Ever wonder what an NBA scout thinks about your favorite team? Welcome to the 2026–27 edition of our scout’s takes series.
For Sports Illustrated’s 2026–27 NBA preview magazine (purchase that here), SI spoke to scouts around the league to get candid deep dives into every roster from a true basketball mind. Scroll forth for unfiltered expert takes on all 30 teams:
Atlanta Hawks
Anonymous NBA scout: “Jalen Johnson is the one guy they have with room to improve, but he’s going to need players around him. I mean, he can do everything. He is a heck of a player, and he had a great year. He definitely has upside and can get to another level. Him getting to another level is just improving each of the things he does, because he does everything just so good. He can be a little bit better of a shooter, be a little bit better of a driver. All those things will keep getting better. I don’t see him changing into a different player because he’s pretty much an all-around player on both sides of the ball. So it’s figuring out what pieces around him fit.”Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Boston Celtics
Anonymous NBA scout: “I think they’ll be good just because Joe Mazzulla is a really good coach; they’re going to win their games and be competitive. I don’t know if they’re necessarily a contender just because I don’t trust Paul George. … How much does PG really have? Last year he was relatively healthy, but he was suspended for that stretch. So let’s see where he is at. I think he’s a good complement to Jayson Tatum. I know there were always questions, was it Tatum or Jaylen Brown’s team? It’s Tatum’s team. And I think PG will accept that.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Brooklyn Nets
Anonymous NBA scout: “Brooklyn has a couple of the young kids that are interesting. Mikel Brown Jr., I’ll be interested to see what he can do. If Egor Dëmin takes a jump, that’ll be interesting. The thing that I don’t understand is you bring in Julius Randle and you have Michael Porter Jr. I know you’re trying to win some games, but those guys aren’t going to help your young guys develop, which is critical for your team. Those guys are about themselves. I don’t know. I didn’t get the Randle trade at all.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Charlotte Hornets
Anonymous NBA scout: “Brandon Miller could be a great small forward if he develops the work ethic to be that. I look at him and I don’t see the physical development. I don’t see the work in the weight room. If you’re going to match up against NBA small forwards, you have to get stronger. He wants to be like Jayson Tatum and those types of guys, but you have to put on muscle and weight for that. So I think he wants it, but I don’t know if he’s willing to do what it takes to get to it.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Chicago Bulls
Anonymous NBA scout: “I think Caleb Wilson is going to be really good. He’s three years out, but I mean, on this team, I could see him getting 15 points per game. He’s going to be really, really good, and that’ll be a nice three-guard lineup. But they’re going to have to go through their growing pains. He’s just a young kid.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Anonymous NBA scout: “I expected Cleveland to get where they got [last year]. I knew they would probably learn from the year before, and they did. I think the questions with them start with Kenny Atkinson. Is he a good enough coach? I didn’t like how he schemed in the playoffs. They didn’t have any answers for the Knicks. Now James Harden is older and I don’t know how their pieces are going to match.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Dallas Mavericks
Anonymous NBA scout: “Kyrie Irving returning will be a big help. For one thing, he takes the best defender off of Cooper Flagg. In a lot of cases, if a team has one great perimeter defender, he’s going to be on Kyrie. So that helps anybody when that is the situation. And then Kyrie’s playmaking, drawing help, maybe Flagg can get some easier buckets off the ball.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Denver Nuggets
Anonymous NBA scout: “The Michael Porter Jr.-Cam Johnson swap didn’t really work out. Johnson is equally a bad defender, but smaller, so it makes him a worse defender. Porter Jr., I would say, is a better offensive player and very good shooter. He’s probably tough to be around, but it did not make them better defensively. It did not make them better offensively. It didn’t help their rebounding. So yeah, it was a net loss.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Detroit Pistons
Anonymous NBA scout: “Cade Cunningham proved he was a top-10 guy last season. He made a huge leap. The next step for him is playing off the ball. He’s so ball dominant. Once you have a guy that just handles and makes every decision, you can scheme against him in the playoffs. They can have a great regular-season record but once you get into the playoffs, a team can scheme against the one action.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Golden State Warriors
Anonymous NBA scout: “Steph Curry is amazing. Other than the injuries, there’s no regression. I mean, I’m sure if you watch film from 2017 or something, you would see some differences, but he’s still one, two and three on your scouting report when you play them if he’s healthy. … I think they’re going to have to make a trade or Jimmy Butler’s going to have to come back a little bit early and be really healthy. Until he comes back, I think they’re going to be in trouble.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Houston Rockets
Anonymous NBA scout: “Amen Thompson is an interesting player. He still can’t really shoot, but he put up great numbers. He’s a threat offensively because of how he plays. He’s a good example of a guy that approaches the game in a humble manner because he doesn’t try to force his weaknesses. So if he keeps that up, he’s still going to be a problem. Obviously defensively, he’s one of the most versatile guys in the conference. But he’s still a guy you try to hide someone on. So he’s going to have to probably take a notch up to get the Rockets to the next level.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Indiana Pacers
