We’re about three weeks into the 2025-26 NBA regular season, with the annual NBA Cup already underway after tipping off on Halloween night.
In the East, the Chicago Bulls have jumped to a surprising hot start, going 6-1 and in an early standings race with the Philadelphia 76ers, who seemed to have shaken their injury bug from last season.
In the West, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have proved why continuity will serve them well this season. They remain the only undefeated team left. The Los Angeles Lakers, still without LeBron James, are 6-2. This is the best eight-game stretch his NBA team has had without him in the lineup.
In addition to our weekly rankings, our NBA insiders chose a newcomer — defined by a rookie, offseason addition or new coach — who has made an impact already for each team. From Mike Brown’s arrival in New York to Cooper Flagg’s warm welcome in Dallas, these are the 30 players and coaches who impressed in the first week of the season.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong this season.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Top newcomer: Ajay Mitchell
In the apron era, a financial reckoning will soon force the Thunder to rearrange their rotation below the headliners. But that day is not yet here. Oklahoma City brought back the entirety of its championship rotation, so there isn’t much room for a newcomer to bust through the doors. Mitchell will have to qualify in his second season. He played 597 minutes as a rookie before toe surgery, and there were intriguing flashes. But the first seven games of his second season have been something different. Stepping into a major role due to backcourt injuries, Mitchell is averaging 17.3 points in 27.6 minutes, making the case he should stay in Mark Daigneault’s nightly plans even when Jalen Williams and others have returned. — Anthony Slater
2. San Antonio Spurs
Top newcomer: Dylan Harper
The No. 2 pick, Harper, earns mention in the discussion, averaging 14 points over six games while shooting 50% from the field and averaging nearly four assists. Playing 23 minutes per game, Harper ranks fourth on the team in scoring, and at 19, figures prominently in San Antonio’s rotation but will likely miss several games due to his latest injury. Harper suffered a left calf strain during Sunday’s loss to the Suns and is expected to sit out multiple weeks. This injury could potentially derail San Antonio’s chances of finishing this season with three consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners. — Michael C. Wright
3. Denver Nuggets
Top newcomer: Tim Hardaway Jr.
It’s been a bumpy transition for Cameron Johnson after replacing Michael Porter Jr. in Denver’s starting lineup after they were traded for each other. Johnson is dealing with right shoulder inflammation while trying to work his way out of an early-season shooting funk (40.0% from the floor, 25.0% from 3-point range). Hardaway Jr. has been the Nuggets’ most impactful newcomer, averaging 10.2 points off the bench while shooting 44.8% from deep. — Tim MacMahon
4. Los Angeles Lakers
Top newcomer(s): Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart
The fact that there’s no easy answer to this question speaks volumes about the Lakers’ 6-2 start. All three of their free agent signings from the summer have a legitimate case. LaRavia has played in all eight games while L.A.’s been bit by the injury bug, averaging 12.6 points on 58.5% shooting while also leading the team in deflections. Ayton is averaging 16.9 points on 65.1% shooting and 8.1 rebounds. Smart is averaging 9.2 points while leading the team in steals per game (1.7) and in plus-minus with a plus-64 in 146 minutes played. — Dave McMenamin
5. Houston Rockets
Top newcomer: Kevin Durant
Naturally, the arrival of Durant, one of the most gifted scorers of all time, would lead to an uptick in offensive production. With Durant leading the way, Houston averaged 127.8 points over its first five outings, the most through five games in Rockets history. Houston bounced back from a 0-2 start to outscore opponents by 75 points during a three-game winning streak after Monday’s victory over Dallas. Durant (21 points) finished as the third-leading scorer as Alperen Sengun (26) and Amen Thompson combined (27) for 53 points — Wright
6. Philadelphia 76ers
Top newcomer: VJ Edgecombe
There have been few newcomers to make a bigger impact with their team this season than Edgecombe, the sensational rookie guard out of Baylor whom Philadelphia snagged with the third pick in June’s NBA draft. Edgecombe is making all of the pain of last season’s miserable campaign for the 76ers worth it, as he entered Tuesday night’s game averaging 20.3 points — miles ahead of anyone else in the class — while shooting over 49% overall and 42% from 3. — Tim Bontemps
7. Cleveland Cavaliers
Top newcomer: Jaylon Tyson
