Every NBA season buries a handful of players who didn't actually get worse. Injuries wipe out most of a year. A midseason trade drops someone into a new rotation where the shots never come. A cold shooting stretch turns into a bad slash line, and by the summer the reputation has moved further than the talent has.
The 2025-26 season produced plenty of those cases. Domantas Sabonis and Walker Kessler combined for 24 games between them. Coby White and Peyton Watson landed in new cities. Christian Braun shot 30.1 percent from deep after signing a $125 million extension. None of it says much about what any of them will do next.
What makes this group interesting heading into 2026-27 is that the offseason handed most of them something concrete — a clean bill of health, a bigger role, a fresh contract, or all three. Here are seven players positioned to remind everyone what they looked like before last season got in the way.
Domantas Sabonis, Kings 
Sabonis isn't the flashiest player, and he doesn't have the same star power as some of the prominent names in the NBA. Still, he was once considered one of the best players in the league.
Is that still the case? It depends on who you ask, but it's important to remember that Sabonis had a combined 36 regular-season triple-doubles across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns. The only player who had more, Nikola Jokic, had 59 during that stretch.
Unluckily for Sabonis, he
Every NBA season buries a handful of players who didn't actually get worse. Injuries wipe out most of a year. A midseason trade drops someone into a new rotation where the shots never come. A cold shooting stretch turns into a bad slash line, and by the summer the reputation has moved further than the talent has.
The 2025-26 season produced plenty of those cases. Domantas Sabonis and Walker Kessler combined for 24 games between them. Coby White and Peyton Watson landed in new cities. Christian Braun shot 30.1 percent from deep after signing a $125 million extension. None of it says much about what any of them will do next.
What makes this group interesting heading into 2026-27 is that the offseason handed most of them something concrete — a clean bill of health, a bigger role, a fresh contract, or all three. Here are seven players positioned to remind everyone what they looked like before last season got in the way.
Domantas Sabonis, Kings
Sabonis isn't the flashiest player, and he doesn't have the same star power as some of the prominent names in the NBA. Still, he was once considered one of the best players in the league.
Is that still the case? It depends on who you ask, but it's important to remember that Sabonis had a combined 36 regular-season triple-doubles across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns. The only player who had more, Nikola Jokic, had 59 during that stretch.
Unluckily for Sabonis, he was limited to 19 regular-season games in 2025-26, mostly due to a torn meniscus in his left knee that resulted in season-ending surgery. It appears the 30-year-old is well on track to be cleared for training camp. The only question now is whether he will remain in Sacramento or be traded to another team. Either way, he is a perfect bounce-back candidate. Does that mean he will return first-round value? Not necessarily, but a potential top-10 finish shouldn't be dismissed either.
Klay Thompson, Heat 
Thompson had more than a few productive years with the Warriors. Although he battled injuries along the way, he played well up until his final season with the team in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 38.7 percent from deep over 29.7 minutes in 77 regular-season games.
The 36-year-old went on to sign with the Mavericks ahead of the 2024-25 season. His first year in Dallas wasn't a complete flop, but things went south quickly in 2025-26. Thompson appeared in 69 regular-season games, averaging 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists, all career lows. He also shot a career-worst 38.3 percent from behind the arc and started just eight games. It was apparent things weren't working out between Thompson and the Mavericks, so both sides agreed to a buyout.
After clearing waivers, he agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract with Miami in August 2026 and will look for a fresh start with his third NBA team. While the addition of Thompson is obviously not as impactful as the trade that landed superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee, he adds depth to a club looking to compete in a stacked Eastern Conference.
It's unknown how head coach Erik Spoelstra plans to utilize the 2011 No. 11 overall pick, though it's reasonable to believe he will see more minutes than he did with the Mavericks. It also wouldn't be surprising to see him start. Taking these factors into account still doesn't mean Thompson will return to All-Star form, but if he stays healthy, he has an excellent opportunity to redeem himself after two uneventful seasons with the Mavericks.
