NBA pressure rankings: 10 teams and players who will be feeling the most heat this season

The 2026-27 NBA season tips off next week, and the expectations will be heavy for those on this list When you're in the NBA in any capacity — player, coach, executive, the guys and gals who fire off the T-shirt cannons — it's a bit of a high-wire act. All eyes are on you to some extent. Of course, not all situations are the same. Some gigs come with added (and sometimes unwanted) attention. With that in mind, here are our pressure rankings as the 2026-27 season approaches. No one is really expecting anything out of Golden State. Steph Curry and the Warriors only land on the list by their own volition.

There's not a ton of pressure here — except to the extent that they put it on themselves. Curry put to rest any questions about him jumping ship in search of a team better suited to win now when he signed a two-year $115 million extension that will carry him through his age-41 season. In doing so, he noted that part of the reason why he took a discount — he was eligible for up to $137 million in that new deal — was to give the Warriors flexibility when trying to improve the roster. Put another way, Mike Dunleavy and the Golden State front office are once