There’s no time for optimism like the offseason. In the NBA, that means believing your favorite team’s young players will take a major leap, their rookies will be instant contributors, and injury-riddled stars will finally stay healthy for a full 82-game slate.
Some players are facing more pressure to perform than others. Whether it’s an aging superstar who needs to prove he can still be a franchise player, a promising young star whose career has started to stall out because of injuries or lack of skill development, or a former lottery pick verging on bust territory, there are a number of players around the league tasked with proving their worth entering the 2025-26 season.
Here are six NBA players who badly need a bounce-back season to remind everyone how good they are, in no particular order.
LaMelo Ball, G, Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball was named an All-Star during his second season at only 20 years old. Over the next three seasons, Ball has averaged only 35 games played per year as he battled wrist and ankle injuries. As he enters his age-24 season, Ball has to prove not only his durability, but also that he can be trusted to play a winning brand of basketball. Ball’s shooting was a question mark entering the 2020 draft, but he’s turned himself into one of the league’s highest-volume shooters with an average 36.5 percent from three. His three-point percentage dipped a bit last year as he recklessly launched pull-ups seemingly every time he crossed halfcourt. If Ball can fix his shot diet and stay healthy, there’s no denying his talent. He might be the best ball handler alive who’s 6’8 or taller, and he has a special ability to find open teammates and manipulate the opposing defense as a passer. Without Melo in the lineup, the Hornets got absolutely smoked last season, going 3-32 in games Ball didn’t play. Staying on the court is step one, and then reminding fans he’s a legitimate All-Star talent is step two. If it somehow happens, the Hornets’ future could suddenly look pretty appealing with two young co-stars around him in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, plus a nice chest of future assets.
Zion Williamson, F, New Orleans Pelicans
It’s hard to remember now, but Zion Williamson was having the game of his life as the Pelicans were on the brink of knocking out the Lakers from the 2024 play-in tournament. Williamson suffered a hamstring strain in the final minutes, and he hasn’t been the same since. Injuries have been the story of Zion’s NBA career to this point, and as he enters year six, this feels like his last chance to re-establish himself as a great player. Williamson just doesn’t have the same explosiveness anymore that made him such a phenom at Duke, but he has been a super-efficient volume scorer with the Pelicans when healthy. New Orleans has a new front office that’s already made some reckless decisions, and it’s hard to trust them to get the best out of Zion or the rest of the roster right now. The Pelicans just feel cursed in every sense, and the fall of Williamson from an all-time great draft prospect to an overweight and injury-prone pro symbolizes the franchise’s downfall more than anything else. There’s no doubt Zion is still talented enough to turn his career around, but at this point he might be the ultimate ‘change of scenery’ player.
Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies’ post All-Star break swoon led to some franchise-altering decisions, including firing head coach Taylor Jenkins and trading Desmond Bane. Memphis’ best hope for regaining contender status in the West starts with Ja Morant establishing himself as an elite player. Morant’s scoring volume fell a bit last year as his touch waned and the Grizzlies reoriented their offense away from ball-screens. Morant particularly struggled from floater range, where he took a career-high 30.9 percent of his field goal attempts but only made 43.6 percent of those shots. Morant has never really been an efficient scorer — he’s only posted a true shooting percentage higher than league-average once in his first six seasons — but that can change if he improves his three-point shot and focuses more on getting all the way to the rim. The Grizzlies have already gotten some bad news this offseason with Zach Edey suffering a broken ankle, and Jaren Jackson Jr. needing surgery to repair turf toe. Morant’s usage should go up at the start of the year, and it’s on him to keep Memphis from taking a step back.
Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers
This is the most obvious one, and the saddest. Embiid looked like the best scorer in the world until Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg and tore his meniscus in Jan. 2024. He spent all of last season trying to get healthy, but he could only play 19 sluggish games. Embiid is a super max contract through 2029 (!), so the Sixers desperately need him available. It would be a tragedy if Embiid’s days as an elite player are already over at age-31, but he certainly wouldn’t be the first mega-talented big man to have his body betray him early. Embiid is so gigantic and such a skilled mid-range scorer that his game should age well if he’s healthy enough to play. The Sixers feel like the have the widest range of outcomes of any team in the league, and it’s all tied to Embiid’s health.
Alex Sarr, C/F, Washington Wizards
Alex Sarr was never going to light the world on fire as a rookie with the Washington Wizards. The No. 2 overall pick didn’t anything resembling a reliable lead guard feeding him the ball, and Washington also happened to be the second-worst three-point shooting team in the league. Sarr showed flashes on both ends of the floor in his best moments, but it’s still disappointing to see an athletic 7-footer finish as poorly in the paint as he did in his NBA debut. Sarr only shot 45.4 percent on two-point field goals while also bricking a ton of threes (30.8 percent on five attempts per game). He helped him finish with a -9.5 rTS, which should never happen for someone so long and so athletic. Sarr will have a long leash to grow with a Wizards team that will be tanking again, but it would at least be nice to see him take a step forward as an interior scorer in his second season. No one is expecting the Wizards to win more than 20 games this year, but Sarr looking like a plus defender and more effective finisher would be a big plus for the future of the franchise.
Deandre Ayton, C, Los Angeles Lakers
The Blazers thought so little of Deandre Ayton that they were happy to buy him out from the final year of his $35.6 million contract. He landed in what feels like an ideal situation with the Los Angeles Lakers. Ayton looked best when he was paired with a high-level facilitator in Chris Paul in Phoenix, and Luka Doncic could have a similar effect on him. The Lakers got so little from their centers last year post-Anthony Davis trade that Ayton doesn’t have to be that good to be a real upgrade. At the same time, if Ayton falls into his worst tendencies again, the biggest spotlight the Lakers bring could put his career in jeopardy. Ayton’s reticence to attack the basket is legendary at this point, having averaged 1.5 free throw attempts or fewer in each of the last two years. He’s never developed as a three-point shooter, and can get a little too happy with his mid-range shot. The Lakers need an engaged Ayton playing with force and trending towards being a plus defensively. Ayton should be set up well for a bounce-back year, but there’s a lot of pressure on him to deliver.