Anonymous NBA scout: “I don’t know if they’re just going to jump right back to where they were before Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. I think they’ll be good, but it’s just going to be like, how does Tyrese come back? And [Ivica] Zubac, how will they utilize him? Rick Carlisle’s a great coach who will figure it out. … The problem Zubac had in Clipperland was he just clogged up the paint. The Clippers were better when he was hurt and not playing. He’s a great center, and I guess he’ll be better for Indiana than he was with the Clippers because those guys in Indiana are shooters. Haliburton will be taking the step-back three. He’s not James Harden or Kawhi Leonard playing in the paint, mid-range, where it’s clogged up. The Pacers’ wings are shooting threes. That will help.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Los Angeles Clippers
Anonymous NBA scout: “The Clippers are going to be interesting to watch. But I’m not sure there will be any easy answers for them. … I’m not a big Brandon Ingram fan. I know he had some good games last year, but he backed into the All-Star Game and he has a lot of flaws. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong, but I don’t think he’s the kind of guy you can just run all the actions for, get him all the shots. He’s a more complimentary guy just because you look at him, you see his size and his length. I’m not really sold on him.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Los Angeles Lakers
Anonymous NBA scout: ”I think the Lakers are going to be in trouble defensively. Walker Kessler is known for shot blocking, or I guess he’s known for his defense, but really he’s a good shot blocker. He’s not, I don’t think, a great all-around defender. But he can protect the rim. So I guess step one is not to give up layups. I’ll be curious to see how he does. … Offensively, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are great. But which one of them is going to guard?“ Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Memphis Grizzlies
Anonymous NBA scout: “Cameron Boozer is the surest bet of this rookie class. He can shoot the three already and he can pass. In Memphis, he is going to have the ball all the time. I would think he will have a pretty good season in terms of being a playmaker, spacing the floor, and then if he could find a good pick-and-roll partner, hitting that ball in the pocket and making plays with his vision, I think he’d be a pretty good weapon offensively, even though he’s not known as great of an athlete or physical specimen or anything like that. He still has decent size. And when you can shoot, all of a sudden you’re a little bit bigger.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Miami Heat
Anonymous NBA scout: “They need playmaking and shooting. I mean, those two, Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s going to be interesting seeing them playing together. Defensively, they’re going to be really good inside. But they really need a guard that can create and get his own shot, but also find those two guys. There’s only so much of Giannis just taking the ball up the court by himself. You saw what happened in Milwaukee, the ability to take the ball up the court himself—it’s not like they won anything in the last few years.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Milwaukee Bucks
Anonymous NBA scout: “Milwaukee is going to be at the development stage. Tyler Herro’s a heck of a player, but I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see how he does without players around him. He might just put up a lot of points on a losing team. I mean, they had to do what they had to do, and they got good players. Hopefully, Jaime Jaquez continues to develop.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Anonymous NBA scout: “I don’t know how much LaMelo Ball moves the needle. I don’t know that Minnesota’s any worse. I think clearly they felt the need to have a point guard so that Edwards doesn’t handle the ball as much, and I agree with that line of thinking. I just don’t know how much LaMelo helps with that. They’ve migrated towards being more of an offensive team at times, and they were really selfish last year. I mean, they really played selfish. LaMelo won’t. So that could help.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
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New Orleans Pelicans
Anonymous NBA scout: “They invested a lot in Derik Queen, but I don’t see it. I have a low, low opinion. He doesn’t seem like a real high-motor guy when you watch him in pregame or in the game. I thought he had some fake numbers from the start of the season that he got a little bit of hype on. I don’t think he’s that good. Again, I could be wrong, but when he’s at his best, it feels like you have to play through him, and if you’re playing through him, that means Zion Williamson is a liability because he’s not defending and he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. So, I don’t think they’re a great fit together for that reason.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
New York Knicks