This is technically his second year in the league. Still, Tyson’s minutes were so sporadic in his first season, the fact that he stepped into the starting lineup with Darius Garland injured and played well could be a huge development for the Cavs’ rotation. He’s averaging 10.9 points and shooting 44% from 3 on about five attempts per game, showing signs of a 3-and-D wing who could be a huge complement to Donovan Mitchell and Garland, who could return Wednesday. — Jamal Collier
8. Chicago Bulls
Top newcomer: Isaac Okoro
The Bulls brought back nearly their entire roster from last season but added Okoro to the mix to help build a defensive identity in the starting lineup. Chicago entered the week ranked 12th in defense and has been one of the surprise teams even though Okoro has struggled, averaging six points while shooting 38.5% from the field (29.4% from 3) and has just two steals in six games. — Collier
9. Milwaukee Bucks
Top newcomer: Myles Turner
Joining the Bucks made Turner a villain in Indiana, the place where he spent the first decade of his career. Turner was greeted with boos in his return Monday, but Bucks players made it a point to win the game for their newest teammate. Turner is off to a modest start offensively — 9.7 points on 39.7% shooting, but coach Doc Rivers has lauded his defense and intangibles to boost Milwaukee early. — Collier
10. Detroit Pistons
Top newcomer: Duncan Robinson
For a team that’s lacking in 3-point production (27th in attempts per game), newcomer Robinson will be counted on for more volume, especially with Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser out with injuries. He’s getting up over six 3s a night and shooting nearly 41%, but it would help with the spacing if he got a little more assertive in hunting shots to spread the floor for Cade Cunningham and emerging star Ausar Thompson. A fifth-ranked defense has kept the Pistons afloat — the shooting should come around. — Vincent Goodwill
11. New York Knicks
Top newcomer: Mike Brown
Sunday was just what the doctor ordered for new coach Brown. Following a three-game road losing streak, the Knicks put together their best stretch of basketball in the young season, hitting 20-of-42 on 3-pointers to avenge a loss to the Bulls from two nights earlier. “I still think our ceiling is a lot higher, but you can see the potential. This team is more than capable of playing faster,” Brown said. For a team that didn’t have a three-game losing streak last season until January, the Knicks — and Brown — needed proof of concept early. — Goodwill
12. LA Clippers
Top newcomer: John Collins
Collins has found an early role as the Clippers’ sixth man, leading coach Tyronn Lue’s reserves in scoring (11.8 points) and rebounds (5.3), while also averaging 1.2 steals. A cynical view would credit Collins’ initial success because of the collective struggles of other newcomers such as Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul, who have all underwhelmed. However, the 6-foot-9 forward is shooting a career-best 58.5% from the floor, too. So, props to him. — McMenamin
13. Golden State Warriors
Top newcomer: Al Horford
The Warriors’ best win of the early season came in overtime against Denver. In it, they were delivered the version of Horford they dreamed about after adding him this summer. He stretched out to 29 minutes, nailed a pair of clutch 3s and guarded Nikola Jokic well on several of the game’s larger possessions, closing with the other veterans. It’s what they will need from Horford regularly come April. But it’s clear that the maintenance program for Horford, in his 19th season, won’t allow it often before the playoffs. Horford won’t play on back-to-back nights, so he’s already missed three games and been limited, rusty and ineffective in his three other appearances. The Warriors have been outscored by 36 points with him on the floor this season. — Slater
14. Portland Trail Blazers
Top newcomer: Jrue Holiday
Holiday has been everything Portland hoped and more as the starting point guard with Scoot Henderson still sidelined by a hamstring strain. Holiday is averaging 16.7 points and a career-high 8.3 assists while helping lead a Blazers defense that is forcing turnovers at far and away the NBA’s best rate. Holiday’s quietest night this season, including 0-of-6 on 3-point shooting, was a factor as Portland lost at home to the short-handed Lakers on Monday. Still, the Blazers are above .500 for the latest point in any season since 2022-23. — Kevin Pelton
15. Miami Heat
Top newcomer: Norman Powell
Powell has been a nice fit in Miami, especially while Tyler Herro is out. If he can stay healthy, Powell can do what he did in the first couple of months with the Clippers last season when Kawhi Leonard was out. He played like an All-Star, providing the Clippers with shooting from the perimeter and much-needed scoring. With Herro out, Powell has scored 20 or more points in three of his four games, including knocking down 11 triples in those games. He missed three straight contests with a groin issue, but Powell should be able to continue to do damage in Miami’s new up-tempo offense. — Ohm Youngmisuk
16. Minnesota Timberwolves
Top newcomer: Terrence Shannon Jr.
