension starting at $62.8 million for 2027-28. "We have good relationships with his reps," Wizards GM Will Dawkins told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. "So we've had communication on what it would look like to be a Wizard because he really wanted to be here, and that was important to us. And we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable and builds that partnership and relationship until we have any real conversations."
Young, who played his fewest games ever this season but hit a career-high 11.6 assists last year with Atlanta, could sign a three-year, $156.9 million extension by June 30, replacing his option year. Davis, 33 and limited to fewer than 60 games in five of the last six seasons, missed time post-trade but remains a defensive anchor, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon in combined blocks and steals since 1973-74. Extension-eligible Coulibaly, a 2023 draftee, has shone lately, averaging 14.1 points since the All-Star break and ranking in the 94th percentile for blocks among wings.
With 14 players under contract, including Jaden Hardy's projected four-year, $92.8 million deal as of October 22, the Wizards boast eight tradable first-round picks over seven years and 10 seconds. This flexibility positions them to add without depleting assets, though building winning habits will be crucial for a group that includes expiring deals beyond Young and Davis capped at $12.5 million.
Shifting to the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers limped to a 19-62 finish—the fewest wins in franchise history—but could emerge as contenders with the return of injured stars. They hold the No. 2 draft pick (14% odds at No. 1, though it conveys to the LA Clippers if outside the top five), eyeing prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff Jr., and Caleb Wilson. Indiana has never had the No. 1 pick and only thrice selected second, in 1983, 1985, and 1988.
The Pacers' "gap year" stemmed from Tyrese Haliburton's torn right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals against Oklahoma City, where Indiana pushed the series to seven. Haliburton, an All-Star, posted a plus-4.1 net rating in the regular season and plus-7.8 in the playoffs last year, with 33 games of 10-plus assists and a 5.61 assist-to-turnover ratio. The team returns 10 players from that Finals roster, including All-Star Pascal Siakam, who averaged 24 points this season—his highest since 2022-23.
After losing Myles Turner in free agency, Indiana traded for Ivica Zubac, who averaged double-doubles over three prior seasons and earned All-NBA Defensive second team honors last year with the Clippers. Zubac played just six games post-trade due to a rib injury. However, the deal pushed the Pacers $11.7 million over the luxury tax, $3.2 million above the first apron, and $9.8 million below the second, complicating further moves.
Decisions await on Josh Potter's $2.8 million team option by June 29, Kam Jones's partially guaranteed $2.2 million deal (with $1.1 million already locked) by June 30, and Quenton Jackson's salary protection increasing to $2.6 million on July 15 if not waived. Coach Rick Carlisle must reinstall offensive identity with Haliburton back and Zubac in the fold, though Zubac's lack of perimeter threat—only 12 threes in 10 years—may clash with Indiana's ninth-ranked pace last season, compared to the Clippers' 28th.
The Pacers have aggressively extended homegrown talent since 2024, with deals for Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and TJ McConnell. Nine players qualify this offseason, including 32-year-old Siakam, eligible for a three-year add-on to his two remaining years. Jarace Walker stepped up amid injuries, averaging career highs of 25.6 minutes and 11.5 points, though only he, Ben Sheppard, and Jay Huff played over 65 games after eight did last season. Past lottery picks like Chris Duarte and Bennedict Mathurin were traded away, highlighting a mixed drafting history under Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan.
If retaining their pick, Indiana can trade 2027 and 2033 firsts; otherwise, up to three. They have seven seconds available, with a set starting lineup but needs for bench combo guard and perimeter scoring. Zubac's projected three-year, $95.2 million extension as of September 3 underscores the commitment.
The Brooklyn Nets, finishing 20-61, boast the league's youngest roster, half under 24, including a record five first-rounders from the 2025 draft. This bottoming-out was intentional after trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks and reclaiming 2025-26 picks from Houston in 2024, prioritizing youth and flexibility. They enter the lottery with No. 3 pick odds at 14%, a 40% top-three chance—their first since 2010—plus No. 33 and No. 43 via the Clippers.
Brooklyn projects $31 million in cap space, including options for Day'Ron Sharpe and Jalen Wilson at $6.2 million each by June 28, and Leonard Minott's $2.4 million by June 29, plus a $9.4 million room midlevel. Last summer, they used similar space for Terance Mann and Michael Porter Jr. Now, with nine tradable firsts—including four unprotected from New York and Denver—they can accelerate the rebuild, though no tanking incentive exists for 2026-27 due to Houston's 2027 swap right.
Porter, acquired with a 2032 unprotected first, averaged a career-high 24.2 points and 36.3% from three this season, his fourth straight over 36%, on an expiring $40.8 million deal. Eligible for a four-year, up to $234 million extension, his durability (just 14 missed games since 2023-24 before a recent hamstring strain) merits talks; he turns 28 in June. Noah Clowney's 60 starts and 12.3 points average prompt extension chatter into his final rookie year, though his efficiency lags—below 40% field goals and 34% threes for the second year, with opponents shooting 49.9% against him on 750 contests.
A 15-game stretch from late November to December saw the Nets rank second defensively, stifling threes, offensive rebounds, and points, offering a success blueprint amid a 27th-ranked defense overall. With 13 firsts and 19 seconds available over seven years, Brooklyn's path emphasizes development, consistency, and habits. Terance Mann's three-year, $72.6 million extension eligibility starts October 1.
For the Sacramento Kings, who ended 22-59, injuries defined a dismal year, starting with Keegan Murray's torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb during training camp, sidelining him for the first 17 games. The Kings ranked 10th in missed games league-wide, deploying 34 different starting lineups as a result. They hold the No. 4 or 5 pick (tied with Utah, to be drawn), plus No. 34 and No. 46 via Charlotte, with 11.5% No. 1 odds.
These lottery teams exemplify the offseason's stakes, from Washington's star integration to Indiana's contender push, Brooklyn's youth movement, and Sacramento's injury recovery. As the June 23 Young deadline and August 6 Davis window approach, alongside the draft lottery on May 10, the coming months could reshape the league's landscape, with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant rumored in trade talks. For now, front offices like Dawkins's in Washington prioritize relationships and flexibility to build sustainable contention.