NBA Pacific Division Preview 2025-26

Deandre Ayton

In the sixth of a six part series leading up to the commencement of the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a look at each division in the league. Here is the Pacific Division.

Big Storyline

The face of the division for as long as I can remember has been the Los Angeles Lakers. Everyone knows about LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The franchise seemed to miss something in their first round series lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024-25. The answer was a big man who could complement James and Doncic on the court. In comes Deandre Ayton. The bottom line is that at age 40, James is nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career, and if the Lakers were to contend for another championship this season, they needed another impact player.

Most Notable Acquisitions

Ayton is near the top of the list. The center from Nassau, Bahamas, signed a two-year contract worth $16.6 million. Last season, he averaged 14.4 points per game as the center for the Portland Trail Blazers. The other NBA team based in Los Angeles, the Clippers, acquired power forward John Collins of Layton, Utah, in a trade with the Utah Jazz. Last season, Collins averaged 19 points per game. The Clippers also signed shooting guard Bradley Beal of St. Louis, Missouri to a two-year contract worth $11 million. In 2024-25, Beal averaged 17 points per game.

The Phoenix Suns have brought in three new players to their starting five. Two of the players came from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant trade. They are shooting guard Jalen Green of Merced, California, and Canadian small forward Dillon Brooks of Mississauga, Ontario. Green averaged 21 points per game, and Brooks averaged 14 points per game last season. The Suns also acquired center Mark Williams of Norfolk, Virginia, in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets. Last season, he averaged 15.3 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have added a point guard. They came to terms with Dennis Schroder of Braunschweig, Germany to a three-year contract worth $44 million. Holiday averaged 11.1 points per game last season, and Schroder averaged 13.1 points per game with the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons.

Division Outlook

The Los Angeles based teams are expected to place first and second in the Pacific, with the Clippers coming out on top. Golden State will clearly be in third, with Sacramento fourth and Phoenix fifth.