There’s not really a newcomer on the roster, per se, but there is a new core rotation player: Shannon Jr., a second-year guard who has been given the first full-time crack at replacing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in coach Chris Finch’s rotation. Shannon began to get minutes late in the regular season and in the playoffs. He has played in all seven of Minnesota’s games to begin this season, though his offense remains an issue (shooting 32.1% overall, including 29.4% on 2-pointers this season). — Bontemps
17. Orlando Magic
Top newcomer: Desmond Bane
Bane has struggled from 3, shooting just 28.5% in his first eight games. And he has only scored 23 points in his past three games, culminating with an ejection in the third quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta for a flagrant foul against Onyeka Okongwu and a subsequent technical foul for swiping the ball at Okongwu after the foul. Still, the Magic know it’s early and that they need more time to develop chemistry with their new performer. Once that happens, they expect to shoot much better from 3 with Bane creating space for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner while providing some much-needed veteran leadership. It might be off to a slow start, but the Magic are betting four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap that Bane will get things going. — Youngmisuk
18. Atlanta Hawks
Top newcomer: Kristaps Porzingis
The Hawks couldn’t wait to see how their two-man game of Trae Young and Porzingis would work together. While they will have to wait another month or longer before seeing those two together again, Porzingis has been showing how big of an impact he can have for the rest of the Hawks. Porzingis is averaging 15 points in the three games since Young has been out. But his presence has to be accounted for inside when the Hawks throw the ball to him with a mismatch, opening things for teammates. He went to the line 13 times, making 11 free throws to lead the Hawks to a win over Orlando on Tuesday. And his 12 rebounds Sunday kept the Hawks competitive in a loss at Cleveland. If Porzingis can stay healthy, his impact will only grow. — Youngmisuk
19. Boston Celtics
Top newcomer: Josh Minott
As Boston waits to get Jayson Tatum back on the court, it took fliers on several upside swing players this offseason. One of them, Minott, has settled into a starting spot in Boston’s rotation over the past few games and has immediately made an impact as a high-energy grinder, creating extra possessions by hitting the glass and creating turnovers. — Bontemps
20. Toronto Raptors
Top newcomer: Brandon Ingram
Ingram isn’t technically a new addition, as Toronto traded for and extended him in the middle of the 2024-25 campaign, but he never played a game for the Raptors until this season. The one-time All-Star leads Toronto averaging 22.3 points, and he’s quietly posting the best efficiency numbers of his career thanks to a hot streak from his midrange-heavy shot diet. Ingram never made more than 49.7% of his shots in any previous season, but he’s all the way up at 55.0% this season. — Zach Kram
21. Memphis Grizzlies
Top newcomer: Cedric Coward
Coward, the 11th pick of the draft, shines for a Memphis squad flashing few bright spots in the wake of the one-game suspension of veteran point guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies moved up five spots to acquire Coward in the draft as the brass identified the shooting guard’s athleticism, versatility and physicality as key elements in building around Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Offensively, the rookie ranks third on the team in scoring while connecting on better than 50% from deep. — Wright
22. Dallas Mavericks
Top newcomer: Cooper Flagg
The Mavs figured that Flagg would endure plenty of growing pains as a rookie, no matter how much hype surrounded him following his phenomenal one-and-done stint at Duke. Every 18-year-old who has played in the NBA has struggled, and Flagg has the additional challenge of playing point guard for the first time in his life while usually drawing the opponent’s best defender. His numbers (13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists with a 44.6 effective field goal percentage) aren’t pretty, but there’s no panic in Dallas. The Mavs firmly believe that Flagg has the blend of mental toughness, maturity, confidence and competitiveness to benefit from his struggles. — MacMahon
23. Phoenix Suns
Top newcomer: Dillon Brooks
