3 Surprising 2025 NBA Playoff Teams Expected to Miss Postseason Next Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A trio of solid 2025 NBA playoff squads have been given with the best chances of becoming lottery teams in 2026.
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Several concerning playoff injuries and a variety of bold trades and free agent signings have clouded the playoff picture for next year.
A whopping three All-Stars — Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard in the first round, Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum in the second round, and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA Finals — tore their Achilles tendons during the playoffs. The Pacers have already indicated that Haliburton, who got hurt in late June, will miss all of 2025-26.
Several clubs traded away elite scorers. The Phoenix Suns flipped 15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant, the Memphis Grizzlies offloaded shooting guard Desmond Bane, the Boston Celtics traded center Kristaps Porzingis, and the L.A. Clippers moved shooting guard Norm Powell — the latter of whom was flipped to the Miami Heat.
Surprising free agent players defected from their former franchises, most notably ex-Pacers center Myles Turner, who linked up with the Milwaukee Bucks.
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A lot of these moves have had ripple effects on sports books.
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43)© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Per the oddsmakers at SportsBetting.ag, the Pacers (-130 odds), Grizzlies (-165), and Heat (-200) have been given top odds for missing the playoffs next season.
Indiana has arguably been hit hardest, with no elite-caliber replacement for Haliburton on the horizon. The Pacers have attempted to compensate for the departure of Turner by trading with the Grizzlies to acquire floor-spacing big man Jay Huff, picking up their $2.9 million team option on Tony Bradley, and re-signing free agent center James Wiseman. None of these players are nearly at Turner’s level, nor is free agent Thomas Bryant.
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The Grizzlies barely snuck into the Western Conference playoffs as a No. 8 seed, and got flattened by the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Memphis’ decision to move on from Bane in a trade package for lesser players; improvements elsewhere in the West; and questions about the health of All-Stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant have clouded their immediate future.
The Heat were initially a No. 10 seed in the Easter Conference, but through the play-in tournament secured the eighth seed and advanced into the playoffs. Their trade for Powell after letting sharpshooter Duncan Robinson depart in free agency is a clear qualitative upgrade, but in a murky East playoff picture it remains to be seen how much better the move actually makes them.
Related: Heat’s NBA Champion Wing Named Top Trade Candidate After Norman Powell Deal
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.