Coby White, Hornets 
White had some quality seasons with the Bulls, with his best occurring in 2024-25, when he averaged a career-high 20.4 points along with 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 33.1 minutes in 74 regular-season appearances. Despite his contributions through the years, he didn't get the lucrative long-term deal he desired and was dealt to the Hornets ahead of the 2025-26 trade deadline.
White logged 21 regular-season games in Charlotte, though he averaged just 15.6 points per contest, his lowest mark since 2020-21. He also didn't start.
Following the trade of LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves, it's clear that the Hornets have big plans for White, especially since he was given a three-year, $74 million contract. With a new deal and a clear path to playing time, the 2019 No. 7 overall pick will have a chance to turn things around in 2026-27 on a Charlotte team looking to make the postseason for the first time in a decade.
Derrick White, Celtics 
White averaged just 11.1 points during the 2025-26 postseason, his worst since his first playoff run with the Celtics back in 2021-22. This has caused his stock to fall drastically, which is understandable.
It's important to remember that White did average a career-high 16.5 points during the regular season season. Yes, he shot just 32.7 percent from deep, a significant decline from the 38.4 percent he shot in 2024-25, but outside of that, his contributions in other statistical areas improved.
In fact, White averaged career highs in steals (1.3) and blocks (1.1), and his 5.4 assists were his highest since 2021-22, his final season with the Spurs.
Paul George was acquired by the C's this offseason in exchange for Jaylen Brown, but with the former entering his age-37 season, Philadelphia easily won that deal. George also has durability concerns, considering he has appeared in over 70 regular-season games just once since his first year with the Clippers in 2019-20.
On the other hand, White hasn't had any problems staying on the floor, playing at least 73 regular-season games since 2021-22. There aren't many players in the league who can make that claim. So, while others are down on the former Spur, he will have a chance to establish himself as the No. 2 option in Boston behind Jayson Tatum. George currently holds that position, though that may not be the case by the end of the season.
Peyton Watson, Cavaliers 
Watson contributed minimally in his first two years in the NBA. While that was mostly the case throughout the 2024-25 campaign, he displayed signs of potential by averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 blocks in 18 starts. Expectations were high for the 23-year-old heading into the 2025-26 season, and while he averaged a career-best 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent from deep, he was limited to 54 games during the regular season.
After a productive season, Watson was looking to get paid, and while the Nuggets made an offer, it was well below the $25 million annually he sought. It was evident his days with the Nuggets were finished, so he was traded to Cleveland in August.
Watson, who also agreed to a four-year, $88 million deal with the Cavaliers, seemingly has untapped potential. To be clear, the 23-year-old didn't have a horrible final season with the Nuggets, but it's also safe to say people were expecting a lot more. He will have an opportunity to produce with the Cavaliers, even with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley playing alongside him.
Walker Kessler, Lakers 
Kessler averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks as a rookie. As a result, he was expected to make a significant jump in his second year, though that didn't happen. Instead, he regressed statistically and started only 22 times, a significant reduction from his inaugural campaign.
After bouncing back in 2024-25, the 25-year-old looked even better last season, recording a career-best 14.4 points and 1.4 steals along with 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting an impressive 75.0 percent from downtown. However, his season ended after just five games due to a shoulder injury that resulted in surgery.
Kessler is now with the Lakers, signing a four-year, $130 million contract in July. He will likely miss some games here and there, considering that's been a theme throughout his career. Still, with some rough days with the Jazz in the rear-view mirror, Kessler should not only bounce back, but an All-Star appearance shouldn't be dismissed.
Christian Braun, Nuggets 
Braun averaged a career-best 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in his third season. As a result, he was awarded with a five-year, $125 million contract extension in October 2025. However, the 25-year-old didn't have a productive season in 2025-26.
It wasn't all because he appeared in only 44 regular-season games, but it was mostly due to his decline in production. Braun averaged 12.0 points and 4.8 rebounds, though his career-low 30.1 percent shooting from deep was the biggest cause for concern.
Like many players, there have been rumblings about Braun being traded, but with teams looking to avoid luxury tax ramifications, it's unlikely he will be moved anytime soon.
The Nuggets added free agent DeMar DeRozan this offseason, and though he's still capable of producing, Braun should get the opportunities needed to have a turnaround season in 2026-27.
