Eight teams saw their seasons end in the first round of the NBA playoffs. For some franchises, the exits raised difficult questions about roster construction and long-term direction. For others, simply reaching the postseason represented meaningful progress relative to preseason expectations.
Here’s a quick overview of each of the eight teams eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, along with a brief glimpse into each franchise’s potential next steps.
Phoenix Suns
Cap space: $-73,836,319
Key free agents: Collin Gillespie (Early Bird), Mark Williams (RFA, Bird)
New deals for Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams will likely push the Suns deeper into the tax and apron, leaving the taxpayer midlevel exception as their primary avenue for roster upgrades.
Phoenix doesn’t have much wiggle room. Running it back is their best option as it stands, with an undesirable first in 2027 their only trade asset unless Mat Ishbia wants to go all-in and flip the Suns’ 2033 first.
Internal development may be the clearest route to improvement. Phoenix found value in players like Gillespie last season, and after showing signs of progress under Jordan Ott, another abrupt philosophical shift would be foolish.
Portland Trail Blazers
Cap space: $-66,140,276
Key free agents: Matisse Thybulle (Bird), Robert Williams III (Bird)
Portland comes in $31 million under the tax and could access the full midlevel exception if they let the oft-injured Robert Williams III and offensively limited Matisse Thybulle walk.
Tom Dundon’s cost-cutting approach suggests he will be hesitant to move into the tax unless the Blazers are capable of contending. A roster built around Deni Avdija is competitive, and Damian Lillard’s return next season helps, but a top-six seed in 2026-27 still seems unlikely.
Shooting is a dire need for the Blazers. Kevin Huerter and Quentin Grimes are two names Portland could reasonably target in free agency.
Denver Nuggets
Cap space: $-95,845,423
Key free agents: Peyton Watson (RFA, Bird), Bruce Brown (non-Bird), Tim Hardaway Jr. (non-Bird)
Denver does not have a first-round pick available to trade, and the Michael Porter Jr.-for-Cam Johnson swap did not produce the intended results. Early reporting has also suggested that nobody on the roster is untouchable outside of Nikola Jokić.
Peyton Watson should be the priority after the progress he showed before injury cut his season short. The Nuggets may have to shed salary to keep him, and even then, they still need to keep Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. or attempt to replace their production elsewhere.
Denver has reached a difficult stage common for veteran contenders. They are simply backed into a corner with the contracts on the books and a lack of attractive assets. One thought to ponder: Would moving Jamal Murray give the Nuggets a better chance of keeping pace with teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio?
Houston Rockets
Cap space: $-61,324,812
Key free agents: Tari Eason (RFA, Bird), Josh Okogie (non-Bird), Jae’Sean Tate (Bird)
Tari Eason’s restricted free agency and Amen Thompson’s extension eligibility headline an important offseason for Houston. The Rockets also should seriously evaluate Ime Udoka’s future after a disappointing year on the sideline.
Following their playoff elimination against a weakened Lakers team, more details emerged surrounding the Kevin Durant burner account saga. Houston may be better off cutting ties and exploring whether Durant can be flipped for a veteran who fits more naturally alongside the franchise’s young core.
The Rockets have to decide what to do with Reed Sheppard too. Either he becomes a real part of the plan or Houston should consider moving him. Fred VanVleet returning healthy will improve the offense, but the roster still requires adjustments if Thompson is truly viewed as a foundational piece long term.
Atlanta Hawks
Cap space: $-76,216,370
Key free agents: Gabe Vincent (Bird), CJ McCollum (Bird), Jonathan Kuminga (team option, Bird)
Atlanta is in a favorable spot. Four of their starting lineup are on solid contracts, and the Hawks shouldn’t need to break the bank to bring CJ McCollum back if they choose to keep together the group that played so well after the All-Star break.
Jonathan Kuminga’s situation is more complicated. Atlanta cannot extend him if it picks up the team option, though declining it and negotiating a longer-term deal could make sense if the Hawks want to keep his athleticism and scoring punch off the bench.
As much as Onyeka Okongwu has progressed, Atlanta could still use another frontcourt option this offseason. That help may arrive through the draft, where the Hawks hold the better of Milwaukee and New Orleans’ picks.
Boston Celtics
Cap space: $-62,001,446
Key free agents: Nikola Vučević (Bird)
It feels safe to assume Nikola Vučević will not be back after his abysmal playoff performance. Boston overachieved this season, but blowing a 3-1 playoff lead changes the conversation quickly, especially after Jaylen Brown’s livestream comments raised additional questions about the team’s direction.
Brad Stevens did solid work improving the roster around the edges, giving the Celtics more functional depth moving forward. Still, the large contracts tied to Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White leave Boston with limited flexibility, and using any of its trade exceptions will trigger a hard cap.
A reunion with Robert Williams III would make sense and help stabilize the backup center minutes behind Neemias Queta. The bigger question hovering over the offseason is whether Boston eventually considers a Brown trade, particularly if the franchise sees a path into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Toronto Raptors
Cap space: $-47,866,895
Key free agents: Sandro Mamukelashvili (non-Bird), Jamal Shead (RFA, Early Bird)
Toronto doesn’t have much flexibility with all five starters on sizable contracts. Trading Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, or Jakob Poeltl would probably require attaching additional assets, though the Raptors still control all of their future first-round picks.
Losing Sandro Mamukelashvili’s frontcourt shooting would be a huge blow, so a multi-year deal feels plausible. Toronto also badly needs more shooting overall after finishing near the bottom of the league in both three-point volume and efficiency, something that consistently narrowed the floor around Scottie Barnes.
Barring a major trade, the Raptors will likely be limited to the midlevel exception and veteran minimum deals. Hardaway Jr. and Simone Fontecchio both make a lot of sense.
Orlando Magic
Cap space: $-80,321,646
Key free agents: Jevon Carter (non-Bird), Moritz Wagner (Bird)
Orlando is the league’s only team with four players earning more than $30 million, and Anthony Black is already extension eligible, which could push the Magic into apron territory.
Jonathan Isaac is a potential waiver candidate before June 28 if Orlando wants to create at least some financial breathing room. The Magic also only have one tradeable first-round pick over the next seven years, though Paolo Banchero’s playoff performance made the idea of moving the former No. 1 pick feel far less realistic.
Taking a 3-1 lead over Detroit served as another reminder of this roster’s ceiling. At the same time, the health of Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner remains an ongoing concern, and Orlando still has not broken through for a playoff series win in the Wagner-Banchero era.
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