Injuries had already taken their toll on several squads before the 2025-26 NBA season even tipped off. Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton all suffered postseason Achilles tears, which in turn, ended next season's championship hopes for the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers and prompted the Milwaukee Bucks to move on from Lillard entirely.
Moreover, the Miami Heat will be without Tyler Herro for at least the first month of the season after ankle surgery. Houston’s Fred VanVleet tore his ACL in a workout and is expected to miss the entire year. In Philadelphia, the 76ers’ second-year guard will open the season sidelined with a UCL tear in his thumb.