Anonymous NBA scout: “For the Knicks, it is about staying healthy. Mike Brown did a great job managing minutes last year and he has to do that again. Obviously, losing Mitchell Robinson, can Andre Drummond replace those minutes? That will be huge. They had an awesome run [in 2026]. They really executed the game plan against the Spurs. Jalen Brunson was unreal. I feel like it’s going to be pretty hard to replicate that next year to the same level. They’ll probably be tough in the playoffs because of the experience they have if they’re healthy, but I probably wouldn’t put them as a clear-cut favorite right away. Losing Robinson’s going to hurt a little bit. He may help Boston more than he hurts them because of the way Joe [Mazzulla] likes to play the rebounding game. But, I mean, he’s the best rebounder in the league, so it’s going to hurt a little bit.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Anonymous NBA scout: “I think they will miss Lu Dort a little during the year because he understands how they’re trying to play and he’s a guy that has a level of every-night competitiveness. But in the playoffs, the guy to me that they probably will miss more is Isaiah Joe. I think Joe is a legit shooting threat and defensively is more than capable as what people would consider a minus defender. Now, maybe Jared McCain grows as a player and gets better, but I think he’s a worse defender than Joe.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Orlando Magic
Anonymous NBA scout: “The Magic’s problem last season was that their pieces were the same. Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner were all the same player. They all need the ball. They all need to create with the ball. They didn’t have a point guard that could get guys shots. If they had an offensive point guard that was a better decision-maker that can run the team and get guys shots and make sure everybody was happy getting enough shots, then that might’ve worked.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Philadelphia 76ers
Anonymous NBA scout: “The question with the 76ers is like, who’s your go-to guy when you need it? Because they got a bunch of guys that can create. I know everybody’s saying it’s Tyrese Maxey, Maxey’s the guy, but Jaylen Brown was an MVP candidate last year. He had an unbelievable season. He carried a Boston team, and I don’t think he wants to take a back seat just because he got traded. And then you got LeBron who is going to want the ball. I don’t know how it’s going to all play out with that group. Who’s going to fill what role? And you still have freaking Joel Embiid, what are his expectations?” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Phoenix Suns
Anonymous NBA scout: “Miles Bridges is one of those guys that passes the eye test. Analytics test, he’s not as strong. But I think he’ll help the Suns just with the size. They’re going to be a pretty big, physical team on the perimeter. So I would expect him to be able to switch and guard some bigger guys with him, Dillon Brooks, even Devin Booker’s not slight. Booker is not an A+ defender either, but he’s no slouch and he can fight. Bridges adds quite a bit of the same to that, so they’ll be pretty hard to attack with your small-small stuff.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Portland Trail Blazers
Anonymous NBA scout: “I don’t like how things look in Portland. Bad ownership, a coach with a bad contract and bad players together. Bad fits. Everything in Portland is a bad fit right now, top to bottom. They’ve got some guys. I like Toumani Camara. I like Shaedon Sharpe when he is healthy. But if you are asking me which team falls out of the playoffs, they are at the top of the list.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Sacramento Kings
Anonymous NBA scout: “Everyone expects Sacramento to be bad, and they will be. But if Domantas Sabonis is healthy, they are going to win some games. He raises the floor on whatever team he is on. He can help a bad team compete and win a game, but he’s never going to get you over the level you need to win consistently. But he can get a triple-double one night, and if someone else gets hot, maybe they can win a few games that way.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
San Antonio Spurs
Anonymous NBA scout: “Victor Wembanyama is going to have a monster regular season. If the Spurs take the minutes restrictions off, he’s going to put up some ridiculous numbers. We can assume that he’s a little stronger and healthier, and will get a bump just from that.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Toronto Raptors
Anonymous NBA scout: “Toronto is a good team if Kawhi Leonard is healthy, which is always a big if. But the one thing they need is some shooting around him. They have Immanuel Quickley, but Quickley didn’t shoot the ball well last year. So if he can step up and make shots, that will help. RJ Barrett’s not a great shooter. They still haven’t addressed the center position. Jakob Poeltl, he’s always hurt, and then the next guy up is a 6′ 8″ Collin Murray-Boyles, who I really like, and I think he’s going to be really good, but he shouldn’t have to play center. But their bench isn’t very strong.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Utah Jazz
Anonymous NBA scout: “I like Will Hardy as a guy, interested to see what Will as a coach is now able to show. He’s perceived as this great coach who has been dealt a bad hand. Maybe he is. Now we get to find out. Darryn Peterson’s going to be really interesting to me to see how he does with all the controversy around him last year, but clearly has a skill set. I’m not a Keyonte George believer, so we’ll see what that looks like.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Washington Wizards
Anonymous NBA scout: “I really like some of their young guys. I’m a big Bub Carrington fan. Kyshawn George, too. They’re young athletes that can play and have upside. They can play with the ball. Carrington is a smooth-handle athlete, point guard. George, just on the wing, his ability to show upside and his skill set with his size. I just think they’re young players that can grow. The fear has to be that it’s going to turn into an AD-Trae Young show that nobody else develops. Trae just loves to dribble, dribble, dribble, and it’s going to be those two guys getting the majority of shots.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
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