Southwest Division: Offseason Review and 2026-27 Season Outlook

Basketball News 06-Sep-2026
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Southwest Division: Offseason Recap and a Look Ahead to the 2026-27 Season

Let’s examine how the Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Grizzlies approached the offseason ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Shaun Powell | September 4, 2026 1:26 PM

Southwest Division | Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Pelicans | Spurs

First-round draftees will carry significant weight once again in Dallas and Memphis, as those teams look to refresh and reload for the future. Meanwhile, the divisional favorites sought and secured experience — Tobias Harris in San Antonio, Marcus Smart in Houston.

Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg took home the 2025-26 Kia Rookie of the Year award. The franchise was revitalized by the arrival of Flagg, who performed up to the standards of a No. 1 overall pick. But injuries plagued the Mavericks, who finished 26-56 and missed the postseason entirely.

Offseason Moves

  • Additions: F Santi Aldama, F Tarik Biberovic, G Sergio de Larrea, F Morez Johnson, F Tobi Lawal, F Zaccharie Risacher, G Marcus Sasser
  • Subtractions: F Marvin Bagley III, F Khris Middleton, G Ryan Nembhard, C Dwight Powell, G Klay Thompson, G Brandon Williams

2026-27 Season Outlook

Masai Ujiri, who built a championship team in Toronto, was hired to lead the franchise, and his first move was finding the next Dallas head coach from the college ranks. Dusty May won a national championship at Michigan before taking on the challenge of steering a young NBA team. It made sense that a college coach would take over a roster with such a youthful makeup. That nucleus will now include additional frontcourt help in Johnson, who follows his coach from Michigan, and Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick from two years ago. Kyrie Irving will be welcomed back from injury; yet if Flagg makes an All-Star leap, that would be the best news for the Mavericks.

Houston Rockets

After an underwhelming end to their season, the Rockets are hungry for more. Kevin Durant averaged 25 points for yet another season, Amen Thompson came of age, and Alperen Sengun took a star turn. The Rockets went 52-20 in a top-heavy West before falling in the first round of the postseason.

Offseason Moves

  • Additions: G Bogdan Bogdanović, G Marcus Smart, G Bruce Thornton
  • Subtractions: G JD Davison, F Dorian Finney-Smith, G Jeff Green, G Aaron Holiday, G Josh Okogie

2026-27 Season Outlook

The Rockets apparently liked much of what they saw last season, as the club avoided drastic roster changes. At the very least, Houston should flirt with 50 wins again and position itself among the top five in the West — provided a few key factors come to fruition. One is the return of Fred VanVleet, who missed all of last season while rehabbing. As insurance, the Rockets added another veteran point guard in Smart. Also, Durant must defy age once again as he approaches 38. Durant remains a feared scorer who still draws double-teams. To bolster their outside shooting, the Rockets added Bogdanović, one of the league’s most efficient deep shooters. Finally, Sengun and Thompson must take another step in development. The Rockets boast a solid mix of youth and veterans to advance beyond the first round next spring.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies selected Cameron Boozer with the 3rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. A major midseason trade involving Jaren Jackson and injuries to Ja Morant conspired to prevent Memphis from gaining any traction or sustainability. They finished 25-57 and did not qualify for the postseason.

Offseason Moves

  • Additions: F Cameron Boozer, F Jerami Grant, G AJ Johnson, F Karim López, F Kris Murray, C Quinten Post, G D’Angelo Russell, G Richie Saunders, F Isaiah Stewart
  • Subtractions: F Santi Aldama, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Ja Morant

2026-27 Season Outlook

The Grizzlies are prepared to move full speed ahead without one of the NBA’s quickest players; Morant was finally dealt after much speculation. His trade to the Trail Blazers ended an era in Memphis and gave the franchise the green light to adopt a new identity. That personality will be shaped by Boozer, one of the top players in college basketball. Boozer brings the ingredients that make him an ideal candidate to be the face of the franchise. The Grizzlies will now move forward with Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and Grant — acquired in the Morant deal — to carve out a new identity and, hopefully, more victories.

New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson played in 62 games last season — a refreshing change of pace for the oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick — but the Pelicans nonetheless finished 26-56 and missed the postseason.

Offseason Moves

  • Additions: G Jaron Pierre Jr., G Trendon Watford
  • Subtractions: F Kevon Looney

2026-27 Season Outlook

If the Pelicans plan to make changes this season, those moves will have to wait until the trade deadline. New Orleans was among the most inactive teams this offseason, limiting its major move to the coaching staff. Jamahl Mosley was named head coach after his tenure in Orlando. He’ll have virtually the same responsibilities as his previous job: grooming an emerging core of young players, led by Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. Ultimately, the Pelicans must decide whether Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, and Trey Murphy are part of the future — or part of the past. But that decision, as it turns out, will wait until February at the very least. In the meantime, the Pelicans hope an All-Star emerges — perhaps Zion?

San Antonio Spurs

After reaching the 2026 NBA Finals, the Spurs aim to carry that momentum into next season. Bolstered by an MVP finalist performance from Victor Wembanyama, the franchise went 62-20 and made a long-awaited return to the NBA Finals.

Offseason Moves

  • Additions: F Maliq Brown, G Ja’Kobi Gillespie, F Tobias Harris, F Jayden Quaintance, C Tarris Reed Jr.
  • Subtractions: C Bismack Biyombo, C Kelly Olynyk, C Mason Plumlee, F Lindy Waters III

2026-27 Season Outlook

The Spurs didn’t cash in on their Finals trip last summer, falling victim to too many blown leads in their series with the Knicks. But there’s every indication that the Spurs are just getting started. Not only is the rotation filled with young developing talent, but there’s Wemby, of course, who seems humbled by his failure to win a title and motivated to make up for it. The Spurs also had a productive offseason, adding more youth to their development program — namely Reed and Quaintance, a pair of big men from the draft, to be groomed for the future — along with a veteran who arrives ready for the rotation. Harris is coming off a solid stint in Detroit, where he polished his reputation and positioned himself for this: a chance to win a ring. His midrange shooting can only help the Spurs as they retool and recover with a solid rotation.

Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can email him at [email protected], find his archive here and follow him on X.

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