Every NBA offseason, fans rush to identify the offseason champions, often overlooking teams that made small improvements or quietly improved. Whether it’s because they play in smaller markets or they don’t gain much media attention, there are a couple of teams that have put themselves in a much better position than many people have noticed. Here are three NBA teams that are being heavily overlooked heading into the 2026-27 season.
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Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have quietly put together one of the most exciting high-ceiling rosters in the NBA.
After winning the draft lottery, Washington selected Dybansta with the No. 1 overall pick, adding another elite young talent to a roster that was already loaded with potential. Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson give the Wizards plenty of depth and young talent, while the additions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis provide proven star power.
The combination of these players gives Washington excellent depth. They likely aren’t contenders just yet, but they have far more talent than most people are giving them credit for.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz are another team that held a top lottery pick, yet they could make some noise next season.
Utah drafted Peterson with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. last season. This gave the franchise another All-Star alongside Lauri Markkanen. Jusuf Nurkic adds size at center, creating a large all-around team.
On top of that, the Jazz have continued building one of the NBA’s better young cores. Their blend of established veterans and developing prospects should allow them to compete for a playoff spot much sooner than many expect.
Portland Trail Blazers
Many fans still view Portland as a team in rebuild mode, but this roster is much better than that.
The Trail Blazers were already a solid play-in team last season, and now they’ll have a healthy Damian Lillard alongside Ja Morant, whom they acquired this summer. That alone dramatically raises their ceiling.
Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija also continue to improve, giving Portland one of the more talented young rosters in the league. If everyone stays healthy, this team could surprise a lot of people in the Western Conference.
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