The 2025-2026 NBA season kicked-off on Oct. 21, marking the beginning of the 80th season of the NBA. The two games that took place on opening night were the Houston Rockets at the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors at the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2025 defending champions, the Thunder, defeated the Rockets in a 125-124 double-overtime thriller, with the 2025 Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, hitting the game-winning free throws with 2.3 seconds left on the clock. The Rockets were led by Alperen Şengün who was the highest scorer for both teams with 39 points. The Warriors beat the Lakers 119-109. Despite the Lakers’ Luka Dončić’s 43 points, the Warriors secured a road victory over the Lakers and were led by Jimmy Butler’s 31 points.

There were also notable trades that took place after the 2024-2025 season. Teams that were involved with trades have had to adjust to welcoming new players while finding ways to fill the spot that their former player held. A key trade deal that had a striking impact was the NBA’s first seven-team trade that centered around Kevin Durant. He was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. The other teams involved in the trade were the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. This complex exchange included 13 players and multiple draft picks. There is also speculation of potential trades that could significantly affect the dynamic of the league. Despite these big changes, this isn’t an unusual scene for the league, as, being a business, the NBA incorporates a large number of trades and deals. Although it’s still difficult to adjust smoothly and properly gel with the team immediately, players and teams know that it’s all a part of the job. 

The season is just getting into the swing of things, and rankings are still up for grabs with a substantial amount of time left to secure a post season ticket. The season will start to ramp up closer to April when the Playoffs begin.