Hope! That’s what the offseason is supposed to bring NBA fans when their team drafts a future star or signs a free agent who fills a clear need. And yet, sometimes we end up seeing a lot more concern than anything. Sometimes it’s the moves that didn’t happen that leave a franchise wondering, “Where do we go from here?”The 2026 summer saw so much change across the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to Miami. LaMelo Ball was traded to Minnesota. Jaylen Brown was traded to Philadelphia. Maybe Kawhi Leonard will be traded to Toronto? And then, of course, LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in what could be the final chapter of his now 24-season (and counting) career.Let’s review 10 scenarios in the NBA and grade them on our offseason concern-o-meter. We did this last year, and it was a big hit. (I didn’t read the comments.)Steph Curry’s end with WarriorsConcern-o-meter: 9/10The Golden State Warriors never really got into the Antetokounmpo mix, even though they were rumored to be interested for years. Kevin Durant said no thanks to a reunion with them at the trade deadline a couple of seasons ago. Jimmy Butler did go there, but he tore his ACL. And now James has declined teaming up with Curry and company. So … what does the end of Curry’s career look like?I don’t presume to know if he might want to leave and go somewhere else, even though the internet has wondered if he’d eventually play a season or more in Charlotte, where he grew up. However, the Warriors should try to bring in more to help Curry go for a fifth championship ring.Is the best option hoping that Curry and Butler both take massive pay cuts in the summer of 2027 and give the Warriors the flexibility to bring in a big-time, disgruntled star via trade? Curry and Butler will make roughly $120 million this coming season. Butler will come back at some point in the second half of the season, but the 36-year-old coming off an ACL injury can’t be expected to perform at his previous level. Curry will turn 39 in March. As we saw last season, a knee (or any other) injury can derail his time on the court dramatically.Why Steph Curry's Workouts Are INSANEThe Warriors, as constructed, aren’t good enough to compete with the elite of the Western Conference. They have to take another big swing at bringing in star help to give Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr another shot at a title. This team is currently Play-In Tournament caliber. And I’m not sure how optimistic you can be, even when Butler comes back. They have a few first-round picks they can move. They should be willing to part with Brandin Podziemski or some of these younger players on the roster to facilitate a deal. They should do something.The post-LeBron LakersConcern-o-meter: 4/10I’ve been higher on the Lakers’ offseason than most, but I still have concerns. Giving Austin Reaves more than $40 million per season affects how the team is built around Luka Dončić. Committing that much of the salary cap to two non-defenders will present challenges. The Lakers are hoping the offense greatly outweighs the other end of the floor.The key for the Lakers’ offseason was how they addressed the middle. While Dončić and LeBron found ways to make things look less dire on the court at times, having Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes as the big men of record was detrimental to playing real basketball that can threaten in the playoffs. Walker Kessler isn’t a household name yet, but he is an impactful defensive presence. He’s a strong rebounder. He’s a useful scorer around the rim. You don’t have to worry about whether or not he’s going to be focused or competent on any given night. The floor for expectations has risen dramatically.As for the rest of the signings, there’s a lot of potential value in Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney joining the roster. Will they make up for LeBron leaving? No. But the franchise needed to move forward and truly begin an era centered on Dončić. The Lakers aren’t any closer to winning the West than they were last year, but they can start building toward that. They should be fine … for now.Have Lakers built Luka a contending roster?Dan Woike and Jeshua KiddHeat building around Giannis, AdebayoConcern-o-meter: 7/10I’m not sure anybody is better at figuring out cap intricacies than Andy Elisburg, one of the Heat’s top executives. If anybody can bring in cap-friendly and flexible deals around Bam Adebayo and Giannis, it’s Miami’s front office. But it won’t be easy. The Heat appear boxed in for this season. Then they could see plenty of relief and flexibility toward adding a significant guard next summer.The clock is ticking. Miami has roughly $115 million per year locked up in Adebayo and Giannis, who is 32, and that’s a hard 32 when it comes to his NBA mileage. He’s had some knee trouble at times in the last few years. Miami doesn’t really have draft capital or young prospects to move anymore. Are the Heat hoping to bring in someone like Zach LaVine or CJ McCollum or Dejounte Murray in free agency? Is that enough?Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are going from foes to friends in Miami. (Jim Rassol / Imagn Images)Celtics’ retoolConcern-o-meter: 4/10For two straight summers, the Celtics have dismantled a championship-level roster and hoped Joe Mazzulla can devise a plan to make up for it with spare parts. At times last season, it looked like the Celtics were going to figure it out. They were tremendous during the regular season, only to choke away a 3-1 lead to Philadelphia in the first round, with Jayson Tatum missing Game 7. After a failed run at Giannis, the Celtics decided to move Jaylen Brown before a trade-rumor-fueled mercurial personality and a massive extension were hitting the team. It looks like the Celtics will have another “gap year” as they retool everything around a healthy Tatum.Let’s assume Paul George, acquired in the Brown deal, picks up his 2027-28 player option for $56 million. In the summer of 2028, the Celtics will have a ton of flexibility with him off the books, Derrick White having a player option and nobody else on the roster (as of now) making more than $17 million (although Payton Pritchard will be extension eligible in October). Tatum will be 30 that summer, and GM Brad Stevens likely won’t be scared of the aprons by then. Boston should have at least one good run in the Tatum prime era. Maybe that starts with some moves before the 2027 trade deadline?