While Brooks has been limited to three games because of a core muscle strain, the nine-year vet has already made an impression in the Valley. Brooks is the Suns’ second-leading scorer (19.3 points per game) and his 2.7 steals average is second in the league, behind only Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace. His presence has helped Phoenix climb from the league’s No. 27 defensive rating to No. 22 under first-year coach Jordan Ott. — McMenamin
24. Charlotte Hornets
Top newcomer: Kon Knueppel
Charlotte’s rookies have played far and away the most minutes of any team this season, with as many as three (No. 4 pick Knueppel and second-rounders Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner) starting together at times. Of those three, Knueppel has had the biggest impact, averaging 30.1 minutes and 14.0 points. His 43.1% 3-point shooting on high volume (7.3 attempts per game) has been an ideal fit alongside LaMelo Ball in the Hornets’ backcourt. Knueppel had a career-high 24 points Sunday as the Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak by blowing out Utah. — Pelton
25. Sacramento Kings
Top newcomer: Russell Westbrook
Kings microphones picked up an exchange between Westbrook and Domantas Sabonis late in their recent road win in Milwaukee. Sabonis had five fouls. Westbrook, fearing he would pick up a sixth, ordered Sabonis off Giannis Antetokounmpo and guarded him instead. Sabonis remained eligible for the final 2:35 and the Kings closed to prevail 135-133. It was an example of Westbrook’s immediate ascension on a roster lacking leadership and defensive versatility. He signed a minimum one-year contract a week before the season began but has already worked his way into the starting and closing lineup, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes against the Nuggets on Monday night. — Slater
26. Utah Jazz
Top newcomer: Ace Bailey
Utah’s front office and coaching staff are optimistic that Bailey, the fifth pick in the draft, can develop into a franchise cornerstone. That potential hasn’t translated into instant production for the teenager, who is averaging 4.6 points on 29.5% shooting. However, the Jazz have been encouraged by Bailey’s approach and willingness to be coached since he arrived in Utah. — MacMahon
27. Indiana Pacers
Top newcomer: Jay Huff
Entering an expected gap year with Tyrese Haliburton injured, the Pacers didn’t add many new players over the summer. The best of the bunch is backup center Huff, whose offense hasn’t yet made the trip from Memphis to Indiana — he’s shooting just 3-for-17 (18%) on 3s after nailing 41% last season — but is a capable interior defender. Huff is averaging 3.7 blocks per 36 minutes, while no other Pacer has more than 1.1 blocks per 36 with two-time blocks champion Myles Turner gone. — Kram
28. Washington Wizards
Top newcomer: Tre Johnson
No. 6 pick Johnson has been a plug-and-play floor-spacer early in his NBA career, sinking 2.1 3-pointers per game on 36% shooting. One area of potential improvement for the rookie is his playmaking: Johnson has received 36 picks as the ball handler and produced assists on just two of them, per GeniusIQ tracking. Overall, he has 11 assists and nine turnovers through seven games. — Kram
29. New Orleans Pelicans
Top newcomer: Jeremiah Fears
The Pelicans surely hoped veteran guard Jordan Poole would be the answer, but he lost his starting job three games into his New Orleans career and has had uneven performances off the bench, sandwiching a 30-point game between 2-of-11 shooting nights. New Orleans coach Willie Green is sticking with teenage rookie point guard Fears, whose own up-and-down play (he followed 1-of-11 shooting with 10-of-15 in a 21-point effort) is more understandable given his inexperience. Fears’ play is the main reason for optimism amidst a poor Pelicans start. — Pelton
30. Brooklyn Nets
Top newcomer: Michael Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. is getting all the shots he wants and is second on the Nets in scoring behind Cam Thomas. With few other scoring options and the Nets lacking a playmaker, teams are loading up on Porter and Thomas. As expected, since Porter is no longer playing with Nikola Jokic, the quality of the looks has decreased while on a team desperately searching for an identity through two weeks filled with losses. And to make matters worse, head coach Jordi Fernandez offered this after a 23-point drubbing at the hands of the 76ers: “I’m failing at trying to get my guys to play hard.” It’s getting too late, very early in Brooklyn. — Goodwill